RAIL STABILIZING SAFETY BRAKE

Abstract

A safety brake for a traveling body in an elevator system brakes against a brake rail oriented in a traveling direction. The safety brake includes a housing with a catch element and a brake pad attached to the housing opposite one another. The catch element is mounted on the housing such that an application movement of the catch element relative to the housing is possible, and the application movement reduces an opening width between the brake pad and the catch element. At least the catch element or the brake pad has a notch for fitting around a protrusion of a brake rail during braking. The opening width corresponds to at least twice the depth of the notch.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. An elevator system including a safety brake for braking against a brake rail oriented in a direction of travel of the elevator system, the safety brake comprising: a housing; a catch element; a brake pad; wherein the brake pad and the catch element are mounted opposite one another on the housing; wherein the catch element is mounted on the housing such that an application movement of the catch element relative to the housing reduces an opening width between the brake pad and the catch element; wherein the catch element and the brake pad each have a notch formed therein, the notches each adapted to fit around an associated protrusion of the brake rail during a braking operation of the safety brake; wherein the opening width corresponds to at least twice a depth of at least one of the notches; and wherein the associated protrusions of the brake rail are a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first protrusion engaging in the notch in the brake pad during the braking operation, and the second protrusion engaging in the notch in the catch element during the braking operation.

15. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the notches are oriented along the direction of travel that is oriented perpendicular to a direction of the opening width.

16. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the notch in the brake pad is a first notch having an opening width that tapers from a surface of the brake pad towards a base of the first notch and the notch in the catch element is a second notch having an opening width that tapers from a surface of the catch element towards a base of the second notch.

17. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the catch element is a catch roller and particular the notch in the catch element extends circumferentially on a circumference of the catch roller.

18. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the catch element is a catch wedge.

19. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein a contact pressure applied to the brake pad during the braking operation is limited by a tensioning body under pretension.

20. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the brake pad is fixedly attached to the housing.

21. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the brake rail is formed from sheet metal.

22. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the brake rail is shaped as a hollow profile.

23. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the brake rail is formed as a T-profile or a double-T profile.

24. The elevator system according to claim 14 including a traveling body supported by a support device wherein the support device triggers the safety brake to perform the braking operation when a load-bearing capacity of the support device is lost.

25. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein a width of at least one of the first and second protrusions is greater than a width of a base of the associated notch.

26. The elevator system according to claim 14 wherein the housing has a contact region facing the brake rail that prevents the brake rail from buckling under contact pressure during the braking operation.

27. A safety brake for braking against a brake rail, the safety brake comprising: a housing; a catch element mounted on the housing; a brake pad mounted on the housing opposite the catch element such that an application movement of the catch element relative to the housing reduces an opening width between the brake pad and the catch element; wherein the catch element has a first notch formed therein, the first notch adapted to fit around a first protrusion of the brake rail during a braking operation of the safety brake; wherein the brake pad has a second notch formed therein, the second notch adapted to fit around a second protrusion of the brake rail during the braking operation of the safety brake; and wherein the first protrusion engages in the first notch and the second protrusion engages in the second notch during the braking operation.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] In the figures:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a section of an embodiment of the safety brake,

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a view from below of the same embodiment as in FIG. 1,

[0049] FIG. 3 shows an isometric view of the same embodiment as in FIGS. 1 and 2,

[0050] FIG. 4 shows an elevator system having a safety brake,

[0051] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a catch roller of the safety brake, and

[0052] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a catch wedge of the safety brake.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1 shows the safety brake 1 comprising a housing 5, a brake pad 7 and a catch element 6. The brake rail 3 is mounted between the brake pad 7 and the catch element 6. The brake rail 3 designed as a hollow rail has various regions for guiding or braking. The brake rail 3 has two protrusions 22a and 22b. The safety brake 1 is guided along the brake rail 3 in such a way that the protrusion 22a is aligned with a notch 21a in the catch element 6 and the protrusion 22b is aligned with a notch 21b in the brake pad 7. The opening width D of the safety brake is, in this case, minimally larger than the maximum distance between the two protrusions 22a and 22b, so that the safety brake 1 can be easily displaced over the brake rail 3 and installed. The two notches 21a and 21b each have a depth t (t.sub.a and t.sub.b). The depth t.sub.a of the notch 21a on the catch element 6 is equal to the depth t.sub.b of the notch 21b on the brake pad 7. In the catch element 6 configured as a catch roller 40, the notch 21a is configured circumferentially around the catch element.

