Wall securing assembly for securing an elevator component

Abstract

A wall securing assembly is integrated into an elevator shaft wall for securing a guide rail to the wall. The wall has a first concrete region that is reinforced with reinforcements and a second concrete region that is not reinforced. The second region covers the first region and has a surface that is exposed to the surroundings. The securing assembly has an elongated profile of C-shaped cross-section embedded solely into the second region and oriented in the vertical direction of the wall. Since tensile forces acting on a guide rail in an elevator shaft are very low, it is acceptable to secure the guide rail to the profile that is cast into the second region covering the reinforcement. The profile is anchor element-free and can be arranged in the wall vertically whereby guide rail holding consoles can be secured to the profile at any height.

Claims

1. A wall securing assembly for securing an elevator component to an elevator shaft wall in an elevator shaft, the wall securing assembly comprising: a first concrete region of the elevator shaft wall that is strengthened by reinforcements; a second concrete region of the elevator shaft wall that is not strengthened by reinforcements, covers the first concrete region and includes a surface that is exposed to surroundings in the elevator shaft; an elongated profile that is C-shaped in cross-section; and wherein the profile is embedded solely into the second concrete region and is oriented in a main extension direction of the elevator shaft, wherein the C-shaped profile extends vertically in the elevator shaft wall over substantially an entire height of the elevator shaft.

2. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the elevator component is a guide rail secured to the C-shaped profile.

3. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped profile does not include any rigid anchor elements that protrude in a direction away from a rear surface of the C-shaped profile.

4. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped profile is received in the second concrete region in an interlockingly undercut manner.

5. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one flank of the C-shaped profile is oriented towards the exposed surface of the second concrete region and is arranged inclined relative to the exposed surface.

6. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped profile has a depth, measured in a direction orthogonal to the exposed surface of the second concrete region, not exceeding 30 mm.

7. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped profile is formed as a sheet metal profile.

8. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein the C-shaped profile is formed as a plastics profile.

9. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein a front portion of the C-shaped profile adjoins the exposed surface of the second concrete region, and wherein an opposing rear portion of the C-shaped profile adjoins at least one of the reinforcements in the first concrete region.

10. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 wherein at least one textile region is attached to the C-shaped profile, the textile region consisting of a plurality of flexible metal wires that are flexural prior to being embedded in the second concrete region, the flexible metal wires extending from the C-shaped profile at least one of individually, as a bundle and as a web.

11. The wall securing assembly according to claim 1 including a holding console for holding a guide rail as the elevator component, the holding console being secured to the wall securing assembly by a securing element that engages in the C-shaped profile.

12. The wall securing assembly according to claim 11 wherein the securing element includes a securing bolt having one end adapted to engage the holding console and an opposing end adapted to be screwed into a securing plate received in the C-shaped profile.

13. The wall securing assembly according to claim 12 wherein the securing plate is adapted to be interlockingly received in the C-shaped profile.

14. A method for securing elevator components to an elevator shaft wall in an elevator shaft using the wall securing assembly according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: attaching at least one holding console to the C-shaped profile at a selected height in the elevator shaft, the at least holding console adapted to hold a guide rail as one of the elevator components.

15. The method according to claim 14 including securing the at least one holding console with a securing element that engages in the C-shaped profile.

16. A wall of an elevator shaft including a wall securing assembly comprising: a first concrete region of the wall that is strengthened by reinforcements; a second concrete region of the wall that is not strengthened by reinforcements, covers the first concrete region and includes a surface that is exposed to surroundings in the elevator shaft; and an elongated profile that is C-shaped in cross-section and is embedded solely into the second concrete region, the C-shaped profile being oriented in a main extension direction of the elevator shaft and extending vertically in the wall over substantially an entire height of the elevator shaft, the C-shaped profile adapted for securing an elevator component to the wall.

17. The wall according to claim 16 including a holding console for holding an elevator guide rail as the elevator component secured to the wall securing assembly by engaging the C-shaped profile.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of an elevator shaft comprising guide rails secured therein.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional anchor profile that comprises rigid anchor projections and is to be arranged horizontally in a wall.

(3) FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a wall comprising a conventional anchor profile anchored therein.

