Device for limiting sway in an elevator travelling cable

Abstract

A device for limiting sway in a travelling cable (6) in an elevator system is provided. The device comprises: a channel extending in a first direction for receiving the travelling cable (6) therein, wherein the channel is configured to be mounted in an elevator hoistway (2) such that the first direction corresponds to a direction of motion of an elevator car (4) within the hoistway (2); and an element (20) configured to move in the first direction along an open side of the channel simultaneously with an elevator car (4) and to push the travelling cable (6) into the channel when the element (20) moves along the open side thereof.

Claims

1. A device for limiting sway in a travelling cable (6) in an elevator system, the device comprising: a channel (50) extending in a first direction for receiving the travelling cable (6) therein, wherein the channel (50) is configured to be mounted in an elevator hoistway (2) such that the first direction corresponds to a direction of motion of an elevator car (4) within the hoistway (2); and an element (20) configured to move in the first direction along an open side (53) of the channel (50) simultaneously with the elevator car (4) and to push the travelling cable (6) into the channel (50) when the element (20) moves along the open side (53) thereof; a first guiding portion (58) extending parallel and adjacent to the channel (50) on a first side thereof; a second guiding portion (58) extending parallel and adjacent to the channel (50) on a second side thereof, opposite to the first guiding portion (58); a first guide element (84) connected to a first side of the element (20) and positioned within the first guiding portion (58) so as to be moveable in the first direction; and a second guide element (84) connected to a second side of the element (20) and positioned within the second guiding portion (58) so as to be moveable in the first direction; a first arm (72) extending from the first guide element (84) in the first direction; a second arm (74) extending from the second guide element (84) in the first direction; a third guide element (86) provided on the first arm (72) and positioned within the first guiding portion (58) so as to be moveable in the first direction, wherein the third guide element (86) is spaced from the first guide element (84) in the first direction, wherein the third guide element (86) is spaced directly beneath the first guide element (84) in the first direction; and a fourth guide element (86) provided on the second arm (74) and positioned within the second guiding portion (58) so as to be moveable in the first direction, wherein the fourth guide element (86) is spaced from the second guide element (84) in the first direction, wherein the fourth guide element (86) is spaced directly beneath the second guide element (84) in the first direction.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the element (20) comprises a sheave.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sheave (20), the first guide element (84) and the second guide element (84) are aligned on a common axis of rotation.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second guide elements (84) comprise rollers.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third and fourth guide elements (86) comprise rollers.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second arms (72, 74) have a weight sufficient to overcome frictional resistance to movement of the first, second, third and fourth guide elements (84, 86) in the first and second guiding portions (58).

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, wherein weights (90) are provided on the first and second arms (72, 74).

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a first brush seal (100) extending from a first side wall (54) of the channel (50); and a second brush seal (100) extending from a second, opposite side wall (56) of the channel (50) towards the first brush seal (100).

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traveling cable (6) provides electrical power to the elevator car (4).

10. An elevator system comprising: a hoistway (2); an elevator car (4) moveable within the hoistway (2); a travelling cable (6) connecting the elevator car (4) to a power supply and/or to a controller; and a device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the channel (50) is mounted in the elevator hoistway (2).

11. An elevator system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first direction is a vertical direction.

12. An elevator system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the travelling cable (6) extends within the channel (50) above the element (20) and the element (20) pushes the travelling cable (6) adjacent thereto into the channel (50) when the element (20) moves downwardly along the open side (53) of the channel (50).

13. An elevator system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the travelling cable (6) is connected to the element (20) to drive the element (20) in the first direction along an open side (53) of the channel (50) simultaneously with the elevator car (4).

14. An elevator system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a strap (22) extending between the elevator car (4) and the element (20), wherein the strap (22) is configured to drive the element (20) in the first direction along an open side (53) of the channel (50) simultaneously with the elevator car (4).

15. An elevator system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the strap (22) is positioned on the elevator car (4) to avoid interference with the travelling cable (6).

