METHOD FOR CREATING AN ELEVATOR SHAFT OF AN ELEVATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for creating an elevator shaft for an elevator system, wherein the elevator shaft is oriented mainly vertically, uses a plurality of base modules placed on one another. The shaft is upwardly closed off by a top module and forms a travelway for a car of the elevator system. In a normal operation of the elevator system, the car is moved at a nominal speed within the travelway. According to the method, an intermediate element having an intermediate element height is arranged between an uppermost one of the base modules and the top module, wherein the intermediate element height is dependent on the nominal speed of the car.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for creating an elevator shaft of an elevator system, wherein the elevator shaft is vertically aligned and forms a travelway for a car of the elevator system, which car is moved at a nominal speed within the travelway in normal operation of the elevator system, the method comprising the steps of: placing multiple base modules on each other forming a travelway section of the travelway of the vertically aligned elevator shaft; closing the elevator shaft upwards by mounting a top module along the travelway above the base modules; providing an intermediate element having an intermediate element height dependent on the nominal speed of the car; and arranging the intermediate element in the travelway between an uppermost one of the base modules and the top module.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the intermediate element height of the intermediate element is greater than another intermediate element height of another intermediate element dependent on another nominal speed lower than the nominal speed of the car.

13. The method according to claim 11 including determining the intermediate element height of the intermediate element dependent on a square of the nominal speed of the car.

14. The method according to claim 11 including forming the intermediate element with a plurality of vertically oriented intermediate element supports.

15. The method according to claim 14 including forming the intermediate element with the vertically oriented intermediate element supports connected by at least one horizontally oriented intermediate element cross member.

16. The method according to claim 15 including forming at least one of the intermediate element supports and/or the at least one intermediate element cross member as a metal profile.

17. The method according to claim 11 wherein each of the base modules has a door opening adapted for arranging a shaft door therein.

18. The method according to claim 11 wherein the elevator system has a counterweight, a suspension means connecting the car and the counterweight, and a counterweight buffer arranged below the counterweight, wherein the counterweight buffer is adapted and arranged to limit a downward displacement of the counterweight and can be maximally compressed by the counterweight by a buffer stroke, and wherein the intermediate element height of the intermediate element also is dependent on the buffer stroke of the counterweight buffer.

19. The method according to claim 11 wherein the intermediate element height of the intermediate element also is dependent on a presence of a limiting device in the elevator shaft, wherein the limiting device is adapted to, in a maintenance mode of the elevator system, limit a movement of the car in the travelway toward the top module.

20. An elevator shaft of an elevator system, the elevator shaft being created by performing the method according to claim 11, the elevator shaft comprising: a plurality of the base modules vertically aligned; the intermediate element on top of an uppermost one of the base modules; the top module on top of the intermediate element; and wherein the base modules, the intermediate element and the top module form the travelway.

21. An elevator shaft of an elevator system, wherein the elevator shaft is vertically aligned and forms a travelway for a car of the elevator system, which car is moved at a nominal speed within the travelway in normal operation of the elevator system, the elevator shaft comprising: at least two base modules placed on each other forming a travelway section of the travelway of the vertically aligned elevator shaft; an intermediate element having an intermediate element height dependent on the nominal speed of the car, the intermediate element being placed above and on an uppermost one of the base modules; and a top module being placed above and on the intermediate element completing the travelway and closing the elevator shaft upwards.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In the figures:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a simplified representation of an elevator system in a side view with a car and an elevator shaft composed of three base modules, one intermediate element, and one top module,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged, highly schematic representation of a counterweight buffer of the elevator system from FIG. 1,

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a snapshot when a base module is placed on a yet unfinished elevator shaft of an elevator system,

[0039] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged representation of an intermediate element in the form of an intermediate module in a first embodiment in a side view,

[0040] FIG. 5 shows an intermediate element in the form of an intermediate module in a second embodiment in a side view,

[0041] FIG. 6 shows a first elevator shaft with an intermediate element having a first intermediate element height,

[0042] FIG. 7 shows a second elevator shaft with an intermediate element having a second intermediate element height, and

