WO2013054321A1

WO2013054321A1 - Fold able apron in elevator with movable floor in reduced pit

Info

Publication number: WO2013054321A1
Application number: PCT/IL2012/000346
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoram Madar
Original assignee: Yoram Madar
Priority date: 2011-10-10
Filing date: 2012-09-23
Publication date: 2013-04-18
Also published as: IL215654A0; IL215654A

Abstract

In an elevator having a reduced pit, a foldable apron apparatus mounted onto a bottom portion of an elevator car. The foldable apron apparatus includes a toe guard hingedly mounted to the bottom portion of the elevator car. A first arm hingedly connected in one end of the arm to the toe guard. A first protruding element is extended near the place where the arm is hinged with the toe guard. In the second end of the arm at the upper side of the first arm extends a stopping element. A second arm hingedly connected in one end of the second arm to the bottom of the elevator car. The second end of first arm is hingedly connected to the second end of the second arm. A hollow cylindrical element is placed in parallel to said toe guard. A lifting rod inserted inside the cylindrical element. First and second rollers attached to the lower portion of the lifting rod. First roller is pivotally connected to a roller arm; the roller arm extends perpendicularly to lifting rod. The second roller is mounted in an angle in respect to longitude axis of the lifting rod. At the upper portion of the lifting rod extends perpendicularly thereto a protruding element.

Description

FOLD ABLE APRON IN ELEVATOR WITH MOVABLE FLOOR IN

REDUCED PIT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an elevator apron assembly for use in elevator having a reduced elevator pit and/or elevator with a reduced-safety clearance. More particularly the present invention relates to a foldable apron for a reduced elevator pit and/or elevator with a reduced— safety clearance in association with an elevator load sensing safety apparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An elevator shaft or hoistway is the space enclosed by walls (typically, fireproof walls) and elevator doors for the travel of one or more elevators. An elevator shaft has a pit disposed at the bottom end of the shaft. A pit is a continuation of the shaft or hoistway downwardly below the intended lowest level at which the elevator car will have a duty. The lowest level maybe a first floor or a basement, etc.

There are safety requirements that must be followed, when installing an elevator, with regards to the pit. In particular, when installing a new elevator, pit clearances are provided by rules EN 81-1 and EN 81-2 in Europe and ANSI A 17 in the U.S., this is an important and not to be ignored point about safety, as difficult to solve from technical point.

The required safety space, between the pit floor and the external bottom surface of the elevator's floor, is typically about 4-5 feet in depth and is designed for example to prevent a crushing or squeezing of a maintenance person located at the pit to survive a free fall or unintended movement of the elevator. That safety space is quite large and is often difficult to provide the required safety space, for example in an existing building to which an elevator is to be installed. Another safety system of some elevators includes an elevator apron that fits underneath the car door opening. The elevator apron is a safety device typically extends down from the car door threshold in a vertical direction. When the elevator car stops not in the same level of the floors, a gap is formed between the car's floor and the landing floor, exposing the shaft. The apron is intended to cover the gap and thus prevent a person escaping from the car onto the landing floor, from falling through the gap into the shaft, as well as prevent any body part of a passenger from getting between the car and the landing floor. In order that the elevator apron will work efficiently and safely secure the elevator passengers the car apron must have a considerable length in the vertical direction. The relevant standards require generally a length of not less than 750 mm and in many cases in the prior art rigid aprons are to be used.

There are many cases that the pit safety space is reduced or not deep/large enough to allow a rigid apron extending downward vertically. Therefore, there is a need for a foldable apron for an elevator pit having a reduced space. A number of collapsible, extensible apron are well known. A foldable apron for an elevator pit with reduced safety space is disclosed for example in EP1772414, U.S. 6,095,288 and PCT publication WO/2011/030325.

EP 1772414 discloses a safety system comprising devices for locking folding skirt elements in a protecting position so that they pivot by forces on the skirt elements acting toward the shaft and in the horizontal direction. Preferred Features: One locking device for steering the folding movement of the skirt elements is structured so that are acts simultaneously as a guiding and locking device in the protecting position whilst it locks the skirt elements in the protecting position against a common pivoting movement in the direction of the shaft.

