EP0307870A1 - Vertical telescopic door for a lift cabin and a goods lift - Google Patents

Abstract

A vertical sliding door in three leaves (1, 2, 3), namely a fast lower leaf (1), an intermediate leaf (2) and a slow upper leaf (3): the three leaves retract simultaneously upwards into a fixed upper part (5) extending above the cabin when the door is opened by means of a moving and balancing system, characterised in that this system comprises a first principal flexible link (7) running over pulleys (9, 10) and connecting the fast leaf (1) to a counterweight (6), a second principal flexible link (12) connected to the intermediate leaf (2) by a three-strand pulley block (13, 14, 15, 16) and to the same counterweight (6) by a two-strand pulley block (17, 18, 19), and a third principal flexible link (20) connected to the slow leaf (3) by a three-strand pulley block (21, 22, 23, 24) and connected directly (26) to the same counterweight (6); the three leaves being moved together by acting on the first principal link (7). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to cabin doors for elevators and freight elevators, in particular for transforming smooth-walled elevators.

We know that under certain conditions, in particular at reduced speed, it has been tolerated so far the installation of so-called smooth-wall elevators, characterized by the absence of a car door and the use of simple landing doors of the opening type outward or sliding, with manual opening and automatic closing. The interior faces of the various landing doors are flush with the interior surface of the elevator shaft to form a smooth wall against which the car is connected with the minimum clearance by a threshold and input returns. The unlocking of the landing doors, to authorize manual or automatic opening, is ensured by locks provided with a roller operating lever actuated by a cam fixed on the cabin. Finally, landing door contacts check that all these doors are closed to allow the car to be moved.

This type of installation has the advantage of being extremely economical and very space-saving, but on the other hand it does not offer the desired security for the users. For this reason, in most countries where this type of installation was accepted, regulatory provisions will make it compulsory, in the short term, the transformation of all existing installations of this type to make them comply with safety standards, in particular by adding cabin doors.

The general problem that arises is therefore to transform existing installations at the lowest possible cost to bring them up to safety standards. For this, a first difficulty is due to the small width of the shaft which generally does not allow the installation of simple sliding or horizontal telescopic doors used on most modern elevators. Another difficulty stems from the shallow depth of the cabin, which can hardly be further restricted by providing the scanning zones necessary for the operation of the accordion doors. A third difficulty is due to the short distance between the cabin and the smooth wall, which makes it difficult to install telescopic sliding doors with multiple elements and their operator.

Another known solution lies in the use of vertical sliding doors, generally with one or more leaves which are erased upwards. However, in addition to the space constraints which precede, these doors usually require operating chains returned on stepped gears for synchronizing the travel speeds and an individual counterweight for each leaf, which is both heavy and bulky.

The object of the invention is to eliminate the above drawbacks, in particular by providing a vertical telescopic door for an elevator car which not only has a small overall width and thickness, but which is also less heavy and less bulky than those known.

The invention consists in making a vertical sliding door with three leaves, usually comprising a lower rapid leaf, an upper slow leaf at three times lower speed, and an intermediate leaf at twice the speed of the slow leaf, the three leaves simultaneously retracting upwards in a fixed upper part protruding above the cabin during opening, thanks to an operating and balancing operator.

The essential characteristic of the invention resides in the fact that this operator comprises:
- a first main flexible link returned on pulleys and connecting the rapid leaf to a counterweight,
- a second main flexible link connected to the intermediate leaf by a three-strand hauling and to the same counterweight by a two-strand hauling, and
- A third main flexible link connected to the slow leaf by three-strand hauling and connected directly to the same counterweight, the operation of all three leaves being effected by action on the first link.

In particular, these links can be formed by cables or cables, and the actuation can be carried out using a capstan over which the first link passes.

The set of these three main links is preferably doubled by first, second and third auxiliary links with functions identical to that of the respective main links and returned on individual pulleys but to the same counterweight as the main links.

