ELEVATOR CAR WITH BLOCKING MEMBER FOR FOLDABLE WORKING PLATFORM

Abstract

An elevator car has one or more sidewalls (4a, 4b) defining an interior space (2) for accommodating passengers; a roof (3) including a support frame (8) and a working platform (12) which is suspendably connected to the support frame (8). The working platform moves between a stowed position, above the interior space, and an operational position, within the interior space. The elevator car also includes a blocking member (20, 21), located at the support frame (8), and arranged to move between an unblocking position and a blocking position. When the blocking member (20, 21) is in the blocking position, the blocking member is configured to prevent the working platform (12) from being moved into the stowed position.

Claims

1. An elevator car (1) comprising: one or more sidewalls (4a, 4b) arranged to define an interior space (2) for accommodating passengers; a roof (3) comprising a support frame (8) and a working platform (12), wherein the working platform (12) is suspendably connected to the support frame (8) and moveable between a stowed position, above the interior space (2), and an operational position, suspended within the interior space (2); and a blocking member (20, 21) located at the support frame (8), wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to move between an unblocking position and a blocking position, wherein, when the blocking member (20, 21) is in the blocking position, the blocking member is configured to prevent the working platform (12) from being moved into the stowed position.

2. The elevator car (1) of claim 1, wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to mechanically prevent the working platform (12) from being moved into the stowed position.

3. The elevator car (1) of claim 1, further comprising an extendable suspension arrangement (11) arranged to suspend the working platform (12) from the support frame (8), wherein the blocking member (20, 21), when in the blocking position, is arranged to physically engage with at least part of the extendable suspension arrangement (11) such that the extendable suspension arrangement (11) is prevented from contracting to move the working platform (12) to the stowed position.

4. The elevator car (1) of claim 1, wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is configured to be moved from the unblocking position to the blocking position when: the working platform (12) is moved from the stowed position to the operational position.

5. The elevator car (1) of claim 1, wherein the elevator car (1) further comprises: a movable component (25) mounted to the elevator car (1) by a mount (30); wherein the mount (30) is arranged to allow the movable component (25) to be moved between a first position and a second position relative to the roof (3).

6. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein, when the movable component (25) is in the first position and the working platform (12) is in the stowed position, the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to be in the unblocking position, and when the movable component (25) is in the second position and the working platform (12) is in the operational position, the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to be in the blocking position.

7. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is configured to be moved from the unblocking position to the blocking position when: the movable component (25) is moved from the first position to the second position.

8. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is coupled to the movable component (25) such that the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to move from the unblocking position to the blocking position in response to movement of the moveable component (25) from the first position to the second position.

9. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the blocking member (20, 21) is coupled to the movable component (25) such that the blocking member (20, 21) is arranged to move from the blocking position to the unblocking position in response to movement of the moveable component (25) from the second position to the first position.

10. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the blocking member (20) is mechanically coupled to the moveable component (25) such that movement of the moveable component (25) from the first position to the second position causes the blocking member (20) to pivot to the blocking position; and/or wherein the blocking member (20) is mechanically coupled to the moveable component (25) such that movement of the moveable component (25) from the second position to the first position causes the blocking member (20) to pivot to the unblocking position.

11. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the movable component (25) is one of: an electrical box (e.g. car operating board, e.g. a junction box), a balustrade, an inspection box, or an emergency stop button.

12. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the mount (30) is configured to allow the movable component (25) to vertically translate between the first position and the second position, wherein the moveable component (25) at least partially extends above the roof (3) in the second position.

13. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the movable component (25) is an electrical box mounted to the support frame (8) and vertically translatable between a first position and a second position, wherein the electrical box is mechanically coupled to the blocking member (20, 21) such that the vertical translation of the electrical box causes the blocking member (20, 21) to move between the unblocking position when the electrical box is in the first positon, and the blocking position when the electrical box is in the second position.

14. The elevator car (1) of claim 5, wherein the blocking member (21) comprises a resilient member (110) arranged to bias the blocking member (21) into the blocking position.

