Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
  • B66B11/00—Main component parts of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures
  • B66B11/02—Cages, i.e. cars

Definitions

• This invention relates to an elevator system and to a method for operating an elevator system, and more particularly to a multipurpose elevator system.
• a challenge with traditional elevators is that the provided elevator car is usually optimized for transporting persons.
• the provided elevator car is usually optimized for transporting persons.
• An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawback and to provide an elevator system which is well suited for use both to transport persons and cargo. This object is achieved with the elevator system according to independent claim 1 and the method according to independent claim 12.
• Figure 1 illustrates an elevator car with floor elements in a cargo transport position
• Figure 2 illustrates the elevator car of Figure 1 with the floor elements in a passenger load bearing position
• Figure 3 to 5 illustrate a second embodiment of an elevator car
• Figure 6 illustrates a flow chart of a method.
• Figure 1 illustrates a simplified side view of an elevator system 1 with an elevator car 2 which is arranged to move vertically in a hoistway 3 between landings 4 of a building 16.
• the elevator car is moved by a hoisting machinery 5 which is controlled by an elevator control 6.
• the hoisting machinery 5 utilizes a rope 18 to move the elevator car 2 and a counterweight 19 in the hoistway 3.
• Figures 1 and 2. One alternative is to utilize a similar solution as illustrated in Figure 5.
• the floor 20 of the elevator car 2 is provided with at least a first and a second roll 7, which are rotatably suspended in the elevator car 2 for rotation around rotation axles 8.
• the ensure easy loading and unloading, the rotation axles 8 are in the illustrated example parallel to a door opening 9 of the elevator car 2, due to which a heavy object may be directly pushed into the elevator car from the door opening 9 onto the rolls 7.
• the number of rolls 7 is larger than two, so that a major part of the bottom area of the elevator car is provided with rolls 7.
• the rolls may be rotatably suspended from the bottom part of the elevator car or alternatively from the side walls 17 of the elevator car.
• the uppermost parts of the rolls that at each moment are located uppermost provide a rolling surface 10 at a plane illustrated by dotted line 10. This rolling surface 10 carries in the cargo transport position heavy objects that are pushed into or out of the elevator car 2 on the rolls. 3
• An advantage with the rolling surface 10 provided by the rolls 7 is that when loading or unloading cargo into the elevator car 2, the cargo can slide along the rolling surface due to the rotation of the rolls 7. This significantly simplifies loading and unloading of heavy cargo.
• the elevator car 2 is provided with a floor section comprising one or more floor elements 11, which are movable between a load bearing position, where the one or more floor elements are aligned on top of the rolling floor surface 10 and provide a fixed floor surface, and a transport position, where the rolling floor surface 10 is revealed.
• Figure 1 illustrates the one or more floor elements 11 in the transport position, where the elevator car is optimized for transport of cargo
• Figure 2 illustrates the one or more floor elements 11 in the load bearing position, where the one or more floor elements 11 are aligned on top of the rolling floor surface 10 and provide a fixed floor surface for carrying the weight of person standing on it.
• the elevator car 2 is provided with two floor elements 11, which are movable between the load bearing position and the transport position by rotation around pivot points 12.
• each of the floor elements 11 is separately attached by pivot points to the elevator car, preferably proximate to the opposite side walls of the elevator car.
• Proximity to the side walls 17 is advantageous, as in that case the area of the rolling surface 10 becomes as large as possible in the transport position.
• the pivot points 12 make it possible to lift each floor element 11 from the horizontal load bearing position illustrated in Figure 2 to an upright vertical transport position illustrated in Figure 1. In that case each floor element is located along a side wall 17 of the elevator car in an upright position, due to which the rolling surface 10 is revealed between the two floor elements.
• a similar solution may be utilized also in case only one floor element is in use. However, in that case this single floor element will extend to a larger height along the side wall 17 of the elevator car 2, which makes the elevator floor element heavier and more clumsy to move between the transport and load bearing positions.
• the pivot points 12 may be implemented by means of hinges, for instance.
• the elevator car may be provided with a drive unit 13 (or drive units) such as an electric motor, a hydraulic motor or hydraulic cylinder, 4 or a pneumatic motor or pneumatic cylinder which can be used to move the one or more floor elements 11 between the load bearing position and the transport position.
• a control panel of the elevator car for instance, may be used to control the movement of the one or more floor elements 11 by utilizing electric power, hydraulic power or pneumatic power.
• Still another alternative for moving the one or more floor elements 11 into the transport position is to completely remove the elements from the elevator car 2 to an elevator landing 4. In that case no pivot points are needed, but instead the elevator car may be provided with attachment points for attaching the one or more floor elements in position with screws (if needed), for instance, when the one or more floor elements 11 are in the load bearing position.
• the elevator car 2 is provided with a sensor 14 providing the elevator control 6 with an indication about the position of the one or more floor elements 11.
• the elevator control obtains information when the one or more floor elements 11 are in the transport position and when they are in the load bearing position. This information is useful, because it may be advantageous to stop the elevator car at different heights in the hoistway 3 in relation to the landings 4 depending on the position of the one or more floor elements 11.