Description

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

(1) Certain examples of this disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1a is a schematic elevation of an elevator system including a hoistway, an elevator car and a device according to an example of the disclosure, with the elevator car in a first position in the hoistway;

(3) FIG. 1b is a schematic elevation of the elevator system of FIG. 1a, with the elevator car in a second position in the hoistway;

(4) FIG. 1c is a schematic elevation of the elevator system of FIG. 1a, with the elevator car in a third position in the hoistway;

(5) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an elevator hoistway according to an example of the disclosure;

(6) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a device according to the present disclosure;

(7) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of a device according to an example of the disclosure; and

(8) FIG. 5 is a cross section through the device of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) FIG. 1a is a schematic side view of a hoistway 2 of an elevator system and an elevator car 4 located in the hoistway 2. The elevator car 4 is vertically moveable within the hoistway 2. A first end 8 of a travelling cable 6 is connected to the elevator car 4 at the base 10 thereof. A second, opposite end 12 of the travelling cable 6 may be fixed relative to the hoistway 2. In one example, the second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 may be fixed approximately midway along the vertical extent of the hoistway 2 (i.e. at mid-rise m) and may be directly or wirelessly connected to a power supply (not shown) and/or to an elevator controller (not shown). As seen in FIGS. 1a to 1c, the travelling cable 6 extends downwardly from the base 10 of the elevator car 4 and then bends through approximately 180 degrees to extend back up through the hoistway 2 until reaching the second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 which is fixed relative to the hoistway 2 at approximately midway along the vertical extent of the hoistway 2. The travelling cable may be sufficiently long to allow the elevator car 4 to travel over the full length of the hoistway 2 whilst maintaining some slack in the travelling cable 6 at all points of travel of the elevator car 4.

(10) Although only a single travelling cable 6 is shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c, it will be appreciated that one or more travelling cables of the type shown may be provided in an elevator system according to the disclosure.

(11) As shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c, according to one example of the disclosure, a guide 14 in which the travelling cable 6 is received extends vertically within the hoistway 2 from mid-rise m to a lower part 1 of the hoistway 2. In one example, the guide 14 may extend to the lowermost extent of motion of the elevator car 4 in the hoistway 2. In one example, the guide 14 may be fixed to a wall 16 of the hoistway 2. In another example, the guide 14 may be fixed relative to a wall 16 of the hoistway 2. For example, the guide 14 may be fixed to one or more combined guide rail brackets (not shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c) in the hoistway 2 as will be described further below. The second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 may for example be fixed to the guide 14 or directly to the wall 16 of the hoistway 2 or to a combined guide rail bracket. In the example of FIGS. 1a to 1c, the second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 is fixed to the guide 14 at a first end 18 of the guide 14 at approximately mid-rise m in the hoistway 2.

(12) As will be described in further detail below, a guiding device is provided to travel vertically within the guide 14 and is adapted to hold the travelling cable 6 within the guide 14. In one example of the disclosure which will be described further below, the guiding device may include an element which may comprise a sheave 20 adapted to contact and rotate relative to the travelling cable 6. The portion of the travelling cable 6 extending between the sheave 20 and the second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 may extend within and along the guide 14 and may be held in the guide 14 by the sheave 20 as will be described in further detail below. The portion of the travelling cable 6 extending between the sheave 20 and the first end 8 of the travelling cable 6 is not held within the guide 14 and so is free to move.

(13) The sheave 20 is caused to move vertically with the elevator car 4 to travel within the guide 14. In the example shown, the vertical movement is achieved by a strap 22 which extends around the sheave 20, a first end 24 of the strap 22 being attached to the elevator car 4 and the other second end 26 of the strap 22 being fixed relative to the wall 16 of the hoistway 2 adjacent the first end 18 of the guide 14, i.e. approximately at mid-rise m. In one example, the strap 22 may be fixed to a wall 16 of the hoistway 2. In another example, the strap 22 may be fixed relative to a wall 16 of the hoistway 2. For example, the strap 22 may be fixed to one or more combined guide rail brackets (not shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c) in the hoistway 2.