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elevator shaft comprising walls having wall securing assemblies arranged therein, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a detail marked in FIG. 4.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a guide rail for an elevator system.

(7) FIG. 7 is a horizontal side view of a wall securing assembly in the form of a C-profile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 shows dimensions, by way of example, of a C-profile for a wall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(9) The figures are merely schematic and are not to scale. Identical reference signs in the different figures denote identical or functionally identical features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through an elevator shaft 1. The elevator shaft 1 is delimited laterally by walls 3. A shaft opening 5 for an elevator shaft door (not shown) is provided in a front wall 3.

(11) An elevator car 7 and a counterweight 9 can be displaced in the vertical direction within the elevator shaft 1. In order to prevent the elevator car 7 and/or the counterweight 9 also moving in the horizontal direction in the process, i.e. for example oscillating to and fro in an uncontrolled manner within the elevator shaft 1, said displaceable components 7, 9 are guided in the vertical direction, along guide rails 11, 13 arranged in a stationary manner within the elevator shaft 1.

(12) In this case, the guide rails 11, 13 are T-shaped in cross-section. An example of a guide rail is described in DE 299 03 407 U1. A horizontal limb of the “T” of the T-shaped guide rail is also referred to as a rail base 15, a limb that protrudes centrally therefrom is also referred to as a guide limb 17. Guide shoes (not shown) are attached to the elevator car 7 and to the counterweight 9. An example of a guide shoe and the guidance thereof on a guide rail is described in EP 1 897 834 A1. Rollers or sliding bearings may be provided on the guide shoe, which rollers or bearings can roll or slide along the opposing lateral faces and the end face of the guide limb 17 and thus guide the guide shoe and the displaceable component 5, 7 attached thereto in the vertical direction.

(13) Conventionally, the guide rails 11, 13 are secured to the walls 3 of the elevator shaft 1 by means of specialized holding consoles 19, 21. The holding consoles 19, 21 are generally designed such that they can ensure reliable mechanical attachment of the guide rails 11, 13 to the relevant wall 3, as well as transmission of the forces acting on the guide rails 11, 13 to the wall 3. The holding consoles 19, 21, in turn, are secured to the walls 3 by means of suitable C-shaped profiles (not shown in FIG. 1).

(14) As a wall securing assembly, conventionally holes have usually been drilled in the walls 3 at suitable positions and then screws or bolts anchored therein, in order to be able to then secure the holding consoles 19, 21 thereto. Alternatively, suitable anchor profiles have already been positioned at previously determined positions when casting the concrete wall 3 and integrally cast into the concrete, such that the holding consoles 19, 21 could in turn then be secured to said anchor profiles.

(15) FIG. 2 shows an example of a conventional anchor profile 123. FIG. 3 illustrates the way in which an anchor profile 123 of this kind can be cast so as to be anchored in a wall 3.

(16) The anchor profile 123 conventionally has a C-shaped profile 125. Said C-shaped profile 125 comprises a continuous slot 127 on one side. A securing element 131, for example in the form of a securing bolt 141 comprising a securing plate 143 that engages behind the C-profile 125 on the inside, can be inserted into an internal volume 129 of the C-shaped profile 125 and can thus be anchored therein so as to be loadable under tension.

(17) In order to be able to anchor the anchor profile 123 within the wall 3 so as to be rigidly anchored and also loadable under tension, rigid anchor elements 133 are provided on the anchor profile 123. Just like the C-shaped profile 125, said anchor elements 133 usually consist of metal, for example in the form of solid bolts, and protrude from the C-shaped profile 125, in particular from the rear surface thereof, in a direction away from the rear surface. In this case, a length of the anchor elements 133 is usually of a similar dimension to or greater than a depth of the C-shaped profile 125. The anchor elements 133 of the anchor profile 123 can thus extend deep into the inside of the concrete wall 3 and can engage therein, in particular between reinforcements 135 introduced into the concrete wall 3, or even engage behind said reinforcements.

(18) As a result, the anchor profiles 123 are stable and are fixed in the concrete wall 3 so as to be loadable under high tension. However, attaching the anchor profiles 123 at the specified positions on the reinforcement 135 is often difficult and/or associated with significant outlay, in particular if the reinforcement 135 is formed as a complex structure comprising vertical and horizontal struts or similar components that mutually intersect in part. In this case, the anchor profiles 123 are conventionally integrated into the concrete wall 3 in the horizontal direction.

