GB2447891A

GB2447891A - Elevator door arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2447891A
Application number: GB0705639A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Trevor Piggott
Original assignee: UK Lift Co Ltd
Current assignee: UK Lift Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-03-26
Filing date: 2007-03-26
Publication date: 2008-10-01
Also published as: GB0705639D0

Abstract

In an elevator comprising a load carrying compartment 1 in a lift-way shaft 2, the load carrying compartment is provided with hinged doors 5 which open outwardly to allow loading and unloading of the load-carrying compartment when it is aligned with one of plural access openings in the lift-way shaft 2, the access openings having hinged doors 3. The doors 5 are each provided with a contacting means, such as rollers 7, which contact or are in close proximity to an inner surface of the lift-way shaft when the door is misaligned with an access opening to prevent the door from opening unless the opening of the load carrying compartment is aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shaft.

Description

Poor Arran2ement This invention relates to a door arrangement. In

particular, it relates to a door arrangement for an elevator, which prevents a door provided in a load carrying Compartment of the elevator from being opened unless the door is aligned with an access opening provided in a shaft of the elevator.

An elevator typically comprises a load cariyin compartment which travels vertically within a lift-way shaft of a building and which stops at access entrances at different levels of the building to enable the transfer of goods or people into and/or out of the load carrying compartment.

Each access entrance to the said load carrying compartment, at the different levels of a building, comprises an access opening in the said lift-way shaft which is provided with a door to protect against people or goods falling into the said lift-way shaft or being injured or damaged by the moving parts of the elevator.

The load carrying compartnlent is provided with a door. It is essential that the door of the load carrying compartment is prevented from opening when the load carrying compartment is either travelling within the lift-way shaft or is misaligned with an access opening in the shaft (i e. an access entrance at a floor of the building) in order to prevent damage to the elevator or goods, or injury to any passengers.

l'he present invention arose in an attempt to provide an improved elevator door arrangement.

According to the present invention in a first aspect, there is provided a door arrangement for an elevator which comprises a load carrying compartilient and a lift-way shaft, the load carrying compartment being provided with an opening to allow loading and/or unloading of the load carrying compartnienl through a plurality of access openings provided in the lift-way shaft when the opening of the load carrying compartment is aligned with one of the access openings in the lift-way shaft, wherein the door arrangement comprises at least one door for closing the opening provided in the load carrying compartment, the door being provided with a contacting portion which may contact an inner surface of the lift-way shaft when the door is misaligned with an access opening to prevent the door from opening unless the opening of the load carrying compartment is aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shaft.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of an elevator featuring a door arrangement according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional plan view of the elevator of figure I, with the door arrangenient in a closed position, Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional lilan view of (he elevator of figure 1, with the door arrangement an an open position; and Figure 4 shows a partial detailed cross-sectional side view of the elevator of figure 1, showing the contacting portion.

Referring to Figure I, there is shown an elevator comprising a door arrangement according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The elevator comprises a load carrying compartment I, which travels vertically between different levels of a building in a lift-way shaft 2.

The lift-way shaft 2 is provided at each level of the building, served by the elevator, with an access opening closed by a pair of hinged landing doors 3 Whilst two doors are shown there may alternatively be only a single door. The landing doors 3 are preferably smooth on an inner surface facing the lift-way shaft 2 and positioned to lie flush with an inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2.

The landing doors 3 are preferably provided with a locking device 4 to prevent the landing doors 3 being opened unless an opening in the load carrying compartment 1 is aligned with OflC of the access openings provided in the lift-way shaft 2. ftc locking device is preferably an electro-magnet which is energised to hold the door open/closed until said clectro-inagiiet is de-eiiergised to allow the door to close/open. Any suitable alternative mechanical or electromechanical locking means may he provided.

The load carrying compartment I is provided with an opening on the side adjacent to the hinged landing doors 3, and a pair of compartment doors 5 which close the opening.

Whilst two doors are shown there may alternatively he only a single door. l'he doors are preferably hinged on one vertical edge such that the doors 5 are able to rotate about the hinges 6 to swing outwardly from the load carrying compartment into a corresponding one of the lift-way shaft access openings (as shown in Figure 3) to provide access between the load carrying compartment 1 and a floor of the building.

