Elevator car including flatbar covering joint between adjacent wall elements

Abstract

The invention relates to an elevator car comprising a support frame, a floor structure and a ceiling structure, as well as at least one car door, and side walls extending between the floor structure and the ceiling structure, wherein the side walls are formed from several wall elements, which are aligned end-to-end or end-to side in corners, wherein the wall elements are composite panels consisting of at least one support material and at least one noise insulating material, that the elevator car comprises at least one flatbar, extending over the surface of both adjacent wall elements, and covering the joint between them, which flatbar comprises or is connectable with fixing elements to at least one of both adjacent wall elements. Via this means the joint between two noise insulating wall elements does prevent any essential noise leakage.

Claims

1. An elevator car comprising: a support frame; a floor structure; a ceiling structure; at least one elevator car door; side walls extending between the floor structure and the ceiling structure, the side walls including a plurality of wall elements aligned end-to-end or end-to-side at corners of the elevator car to form joints between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall elements, the plurality of wall elements being composite panels including at least one support material and at least one noise insulating material; and at least one flatbar extending over a surface of a joint between a set of adjacent wall elements from among the plurality of wall elements, the at least one flatbar being configured to cover the joint between the set of adjacent wall elements, and the at least one flatbar being configured to be fixed to at least one wall element in the set of adjacent wall elements; wherein the at least one flatbar has perforations configured to allow at least two bolts that are respectively fixed to a wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements to pass through the at least one flatbar, a first set of the perforations extend over a first of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements, a second set of the perforations extend over a second of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements, the first set of the perforations have first tilted portions, the first tilted portions tilted relative to a longitudinal axis of the at least one flatbar, the second set of the perforations have second tilted portions, the second tilted portions tilted relative to the longitudinal axis of the at least one flatbar, the first tilted portions are tilted towards the second tilted portions, and the wall elements at the joint between the set of adjacent wall elements have reduced thicknesses relative to remaining portions of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements, wherein the reduced thicknesses correspond to a sum of a thickness of one of the at least one flatbar and a thickness of a head of one of the at least two bolts such that a vertical surface of the head of each of the at least two bolts is coplanar with vertical surfaces of the remaining portions of the wall elements that are adjacent to the joint.

2. The elevator car according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flatbar is configured to be fixed to each of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements.

3. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the first and second tilted portions are longholes.

4. The elevator according to claim 3, wherein each of the perforations in the at least one flatbar has a keyhole shape with a larger diameter hole connected to a corresponding longhole, the corresponding longhole having a width smaller than a diameter of the larger diameter hole, and the larger diameter hole being larger than a diameter of the head of a corresponding bolt from among the at least two bolts.

5. The elevator car according to claim 3, wherein the longholes of the first set of the perforations and the longholes of the second set of the perforations are arranged side-by-side.

6. The elevator car according to claim 1, wherein the bolts extend through the at least one flatbar and are anchored in the wall elements.

7. The elevator car according to claim 1, wherein the at least one support material is sheet metal.

8. The elevator car according to claim 1, wherein the at least one noise insulating material is rockwool.

9. The elevator car according to claim 1, wherein the at least one flatbar is a strip of sheet metal.

10. An elevator comprising an elevator car according to claim 1.

11. The elevator car of claim 1, further comprising: at least one decorative panel mounted on at least one of the plurality of wall element and covering the flatbar, the head of each of the at least two bolts, and the remaining portions of the wall elements that are adjacent to the joint.

12. A method of building an elevator car including a support frame, a floor structure, a ceiling structure, at least one car door, side walls extending between the floor structure and the ceiling structure, and at least one flatbar, wherein the side walls include a plurality of wall elements aligned end-to-end or end-to-side at corners of the elevator car to form joints between adjacent ones of the plurality of wall elements, and wherein the at least one flatbar extends over a surface of a joint between a set of adjacent wall elements from among the plurality of wall elements, and wherein wall elements at the joint between the set of adjacent wall elements have reduced thicknesses relative to remaining portions of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements, the method comprising: arranging the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements end-to-end or end-to-side at the corner of the elevator car; fixing at least a first bolt to a first of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements into a first fixing position, the first bolt not being driven into the first wall element to allow the at least one flatbar to be movable with respect to the first bolt; fixing at least a second bolt to a second of the wall elements in the set of adjacent wall elements into a second fixing position, the second bolt not being driven into the second wall element to allow the at least one flatbar to be movable with respect to the second bolt, the first and second bolts being fixed at a distance corresponding to a pattern of perforations in the at least one flatbar; moving the at least one flatbar in a vertical direction relative to the first and second bolts to bring the first and second wall elements together; and fixing, in a vertical position at which the first and second wall elements are closed together, the first and second bolts in a second fixing position in which the at least one flatbar is pressed tightly between the first and second wall elements and heads of the bolts, wherein the reduced thicknesses correspond to a sum of a thickness of one of the at least one flatbar and a thickness of one of the heads of the bolts such that vertical surfaces of the heads of the bolts are coplanar with vertical surfaces of the remaining portions of the wall elements that are adjacent to the joint.

