Elevator landing door leaf

Abstract

The invention refers to an elevator door leaf comprising a door panel and a support structure having at least one profile. The door leaf comprises a vertically extending expansion member which is fixed to the door leaf only at one vertical level, whereby the expansion member consists of a material having a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the material of the door panel and/or of said profile.

Claims

1. An elevator door leaf comprising: a door panel; a support structure configured to carry the door panel, the supporting structure including at least one profile; and a vertically extending expansion member extending vertically from a top of the support structure to a bottom of the support structure in a direction of a length of the elevator door leaf such that only an upper end of the vertically extending expansion member is fixed to the top of the support structure, a material of the vertically extending expansion member having a larger thermal expansion coefficient than a material of one or more of the door panel and the at least one profile such that, in response to expansion of the vertically extending expansion member, a lower end of the vertically extending expansion member is repositioned from a first position to a second position downwards towards a door sill at a bottom of the elevator door leaf, the first position being a position in which the vertically extending expansion member does not interact with the door sill and the second position being a position in which the vertically extending expansion member interacts with the door sill.

2. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein, in response to a temperature of the expansion member reaching a critical temperature, the vertically extending expansion member is configured protrude a distance d from a bottom edge of the elevator door leaf to interact with the door sill to horizontally fix a side edge of the elevator door leaf to the door sill.

3. The elevator door leaf according to claim 2, wherein the at least one profile is at a leading edge of the elevator door leaf in a closing direction of the elevator door leaf.

4. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the at least one profile vertically extends in an area of a side edge of the elevator door leaf, and the vertically extending expansion member is within the at least one profile.

5. The elevator door leaf according to claim 4, wherein the at least one profile is a hollow profile and that the vertically extending expansion member is located inside the hollow profile.

6. The elevator door leaf according to claim 4, wherein the material of the at least one profile is steel, and the material of the vertically extending expansion member is aluminium.

7. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the vertically extending expansion member is at a leading side edge of the elevator door leaf in a closing direction of the elevator door leaf.

8. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein only the upper end of the vertically extending expansion member is fixed to the elevator door leaf.

9. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the vertically extending expansion member is a beam.

10. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein, at room temperature, the lower end of the vertically extending expansion member is positioned in the first position abutting with a lower end of the at least one profile and/or with a bottom edge of the elevator door leaf.

11. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the material of the expansion member includes aluminium, magnesium or a composite structure having FI-Block material.

12. An elevator door arrangement comprising: an upper support member carrying the elevator door leaf according to claim 1; and the door sill at the bottom of the elevator door leaf, the door sill including a structure configured to interact with the lower end of the vertically extending expansion member.

13. The elevator door arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the structure includes at least one recess in the door sill, and the lower end of the vertically extending expansion member is configured to interact with the at least one recess in the door sill.

14. The elevator door arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the elevator door leaf includes at least two elevator door leaves configured to move in opposite directions while being carried by the upper support member, and the profile and the vertically expending expansion member of each of the at least two elevator door leaves being located at a side edge of respective ones of the at least two elevator door leaves which, when the door panel is closed, a first one of the at least two elevator door leaves abuts against a side edge of a second one of the at least two elevator door leaves moving in an opposite direction.

15. The elevator door arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the structure includes a guide groove of the door sill, and the lower end of the vertically extending expansion member is configured to interact with the guide groove in the door sill.

16. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the vertically extending expansion member has a first surface having a first shape, and the door sill has second surface having a second shape such that the first surface and the second surface interlock in response to expansion of the vertically extending expansion member downwards towards the door sill.

17. The elevator door leaf of claim 16, wherein upon expansion of the vertically extending expansion member downwards towards the door sill, the upper end of the expansion member is fixed to the elevator door leaf and the lower end of the expansion member is fixed to the door sill.

18. The elevator door arrangement of claim 14, wherein upon expansion of the vertically extending expansion member associated with each of the at least two elevator door leaves downwards towards the door sill, the upper end of the vertically extending expansion member of each of the at least two elevator door leaves is fixed to a respective one of the at least two elevator door leaves and the lower end of the vertically extending expansion member of each of the at least two elevator door leaves is fixed to the door sill.

19. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the expansion member is configured to selectively extend from the first position to the second position below the bottom of the support structure to interact with at least one recess in the door sill at the bottom of the elevator door leaf.

20. The elevator door leaf according to claim 1, wherein the at least one profile includes at least a first horizontal profile and a second horizontal profile connected to a top and a bottom of the door panel, respectively, and at least one vertical profile extending vertically from the first horizontal profile to the second horizontal profile such that a top of the at least one vertical profile is connected to the first horizontal profile; and the vertically extending expansion member extends vertically from the first horizontal profile to the second horizontal profile in the direction of the length of the elevator door leaf such that only the upper end of the vertically extending expansion member is fixed to the top of the at least one vertical profile the elevator door leaf.

21. An elevator comprising: at least one elevator door leaf according to claim 1.

22. The elevator door arrangement comprising: at least one door elevator leaf according to claim 12.

23. An elevator door leaf comprising: a door panel; a support structure configured to carry the door panel, the supporting structure including at least one profile; and an expansion member at a leading side edge of the elevator door leaf in a closing direction of the elevator door leaf, the expansion member extending vertically from a top of the support structure to a bottom of the support structure in a direction of a length of the elevator door leaf such that only an upper end of the expansion member is fixed to the top of the support structure, a material of the expansion member having a larger thermal expansion coefficient than a material of one or more of the door panel and the at least one profile.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is now described via an example in the enclosed schematic drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a horizontal cross-section through an inventive door leaf,

(3) FIG. 2 shows the side view II from FIG. 1,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an elevator door arrangement with two door leaves according to FIGS. 1 and 2 moving in opposite directions,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a detail of the door arrangement of FIG. 3 between door leaf and door sill, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of the co-action between the lower end of the expansion member and a saw-tooth structure in the guide groove of a door sill.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) The inventive door leaf 10 of an elevator door is now described via FIGS. 1 and 2. The door leaf 10 comprises a frame 12 comprising of a vertical leading profile 14 and a vertical trailing profile 16 (referring to closing movement of the door leaf) and a horizontal upper profile 18 and a horizontal lower profile 20, whereby all profiles 14, 16, 18, 20 are connected at their ends to build a rectangular frame 12. This frame 12 carries a door panel 22 which encompasses the vertical profiles 14, 16 as to provide a decorative surface to the passengers. All profiles 18, 20, 14, 16 are hollow rectangular profiles made of steel-based metal, preferably stainless steel. The door leaf 10 has a vertical leading edge 24 and a vertical trailing edge 26 when the door moves in closing direction. In the profile 14 adjacent to the leading edge 24, a thermal expansion member 28 is accommodated which is fixed at its upper end, via a fixing member, e.g. a bolt 30 to the hollow rectangular leading profile 14 of the leading edge 24. The expansion member may also be fixed to any other part of the door leaf structure by any common connecting technique. At room temperature, the lower end of the thermal expansion member 28 abuts with the bottom edge 32 of the door leaf. But it also may offset a little bit with respect to the bottom edge 32 of the door leaf 10, e.g. by 5 mm. Usually, such a door leaf 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is carried by an upper support member 42 of an elevator door arrangement 40 as it is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment the bottom edge 32 of the door leaf 10 faces a door sill 44.

(8) During heating of the door leaf 10, e.g. because of fire in the building or any other heat generating accident, the expansion member 28 which has a larger thermal expansion coefficient than the surrounding hollow leading profile 14 begins to protrude from the bottom edge 32 of the door panel downwards and thus co-acts with the door sill to keep the trailing edge 24 of the door leaf 10 immovable with respect to the door sill 44 in horizontal direction or in opening direction. Via this measure, the forming of an open gap between door leaves 10a, 10b or the door leaf and a door jamb during fire can be effectively prevented.