(19) FIG. 4 shows an elevator shaft 1 comprising walls 3 in which planar C-shaped profiles 25 are integrated close to the surface as part of the wall securing assemblies 24. In this case, the C-shaped profiles 25 are arranged in a vertical orientation within the elevator shaft 1 and extend substantially along the entire length of the elevator shaft 1. Optionally, some segments of the C-profile 25 may be interconnected using coupling units 26.

(20) In this case, each C-profile 25 is already integrally cast into a concrete layer covering a reinforcement 35 during production of the wall 3, i.e. during casting of the concrete that forms the wall 3. Each C-profile 25 can for example be arranged at a specified spacing x from an edge of the wall 3 or from a transition to an adjacent wall 3, prior to casting. Since in this case the specified spacing x is relatively short, for example is only a few meters, the C-profiles 25 can be arranged at desired positions within the elevator shaft 1 in a simple manner and with a high degree of accuracy.

(21) As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, holding consoles 21 can subsequently be secured to the cast C-profiles 25. For example, holding consoles 21 of this kind can be integrally fixed into securing elements 31 that engage in the C-profiles 25. In this case, the holding consoles 21 can be designed for example in the form of stamped and bent metal sheets, in a similar way to holding consoles or brackets conventionally used in elevator construction.

(22) Guide rails 11, as are shown by way of example in FIG. 6, can then be secured to holding consoles 21 of this kind. In this case, the rail base 15 is secured to the holding console 21 such that the guide limb 17 is fixed to the displaceable components 7, 9, to be guided, so as to be transverse to the wall 3. The forces FF1, FF2, FF3 exerted on the guide rail 11 by the guide shoes of the displaceable components 7, 9 to be guided are shown symbolically. In this case, it should be noted that compression forces FF1 act in the direction of the rail base 15 and thrust FF2 acts on the guide rail 11 transversely to said compression forces FF1 in each case. Furthermore, axial forces FF3 arise in parallel with the extension direction of the guide rail 11, for example when the structure provided with the guide rail 11 sinks over time. However, in general no significant tensile forces are exerted on the guide limb 17 of the guide rail 11.

(23) The fact that no or at most small tensile forces, brought about indirectly by the possible thrust FF2, are exerted on the securing means in the wall 3 by the guide rail 11 can be made use of in an advantageous manner for the type of design of the wall securing assembly 24 proposed herein.

(24) FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a wall securing assembly 24 in a wall 3. The wall securing assembly 24 comprises a first concrete region 37 and a second concrete region 39. A plurality of reinforcements 35 is received in the first concrete region 37. In this case, the reinforcements 35 can extend in various directions, for example longitudinally and/or transversely, within the first concrete region 37. No reinforcements are provided in the second concrete region 39. Instead, said second concrete region 39 is provided merely as a relatively thin covering of the first concrete region 37 in order to protect the reinforcements 35 of said first concrete region from corrosion for example. A cladding 38 is used during the concrete grouting of the first and second regions 37, 39 and then removed.

(25) In this case, the wall securing assembly 24 is formed having a C-shaped profile 25 which is embedded solely into the second concrete region 39 but does not extend into the first concrete region 37. In particular, the C-profile does not comprise any rigid anchor elements 133, as is the case in the conventional anchor profile in FIG. 2. As an option, textile regions and/or webs 50 consisting of flexible metal wires are attached to the C-shaped profile 25, which textile regions and/or webs are flexural prior to being embedded in the second concrete region 39.

(26) FIG. 8 shows an enlargement of the C-profile 25 of the wall securing assembly 24. The C-profile 25 may be formed as a sheet metal part, for example as an extruded component or as a bent sheet. Alternatively, the C-profile 25 may be a plastics component which may be extruded or injection-molded or rolled for example. In this case, the material thickness D can be selected in a manner suitable for the required mechanical stability, and may for example be between 1 and 5 mm, preferably approximately 2 mm.