Description

(1) The invention is now described in detail with reference to the embodiments in connection with the enclosed drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective schematic view of an elevator car,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1 showing two wall elements from the inner side of the elevator car connected by a flatbar,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail III from FIG. 2,

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the joint region of two adjacent wall elements of a side wall,

(6) FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the joint region of two wall elements carrying decorative panels, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows the joint region of two wall elements of perpendicular side walls in a car corner,

(8) FIG. 7 shows a side view of another embodiment of a joint between two wall elements showing another perforation pattern in a flatbar,

(9) FIG. 8 shows a side view of a third embodiment of a joint between two wall elements showing another perforation pattern in a flatbar, and

(10) FIG. 9 shows a side view of a fourth embodiment of a joint between two wall elements showing perforations with a tilted portion.

(11) FIG. 1 shows an elevator car 10 having a car frame (or car sling) 12 carrying a ceiling structure 14 and a floor structure 16. The car frame 12 further comprises means for fixing suspension ropes, e.g. a diverting pulley 18 and means 24 for guiding the elevator car along guide rails. The elevator car has furthermore other components as e.g. gripping devices which arelike the suspension means 18 or the guiding means 20not relevant for the present invention. Between the ceiling structure 14 and floor structure 16 side walls 22 extend in vertical direction. On at least one side of the elevator car elevator car doors 24, 26 are provided which are able to open the telescopic manner to allow entrance into the elevator car 10. The car doors may deviate from those shown in the figure. The embodiment and number of the car doors is not relevant for the invention. The side walls on the side and back of the elevator car consist of wall elements 28a, 28b which are connected in their end region whereby the joint between both wall elements 28a, 28b, 28c is connected via a flatbar 30 and bolts 32 in a manner which is described later on in more detail.

(12) The invention relates to this connection between different side walls 28a, 28b and 28c. The wall elements 28a, 28b, 28c are connected to the floor structure 16 and the ceiling structure 14 in a per se known manner.

(13) FIG. 2 shows the joint between two wall elements 28a, 28b of a side wall 22 in a more detailed manner from the inner side of the elevator car. The flatbar 30 is a strip of metal sheet extending vertically and covering the surface 56b, 56d of adjacent wall elements 28a, 28b (see also FIG. 4) which are arranged end-to-end.

(14) The flatbar 30 has several sets of keyhole perforations 34a, 34b located side by side which are shown in more detail in FIG. 3. Each keyhole perforation 34a, 34b has a circular hole 36a, 36b with a larger diameter connected to a longhole or slot 38a, 38b.

(15) The diameter of the holes 36a, 36b is slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt head 40a, 40b. The longholes or slots 38a, 38b of one pair of perforations extend essentially vertically but are slightly inclined in an angle of 5-30 degrees relative to each other. Accordingly, the right keyhole perforation 34a, 34b is identical to the left keyhole perforation 34a but mirrored with respect to the center axis 24 of the flatbar 30.

(16) As is it derivable from FIG. 2 the flatbar 30 comprises several pairs of the side by side perforations 34a and 34b at different height levels.

(17) The fixing of two wall elements 28a, 28b is performed as follows:

(18) First the two wall elements 28a, 28b to be connected are located side by side so that their end faces 44a, 44b are in contact. Thereafter bolts 32a, 32b are drilled into the wall elements 28a, 28b in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the holes in the flatbar. The bolts 32a, 32b are not drilled up to the end but to a first mounting position which ensures the movement of the flatbar between the corresponding bolt heads 48a, 48b and the surface of the wall elements 28a, 28b. After having the bolts 32a, 32b fixed to both wall elements 28a, 28b the flat bar is put onto the bolts so that the bolt heads 48a, 48b pass through the holes 36a, 36b of the flatbar. Then the flatbar is moved downwards whereby the two bolts 34a, 34b which are fixed to the different wall elements 28a, 28b are pressed together via the tilted longholes. By this action both wall elements 28a, 28b are pressed together so that any gap between the two end faces 44a, 44b of the two wall elements is removed. Now the bolts 32a, 32b are fixed into their second mounting position where they press the flatbar 30 tight (immovable) between the bolt heads 48a, 48b and the surface of the wall elements 28a, 28b.

