Elevator system

Abstract

An elevator system includes first and second elevator cars movable vertically in a first elevator shaft, a closed support belt routed around lower and upper deflection rollers, a drive machine driving the support belt, and an actuable coupling device arranged on each of the first and second elevator cars. The support belt has first and second coupling elements to and from which the coupling devices can be coupled and decoupled whereby a drive connection between the respective elevator car and the support belt can be established and released. A coupled elevator car is moved in the first elevator shaft by the support belt driven by the drive machine. The coupling elements are arranged such that they are not routed around the deflection rollers during movement of the first elevator car from a lower end position to an upper end position or vice versa.

Claims

1. An elevator system, comprising: a first elevator car and a second elevator car each movable in a first elevator shaft in the vertical direction; a closed support means guided about a lower deflection roller and an upper deflection roller in the first elevator shaft; a drive machine driving the support means; an actuatable coupling device arranged on the first elevator car and another actuatable coupling device arranged on the second elevator car; the support means having a first coupling element and a second coupling element to and from which the coupling devices can be coupled and decoupled, whereby a drive connection can be established and detached between the elevator cars and the support means and the elevator cars can be moved in the first elevator shaft by the support means driven by the drive machine; wherein the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that in a movement of the first elevator car coupled to the support means via the associated coupling element, from a lower end position to an upper end position in the elevator shaft, or vice versa, neither of the coupling elements is guided about one of the deflection rollers; and wherein the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that in a movement of the first elevator car coupled to the support means via the one of the coupling elements, from the lower end position to the upper end position, or vice versa, neither of the coupling elements contacts with either of the deflection rollers.

2. The elevator system according to claim 1 where in the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that, when the first elevator car coupled to the support means via one of the coupling elements has reached the upper end position, another of the coupling elements is positioned such that the coupling device arranged on the second elevator car located in the lower end position can be coupled to the another coupling element.

3. The elevator system according to claim 1 wherein the drive machine is actuated by an elevator controller to reverse a movement direction of the support means for a next movement of either of the elevator cars that has reached the lower end position or the upper end position.

4. The elevator system according to claim 1 including another closed support means having two coupling elements spaced apart from one another in the vertical direction and another drive machine driving the another support means.

5. The elevator system according to claim 4 wherein the coupling elements of each the support means each interconnect two free ends of two support means parts.

6. The elevator system according to claim 4 wherein the coupling elements of each of the support means are configured as connecting elements.

7. The elevator system according to claim 4 wherein the support means are belts.

8. The elevator system according to claim 1 including a guide guiding the first and second coupling elements in the first elevator shaft.

9. The elevator system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second elevator cars each have two of the coupling means to simultaneously couple to the coupling elements of two of the support means.

10. The elevator system according to claim 9 wherein the two coupling devices are arranged on opposite sides of each of the elevator cars.

11. The elevator system according to claim 10 wherein the two coupling devices on each of the elevator cars are arranged at diagonally opposite positions.

12. An elevator system, comprising: a first elevator car and a second elevator car each movable in a first elevator shaft in the vertical direction; a closed support means guided about a lower deflection roller and an upper deflection roller in the first elevator shaft; a drive machine driving the support means; an actuatable coupling device arranged on the first elevator car and another actuatable coupling device arranged on the second elevator car; the support means having a first coupling element and a second coupling element to and from which the coupling devices can be coupled and decoupled, whereby a drive connection can be established and detached between the elevator cars and the support means and the elevator cars can be moved in the first elevator shaft by the support means driven by the drive machine; wherein the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that in a movement of the first elevator car coupled to the support means via the associated coupling element, from a lower end position to an upper end position in the elevator shaft, or vice versa, neither of the coupling elements is guided about one of the deflection rollers; wherein the first elevator car and the second elevator car are movable in the vertical direction in a second elevator shaft arranged in parallel with the first elevator shaft; a first transfer device for displacing the elevator cars from the first elevator shaft to the second elevator shaft; a second transfer device for displacing the elevator cars from the second elevator shaft to the first elevator shaft; and wherein a movement of the elevator cars in the second elevator shaft is realized analogously to the movement in the first elevator shaft.

13. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein the elevator cars are moved only from a bottom to a top in the first elevator shaft, and are moved only from a top to a bottom in the second elevator shaft.

