BRAKE DEVICE, E.G. WITH A WEDGE-SHAPED BRAKE ELEMENT, FOR BRAKING A TRAVELLING BODY THAT CAN BE MOVED IN A GUIDED MANNER ALONG A GUIDE RAIL IN A MOVEMENT DIRECTION

Abstract

A brake device for braking a traveling body movable along a guide rail in a movement direction includes a holder mounting a brake element that has a brake surface directed toward the guide rail, the brake element being movable relative to the holder between a free-running position and a braking position. A pretensioning element is activated to exert a force that moves the brake element toward the braking position. A release element holds the pretensioning element in a holding state and is activated into a released state to reconfigure the pretensioning element from a deactivated configuration into the activated configuration. A pressing element in an actuated state generates a force on the brake element in a direction toward the guide rail to enable a reset of the brake device.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A brake device for braking a traveling body of an elevator system, the traveling body being movable in a guided manner along a guide rail in a movement direction, the brake device comprising: a holder adapted to be attached to the traveling body; a brake element; a pretensioning element; a release element; a pressing element; wherein the brake element is held and mounted on the holder and has a brake surface directed toward the guide rail when the holder is attached to the traveling body, the brake element being movable relative to the holder between a free-running position and a braking position, wherein the brake surface is spaced laterally apart from the guide rail in the free-running position and is pressed laterally against the guide rail in the braking position; wherein the pretensioning element, in a deactivated configuration, does not exert a force on the brake element to move the brake element toward the braking position and, in an activated configuration, exerts a force on the brake element that moves the brake element toward the braking position; wherein the release element holds the pretensioning element in a holding state and, when the release element is activated into a released state, reconfigures the pretensioning element from the deactivated configuration into the activated configuration; and wherein the pressing element, in an unactuated state, does not generate a force on the brake element in a direction oriented toward the guide rail and, in an actuated state, generates a force on the brake element in a direction oriented toward the guide rail.

16. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the brake element has a width, measured between the brake surface and a sliding surface opposite the brake surface, that tapers in the movement direction, and wherein the holder forms a counter bearing along which the sliding surface of the brake element is movable in cooperation with the counter bearing between the free-running position and the braking position.

17. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the brake element is wedge-shaped.

18. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pretensioning element is elastically deformable and interacts with the holder on one side and with the brake element on another side such that, in the activated configuration, the pretensioning element moves the brake element until the brake surface is in mechanical contact with the guide rail.

19. The brake device according to claim 18 wherein the pretensioning element is a spring element.

20. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pretensioning element is elastically deformable element and interacts with the holder on one side and with the brake element on another side such that, in the deactivated configuration, the pretensioning element is pretensioned in a first direction and such that, in a fully engaged configuration of the brake element, the pretensioning element is pretensioned in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein, in the fully engaged configuration, the brake element is movable by friction on the guide rail counter to the movement direction beyond a position in which the brake element, coming from the free-running position, first rests against the guide rail.

21. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the release element is a pawl movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, and wherein the pawl, in the latched position, holds the pretensioning element in the deactivated configuration, and the pawl, in the unlatched position, releases the pretensioning element into the activated configuration.

22. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pressing element includes an electromagnet.

23. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pressing element is rigidly connected to the brake element.

24. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pressing element is attached to the brake element and adjoins the brake surface of the brake element.

25. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the brake device has two of the brake element, the brake elements being arranged on opposite sides of the guide rail when the holder is attached to the traveling body, and at least one of the pressing element that cooperates with the brake elements.

26. The brake device according to claim 15 wherein the pressing element has a mechanism adapted to shift the pressing element toward a counter element arranged on an opposite side of the guide rail relative to the pressing element.

27. An elevator system comprising: a guide rail; a traveling body movable in a guided manner along the guide rail in a movement direction; a drive apparatus for moving the traveling body in the movement direction; and the brake device according to claim 15 attached to the traveling body by the holder and arranged adjoining the guide rail.

28. A method for releasing a previously activated brake device in the elevator system according to claim 27, wherein when the brake device is activated, the brake element is engaged by moving the brake element relative to the holder opposite the movement direction of the traveling body to be braked into a fully engaged position in which the brake surface rests against the guide rail and the brake element is clamped between the guide rail and the holder, the method comprising the steps of: actuating the pressing element of the brake device; and moving the brake device by moving the traveling body using the drive apparatus in a release direction opposite to the movement direction.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein the traveling body is moved in the release direction until the brake element being held stationary on the guide rail by the actuated pressing element is moved relative to the holder into a fixing position in which the pretensioning element is in a position corresponding to the deactivated configuration, and wherein the release element transitions from the released state into the holding state to hold the pretensioning element in the deactivated configuration.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0060] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] FIGS. 2a-f show a brake device according to an embodiment of the present invention in different stages when activating and then releasing the brake device.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of a brake device according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] The drawings are merely schematic and not true to scale. The same reference signs refer to the same or similarly functioning features in the various figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Only components which enable an understanding of the present invention are shown in the figure. The elevator system 1 can have further components which are not shown for reasons of clarity.