U.S. 6,095,288 discloses a pitless elevator system removes a car buffer and machine, and other components where so equipped from under the elevator car such that the elevator car can be operated to a clearance between it and a floor of a hoistway of about three inches. The machine may be mounted on board the car or may be located elsewhere and the car buffer located in normal side clearance space. The system further provides a retractable toe guard to allow the car to bottom at the indicated distance from the floor. The system facilitates retrofit applications of elevators without the prior art drawback of digging a pit.

PCT publication WO/2011/030325 by co-inventor, Yoram Madar discloses an elevator shaft, preferably having an anti creeping device and reduced ends, the reduced ends being the elevator pit and the elevator overhead, a load sensing safety apparatus facilitated to activate the emergency safety gear of the elevator, the load sensing safety apparatus including a movable plate, one or more spacing devices one or more pressure sensors, and a locking trigger mechanism for triggering the activation of the emergency safety gear of the elevator. PCT publication WO/2011/030325 further discloses an elevator having a reduced pit, a foldable apron apparatus mounted onto a bottom portion of an elevator car.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in an elevator having a reduced pit, a foldable apron apparatus mounted onto a bottom portion of an elevator car, the foldable apron apparatus includes a toe guard hingedly mounted to the bottom of the elevator car. A first arm is hingedly connected in one end of the arm to the toe guard. A first protruding element extends near the place where the arm is hinged with the toe guard. In the second end of the arm at the upper side of the first arm extends a stopping element. A second arm hingedly connected in one end of the second arm to the bottom of the elevator car. The second end of first arm is hingedly connected to the second end of second arm. A hollow cylindrical element is placed in parallel to the toe guard. A lifting rod is inserted inside the cylindrical element. First and second rollers are attached to the lower portion of the lifting rod. First roller is pi vo tally connected to a roller arm. The roller arm extends perpendicularly to lifting rod. The second roller is mounted in an angle in respect to longitude axis of the lifting rod. At the upper portion of the lifting rod extends perpendicularly a protruding element.

When the elevator car descends towards the lowest landing floor level, before reaching the lowest landing floor level, the bottom portion of the second roller reach and make contact with the floor of the elevator pit. As the elevator car continuous to descends, the second roller continue to touch the pit floor and thereby, lifting the lifting rod upward. The lifting of the lifting rod causes the protruding element of the lifting rod to engage with the first protruding element of the first arm and to push upwards the first arm thereby, unlocking the toe guard and allowing rotational movement of the toe guard. Utilizing the second roller the toe guar has begun moving to the retracted position. The continued downward movement of the elevator car in association with the second roller will continue force the toe guard to rotate into retracted position. When the toe guard continued to rotate into retracted position the second roller is no longer touches the lowest floor however, the first roller begin to touch the lowest floor and because of the continuous movement of the elevator car downwards, pressure is applied on the first roller to continue retract the toe guard up to fully retraction position.

When the elevator car ascends from the lowest landing floor level, the self weight of the toe guard will begin a rotation movement of the toe guard until the toe guard deployed vertically to the car floor. The self weight of the lifting rod causes the protruding element of said lifting rod to disengage from protruding element of the first arm. Said stopping element prevents the arms from continue rotating and lock the toe guard vertically to the car floor in the fully deployment position. BENEFITS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In one benefit of the present invention, when the foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention is in a full deployment position, toe guard is in vertical position in respect to car floor threshold. In a situation where the elevator stops between floors, a rider or plurality of riders that stands in the landing floor outside of the elevator car where the apron is deployed would not be able to retract the apron even if they try to retract the apron toe guard toward the elevator shaft. Yet another benefit of the present invention, the retraction an deployment of the foldable apron of the invention in reduced pit can fully an automatically self retract when the elevator reaches to the lowest floor level and fully deployed vertically in respect to the elevator floor threshold when the elevator car ascends. Yet another benefit of the present invention when the foldable apron is in full deployment position, this position can be self locked, preventing the retraction of the apron when applying external forces towards the toe guard. When the foldable apron reaches to the lowest floor level in a reduced elevator pit, the foldable apron can be self unlocked by a simple mechanism thereby allowing retraction of the foldable apron. Yet another benefit of the present invention, the apron in accordance with the present invention is automatically folded under the car during the arrival of the car to the lowest floor and enables pit depth of approximately 20 cm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood upon reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting exemplary embodiments thereof, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective side view of a foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention illustrated in a fully deployed position; Fig. 2 is a perspective rear view of a foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention illustrated in a fully deployed position and without showing the elevator car floor;