[0043] FIG. 8 shows a third elevator shaft with an intermediate element having a third intermediate element height.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] According to FIG. 1, an elevator system 10 has an elevator shaft 12 for a three-story building, which in the present exemplary embodiment is composed of a first base module 14, a second base module 16, a third uppermost base module 18, an intermediate element 19, and a top module 21. In this case, the individual elements are arranged in the mentioned order from the bottom to the top so that the elevator shaft 12 is mainly aligned vertically and is upwardly closed by the top module 21. The elevator shaft 12 can comprise further base modules depending on the number of floors. The base modules 14, 16, 18 and the top module 21 are pre-produced in a factory and provided with elevator components. Subsequently, they are brought to the construction site and put on top of one another. The base modules 14, 16, 18, the top module 21 and the intermediate element 19 each have a cuboid basic shape.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows how the uppermost base module 18 is placed on the second base module 16 from above by means of a crane 20. The second basic module 16 was previously placed in the same way onto the first basic module 14. The base module 14 stands on a foundation (not shown) of the elevator shaft.

[0046] Each base module 14, 16, 18 has a door opening 35 for arranging a shaft door 37. The base modules 14, 16, 18 have a height which corresponds to a floor height of the building in which the elevator shaft is created. In contrast, the intermediate element 19 does not have a door opening.

[0047] Moreover, the elevator system 10 has a car 22 which can be moved vertically in the elevator shaft 12 along guide rails which are not shown in FIG. 1. The elevator shaft 12 accordingly forms a travelway 23 within which the car 22 can be moved. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the travelway 23 extends over the three base modules 14, 16, 18, the intermediate element 19, and the top module 21. The top module 21 accordingly forms a so-called shaft head 17.

[0048] It is also possible for the travelway to not extend into the top module; the top module is accordingly designed as a walk-in machine room. In this case, the intermediate element forms the shaft head which is delimited at the top by a floor of the top module and is accordingly closed.

[0049] For this purpose, the elevator system 10 has a load suspension means 24, the first end 26 of which is fixed in the top module 21. It then runs around the car 22 at the bottom and is guided via a drive machine 28 arranged in the top module 21 opposite the first end 26 of the load suspension means 24. From there, it runs through a suspension of a counterweight 30 to its second end 32, which is fixed in the region of the drive machine 28 in the top module 21. The suspension means 24 accordingly connects the car 22 to the counterweight 30. The drive machine 28 can move the load suspension means 24 and accordingly the car 22 within the travelway 23 in the elevator shaft 12. The drive machine 28 is controlled by an elevator controller 36 arranged in the top module 21.

[0050] The elevator controller 36 is configured such that it controls the drive machine 28 in such a way that, in normal operation of the elevator system 10, the car 22 is moved at a maximum at a predetermined nominal speed within the travelway 23. The nominal speed is, for example, between 0.5 and 3 m/s. The elevator controller 36 is also configured such that the car 22 is moved exclusively within a travelway section 25 formed by the base modules 14, 16, 18 during normal operation of the elevator system 10.

[0051] A counterweight buffer 31, which is shown enlarged in FIG. 2, is arranged below the counterweight 30. The counterweight buffer 31 limits the displacement of the counterweight 30 downwards. It can thereby be maximally compressed by a buffer stroke s. This happens, for example, when the car 22 is moved upwards without braking until the counterweight 30 strikes the counterweight buffer 31 and compresses it at a maximum. In the mentioned case, the car 22 continues to move upwards a little further due to its speed, delayed by the acceleration due to gravity, to a highest position not shown. According to standard EN 81-20-2014 chapter 5.2.5.6.1 Extreme position of car, counterweight and balancing weight, the highest position is approximately 0.035 times the nominal speed above the initial position of car 22 with the counterweight buffer 31 compressed by the buffer stroke s. The aforementioned highest position is accordingly dependent on the buffer stroke s of the counterweight buffer 31 and the nominal speed of the car 22 or can be determined from the mentioned variables.