14. The elevator system according to claim 12 wherein an equal number of the support means, each having two coupling elements, are arranged in each of the first elevator shaft and the second elevator shaft, and a number of the elevator cars movable in the first and second elevator shafts is at most equal to a total number of the support means.

15. An elevator system, comprising: a first elevator car and a second elevator car each movable in a first elevator shaft in the vertical direction; a closed support means guided about a lower deflection roller and an upper deflection roller in the first elevator shaft, the support means extending along and spaced from a side of each of the first and second elevator cars; a drive machine driving the support means; an actuatable coupling device arranged on the first elevator car and another actuatable coupling device arranged on the second elevator car; the support means having a first coupling element and a second coupling element to and from which the coupling devices can be coupled and decoupled, whereby a drive connection can be established and detached between the elevator cars and the support means and the elevator cars can be moved in the first elevator shaft by the support means driven by the drive machine; wherein the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that in a movement of the first elevator car coupled to the support means via the associated coupling element, from a lower end position to an upper end position in the elevator shaft, or vice versa, neither of the coupling elements is guided about one of the deflection rollers; and wherein the first and second coupling elements of the support means are arranged such that in a movement of the first elevator car coupled to the support means via the one of the coupling elements, from the lower end position to the upper end position, or vice versa, neither of the coupling elements contacts with either of the deflection rollers.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a first elevator shaft of an elevator system having a first and a second elevator car,

(2) FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a coupling element of a support means from FIG. 1,

(3) FIG. 3 is a top view of the first elevator shaft having a total of eight drive machines,

(4) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an elevator car having two coupling devices for coupling to coupling elements of the support means and

(5) FIG. 5a-5c are highly simplified views of an elevator system comprising two elevator shafts, two transfer devices, and two elevator cars, with different positions of the elevator cars to illustrate the operating principle of the elevator system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) According to FIG. 1, an elevator system 10 comprises a first elevator shaft 12, in which a first elevator car 14 and a second elevator car 16 are arranged. The first elevator car 14 is located at a lower end position 18 which corresponds to a position of the elevator car 14 at a lowest floor of the building 20 comprising the elevator system 10. The second elevator car 16 is located at an upper end position 22, which corresponds to a position of the elevator car 16 at a top floor of the building 20. Between the lower end position 18 and the upper end position 22 are a plurality of floors, which are not shown in FIG. 1.

(7) The elevator system 10 has a vertically extending vertical guide rail 24, on which the elevator cars 14, 16 are guided during a movement in the elevator shaft 12. For moving the elevator cars 14, 16 in the elevator shaft 12, the elevator system 10 comprises a total of eight closed support means 26, of which FIG. 1 shows four support means 26. The support means 26 are designed as belts and are each guided about a lower deflection roller 28 and an upper deflection roller 30.

(8) The two deflection rollers 28, 30 of a support means 26 are arranged vertically one above the other, such that the support means 26 extend vertically between the deflection rollers 28, 30. The deflection rollers 28, 30 in particular have an effective diameter of less than 100 mm. The lower deflection rollers 28 are arranged below the first elevator car 14 and are each connected to a tension weight 32. The tension weight 32 acts as a tensioning device, by means of which the required support means pretension is generated, and deviations in the initial length of the closed support means 26 as well as operational plastic changes in length of the support means 26 are compensated.

(9) The upper deflection rollers 30 are arranged above the second elevator car 16 and are each used as a propulsion disk for a drive machine 34 designed as an electric motor. Each support means 26 is assigned a drive machine 34, by means of which the support means 26 can be driven and moved. The drive machines 34 are actuated by an elevator controller 36, which actuates all the actuators of the elevator system 10.

(10) Each support means 26 consists of two support means parts 38, 40, the free ends 42 (see FIG. 2) of which are connected by means of two coupling elements 44, which are shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 2. In this case, one free end 42 of the first support means part 38 is connected to a free end of the second support means part 40, such that each support means 26 forms a closed ring. A coupling element can thus also be referred to as a connection element. The coupling element 44 consists of two support means end connections 46 which are aligned in the opposite direction and are connected to an intermediate piece 50 comprising a recess 48. The intermediate piece 50 has a mainly cuboid outer contour. The support means end connections 46 can be designed, for example, according to the support means end connections described in EP 1634842 A2. An extendable bolt 60 (see FIG. 4) of a coupling device 58 arranged on an elevator car 14, 16 (see FIG. 4) can be inserted into the recess 48, thus coupling the coupling device 58 to the coupling element 44. By pulling the bolt 60 out of the recess 48, the coupling device 58 can decouple from the coupling element 44. The coupling devices 58 are arranged on a floor 51 of the elevator cars 14, 16 and shall be described in greater detail in connection with FIG. 4. A coupling element 44, to which a coupling device 58 has been coupled, has a filled-in square in the drawings. In FIG. 1, the second elevator car 16 is thus connected via the coupling element 44 to the support means 26 which is arranged on the far left in FIG. 1.