An outer surface of each ol the compartment doors 5 which faces the landing doors 3 and the inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2 is provided with a contacting portion, which comprises a freely rotatable roller 7. Whilst two rollers 7 per compartment door are shown, there may alternatively he provided additional rollers or only a single roller, as desired.

The mllers 7 are arranged to project outwardly from the compartment doors such that a surface of each roller 7 is either in contact with or located a small distance from the inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2 when the compartnient opening is not aligned with one of the access openings provided in the lift-way shaft. When the landing doors 3 are provided with smooth inner surfaces that lie flush with the inner surface of the lift-way shaft, the rollers may run vertically up and down the surface of the lift-way shaft without hindrance during the vertical movement of the load carrying compartment I in the lift-way shaft. Ef the rollers are not in contact with the inner surface of the lift-way shaft then it is preferable that the clearance between the surface of the rollers 7 and the inner lift-way shaft is kept to a minimum SO that possible movement of' the doors, when the load carrying compartment is misaligned with one of the openings provided in the lift-way shaft, is mininhised Accordingly, when the opening of the load carrying compartment is not aligned with one of the access openings provided in the lift-way shaft 2, the compartment d(x)rs 5 are prevented from opening by abutment of the rollers 7 against the inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2 (as shown in Figure 4).

Whilst in the present embodiment rollers are used, any suitable alternative contacting means may be provided that does not hinder the passage of the load carrying compartment in the lift-way shaft, and that prevents the opening of the compartment door when the opening of the load carrying compartnient is not aligned with one of the openings provided in the lift-way shaft In particular a uni-directional freely rotatable spherical device may be implemented that comprises a ball located in a socket.

Referring flow to Figures 2 and 3. the operation of the door arrangement is shown.

Figure 2 shows the door arrangement in the closed position and Figure 3 shows the door arrangement in the open positiun.

When the opening of the load carrying compartment 1 is aligned with one of the openings provided in the lift-way shaft, the doors may be opened by rotation of the doors about the hinges 6 since rollers 7 will not contact the inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2.

The rollers 7 instead contact an inner surface of the landing doors. The opening of the compartment doors 5 preferably effects the opening of the landing doors 3 by the application of a lbrce from the rollers 7, as shown in Figure 3. Conversely, closing the landing doors 3 preferably eflècts the closing of the compartment doors 5. It is preferable, as discussed, that the contacting portion has at least two axes of rotation (vertical and horizontal) so that it may run vertically up and down the surface of the lift-way shaft (and landing doors) when the load carrying compartment I is travelling vertically within the lift-way shaft 2 and honzontally across the inner surface of the landing doors 3 when the Compartment doors 5 are opened.

Ii. is preferable that both the landing doors 3 and compartment doors 5 are resiliently biased. However, the door arrangement may be configured such that only the landing doors 3 or the COlllpartmen( doors 5 are resiliently biased Preferably springs are used as the biasing means although any suitahie alternative biasing means may he implemented.

The compartment doors 5 arc preferably biased iii the open Position (shown in Figure 3) at a lower force than the landing doors 3 so that at any point when the Compartment doors S are not aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shaft, the rollers 7 abut the inner surface of the lift-way shaft, the doors are prevented from opening and the landing doors 3 are biased in the closing direction. When the compartment doors 5 are aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shati, the rollers 7 abut an inner surface of the landing doors 3. In order to prevent, the compartment doors 5 opening each time they are aligned with a landing door 3, i.e. when an access opening is passed dunng the passage of the load carrying conipartillent to a further access opening, the landing doors are provided with locking means 4 that prevenis the landing doors 3 from opening. Once the load carrying couipartinent has been brought to a stop in alignment with a desired access opening, the rollers 7 abut an inner surlace ol the doors (shown in Figure 2). To open the doors, the locking means 4 is released and the biasing force of the compartment doors 5 causes the compartment doors 5 to open when the landing doors 3 are opened by manual opening force overcoming the closing bias.

