Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a bounce damper for an elevator car being moveable by a tension member, including a first element configured to be fastened to the elevator car, a second element configured to be fastened to or to be in mechanic connection to an elevator shaft, wherein the first element and the second element are located adjacent to each other, wherein one out of the elements is an electromagnet and the other element is an armature being attracted to the electromagnet in the first horizontal direction by a magnetic force, when the electromagnet is magnetized, and wherein the electromagnet and the armature are spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction by a gap, when the electromagnet is magnetized.
Claims
1. A bounce damper for an elevator car being moveable in a vertical extending elevator shaft by a tension member, the bounce damper comprising a first element configured to be fastened to the elevator car; and at least one second element configured to be fastened to or to be in mechanic connection to the elevator shaft at a stop of the elevator car; wherein, when the elevator car is at the stop, the first element and the second element are located adjacent to each other in a first horizontal direction; wherein one out of the first element or second element is an electromagnet; wherein the other out of the first element or second element is an armature being attracted to the electromagnet in the first horizontal direction by a magnetic force, when the electromagnet is magnetized; and wherein the electromagnet and the armature are spaced apart from each other in the first horizontal direction by a gap, when the electromagnet is magnetized.
2. The bounce damper of claim 1, wherein the first element is the electromagnet and the second element is the armature.
3. The bounce damper according to claim 2, wherein the armature is formed by or fastened to a guiding rail mounted in the elevator shaft for guiding the elevator car along the elevator shaft.
4. The bounce damper of according to claim 1, wherein at least one out of the first element or second element is moveable in the first horizontal direction between a first position and a second position; wherein the element is spring-loaded in the direction of the first position; and wherein the element is attracted in the direction of the second position by the magnetic force.
5. The bounce damper according to claim 1, wherein at least one out of the first element or second element comprises a non-magnetic spacer; wherein the spacer contacts the other out of the first element or second element to determine the gap, when the electromagnet is magnetized.
6. The bounce damper of claim 5, wherein the spacer is from a plastic material.
7. A bounce damper for an elevator car being moveable in a vertical extending elevator shaft by a tension member, the bounce damper comprising a first element configured to be fastened to the elevator car; at least one second element configured to be fastened to or to be in mechanic connection to the elevator shaft at a stop of the elevator car; wherein one out of the first element or second element is a magnet generating a magnetic field having field lines in a first horizontal direction; wherein the other out of the first element or second element is a conductor; wherein the conductor is located in the magnetic field, when the elevator car is at the stop, so that eddy currents are induced in the conductor; and wherein the conductor is spaced apart from the magnet at the stop.
8. The bounce damper of claim 7, wherein the magnet is an electromagnet.
9. The bounce damper of claim 7, wherein the magnet is a permanent magnet.
10. The bounce damper according to claim 7, wherein at least one out of the first element or second element is moveable in a horizontal direction between a first position and a second position; wherein the conductor is located in the magnetic field in the first position; and wherein the conductor is located away from the magnetic field in the second position.
11. The bounce damper according to claim 7, wherein the conductor is the second element and is formed by a guiding wheel fastened to the elevator car for guiding the elevator car along a guiding rail mounted in the elevator shaft.
12. An elevator car configured to be moveable in a vertical extending elevator shaft by a tension member, comprising a first element or second element of the bounce damper according to according to claim 7; wherein the element is moveable in a horizontal direction between a first position and a second position.
13. An elevator car configured to be moveable in a vertical extending elevator shaft by a tension member, comprising a magnet of the bounce damper according to claim 7.
14. An elevator shaft for receiving an elevator car according to claim 12, comprising a magnet of the bounce damper according to claim 7.
15. An elevator system comprising: the elevator shaft; at least one of the elevator car being moveable in a vertical direction along the elevator shaft by a tension member; and at least one of the bounce damper according to claim 7.
16. The elevator car configured to be moveable in the vertical extending elevator shaft by a tension member, comprising a magnet of the bounce damper according to claim 1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0032] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures using preferred examples of embodiments. The formulation figure is abbreviated in the drawings as Fig.