(9) FIG. 3 shows an elevator door arrangement 40, e.g. of an elevator car or elevator landing, comprising an upper support member 42 which carries two door leaves 10a, 10b which are movably supported on the upper support member 42 in opposite directions as to be centrally opening. The door leaves 10a, 10b are guided in grooves of a door sill 44 located below the bottom edge 32 of the door leaves 10a, 10b. On this behalf, guide pins 46 of the door leaf 10 protrude from the bottom edge 32 thereof and extend into the corresponding guide groove of the door sill 44. Instead of only two door leaves 10a, 10b, also four or six door leaves can be arranged whereby in this case two or three door leaves move in the same direction with different velocity in a telescopic way. The thermal expansion members 28 are in this case only provided in those door leaves 10a whose leading side edge 24 comes into contact with a leading side edge 24 of a door leaf 10b moving in opposite direction.

(10) The door leaves 10a, 10b are supported by the upper support member regularly via supporters 48 which extend from the door leaves 10a, 10b to the upper support member 42 and which supporters 48 carry rollers running in a track of the support member 42 (not shown). At least one of the supporters 48 is usually connected with a drive to move the door panel 10a, 10b horizontally with respect to the upper support member 42.

(11) FIG. 4 shows a detail of the lower end of the door leaf 10b and the door sill in the area of the expansion member 28. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for elements which are identical or have the same function.

(12) FIG. 4 shows the arrangement of one door leaf 10b and the door sill 44 in case of a heating of the landing door arrangement 40 to about 400. In this case, the expansion member 28 protrudes with its lower end 50 from the bottom edge 32 of the door leaf 10b downwards by a distance d and thus grips into the guide groove 52 of the door sill 44. The guide groove is normally provided for guiding the guide pins 46 of the door leaves 10a, 10b in opening/closing direction h.

(13) The expansion member 28 may have e.g. a wedge shape at its lower end 50 so that it presses into the guide groove 52 of the door sill 44 with a friction grip which renders the expansion member 28 immovable in opening/closing direction h. Therefore, the corresponding vertical profile 14 of the door leaf 10b at the leading edge 24 is kept immovable in opening/closing direction h and thus no gap can be formed between the facing trailing side edges 24 of both door leaves 10a, 10b. Therefore, also in case of fire or higher temperatures where the upper support member may bend down, the adjacent leading edges 24 of both door leaves 10a, 10b keep in contact with each other so that no gap is formed through which the fire or heat might pass.

(14) FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the guide groove 52 and the lower end 50 of the expansion member. In the area of the lower end 50 of the expansion member 28, the surface of the guide groove 52 of the door sill 44 has a first saw-tooth structure 54 which matches with a second saw-tooth structure 56 located at the lower end 50 of the expansion member 28. Therefore, when the expansion member 28 protrudes by a certain distance from the bottom edge 32 of the door leaf 10b, it interacts with the first saw-tooth structure 54 of the guide groove 52 whereby the expansion member 28 is fixed to the door sill 44 in opening/closing direction h.

(15) Of course, this arrangement is provided also with the other door leaf 10a of the elevator landing door arrangement 40 of FIG. 3.

(16) The structure to keep the expansion member 28 immovable might differ from the shown saw-tooth structure 54. Other structures may have sinusoidal geometries or even one or more recesses in the guide rail groove 52 which interacts with one pin, preferably cone-shaped pin, at the lower edge 50 of the expansion member 28. The structure may also be provided directly on the floor without any guide groove.

(17) The invention is not limited to the described embodiments but can be varied within the scope of the appended patent claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(18) 10 door leaf 10a left door leaf 10b right door leaf 12 frame 14 leading profile 16 trailing profile 18 upper profile 20 lower profile 22 door panel 24 leading edge 26 trailing edge 28 expansion member 30 fastening bolt 32 bottom edge of door leaf 40 elevator door arrangement 42 upper support member 44 door sill 46 guide pin 48 supporter 50 lower end of expansion member 52 guide groove 54 first saw-tooth structure of door sill 56 second saw-tooth structure of expansion member