Sliding guide shoe and an elevator provided with a sliding guide shoe

Abstract

A sliding guide shoe includes at least a body part, which includes at least a slide pad space for a slide pad as well as at least one fixing part for fixing the sliding guide shoe to its base. The body part is essentially the same in its cross-sectional profile throughout its whole length. An elevator is also provided with the sliding guide shoe.

Claims

1. A sliding guide shoe of an elevator, the sliding guide shoe comprising: a body part, the body part defining a slide pad space and having at least one fixing part for fixing the sliding guide shoe to a base, the fixing part including a profile groove configured to receive a portion of the base therein or to receive a portion of a fastener to mount the body part to the base, the body part having essentially a same cross-sectional profile throughout a length of the body part; an insulating part located in the slide pad space; and a slide pad mounted to the insulating part, the sliding pad defining a space to receive a guide rail of an elevator, wherein the body part, including the at least one fixing part, is an integral piece of a single material.

2. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the slide pad space has an opening facing a transverse direction of the body part.

3. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 2, wherein the profile groove has an open end facing in an opposite direction to the slide pad space, and the profile groove is T-shaped in cross-section.

4. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 2, wherein the fixing part of the sliding guide shoe has essentially a same cross-sectional profile for throughout a length of the body part.

5. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the profile groove has an open end facing a transverse direction of the body part.

6. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 5, wherein the fixing part of the sliding guide shoe has essentially a same cross-sectional profile for throughout a length of the body part.

7. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 5, wherein the slide pad space has an open end that face a transverse direction of the body part.

8. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part of the sliding guide shoe has essentially a same cross-sectional profile throughout a length of the body part.

9. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the profile groove extends a length of the fixing part, the profile groove having an open end facing the mounting base.

10. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the profile groove extends a length of the fixing part, the profile groove has essentially a same cross-sectional profile.

11. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the at least one fixing part is a pair of fixing parts arranged at opposites sides of the body, and the profile groove of each fixing part having a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

12. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the body part of the sliding guide shoe is an extruded piece.

13. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the insulated part is fitted into the slide pad space, and the insulated part has a curved surface corresponding to a curved surface of the body part defining the slide pad space.

14. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the body part of the sliding guide shoe is formed of aluminum or of a metal alloy containing aluminum.

15. The sliding guide shoe according to claim 1, wherein the body part of the sliding guide shoe is a piece cut from a prefabricated profile bar.

16. An elevator comprising: a plurality of guide rails; an elevator car; and a sliding guide shoe to slidably connect the elevator to one guide rail of the plurality of guide rails, the sliding guide shoe comprising: a body part, the body part defining a slide pad space and having a fixing part for fixing the sliding guide shoe to a base, the fixing part including a profile groove configured to receive a portion of the base therein or to receive a portion of a fastener to mount the body part to the base, the body part having essentially a same cross-sectional profile throughout a length of the body part; an insulating part located in the slide pad space; and a slide pad mounted to the insulating part, the sliding pad defining a space to receive the one guide rail of the plurality of guide rails, wherein the body part, including the fixing part, is an integral piece of a single material.

17. The elevator according to claim 16, wherein the slide pad space has an open end facing towards the guide rail of the elevator car, and wherein the profile groove having a length essentially equal to a length of the fixing part, the profile groove having an open end that faces a transverse direction of the body part toward the mounting base.

18. The elevator according to claim 16, wherein the profile groove having a length essentially equal to a length of the fixing part, the profile groove having an open end that faces the mounting base.

Description

(1) In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail by the aid of some examples of its embodiment with reference to the attached drawings, wherein

(2) FIG. 1 presents an oblique bottom view of a sliding guide shoe according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 presents one detail of a sliding guide shoe according to the invention, as viewed from the end,

(4) FIG. 3 presents an oblique top view of a second sliding guide shoe according to the invention,

(5) FIG. 4 presents one detail of a sliding guide shoe according to FIG. 3, as viewed from the end,

(6) FIG. 5 presents a sliding guide shoe according to FIG. 3, as viewed from the end, with a guide rail and fixed to the elevator car.

(7) FIG. 1 presents one sliding guide shoe according to the invention, which comprises a body part 1, which comprises a trough-shaped slide pad space 1a that is curved in its cross-section and that opens towards the front, i.e. towards the guide rail of the elevator car, and two fixing parts 1b on the sides. The actual slide pad 2 that damps trembling and vibration is fixed into the slide pad space 1a via a frontward-opening trough-shaped insulating part 3, which insulating part 3 is e.g. an elastomer, which is supported on the curved surface of the slide pad space 1a. The slide pad 2 is e.g. glued to the insulating part 3.

(8) The fixing parts 1b of the body part are of essentially the full length of the body part 1 and the fixing parts 1b comprise a profile groove 4 that is the length of the body part 1 and that opens towards the rear for fixing the sliding guide shoe. The profile groove 4 is in its cross-section e.g. a typical T-groove, which comprises a broader section 4a for the head of a fixing screw and a narrower section 4b for the screw part, which narrower section extends from the broader section up to the rear surface of the body part and opens to behind the body part, i.e. in the opposite direction to the slide pad space 1a. The broader section 4a and the narrower section 4b are symmetrical to each other such that a support surface 4c remains between them on both sides of the narrower section for the head of a fixing screw.

(9) FIG. 2 presents in more detail one fixing part 1b of a sliding guide shoe according to the invention in a situation in which the sliding guide shoe is being fixed to its base, e.g. to a mounting base 5 on the elevator car or on the car sling. Fixing occurs e.g. such that the sliding guide shoe is slid in the direction of its profile grooves 4 on top of the heads of the fixing screws 4 such that the heads of the preliminarily and loosely fixed fixing screws 6 remain inside the broader section 4a of the profile grooves 4. When the sliding guide shoe is at its correct point, the fixing screws 6 are tightened to their final tightness. Thus the fixing is easy, fast and dimensionally accurate.