[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an elevator system according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an elevator car with a bounce damper according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an electromagnet of the bounce damper according to the embodiment of FIG. 2;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a detail view on the bounce damper on the elevator car of FIG. 2;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a crosssectional view of the bounce damper of FIG. 4 in a first position;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a crosssectional view of the bounce damper of FIG. 4 in a second position;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a crosssectional view of a bounce damper according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0040] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an elevator car with a bounce damper according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a crosssectional view of the bounce damper of FIG. 8;
[0042] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an elevator car with a bounce damper according to another embodiment of the invention;
[0043] FIG. 11 is a crosssectional view of the bounce damper of FIG. 10;
[0044] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an elevator car with a bounce damper according to yet another embodiment of the invention; and
[0045] FIG. 13 is a crosssectional view of the bounce damper of FIG. 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0046] The described embodiments are merely examples that can be modified and/or supplemented in a variety of ways within the scope of the claims. Any feature described for a particular embodiment example may be used independently or in combination with other features in any other embodiment example. Any feature described for an embodiment example of a particular claim category may also be used in a corresponding manner in an embodiment example of another claim category.
[0047] FIG. 1 shows a schematic and simplified view of an elevator system 100 including an elevator shaft 1, extending in a vertical direction V, in which an elevator car 2 is moveable upwards and downwards. Above the elevator shaft 1, an engine room 3 is located. The elevator car 2 is carried by a tension member 4 such as a rope, a belt or a chain, which extends into the engine room 3. In the engine room 3, an elevator drive 5 is located, having a drive unit 6 such as an electric motor/generator, driving a drive shaft 7. The drive unit 6 might further include a breaking device not shown in FIG. 1 for breaking the elevator car 2 during operation of the elevator system 100, e.g. at a stop. The drive shaft 7 is mounted in a bearing 8 on its end adjacent to the drive unit 6. On the drive shaft 7, a driven sheave 9 is mounted, which receives the tension member 4 and drives the tension member 4 due to traction between the sheave 9 and the tension member 4. The tension member 4 is connected to a counter weight not shown in the figures on its end adjacent to the elevator car 2.
[0048] The elevator shaft 1 includes guiding rails 10, along which the elevator car 2 is guided by guiding wheels 11 fastened to the elevator car 2. The elevator car 2 further includes an elevator door 12, which is configured to align with a landing door at a stop and allows passengers to enter or leave the elevator car 2. The elevator car 2 further includes a first element 13.1 of a bounce damper 13, wherein the guiding rail 10 forms a second element 13.2 of the bounce damper 13.
[0049] FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the present disclosure. An elevator car 2 has a car frame 2.1, on which guiding wheels 11 are fastened to guide the elevator car 2 along guiding rails 10. Above the guiding wheels 11, a first element 13.1 of a bounce damper 13 is fastened to the car frame 2.1. The guiding rail 10 forms the second element 13.2 of the bounce damper 13.
[0050] FIGS. 3 and 4 show detailed views on the first element 13.1 according to FIG. 2, which is formed by an electromagnet 14, which is mounted to a frame 15, wherein the frame 15 is mounted on the elevator car 2. The electromagnet 14 has a surface 14.1 which extends in the vertical direction V and is configured to be located adjacent to a surface 10.1 of the guiding rail 10. The electromagnet 14 can be supplied with current and thereby magnetized by means not shown in the figures. The electromagnet 14 is mounted on frame 15 in a moveable manner against springs 16, so that the electromagnet 14 is spring-loaded in the direction of a first position as is shown in detail in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, which show crosssectional views.