(19) On the other side the flatbar 30 forms together with the wall elements 28a, 28b a kind of labyrinth seal with also prevents noise from passing through the joint between both wall elements.

(20) FIG. 4 further shows that each wall element 28a, 28b consists of two metal sheets 50a, 50b and 52a, 52b (hereinafter referred to as metal sheets 50, 52, respectively, in FIG. 4) between which a noise insulating layer 54a, 54b (hereinafter referred to as noise insulating layer or noise insulating material 54) is arranged which is for example stone wool, rockwool, glass wool or any other noise insulating material. It is also possible that the metal sheets 50, 52 have anchors or fixing elements to improve the connection between the sheet 50, 52 and the noise insulating material 54. The metal sheets 50, 52 may also have perforations which are penetrated by the noise insulating material to improve the mutual connection of these layers. Of course, the layers can be arranged differently from the arrangement shown in FIG. 4.

(21) FIG. 5 shows the same view as FIG. 4 with a different embodiment wherein within the width d the flatbar 30 the thickness of the wall elements 28a, 28b is reduced by the thickness of the flatbar 30 and the thickness of the bolt heads 40a, 40b. In this arrangement the surface of the bolt heads 40a, 40b is aligned with the surface 56a, 56b of the wall elements 28a, 28b. This facilitates or enables the mounting of decorative panels 58a, 58b, 58c on the inner surface of the wall elements 28a, 28b. Decorative panels 58a, 58b, 58c could be made for example from marble, metal or wood according to the desired design of the customer. At it is clearly seen from FIG. 5 the flatbar 30 and the bolt heads 48a, 48b do not interfere with the mounting of the decorative panels 58b on the inner surface 56a, 56b of the wall elements 28a, 28b.

(22) FIG. 6 shows the mounting of two wall elements 28b, 28c in the corner region of the elevator car 10, wherein the wall elements 28b, 28c are perpendicular to each other. In this embodiment the end face 44b of the first wall element 28b is connected to the surface 56c of the other wall element 28c. The joint region between both wall elements 28b, 28c is again covered with a flatbar 30 which is fixed to both wall elements with bolts 34a, 34b in the same manner as it has been discussed in connection with FIGS. 2 to 4.

(23) FIGS. 7 and 8 show different patterns of perforations in the flatbar 30.

(24) In FIG. 7 the perforations only consist of longholes 340a,b. Anyway instead of longholes they may consist of keyhole perforations as shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment the perforations 340a to be connected with the first wall element 28a and the perforations 340b to be connected with the second wall element 28b are vertically offset, so that they are arranged in vertical direction in an alternating succession.

(25) In FIG. 8 the perforations 3400a to be connected with the first wall element 28a and the perforations 3400b to be connected with the second wall element 28b are vertically offset, but in a way that always two first perforations 3400a of follow two second perforations 3400b in vertical direction, which pattern is repeated along the vertical axis of the flatbar.

(26) According to FIG. 9 instead of tilted longholes the perforations 341a, 341b may have any shape which comprises a tilted portion 3410a,b whereby the tilted portion 3410a,b of both perforations 341a,b is mirrored against the center line 24 of the flatbar 30 so that the inclined or tilted portions 3410a,b of both perforations 341a,b are tilted towards each other. The tilted portion should be located in both perforations mutually at their opposite sides (i.e. facing away from each other).

(27) It should be clear for the skilled person that the above mentioned embodiments are not restricting the invention but the invention may be carried out within the scope of the appended patent claims.

(28) The frame of the elevator car may deviate from the one shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, it may consist of several parallel multiple frame parts arranged side by side. Furthermore, the connection of the floor and ceiling structures 16, 14 to the frame 12 is not relevant for the invention.

(29) The connection of the wall elements 28a, 28b, 28c to the floor or ceiling structures 16, 14 is performed in line with prior art. Furthermore, the connection of the wall elements 28 to door sections of the car is realized in line with prior art technology and not part of the invention.

(30) Of course there may he several car doors on different positions of the elevator car for example in the front and back. Furthermore, the car doors may be turn doors instead of telescopic doors or sliding doors.

(31) On the inner side of the wall elements decorative panels may be fixed. Furthermore on the outer side of the wall elements 28a, 28b, 28c supporting structures maybe located as e.g. a supporting wall or supporting beams to which the wall elements are fixed in a per se known manner.