Abstract
An elevator car for transporting people and goods and having a floor panel, at least three side panels, and a roof panel together forming a door opening. The floor panel, at least one side panel, and the roof panel are unitarily formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin. A force-spreading element substantially more rigid than the panels is fixed in or on an face of one of the side panels or the roof panel. A hoist system for the car is fixed by fasteners to the load-spreading element.
Claims
1. An elevator car for transporting people and goods and comprising: a floor panel; at least three side panels; a roof panel, the floor, side, and roof panels together forming a door opening, at least one of the side panels, the floor panel, and the roof panel being unitarily formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin; a flat force-spreading laminar plate or grate substantially more rigid than the one side panel, only partially embedded in the one side panel, covered toward an interior of the car with the resin of the one side panel, and uncovered and exposed over at least most of its outer face by the resin of the one side panel; and fasteners extending through the one side panel on which the force-spreading element is fixed and fixing the force-spreading element to a hoist system for moving and/or arresting the car.
2. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein the hoist system is inside the car and the flat force-spreading element or the force-spreading plate is connected through the plastic of the one side panel by the fasteners to the hoist system inside the car.
3. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein the floor panel has an upwardly directed floor surface, the car further comprising: a rigid support component sitting on the floor surface.
4. The elevator car defined in claim 3, the support component is planar.
5. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein the one side panel is opposite the door opening.
6. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein the plate or grate is imbedded in the side panel across from the door opening.
7. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein the plate or grate is made of metal.
8. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein all of the panels are unitarily formed in one piece of the thermoplastic synthetic resin.
9. The elevator car defined in claim 1, wherein one of the side panels is formed with reinforcing ribs and/or reinforcing beads.
10. The elevator car defined in claim 1, further comprising: a gate or door closable over the door opening.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
(1) The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:
(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elevator car according to the invention;
(3) FIG. 2 is a detail of a section through the car according to FIG. 1;
(4) FIG. 3 is a second embodiment of the detail of FIG. 2;
(5) FIG. 4 is a section through a lower region of the elevator car according to the invention;
(6) FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a side panel of the elevator car;
(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a force-spreading element, more particularly of a force-spreading plate of the elevator car; and
(8) FIG. 7 is an elevational sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
(9) The drawing shows an elevator car 1 according to the invention for transporting people and goods that in this embodiment may be the elevator car 1 of a construction elevator. The elevator car 1 according to the invention can be used particularly for elevators of wind turbines or windmills, and particularly during the construction of such wind turbines or windmills. Preferably and here, the elevator car 1 has a floor panel 2, three side panels 3, 4, a ceiling panel 5, and a door opening 6. The door opening 6 enables the elevator car 1 to be entered and/or loaded. The door opening 6 is closed, preferably with a roller gate, particularly with a slats, which is not shown here.
(10) Here, the ceiling panel 5, the three side panels 3, 4, and a support component 11 of the floor panel 2 are composed or substantially made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin. Preferably and here, the thermoplastic synthetic resin may be a polyolefin, especially preferably polyethylene. Preferably and here, the assembly of the ceiling panel 5, the three side panels 3, 4 and the support component 11 of the floor panel 2 are made as an integral or one-piece unit of thermoplastic synthetic resin. It is recommended that manufacturing be performed by plastic rotary molding or by blow-molding.
(11) Advantageously and here according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear side panel 4 or the ceiling panel 5 is connected to a hoist system or moving and/or arresting device 8 of the car 1 for transferring loads via a force-spreading element 7. The system 8 is employed to move the elevator car in an elevator shaft, particularly by interacting with a rail rack or the like.
(12) According to a preferred embodiment, and here according to FIG. 2, the force-spreading element 7 is imbedded in the plastic of the rear side panel 4 and is completely surrounded by the plastic of the rear side panel 4. Preferably and here, the force-spreading element 7 is a plate. In this case, this planar plate is imbedded in the plastic of the rear side panel 4. Expediently and here, the force-spreading plate is parallel to the rear side panel 4. Recommendably, and here, the force-spreading element 7 or the force-spreading plate is made of metal.
(13) Here according to FIG. 2, the hoist system 8 is part of the rear side panel 4 of the car 1. This rear side panel 4 is situated opposite the door opening 6 of the car 1. Preferably and here, the force-spreading element 7 in the form of a planar plate is connected to the hoist system 8 by fasteners 9. These fasteners 9 engage through the plastic of the rear side panel 4. Preferably and here, the fasteners 9 may be straight metallic threaded rods that can engage in a corresponding internal thread of the force-spreading element or plate 7.