• the elevator control 6 is configured to stop the elevator car 2 at a higher 5 position in relation to the landing 4 when the one or more floor elements 11 are in the transport position, than when the one or more floor elements 11 are in the load bearing position.
• a construction time modification of the elevator car illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 may be utilized only during the construction time of the building. Consequently, for the construction time of the building the elevator car 2 may be set in a hybrid mode, where the rolling floor surface 10 and the one or more floor elements 11 have been provided to the floor 20 of the elevator car. Atthat stage, the elevator car is well suited for both transport of cargo and passengers, depending on if the one or more floor elements 11 are in the passenger load bearing position illustrated in Figure 1 or in the transport position illustrated in Figure 2. However, once the construction time modification is no longer needed as the building is completed, this hybrid mode may no longer be needed.
• the elevator car may be set in a person transport mode, by removing the rolls providing the rolling floor surface 10 and the floor elements 11. Consequently, the floor 20 of the elevator car may be revealed and possibly provided with a new coating for more permanent transport of passengers.
• the elevator control 6 may, if necessary, be set into a new mode ensuring that the upper surface of the floor 20 is at the same level as the upper surface of the landings 4 in the hoistway, when the elevator car 2 stops at a landing.
• Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a second embodiment of an elevator car 2'.
• the second embodiment is very similar as the one explained in connection with Figures 1 to 2. Therefore, in the following, the embodiment of Figures 3 to 5 will mainly be explained by pointing out the differences.
• the elevator car is set into a hybrid mode, for the construction time of the building, for instance, due to which it is provided with rolls 7 providing a rolling surface 10 and one or more floor elements 11, which can be moved between the cargo transport position (illustrated in Figure 3) and the passenger load bearing position, as has been illustrated and explained in connection with Figures 1 and 2.
• objects 15' which are higher than the height of the door opening 9' in the elevator car 2' can easily be loaded onto the rolling floor surface by tilting at the door, and subsequently turning into an upright position. After this the objects 15' can slide deeper into the elevator car 2' on the rolling surface.
• a first alternative is to provide one single roof element 21' which can be attached in at least two alternative height positions to the elevator car 2'. This has been illustrated in Figure 3 by way of example.
• the roof element 21' has attachment holes 22' attwo different vertical heights, so thatbolts 23' can protrude through the holes 22' on the selected height and attach the roof element 21' at a desired height position to the walls of the elevator car 2'.
• Bolts and holes are naturally only one example of devices suitable for providing height adjustment for a single roof element 21'.
• FIG. 3 Another alternative to provide a height adjustable roof construction is to utilize two different roof elements.
• the first roof element 21' illustrated in Figure 3, which provides an increased interior height for the elevator car 2' is replaced by a second roof element 21" as illustrated in Figure 4, when the increased interior height is no longer necessary.
• attachment of the second roof element 21" may be implemented with bolts 23', for instance.
• the construction time modification for the elevator car 2' can be implemented by setting the elevator car into the hybrid mode.
• the rolling floor surface 10, the one or more floor elements 11 and the increased 7 interior height may be provided with the adjustable roof construction.
• Figure 5 illustrates in more detail an example of how the hoisting carried out with the hoisting machinery 5 and the rope 18 can be implemented. This solution can be utilized both for the embodiment of Figures 1 to 2 and for the embodiment of Figures 3 to 4.
• Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for operating an elevator system. This method can be implemented for the embodiment of Figures 1 to 2 or for the embodiment of Figures 3 to 5.
• step A the elevator car is set in a hybrid mode for the construction time of the building, for instance. This involves providing a floor of the elevator car with a rolling floor surface, and providing the elevator car with a floor section comprising one or more floor elements which are movable between a load bearing position, where the floor elements are aligned on top of the rolling floor surface, and a transport position, where the rolling floor surface is revealed in the elevator car.
• Step B is not necessary in all implementations. However, in case an increased interior height is needed during the construction time, setting of the elevator car in the hybrid mode may include also step B. In that case the interior height of the elevator car is adjusted to an increased interior height. This may be implemented as has been explained in connection with Figures 3 to 5, for instance.
• step C once the construction time modification is no longer needed, the elevator car is set in a person transport mode. This involves removing the rolling floor surface and the one or more floor elements from the elevator car to reveal the floor of the elevator car.
• Step D is not necessary in all implementations. However, if the interior height of the elevator car has been increased with a step B, in step D the interior height of the elevator car can be adjusted to a lower height.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Elevator Control (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=76011912

Family Applications (1)

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• 2021
  • 2021-05-10 EP EP21726588.3A patent/EP4337584B1/de active Active
  • 2021-05-10 CN CN202180097740.XA patent/CN117222591A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-05-10 WO PCT/EP2021/062362 patent/WO2022237959A1/en not_active Ceased

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