Elevator with compensation rope

Abstract

An elevator includes at least one elevator car and a counterweight which are at least partly suspended on hoisting ropes and a drive machine driving a traction sheave engaging the hoisting ropes for moving the elevator car along guide rails in an elevator shaft, which elevator further includes a compensation rope. The compensation rope is led upwards to an upper part of the elevator shaft and from there aside to a balancing area located aside of the travel paths of the car and counterweight. This solution is particularly adapted for high travel elevators facing horizontal forces during operation as e.g. ship elevators. Collision of compensation ropes are avoided in the area below the car and counterweight paths which could affect the elevator safety when subjected to high horizontal forces, e.g. during rough sea.

Claims

1. An elevator comprising: a car and a counterweight which are at least partly suspended on hoisting ropes and a drive machine driving a traction sheave engaging the hoisting ropes for moving the car in an elevator shaft; and a compensation rope, wherein the compensation rope is led upwards to an upper part of the elevator shaft and from there aside to a balancing area located aside of the travel paths of the car and counterweight, wherein a first part of the compensation rope connected with one of the car and counterweight and a second part of the compensation rope connected with the other of the car and counterweight are led upwards to an upper part of the elevator shaft where they are guided over a first upper diverting pulley and a second upper diverting pulley, respectively, wherein the first part of the compensation rope and the second part of the compensation rope are guided via the corresponding first upper diverting pulley and the second upper diverting pulley to the balancing area and in the balancing area downwards to a third balancing part of the compensation rope connecting the first part of the compensation rope and the second part of the compensation rope.

2. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the balancing area is arranged in a separated part of the elevator shaft or in a separate shaft.

3. The elevator according to claim 2, wherein the first part of the compensation rope is led directly upwards from the one of the car and counterweight to the first diverting pulley.

4. The elevator according to claim 2, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led directly upwards from the other of the car and counterweight to the second upper diverting pulley.

5. The elevator according to claim 2, wherein the first part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the one of the car and counterweight to a first lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the first upper diverting pulley.

6. The elevator according to claim 2, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the other of the car or counterweight to a second lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the second upper diverting pulley.

7. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the compensation rope is led directly upwards from the one of the car and counterweight to the first upper diverting pulley.

8. The elevator according to claim 7, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led directly upwards from the other of the car and counterweight to the second upper diverting pulley.

9. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led directly upwards from the other of the car and counterweight to the second upper diverting pulley.

10. The elevator according to claim 9, wherein the first part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the one of the car and counterweight to a first lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the first upper diverting pulley.

11. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the first part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the one of the car and counterweight to a first lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the first upper diverting pulley.

12. The elevator according to claim 11, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the other of the car and counterweight to a second lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the second upper diverting pulley.

13. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the second part of the compensation rope is led downwards from the other of the car or counterweight to a second lower diverting pulley before being led upwards to the second upper diverting pulley.

14. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein the third balancing part of the compensation rope is a compensation chain.

15. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein a vertical guide is provided for the compensation rope in the balancing area.

16. The elevator according to claim 15 wherein the vertical guide extends over at least a major part of a vertical run of the compensation rope in the balancing area.

17. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein, either for the first part of the compensation rope or the second part of the compensation rope, a third upper diverting pulley is provided.

18. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary diverting pulley for the hoisting ropes is provided adjacent to the traction sheave.

19. The elevator according to claim 1, wherein a tensioner for the compensation rope is provided in the balancing area.

Description

(1) The invention is schematically shown hereinafter with the aid of the enclosed drawings.

(2) FIG. 1a-d show four concepts of elevators with compensating ropes according to the background art,

(3) FIG. 2a-c show a first embodiment of the invention in three different car positions,

(4) FIG. 3a-d show four different embodiments of the invention, and

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematically drawing of a further embodiment of the invention in three different positions of the elevator car.

(6) In all drawings identical or functionally similar parts have the same reference numbers.

(7) The elevator 39 in FIG. 2 comprises a car 16 and a counterweight 18 suspended on hoisting rope 14. The hoisting rope 14 runs over a traction sheave 12 which drives the hoisting rope as to move the car 16 and counterweight 18 vertically in an elevator shaft (not shown). An upper drive diverting pulley 20 is provided adjacent to the traction sheave to keep the car and counterweight in a desired mutual distance. The car 16 and the counterweight 18 are connected with a compensation rope 22 as follows. The top of the car 16 is connected with a first part 40 of the compensation rope which runs directly upwards from the elevator car to a first upper diverting pulley 46 and from there to a balancing area 51 aside of the travel path of the car 16 and counterweight 18. If the balancing area is located further aside the car and counterweight paths also two pulleys can be used which are then placed in a desired horizontal distance.