15. The elevator car (1) of claim 14, wherein the moveable component (25) comprises a latch (100) and wherein, when the moveable component (25) is in the first position, the latch (100) is arranged to hold the blocking member (21) against the bias of the resilient member (110) to put the blocking member (21) in the unblocking position and, when the moveable component (25) is in the second position, the latch (100) is disengaged from the blocking member (21) to allow the bias of the resilient member (110) to move the blocking member (21) to the blocking position.

Description

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

[0042] Some examples of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims are illustrated further by way of the following non-limiting examples and the accompanying figures, in which:

[0043] FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c are cutaway schematic views of an elevator car including a working platform, moveable between a stowed position (as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b) and an operational position (as shown in FIG. 1c);

[0044] FIGS. 2a and 2b are cutaway schematic views of an elevator car including a working platform and an electrical box mounted on a sidewall of the elevator car, the electrical box moveable between a first position (as shown in FIG. 2a) and a second position (as shown in FIG. 2b);

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a side view of an electrical box;

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a view of an electrical box mounted on an elevator car sidewall by a mount, wherein the electrical box is held in the second position;

[0047] FIGS. 5a and 5b show a schematic view of an example of the present disclosure, wherein the operational interplay between movement of the electrical box between a first and second position and the movement of the blocking member from the unblocking positon (shown in FIG. 5a) and the blocking position (shown in FIG. 5b) is depicted; and

[0048] FIGS. 6a and 6b show a schematic view of an example of the present disclosure wherein the operational interplay between movement of the electrical box between a first and second position and the movement of the blocking member from the unblocking position (shown in FIG. 6a) and the blocking position (shown in FIG. 6b) is depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] FIG. 1a shows a view of an elevator car 1, comprising a roof 3 and side walls 4a, 4b which define an interior space 2. The elevator car 1 has two opposed side walls 4a to which handrails 6 are attached. The elevator car 1 additionally has two opposed side walls 4b (only one of which is visible in this figure), on which there are no handrails. Above the interior space 2 there is positioned a support frame 8 comprised in the roof 3, beneath which there is pivotably attached a decorative ceiling cover panel 10. In this arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1a, a passenger located within the interior space 2 of the elevator car 1, sees the decorative ceiling cover panel 10 as covering the vast majority, or even the entirety of the elevator car ceiling, such that the support frame 8 is not normally visible.

[0050] FIG. 1b shows the elevator car 1 of FIG. 1a, in which the decorative ceiling cover panel 10 has been pivoted down to an open position. The elements of FIG. 1b, which are already labelled in FIG. 1a, and could easily be identified as like elements by the skilled person, have not been labelled again in FIGS. 1b and 1c so as to improve the clarity of the drawings. FIG. 1b shows the decorative ceiling cover panel 10 as having been hinged open, from a pivot point in the elevator car ceiling, although it is equally possible that the decorative ceiling cover panel 10 could be fixed in place by any other suitable mechanism, such as for example screws or clips, and could then be removed entirely from the ceiling of the elevator car 1 in order to expose the support frame 8.

[0051] Once the cover panel 10 has been pivoted down or removed, the working platform 12 is then visible, located within the support frame 8 above the interior space 2 of the elevator car 1. In the elevator car 1 as shown in FIG. 1b, the working platform 12 is still in the stowed positon, but is now accessible such that a maintenance person can move the working platform 12 from the stowed position shown in FIG. 1b, to the operational position, as shown in FIG. 1c. As is most clearly seen in FIG. 1c, an extendable suspension mechanism 11 is arranged to suspendably connect the working platform 12 to the support frame 8. In this example, the extendable suspension mechanism 11 is a scissor mechanism. The scissor mechanism 11 opens out to allow the working platform 12 to drop down to a predetermined height in the elevator car 1 which is at substantially the same height as the handrails 6. The extendable suspension mechanism 11 can be any suitable mechanism which allows the working platform 12 to be moved between the stowed position and the operational position, and adequately supports the working platform 12 (together with any load carried in use) in its operational position.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1c, the working platform 12 can be lowered from the stowed position into the interior space 2 of the elevator car 1. This lowered position of the working platform 12 is referred to herein as the operational position. It is in this operational position that a maintenance person can use the working platform 12 to stand on, and thereby access parts of the elevator system through the open ceiling for maintenance purposes. In particular, the height of the working platform 12 in the operational position is ideally at least 1.1 m below the support frame 8, such that a maintenance person standing fully upright on the working platform 12 will protrude out of an opening in the ceiling of the elevator car 1 as provided by the support frame 8. Furthermore, this means that the maintenance person has enough room below the support frame 8 to erect a safety balustrade on the working platform 12, the height of the safety balustrade being at least 1.1 m according to the European Standard EN81-1.

