AU721225B2 - Containing structure for lift machinery - Google Patents

Abstract

Containing structure (10) for a lift machinery, the structure being made of metal or other suitable material, consisting of a housing (18) in which at least one of the constituent walls is defined by leaves hinged to a permanent wall (14) of the building or to another wall of the housing (18). The object of the present invention is to provide a containing room or structure for lift machinery, occupying very little space and at the same time providing enough space for maintenance work. A permanent fixed room within the building for the lift machinery is not required.

Description

CONTAINING STRUCTURE FOR LIFT MACHINERY FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a containing structure for lift machinery.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a containing structure or room for lift machinery, consisting of an expansible structure that can be located, for example, near a lift shaft doorway at a floor landing along a lift shaft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is known, the construction of lift equipment for passengers and goods is regulated by specific standards which require that, amongst other things, a suitable room be provided for containing the electrical control cabinet and machinery or power unit that powers movement of the lift cage within the lift shaft.

The dimensions of this room in relation to the space occupied by the equipment installed therein must be sufficient, and there must be a minimum amount free space to allow access for a person to carry out maintenance work.

This room must not, of course, be accessible to unauthorised persons and is therefore generally fitted with a lockable door.

The provision of a machinery room of this kind inevitably reduces the space available within the building for residential or shared use.

European patent document EP-A 680 921 discloses a containing structure fe.: that contains an instrument panel of an elevator. The containing structure is placed in the same opening in the wall of the elevator shaft as the landing door of the elevator in one of the floors of the building. The containing structure includes a cover which is removable. The cover can also be hinged so that it can be 25 turned aside the instrument panel.

t The above mentioned containing structure, whilst providing sufficient room :to hold the control panel, does not provide a suitable room with a minimum amount of free space allowing access for the operative who carries out maintenance work.

30 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above described background in mind, one object of the present -Jinvention is to provide an expandible containing structure for lift machinery, that in normal use occupies very little space and at prescribed times (such as during maintenance work) provides enough space for maintenance work to be carried out on the machinery.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a containing structure for lift machinery, the structure being made of metal or other suitable material and consisting of a multi-walled housing of which at least one of its constituent walls is defined by a number of leaves hinged to at least one other wall of the housing, characterised in that three leaves of the housing wall are hingedly joined together along vertical axes such that the leaves are unfoldable from a storage position to provide a cordoned-off space in front of lift machinery located within the housing, and the leaves are foldable back into the storage position where the lift machinery is enclosed within the housing, the housing having dimensions substantially equivalent to the space occupied by the lift machinery.

Accordingly, the invention provides a containing structure that obviates the need to design and construct a permanent fixed room within the building to house the lift machinery in maintenance work accessible manner.

The invention, in a preferred embodiment, provides a containing structure with small dimensions that enable it to fit into an existing void or space which is, 20 for example, usually present beside a lift shaft door.

The invention provides a containing structure that accommodates all necessary machinery equipment in a single room whilst providing an enclosure that achieve easy and time-saving maintenance access.

In another form thereof, the invention provides a housing for lift machinery characterised in that the housing is of parallel pipedonal shape and is composed of metal panels forming side, back, base and top walls of an enclosed space for receiving, in space saving arrangement, components of lift machinery such as a hydraulic pump unit, holding tank and control equipment, and in that a front access door of the housing is formed by at least three metal leaves of which at 30 least two are hinged to each other along a vertical axis such as to enable unfolding of the leaves into a position in which they provide a three sided enclosure in front of the open housing Constructional and functional characteristics of the containing structure for lift machinery of the present invention will become clearer in the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof schematically illustrated in the attached drawing sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS i *o *o o WO 97/42119 PCT/IB97/00485 3 Fig.l schematically shows a lift shaft with the containing structure of the present invention.

With reference to figure 1, the containing structure for lift machinery, indicated in entirety by 10, is located, according to a preferred, but not critically important, embodiment, in correspondence with a landing doorway 12 of a lift shaft bounded by permanent walls 14 and open on at least one side in correspondence with the access 16 to the landing.

According to the invention, the containing structure 10 basically consists of a housing 18 advantageously made of metal, which houses an electrical cabinet and power unit of the type known per se; the housing 18, which may, for example, be parallelepipedonal, is composed of metal panelling of suitable dimensions with regard to thickness to form side walls, back wall, base and top or ceiling. The front wall, which constitutes the access door, is formed by a plurality of leaves hinged to each other so that they can be folded together and/or against the front face of the housing 18. Fig. 1 illustrates by way of example the containing structure 10, the front wall 18' of which consists of three leaves 20, 20' and 22 fully opened and oriented preferably at right angles to each other; the opening of these leaves causes the creation of a space 24 whose dimensions are such as to comply with the requirements of current regulations, especially as regards the amount of free frontal space.