In an alternative arrangement with ihe landing doors 3 biased in the closed direction, they are held in the open position by a magnetic or mechanical locking means 8 so that release of the locking means 8 will result in the closure of both the landing doors 3 and the compartment doors 5. The lock 8 may use a single magnetic action to hold the doors, or various types of mechanical or electromechanical locking or latching mechanisms.

In this arrangement the compartment doors 5 imght not he biased; or may he biased in an open position with a lower biasing force than that applied to the landing doors 3.

When the loading compartment is aligned with an access opening a force applied to the compartment doors 5, which overcomes the biasing force on the landing doors 3 will open both sets of doors. The locking means 8 may be implemented to hold the landing doors open against the biasing li)rce Release of locking nieans 8 will close both sets of doors.

Figure 4 shows a roller 7 in contact with the inner surface of the lift-way shaft 2.

Claims

Claims 1. A door arrangement for an elevator which comprises a load

carrying compartment and a lift-way shaft, the load carrying compartment being provided with an opening to allow loading and/or unloading of the load cariying compartment through a plurality of access openings provided in the lift-way shaft when the opening of the load carrying compartment is aligned with one of the access openings in the lift-way shaft, wherein the door arrangement comprises at least one compartment door for closing the opening provided in the load carrying compartment, the door being provided with a contacting portion which may contact an inner surface of the lift-way shaft when the door is misaligned with an access opening to prevent the door from opening unless the opening of the load carrying compartment is aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shaft.
2. A door arrangement as claimed in Claim I, wherein the contacting portion contacts the inner surface of the lift-way shaft before any part of the cornparlnieflt door is able to contact the inner surface of the lift-way shaft
3. A door arrangement as claimed in Claim I or 2, wherein the load carrying compartment is provided with two doors.
4. A door arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each compartment door is hinged to open outwardly of the load carrying compartment.
5. A door arrangen-tent. as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each compartment door is resiliently biased to open such that the contacting portion contacts the inner surface of the lift-way shaft when the opening of the load carrying compartment is not aligned with one of the access openings in the lift-way shaft.
6. A door arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the or each compartnient door is resiliently biased to open when the opening of the load cam-iying compartment is aligned with an access opening in the lift-way shaft.
7. A door arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the contacting portion comprises a freely rotatahle roller arranged to run vertically up and down the inner surface of the lift-way shaft.
8. A door arrangement as claiiied in any preceding claim, wherein the contacting portion Comprises a urn-directional freely rotatable spherical means arranged to run vertically up and down the surface of the lift-way shaft.
9. A door arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each access opening in the lift-way shaft is provided with at least one landing door.
10. A door arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each access opening in the lift-way shalt is provided with two landing doors.
II. A door arrangement. as claiiiied in Claini 9 or 10, wherein when the opening of the load carrying conipariment is aligned with an access opening in the hfi-way shaft the contacting means will contact an inner surface of the landing door(s) during the opening of the compartment door(s).
12. A door arrangement as claimed in Claim II, wherein the opening of the compartment door(s) effects the opening of the landing door(s).
13. A door arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 10 to 12, wherein the or each landing door is resiliently biased to close and the closing of the or each landing door effects the closing of the or each conlpartment door.
14. A door arrangement as claimed in any of Claims 9 to 1 3, wherein the or each landing door is provided with a door locking nieans to hold the door locked closed.
15. A door arrangement as claimed in Claim 14, wherein the door holding means Compnses an electro-magnet which is energised to hold the door open until said electro-magnet is de-energised to allow the door to close.
16. A door fitted to the open side of a load carrying compartment of an elevator and provided on one of its vertical edges with a hinge connection to the side of the said load carrying compartlilent and provided on the face of said door adjacent to the lift-way shaft a freely rotatable roller arranged to he able to nm vertically up and (loWn the surface of the lift-way shaft such that the outer surface of the said freely rotatable roller will contact the surface of the lift-way shaft heibre any part of the door is able to contact the surface of the said lift-way shaft.
17. A door as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the roller is a uni-directional freely

rotatable sphere.
18. A door arrangemlient substantially as hereinhefure described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the accompanying drawings.