Guide rail for an elevator system and an elevator system

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a guide rail to guide the car of an elevator system. The guide rail is designed as a section with a cavity (2a-2f) and/or integrated cooling fins to cool the guide rail.

Claims

1. A guide rail to guide a car of an elevator system, wherein the guide rail is formed by an extruded, one-piece section, the guide rail comprising: a connecting section configured to couple to a stationary part of a linear motor having a secondary part attached to the car, wherein the linear motor is configured to accelerate and brake the car in the elevator system in a vertical direction; integrated cooling fins to cool the guide rail, the integrated cooling fins being separate and distinct from the stationary and secondary parts of the linear motor; and at least one vertically extending cavity integrated within the one-piece section and configured to receive a coolant fluid therein to cool the guide rail.

2. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connecting section is disposed between a pair of guiding surface projections.

3. The guide rail in accordance with claim 2, wherein the extruded, one-piece section is made from aluminum.

4. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one-piece section is U-shaped.

5. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cooling fins extend into the cavity from an inner wall that defines the at least one vertically extending cavity.

6. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: coolant lines fluidly coupled to the cavity; a pump operatively coupled to the coolant lines; and a cooling device operatively coupled to the coolant lines.

7. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity interacts operatively with a means of adjustment for adjusting a temperature of the coolant fluid.

8. The guide rail in accordance with claim 7, wherein the coolant fluid is one of (a) air, (b) water, (c) a refrigerant, (d) a coolant, (e) a mixture of water and a refrigerant; and (f) water and a coolant.

9. The guide rail in accordance with claim 1, wherein the guide rail is one of painted and anodized at least partly in a dark color.

10. An elevator system comprising: a car; a guide rail to guide the car of the elevator system in a vertical direction; a linear motor having a stationary part attached to the guide rail and a secondary part attached to the car, wherein the linear motor is configured to accelerate and brake the car in the elevator system in the vertical direction; and wherein the guide rail is formed by a one-piece section with integrally formed vertically extending cavities configured to receive coolant fluid therein, and cooling fins to cool the guide rail, the cooling fins being separate and distinct from the stationary and secondary parts of the linear motor.

11. The elevator system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the one-piece section is a one-piece extruded element.

12. The elevator system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the section is made from aluminum.

13. The elevator system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the one-piece section is U-shaped section, wherein the stationary part of the linear motor is attached to an inside of the U-shaped section.

14. The elevator system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the one-piece section includes a connecting section for attaching the stationary part to the one-piece section.

15. The elevator system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the guide rail is one of painted and anodized at least partly in a dark color.

16. An elevator system comprising: a car; a guide rail to guide the car of the elevator system in a vertical direction; a linear motor having a stationary part attached to the guide rail and a secondary part attached to the car, wherein the linear motor is configured to accelerate and brake the car in the elevator system in the vertical direction; wherein the guide rail is formed by an extruded single piece section with at least one integrated vertically extending cavity, wherein the at least one cavity receives a coolant fluid therein configured to cool the guide rail, wherein the stationary part is attached to the section; a means of conveyance for the coolant fluid through the cavity; and a means of adjustment for adjusting a temperature of the coolant fluid.

17. The elevator system in accordance with claim 16, whereby the fluid is one of air, water or a refrigerant and a coolant.

18. The elevator system of claim 16 wherein the guide rail includes cooling fins to cool the guide rail, the cooling fins being integrally formed with the extruded single piece section and separate and distinct from the stationary and secondary parts of the linear motor.

19. A guide rail to guide a car of an elevator system, wherein the guide rail is formed by an extruded, one-piece section, the guide rail comprising: a connecting section configured to couple to a stationary part of a linear motor having a secondary part attached to the car, wherein the linear motor is configured to drive the car in the elevator system in a vertical direction; and at least one vertically extending enclosed cavity internally integrated within the one-piece section and having a coolant fluid therein to cool the guide rail.

20. The guide rail in accordance with claim 19, wherein inner walls defining each vertically extending cavity are in direct thermal connection with the stationary part of the linear motor via the connecting section, and wherein the inner walls contain the coolant fluid within each vertically extending cavity.

21. The guide rail in accordance with claim 20, wherein the section is made from aluminum.

22. The guide rail in accordance with claim 19, wherein the one-piece section is U-shaped, wherein the stationary part of the linear motor is attached to an inside of the U-shaped section.

23. The guide rail in accordance with claim 19, wherein the at least one cavity interacts operatively with a means of conveyance for the coolant fluid.

24. The guide rail in accordance with claim 23, wherein the at least one cavity interacts operatively with a means of adjustment for adjusting a temperature of the coolant fluid.

25. The guide rail in accordance with claim 24, wherein the coolant fluid is one of air, water, a refrigerant, a coolant or a mixture of water and a refrigerant or water and a coolant.