(27) The C-profile 25 may comprise a front flange 49′, 49″, by means of which said profile can for example end flush with the free surface 40 of the wall 3. The slot-like opening 27 extends towards the internal volume 29, centrally between two flange parts 49′, 49″. Inclined flanks 45 of the C-profile extend adjacently to the flange parts 49′, 49″ in each case. In this case, each of said flanks 45 extends so as to be spaced apart from the exposed surface 40 of the wall 3 and is oriented towards said exposed surface and is inclined relative thereto. The C-profile 25 therefore widens conically towards the rear, proceeding from the flange parts 49′, 49″ arranged on the exposed surface 40 towards an opposing side 47. A maximum width b.sub.1 on the rear surface 47 of the C-profile can typically be between 30 and 100 mm, for example approximately 60 mm. A narrower width b.sub.2 in the region of the openings 27 between the two flange parts 49′, 49″ may be approximately half the maximum width b.sub.1 and can typically be between 15 and 50 mm, for example approximately 30 mm. A depth t of the C-profile 25 is intended to be at most equal to a depth of the covering second concrete layer 39 and should for example be less than 30 mm, preferably less than 25 mm.

(28) A conical design of this kind can provide at least two advantages: firstly, the C-profile 25 can be received in the second concrete region 39 in an interlockingly undercut manner, i.e. sub-regions of the second concrete region 39 can cover the C-profile 25 and thus prevent the C-profile 45 being able to be pulled out of the wall. Secondly, the conical geometry of the C-profile 25 can contribute to the C-profile 25 also being able to withstand relatively high tensile forces, of for example up to 6 kN, but at least the usually only low tensile forces of less than 2 kN that are typical in elevator applications when securing guide rails, despite said C-profile not being anchored to the reinforcement 35. In this case, advantageous use can be made of the fact that tensile forces, i.e. forces acting orthogonally to the exposed surface 40, that act on the C-profile 25 are deflected at least in part as compression forces acting within the concrete of the second concrete region 39, owing to the inclination of the flanks 45 of for example an angle α=135°, and concrete can withstand compression forces of this kind very well.

(29) A securing plate 43 of the securing element 31 is received in the internal volume 29 of the C-profile 25. A cross-section of said securing plate 43 is also conical, in a manner complementary to the conical cross-section of the C-profile, such that the side flanks of the securing plate 43 rest on the inclined side flanks 45 of the C-profile 25 and can be supported thereon. The securing element 31 further comprises a securing bolt 41 that cooperates with the securing plate 43, i.e. for example is screwed therein, and to which for example the holding console 21 can be secured.

(30) It has been found that in particular the tensile forces acting on a guide rail 11 in an elevator shaft 1 are very low and it may therefore be acceptable to secure the guide rail 11 to a C-shaped profile 25 which is cast solely into the layer of the second concrete region 39 that covers a reinforcement 35. The anchor element-free C-shaped profile 25 can be arranged vertically in the wall 3 in a simple manner, such that holding consoles 21 which hold the guide rail 11 can be secured to said profile at any height.

(31) In addition to the holding consoles 21 and the guide rails 11 attached thereto, other additional components such as lights, batteries, converters etc. to be secured in the elevator shaft 1, can also be secured to the C-profile 25.

(32) Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “having”, “comprising”, etc. do not exclude any other elements or steps, and terms such as “one” or “a” do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above.

(33) 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.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(34) 1 elevator shaft 3 wall 5 shaft opening 7 elevator car 9 counterweight 11 guide rail 13 guide rail 15 rail base 17 guide limb 19 holding console 21 holding console 24 wall securing assembly 25 C-shaped profile 26 coupling unit 27 opening 29 internal volume 31 securing element 35 reinforcement 37 first concrete region 38 cladding 39 second concrete region 40 exposed surface 41 securing bolt 43 securing plate 45 inclined flank of the C-profile 47 rear face of the C-profile 49′ flange part 49″ flange part 50 textile regions 123 anchor profile 125 C-shaped profile 127 opening 129 internal volume 131 securing element 133 anchor element 135 reinforcement 141 securing bolt 143 securing plate α angle b.sub.1 maximum width b.sub.2 narrower width D material thickness FF1 force FF2 force FF3 force t depth x spacing