SUSPENSION DEVICE AND USE THEREOF IN AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM, AND METHOD

Abstract

A suspension device has at least one brake for braking an elevator car relative to a stationary component of an elevator system, a brake holding assembly holding the brake on the elevator car, and a support means holding assembly holding a support means on the elevator car. The support means connects the elevator car to a counterweight of the elevator system. The brake holding assembly holds the brake against the elevator car such that the brake moves relative to the elevator car in a force direction produced by the brake. The support means holding assembly holds the support means against the elevator car such that the support means moves relative to the elevator car substantially in a force direction produced by the support means. A load measuring device measures an exerted force produced by relative movement of the support means and/or the brake.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A suspension device for an elevator system for securing a brake and a support means of the elevator system and for measuring a load acting on a car of the elevator system, the suspension device comprising: a brake adapted to brake the elevator car at a guide rail of the elevator system; a brake holding assembly holding the brake on the elevator car; a support means holding assembly holding the support means on the elevator car, wherein the support means connects the elevator car to a counterweight of the elevator system; wherein the brake holding assembly is adapted to deform relative to the elevator car in a force direction of a force produced by the brake interacting with the guide rail; and wherein the support means holding assembly is adapted to deform relative to the elevator car in a force direction produced by the support means.

17. The suspension device according to claim 16 including a load measuring device measuring an exerted force produced by the deformation of the support means holding assembly and/or of the brake holding assembly, wherein the load measuring device is arranged between the brake holding assembly and the support means holding assembly.

18. The suspension device according to claim 17 wherein the support means holding assembly and the brake holding assembly are each elastically deformable and are arranged on a web arrangement mounted on the elevator car.

19. The suspension device according to claim 16 wherein the brake holding assembly and the support means holding assembly are elastically deformable in response a force transmitted during a normal operation of the elevator system.

20. The suspension device according to claim 16 wherein the brake holding assembly and the support means holding assembly move towards one another and/or away from one another by less than 2 mm in response a force transmitted during a normal operation of the elevator system.

21. The suspension device according to claim 16 wherein the brake holding assembly and the support means holding assembly move towards one another and/or away from one another by less than 1 mm in response a force transmitted during a normal operation of the elevator system.

22. The suspension device according to claim 16 wherein the support means holding assembly and the brake holding assembly are arranged on a web arrangement mounted on the elevator car, and the brake holding assembly, the support means holding assembly and the web arrangement are formed in one piece as a common part.

23. The suspension device according to claim 22 wherein the common part is a stamped sheet metal part.

24. The suspension device according to claim 16 including a load measuring device measuring an exerted force produced by the deformation of the support means holding assembly and/or of the brake holding assembly, and at least one of: the load measuring device includes a strain gage sensing the exerted force; the load measuring device includes a force transmission element and is fixed to the brake holding assembly; and the load measuring device is arranged in the support means holding assembly.

25. The suspension device according to claim 24 wherein the load measuring device generates an electrical signal representing the exerted force acting on the force transmission element.

26. The suspension device according to claim 16 wherein the brake is at least one of a holding brake adapted to hold the elevator car during a stop and a safety brake adapted to brake the elevator car in an emergency.

27. An elevator system comprising: an elevator car; a guide rail; the suspension device according to claim 16; wherein the elevator car is movable along the guide rail; wherein the suspension device is arranged on the elevator car; and wherein the brake of the suspension device cooperates with the guide rail to brake the elevator car.

28. The elevator system according to claim 27 wherein the suspension device is arranged in a lower half of the elevator car.

29. A method for measuring a load acting on an elevator car, the method comprising the steps of: activating the brake of the suspension device according to claim 16, the suspension device being arranged on the elevator car, while the elevator car is stationary; and measuring a load acting on the elevator car by a load measuring device included in the suspension device.

30. A method for detecting a slack support means by measuring a load change, the method comprising the steps of: measuring a change in the load measured according to claim 29; and determining that the load change is greater than a predetermined limit value thereby indicating a slack support means supporting the elevator car.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein the load change is measured after stopping the elevator car at a floor and again immediately before departure, wherein the brake is transferred into a catch mode when the load change is greater than the predetermined limit value.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] FIG. 1 shows a highly schematic view of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] FIG. 2 shows a highly schematic view of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a suspension device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a suspension device according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The drawings are merely schematic, and not to scale. In the different figures, the same reference signs denote identical or functionally identical features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] FIGS. 1 and 2 show differently designed elevator systems 1 comprising a suspension device 15 according to two embodiments of the present invention. In both embodiments, the elevator system 1 is designed having a dual drive, that is to say having two drives 7 which are arranged, by way of example, in the shaft head. In both embodiments, the elevator systems 1 have two counterweights 8 which are movable in the opposite direction to an elevator car 3. FIG. 3 shows a detail view of a specific embodiment of such a suspension device 15. FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the suspension device 15.

[0072] The elevator system 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises an elevator car 3 which can be held by belt-like or cable-like support means 6 and can be moved in an elevator shaft 11. For this purpose, the support means 6 can be moved by a drive device 7, for example in the form of a sheave drive. The drive device 7 is mounted in the shaft head of the elevator system; however, the drive device 7 could also be mounted in the region of the shaft pit floor of the elevator system. The drive device 7 is controlled by a controller 9, which in this embodiment is located on the car roof. During its movement, the elevator car 3 is guided on both sides on at least one stationary component in each case, which component is designed as a guide rail 13. In this embodiment, the elevator installation 1 further comprises two support means 6 below the elevator car 3. These support means 6 each lead from a lower end of the elevator car 3, over a deflection roller on the shaft pit floor, to a lower part of the respective counterweight 8.

