AU597843B2

AU597843B2 - Modular elevator system

Info

Publication number: AU597843B2
Application number: AU20172/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Inglis
Original assignee: Otis Elevator Co
Current assignee: Otis Elevator Co
Priority date: 1987-07-31
Filing date: 1987-07-31
Publication date: 1990-06-07
Anticipated expiration: 2008-07-28
Also published as: AU2017288A; DE3875666T2; DE3875666D1; EP0301920B1; JP2558823B2; EP0301920A2; EP0301920A3; JPH01145990A

Description

i" i i:, a ~Y i COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA59 7 84 3 FORM PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE: Class Int.Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: 0* 1 0t "'Priority: S,,Related Art: 0$ This document contains the amendments made umn..i Section 49 and is correct t printing.

6 tr Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: "Actual Inventor: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY 10 Farm Springs, Farmington, Connecticut 06032, United States of America John Inglis SAddress for Service: SHELSTON WATERS, 55 Clarence Street, Sydney ,Complete Specification for the Invention entitled: "MODULAR ELEVATOR SYSTEM" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:ij~ i Complete of PI 3456 dated 31st July, 1987 S001316 r

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C C It has been common practice in the past to pre-assemble elevator cars in the factory, then dismantle the completed cars and re-assemble them in situ. This necessarily involves much double handling and lost time, particularly with separately wired-in units such as the control panel, the indicator lamp assembly and the various proximity switches and controls, all of which have been located at different positions around the car.

Similarly, the corresponding fixed sensors and switches have been mounted in different positions around the elevator shaft and require individual positioning and assembly on site.

The structural components of the car have also been designed so they can be specially assembled to meet particular requirements for door, wall, window or specialised accessory positioning. These may be specified in many different front and back or left and right hand configurations.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved elevator system which will greatly simplify the construction and installation process.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an elevator system for mounting in an elevator shaft having a plurality of door landings therein, said system comprising: a) a car module having a pair of opposed permanent walls I C 4) 0 a 9 S C 2 7VT 4 'it, and a pair of opposed intervening mounting ports extending between corresponding ends of said permanent walls; b) a modular door assembly removably affixed to and closing one of said mounting ports; c) a modular wall assembly removably affixed to and closing the other of said mounting ports; d) a car control module mounted on an outside surface of one of said car module permanent walls, said car control module carrying car wiring, and also carrying floor selection and control means as well as floor display means, said floor selection, control and display means being visible and accessible from the interior of said car module via openings in said one car module permanent wall; e) shaft modules for mounting in an elevator shaft proximate to each landing therein, said shaft modules 4: comprising tripping switch means, magnetic switch means, and magnetic switch vane means carried on mounting means adapted to be secured in place in the elevator shaft; and f) proximity sensing means mounted on said car control module externally of said car module, said proximity sensing means including: tripping means for cooperating with said shaft module tripping switch means for decelerating the car module in the shaft; magnetic switch means for cooperating with said shaft module magnetic switch vane means for sensing car module position and controlling car door operation; and magnetic switch vane m-ans for cooperating with said shaft module magnetic switch means for sensing car module position and car levelling.

Preferably, both the car and shaft modules are removably attachable to their respective locations.

Preferably also, the car includes a central structural module including a preselected position for--- 4 4,4,4

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3 cVTi I-t~uatr;2~-- 1,0 S t S 4t 4ii 41 *01 6r o 66 o 0 @0 removably accepting the car control module and also including oppositely directed mounting ports symmetrically disposed about this preselected position for receiving and supporting preselected door, window, wall or accessory units each correspondingly dimensioned for selective and interchangeable engagement with either of said ports.

A preferred emhodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a modular elevator car and interchangeable components.

Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the components illustrated in Figure i.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of an elevator car illustrating the positioning of the car and shaft modules.

Figure 4 is a side elevation taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating the car module.

Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view showing three shaft modules located in aligned and vertically spaced locations corresponding to three floors.

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the shaft modules shown in Figure Figure 7 is a sectional plan view taken in direction 7-7 of Figure 6 and illustrating the interengagement of a shaft module with the car module.

Referring to the drawings, the modular elevator system includes a wiring and control mounting module 4- Ii

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o o 0@t 0 t 0 C ft C C N N 0 0t 00 *0 0 0 0 t for attachment in a preseiected location on the car 11 as shown. The car module 10 includes both floor selection and control means 12 and floor display means 13 accessible from within the car and further includes proximity sensing means 14 accessible from outside the car. The proximity sensing means 14 include such components as limit switches 15, trip vanes 16 and magnetic switches 17 able operatively to interact with complimentary tripping units 18 magnetic switches 19 and vanes 20 on complimentary shaft modules 21. The shaft modules 21 are attached to the elevator shaft 22 at aligned and vertically spaced locations corresponding to each floor, as best shown in Figure The car and shaft modules are individually assembled in the factory. The bulk of this work need be done only once since the pre assembled car modules can be removably fitted to the car during a preliminary assembly or fitted permanently to the car on site. Both the car and shaft modules are preferably removably attachable to their respective locations at any time, even following final installation.

Preferably also, the car 11 includes a central structural module 25 including a preselected position 26 for removably accepting the car control module 10 and also including oppositely directed mounting ports 27 symmetrically disposed about this preselected position for receiving and supporting preselected door 28, wall 29, window 30, or boot and roof extension units 31, each 5 7 correspondingly dimensioned for selective and interchangeable engagement with either of the ports.

This greatly reduces the complexity associated with providing for a range of alternative combinations.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

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Claims

2. The elevator system of Claim 1 wherein said modular wall assembly is a window wall assembly.
3. The elevator system of Claim 1 wherein said modular wall assembly is configured to expand usable interior space of said car module.
4. A control panel for an elevator car substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this ist day of March, 1990. OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY Attorney: WILLIAM S. LLOYD Fellow Institute of Patent Attorneys of Australia of SHELSTON WATERS 8