(11) It is also possible for the coupling devices to be arranged on the roof of an elevator car. The positions of the coupling elements on the support means must then be adjusted accordingly.

(12) Once an elevator car 14, 16 is coupled to a coupling element 44 via its assigned coupling device 58, a drive connection is produced between the elevator car 14, 16 and the support means 26. In this coupled state, the elevator car 14, 16 is carried along by the support means 26 and thus moved in the elevator shaft 12 when the support means 26 is driven or moved by the assigned drive machine 34. In the state shown in FIG. 1, the second elevator car 16 can thus be moved in the elevator shaft 12. Since the first elevator car 14 in FIG. 1 is not coupled to a support means 26, a movement of the first elevator car 14 in the elevator shaft 12 is not possible in the state shown in FIG. 1.

(13) FIG. 3 is a top view of the first elevator shaft 12 having a total of eight drive machines 34. The drive machines 34 are each drive-connected to a propulsion disk in the form of a deflection roller 30, over which one support means 26 runs. For reasons of clarity, the reference signs in FIG. 3 are only shown once. Four drive machines 34 are each arranged on opposite sides of the elevator car 16, and, on each of the opposite sides of the elevator car 16, two drive machines 34 are arranged on different sides of the vertical guide rail 24. Drive axles 52 of the drive machines 34 extend in parallel with one another, a relevant drive machine 34 being arranged on one side of the elevator car 16 coaxially with a drive machine 34 on the other side of the elevator car 16. On one or both free sides 54 of the elevator car 16, on which no drive machines 34 are arranged, a car door (not shown) of the elevator car 16 is located.

(14) The elevator controller 36 similarly or synchronously actuates two drive machines 34 on opposite sides, such that their assigned support means 26 also move synchronously or are moved synchronously. Two drive machines 34 are actuated in the same way, which are arranged diagonally with respect to a center of gravity 56 of the elevator car, i.e. for example, in FIG. 3, the upper, far left drive machine 34 and the lower, far right drive machine 34. By means of the eight drive machines 34, a total of four elevator cars 14, 16 can thus be moved simultaneously and independently of one another in the first elevator shaft 12.

(15) FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the elevator car 16 comprising two coupling devices 58 for coupling to coupling elements 44 of the support means 26. The coupling devices 58 are each arranged opposite the drive machines 34 (not shown in FIG. 4), and thus opposite the coupling elements 44 of the support means 26. Each coupling device 58 has a bolt 60 which can be extended and retracted in an actuating direction 62 which is oriented in the direction of the coupling elements 44. For extending and retracting the bolt 60, the coupling device 58 has an actuator 64, which can be designed, for example, as an electric motor. For positioning the bolt 60 opposite the coupling elements 44, the bolt 60 together with the actuator 64 can be displaced horizontally and perpendicularly to the actuating direction 62 along a rail 66 by means of a positioning actuator 68, which, for example, is also designed as an electric motor.

(16) For coupling a coupling device 58 and thus the elevator car 16 to a coupling element 44 and thus to a support means 26, the bolt 60 is first correctly positioned with respect to the corresponding coupling element 44. Subsequently, the bolt 60 is extended, whereby the bolt 60 is inserted into the recess 48 in the coupling element 44. This produces an interlocking connection between the coupling device 58 and the coupling element 44 and thus between the elevator car 16 and the support means 26. Once this interlocking connection is produced, the elevator car 16 is moved in the elevator shaft 12 as soon as the support means 26 is driven or moved by the drive machine 34.

(17) As already described in connection with FIG. 3, the elevator car 16 is coupled to two support means 26, which are arranged diagonally with respect to the center of gravity 56 of the elevator car. This is achieved in that the elevator car 16 is coupled to coupling elements 44, which are arranged diagonally with respect to the center of gravity 56 of the elevator car 16.