26. The guide rail in accordance with claim 19, wherein the guide rail is one of painted and anodized at least partly in a dark color.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 shows the cross section of a guide rail to guide a car in an elevator system in accordance with a first embodiment,

(2) FIG. 2 shows the cross section of a guide rail to guide a car in an elevator system in accordance with a second embodiment,

(3) FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a cross-section through an elevator system in a side view with a guide rail a linear motor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a guide rail 1 in cross-section vertical to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 1. The guide rail 1 displays several cavities 2a-2f. The guide rail 1 is formed by an aluminum extruded section 4. Further elements, for example for guide or brake surfaces, can be attached to the section 4. On the whole, the section 4 is designed U-like. The stationary part 12a of a linear motor 12 with its stator windings is attached to the inside of the section 4 (compare FIG. 3). The diagrammatic representation shows connecting sections 13 to attach the stationary part 12a to the section 14, whereby the connecting sections 13 are advantageously made of aluminum too. The direct thermally conductive connection via the connecting piece 13 allows a good dissipation of heat to the section 4 of the guide rail 1.

(5) The guide rail 1 stretches over the entire route of a car in an elevator shaft. It is advantageous if the named cavities 2a-2f are arranged along the entire longitudinal direction of the section 4. In order to increase the efficiency of the guide rail 1 cooling, it is sensible if fluid in one ore more cavities 2a-2f is guided or circulated through the respective cavities. To this end, the corresponding cavity interacts operatively with a corresponding means of conveyance, such as a pump, for the fluid. It is also advantageous if a means of adjusting the temperature of the corresponding fluid is provided, so as to achieve a desired target temperature in the cavity (see FIG. 3).

(6) FIG. 1 shows that the cavities 2c and 2d are filled with a gas, such as ambient air, whereby this gas is in particular transported along the entire longitudinal direction of the section 4. It is of course also possible to introduce ambient air into one end of the cavity by means of a fan and to discharge the heated ambient air at the other end of the cavity into the surroundings again. Alternatively, closed cooling circuits with means to adjust the temperature can also be used.

(7) Section 4 of guide rail 1 in accordance with FIG. 1 also shows integrated cooling fins 3, which in this embodiment are arranged on the inside of the cavity 2d. This kind of cooling fin 3 enlarges the surface are of the section and thus improves the efficiency of the exchange of heat with the gas in the cavity 2d. In the same way, cooling fins 3 are arranged on the inside of cavity 2c.

(8) FIG. 2 shows a guide rail 1, whereby the same reference signs refer to the same elements as in FIG. 1. These elements will not be explained again here to a large extent so as to avoid repetition. The cavities 2e and 2f in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 contain fluids that serve as refrigerant or coolant, which can be transported by suitable pumps in the longitudinal direction of the cavity. The cavities 2e and 2f are located directly after the stationary part 12a of the linear motor 12, so that any heat produced here can be dissipated as quickly as possible. It goes without saying that the cavities 2c and 2d in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 can also be used in the same way as in the embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1.

(9) The cavities 2a and 2b can also be used in the same way as the cavities 2c and 2d or 2d and 2f. Alternatively, they can serve to guide or attach further elements required by a guide rail 1 for elevator systems.

(10) FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically in cross-section a side view of an elevator system 10. The elevator system 10 has at least one car 11, on both sides of which a secondary part 12b of a linear motor 12 is attached. The guide rails are marked 1. The stationary part 12b of a linear motor 12 is connected to a guide rail 1.

(11) In a manner known per se, the thrust generated by one of the linear motors 12 accelerates or brakes the elevator car 11 in a vertical direction. In multi-car elevator systems, this type of drive is particularly advantageous because no elevator rope constructions are needed.

(12) The guide rails 1 used in the elevator system 10 in accordance with FIG. 3 are designed as a section with one or more cavities and/or integrated cooling fins to cool the respective guide rail 1. The guide rails 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, are particularly suitable for this purpose.

(13) The means of conveyance for the cooling fluid already mentioned above are marked 14 and in this case represent a pump for the coolant. The means to adjust the temperature are marked 15. The cooling fluid is guided into the cavities through a line 16 and leaves these through the line 17. It is advantageous to connect the lines 16 and 17 to allow the coolant to circulate and to regulate the temperature to a pre-set value.

REFERENCE SIGN LIST

(14) 1 Guide rail 2a-2f Cavity 3 Cooling fins 4 Section 5 Fluid 6 Fluid 10 Elevator system 11 Car 12 Linear motor 12a Stationary part, primary part 12b Secondary part 13 Connecting section 14 Means of conveyance 15 Means of adjusting the temperature 16 Pipe 17 Pipe