(14) According to another preferred embodiment, and here according to FIG. 3, the force-spreading element 7 is underneath the ceiling panel 5, more particularly beneath the plastic ceiling panel 5. The force-spreading element 7 is also preferably embodied here as a planar force-spreading element 7 in the form of a force-spreading plate that rests directly against the lower face of the ceiling panel 5. The force-spreading plate is parallel to the ceiling panel 5. In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 as well, the force-spreading element or plate 7 is connected by the fasteners 9 to the hoist system 8 that is above the ceiling panel 5. These fasteners 9 also engage through the plastic of the ceiling panel 5. Here according to FIG. 3, the ceiling panel 5 is clamped between the hoist system 8 and the force-spreading element or plate 7. Here, too, the fasteners 9 engaging through the plastic of the ceiling panel 5 are straight fasteners 9 and, in particular, metallic threaded rods.
(15) It lies within the scope of the invention for the floor panel 2 to form or have the load-receiving surface of the car 1 and for spreading of the load and/or force from the thermoplastic synthetic resin to the force-spreading element to occur substantially via the, preferably integrally formed, car 1. FIG. 4 shows an especially preferred embodiment of the floor panel 2 for the elevator car 1 according to the invention. Here, the floor panel 2 has a planar load distribution component 10 via which the load is transferred from the thermoplastic synthetic resin into the car 1. Preferably and here according to FIG. 4, the planar load distribution component 10 is supported on a planar support component 11 of the floor panel 2. Preferably and here, the planar load distribution component 10 is embodied as a planar metallic bottom component, and the planar support component 11 is of thermoplastic synthetic resin and, preferably and here, is unitarily formed with the side panels 3 and 4 of the car 1. Expediently and here, the planar support component 11 has support ribs for reinforcement of the floor panel 2. Preferably and here, the planar load distribution component 10 engages complementarily positively with interlocking ribs 13 of the planar support component 11.
(16) FIG. 5 shows a further proven embodiment of the invention, namely a preferred embodiment of a side panel 3 of the elevator car 1 according to the invention. Recommendably and here, this side panel 3 has reinforcing elements 12 on its surface in the form of reinforcing beads that are formed in the side panel surface. In this way, the strength of the respective side panel 3 or of the entire elevator car 1 can be increased. The reinforcing beads are molded into the thermoplastic plastic of the side panel 3. In this embodiment according to FIG. 5, the side panel 3 also has a gap or an opening 14 that can be sealed with a removable transparent plate 15. After removal of this transparent plate 15, maintenance, repair, or cleaning work can be performed from within the car 1 to the outside.
(17) FIG. 6 shows an especially preferred embodiment of the force-spreading element 7 for the elevator car 1. Expediently and here, the force-spreading element 7 is a laminar force-spreading plate that is made of metal. Preferably and here, the force-spreading element or plate 7 has a plurality of form-fitting openings 16 into which threaded inserts 17 are inserted in a form-fitting manner. Preferably and here, the threaded inserts 17 are provided with axial grooves in which axial ribs of the form-fitting openings 16 engage positively. Recommendably, and here, the threaded inserts 17 each have an internal thread 18 into which, preferably and here, a fastener 9 can be screwed for the purpose of connecting to the hoist system 8. For example, fasteners 9 in the form of linear threaded rods can be screwed into these internal threads 18 of the threaded inserts 17. The fasteners 9 are preferably imbedded in the plastic of the respective wall panel of the elevator car 1.
(18) FIG. 7 shows a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention with a part of the rear side panel 4 of the elevator car 1 seen in section. Here the force-spreading element 7 is also a force-spreading plate that preferably and here according to FIG. 7 is only partly embedded in the thermoplastic synthetic resin of the rear side panel 4. The force-spreading plate is covered on its face directed into the interior I of the car by the plastic of the rear side panel 4. Preferably and here the force-spreading plate is exposed to the outside A over its entire surface by the thermoplastic resin of the side wall and is uncovered. Preferably and here according to FIG. 7 the force-spreading plate is a rectangular force-spreading plate. It is covered on all four edges but not on the outwardly directed face by the plastic of the side panel for best unitary integration.
(19) According to a preferred embodiment and here according to FIG. 7 the moving and/or stopping equipment is inside the car 1. Preferably and here the force-spreading plate connected via a plurality of fasteners 12 extending through the plastic of the side panel 4 with the internal moving and/or stopping equipment. Preferably and here the connectors 9 are straight, in particular bolts. Preferably and here the fasteners 9 extend with play through sleeves 19 imbedded in the plastic of the rear side panel 4. In this manner the loads or forces are transferred to the force-spreading plate.