(8) A second part 42 of the compensation rope 22 is connected to the top of the counterweight 18 and runs over a second upper diverting pulley 48 and a third upper diverting pulley 50 located in a horizontal distance in the top of the elevator shaft to the balancing area 51. The first and second parts 40, 42 of the compensation rope are connected with a third balancing part 44 of the compensation rope 22 which consists either of the same material as the first and second part 40, 42 or which is made from a different material which is preferable heavier than the first and second parts, e.g. a balancing chain. The FIGS. 2a to 2c show the arrangement of car, counterweight and compensation rope in the two characteristic extreme positions as well as in the neutral position of the car and counterweight. FIG. 2a shows the car at its lower most position, FIG. 2b shows the car and counterweight on the same level and FIG. 2c shows the car in its upper most position. It can clearly be seen that the compensation rope pulls that component to the top which is on a lower level in the elevator shaft and thus compensates the hoisting rope weight. Accordingly, in FIG. 2a the upper most portion of the balancing part 44 of the compensation chain 22 pulls at the elevator car which is in its lower most position and therefore compensates for the part of the hoisting ropes which is to be moved by the traction sheave 12. In FIG. 2c it is vice versa whereas in FIG. 2b the compensation rope and particularly the third balancing part 44 of the compensation rope is in equilibrium so that the resulting force of the balancing rope 22 on the car and counterweight is zero.

(9) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment very similar to FIG. 2 whereby in this case the first part of the compensation rope runs from the bottom of the car to a first lower diverting pulley 52 located in the bottom of the elevator shaft before it is led to the first upper diverting pulley 46. The second part 42 of the compensation rope 22 is guided from the bottom of the counterweight 18 down to a second lower diverting pulley 54 in the bottom of the elevator shaft before being led up to the second and third upper diverting pulleys 48, 50.

(10) FIG. 3b additionally shows vertical guide means 56, 58 provided in the balancing area 51 along nearly the complete vertical portions of the balancing rope. This avoids a mutual contact of the opposite running portions of the compensation rope 22 in the balancing area even if quite large horizontal forces act on these rope parts and/or if the complete elevator system sways heavily, e.g. in a ship during rough sea.

(11) FIG. 3c shows a similar arrangement as in FIG. 3b but here the guide means 60, 62 for the different parts of the compensation rope have different lengths and tension means 28 is provided in the bottom of the balancing area 51 to keep the compensation rope 22 under tension. This embodiment has an improved safety against horizontal forces and sway. The second guide means 62 provided for the second part 42 of the compensation rope has a larger length according to the larger distance between the third upper pulley 50 and the tensioning means 28 compared to the distance of the first upper pulley 46 to the tensioning means 28.

(12) FIG. 3d shows an arrangement similar to FIGS. 3b and 3c wherein two guide means 64, 66 in the balancing area are provided at different height levels quite immediately below the corresponding upper diverting pulleys 46, 50.

(13) Finally, FIG. 4 shows an arrangement where the compensation rope 22 is only connected to one elevator component, in this case the elevator car. The compensation rope could also be connected to the counterweight only, particulary if the balancing area 51 would be located adjacent to the counterweight path. The bottom of the elevator car 16 is connected to the first part 40 of the compensation rope which is led to a first lower diverting pulley 52 in the elevator shaft bottom and from there up to the first upper diverting pulley 46 into the balancing area 51. The second part 42 of the compensation rope 22 is connected to the top of the elevator car 16 and runs over second and third upper diverting pulleys 48, 50 into the balancing area 51 where both parts 40, 42 are connected to the third balancing part 44 of the compensation rope 22. In this arrangement the compensation rope 22 pulls either on the top or on the bottom of the elevator car according to the position of the elevator car and the elevator shaft. FIG. 3a to 3c shows the three characteristic positions of the elevator car in the elevator shaft as FIG. 2.

(14) It should be understand by the skilled person that features of the different embodiments of the drawings could be combined with each other as long as this is technically feasible. The invention can be modified within the scope of the appended patent claims.