ELEVATOR ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

An elevator arrangement having an elevator includes an elevator car having a floor and a roof. The elevator car is provided with one or more extension spaces which are arranged to extend the height of the elevator car during construction time use.

Claims

1. An elevator arrangement having an elevator comprising an elevator car having a floor and a roof, wherein the elevator car is provided with one or more extension spaces arranged to extend the height of the elevator car during construction time use.

2. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the extension spaces are arranged to form additional transportation space for long construction parts or elements.

3. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more extension spaces are arranged under the floor of the elevator car.

4. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more extension spaces are arranged above the roof of the elevator car.

5. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the elevator car comprises one or more openings from inside the elevator car to outside of the elevator car, and one or more extension spaces are arranged outside the elevator car and connected to the interior of the elevator car through the openings.

6. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more openings are arranged to the floor of the elevator car.

7. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more openings are arranged to the roof of the elevator car.

8. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the elevator car is equipped with one or more hatches to cover the openings.

9. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein one or more extension spaces are covered with a covering member.

10. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein when the elevator car is at its lowermost position there is a distance between the covering members and the bottom of the elevator shaft, and when the elevator car is at its uppermost position there is a distance between the covering members and the top of the elevator shaft.

11. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the covering members under the floor of the elevator car are reinforced to be able to carry loads.

12. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the covering members (14) are made of metal wire meshes or sheet metal.

13. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the floor with openings is a temporary floor and it is arranged to be replaced with a permanent floor before the elevator is taken to normal use.

14. The elevator arrangement according claim 1, wherein the roof with openings is a temporary roof and it is arranged to be replaced with a permanent roof before the elevator is taken to normal use.

15. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the interior height of the elevator car (1) is arranged to be adjustable with telescopic means.

16. The elevator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the elevator car is attached to a sling and the interior height of the elevator car is arranged to be extended by replacing the sling with an extended sling or by attaching an extension part on the top of the sling.

17. The elevator arrangement according to claim 2, wherein one or more extension spaces are arranged under the floor of the elevator car.

18. Elevator arrangement according to claim 2, wherein one or more extension spaces are arranged above the roof of the elevator car.

19. The elevator arrangement according to claim 3, wherein one or more extension spaces are arranged above the roof of the elevator car.

20. The elevator arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the elevator car comprises one or more openings from inside the elevator car to outside of the elevator car, and one or more extension spaces are arranged outside the elevator car and connected to the interior of the elevator car through the openings.

Description

[0013] In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of example embodiments by referring to the attached simplified and diagrammatic drawings, wherein

[0014] FIG. 1 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to one embodiment of the invention,

[0015] FIG. 2 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to another embodiment of the invention,

[0016] FIG. 3 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique side view an elevator car according to yet another embodiment of the invention,

[0017] FIG. 4 presents a covering member and a roof frame for the elevator car according to embodiment of FIG. 3,

[0018] FIG. 5 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique side view the elevator car of FIG. 3 and the roof frame and the covering member of FIG. 4, which are attached to the elevator car,

[0019] FIG. 6 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique side view the elevator car of FIG. 5 fitted inside a sling,

[0020] FIG. 7 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to yet another embodiment of the invention, and

[0021] FIG. 8 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view the elevator car of FIG. 7.

[0022] An aspect of the invention is to achieve an elevator arrangement with an elevator car having possibility to transport long construction parts to upper parts of buildings and which also removes the need to use a separate construction elevator. With the solution according to the invention it is possible to transport elements which are longer than the normal height of the elevator car.

[0023] FIG. 1 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to one embodiment of the invention. The elevator car 1 is arranged to run up and down in an elevator shaft along guide rails 2. The elevator car 1 is mounted inside a sling, which is not shown in the FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity. The elevator car 1 comprises among others a back wall 3, side walls 4, a front wall 5, a car door 6, a roof 7, a floor 8, a doorstep 9 and a top track 10. The floor 8 is a temporary floor which is equipped with a hatch 11 and an opening 12 is arranged to be formed to the floor 8 when the hatch 11 is opened. Under the opening 12 there is an extension space 13, which increases the height of the car, thus allowing longer pieces of freight to be transported in the car. In this embodiment of the invention, the extension space 13 is surrounded with a covering member 14, which is in this embodiment a metal wire mesh. This solution makes the extension space 13 to resemble a basket. The covering member 14 is arranged to protect materials and parts being transported from being damaged. The covering member 14 under the floor 8 is reinforced to be able to carry loads. When the elevator car 1 is at its lowermost position there is a distance between the covering member 14 and the bottom of the elevator shaft. The elevator is equipped with a temporary safety member during the construction time use (CTU) to prevent the covering member 14 from hitting the bottom of the elevator shaft. When the elevator is no more needed for transporting construction materials the temporary floor is replaced with a permanent floor and the temporary safety member is removed.