Fig. 3 is a perspective side view of a foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention illustrated in a partially retracted position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective rear view of the embodiment depicted in Fig. 2, where the apron is illustrated in a partially retracted position;

Fig. 5 is a two parts exploded side view, first part illustrates portion of the car floor and the second part illustrates the apron in a fully retracted position;

Fig. 6 is a two parts exploded perspective view, first part illustrates portion of the car floor and the second part illustrates the apron in a fully retracted position;

Fig. 7 is a perspective rear view of the apron in a fully deployment position attached to the elevator floor bottom portion;

Fig. 8 is a side view of apron arms joined together in one end hinged pin and positioned with an angle between them of nearly 180 degrees when the apron is in fully deployed position;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the apron lifting rod in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a side view of a foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention and is illustrated with a load sensing safety mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a side view of a foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention and is illustrated with a load sensing safety mechanism having two movable plates with a gap between them that is sufficient for the apron rollers to roll over the gap bottom surface; and

Fig. 12 is an upper schematic view showing part of the load safety mechanism that depicted in Fig. 11;

The following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings referred to above. Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are chosen for convenience or clarity of presentation and are not necessarily shown to scale. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same and like parts

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, as stated hereinbefore, an apron is rigid and long and therefore requires a large amount of vertical clearance located below the lowest level of the elevator car. In pit elevator systems clearance is available in the pit. However, in a pitless elevator system or in a reduced pit, there is no clearance space available into which a conventional apron in pit elevator system may extend when the car is at the lowest level.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 there is shown a foldable apron 10 for a reduced elevator pit according to embodiments of the present invention. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 Foldable apron 10 of the invention is illustrated in a fully deployed position. In Fig. 1 Foldable apron 10 is assembled to the bottom portion of elevator car floor 14. In Fig. 2 the foldable apron is illustrated in a fully deployed position as in Fig. 1, however, the elevator car floor 14 is not shown. In Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 foldable apron 10 is shown in a fully retracted position.

The foldable apron 10 of the invention includes a toe guard 16. The toe guard 16 is preferably a rigid plate 16 made of metal and will refer herein after as toe guard. The toe guard 16 has a length of about 80 cm in accordance with the European safety elevator regulations and about 120 cm in accordance with the American safety elevator regulations. However, in some elevators there are toe guards even longer than 120 cm. In accordance with the elevator safety regulation the width of the toe guard 16 should be approximately the same as the width of the elevator car door threshold or car floor. Toe guard 16 is hingedly connected to the car door threshold 18 at the bottom portion of car floor through preferably a pin hinge 20 although it will be appreciate that any type of hinge arrangement may be substituted if desired such as spring hinges, etc. Apron 10 further includes two hinged arms 22 and 24. Arm 24 is hinged in one end to the bottom surface 26 of car floor 14. Arm 24 is hinged for example through pin 23. One end of arm 22 is hinged to toe guard 16 through pin 27. Onto the upper side of arm 22 near the second end of arm 22 extends a stopping element 28 which can be a metal projection, plate or any other suitable stopping means. The second end of arm 22 is jointly hinged with the second end of arm 24 through pin 29. It will be appreciate that any type of hinge arrangements may be suitable for hingedly joining arms 22 and 24.

Referring now to Fig. 7, preferably, hinge 23 is placed on the bottom portion of elevator car floor near the car threshold and in equal distances from the car floor sides 100 and 102. Preferably, hinge 27 is placed on the rear portion of apron toe guard 16 in equal distances from the car floor sides 100 and 102.

Referring to Fig. 8 there is shown a side view of arms 22 and 24. When the toe guard, not shown in Fig. 8 is in fully deployed position, as can be seen for example in Fig. 1 the internal angle 30 between the arms is less than 180 degrees as shown for example in Fig. 1 and Fig. 8. As shown for example in Fig. 5, angle 30 is increased to about 360 degrees when the apron reaches to the fully retracted position. As can be seen in Fig. 1 and Fig. 8, in a fully deployment position stopping element 28 limits the angle between arms 22 and 24 to be not less than 180 degrees. When stopping element 28 lock arms 22 and 24 is about 180 degrees.