[0051] FIG. 5 shows the bounce damper 13 in a first position, wherein the electromagnet 14 is pulled in a horizontal direction D along a first orientation D.1 by the springs 16, so that a gap G of a first length G.1 arises between the surface 14.1 of the electromagnet 14 and the surface 10.1 of the guiding rail 10 adjacent to the surface 14.1. The bounce damper 13 takes this first position, when the electromagnet 14 is not magnetized. If the electromagnet 14 is magnetized, a magnetic force arises, which is directed in the horizontal direction D and which attracts the guiding rail 10 and the electromagnet 14 against each other into a second position, as shown in FIG. 6. Due to the magnetic attraction, the electromagnet 14, which is moveable in the horizontal direction D is pulled towards the guiding rail 10 against the spring-load of the springs 16 and a gap G of a second length G.2 arises in a second position of the bounce damper 13. While the first length G.1 is sufficiently wide, e.g. 5 millimeters, to move the elevator car 2 along the guiding rail 10 without disturbance of the bounce damper 13, the second length G.2 is sufficiently short, e.g. 1 millimeter, to generate a magnetic force between the electromagnet 14 and the guiding rail 10 in the horizontal direction D, which holds the two elements 13.1, 13.2 together in the vertical direction V and thus holds the elevator car 2 against the guiding rail 10. Thereby, bouncing of the elevator car 2 is dampened, while with the second length G.2 of the gap G, the elements 13.1, 13.2 are still spaced apart from each other.
[0052] FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a bounce damper 13 in a second position, which includes two electromagnets 14, mounted on each side of the guiding rail 10 in the same manner as within the bounce damper 13 described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6. With the second electromagnet 14, the directions of forces and movements between the first position and the second position are mirror-inverted. In this embodiment, the sum of surface area to generate a magnetic force between the elements 13.1, 13.2 is increased compared to the predescribed embodiment.
[0053] FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of the bounce damper 13 in the first position, wherein the bounce damper 13 is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 7 in that it has two electromagnets 14, one on each side of the guiding rail 10. On each of these electromagnets 14, a pair of spacers 17 is fastened, which protrude into the gap G. The spacers 17 are located apart from the electromagnet 14, namely next to it, and are configured to contact with the surface 10.1 in the second position and stop the movement of the electromagnet 14 due to the attraction between the elements 13.1, 13.2. The spacers 17 thereby define the gap G in the second position, thus the second length G.2.
[0054] In another similar embodiment shown in FIG. 9 in perspective view, a spacer single 17 extends over the surface 14.1 of the electromagnet 14 and is thus located in the gap G, while having a surface 17.1, which is in contact with the guiding rail 10 in the second position. The spacers 17 as of the embodiments in FIGS. 8 and 9 may be formed from plastic materials as they are in contact with the guiding rail 10. Plastic materials have a good wear resistance at low friction coefficients, while being non-magnetic.
[0055] FIGS. 10 and 11 show another embodiment of a bounce damper 13 at a stop of the elevator car 2, wherein in the elevator shaft 1, a magnet 18 is mounted on frame 21, which is mounted on a mounting rail 20, while at the elevator car 2, a conductor 19 is mounted on a frame 22. The conductor thus forms the first element 13.1 and the magnet 18 forms the second element 13.2. The magnet 18 has a north pole 18.1 and a south pole 18.2, between which a magnetic field is generated in a horizontal direction H. The conductor 19 protrudes into the magnetic field, so that eddy currents are induced in the conductor 19 and a force in the vertical direction V occurs, which dampens bouncing of the elevator car 2. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the magnet 18 is an electromagnet, which generated the magnetic field only when magnetized, and which is configured to be magnetized only if the elevator car 2 is at the respective stop, so that during movement of the elevator car 2, the conductor 19 can pass along the magnet 18 without any eddy currents occur and break the elevator car 2 unintentionally. The conductor 19 is fastened to the elevator car 2 in a rigid manner in all directions.
[0056] FIGS. 12 and 13 show another embodiment of a bounce damper 13 working with eddy currents. Here, the magnet 18 is fastened to the car frame 2.1 by the frame 21 and receives one of the guiding wheels 11 between the north pole 18.1 and the south pole 18.2, thus in the magnetic field. The guiding wheel 11 is configured to roll along the guiding rail 10 and has a rubber surface in contact with the guiding rail 10, thus the guiding wheel 11 is in connection with the guiding rail 10, respectively with the elevator shaft 1. Here, the magnet 18 forms the first element 13.1 and the wheel 11 forms the conductor 19 and thus the second element 13.2. The magnet 18 again is an electromagnet and when magnetized induces eddy currents in the guiding wheel 11 so that the guiding wheel 11 is hold fast. The guiding wheel 11 then dampens bouncing of the elevator car 2 by being in friction contact with the guiding rail 10.
