PARKING BRAKE

Abstract

A brake device for an elevator system generates a friction grip on an elevator rail and includes two legs with brake ends. The first leg is connected to a first articulation point of a transmission lever that has, located at a distance in a longitudinal direction from the first articulation point, a second articulation point that is connected to a first pivot of a pressure lever. The second leg is connected to a second pivot of the pressure lever. A third pivot of the pressure lever is connected to an articulation point of an actuating element (crank rod) whereby a longitudinal movement of the actuating element moves the brake device between a braking position with the brake ends spaced apart a minimum distance, and an opened position with the brake ends spaced apart a maximum distance. The actuating element longitudinal movement is predefined by first and second end points.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A braking device for an elevator system for generating a frictional connection on a rail of the elevator system and for stopping an elevator car in a stopping place, the braking device comprising: two limbs each having a brake end; a first limb of the limbs being hingedly connected to a first articulation point of a transmission lever that has a second articulation point spaced apart from the first articulation point in a longitudinal direction of the transmission lever, the second articulation point being hingedly connected to a first pivot of a pressure lever; a second limb of the limbs being hingedly connected to a second pivot of the pressure lever; a third pivot of the pressure lever being hingedly connected to an articulation point of an actuating element wherein, as a result of a longitudinal movement of the actuating element, the braking device is moved between a braking position, in which the brake ends are at a predetermined minimum distance from one another, and an opened position, in which the brake ends are at a predetermined maximum distance from one another; and wherein the longitudinal movement of the actuating element is predetermined by a first end point and a second end point.

17. The braking device according to claim 16 wherein an end region of each of the first and second limbs opposite the brake ends is hingedly connected to a braking device frame.

18. The braking device according to claim 16 wherein the first, second and third pivots of the pressure lever are arranged whereby, in the braking position, the second pivot is on a connecting line between the first articulation point and the second articulation point of the transmission lever.

19. The braking device according to claim 16 including a brake pad carriers resiliently mounted on each of the brake ends.

20. The braking device according to claim 19 wherein the brake pad carriers are resiliently mounted by preloaded spring elements.

21. The braking device according to claim 16 including two of the transmission lever, the two transmission levers being arranged in parallel with one another, and two of the pressure lever, the two pressure levers being arranged in parallel with one another, wherein one of the transmission levers and one of the pressure levers are provided on one side of the first and second limbs and the actuating element and another of the transmission levers and another of the pressure levers are provided on an opposite side of the first and second limbs and the actuating element.

22. The braking device according to claim 16 wherein the actuating element is arranged between the first and second limbs.

23. The braking device according to claim 16 wherein an end region of the actuating element is hingedly connected to a crank that can be rotated by 180° between two dead centers, the two dead centers determining the first end point and the second end point of the longitudinal movement of the actuating element.

24. The braking device according to claim 23 including a motor that rotates the crank to drive the longitudinal movement of the actuating element.

25. The braking device according to claim 16 including a motor that drives the longitudinal movement of the actuating element.

26. The braking device according to claim 25 wherein the motor is a geared motor.

27. The braking device according to claim 25 wherein the motor is controlled by at least one limit switch that determines one of the first and second end points.

28. The braking device according to claim 25 wherein the motor is controlled by a first limit switch that determines the first end point and a second limit switch that determines the second end point.

29. The braking device according to claim 16 wherein the first and second limbs are hingedly connected to a frame adapted for fixing the braking device to the elevator car.

30. An elevator car comprising at least one the braking device according to claim 16 fixed thereto.

31. An elevator system comprising: a rail; an elevator car; and at least one of the braking device according to claim 16 fixed to the elevator car for generating a frictional connection on the rail.

32. A method for stopping an elevator car in a stopping place, the method comprising the steps of: positioning the elevator car at the stopping place along a rail, the elevator car having at least one of the braking device according to claim 16 fixed thereto; and moving the at least one braking device from the opened position into the braking position by longitudinal movement of the actuating element to generate a frictional connection between the at least one braking device and the rail.

33. The method according to claim 32 further comprising: driving a crank connected to the actuating element with a motor between a first dead center and a second dead center; wherein the at least one braking device is in the braking position when the crank is at the second dead center and the brake end of at least one of the first and second brake limbs is at the predetermined minimum distance from the rail; and wherein the at least one braking device is in the opened position when the crank is at the first dead center and the brake end of the at least one of the first and second brake limbs is at the predetermined maximum distance from the rail.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] In the drawings:

[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a first example of a braking device in an opened position;

[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the first example of a braking device in an intermediate position;

[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the first example of a braking device in a braking position;

[0049] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the first example of a braking device in the braking position;

[0050] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a second example of a braking device in a braking position;

[0051] FIG. 6a is a schematic plan view of an example of an elevator system with two of the braking devices;

[0052] FIG. 6b is a schematic side view of the elevator system from FIG. 6a.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a first example of a braking device 1 in an opened position. FIG. 2 shows the same example in an intermediate position and FIG. 3 shows the same example in a braking position. The braking position is shown again in FIG. 4 in a perspective view.