In a fully deployment position of the foldable apron 10, toe guard 22 is deployed vertically in respect to car door threshold 18 as shown for example in Fig. 1. Stopping element 28 prevents toe guard 16 to be deployed outside from the elevator shaft. Moreover, if a force is applied outside from the elevator shaft for example perpendicularly to the apron, the stopping element 28 will prevent the apron to retract when the apron is in the fully deployed position. Onto one side of arm 22 near the place where arm 22 is hinged with toe guard 16 extends a protruding element 32 made of steel. Preferably the protruding element is a plate 32 made of steel. The foldable apron 10 further includes a hollow cylindrical element 37 approximately parallel to toe guard 16. One end of protruding element 38 extends from toe guard 16 and the other end of protruding element 38 is firmly connected to the outer surface of the cylindrical element 37. Protruding element 38 is formed to statically position cylindrical element 37 in a certain distance near toe guard 16. Foldable apron further includes a lifting rod 34. Under a certain conditions that will be explained later portion of lifting rod 34 has some freedom to pass through cylindrical element and is slideable inside the cylindrical element 37.

Onto the upper portion of lifting rod 34 extends thereof a rigid portion or plate 40 preferably made of steel. The upper surface of protruding element 40 is designed to engage with the bottom surface of protruding element 32 when rod 34 is pushed upwards towards protruding element 32. When a gravitation force is applied to lifting rod 34, protruding element 40 disengages from protruding element 32. Preferably, portion of lifting rod 34 slides downwards to a certain distance through cylindrical element 37 for example until the bottom surface of plate 40 touches the upper portion of cylindrical element 37 to prevent the lifting rod to further slide downwards. Referring now to Fig. 2 and Fig. 9, in order to assist the desired movement of toe guard 16 the lower portion of lifting rod 34 further includes rollers 42 and 44. Roller 42 is pivotally connected to arm 43. Arm 43 extends approximately perpendicular to lifting rod 34 and positioned at the bottom portion thereof. Roller 44 is mounted in an angled position in respect to the longitude axis of lift rod 34 by using an inclined plate 50 connected in its upper side to the bottom end of rod 34 and its bottom side to roller 44. Referring also to Fig. 9, the internal angle 52 between plate 50 and longitude axis of rod 34 should be less than 90 degrees. Plate 50 provides an inclined surface for obtaining that the longitude axis of rod 34 and the center of roll 44 will not be aligned to one another and thus roller 44 will be able to roll over a surface such as the pit floor when roller 44 is in contact with the floor and the roller 44 is pushed downwards by lifting rod 34. During the retraction of foldable apron 10, rollers 42 and 44 increase the angular movement of toe guard 16 towards the bottom surface 26 of car floor 14. SELF LOCKING THE APRON IN THE FULLY DEPLOYMENT POSITION

Arms 22 and 24 with stopping element 28 are used for locking apron 10 in a fully deployed position. When the foldable apron is in fully deployed position, stopping element 28 of arm 22 touches arm 24 thereby, preventing toe guard 16 to retract when applying a force outside from the elevator shaft towards the apron toe guard 16. Such force can be applied for example in a situation where the elevator malfunction and the elevator stops between floors, a person that stands outside of the elevator may try to retract the apron toe guard 16. Such force will cause a pressure on arm 24 to rotate towards stopping element 28. The stopping element 28 will prevent this attempt to rotate and thus a retraction of the foldable apron will be prevented. The construction of arms 22 and 24 in association with toe guard 16 and car floor 14 will cause toe guard 16 to remain in a vertical direction in respect to the car floor 14 in a fully deployment position.