(10) FIG. 3 presents one second sliding guide shoe according to the invention, which comprises a body part 1, which comprises a trough-shaped slide pad space 1a that is curved in its cross-section and that opens towards the front, i.e. towards the guide rail of the elevator car, and two fixing parts 1b on the sides. The actual slide pad 2 that damps trembling and vibration is fixed into the slide pad space 1a via a frontward-opening trough-shaped insulating part 3, which insulating part 3 is e.g. an elastomer, which is supported on the curved surface of the slide pad space 1a. The slide pad 2 is e.g. glued to the insulating part 3.

(11) The fixing parts 1b that are on both sides of the body part 1 and that extend in a lateral direction are of essentially the full length of the body part 1 and both fixing parts 1b comprise a profile groove 4 that is of the length of the body part 1 and that opens to the side of the body part 1 for fixing the sliding guide shoe. The profile groove 4 is e.g. a groove of rectangular shape in its cross-section, which opens to a side of the body part. In addition, the fixing part 1b comprises fixing holes 7 for fixing the sliding guide shoe to its base, such as to the elevator car or to the car sling of the elevator.

(12) FIG. 4 presents in more detail a fixing part 1b of a sliding guide shoe according to FIG. 2 in a situation, in which the sliding guide shoe is being fixed to its base, e.g. to a mounting base 5 on the elevator car or on the car sling. Fixing occurs e.g. such that the sliding guide shoe is slid in the direction of its profile grooves 4 along its mounting base 5 such that the mounting base 5 is inside each profile groove 4, until the sliding guide shoe is at the correct point in its mounting base 5. When the sliding guide shoe is at its correct point, the fixing screws 6 are tightened to their final tightness. Thus the fixing is easy, fast and dimensionally accurate.

(13) It is characteristic to the sliding guide shoe according to the invention that, inter alia, the body part 1 of the sliding guide shoe with the slide pad space 1a and fixing parts 1b is a profile piece made in the desired shape in terms of its cross-section, which profile piece is essentially the same in its cross-sectional profile throughout its whole length. Possible holes or machinings made afterwards in the body part 1 are not deemed to belong to the cross-sectional profile of the body part. The body part 1 of the sliding guide shoe is in its material e.g. of extruded aluminium or of some other metal alloy containing aluminium and suited to extrusion. Thus body parts 1 are quick, easy and inexpensive to manufacture by cutting pieces of suitable length from prefabricated profile, which pieces are already sufficiently precise in their dimensions for their purpose without additional machining. Since the body part 1 is an integral (monolithic) piece of a single material, it is simple to manufacture as a profile.

(14) FIG. 5 presents a sliding guide shoe according to FIG. 3, as viewed from the end, fixed to the elevator car 8 via its mounting base 5. The guide surfaces of the guide rail 9 of the elevator, guided by which the elevator car 8 moves, are fitted inside the slide pad 2 of the sliding guide shoe. Although in FIG. 5 the mounting base 5 is fixed directly to the elevator car 8, it can also just as well be fixed to the sling of the elevator car.

(15) The elevator according to the invention comprises any of the type of guide shoe described above, which guide shoe is fixed to its mounting base in the manner presented in FIG. 2, 4 or 5. In this case in the fixing phase of the guide shoe, it was possible to slide the guide shoe in the longitudinal direction into its position, which longitudinal direction corresponds to the direction of movement of the elevator car, i.e. to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail guiding the elevator car by means of the guide shoe. The body part 1 is thus in the direction of movement of the elevator car essentially the same in its cross-sectional profile throughout its whole length. In this way the installation, replacement and servicing of the guide shoe can be performed quickly despite the cramped lateral space.

(16) In the above, extrusion is mentioned as the preferred manufacturing technology. At least some of the stated advantages can also, however, be achieved if the body part is manufactured by casting.

(17) The preferred material of the body part 1 is metal; owing to its lightness most preferably aluminium or an alloy of it. The body part can, however, be made from some other material. One preferred lightweight alternative is an extruded or cast material containing polymer. The material can in this case be a composite material reinforced with fibers, such as with synthetic fibers (e.g. glass fiber, carbon fiber or aramid fiber) or with aluminium fibers, in which case the part can be formed to be very light in weight.

(18) The sliding guide shoe according to the invention would be suited as a guide shoe to many other applications than the guiding of an elevator car or of a counterweight that is described above, including inter alia sliding doors and sliding windows, as well as various other structures that are moved while supported by sliding guide shoes.

(19) It is presented above that a structure 2,3 comprising a slide pad 2 is fitted into the slide pad space, which structure comprises an elastomeric insulating part 3 suited to the slide pad space. As presented, the structure 2,3 comprising a slide pad 2, i.e. more precisely the part 3, preferably has a curved backing such that the backing surface possesses the shape of a cylinder segment of constant radius. The shape of the slide pad space is a corresponding pair for this shape, so that the structure 2,3 is able to rotate in the slide pad space around the longitudinal axis of the profile, an advantage of which is the favorable adaptation of the guide shoe in relation to the guide rail at the point of the guide shoe at any given time. Since rotation is not necessary, the slide pad space and the structure 2,3 could also, however, possess profiles that form other types of corresponding pairs.

(20) It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that different embodiments of the invention are not only limited to the examples described above, but that they may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. Thus, for example, the cross-sectional shape of the body part of the sliding guide shoe can vary to what is presented above and the fixing parts can also be different to what is described above. Although a sliding guide shoe in elevator use is presented as an example, a sliding guide shoe according to the invention can be used also elsewhere than in elevator use.