[0065] The elevator system 1 comprises a traveling body in the form of an elevator car 3 which can be moved vertically within an elevator shaft 7. During its vertical displacement, the elevator car 3 is guided laterally by guide rails 5 which are attached to lateral walls 9 of the elevator shaft 7 and extend along an entire travel path of the elevator car 3. The elevator car 3 is held by cable-like suspension means 13 which can be moved by means of a drive apparatus 11. Two brake devices 15 are attached to the elevator car 3. The brake devices 15 are each arranged so as to adjoin one of the guide rails 5 and can interact with this guide rail in order to generate a braking force.

[0066] FIG. 2a shows a brake device 15 according to an embodiment of the invention in cross section. The brake device 15 comprises a holder 17, a brake element 19, a pretensioning element 21, a release element 23 and a pressing element 25.

[0067] The holder 17 is implemented using a frame 27 in the example shown. This frame 27 can be attached to the elevator car 3. Furthermore, the holder 17 comprises a guide element 29 having a guide surface which extends obliquely to the guide rail 5 and acts as a counter bearing 35 for the brake element 19.

[0068] In the present case, the brake element 19 is designed as a braking wedge. The brake element 19 has a brake surface 31 directed toward the guide rail 5. The brake element 19 is held and mounted on the holder 17 in such a way that the brake element can be moved in or counter to a movement direction 47 in which the brake device 15 is moved relative to the guide rail 5, i.e., vertically, and can also be moved in a direction transverse to the movement direction 47, i.e., horizontally.

[0069] For such displaceability, a sliding surface 33 of the brake element 19 opposite the brake surface 31 can slide along on the inclined guide surface serving as a counter bearing 35 on the guide element 29 of the holder 17. The brake element 19 can be moved back and forth between a free-running position illustrated in FIG. 2a and a braking position illustrated in FIG. 2b. A suitable bearing (not shown), for example a sliding bearing or a bearing configured to have a plurality of rollers, can be formed on the sliding surface 33 of the brake element 19 and/or the counter bearing 35 of the guide element 29. In the free-running position, the brake surface 31 of the brake element 19 is spaced apart from an opposite surface of the guide rail 5, whereas in the braking position, the brake surface 31 of the brake element rests against the guide rail 5.

[0070] In order to be able to move the brake element 19 from its free-running position in the direction of its braking position, the brake device 15 has the pretensioning element 21. The pretensioning element 21 is an elastically deformable element such as a spring 37. In the example shown, this spring 37 is arranged between the frame 27 of the holder 17 and an end stop 51 of a rod 49 connected to the brake element 19. As long as the brake device 15 is not actuated, the pretensioning element 21 remains in a deactivated configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 2a. In this deactivated configuration, the pretensioning element 21 is mechanically pretensioned. In the example shown, the spring 37 used for this purpose is mechanically compressed.

[0071] In order to keep the pretensioning element 21 in this deactivated configuration as long as the brake device 15 is not actuated, the brake device 15 has the release element 23. In the example shown, this release element 23 is designed to have a pawl 39. This pawl 39 can be held in a holding state by means of an electromagnet 41 by means of the release element 23 holding the pretensioning element 21 in its first configuration. The pretensioning element 21 is an elastically deformable element such as a spring 37.

[0072] If the brake device 15 is intended to be actuated, the release element 23 can be activated into a released state, for example by means of the electromagnet 41 no longer being energized in the embodiment shown and the pawl 39 thus being released. The pawl 39 can then be moved from its latched position shown in FIG. 2a, in which the pawl blocks a motion of the spring 37 used as the pretensioning element 21, into an unlatched position shown in FIG. 2b, in which the pawl releases the pretensioning element 21. In the example shown, the pawl 39 can be pivoted about a central axis for this purpose.

[0073] The pretensioning element 21 released in this way can then move the rod 49 with its end stop 51 and the brake element 19 fastened therein vertically upward, i.e., counter to the movement direction 47, due to the mechanical pretensioning prevailing therein, as illustrated in FIG. 2b. The sliding surface 33 of the brake element 19 slides along the counter bearing 35 and is correspondingly pushed against the guide rail 5 with its brake surface 31.

[0074] In order to be able to suitably counteract the force exerted on the brake element 19 and, via this, on the holder 17, the brake device 15 has a counter pressure element 43 which is also attached to the holder 17 and is supported by counter pressure springs 53 in relation to the frame 27 of the holder 17.

[0075] As soon as the brake surface 31 of the brake element 19 rests against the guide rail 5, the brake element 19 is further moved in the movement direction 47 counter to this movement direction 47 along the obliquely extending counter bearing 35 due to the relative movement between the brake device 15 and the guide rail 5. Due to the wedge-shaped configuration of the brake element 19, the pressing pressure exerted by the brake element 19 on the guide rail 5 via its brake surface 31 increases. The overall braking effect achieved by the brake device 15 is therefore self-reinforcing.