[0024] FIG. 2 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment of the invention, the roof 7 is a temporary roof which is equipped with two hatches 11 and two openings 12 are arranged to be formed to the roof 7 when the hatches 11 are opened. Above the openings 12 there are extension spaces 13, which increase the height of the car, thus allowing longer pieces of freight to be transported in the car. In this embodiment of the invention, the extension spaces 13 are surrounded with covering members 14, which are in this embodiment metal wire meshes. This solution makes the extension spaces 13 to resemble baskets. The covering members 14 are arranged to protect materials and parts being transported from being damaged. When the elevator car 1 is at its uppermost position there is a distance between the covering members 14 and the top of the elevator shaft. To prevent the covering member 14 from hitting the top of the elevator shaft a temporary safety member is installed under the buffer of the counterweight of the elevator. This safety member prevents the counterweight descending as low as in normal use. When the elevator is no more needed for transporting construction materials the temporary roof is replaced with a permanent roof and the temporary safety member is removed.

[0025] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 present in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique side view yet another embodiment of the invention. In this arrangement, the height of the elevator car 1 is extended with help of a roof frame 15 and a covering member 14. In this embodiment, there is no sling attached to the elevator car 1 during the construction time use (CTU). Some elevator parts which are normally attached to the sling, such as upper guides 17a, of the elevator car 1, are attached to the roof frame 15. Lower guides 17b of the elevator car 1 are attached to the bottom part of the elevator car 1.

[0026] The roof frame 15 comprises edges 16 which are dimensioned so that the width and length of the roof frame 15 are substantially the same as the width and length of the elevator car 1. The roof frame 15 is attached to the top of the elevator car 1 as a temporary roof. Inside the edges 16 of the roof frame 15 is an opening 12 from inside the elevator car 1 to outside the elevator car 1. The size of the opening 12 is substantially the same as the area of the floor of the elevator car 1.

[0027] Above the opening 12 there is an extension space 13, which increases the height of the car, thus allowing longer pieces of freight to be transported in the car. In this embodiment of the invention, the extension space 13 is surrounded with a covering member 14, which is in this embodiment an extension roof made of some suitable sheet metal, which is folded so that it comprises side parts 14a and a top part 14b. The covering member 14 or the extension roof is attached to the roof frame 15. The covering member 14 is arranged to protect materials and parts being transported from being damaged. When the elevator car 1 is at its uppermost position there is a distance between the covering member 14 and the top of the elevator shaft. To prevent the covering member 14 from hitting the top of the elevator shaft a temporary safety member is installed under the buffer of the counterweight of the elevator. This safety member prevents the counterweight descending as low as in normal use. When the elevator is no more needed for transporting construction materials the temporary roof is replaced with a permanent roof and the temporary safety member is removed.

[0028] FIG. 6 presents in a simplified and diagrammatic oblique side view the elevator car of FIG. 5 fitted inside a sling. The sling 18 is extended so that the covering member 14 also fits inside the sling 18. The extension is arranged by removing the horizontal top beam of the normal sling and attaching an extension part 18a on the top of the sling 18 approximately at the height of the roof frame 15. Alternatively, the extension is arranged by a telescopic action of the vertical beams of the sling 18. Upper guides 17a of the elevator car 1 are attached to the sling 18 approximately at the height of the roof frame 15. Lower guides 17b of the elevator car 1 are attached to the bottom part of the sling 18.

[0029] In the embodiments of FIGS. 5 and 6, the guides 17a and 17b of the elevator car 1 are slide guides and the elevator car 1 is arranged to run up and down in an elevator shaft along guide rails guided by the guides. Alternatively, the guides of the elevator car 1 could be roller guides. The guide rails are not shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 for the sake of clarity.

[0030] FIGS. 7 and 8 present in a simplified and diagrammatic side view an elevator car according to yet another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment a temporary elevator car 1 and sling are used to transport long construction elements. An extension space 13 is formed above the normal roof of the elevator car 1.

[0031] The interior height of the elevator car 1 is arranged to be extended by one of the following arrangements: [0032] a telescopic action of the vertical beams of the car sling and with foldable or similarly telescopic wall elements. In the extended mode the elevator is not allowed to passenger traffic. [0033] replacing the normal sling altogether with an extended version which is changed to normal sling after the construction phase ends. [0034] having a self-supporting construction time elevator car, which acts as the sling, and hence removes the need for separate sling.

[0035] During the extended mode, door openings are be made high by removing some parts from the elevator car 1. In this embodiment, the bottom floor 19 is two-stories tall to allow fast loading. In the extended mode landing doors are replaced with manual operated protection doors having the required door safety circuits.

[0036] The elevator is operated by a designated driver, with a plugin removable control-device, so that the elevator could not be operated by unauthorized users. Alternatively, a special mobile user interface is used for giving calls and monitoring the car position and load (car camera, load sensor, position indicator displayed on mobile UI), so that a driver would not need to be inside the car.

[0037] It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not restricted to the examples described above but that it may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for instance the structure of the elevator car and other parts can be also different from what is presented above. For example, an elevator car can comprise extension spaces both under the elevator car and above the elevator car.