[0001] The present invention relates to brake shoes and, in particular, to brake shoes for
use in elevator safety gear.
[0002] In a conventional elevator system, an elevator car travels up and down within an
elevator hoistway along guide rails. At least one safety gear is mounted on the car
to arrest motion of the car if an overspeed governor detects that the car is travelling
at an excessive speed. In such situations the governor triggers the safety gear to
apply a brake shoe to the guide rail to generate a frictional braking force thereby
bringing the car to an eventual halt. There are a number of possible causes giving
rise to an overspeed situation ranging from a first category whereby a simple fault
in the drive such as a malfunctioning controller for example results in the car travelling
above the predetermined overspeed value to a second, more serious but fortunately
less frequent, category sometimes referred to as free-fall whereby the car is disconnected
from the drive (for example due to cable breakage in a traction elevator or jack failure
in a hydraulic elevator) and accelerates down the elevator hoistway under gravitational
force.
[0003] In the first category, the elevator car is supported by the drive and, if interconnected
to a counterweight, at least partially balanced by that counterweight. Hence the effective
mass which the safety gear must bring to halt is relatively low. On the contrary,
in the second category the safety gear is required to arrest the motion of the free-falling
car together with any load. Accordingly, the frictional braking force generated by
the safety gear against the guide rail must be greater for the second, free-fall overspeed
category than for the first overspeed category.
[0004] To prevent injury to passengers, it is generally accepted that the deceleration of
the elevator car during safety gear deployment should be maintained below a specific
threshold value (a figure of 1g is often quoted). If the safety gear is set to provide
the desired deceleration during the first overspeed category, then it may not be capable
of effectively halting the car in a free-fall situation. On the other hand, if the
safety gear is set to provide the desired deceleration during free-fall, deployment
during a first category overspeed situation will undoubtedly produce a deceleration
which exceeds the accepted threshold.
[0005] Accordingly, the objective of the present invention is to provide a safety gear which
can be successfully deployed in all overspeed situations to arrest an elevator car
without injuring passengers travelling in the elevator car.
[0006] This objective is achieved by providing a brake shoe for use in an elevator safety
gear whereby, in use, the safety gear exerts a specific application force to the brake
shoe causing the brake shoe to frictionally engage with a guide rail wherein a frictional
force developed by the brake shoe increases during engagement. Hence, during deployment,
the brake shoe will exert an initial frictional braking force against the guide rail.
This initial frictional braking force is designed to halt an elevator car during a
first category overspeed situation. If, however, a second category overspeed situation
exists, the frictional braking force is subsequently increased to a level sufficient
to arrest the free-falling elevator car.
[0007] For the majority of elevator installations, it is foreseen that the use of a safety
gear which applies only a single constant force application force (for example, by
means of springs) will be sufficient to arrest the elevator car without injuring the
passengers. Accordingly, the associated equipment for controlling and regulating the
safety gear is relatively straightforward and thereby both the initial cost and ongoing
maintenance costs of the safety gear are relatively low.
[0008] Preferably, the brake shoe has a variable coefficient of friction. Accordingly, during
engagement with the guide rail, the coefficient of friction between the brake shoe
and the guide rail increases.
[0009] The brake shoe can comprise an outer layer and an inner layer, whereby a coefficient
of friction of the inner layer is greater than a coefficient of friction of the outer
layer. Hence, in use, the outer layer is initially brought into engagement with the
guide rail. If the frictional braking force developed by the outer layer is incapable
of arresting the car, then it is worn away to expose the inner layer. As the inner
layer subsequently engages with the guide rail the frictional braking force developed
is increased due to the increase in the coefficient of friction to a level sufficient
to arrest the free-falling elevator car.
[0010] Alternatively, the coefficient of friction of the brake shoe can be proportional
to temperature. Hence, during frictional braking, the temperature of the brake shoe
will gradually increase resulting in a corresponding increase in the coefficient of
friction.
[0011] Preferably, a cross-sectional area that the brake shoe presents to the guide rail
increases during engagement. This arrangement is particularly beneficial in the two
layer brake shoe defined above by ensuring a regressive wear rate of the brake shoe
whereby the first layer is worn through relatively quickly compared to the second
layer.