[0054] During a journey, the safety brake 1 moves in the direction of travel 2, i.e., substantially up or down. If a safety braking is triggered, the catch roller 40 is displaced so that at least one component of the movement lies in the application direction 8. As a result, the notches 21a and 21b are pushed over the protrusions 22a and 22b. The notches 21a and 21b ensure that the brake rail 3 and the catch element 6 or the brake pad 7 remain correctly positioned and aligned. Thus, the brake rail 3 is prevented from slipping off the catch element 6 or the brake pad 7. The width 30 of the notches corresponds substantially to the thickness of the protrusions 22a and 22b. During braking, the safety brake 1 effects large forces on the brake rail 3. Without suitable measures, this could cause the brake rail 3 to bulge and to buckle under the load. In order to prevent this, the safety brake 1 has a contact region 54 which limits bulging of the brake rail 3.

[0055] In comparison with FIG. 1, FIG. 2 additionally shows the support device 53 and the trigger lever 56.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a further isometric view of the same embodiment as in FIGS. 1 and 2. The safety brake 1 is shown in FIG. 3 together with further components of the elevator system. The guide shoe 73 is mounted on the traveling body 10, shown here as a counterweight 72. The support device 53 serves to support the traveling body 10. As soon as no more tensile load acts on the support device 53, the release spring 55 can expand. In this case, it causes a movement on the trigger lever 56 that moves the catch roller 40 along a connecting link 57 substantially upward. Since the connecting link 57 is slightly inclined relative to the direction of travel 2, this also leads to a movement component in the direction of the application direction 8. As soon as the catch roller 40 touches the brake rail (not shown in FIG. 3), it is displaced further upward and in the application direction 8 by the relative movement. With respect to the traveling body 10, the safety brake 1 has a floating mounting 70, which is realized via two elongated holes. This floating mounting allows the safety brake to easily move along the application direction.

[0057] FIG. 4 shows an elevator system 4 having a safety brake 1. The elevator system has three traveling bodies 10, two counterweights 72 and an elevator car 71. A counterweight 72 is connected to a support means 12, which is connected to the elevator car 71 via a deflection roller 11 mounted at the top in the elevator system. The safety brake 1 is attached to the counterweights above the upper guide shoes 73 and is designed to brake on one of the two brake rails 3. The safety brake is designed to trigger if the support means 12 cracks and to prevent the counterweight 72 from crashing.

[0058] FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a catch roller 40 of the safety brake 1. In addition, a part of the brake rail 3 is shown. FIG. 5 shows two views. The notch 21a extends over the entire circumference 41 of the catch roller 40. The protrusion 22a is an end region of the web 23, which adjoins the web 23 without transition. The shape of the protrusion 22a is not adapted to the shape of the notch, as a result of which a hinged constraint ensues for the web. This means that the protrusion can easily rotate in the notch. The contact surface between the catch roller 40 and the protrusion 22a is very small during safety braking. This embodiment could be further improved by adapting the notch to the shape of the protrusion.

[0059] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a catch wedge 50 of the safety brake 1 in two views. A brake rail 3 and a brake pad 7 are also shown in one of the two views. The notch 21a extends straight along the travel direction 2 along the catch wedge 50. The protrusion 22a is configured as a machined end region of the web 23, and a transition from the web 23 to the protrusion 22a is therefore discernible. The brake pad 7 also has a brake force limitation 58. As soon as the force acting on the brake pad 7 exceeds a predefined force to which a clamping means 51 is tensioned, the brake pad 7 is thus pushed away by the brake rail 3. In this case, the force on the clamping means 51 and thus on the brake rail 3 still increases slightly, but remains virtually constant.

[0060] Both in FIG. 5 and in FIG. 6, the notch 21a is preferably designed to taper. The notch 21a substantially comprises an opening width 30, a width 31 on the base 32 of the notch 21a and a depth t. The width 31 of the notch 21a on the base 32 is less than the opening width 30 at the surface 34. As a result, the protrusion 22a is pressed against the base 32 of the notch when the safety brake is triggered in the direction of the application direction, and the tapering notch 21a also clamps the protrusion 22a from both sides thereby increasing the braking effect. The angle of the flanks 33 is small in this case to the application direction of the catch element 6 is small in this case.

[0061] In FIG. 6, the shape of the protrusion 22a is also adapted to the shape of the notch 21a, as a result of which the clamped constraint ensues for the web 23 as soon as the safety braking is triggered. In other words, the protrusion is guided both in position and orientation in such a way that the protrusion is aligned along the desired position of the web. This greatly reduces the risk of the web bulging.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” etc. do not preclude other elements or steps and terms such as “a” or “an” do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims should not be considered to be limiting.

[0063] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the present invention has been described in what is considered to represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or scope.