(18) Each coupling element 44 is guided by a guide 53 during the movement in the elevator shaft 12. The guide 53 is arranged between each coupling element 44 and the elevator car 16 and extends through the entire elevator shaft 12. The guides 53 in particular prevent a free coupling element 44, i.e. a coupling element 44 not coupled to an elevator car 14, 16, from striking a passing elevator car 14, 16.

(19) It is also possible for the bolts of the coupling devices not to be movable transversely to the actuating direction. In this case, the coupling devices have separate bolts and actuators for each coupling element.

(20) It is also possible for an elevator car to only comprise one coupling device, such that, for moving in the elevator shaft, an elevator car is coupled to only one support means. This is the case in particular when the drive machines and thus the support means are arranged on a side of the elevator cars which is opposite the car door and thus the shaft doors.

(21) The views in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c describe in greater detail the operating principle of the elevator system 10 and in particular the arrangement of the two coupling elements 44 of a support means 26. For reasons of clarity, only one upper and one lower region of the elevator system 10 and only one support means 26 is shown per elevator shaft in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c. In addition, the deflection rollers 28, 30 are shown with a larger diameter when compared with FIG. 1.

(22) In addition to a first elevator shaft 12, the elevator system 10 according to FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c has a second elevator shaft 13 which is arranged in parallel with the first elevator shaft 12. The second elevator shaft 13 is designed analogously to the first elevator shaft 12. The movement of the elevator cars 14, 16 in the second elevator shaft 13 is carried out analogously to the movement in the first elevator shaft 12. In the first elevator shaft 12, the elevator cars 14, 16 are moved only in an upward direction, and in the second elevator shaft 13, they are moved only in a downward direction.

(23) In FIG. 5a, the first elevator car 14 is located in the first elevator shaft 12 at the lower end position 18. It is coupled via its coupling device (not shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c) to a first coupling element 44 of the second support means 26, said coupling element being on the right in FIG. 5a. In this case, the first elevator car 14 has only a single, non-movable coupling device. The coupling device is arranged such that it can be coupled to the right coupling element 44. The first elevator car 14 can thus only be coupled to the right coupling element 44, such that the first elevator car 14 is assigned the right coupling element 44.

(24) A second coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5a) of the support means 26 is arranged on the support means 26 such that a coupling device of an elevator car located at the upper end position 22 could decouple from the second coupling element 44. A deflection roller 28, 30 is arranged between the first coupling element 44 and the second coupling element 44 of the support means 26 in each case.

(25) For moving the first elevator car 14 upwards, the drive machine 34 drives the upper deflecting roller 30 in a counter-clockwise movement direction, indicated by a directional arrow 69. With possible intermediate stops on floors between the lower end position 18 and the upper end position 22, the first elevator car 14 is moved to the upper end position 22. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the first coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5a), the second coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5a) is moved in a downward direction. During said movement, neither of the two coupling elements 44 comes into contact with one of the two deflection rollers 28, 30. The coupling elements 44 thus neither touch either of the two deflection rollers 28, 30 nor are they guided about the deflection rollers 28, 30.

(26) In FIG. 5a, the second elevator car 16 is located in the second elevator shaft 13 at the upper end position 22. It is coupled via its coupling device (not shown in FIGS. 5a, 5b, and 5c) to a first coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5a) of the support means 26. The second elevator car 16 also has only a single, non-movable coupling device. The coupling device is arranged such that it can be coupled to the left coupling element 44. The second elevator car 16 can thus only be coupled to the left coupling element 44, such that the second elevator car 16 is assigned the left coupling element 44.

(27) A second coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5a) of the support means 26 is arranged on the support means 26 such that a coupling device of an elevator car located at the lower end position 18 could decouple from the second coupling element 44. A deflection roller 28, 30 is arranged between the first coupling element 44 and the second coupling element 44 of the support means 26 in each case.

(28) For moving the second elevator car 16 in a downward direction, the drive machine 34 also drives the upper deflection roller 30 in the counter-clockwise direction. With possible intermediate stops on floors between the upper end position 22 and the lower end position 18, the second elevator car 16 is moved to the lower end position 18. Simultaneously with the downward movement of the first coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5a), the second coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5a) is moved in an upward direction. During said movement, neither of the two coupling elements 44 comes into contact with one of the two deflection rollers 28, 30.