RELEASING THE APRON FROM A FULLY DEPLOYMENT POSITION AND SELF RETRACTING THE FOLDABLE APRON TO A FULLY RETRACTING POSITION

When elevator car floor 14 descends towards the lowest landing floor level, before reaching the lowest landing floor level, the bottom portion of roller 44 reach and make contact with the lowest clearance floor level such as pit floor, moveable plate, etc. As the elevator car continuous to descends, roller 44 continue to touch the floor and thereby, lifting rod 34 is lifted upward. The lifting of rod 34 causes protruding element 40 to engage with protruding element 32 and to push protruding element 32 upwards thereby, foldable apron is self unlocked from the fully deployment position. Arm 22 starts to rotate around axis 29 towards the bottom surface 26 of car floor 14. Once arm 22 starts to rotate toe guard 16 has begun moving to the retracted position. The continued downward movement of the elevator car will continue cause the toe guard 16 to rotate into the retracted position. The pressure on roller 44 will force the toe guard 16 to rotate around axis 20. When toe guard 16 continued to collapse into retracted position, roller 44 is no longer touches pit floor however, roller 42 begin to touch the pit floor and because of the continuous downwards movement of the elevator car, pressure is applied on roller 42 to continue retract the toe guard 16 up to fully retraction position. From fully deployed position to fully retracted position the rollers 42 and 44 keep that toe guard will not touch the elevator pit floor.

DEPLOYMENT OF THE APRON AND LOCKING THEREOF

When the elevator car ascends from the lowest landing floor level, the self weight of the toe guard 16 will begin a rotation movement of the toe guard 16 around axis 20 until the toe guard deployed vertically in respect to car floor threshold 18. The self weight of rod 34 causes protruding element 40 to disengage from protruding element 32. Preferably, rod 34 fall down through cylindrical element 37. The fall of rod 37 allows the self rotation of arms 22 and 24 around axis 29 to be up to near 180 degrees. Stopping element 28 prevents the arms 22 and 24 from continue rotating and lock the toe guard 16 vertically to the car floor threshold 18 in the fully deployment position.

Referring now to Figs. 10, preferably, the present invention installed with the load safety mechanism 13 that is described in patent application WO/2011/030325 of co-inventor, Yoram Madar. Nevertheless, the foldable apron in accordance with embodiments of the present invention can be used with any other elevator pit floor.

The load sensing safety mechanism 80 is used for providing a safe clearance to a maintenance person that enters the space between the elevator car bottom floor 14 and the reduced pit floor 81. In general, the load sensing safety mechanism 80 includes a movable plate 82, used as a floating floor disposed on multiple biasing elements 84, such as coils, springs, wherein biasing elements are disposed on the floor of the elevator pit 81. As long as no force is pressed downwardly on movable plate 82 against one or more biasing elements 84, safety mechanism 80 is in idle state, in which the elevator is on normal mode of operation. The load sensing mechanism further includes a locking trigger mechanism and one or more load sensors (not shown) that sense downwardly pressing forces applied to the movable plate 82 against one or more biasing elements 84, the force being over a predesigned threshold.

When the maintenance person stands on the movable plate 82 a load is sensed by the load sensors, therefore the locking trigger mechanism is activated to operatively activate an emergency safety gear of the elevator thereby, protecting a person located in the pit of the elevator shaft. The operation of the elevator turns into a safe state, for example the elevator car is prevented to move downwards towards the reduced elevator pit. When the load is taken off the movable plate 82 the load sensing apparatus is returned to idle state.

A more detailed description about the load sensing apparatus can be found in application publication WO/2011/030325 of co-inventor, Yoram Madar.

In some embodiments of the present invention where on the reduced pit installed a load sensing mechanism having a locking trigger mechanism. The load sensing mechanism in accordance with the present invention is designed that the sensitivity of the sensors will not sense the load of the foldable apron apparatus on the movable floor during the toe guard retraction. Due to the rotation movement of the toe guard during apron retraction the load of the apron can be designed to be less than the load of a maintenance person. Thereby, the locking trigger mechanism is not activated to operatively activate an emergency safety gear of the elevator when the rollers touch movable plate 82 however; when a person stands on the moveable plate 82 the locking trigger mechanism is activated as described in application publication WO/2011/030325.

Referring now to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, in another embodiment of the present invention load sensing safety mechanism 80 is provided with two movable plates 91A and 91B successively aligned to one another and slightly separated from one another to form a gap 94 along the plates 91 A and 9 IB. The gap between plates 91 A and 9 IB is wide enough to be used as a rollers guide to the rollers when the rollers touch the rollers guide. The rollers guide could be for example the bottom surface of gap 94. When a load such as the rollers of apron 10 touches the roller guide 94 the load is not sensed by sensors 84 because according with this embodiment of the present invention the load sensors are designed not to sense in that area. In this embodiment the sensors 84 can be designed to have a sensitivity to sense a load on the movable plates 91A and 91B which is even smaller than the load of a maintenance person, such as child and accordingly activating an emergency safety gear.