In this case, the capstan preferably acts only on the first main link, and an electrical contact for detecting mechanical tension of the first auxiliary link is provided so that in the event of the latter breaking, the electric control causes the opening and blocking the door in the open position.

The various leaves are preferably constituted by panels with dropped edges directed towards the outside of the cabin, the rapid leaf, the intermediate leaf and the slow leaf succeeding one another and overlapping in order from the outside to the inside of the cabin, and each carrying in the vicinity of its horizontal ends of the stop tabs on its upper edge to abut on the lower fallen edge, respectively, of the intermediate leaf, the slow leaf and the fixed upper part.

• la figure 1 est un schéma en perspective éclaté de l'ensemble de l'opérateur de manoeuvre et d'équilibrage;
• la figure 2 est une vue en élévation de l'ensemble de la porte coulissante vue de l'extérieur de la cabine;
• la figure 3 représente à plus grande échelle une coupe partielle horizontale selon III-III de la figure 2;
• les figures 4, 5 et 6 représentent schématiquement et séparément les trajets des câbles de suspension et de manoeuvre, respectivement du vantail lent, du vantail intermédiaire et du vantail rapide; enfin
• la figure 7 est une vue schématique de dessus correspondant aux trois schémas précédents montrant l'étagement des poulies.

Other features of the invention will appear in the following description of an embodiment taken as an example and shown in the attached drawing, in which:

• FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective diagram of the whole of the maneuvering and balancing operator;
• Figure 2 is an elevational view of the entire sliding door seen from the outside of the cabin;
• FIG. 3 shows on a larger scale a partial horizontal section along line III-III of the Figure 2;
• Figures 4, 5 and 6 show schematically and separately the paths of the suspension and control cables, respectively of the slow leaf, the intermediate leaf and the rapid leaf; finally
• Figure 7 is a schematic top view corresponding to the previous three diagrams showing the staging of the pulleys.

We see in Figures 1 to 6 the three leaves 1, 2 and 3 with vertical sliding: the fast leaf 1 which is the lowest and the most exterior compared to the cabin 4, the slow leaf 3, which is the most upper and the most interior to the cabin 4, finally the intermediate leaf 2 which is in the intermediate position relative to the other two, both in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction, and the speed of movement of which is also intermediate between that of the two panels 1 and 3.

The three leaves 1, 2 and 3 are intended, when the cabin is opened, to slide vertically upwards opposite a fixed part 5 protruding above the cabin. The three leaves having identical or substantially identical dimensions, so that their three lower edges arrive at the same time at the lower edge of the fixed part 5, it is therefore necessary that their vertical displacement speeds are respectively in the ratios 1, 2 / 3 and 1/3. In addition, the weight of these various panels must be balanced to avoid forceful maneuvering and untimely falling.

For this, a single counterweight 6 is used in accordance with the invention and a series of flexible links returned to fixed pulleys and mobile visible in particular in Figure 1. These links may in particular be formed by cables or cables, but could be formed by any other similar flexible link such as chain, strap, strap, strap or rope. In the example which follows, it will be assumed that these are preferably simple flexible steel cables.

A first main cable 7 is fixed at 8 to the leaf 1, and after returning to fixed pulleys 9 and 10, it is fixed by its other end at 11 to the counterweight 6.

A second cable 12 is fixed at 13 to the second leaf 2 and is returned successively to a fixed pulley 14, a mobile pulley 15, two other fixed pulleys 16 and 17 and a mobile pulley 18, carried by the counterweight 6, before be fixed in 19 on a fixed part. This cable therefore carries out a three-strand reeving on the side of leaf 2, and a two-strand reeving on the side of the counterweight, so that the vertical speed of leaf 2 is, to the nearest sign, 2/3 of speed v the counterweight, that is to say that of the rapid leaf 1, as it should be.