[0012] The present invention is hereinafter described by way of specific examples with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an elevator car incorporating a conventional safety
gear with brake shoes according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of a set of brake shoes in accordance with a first embodiment
of the present invention;
Figure 3 illustrates an initial engagement of the brake shoes of Fig. 2 against a
guide rail immediately after an overspeed condition has been detected;
Figure 4 illustrates a subsequent engagement of the brake shoes of Figs. 2 and 3 against
a guide rail;
Figure 5 is a sectional view of a brake shoe according to a second embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a brake shoe according to a third embodiment of the
present invention;
Figure 7 illustrates an initial engagement of a brake shoe according to a fourth embodiment
against a guide rail immediately after an overspeed condition has been detected; and
Figure 8 illustrates a subsequent engagement of the brake shoe of Figs. 7 against
a guide rail.
[0013] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an elevator car 1 incorporating a conventional safety
gear 4 with brake shoes 5 according to the present invention. In a conventional traction
elevator, the car 1 is connected by cables 2 to a counterweight (not shown). This
interconnected arrangement of car 1 and counterweight is driven by a traction machine
and associated traction sheave (not shown) such that the car travels along guide rails
3 mounted within an elevator hoistway to transport passengers to their desired destination.
A safety gear 4 is mounted on the bottom of the car 1 so as to surround a neighbouring
guide rail 3. Although only a single guide rail 3 and safety gear 4 is shown, it will
be appreciated that an identical arrangement is provided on the opposite side of the
car 1.
[0014] In an overspeed situation when the car 1 travels at a speed in excess of a predetermined
value, an overspeed governor (not shown) triggers the safety gear 4 to apply brake
shoes 5 to opposing side of the guide rail 3 to generate a frictional braking force
and thereby bring the car 1 to an eventual halt.
[0015] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a set of brake shoes 5 in accordance with a first embodiment
of the present invention. Each brake shoe 5 comprises a brake shoe body 6 which retains
a brake pad 7. The brake pad 7 has an outer sacrificial layer 8 which faces towards
the guide rail 3 and an inner layer 9 disposed between the outer layer 8 and the brake
shoe body 6. The coefficient of friction µ
1 of the material forming the outer layer 8 is less than the coefficient of friction
µ
2 of the material forming the inner layer 9.
[0016] Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the deployment of the brake shoes 5 after an overspeed situation
has been detected by the governor. A clamping force N is applied to each brake shoe
5 by the safety gear 4 causing the brake pads 7 to frictionally engage with the guide
rail 3. In an initial phase of deployment, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer sacrificial
layer 8 of each brake pad 7 generates a frictional braking force F
1 against the guide rail 3. This initial frictional braking force F
1 is intended to arrest the elevator car 1 which, although interconnected to, and thereby
supported by, the traction machine and the counterweight, is travelling above the
predetermined overspeed value possibly due to a fault in the drive such as a malfunctioning
controller.
[0017] If, on the other hand, the car overspeed is due to a complete breakage of the cables
2, for example, the frictional braking force F
1 developed by the brake pad 7 during the initial deployment phase may not be sufficient
to effectively arrest the car 1. In such a situation, the outer sacrificial layer
8 of the brake pad 7 is worn or melted away through excessive frictional engagement
with the guide rail 3 to expose the inner layer 9. Since the coefficient of friction
µ
2 of the inner layer 9 is greater than the coefficient of friction µ
1 of the inner layer 8, the frictional braking force the brake pad 7 develops against
the guide rail 3 increases to a level F
2 as the inner layer 9 subsequently engages with the guide rail 7 in a second deployment
phase, as shown in Fig. 4. The frictional braking force F
2 during this second deployment phase is sufficient to arrest the free-falling elevator
car 1.
[0018] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a brake shoe 5' according to a second embodiment of
the present invention. As in the previous embodiment, the brake shoe 5' incorporates
a brake shoe body 6 to retain a brake pad 7'. In this instance, the brake pad 7' consists
of blocks 8' embedded into and projecting from a brake pad layer 9'. The coefficient
of friction µ
1 of the material forming the blocks 8' is less than the coefficient of friction µ
2 of the material forming the brake pad layer 9'. The brake pad 7' is activated in
exactly the same manner as in the previously described embodiment with the blocks
8' of the brake pad 7' providing the frictional braking force F
1 during the first deployment phase. If the blocks 8' are worn away, the brake pad
layer 9' comes into engagement with the guide rail 3 to generate a greater frictional
braking force F
2 during the second deployment phase. In the present embodiment, the surface area of
the brake pad 7' presented to the guide rail 3 during application increases. This
ensures a regressive wear rate of the brake pad 7' whereby the blocks 8' are worn
through relatively quickly compared to the brake pad layer 9'.
