EP2162377A1

EP2162377A1 - Elevator shaft

Info

Publication number: EP2162377A1
Application number: EP08761616A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Matti Rasanen; Jari Heikkinen; Osmo BJÖRNI
Original assignee: Kone Corp
Current assignee: Kone Corp
Priority date: 2007-06-13
Filing date: 2008-06-09
Publication date: 2010-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 2028-06-09
Also published as: EP2162377A4; EP2162377B1; WO2008152184A1; FI20070470A0; FI119368B

Abstract

The object of the invention is an elevator shaft, which comprises at least a plurality of vertical elements (2, 3), first horizontal elements (7) and a plurality of second horizontal elements (8), which horizontal elements (7, 8) are supported on vertical elements (2, 3), as well as guide rails (5). The guide rails are fixed directly or indirectly to the first horizontal elements (7) by means of fixing elements (6) adjustable in at least the longitudinal direction of the horizontal elements.

Description

ELEVATOR SHAFT

The object of the present invention is an elevator shaft as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

In old buildings, in which there is not a previous elevator, it is possible to retrofit an elevator. In such buildings there is not, of course, even a normal elevator shaft cast from concrete, so that the elevator shaft must be constructed separately. One prior-art method is to use part of the stairwell or some other suitable place, e.g. the outer surface of the building at the point of the stairwell, in which a suitable place is prepared and in which e.g. a frame made of steel beams is built, which is used as the elevator shaft. The frame is comprised e.g. of four vertical elements, which are at the corners of the shaft, and of horizontal elements that connect the vertical elements. This kind of frame is self- supporting and additionally it is fixed to the structures of the building at suitable points, such as at the points of the floor levels. In addition, guide rails are fitted inside the frame for guiding the movement of the elevator car.

A problem in these kinds of prior-art solutions is, however, that the dimensions and materials of, especially, old buildings generally differ greatly from each other, as a result of which it is difficult to manufacture a standard model elevator shaft frame that would be easy to install in different buildings. For example, the floor levels can be at different heights in different buildings, im which case the fixing points of the shaft frame must be disposed in suitable places always according to the situation. Otøing to this it is not thus possible to fit a serially manufactured standard model elevator shaft frame in the different buildings, but instead modifications must always be made to the frame according to the situation, which in turn increases costs and takes time. In addition, a retrofitted elevator takes a lot of space from the building, which can cause problems. There is not much extra space, especially in old buildings. Owing to this, the elevator shaft frame should be as small in size as possible and consume little space, so that as spacious an elevator car as possible is achieved in the small space reserved for the elevator shaft .

The object of this invention is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks as well as to achieve a modular elevator shaft that requires little space, which can be manufactured in series production and which can easily be retrofitted in different buildings. The solution according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the characterization part of claim 1. Other embodiments of the invention are characterized by what is disclosed in the other claims .

Some inventive embodiments are also discussed in the descriptive section of the present application. The inventive content ^'of the application can also be defined differently than in the claims presented below. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the attributes contained in the claims below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. Likewise the different details presented in connection with each embodiment of the invention can also be applied in other embodiments. In addition it can be stated that at least some of the subordinate claims can in at least some situations be deemed to be inventive in their own right .

One advantage of the solution according to the invention is that it is possible with the aid of it to manufacture serially-produced standard model elevator shafts of different sizes, which can be easily installed in different buildings also retroactively and they are not dependent on the dimensions and special features of the building. In this case another advantage is that large modifications according to the structures of different buildings do not need to be made in the elevator shaft, which in turn saves time and money. The manufacturing costs of serially produced standard model elevator shafts are also low. Another advantage of the elevator shaft according to the invention is that it takes little space in the lateral direction and thus enables the use of a spacious elevator car.

In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of two different examples of its embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 presents an oblique top side view of an elevator shaft according to the invention,

Fig. 2 presents a magnified oblique top side view of the lower part of an elevator shaft according to Fig.

1, Fig. 3 ^■ presents an oblique side view of one horizontal beam of an elevator shaft according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 presents a top view of an elevator shaft according to the invention,

Fig. 5 presents a top view of one vertical element incorporated in an elevator shaft according to the invention,

Fig. 6 presents a top view of another vertical element incorporated in an elevator shaft according to the invention, Fig. 7 presents a top view of a guide rail with its support structures fitted inside an elevator shaft according to the invention.

