DOOR SYSTEM FOR AN ELEVATOR CAR, ELEVATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EVACUATING AN ELEVATOR CAR

Abstract

A door system for an elevator car includes: at least one door leaf for closing a partial region of a car opening of the elevator car; and a mounting device that mounts the door leaf on the car slidably in a direction of a sliding axis between an open position, in which the door leaf releases the partial region, and a closed position, in which the door leaf closes the partial region, and additionally mounts rotatably about a rotation axis so that the door leaf, when slid into the closed position and/or into an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position, can be rotated into an emergency open position in which the car opening is released to an extent that the can be evacuated via the car opening.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A door system for an elevator car, wherein the elevator car is movable in an elevator shaft between several floors and has a car opening, the door system comprising: a door leaf adapted to close at least a partial region of the car opening when mounted on the elevator car; a mounting device adapted to mount the door leaf on the elevator car for slidable movement of the door leaf in a direction of a sliding axis between an open position, in which the door leaf releases the partial region, and a closed position, in which the door leaf closes the partial region, the mounted door leaf being additionally rotatable about a rotation axis so that the door leaf when in the closed position and/or in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position is rotatable into an emergency open position in which the car opening is released such that the elevator car can be evacuated through the car opening; wherein the mounting device includes a folding part and a sliding part; and wherein the sliding part is adapted to mount on the elevator car to slide in the direction of the sliding axis between the open position and the closed position, wherein the folding part is mounted on the sliding part to rotate about the rotation axis such that the folding part is slidable together with the sliding part, and wherein the door leaf is fastened to the folding part such that the door leaf is rotatable together with the folding part.

16. The door system according to claim 15 wherein the folding part is elongate and has a first end rotatably connected to the sliding part.

17. The door system according to claim 15 wherein the folding part is rotatably connected to the sliding part by a mounting bolt that engages partially in the folding part and partially in the sliding part.

18. The door system according to claim 15 wherein the folding part, in a locked state, is locked to the sliding part preventing rotation of the folding part about the rotation axis, and the folding part, in an unlocked state, is rotatable about the rotation axis.

19. The door system according to claim 18 including a locking bolt selectively locking the folding part to the sliding part, wherein the locking bolt in the locked state engages partially in the folding part and partially in the sliding part and the locking bolt in the unlocked state does not engage in the folding part and/or does not engage in the sliding part.

20. The door system according to claim 19 wherein the folding part is elongate and has a first end rotatably connected to the sliding part, and the locking bolt engages partially in a second end of the folding part in the locked state.

21. The door system according to claim 19 wherein the locking bolt is displaceable between an unlocking position in the unlocked state and a locking position in the locked state, and including a spring mechanism coupled to the locking bolt, the spring mechanism applying a restoring force acting to move the locking bolt to the locking position.

22. The door system according to claim 21 wherein the locking bolt is connected to an elongate traction means, the locking bolt being displaceable from the locking position into the unlocking position by pulling on the traction means.

23. The door system according to claim 15 wherein the mounting device includes a further folding part and a further sliding part, wherein the further sliding part is adapted to mount on the elevator car to slide in the direction of the sliding axis between the open position and the closed position, wherein the further folding part is mounted on the further sliding part to rotate about the rotation axis such that the further folding part is slidable together with the further sliding part, and wherein the door leaf is fastened at a first end to the folding part and at a second end to the further folding part such that the door leaf is rotatable together with the folding part and the further folding part.

24. The door system according to claim 15 including a further door leaf adapted to close a further partial region of the car opening when mounted on the elevator car, and wherein the mounting device is adapted to mount the further door leaf on the elevator car for slidable movement of the further door leaf in the direction of the sliding axis between an open position, in which the further door leaf releases the further partial region, and a closed position, in which the further door leaf closes the further partial region, and/or the mounted further door leaf is rotatable about a further rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis.

25. An elevator system comprising: an elevator shaft; an elevator car movable in the elevator shaft between several floors and having a car opening; and the door system according to claim 15 mounted on the elevator car at the car opening, the door being slidable in the direction of the sliding axis between the open position and the closed position and being rotatable about the rotation axis.

26. A method for evacuating the elevator car of the elevator system according to claim 25, the method comprising the steps of: sliding the door leaf into the closed position and/or an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position; rotating the door leaf about the rotation axis into the emergency open position to release the car opening for evacuation of the elevator car through the car opening.

27. The method according to claim 26 wherein the folding part, in a locked state, is locked to the sliding part preventing rotation of the folding part about the rotation axis, and the folding part, in an unlocked state, is rotatable about the rotation axis, and including unlocking the door leaf by unlocking the folding part and then rotating the door leaf into the emergency open position.

28. The method according to claim 26 wherein the door leaf is pivoted into the elevator car when rotated into the emergency open position.

29. The method according to claim 26 wherein the rotation axis is a vertical axis.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows an elevator system according to one embodiment of the invention from above.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows an elevator car of the elevator system of FIG. 1 from the front.

[0040] The drawings are merely schematic and are not to scale. Identical reference signs in the different drawings refer to identical or identically acting features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an elevator system 1 with an elevator shaft 2, which connects several floors of a building to one another. An elevator car 3 movable between floors is arranged in the elevator shaft 2. The elevator car 3 has a car opening 4, which is closable by means of a door system 5.

[0042] In this example, the door system 5 comprises a first door leaf 6a and a second or further door leaf 6b, which are mounted slidably in opposite directions along a horizontal sliding axis 8, in each case between an open position, in which the car opening 4 is released by both door leaves 6a, 6b, and a closed position, in which the car opening 4 is closed by both door leaves 6a, 6b.