[0019] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a brake shoe 5" according to a third embodiment of
the present invention. Again the brake pad 7" is supported on a brake shoe body 6
however, in this instance, the brake pad 7" is formed from a single material having
a relatively low coefficient of friction µ
1 to generate the frictional braking force F
1 during the first deployment phase. The brake shoe body 6 itself is formed from a
material having a relatively high coefficient of friction µ
1 and is used during the second deployment phase to generate a greater frictional braking
force F
2 during the second deployment phase.
[0020] Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the engagement of a brake shoe 5''' according to a fourth
embodiment against a guide rail 3. The brake shoe 5''' comprises a brake shoe body
6 which retains a brake pad 7'''. In this embodiment, the brake pad 7''' is manufactured
from a single material having a coefficient of friction p which is proportional to
its temperature. When an overspeed situation has been detected by the governor, a
clamping force N is applied to the brake shoe 5''' by the safety gear 4. As shown
specifically in Fig. 7, when the brake pad 7''' initially engages with the guide rail
3 it is at ambient temperature and accordingly has a relatively low coefficient of
friction µ
1. Hence, the initial frictional braking force F
1 generated by the brake pad 7''' against the guide rail 3 is relatively low.
[0021] During continued braking as illustrated in Fig. 8, heat is generated in the brake
pad 7''' causing its coefficient of friction to progressively increase. This, in turn,
results in a progressive increase in the frictional braking force to a level F
2 which is sufficient to arrest a free-falling car 1.
[0022] It will be readily appreciated that specific features of the described embodiments
can be interchanged to give further embodiments according to the present invention.
[0023] Furthermore, although the inter-surfaces between the brake pad components and indeed
between the brake pad and the brake shoe body are shown as being planar and generally
parallel to the guide rail, it will be understood that other surface profiles (grooved,
V-shaped etc.) can be used to reduce the effects of shear force acting between the
discrete brake shoe components.
[0024] The skilled person will acknowledge that there are a wide variety of materials available
to achieve the specific characteristics required for each discrete component of the
brake shoe and that selection of specific materials will be largely dependent on the
characteristics of the elevator itself such as the rated speed, the rated loading,
the travel height, the type of safety gear and the application force it exerts on
the brake shoes. For example, if the brake shoe of the first embodiment is used in
a small installation having a rated speed of 1 m/s, then the outer sacrificial layer
8 can be manufactured from a polymeric material while the inner layer 9 can be formed
from a conventional brake shoe material such as mild steel.
[0025] Although the described embodiments have been described with reference to a specific
safety gear, it will be appreciated that the brake shoes according to the invention
can be employed in any calliper brake set which is used to frictionally engage the
guide rails to decelerate the elevator car of a traction or a hydraulic elevator installation.
1. A brake shoe (5,5',5'',5''') for use in an elevator safety gear (4) whereby, in use,
the safety gear (4) exerts a specific application force (N) to the brake shoe (5,5',5'',5''')
causing the brake shoe (5,5',5'',5''') to frictionally engage with a guide rail (3)
wherein a frictional braking force (F1,F2) developed by the brake shoe (5,5',5'',5''') increases during engagement.
2. A brake shoe (5,5',5",5"') according to claim 1 having a variable coefficient of friction
(p).
3. A brake shoe (5,5',5") according to claim 2 having a first layer (8,8',7") for initial
engagement with the guide rail (3) and a second layer (9,9',6) for subsequent engagement
with the guide rail (3), wherein a coefficient of friction (µ2) of the second layer (9,9',6) is greater than a coefficient of friction (µ1) of the first layer (8,8',7").
4. A brake shoe (5,5') according to claim 3, wherein the first layer (8,8') and the second
layer (9,9') are incorporated in a brake pad (7,7') removably retained by a brake
shoe body (6).
5. A brake shoe (5') according to claim 3, wherein the first layer is formed from blocks
(8') embedded into and projecting from the second layer (9').
6. A brake shoe (5") according to claim 3, wherein the first layer is incorporated in
a brake pad (7") and the second layer is provided by a brake shoe body (6).
7. A brake shoe (5''') according to claim 2, wherein the coefficient of friction (p)
of the brake shoe (5''') is proportional to temperature.
8. A brake shoe (5') according to any preceding claim, wherein a cross-sectional area
that the brake shoe (5') presents to the guide rail (3) increases during engagement.