Fig. 1 presents an oblique top side view of an elevator shaft 1 according to the invention. The frame structure of the elevator shaft 1 comprises the vertical elements 2 and 3 that function as vertical pillars fitted into the vertical position in the corners of the shaft, which are assembled from beams fitted one on top of the other, which are manufactured e.g. from steel plate by roll forming a plate into a certain profile, which withstands a load well and does not buckle easily. The lengths of the vertical elements 2 and 3 are selected so that they fit inside old buildings well in the installation phase. The two first vertical elements 2 fitted onto the first side of the shaft and the two second vertical elements 3 fitted onto the second side differ slightly from each other in terms of their profile. The profiles of the first and the second vertical elements and their differences are explained in more detail in the descriptions of Figs. 5 and 6. The first vertical elements 2 must withstand more load, because the hoisting machine with traction wheel of the elevator is disposed in the top part of the elevator shaft on the first side of the shaft . The two first vertical elements 2 are connected to each other with screw fixings by means of the first essentially horizontally aligned horizontal elements 7 and the second vertical elements 3 on the second wall are connected to each other with screw fixings by means of the second essentially horizontally aligned horizontal elements 8. Also the horizontal elements 7 and 8 are manufactured e.g. from steel plate by roll forming them into a certain hollow profile.

The first vertical element 2 at the front edge of the elevator shaft 1 as well as the second vertical element 3 on the second side at the front edge are connected to each other with screw fixings by means of at least the essentially horizontal overhead beams 9 of the doors of the floor levels. The first vertical element 2 at the rear edge of the elevator shaft as well as the second vertical element 3 on the second side at the rear edge are for their part connected to each other with screw fixings by means of the essentially horizontal support beams 10. The elevator shaft is assembled from standardized- like parts with screw fixings and is essentially self- supporting and it is additionally fixed with screw fixings at suitable points to the structures of the building in locations that provide the most possible support, e.g. to points of the floor levels. No defined location in the shaft structure is needed for fixing points, in which case the fixing screws can be fastened to just such a suitable place that contains a good and supportive counterfixing location in the structures of the building.

In addition, vertically aligned guide rail bases 4 are fixed to the first side of the elevator shaft 1, which are assembled from beams fitted one on top of the other fixed to each other with screw fixings in the manner of the vertical elements 2 and 3. The guide rail bases 4 are fixed to the first horizontal elements 7 by means of the fixing elements 6 and fixing screws. Additionally, the bottom part of the elevator shaft contains a plinth 23 going around the shaft, which is assembled e.g. from steel plates, which are fastened with screws or rivets to the vertical elements 2 and 3. In addition to the plinth 23, the elevator shaft contains, depending on the situation, wall panels supported on the vertical elements 2 and 3 and/or on the horizontal elements 7 and 8, which can be e.g. transparent glass panels or opaque wall panels. The wall panels and other cladding can also be later installed in the shaft .

Fig. 2 presents a magnified oblique top side view of the bottom part of the elevator shaft according to Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 presents an oblique top side view of a first horizontal element 7 when detached. Fixing holes 22 have been made at regular intervals in the first vertical elements 2, to which the first horizontal elements 7 are fixed by the fixing holes 21 of the fixing lugs 20 at their ends by means of fixing screws. The height of the place of the horizontal element 7 is easy to adjust, because the vertical elements 2 contain fixing holes 22 along the entire length of the vertical elements. Thus the horizontal elements 7 can easily be fitted to suitable heights according to the structures of the building. Corresponding fixing holes 22 have also been made at regular intervals in the second vertical elements 3, to which the second horizontal elements 8 are fixed by the fixing holes of the fixing lugs at their ends by means of fixing screws . The horizontal element 7 is hollow in terms of its profile and adequately large apertures 17 have been made in its inner edge for the fixing elements 6 fitted partly inside the horizontal element 7. The fixing elements 6 are pieces made from steel plate bent into an L-shape and they are fitted inside the hollow horizontal elements 7 such that the longer side of the L-iron is inside the horizontal element 7 and the shorter side extends essentially perpendicularly outwards from the aperture 17. Four fixing holes provided with screw threads have been made in the longer side of the fixing element 6 and likewise four fixing holes 18 elongated in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal element 7 have been made in corresponding locations of the horizontal element 7. The fixing holes 18 of the horizontal element 7 are made to be elongated so that the position of the fixing element 6 inside the horizontal element 7 can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal element 7. The fixing elements 6 are fixed in the fixing holes 18 of the horizontal elements by means of fixing screws 24.

