WO2019207198A1

WO2019207198A1 - Speed governor arrangement for elevator

Info

Publication number: WO2019207198A1
Application number: PCT/FI2018/050293
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matti RÄSÄNEN; Jaakko Kahila; Ville Myyryläinen; Jari RYHÄNEN
Original assignee: Kone Corporation
Priority date: 2018-04-24
Filing date: 2018-04-24
Publication date: 2019-10-31

Abstract

The invention relates to a speed governor arrangement for an elevator, which elevator comprises an elevator car (2), a control system and a safety gear arrangement comprising a speed governor (11) and safety brake units (8) to restrain the elevator car (2) to the guide rails, which speed governor (11) is fastened to the elevator car (2) to move together with the elevator car (2). The elevator car (2) has a blocking device (12) coupled with the speed governor (11) to block the rotation of the rotating wheel (17) of the speed governor (11), and a release mechanism that comprises an intermediate member (13), which is arranged to transmit the releasing force for unblocking the rotating wheel (17) of the speed governor (11) from an easily accessible location apart from the speed governor (11).

Description

SPEED GOVERNOR ARRANGEMENT FOR ELEVATOR

The present invention relates to a speed governor arrange ment for an elevator as defined in the preamble of claim 1.

Usually the speed governor that is located either in the ma chine room of an elevator or in the elevator shaft also com prises a solenoid whose plunger is arranged to automatically block the rotation of the speed governor when the elevator car is at a landing. This function is called UCM control (uncontrolled movement control) and it prevents an unintend ed movement of the elevator car during loading and unloading and also in case of an unexpected incident. The solenoid is re-energized when the elevator car is to leave the landing in an ordinary operation. A problem may occur if the sole noid cannot be energized, for instance due to a malfunction or a power outage. For that reason, speed governors that are fastened to an elevator car, particularly just below the el evator car, do not have the solenoid to block the rotation of the speed governor. Because the solenoid would be below the elevator car it could be difficult to access the sole noid from a safe place, for example from the roof of the el evator car or from inside the car.

An unintended movement prevention for an elevator car is presented, among other thins, in the US patent publication No. US7137484 B2. The US patent publication discloses a safety system for restraining movement of an elevator car when the car doors are open. The solution comprises a bi directional safety arrangement and an associated car mounted speed governor with a linkage, between the speed governor and the elevator car door, including a brake cable and clutch. The speed governor operates normally when the eleva tor car door is closed to stop the movement of the elevator car in either direction in the event of overspeed. When the door is open more than two inches, for example, the speed governor would stop the movement of the elevator car in the event the car moved more than a predetermined distance. How ever, US7137484 B2 does not disclose how to release the speed governor after an unintended movement prevention in cases of a malfunction.

One object of the present invention is to eliminate draw backs of prior art technology and to achieve an easy to use, safe and reliable speed governor arrangement for an eleva tor. The speed governor arrangement for an elevator accord ing 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.

The inventive content of the application can also be defined differently than in the claims presented below. The in ventive content may also consist of several separate inven tions, 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 present ed in connection with each embodiment 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.

An aspect of the invention is to provide a speed governor arrangement for an elevator, which elevator comprises an el evator car arranged to run in an elevator shaft along guide rails, a control system and a safety gear arrangement com prising a speed governor and safety brake units to restrain the elevator car to the guide rails, which speed governor having a rotating wheel is fastened to the elevator car to move together with the elevator car. Advantageously the ele vator car has a blocking device coupled with the speed gov ernor to block the rotation of the rotating wheel of the speed governor, and a release mechanism that comprises an intermediate member, which is arranged to transmit the re leasing force for unblocking the rotating wheel of the speed governor from an easily accessible location apart from the speed governor.

One advantage of the invention is that the release of the speed governor can be performed safely and easily from the roof of the elevator car or from inside the elevator car. Another advantage is that the release mechanism is not de pendent on electricity. In that case the release can be done during a power outage. Yet an advantage is that the release mechanism according to the invention makes it possible to move the elevator car though the blocking solenoid of the speed governor would not work after the release. A further advantage is that the release mechanism according to the in vention makes operations of the service persons easier. Yet a further advantage is that the release mechanism according to the invention can be utilized also during the installa tion of the elevator to keep the solenoid away from use when an installation hoist, such as Tirak is used. Yet a further advantage of the release mechanism according to the inven tion is that it is reliable, cost effective and requires on ly little space. In case the release of the speed governor is performed from inside of the elevator car, an accessible part of the re lease mechanism could be arranged inside the elevator car or access to the release mechanism could be arranged via a hatch or an opening, such a hatch or an opening being for example in the elevator car wall or ceiling.

In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of example embodiments by referring to the at tached simplified and diagrammatic drawings, wherein

Fig . 1 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view a part of the building where the back wall of the elevator shaft is removed, and an elevator in the elevator shaft, in which elevator the release mech anism of the speed governor according to the inven tion can be used,

Fig . 2 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view the elevator car used in the elevator ac cording to Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view a cross-sectioned lower part of the eleva tor car equipped with the release mechanism of the speed governor arrangement according to the inven tion .