[0053] As best seen in FIG. 1c, the working platform 12 includes at least one stabilizing member 14, and in this example there are four stabilizing members 14, a first stabilizing member 14a and a second stabilizing member 14b positioned at opposed sides of the working platform 12 on the left hand side of the elevator car 1, and a first stabilizing member 14a and a second stabilizing member 14b positioned at opposed sides of the working platform 12 on the right hand side of the elevator car 1. Each of the stabilizing members 14a, 14b can be engaged with the handrails 6 on the side wall 4a of the elevator car 1 in order to provide lateral stability to the working platform 12.

[0054] FIGS. 2a and 2b show a view of an elevator car 1 comprising a movable component 25 in the form of an electrical box mounted thereto by a mount (not shown here). To ease understanding, in the following, the term “electrical box 25” is used. However, the skilled person will understand that any other movable component may be mounted to the elevator car 1 so as to be moved between a first position and a second position relative to the roof 3. In this example, the mount is arranged to allow the electrical box 25 to vertically translate between a first position (as shown in FIG. 2a) and a second position (as shown in FIG. 2b) relative to the roof 3. The electrical box 25 can be mounted to the sidewall 4a and/or to the support frame 8 and/or to the roof 3. As seen in the example of FIG. 2b, the electrical box 25 can be vertically translated upwards so as to at least partially extend above the roof 3 in the second position.

[0055] The elevator car 1 further comprises a blocking member 20 mounted (directly or indirectly) to the support frame 8, wherein the blocking member 20 is arranged to move between an unblocking position (as shown in FIG. 2a) and a blocking position (as shown in FIG. 2b), wherein, when the blocking member 20 is in the blocking position, the blocking member 20 is configured to prevent the working platform 12 from being moved into the stowed position.

[0056] It should be noted that the positions of the electrical box 25 and the blocking member 20 are not necessarily related and their movements may be independent of one another. As such, in addition to the arrangements shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, it can be envisaged that the electrical box 25 may be movable to the first position when the blocking member 20 is in the blocking position, for example with a manual operation required to move the blocking member 20 to the unblocking position before the platform can be stowed away. It can also be envisaged that the electrical box may be movable to the second position when the blocking member 20 is in the unblocking position, for example with a manual operation required to move the blocking member 20 to the blocking position while the electrical box 25 remains in the second position.

[0057] Similarly, it should be noted that the positions of the electrical box 25 and the working platform 12 are not necessarily related. Indeed, it may be envisaged that the working platform 12 may be in the operational position and the electrical box is in the first position (e.g. if the maintenance person is not interested in inspecting the electrical box 25). When the working platform 12 is in the operational position, the blocking member 20 may be in the blocking position or the unblocking position according to different examples of the disclosure. In contrast, the working platform 12 may only occupy the stowed position when the blocking member 20 is in the unblocking position (as shown in FIG. 2a).

[0058] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a cuboid-shaped electrical box 25 comprising a upper-most surface 26a and a bottom-most surface 26b which correspond to the top and bottom sides of a cuboid. The height of the electrical box 25 may therefore be defined as the distance D.sub.1 from the upper-most surface 26a of the electrical box 25 to the bottom-most surface 26b of the electrical box 25.

[0059] In some examples of the disclosure, the electrical box 25 may be a cuboid in shape (thus comprising an upper-most surface 26a and a bottom-most surface 26b) with some components such as electrical wires 27 protruding therefrom. As such the top-most point 28 of the electrical box 25 may be above the upper-most surface 26a of the electrical box 25. The top-most point 28 may therefore be considered to be the part of the electrical box 25 which would, if it was theoretically moved vertically upwards infinitely, would engage the ceiling of the hoistway of the elevator system first. Similarly, the bottom-most point 29 may be below the bottom-most surface 26b of the electrical box 25 wherein the bottom-most point 29 may be considered to be the part of the electrical box 25 which, if it was theoretically moved vertically downwards infinitely, would engage the floor of the hoistway of the elevator system first. The distance D.sub.2 from the top-most point 28 of the electrical box 25 to the bottom-most point 29 of the electrical box defines the total height of the electrical box 25 (i.e. the largest dimension of the electrical box 25).