The guide rail bases 4 are fixed at their open sides with the bolts 16 and the fixing pieces 15 to the shorter sides of the fixing elements 6 coming out from the horizontal element 7, and the guide rails 5 are fixed to the continuous rear side of the guide rail bases 4 by means of the bolts 14 as well as the plate-like counterpieces 13 disposed inside the guide rail base 4. The distance of the guide rail base 4 from the horizontal element 7 is fitted to be adjustable by means of the elongated adjustment holes 25 in the shorter sides of the fixing elements 6 coming out from the horizontal element 7, in which adjustment holes 25 the fixing bolts 16 of the guide rail base 4 are tightened. The guide rails 5 are securely fixed to the guide rail bases 4 and thus are fitted to be adjustable along with adjustment of the guide rail base 4 in both the longitudinal direction of the horizontal element 7 and in the perpendicular direction with respect to the horizontal element 7, as a consequence of which the guide rails 5 can be easily adjusted into their correct positions. Fig. 4 presents a top view of an elevator shaft according to the invention. As described earlier, the guide rails 5 are fitted opposite each other near the first wall of the elevator shaft 1 and fixed to the guide rail bases 4, which in turn are fixed to the first horizontal beams 7 by means of the fixing elements 6. At the bottom end of the guide rails 5 and the guide rail bases 4 is a lower beam system 19 fitted to rest against the floor, to which various components of the elevator are fixed, e.g. the diverting pulley of the overspeed governor, the buffer, the bottom safety appliance, etc.

Fig. 5 presents a top view of the first vertical element 2 of the elevator shaft in more detail and installed into position. The vertical element 2 is manufactured from steel plate by roll forming by bending the ends of the plate such that initially a fold of 90 degrees is bent and a little distance from it a second fold of 90 degrees is bent in the plate, in which case the side edges of the element are parallel with the centre part of the element. The distance between the folds of the first edge of the element 2 is slightly longer than between the folds of the second edge, i.e. the element is not symmetrical in terms of its profile. An element bent into this kind of shape withstands the forces exerted on it better than if the element 2 were symmetrical and only the thickness of the narrower end. Likewise, when the second edge of the vertical element 2 on the side of the horizontal element 7 is narrower, it enables the necessary space saving in the lateral direction of the elevator car. The edges of the vertical element 2 are connected to each other at suitable intervals with support elements 11 fixed to the edges, which are e.g. steel plates, in the sides of which fixing holes are made and which are fixed to the fixing holes 22 of the vertical elements 2 inside the vertical elements 2 with e.g. bolts 26. A suitable angle is bent in the support elements 11 so that they fit together with the asymmetrical transverse profile of the vertical element 2. The support elements 11 function as stiffening closing elements of the profile of the vertical element 2 and they are disposed e.g. at the position of the joints of the vertical element 2 and the horizontal beams 7. The overhead beams 9 of the doors of the floor levels are additionally fixed at the first ends to the first edge of the vertical element 2.

Fig. 6 presents a top view of a second vertical element 3 of the elevator shaft. Just as the first vertical element 2, the second vertical element 3 is manufactured from steel plate by roll forming by bending two folds of a 90-degree angle in the edges of the element. The second vertical element 3 is however bent such that the folds are at the same distance from each other on both edges, in which case the element is symmetrical in terms of its profile. The edges of the element 3 are connected to each other by means of the support elements 12, which are essentially similar to the support elements 11, but straight in terms of their profile. The support elements 12 are fixed in the same way as the support elements 11 of the first vertical element 2 inside the profile of the element 3 by means of the fixing bolts 27. In the same way as the support elements 11, the support elements 12 function as stiffening closing elements of the profile of the vertical element 3 and they are disposed e.g. at the position of the joints of the vertical element 3 and the horizontal beams 8. The overhead beams 9 of the doors of the floor levels are fixed at their second ends to the first edge of the second vertical beam 3.

Fig. 7 presents a top view of the guide rail 5 of an elevator and of a guide rail base 4. The guide rail base 4 is a vertical beam, resembling a C-shape in terms of its profile, manufactured from steel plate e.g. by cold forming, in the edges of which folds are bent in the same way as in the vertical elements 2 and 3. The difference, however, is that the free edges, which face each other, of the folds are turned inwards and form a spring-like element. The guide rail base 4 is fixed to the first horizontal elements 7 connecting the first vertical elements 2 by means of the fixing elements 6 such that the fixing pieces 15 bent towards the guide rail base 4 at their outer edges are fitted inside the guide rail base 4 at suitable intervals in the height direction, which are pieces cut from steel plate, in which fixing holes have been made for the bolts 16. The inward bent edges of the guide rail base 4 are pressed between the fixing elements 6 and the edges of the fixing pieces 15 bent towards the guide rail base 4 by means of the bolts 16 and nuts. The adjustment holes 25 in the fixing element 6 are made elongated in the horizontal direction such that the distance of the guide rail base 4 from the horizontal element 7 can be adjusted.