Figure 1 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view a part of the building where the back wall of the elevator shaft 1 is removed, and an elevator in the elevator shaft 1, in which elevator the speed governor arrangement according to the invention can be used. The building has four floors 10 served by the elevator.

The elevator is a so-called Machine-Room-Less (MRL) elevator where the elevator machinery 5 with its operating brakes 6 and traction sheave is in the elevator shaft 1 or in an ap propriate space adjacent to the elevator shaft 1, and pref erably in the upper area of the elevator shaft, advanta geously just below the ceiling of the elevator shaft 1. In addition the elevator comprises among other things an eleva- tor car 2 that is arranged to run up and down in the eleva tor shaft 1 along guide rails 3 guided by guide shoes 7, and a counterweight 4 or balance weight that is also arranged to run up and down in the elevator shaft 1 along its guide rails which are not presented in figure 1 for the sake of clarity. The elevator car 2 and the counterweight 4 are cou pled to each other with elevator ropes or hoisting ropes that also are not presented in figure 1 for the sake of clarity. The cross section of the hoisting ropes can be round or as a flat rectangle. The elevator car 2 comprises a roof 2a, a floor 2b, sidewalls 2c and a back wall and also a front wall with a door structure.

The elevator car 2 is equipped with safety gear arrangement comprising a speed governor 11 and preferably two integrated safety brake units 8 and a synchronizing structure to syn chronize the functions of the safety brake units 8. The speed governor 11 is fastened to the elevator car 2, prefer ably below the elevator car 2 and it moves together with the elevator car 2. The safety gear arrangement is arranged to stop the movement of the elevator car 2 and/or to facilitate an easy and safe restraining of the elevator car 2 into the guide rails 3 when needed, for instance when the elevator car 2 is at a landing on some of the floors 10. The safety gear arrangement used in this embodiment is a bi-directional system, but it can also be a unidirectional system.

As mentioned above the speed governor 11 is preferably inte grated to the elevator car 2, in this embodiment below the elevator car 2 in connection with the safety brake units 8. Advantageously the speed governor 11 is on the first side of the elevator car 2 close to the first safety brake unit 8. The speed governor 11 comprises a blocking device 12 with a plunger to block the rotation of the speed governor 11 when needed, for example when the elevator car 2 is its door open at the landing. Preferably the blocking device 12 is a sole noid controlled by the control system of the elevator. By blocking the rotation of the speed governor 11 an unintended movement of the elevator car 2 is prevented during loading and unloading the elevator car 2 and also during inspection, service or maintenance tasks.

In addition, the elevator comprises at least an operating system, an electrical system, a control system with a con trol arrangement 9, a safety system, a door control arrange ment, and a variety of sensor arrangements. Preferably the safety system comprises an inspection and/or maintenance mode .

The elevator can also be different from what is presented above. In that case the machinery, for example, can be dif ferent and be placed, for instance at the bottom of the ele vator shaft 1 or in a separate machine space or machine room .

The release mechanism of the speed governor 11 according to the invention preferably comprises an intermediate member 13, a deflection sheave 14 and a handle 15 to release the speed governor 11 so that the rotating wheel 17 of the speed governor 11 is able to rotate. The intermediate member 13 is an elongated flexible element, such as a wire rope, Bowden cable, chain or cord. The first end of the intermediate mem ber 13 is coupled with the blocking device 12 arranged to block the rotation of the wheel 17 of the speed governor 11. From the blocking device 12 the intermediate member 13 is led to the deflection sheave 14 that is arranged to act as a guiding element for the intermediate member 13. The deflec tion sheave 14 is fastened to the lower part of the elevator car 2, preferably below the elevator car 2 and on the second side of the elevator car 2. Though the embodiment example discloses only one guiding element 14 the guiding elements

14 can also be more than one. From the deflection sheave 14 the intermediate member 13 is further led upward to the roof 2a or roof area of the elevator car 2 where the second end of the intermediate member 13 is placed. The second end of the intermediate member 13 preferably comprises the handle

15 to make an easy use of the intermediate member 13 possi ble. Thus, the second end of the intermediate member 13 is in an easily accessible location apart from the speed gover nor 11.

Figure 2 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view the elevator car 2 used in the elevator according to figure 1. The deflection sheave 14 is seen below the low er corner of the second side of the elevator car 2 in the proximity of the second safety brake unit 8. The outer rim of the deflection sheave 14 extends in the horizontal direc tion over the second side of the elevator car 2 so that the upward extending part of the intermediate member 13 is a short distance apart from the second side wall 2c of the el evator car 2. At the top of the elevator car 2, advanta geously in the vicinity of the roof 2a of the elevator car 2 the release mechanism comprises a support element 16 to sup port the second end of the intermediate member 13. Prefera bly the support element 16 comprises a vertical pipe that is fastened to the structures of the elevator car 2 on the vi cinity of the roof 2a of the elevator car 2. The second end of the intermediate member 13 is led through the pipe and the handle 15 of the intermediate member 13 is supported against the pipe. In this embodiment the second end of the intermediate member 13 is on the roof 2a or in the vicinity of the roof of the elevator car 2 but, as well, it could be placed inside the elevator car 2. In that case the second end of the interme diate member 13 could be, for example, in a closed housing, such as a service console, at the upper edge of the elevator car 2 so that only authorized persons have an access to the second end of the intermediate member 13.