[0043] In addition, the first door leaf 6a is mounted rotatably about a vertical first rotation axis 9a and the second door leaf 6b is mounted rotatably about a vertical second rotation axis 9b, in such a way that each door leaf 6a, 6b, when it is blocked in the closed position and/or in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position, for example due to a support running in the elevator shaft 2, can be rotated in an emergency into an emergency open position in which the car opening 4 is released to such an extent that people can leave the elevator car 3 via the car opening 4.

[0044] For example, in the emergency open position of one of the or both door leaves 6a, 6b, the car opening 4 can have a width of at least 20 cm, preferably of at least 35 cm or at least 50 cm. For this purpose, the door leaf 6a, 6b or the door leaves 6a, 6b can be rotatable about the rotation axis 9a or 9b, for example, by at least 20, preferably by at least 40, at least 60 or at least 80.

[0045] The rotation axes 9a, 9b can intersect the sliding axis 8, as shown here. Alternatively, one or both of the rotation axes 9a, 9b can be offset horizontally to the sliding axis 8.

[0046] Each door leaf 6a, 6b can, for example, be pivoted at least partially into the elevator car 3 by rotating about its rotation axis 9a or 9b.

[0047] FIG. 1 shows the two door leaves 6a, 6b in the closed position, wherein the open position and emergency open positions of the door leaves 6a, 6b are indicated by dashed lines.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the elevator car 3 with details of a mounting device 10, via which the two door leaves 6a, 6b are slidably and rotatably mounted on the elevator car 3.

[0049] In this example, the mounting device 10 comprises an upper folding part 11 and a lower folding part 12 as well as an upper sliding part 13 and a lower sliding part 14 for each door leaf 6a, 6b. The upper sliding parts 13 can be mounted above the car opening 4 and the lower sliding parts 14 can be mounted below the car opening 4 on the elevator car 3 slidably along the sliding axis 8 between the open position and the closed position.

[0050] For example, the sliding parts 13, 14 can be designed as guide shoes, which can be guided by corresponding guide rails on the elevator car 3.

[0051] Each upper folding part 11 is on the one hand mounted on one of the upper sliding parts 13 rotatably about the rotation axis 9a or 9b and is on the other hand fastened to an upper end of one of the two door leaves 6a, 6b.

[0052] Analogously, each lower folding part 12 is on the one hand mounted on one of the lower sliding parts 14 rotatably about the rotation axis 9a or 9b and is on the other hand fastened to a lower end of one of the two door leaves 6a, 6b.

[0053] The door leaves 6a, 6b are thus rotatable together with the corresponding folding parts 11, 12 about the corresponding rotation axis 9a, 9b, wherein the upper folding parts 11 are slidable together with the corresponding upper sliding part 13, and the lower folding parts 12 are slidable together with the corresponding lower sliding part 14.

[0054] The folding parts 11, 12 can, for example, be screwed and/or welded to the corresponding door leaf 6a, 6b. However, the folding parts 11, 12 can also be designed as correspondingly shaped portions of the corresponding door leaf 6a, 6b.

[0055] The folding parts 11, 12 and/or the sliding parts 13, 14 can be designed, for example, as elongate profiles, angles or strips.

[0056] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the folding parts 11, 12 each extend over the entire width of the corresponding door leaf 6a, 6b. However, the folding parts 11, 12 can also extend only partially in the width direction and/or at least partially in the height direction of the door leaves 6a, 6b, for example in order to form a frame around the corresponding door leaf 6a, 6b.

[0057] Each folding part 11, 12 can, for example, be rotatably mounted about the rotation axis 9a or 9b at its first end (here adjacent to a side edge of the car opening 4) via a mounting bolt 15 which extends from the folding part 11, 12 into the adjacent sliding part 13 or 14.

[0058] In addition, each folding part 11, 12 can be lockable at its second end, opposite the first end in the horizontal direction, via a locking bolt 16 to the corresponding sliding part 13 or 14.

[0059] FIG. 2 shows the locking bolt 16 of each door leaf 6a, 6b in the locked state, in which the locking bolt 16 engages both in the corresponding folding part 11, 12 and in the corresponding sliding part 13, 14 and thus prevents rotation of the corresponding folding part 11, 12, i.e., of the corresponding door leaf 6a, 6b, into the emergency open position.

[0060] For example, each locking bolt 16 can be mounted vertically slidably between an unlocking position, in which the locking bolt 16 is completely moved out of the corresponding folding part 11, 12, and a locking position, in which the locking bolt 16 engages partially in the corresponding folding part 11, 12.

[0061] In addition, the locking bolt 16 can be coupled to a spring mechanism 17, which applies a restoring force, acting in the direction of the locking position, to the locking bolt 16.

[0062] Each locking bolt 16 can optionally be connected to an elongate traction means 18, for example a rope or wire, wherein the locking bolt 16 is slidable into the unlocking position by pulling on the traction means 18.

[0063] As shown by way of example in FIG. 2, the two locking bolts 16 of the same door leaf 6a or 6b can be connected to different ends of the same traction means 18. By pulling on the traction device 18, both locking bolts 16 can be slid into the unlocking position at the same time (when the traction means 18 is released, the locking bolts 16 move back into the locking position by themselves due to the restoring force).

[0064] Alternatively, the position of the mounting bolts 15 can be swapped with the position of the locking bolts 16.

[0065] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as having, comprising, etc. do not exclude other parts or steps, and indefinite articles such as a or an do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps described with reference to one of the above embodiments can also be used in combination with features or steps described with reference to other of the above embodiments.

[0066] 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.