The actual guide rail 5 is fixed to the guide rail base 4 by means of the counterpieces 13 provided with threaded fixing holes, which counterpieces are fitted inside the guide rail base 4 at suitable intervals in the height direction. There are also fixing holes in corresponding points of the guide rails 5 as well as the guide rail bases 4, from which the guide rail 5 is fixed to the counterpiece 13 with the straight rear wall of the guide rail base 4 remaining between the guide rail 5 and the counterpiece 13. The guide rails 5 are also assembled from a number of elements fitted one on top of the other, to the joints of which the counterpieces 13 and thus also the fixing of the guide rails 5 is fitted. The parts 13, 15 and 16 used in the fixings fitted inside the guide rail base 4 are fitted such that they are not in front of each other even in the vertical direction. As a consequence of this, the vertical position of the horizontal elements 7 can be adjusted easily, in which case the horizontal elements 7 can be moved past the counterpieces 13 in the vertical direction without detaching the fixings of the guide rails 5. This gives a lot of flexibility in installation.

An essential feature of the solution according to the invention is the most effective space utilization possible suited to the space reserved for the elevator shaft. In this case as many elevator components as possible are fitted inside the modular elevator structure 1 according to the invention, in which case the elevator car with its doors and other components as well as the guide rail line of the elevator take as little shaft space laterally as possible throughout the whole height of the shaft. The modular structure is also essential, which enables the rapid installation of an elevator shaft assembled from essentially standard parts in buildings that are different in terms of their dimensions and materials.

It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited solely to the example described above, but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for example, the arrangement according to the invention can be used just as well in other kinds of elevators than in the rucksack-type elevator described above.

It is also obvious to the person skilled in the art that the appliance according to the invention can be used also just as well in an elevator with counterweight instead of an elevator without counterweight.

It is further obvious to the person skilled in the art that in place of the elongated adjustment holes there can be two parallel adjustment plates in the shorter section of the fixing piece extending from the horizontal element, which are fitted to move in relation to each other for adjusting the guide rail base in relation to the first horizontal element in the transverse direction of the elevator shaft .

It is further obvious to the person skilled in the art that if necessary the elevator shaft is provided with e.g. a sheet steel roof binding the vertical elements together and with diagonal supports that strengthen the top end of the shaft. This kind of structure must be made e.g. when the guide rails cannot be supported at their top ends by the structures of the building.

Claims

1. Elevator shaft, which comprises at least a plurality of vertical elements (2, 3), a plurality of first horizontal elements (7) and a plurality of second horizontal elements (8), which horizontal elements (7, 8) are supported on vertical elements (2, 3), as well as at least guide rails (5) guiding the movement of the elevator car, characterized in that the guide rails (5) are fixed directly or indirectly to the first horizontal elements (7) at least by means of fixing elements (6) adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal elements (7).

2. Elevator shaft according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing elements (6) contain a horizontal adjustment for adjusting the guide rails (5) in the perpendicular direction against the longitudinal direction of the horizontal elements (7).

3. Elevator shaft according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the fixing elements (6) are fitted at least partly inside the first horizontal elements (7) .

4. Elevator shaft according to claim 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that the guide rails (5) are fixed to an essentially vertical guide rail base (4) , which guide rail base (4) is further fixed in its position by means of horizontal elements (7) and fixing elements (6) .

5. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rail base (4) is fixed to the fixing elements (6) in the horizontal element (7) by means of a fixing piece (15) such that the horizontal element

(7) can move essentially freely in the vertical direction.

6. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide rail base (4) is hollow in terms of its profile, and in that both the fixing pieces (15) and the counterpieces (13) of the fixing of the guide rail (5) to the fixing element are disposed inside the guide rail base (4) such that the fixing pieces (15) can be moved in the vertical direction past the counterpieces (13).

7. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertical elements (2, 3) contain a plurality of consecutive fixing holes (22) spaced at essentially even intervals from each other, to which the horizontal elements (7 and 8) are fitted for fixing with, a screw fixing.

8. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the vertical elements (2, 3), the horizontal elements (7, 8) and the guide rail base (4) are manufactured from steel plate by roll forming.

9. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that if necessary the elevator shaft is provided with a roof binding the vertical elements (2, 3) together and with diagonal supports that strengthen the top end of the shaft .

10. Elevator shaft according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the elevator shaft (1) comprises a plurality of wall panels supported on the vertical elements (2, 3) and/or the horizontal elements (7, 8), at least a part of which can be transparent glass panels.