(14) The strap 22 may be fixed to any suitable part of the elevator car 4 to move with the elevator car 4. In the example shown in FIGS. 1a to 1c, the strap 22 is fixed to the roof 28 or an upper surface of the elevator car 4 so as to avoid possible interference with the travelling cable 6 extending from the base 10 of the elevator car 4.

(15) As seen in FIG. 1a, when the elevator car 4 is located towards the lowermost part 1 of the hoistway 2, the sheave 20 is in a first position below the elevator car 4 towards a second, lower end 30 of the guide 14. In this position, a longer length L1 of the strap 22 may extend between the sheave 20 and the second end 26 of the strap 22 than the length L2 of the strap 22 extending between the sheave 20 and the roof 28 of the elevator car 4.

(16) As seen in FIG. 1b, when the elevator car 4 is located at approximately midrise m in the hoistway 2, the sheave 20 is in a second position below the elevator car 4, beyond a midpoint 32 of the guide 14. In this position, the length L3 of the strap 22 extending between the sheave 20 and the second end 26 of the strap 22 may be only slightly less than or approximately the same as the length L4 of the strap 22 extending between the sheave 20 and the roof 28 of the elevator car 4.

(17) As seen in FIG. 1c, when the elevator car 4 is located at its uppermost extent of travel in the hoistway 2 towards the top t of the hoistway 2, the sheave 20 is in a third position below the elevator car 4, towards the first, upper end 18 of the guide 14. In this position, the length L5 of the strap 22 extending between the sheave 20 and the second end 26 of the strap 22 may be much less than the length L6 of the strap 22 extending between the sheave 20 and the roof 28 of the elevator car 4.

(18) As seen in FIG. 2, an elevator system may comprise a number of combined guide rail brackets 36 spaced vertically from each other and attached to a wall 16 of a hoistway 2 so as to extend horizontally. A number of counterweight guide rails 38 and car guide rails 40 may be attached to the combined guide rail brackets 36 so as to extend vertically along the extent of the hoistway 2. The guide 14 of the present disclosure may also be mounted to the combined guide rail brackets 36 so as to fix the guide 14 relative to the wall 16 of the hoistway 2 to which the combined guide rail brackets 36 are attached.

(19) A guide 14 according to an example of the present disclosure is shown in further detail in FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the guide 14 of FIG. 2 attached to a combined guide rail bracket 36 in an elevator hoistway 2.

(20) FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion adjacent the first end 18 of the guide 14 and a sheave 20 according to an example of the disclosure. FIG. 5 is a cross section through a guide 14 according to one example of the disclosure with the sheave 20 assembled therein. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the guide 14 extends in a first direction (not shown) along an axis A-A which may be aligned with the vertical direction when the guide 14 is assembled in a hoistway 2. The guide 14 comprises a channel or a central portion 50 extending along the axis A-A. The central portion 50 has a U-shaped profile in cross section and comprises a first wall 52 configured to extend parallel to a wall 16 of the hoistway 2 when the guide 14 is assembled in the hoistway 2. Second and third walls 54, 56 extend perpendicular to the first wall 52 and parallel to the axis A-A at either end of the first wall 52. It will be understood that a face of the channel 50 opposite the first wall 52 forms and open side 53 of the channel 50. A guiding portion 58 may be provided adjacent each of the second and third walls 54, 56. Each guiding portion 58 may comprise a closed rectangular profile in cross section for receiving one or more vertically aligned guide elements therein. Thus, each guiding portion 58 may comprise one of the second and third walls 54, 56 and a further wall 62, 64 extending parallel to and spaced from the second or third wall 54, 56 and joined to the second or third wall 54, 56 by fourth and fifth walls 66, 68 extending perpendicular thereto.