[0076] Ultimately, the brake element 19 is moved into a fully engaged configuration as shown in FIG. 2c. In this configuration, the brake device 15 causes high braking forces, by means of which the elevator car 3 attached to the element can be braked to a standstill effectively and quickly.

[0077] During the motion of the brake element 19 from the position in which it reaches its braking position and first rests against the guide rail 5 with its brake surface 31 to the position in which the brake element 19 has reached its fully engaged configuration, the brake element 19 is further moved relative to the frame 27 of the holder 17. As a result of this, the pretensioning element 21, which is fastened at one end to the end stop 51 of the rod 49, is also stretched beyond its temporarily relaxed configuration into a configuration pretensioned under tension.

[0078] In the case of conventional brake devices, it is difficult to release a brake device, i.e., return it to its initial configuration, once it has been actuated and the brake element has been moved into its fully engaged configuration.

[0079] With reference to FIGS. 2d to 2f, it is described below how, using the brake device 15 presented here, such a release of the brake device 15 can be carried out easily and generally without the need for intervention by a technician, i.e., fully automated at best.

[0080] To release the brake device 15, its pressing element 25 is first actuated. In the example shown, the electromagnet 45 of the pressing element 25 is energized for this purpose. Here, the electromagnet 45 produces a magnetic field, as a result of which the pressing element 25 is pulled toward the magnetizable guide rail 5. Since the pressing element 25 is rigidly connected to the brake element 19, this force pulls the brake element 19 toward the guide rail 5. Furthermore, since the pressing element 25 is attached so as to adjoin the brake surface 31 of the brake element 19, i.e., it is arranged flush with this brake surface 31 in the example shown, the brake surface 31 of the brake element 19 is pressed against the guide rail 5 using the actuated pressing element 25 and in this way the brake element 19 is fixed in a stationary manner on the guide rail 5.

[0081] After the pressing element 25 has been actuated in this way, as illustrated in FIG. 2d, the elevator car 3 is moved, using the drive apparatus 11, counter to the original movement direction 47 in a release direction 65, i.e., upward in the example shown. As a result, the holder 17 is also moved together with the elevator car 3. Since the brake element 19 is pressed against the guide rail 5 and is held in a stationary manner on it, the brake element 19 is thereby moved out of its previously fully engaged configuration.

[0082] Without the pressing effect of the pressing element 25, however, the brake element 19 would soon lose the pressing pressure against the guide rail 5 since it would no longer be held pressed against the guide rail 5 by the counter bearing 35 of the guide element 29. The pretensioning element 21 would then transfer the motion of the holder 17 to the brake element 19. Accordingly, the brake element 19 would then begin to move together with the holder 17. Thus, the brake element 19 could not be restored all the way back to its original configuration.

[0083] However, the pressing effect of the pressing element 25 causes the brake element 19 to remain stationary on the guide rail 5 even without interaction with the counter bearing 35. Accordingly, the brake element 19 can be further moved relative to the mount 17, as illustrated in FIG. 2e, in that the elevator car 3 together with the holder 17 is moved further in the movement direction 47.

[0084] The pretensioning element 21 is thereby successively compressed until it has finally reached its deactivated configuration again. In this set-up, as shown in FIG. 2f, the release element 23 can be reconfigured back into its holding state. For this purpose, the electromagnet 41 can be energized and the pawl 39 can thereby be moved back into its latched position.

[0085] Ultimately, the pressing effect that can be generated using the pressing element 25 can hold the brake element 19 on the guide rail 5 until it has reached its initial position relative to the holder 17, and the entire brake device 15 can in this way be automatically returned to its original configuration.

[0086] Finally, an alternative embodiment of the brake device 15 is described with reference to FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the brake device 15 has two brake elements 19 which are arranged on opposite sides relative to the guide rail 5. Accordingly, the holder 17 has two oppositely inclined surfaces, which act as counter bearings 35, on corresponding guide elements 29. Each of the brake elements 19 can slide along one of these counter bearings 35 with its sliding surface 33. A pressing pressure ultimately caused by the brake elements 19 on the guide rail 5 in a fully engaged configuration can be adjusted or limited by counter pressure springs 53 which in this case support each of the guide elements 29 on the frame 27 of the holder 17.

[0087] In the example shown, the pressing element 25 is formed using a mechanism 55 which is configured to move the two brake elements 19 toward one another and thereby press their brake surfaces 31 against the guide rail 5 arranged between them. For this purpose, the mechanism 55 can drive a threaded rod 59 by means of an electric motor 57, and the threaded rod 59 can interact with a counter element 61 arranged on an opposite side of the guide rail 5. Pretensioning springs 63 can bring about mechanical pretensioning within the mechanism 55.

[0088] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising,” “having,” 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 embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above.

[0089] 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.