[0060] In some examples, the top-most point 28 of the electrical box 25 may correspond to the upper-most surface 26a and the bottom-most point 29 of the electrical box 25 may correspond to be the bottom-most surface 26b.

[0061] FIG. 4 shows an example of an electrical box 25 mounted on the support frame 8 by a mount 30, wherein the electrical box 25 is held in the second position. The mount 30 shown comprises two guide components 35a, 35b positioned either side of the electrical box 25 and arranged to mount the electrical box 25 to the support frame 8 of the elevator car. The guide components 35a, 35b guide the vertical movement of the electrical box 25 between the first position and the second position.

[0062] FIGS. 5a and 5b show an example whereby movement of a moveable component, in this case the electrical box 25, results in the movement of the blocking member 20 from the unblocking position (shown in FIG. 5a) to the blocking position (shown in FIG. 5b). As a general note regarding FIGS. 5a and 5b, a dashed line represents an obstructed object, i.e. an object that is behind another component and thus ordinarily not visible, but shown for completeness.

[0063] In this example, the electrical box 25 comprises a guiding slot 80 which is arranged to receive a pin 75. The pin 75 couples the blocking member 20 to the electrical box 25. The pin 75 passes through the blocking member 20 into the slot 80 and thus provides the ability to couple the position of the blocking member 20 to the position of the electrical box 25. As shown in FIG. 5a, when the electrical box 25 is in the first position, the pin 75 is received at the top of the guiding slot 80. Upon vertical translation of the electrical box 25 upwards, in the direction shown by the arrow 85, the pin 75 is consequently guided along the slot 80 and the blocking member 20 is caused to pivot about a pivot pin 70. The pivot pin 70 is received within a second slot 90 and secures the blocking member 20 to the support frame 8. The degrees of freedom provided by the second slot 90 and the guiding slot 80 allows the blocking member 20 to be rotated from the unblocking position to the blocking position shown in FIG. 5b. As shown in FIG. 5b, when the blocking member 20 is in the blocking position, the pin 75 is at the bottom of the guiding slot 80 and the blocking member 20 extends into the interior space of the elevator car.

[0064] In the example shown in FIG. 5b, the blocking member 20 does not necessarily engage the extendable suspension mechanism 11, but is positioned such that, upon movement of the working platform upwards, in the direction shown by the arrow 95, the arms of the extendable suspension mechanism 11 will engage with the blocking member 20 and be prevented from fully contracting to return the working platform to the stowed position.

[0065] FIGS. 6a and 6b show another example whereby movement of a moveable component, in this case the electrical box 25, results in the movement of a blocking member 21 from the unblocking position (shown in FIG. 6a) to the blocking position (shown in FIG. 6b). In this example, the electrical box 25 is mounted to the support frame 8 (optionally via a mount—not shown). In this example, the electrical box 25 includes a latch 100 which is positioned such that, when the electrical box 25 is in the first position, the blocking member 21 can be engaged (i.e. hooked) over the latch 100 to hold it in the unblocking position (shown in FIG. 6a). The blocking member 21 comprises a resilient member 110 in the form of a spring which, when in the unblocking position, is held in an extended state by virtue of the blocking member 21 being held back by the latch 100.

[0066] When the electrical box 25 is moved vertically upwards, i.e. in the direction shown by the arrow 85, the latch 100 is also moved and the blocking member 21 is disengaged from the latch 100 such that the resilient member 110 returns to its natural length and acts to move the blocking member 21 into the blocking position. The blocking member 21 therefore moves automatically into the blocking position under the spring's natural bias. When in the blocking position, the blocking member 21 may engage with one or more of the arms of the extendable suspension mechanism 11, as shown schematically in FIG. 6b. Alternatively, the blocking member 21 in the blocking position may interfere with the extendable suspension mechanism 11 when the working platform 12 is moved upwards in an attempt to return it to the stowed position.