(21) As seen in FIG. 4, the guiding portions 58 of the guide 14 are adapted to receive guide elements connected to the element or sheave 20 to guide the movement of the sheave 20. It will be understood that the guide elements could take various different forms including wheels or sliders. In the example shown, the guide elements may comprise rollers. In the example of FIGS. 4 and 5, the device includes a first arm 72 linked to a second parallel arm 74 by a shaft 76 extending between the first and second arms 72, 74 at a first end 78 thereof. The first and second arms 72, 74 comprise an inner surface 80 facing towards the other of the first and second arms 72, 74 and an outer surface 82 opposite the inner surface 80. A respective first or second guide element 84 is rotatably mounted to the inner surface 80 of each of the first and second arms 72, 74 so as to rotate around the shaft 76. A sheave 20 is mounted between the respective first and second guide elements 84 to rotate around the shaft 76, the axis of rotation R-R of the sheave 20 corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 76. A respective third or fourth guide element 86 is rotatably mounted to the inner surface 80 of each of the first and second arms 72, 74 at a second end 88 of the first and second arms 72, 74 removed from the shaft 76.

(22) Weights or filling material 90 may be provided on the first and second arms 72, 74 to overcome any frictional forces acting on the first, second, third and fourth guide elements and to allow smooth movement of the guiding device 70 in the guiding portions 58. In the example shown, the weights 90 comprise longitudinal panels attached to the inner surfaces 80 of the first and second arms 72, 74 between the first and second and third and fourth guide elements 84, 86 (hereafter referred to as the guide elements).

(23) As seen in FIG. 5, a guide channel 92 extending parallel to the axis A-A is provided in each of the second and third walls 54, 56 for receiving the shaft 76 such that in use, the guide elements 84, 86 are received within the respective guiding portions 58 and the shaft 76 and sheave 20 extend across the central portion 50 of the guide 14. In addition, protrusions extend inwardly from the fourth and fifth walls 66, 68 to form first and second guide rails 96, 98 internally of and on opposite sides of the respective guiding portions 58. Thus, each of the respective guide elements 84, 86 will engage with and be guided by the first and second guide rails 96, 98 as they move vertically within the first and second guiding portions 58 in use.

(24) A gap G is provided between the sheave 20 and the first wall 52 of the guide 14 as seen in FIG. 5. When fully assembled in an elevator system, a travelling cable 6 of the elevator system extends along the channel 50 along the axis A-A so as to pass between the first wall 52 and the sheave 20. Brush seals 100 may be provided on the second and third walls 54, 56 respectively extending into the channel 50 in front of the gap G. The brush seals 100 may act to hold the travelling cable 6 inside the channel 50 above the sheave 20. As the second end 12 of the travelling cable 6 is fixed to the guide 14, the sheave 20 and the brush seals 100 act to hold the portion of the travelling cable extending between the second end 12 thereof and the sheave 20 within the channel 50. The portion of the travelling cable 6 extending from the sheave 20 to the elevator car 4 is in contrast free of the channel 50.

(25) As discussed above, the strap 22 may be assembled to extend around the sheave 20 to cause the guiding device 70 to move within the guide 14 simultaneously with the elevator car 4. In an alternative example of the disclosure, if the travelling cable is sufficiently strong, the sheave 20 may be mounted directly to the traveling cable 6 to cause the sheave 20 to move and no strap 22 need be provided. When the sheave 20 is mounted directly to the traveling cable 6 in this way, the weight of the guiding device 70 will act to pull downwardly on the traveling cable 6 thus producing tension in the travelling cable extending between the sheave 20 and the elevator car 4 so as to limit movement of the travelling cable extending between the sheave 20 and the elevator car 4.

(26) In use, when the elevator car 4 moves downwardly in the hoistway 2, the guiding device 70 is caused to move downwardly within the guide 14 with the elevator car. The travelling cable 6 extends out from the channel 50 below the sheave 20 as discussed above. As the guiding device 70 moves downwardly, the sheave 20 of the guiding device 70 acts to push the travelling cable 6 adjacent the sheave 20 through the brush seals 100 and into the channel 50.

(27) Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to various examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the accompanying claims.