The same Figure 1 indicates the movement of said leaves by the arrows A, B and C; the said leaves 20, 22, in the proposed illustrative embodiment, are connected together and hinged, for example, along the vertical wall 26, while the leaf 20' is an independent element.

Obviously, the leaves 20, 22 and/or 20' can be formed from a number of parts or panels hinged to each other and able to be oriented in any direction to form the perimeter walls of the space 24. The bases of the various leaves, which are raised slightly of the floor WO 97/42119 PCT/IB97/00485 4 surface, can be provided with wheels, balls or equivalent means for facilitating the opening and sliding of the leaves themselves, which when open form the space 24. The latter is provided with a lock or bolt (not illustrated), which is preferably disposed on the leaf and can engage with the corresponding catch disposed on the edge of one side of the housing 18. For maximum space saving the housing 18 is located beside the doorway 12 and in front of the space provided for the opening of automatic shaft doors 28, replacing a piece of shaft wall.

During operation of the lift, the leaves 20, 20', 22 which form the front wall 18' of the housing 18 are folded together and in the direction of the housing itself, the resulting total dimensions of which are, as a consequence, extremely small. When the attendance of staff is required for maintenance or repair involving access to the electrical cabinet and/or to the power unit, the leaves 20, 20', 22 are opened and oriented towards the outside, for example, with a mutually perpendicular arrangement, and define the space 24 dimensioned according to the current standards; the operative positions himself inside this space and can close the leaf 22, which acts as a door, using the same lock which serves to close the complete assembly, or an independent lock or bolt located on the inside front of one and/or the other of said leaves.

For a lift with a payload of 630 kg the containing structure 10 has a width of only 500 mm, so that the space beside the door is sufficient to place it. The housing 18 contains all the necessary equipment for a hydraulic lift machinery including a oiltank 30, a pumpunit 32 inside the oiltank connected to a pressure tube 34 leading to a jack arrangement inside the shaft, power supply, valves and control equipment. The oiltank is about 300 mm x 500 mm x 1200 mm. The hole machinery is not higher than a building floor, in the described embodiment about 1900 mm. Nevertheless full access to all machine parts is provided for the operative.

WO 97/42119 PCTlIB97/00485 The invention as described above and claimed below is proposed, however, purely illustratively, it being understood that the same can be susceptible of many modifications and variants which yet remain within the scope of the inventive concept. For example the leaves can be only solitary and the space for the operative can be secured by barriers.

It will be understood, in particular, that structural reversals or alternative positionings of the components or parts that together make up the containing structure for the lift machinery of the present invention are possible.

Claims (9)

1. Containing structure for lift machinery, the structure being made of metal or other suitable material and consisting of a multi-walled housing of which at least one of its constituent walls is defined by a number of leaves hinged to at least one other wall of the housing, characterised in that three leaves of the housing wall are hingedly joined together along vertical axes such that the leaves are unfoldable from a storage position to provide a cordoned-off space in front of lift machinery located within the housing, and the leaves are foldable back into the storage position where the lift machinery is enclosed within the housing, the housing having dimensions substantially equivalent to the space occupied by the lift machinery.

2. Containing structure according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing has dimensions such as to allow it to be mounted in a floor landing access opening of a lift shaft adjacent a landing door at said access opening.

3. Containing structure according to claim 2, characterised in that the housing has a back wall constructed to replace a portion of a shaft wall next to the landing door.

4. Containing structure according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterised in that the three leaves are disposed to form the front face of the housing when in their storage position. Containing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it further includes at least one lock or bolt for locking the three leaves to each other and to the remainder of the housing.

6. Containing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that one or more of the leaves consists of a plurality of elements aor panels. 29/03 '00 WED 17:15 FAX 61 2 9888 7600 WATERMARK 4-4 IPA PATENTS i003 7

7. Containing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the leaves are provided with an isolation layer to dampen sound emission from lift machinery located within the housing.

8. Containing structure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the housing contains, in space saving arrangement, necessary equipment for a hydraulic lift machinery, including a pump unit and control equipment.

9. Containing structure for lift machinery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure 1. Dated 29 March, 2000 INVENTIO AG and GMV S.p.A Watermark Patent Trademark Attorneys Unit 1 "The Village" Riverside Corporate Park

39-117 Delhi Road NORTH RYDE NSW 2113 oo CJS:CA P4006AUOO 29/03 '00 WED 17:16 [TX/RX NO 8126]