(29) FIG. 5b shows the situation in which the first elevator car 14 in the first elevator shaft 12 has reached the upper end position 22 and the second elevator car 16 in the second elevator shaft 13 has reached the lower end position 18. Since the elevator cars 14, 16 in the first elevator shaft 12 are moved only upwards and those in the second elevator shaft 13 are moved only downwards, both elevator cars 14, 16 must execute a shaft change.

(30) For executing shaft changes, the elevator system 10 has a first, upper transfer device 70, by means of which the first elevator car 14 can be displaced at the upper end position 22 from the first elevator shaft 12 to the second elevator shaft 13. The first transfer device 70 has a vertical guide rail piece 72 which guides the first elevator car 14 in the first transfer device 70. Before the start of the displacement, the first transfer device 70 is positioned such that the guide rail piece 72 forms a portion of the vertical guide rail 24 of the first elevator shaft 12, by means of which the first elevator car 14 is guided during a movement in the first elevator shaft 12. The first elevator car 14 has a braking device 74, by means of which the first elevator car 14 is temporarily fastened to the guide rail piece 72, which is integrated in the first transfer device 70, during the displacement between the first elevator shaft 12 and the second elevator shaft 13.

(31) The elevator system 10 also has a second, lower transfer device 76 for displacing the second elevator car 16 in the lower end position 18 from the second elevator shaft 13 to the first elevator shaft 12. The second, lower transfer device 76 is designed analogously to the first, upper transfer device 70. The second elevator car 16 also has a braking device 74.

(32) The transfer devices 70, 76 can be designed in particular in accordance with the transfer devices in the form of horizontal displacement units from EP 2219985 B1.

(33) FIG. 5c shows the situation after the displacement of the two elevator cars 14, 16. The first elevator car 14 is positioned in the second elevator shaft 13 at the upper end position 22, and the second elevator car 16 is positioned in the first elevator shaft 12 at the lower end position 18.

(34) The second elevator car 16 currently arranged in the first elevator shaft 12 at the lower end position 18 is now coupled via its coupling device to the second coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5c) of the support means 26. The first coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5c) of the support means 26 is arranged on the support means 26 such that a coupling device of an elevator car located at the upper end position 22 could decouple from the second coupling element 44.

(35) For moving the second elevator car 16 upwards, the drive machine 34 now drives the upper deflection roller 30 in the clockwise direction. The drive machine 34 is thus actuated by the elevator controller such that the movement direction of the support means 26 is reversed for the next movement of an elevator car when an elevator car has reached the lower end position or the upper end position.

(36) With possible intermediate stops on floors between the lower end position 18 and the upper end position 22, the second elevator car 16 is moved to the upper end position 22. Simultaneously with the upward movement of the second coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5c), the first coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5c) is moved in a downward direction.

(37) In FIG. 5c, the first elevator car 14 is located in the second elevator shaft 13 at the upper end position 22. It is coupled via its coupling device to the second coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5c) of the second support means 26. The first coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5c) of the support means 26 is arranged on the support means 26 such that a coupling device of an elevator car located at the lower end position 18 could decouple from the second coupling element 44.

(38) For moving the first elevator car 14 in a downward direction, the drive machine 34 now also drives the upper deflection roller 30 in the clockwise direction. In comparison with FIG. 5a, the movement direction of the support means 26 is thus also reversed. With possible intermediate stops on floors between the upper end position 22 and the lower end position 18, the first elevator car 14 is moved to the lower end position 18. Simultaneously with the downward movement of the second coupling element 44 (on the right in FIG. 5c), the first coupling element 44 (on the left in FIG. 5c) is moved in an upward direction.

(39) According to the diagram shown in FIG. 5a-5c, four elevator cars per elevator shaft and thus a total of eight elevator cars can be moved simultaneously in the vertical direction in the elevator system according to FIG. 1-4.

(40) It is also possible for the elevator system to have a third elevator shaft, in which elevator cars which are currently not needed can be parked.

(41) Lastly, it should be noted that terms such as “comprising”, “having”, etc. do not preclude other elements or steps and terms such as “a/an” or “one” do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps that 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.

(42) 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.