A third cable 20 is similarly fixed at 21 to the leaf 3, then, after returning to a fixed pulley 22, a movable pulley 23 carried by the leaf 3, and two other fixed pulleys 24 and 25, it is fixed at its other end at 26 directly on the counterweight 6. There is therefore a three-strand reeving on the side of the slow leaf 3 and a direct attachment on the side of the counterweight, where it follows that the vertical speed of the leaf 3 represents well as it should be the third of the speed v of the counterweight 6 and of the fast leaf 1.

To ensure the balance of the whole, it is clear that the weight of the counterweight 6 must be worth the weight of leaf 1, increased by 2/3 of the weight of leaf 2, and also increased by a third of the weight of leaf 3. The weights of the three leaves being substantially identical, it can therefore be seen that the weight of counterweight 6 is worth substantially twice the weight of a leaf, whereas the usual use of three counterweights, each balancing one of the leaves, would lead to a total weight of 50% higher, not to mention the increase in size due to the movement of the three counterweights and the connecting devices and dismissal.

To ensure the operation of all three leaves, the operator preferably comprises a simple capstan 27 with a horizontal axis driven by a geared motor 28 visible only in FIG. 7. In addition to simplicity, this drive mode has advantage which if, during the closing operation, the lower edge of the rapid panel 1 encounters an obstacle, this produces a corresponding reduction in the tension of the cable 7 downstream of the capstan 27, and consequently a slippage of the cable 7 on this capstan, automatically stopping the movement of the counterweight, therefore of the three leaves without exerting excessive efforts on the obstacle, which provides a very simple and economical way a definite advantage of safety.

Also for safety reasons, in particular to prevent the leaves 1, 2 or 3 from falling, the set of the three main cables 7, 12 and 20 above is preferably doubled by three other auxiliary cables of identical design.

There is firstly a first auxiliary cable 29, fixed at 30 on the rapid leaf 1, and returned, like the first main cable 7, on two fixed pulleys 31 and 32 before being fixed by its other end 33 on the counterweight 6 We also have a second auxiliary cable 34 fixed at 35 on the leaf intermediate 2 and returned successively on a fixed pulley 36, on a mobile pulley 37 carried by this leaf, on two other fixed pulleys 38 and 39, then on another mobile pulley 40 carried by the counterweight 6 before being fixed at 41 on a fixed part.

Finally, a third auxiliary cable 42 is fixed at 43 to the slow leaf 3, and returned to a fixed pulley 44, to a movable pulley 45 carried by the leaf 3, and to two other fixed pulleys 46 and 47 before being fixed at its other end at 48 on the counterweight 6.

In this way, the accidental rupture of any of the six cables 7, 12, 20, 29, 34, 42, can in no case cause the fall of the corresponding leaf.

On the other hand, all the cables being returned to the single counterweight 6, it suffices with a single capstan 27 acting only on the first main cable 7 to maneuver the whole assembly. Preferably, an electrical contactor 49, visible in FIG. 2, is provided to detect the voltage of the first auxiliary cable 29 so that, in the event of this cable breaking, the electrical control causes the door to open if it does not exist. is not already open, and the blocking of this door in the open position.

From the practical point of view, the various fixed pulleys can advantageously be grouped and stepped on four axes, including the axis 50 which groups the three pulleys 31, 36 and 44, the axis 51 which groups the four pulleys 16, 38, 24 and 46, the axis 52 which groups the three pulleys 9, 14 and 22, and finally the axis 53 which groups the six pulleys 10, 32, 17, 39, 25 and 47.

In the exemplary embodiment, the counterweight 6 is located immediately to the right of the opening. It would naturally be just as easy to place it at left by a completely symmetrical arrangement, or else to place it in any other available available location, with additional references if necessary.

The three leaves 1, 2 and 3 are advantageously formed, in the usual way, using sheet metal panels with fallen edges oriented towards the outside of the cabin and internally reinforced by stiffening pieces 54, visible only on Figure 2. At their upper part and in the vicinity of the center, they are also provided with reinforcing parts 55, carrying respectively the fixing and tensioning parts 8, 30 for the rapid leaf 1, the fixing and tensioning parts 13 and 35, as well as the axes of the pulleys 15 and 37 for the intermediate leaf 2, and finally the fixing and tensioning parts 21 and 43, as well as the axes of the pulleys 23 and 45 for the slow leaf 3.