[0073] In particular, in order to be able to keep the elevator car 3 stationary during a stop at a desired position, such as at a floor, the elevator car 3, after it has been moved to the desired position by means of the drive device 7, can be temporarily fixed to the guide rails 13 with the aid of brakes 17 (not shown; but cf. FIGS. 3 and 4 below) provided on its braking devices 15. The suspension device 15 can have two brakes (not shown) per suspension device, that is to say for each of the two suspension devices 15. In this case, each of the brakes 17 is secured to the elevator car 3 with the aid of a brake holding assembly 19 (not shown). In this embodiment, the suspension device is arranged in the lower half of the elevator car 3.

[0074] FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of an elevator system 1 according to the invention. As can be seen from this embodiment, the lower support means of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 are not absolutely necessary. The suspension device 15 is again shown only schematically and can be designed in detail in a similar manner to the suspension device 15 in FIG. 3. The elevator system 1 has an elevator car 3 and two counterweights 8. The elevator system 1 comprises two drive devices 7, the drive devices being arranged in the head of the elevator shaft 11. In this embodiment, the suspension device 15 is evidently arranged in the upper half of the elevator car 3.

[0075] The suspension device 15 is shown schematically in FIG. 3. The suspension device 15 comprises a support means holding assembly 23, on the end of which the support means 6 is secured. The force 39 introduced into the support means holding assembly 23 by the support means 6 acts on this securing point. The support means holding assembly 23 is connected to a web arrangement 22. The web arrangement 22 extends substantially perpendicularly and is fixed to the elevator car 3. In this embodiment, the holding device 15 further comprises a web holding assembly 36. In this case, the web arrangement 22 is additionally fixed to the elevator car 3. The brake holding assembly 19 is integrally formed at the lower end of the web arrangement 22, the brake holding assembly, similarly to the web arrangement 22, extending substantially perpendicularly. Two recesses are provided in the brake holding assembly 19, in each of which recesses a brake 17 is arranged. In this embodiment, the suspension device 15 shown therefore comprises two brakes 17. The brakes 17 interact with the guide rail 13 and thus make it possible, via the suspension device 15, to fix the car 3, if required, at least temporarily in a stationary manner in relation to the guide rail 13. In such a fixed state, a force acts between the brakes 17 and the brake holding assembly 19, in one of the directions of the arrow 38. The suspension device 15 further comprises a load measuring device 21 which is arranged between the support means holding assembly 23 and the brake holding assembly 19. The load measuring device 21 comprises a strain gage 27 and a force transmission element 25.

[0076] The direction of the force arrow 39 substantially corresponds to the movement direction of the elevator car 3, and is therefore substantially vertical.

[0077] The web arrangement 22 of the suspension device 15 has a plurality of round holes 33. Fixing elements (for example screws) are received in the round holes 33, by means of which fixing elements the web arrangement 22 and thus the suspension device 15 are fastened to the elevator car 3 or to the frame thereof substantially without play. By means of a corresponding design of the support means holding assembly 23 or the brake holding assembly 19, these elements can deform, in particular bend, slightly along the exerted force direction 39, relative to the web arrangement 22 when a force is brought about in the exerted force directions 38, 39 by activating the brake or by tensioning the support means.

[0078] Such a relative displacement brings about inter alia a deformation of the support means holding assembly 23 or of the brake holding assembly 19. In this case, the support means holding assembly 23 and the brake holding assembly 19 are arranged, dimensioned and configured in such a way that this deformation generally takes place elastically, at least as long as only forces which arise during normal operation of the elevator system 1 are brought about by the brake 17 or the support means 6.

[0079] The relative movements produced between the brake holding assembly 19 and the web arrangement 22, or between the support means holding assembly 23 and the web arrangement 22, can be used to be able to measure the loads or load changes currently acting on the elevator car 3, by means of the load measuring device 21.

[0080] For this purpose, in the embodiment shown the load measuring device 21 is fixedly connected, for example screwed, to the brake holding assembly 19. Furthermore, the force transmission element 25 is coupled, for example, to a part of the support means holding assembly 23. Electronics (not shown), arranged for example in the load measuring device 21, can be used for example to measure mechanical stresses that occur in the between the force transmission element 25 and the fixedly arranged element of the load measuring device 21 and the strain gage 27 contained therein, due to the forces generated by the relative movement. The electronics can then produce an electrical signal which can act as a measure of the force to which the load measuring device 21 is subjected. It is therefore possible not only to use the brake 17 of the suspension device 15 to brake the elevator car 3, but also to use the load measuring device 21 of the suspension device to measure a load acting on the elevator car 3 and to detect changing tensions in the support means 6.

[0081] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a suspension device 15 according to the invention, the suspension device being formed in multiple parts in this case. In this embodiment, the load measuring device 21 is arranged in a U-shaped support means holding assembly 23, on which the support means 6 is arranged. The support means holding assembly 23 is connected on the support means holding assembly 19, which is arranged on the elevator car 3 (not shown).

[0082] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as comprising, including, 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.

[0083] 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.