Figure 3 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique top view a cross-sectioned lower part of the elevator car 2 equipped with the release mechanism of the speed governor 11 according to the invention. The speed governor 11 is fas tened to a support structure 18 that is further fastened to the lower part of the first side of the elevator car 2 below the on the elevator car 2. The elevator arrangement also comprises support structures 20, one on each side of the el evator car 2, for fastening the safety brake units 8, which are not shown in figure 3 for the sake of clarity. The syn chronizing mechanism 19 is coupled between the safety brake units 8 to synchronize the cooperation of the safety brake units 8.

Preferably, the intermediate member 13 is arranged to trans mit the releasing force for unblocking the rotating wheel 17 of the speed governor 11 from an easily accessible location apart from the speed governor 11.

Advantageously, the release mechanism of the speed governor 11 is placed so that the release of the speed governor 11 can be performed safely and easily from the roof 2a of the elevator car 2 or from inside the elevator car 2 just by pulling the intermediate member 13 from the handle 15. This operation draws the plunger of the blocking device 12 of the speed governor 11 away from blocking the rotation of the speed governor wheel 17. Because of the simple mechanical structure that does not need electricity the release mecha nism works reliably also in case of a power outage.

In a preferred embodiment the release mechanism may also comprise a retaining element 21 in the vicinity of the sec ond end of the intermediate member 13. The retaining element 21 can be, for instance, a hook that is arranged to keep the intermediate member 13 in a pulled position where the plung er of the blocking device 12 is away from blocking the rota tion of the wheel 17 of the speed governor 11. This makes the work of service persons easier. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the in vention is not restricted to the examples described above but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for instance the structures and com ponents of the release mechanism of the speed governor may differ from what is presented above.

Claims

1. Speed governor arrangement for an elevator, which eleva tor comprises an elevator car (2) arranged to run in an ele- vator shaft (1) along guide rails (3), a control system and a safety gear arrangement comprising a speed governor (11) and safety brake units (8) to restrain the elevator car (2) to the guide rails (3), which speed governor (11) having a rotating wheel (17) is fastened to the elevator car (2) to move together with the elevator car (2), characterized in that the elevator car (2) has a blocking device (12) coupled with the speed governor (11) to block the rotation of the rotating wheel (17) of the speed governor (11), and a re lease mechanism that comprises an intermediate member (13) , which is arranged to transmit the releasing force for un blocking the rotating wheel (17) of the speed governor (11) from an easily accessible location apart from the speed gov ernor (11).

2. Speed governor arrangement according to claim 1, charac terized in that the intermediate member (13) comprises a first end and a second end, the first end of the intermedi ate member (13) being coupled to the blocking device (12), and the second end of the intermediate member (13) being placed in an easily accessible location.

3. Speed governor arrangement according to claim 1, charac terized in that the blocking device (12) is a solenoid con trolled by the control system of the elevator.

4. Speed governor arrangement according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the blocking device (12) comprises a plunger that is arranged to block the rotation of the rotat ing wheel (17) of the speed governor (11) .

5. Speed governor arrangement according to claim 4, charac terized in that the first end of the intermediate member (13) is coupled to the plunger of the blocking device (12) to draw the plunger away from blocking the rotation of the rotating wheel (17) .

6. Speed governor arrangement according to any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the second end of the intermedi ate member (13) is placed on top of the elevator car (2), accessible from the roof (2a) of the elevator car (2) .

7. Speed governor arrangement according to claim any of the claims 2-5, characterized in that the second end of the in termediate member (13) is placed inside the elevator car (2) .

8. Speed governor arrangement according to claim 7, charac terized in that the second end of the intermediate member (13) inside the elevator car (2) is placed in a locked ser vice console.

9. Speed governor arrangement according to any of claims above, characterized in that the intermediate member (13) is an elongate flexible element, such as a wire rope, Bowden cable, chain or cord.

10. Speed governor arrangement according to any of claims above, characterized in that between the first end and sec ond end of the intermediate member (13) the release mecha nism comprises one or more guiding elements (14) to guide the intermediate member (13) from its first end to its sec ond end.

11. Speed governor arrangement according to any of claims above, characterized in that at the second end of the inter mediate member (13) the release mechanism comprises a re taining element (21) to keep the intermediate member (13) in the position where the plunger of the blocking device (12) is away from blocking the rotation of the wheel (17) of the speed governor (11) .