[0054] The braking device 1 is used in an elevator system 100 (see FIGS. 6a and 6b), which is not shown in greater detail here, in order to generate a frictional connection on a rail 101 of the elevator system.

[0055] The braking device comprises two limbs 2, 3 which each have a brake end 4, 5.

[0056] The first limb 2 is hingedly connected to a first articulation point 11 of a transmission lever 12. The transmission lever 12 has a second articulation point 13 that is spaced apart from the first articulation point 11 in the longitudinal direction and is hingedly connected to a first pivot 14 of a pressure lever 15.

[0057] The second limb 3 is hingedly connected to a second pivot 16 of the pressure lever 15.

[0058] A third pivot 17 of the pressure lever 15 is hingedly connected to an articulation point 18 of an actuating element 19. In the following, the actuating element 19 is designed as a crank rod 19 and, accordingly, the articulation point 18 of the actuating element is designed as a crank articulation point 18. These parts are functionally analogous and are correspondingly denoted by the same reference signs.

[0059] As a result of a longitudinal movement 23 of the crank rod 19, the braking device 1 can be moved from an opened position, in which the brake ends 4, 5 are at a maximum distance 21 from one another, into a braking position, in which the brake ends 4, 5 are at a minimum distance 20 from one another (see FIG. 3). The longitudinal movement is in this case determined by a first end point 23a (see FIG. 1) and a second end point 23b (see FIG. 3).

[0060] The end regions 8, 9 of each limb 2, 3 that are opposite the brake ends 4, 5 are each pivotally connected to a braking device frame 10 by means of bearings 31, 32. The frame 10 can be fastened to an elevator car (not shown).

[0061] The crank articulation point 18 of the crank rod 19 is arranged between the limbs 2, 3 such that the crank rod 19 can be moved back and forth substantially between the limbs 2, 3.

[0062] The articulation points on the limbs 2, 3, the transmission lever 12 and the pivots 14, 16, 17 of the pressure lever 16 are arranged such that the brake ends 4, 5 each cover a path length 29 of at least 7 mm in total between the braking position and the opened position. The path length 29 is greater than the sum of an air gap 33 on either side. The air gap 33 corresponds to the free passage clearance between the braking surfaces and guide rail when the braking device 1 is open.

[0063] The braking device 1 comprises brake pad carriers 6, 7 which are resiliently mounted on the brake ends 4, 5 by means of spring elements 28. When closing the braking device, the spring elements 28 are tensioned such that a corresponding compressive force builds up which causes a corresponding stopping or braking force of the braking device.

[0064] An end region 24 of the crank rod 19 that is opposite the crank articulation point 18 is hingedly connected to a crank 25 which can be rotated by 180° between two dead centers. In each of the dead centers, the crank 25 is oriented at least approximately in the longitudinal direction of the crank rod 19, such that the braking device 1 is in the opened position if the crank 25 is in one dead center (see FIG. 1), and the braking device 1 is in the braking position if the crank 25 is in the other dead center (see FIG. 3).

[0065] FIG. 2 shows the braking device 1 in an intermediate position in which the crank 25 is not in either of the dead centers.

[0066] The crank 25 can be driven by a motor 26.

[0067] The motor 26 is provided with a gear system 30 and is controlled by two limit switches 27a, 27b which define the end positions of the crank 25 on either side and therefore define the two end points 23a, 23b.

[0068] It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the braking device 1 has two transmission levers 12 arranged in parallel with one another and two pressure levers 16 arranged in parallel with one another, one transmission lever 12 and one pressure lever 16 of which are in each case provided on one side of the limb 2, 3 and of the crank rod 19 respectively.

[0069] FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of a second example of a braking device 1 in a braking position.

[0070] The pivots 14, 16, 17 of the pressure lever 15 are arranged such that, in the braking position, the second pivot 16 is on a connecting line 22 between the first and second articulation point 11, 13 of the transmission lever 12 and, in the opened position, the pressure lever 15 is rotated about the second pivot 16 by an angle α of 90° with respect to the braking position. The angle α of 90° can be varied. Said angle is specified by a person skilled in the art in combination with the lever ratios.

[0071] To rotate the pressure lever 15, the crank 25 rotates by an angle γ of 180° from one dead center into the other.

[0072] Moreover, in the embodiment according to FIG. 5, a motor axis 26a of the motor 26 is arranged in a direction of extension of the braking device 1. By comparison with the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, this produces a thinner brake which requires less space in the lateral direction.

[0073] FIG. 6a is a schematic plan view of an example of an elevator system 100, and FIG. 6b is a side view of the same example. The elevator system 100 comprises an elevator car 50. Two safety brakes 103 are attached to said car, which brakes can each interact with a cable 102 in this example. This embodiment is exemplary. The safety brakes 103 can self-evidently be designed as conventional known safety catches which interact with T-shaped guide rails, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0074] Two braking devices 1 are additionally attached to the elevator car 50, which braking devices can cause a frictional connection to a guide rail 101. The braking devices 1 do not automatically close if, for example, a certain speed is exceeded. They are used for comfort at a stopping place.

[0075] 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.