It should be understood that the above description is merely exemplary and that there are various embodiments of the present invention that may be devised, mutatis mutandis, and that the features described in the above-described embodiments, and those not described herein, may be used separately or in any suitable combination; and the invention can be devised in accordance with embodiments not necessarily described above.

Claims

1. In an elevator having a reduced pit, a foldable apron apparatus mounted onto a bottom portion of an elevator car, the foldable apron apparatus comprising:

a toe guard hingedly mounted to the bottom portion of said elevator car; a first arm hingedly connected in one end of said arm to said toe guard, a first protruding element extends near the place where said arm is hinged with said toe guard, in the second end of said arm at the upper side of said first arm extends a stopping element ;

a second arm hingedly connected in one end of said second arm to the bottom of said elevator car,

the second end of first arm is hingedly connected to the second end of second arm;

a hollow cylindrical element is placed in parallel to said toe guard;

a lifting rod inserted inside said cylindrical element;

a first and second rollers attached to the lower portion of said lifting rod; first roller is pivotally connected to a roller arm, said roller arm extends perpendicularly to lifting rod; said second roller is mounted in an angle in respect to longitude axis of said lifting rod; at the upper portion of said lifting rod extends perpendicularly thereto a protruding element;

wherein,

When said elevator car descends towards the lowest landing floor level, before reaching the lowest landing floor level, the bottom portion of said second roller reach and make a contact with the floor of said elevator pit, as the elevator car continuous to descends, said second roller continue to touch the pit floor and thereby, lifting said lifting rod upward; the lifting of said lifting rod causes said protruding element of said lifting rod to engage with said first protruding element of said first arm and to push upwards said first arm; thereby, said first arm begun to rotate towards said toe guard and said second arm begun to rotate towards said elevator car floor; once said first arm starts to rotate said toe guard has begun moving to the retracted position; The continued downward movement of said elevator car will continue force said toe guard to rotate into the retracted position utilizing the angled connection of said second roller to said lifting rod; when said toe guard continued to rotate into retracted position said second roller is no longer touches said floor of said elevator pit however, said first roller begin to touch said lowest floor and because of the continuous movement of said elevator car downwards, pressure is applied on said first roller to continue retract said toe guard up to fully retraction position;

When the elevator car ascends from the lowest landing floor level, the self weight of the toe guard will begin a rotation movement of the toe guard until the toe guard deployed vertically to said car floor; the self weight of the lifting rod causes the protruding element of said lifting rod to disengage from protruding element of the first arm; said stopping element prevents the arms from continue rotating and lock the toe guard vertically to the car floor in the fully deployment position.

2. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said toe guard is a rigid plate.

3. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said foldable apron apparatus further comprising a plate connected to the bottom end of rod and to roller in an angle less than 90 degrees in respect to the longitude axis of said lifting rod.

4. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein from fully deployed position to fully retracted position said first and second rollers keep that toe guard will not touch the elevator lowest landing floor level.

5. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on said reduced pit floor installed a load sensing mechanism having a locking trigger mechanism; load sensing mechanism does not sense the load of said foldable apron apparatus, thereby, said locking trigger mechanism is not activated to operatively activate an emergency safety gear of said elevator.

6. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on said reduced pit floor installed a load sensing mechanism having a locking trigger mechanism; said load sensing safety mechanism is provided with two movable plates successively aligned to one another and separated from one another to form a gap along the plates, the gap between said plates of said load sensing mechanism is sufficiently wide to be used as a guide to the rollers when said rollers touch the guide ; when a load such as the rollers of apron touches the roller guide the load is not sensed by sensors of said load sensing mechanism.

7. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a protruding element extends vertically from said toe guard, and the other end of said protruding element is connected to the outer surface of said cylindrical element; said protruding element is formed to statically position said cylindrical element in a certain distance near said toe guard.

8. A foldable apron apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said locking element is a metal projection that extends near the second end of said first arm.