Furthermore, it can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the entire structure integral with the cabin constitutes a frame with an upper cross member 56, carrying the fixed pulleys and the capstan 27 with its motor 28, a lower threshold cross member 57 , preferably constituted by the existing cabin floor, and two vertical uprights 58 affecting the shape of two U-shaped nests and welded as shown in Figure 3, so as to form therebetween three grooves 59, 60 and 61 extending from the top below, and in which the three leaves 1, 2 and 3 respectively slide, preferably by means of rollers 62 with a horizontal axis perpendicular to the plane of the leaves, and rollers 63 with a horizontal axis parallel to the plane of the leaves.

We see in Figure 2 the twelve fixing plates 64 each carrying the axes of the rollers 62 and 63 and each arranged at the four angles of each of the three leaves 1, 2 and 3.

On the side where the counterweight 6 is located, the upright 58 is doubled by a rail 65 ensuring the guiding of the counterweight by means of sliding linings 66 as shown in FIG. 3.

Finally, as additional security, there are provided on the upper edge of the three leaves 1, 2 and 3, stop tabs 67 intended to abut on the lower fallen edge of the immediately upper leaf, or of the fixed panel 5 for the leaf slow 3, these tabs passing on each side in the free vertical passage 68 formed between the roller support plates 64 and the ends of the stiffening pieces 54. In this way, none of the three leaves 1, 2 and 3 can fall completely up to threshold 57, except in the event of complete breakage of the six cables, which is practically impossible.

The door according to the invention is therefore extremely simple, space-saving and not heavy, and also has absolute operating safety, which makes it possible to use it both for load elevators and for passenger elevators.

Claims (6)

1. Vertical sliding door with three leaves (1, 2, 3), including a lower rapid leaf (1), an intermediate leaf (2) and an upper slow leaf (3), whose three leaves simultaneously retract upwards in a fixed upper part (5) protruding above the cabin during opening thanks to an operating and balancing operator,
characterized by the fact that this operator comprises a first main flexible link (7) returned on pulleys (9, 10) and connecting the rapid leaf (1) to a counterweight (6), a second main flexible link (12) connected to the intermediate leaf (2) by a three-strand haul (13, 14, 15, 16) and at the same counterweight (6) by a two-strand haul (17, 18, 19), and a third main flexible link (20) connected to the slow leaf (3) by a three-strand hauling system (21, 22, 23, 24) and connected directly (26) to the same counterweight (6), the operation of all three leaves being effected by the first main link (7). 2. Sliding door according to claim 1, characterized in that the flexible links are constituted by cables or cables, and that said action on the first link is ensured by a capstan over which the first main link (7) passes. 3. Sliding door according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the assembly is doubled by a first (29), a second (34) and a third (42) auxiliary links having identical functions respectively to the first (7) , the second (12) and the third (20) main links, being returned on individual pulleys but on the same counterweight (6). 4. Sliding door according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the capstan (27) acts exclusively on the first main link (7). 5. Sliding door according to claim 4, characterized in that an electrical voltage detection switch (49) acts on the first auxiliary link (29) to detect the voltage thereof, and in the event of a break, control opening the door and locking it in the open position. 6. Sliding door according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the various leaves (1, 2, 3) are constituted by sheet metal panels with fallen edges directed towards the outside of the cabin, the rapid leaf (1) , the intermediate leaf (2) and the slow leaf (3) succeeding each other and overlapping in order from the outside towards the inside of the cabin (4) and each bearing on its upper edge and in the vicinity of its ends horizontal stop tabs (67) capable of coming to bear on the lower fallen edge, respectively, of the intermediate leaf (2), the slow leaf (3), and the fixed upper part (5).

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