[0052] In chapter 5.2.5.7 Refuge spaces on car roof and clearances in headroom, standard EN 81-20-2014 also specifies required safety spaces based on the highest position of the car 22 determined in this way. In this case, minimum distances from a car ceiling and attachments on the car, such as a door drive of the shaft doors or a balustrade, are specified. Starting from the location of the aforementioned highest position of the car 22 with respect to the uppermost base module 18 and the space provided in the top module 21, a height h1 of the intermediate element 19 can accordingly be determined, with which the safety spaces prescribed in the standard are maintained. The intermediate element 19 is therefore selected with an intermediate element height h1 dependent on the nominal speed of the car 22 and is arranged between the uppermost base module 18 and the top module 21. When the elevator shaft 12 is created, the intermediate element 19 is of course first placed onto the uppermost base module 18, and then the top module 21 is placed onto the intermediate element 19.

[0053] With the elevator shaft 12 according to FIG. 1, the intermediate element 19 consists only of four mainly vertically oriented intermediate element supports 27 which are arranged between the uppermost base module 18 and the top module 21. The four intermediate element supports 27 are arranged at the four corners of the rectangular cross sections of the uppermost base module 18 and the top module 21. The intermediate element supports 27 have a length which mainly corresponds to the intermediate element height h1. They are connected, in particular screwed or welded, to the uppermost base module 18 in their lower region and to the top module 21 in their upper region. The fastening means (not shown) necessary for the mentioned fastening, for example in the form of screws or nuts, are not regarded here as part of the intermediate element supports 27.

[0054] In addition to the intermediate element supports, the intermediate element can also be provided via at least one, in particular four or eight, horizontally oriented intermediate element cross members. According to FIG. 4, in an intermediate element 119 in the form of an intermediate module, four intermediate element cross members 129 are arranged in a central region of the intermediate element supports 127. The four intermediate element cross members 129 form a rectangular frame that is connected to the intermediate element supports 127. According to FIG. 5, in an intermediate element 219 in the form of an intermediate module, a first frame formed from four intermediate element cross members 229a is arranged in the lower region, and a second frame formed from four intermediate element cross members 229b is arranged in the upper region of the intermediate element supports 227.

[0055] The intermediate element supports 27, 127, 227 and the intermediate element cross members 129, 229a, 229b are in particular made of metal profiles. The respective metal profiles can be designed, for example, as U, T, or double-T beams, in particular from steel. Basic structures of the base modules 14, 16, 18 and of the top module 21 can also be manufactured from such metal profiles.

[0056] The influence of the nominal speed of the elevator car and the presence of a limiting device for limiting the movement of the car toward the top module in a maintenance mode of the elevator system is shown with reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8.

[0057] In the elevator system 310 according to FIG. 6, the nominal speed of the car is 1.5 m/s, for example. As described above, an intermediate element height h3 of the intermediate element 319 is determined at this nominal speed and the other described influencing variables.

[0058] In the elevator system 410 according to FIG. 7, the nominal speed of the car is, for example, 2 m/s. The nominal speed of the car of the elevator system 410 is accordingly greater than the nominal speed of the car of the elevator system 310 from FIG. 6. An intermediate element height h4 of the intermediate element 419, which is greater than the intermediate element height h3 of the intermediate element 319 of the elevator system 310 of FIG. 6, results for the elevator system 410.

[0059] In the elevator system 510 according to FIG. 8, the nominal speed of the car is also 1.5 m/s, for example. The nominal speed of the car of the elevator system 510 is accordingly equal to the nominal speed of the car of the elevator system 310 from FIG. 6. However, the elevator system 510 according to FIG. 8 has a limiting device 533 in the form of extendable bolts in the upper region of the uppermost base module 518 for limiting the movement of the car toward the top module 521 in a maintenance mode of the elevator system 510. The limiting device 533 ensures that the car cannot penetrate into the intermediate element 519 during maintenance mode of the elevator system 510. This results in an intermediate element height h5 of the intermediate element 519 for the elevator system 510, which, despite the same nominal speed, is smaller than the intermediate element height h3 of the intermediate element 319 of the elevator system 310 of FIG. 6.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as having, comprising, 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.

[0061] 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.