A multi-modular elevator system for a high building

Abstract

 A multi-modular elevator system for a high building comprising at least two cabin modules, means for elevating the cabin modules and means for descending the cabin modules, wherein

the system comprises a lower cabin module and at least a first upper cabin module;

the cabin modules are rigid bodies which are not collapsible;

the cabin modules form a column such that access to the lower cabin module is provided at a lower floor of the building and access to the first upper cabin module being provided on a higher floor of the building;

whereby the system comprises accessing means for selectively providing simultaneous access to the lower module and to the first upper module.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention refers in general to elevators or service lifts for the transportation of persons or of loads, respectively, in high buildings and in industrial plants and, in particular, to an elevator system adequate for high buildings that allows the simultaneous access of persons or of loads to a multi-modular cabin, that reaches more than one floor at each of the stops of the mentioned elevator or lift.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Presently the majority of the buildings with more than three floors count with elevators, to facilitate the access of persons to the upper floors. The same is valid for the industrial buildings, hospitals and so-called department stores that count with service lifts for the transportation of persons, products, merchandise or equipment. The elevators or service lifts allow the access of people or loads each time or at each stop at only one floor. These are vertical elevators systems and installations which are widely known, and thus do not to be described with more details here. Nevertheless, these elevators that cater by floor present limitations in the capacity of simultaneous transportation of people, loads or merchandise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0003] By the system and the corresponding multi-cabin elevator of the invention as claimed, the capacity of transportation of an installation existing in a building may be duplicated and even quadruplicated. In the case of counting with two elevators the increase of capacity is of 1 and 8 times the conventional or nominal capacity, respectively. To have access to one or more upper modules of the elevator, the useres must go up or not, by the stairs of the building to the second or third floor of the building, from where they may enter into the upper cabins of the multi-cabin type elevators. This will depend on the version of this invention that is implemented. Thanks to this modular system the capacity of transportation of persons from for example the first and/or second floor up to the upper floors of the building, is increased considerably. The same is valid for the transportation of loads. The system may be extended eventually to a higher number of modules or cabins, depending on the number of floors of the building and on the demand of transportation of persons at determined hours of the day.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention refers to a multi-modular elevator system for a high building comprising at least two cabin modules, means for elevating the cabin modules and means for descending the cabin modules. The system basically comprises a lower cabin module and at least a first upper cabin module, the cabin modules being, contrary to the well-know "Pater.Noster" elevators, rigid bodies which are not collapsible. The cabin modules are piled up to form a column or tower, such that access to the lower cabin module is provided at a lower floor of the building and access to the first upper cabin module being provided on a higher floor of the building. A second and even more subsequent upper cabin modules may be provided. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the system is designed such that access to one of the cabin modules is provided on odd-numbered floors whilst access to at least another cabin module is provided at even-numbered floors.

[0005] The system comprises accessing means for selectively providing simultaneous access to the lower module and to the first upper module. The accessing means may comprise at least first doors for the lower cabin module and second doors for the upper module, whereby said first and second doors can be operated to open and close simultaneously or independently from each other. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the first doors are orientated in a different direction than said second doors, so that users may access different wings of a building by selecting the cabin module which has the door being orientated to the wing they want to access.

[0006] In one embodiment of the invention, the cabin modules are comprised by a cabin body, as for example a housing or a framework, which comprises conventional aggregate and service elements like breaks, traction means, electrical connections etc.

[0007] In another embodiment, are linked to each other by means allowing assembly of the a top portion of one module to the bottom portion of the subsequent upper module, whereby the traction means are provided at the top cabin module whilst other conventional aggregate and service elements are provided at one or more of the lower cabin modules, or at the lowest cabin module.

[0008] In another embodiment of the invention, cabin body is designed to fit with an already existing conventional elevator shaft to thereby replace a conventional cabin.

[0009] Usually it is preferred that all modules have an identical transporting capacity and/or dimensions.

[0010] By increasing the vertical extension of the elevator shaft, access may be provided to at least one cabin module at any floor. The vertical extension of the elevator shaft can be increased, by increasing the depth of the elevator pit, or by increasing the height of the top engine room.

[0011] By the transportation system and the corresponding modular or multi-cabin type elevator of the invention the capacity of transportation of persons or the volume of loads may be duplicated and even quadruplicated, in a building of multiple floors that counts with an elevator and where the possibility of installing other elevators parallel to the existing one or ones does not exist, wherein the capacity of the system particularly during the hours of maximum demand in respect of the persons or the loads to be transported, collapses.

[0012] The proposed elevation system presents enormous advantages when being projected in a new design of building, due to the advantage of the volumetric distribution that is allowed in a new building. Therefore the area of distribution in the elevators hall is reduced, there being only two doors instead of eight.

[0013] The invention relates to a multi-cabin type elevator system for existing, new high buildings or high buildings that are being projected, which allows the simultaneous access of users or loads into the mentioned multi-modular cabin, that reaches more than one floor at each stop of the elevator. This is achieved by using in an elevator having, for example, two superimposed cabin modules , the height of the access doors of which occupy the extension of two or more floors of the building. As indicated previously, eventually a higher number of modules, as far as this is practical and it is justified by the height of the building may be considered.

[0014] For the case of for example an elevator equipped with a double cabin, in each stop of the elevator are the doors of both modules will open simultaneously, one at each floor This implies that there will be exiting or entering up to a maximum of the double of passengers (or of loads if that is the case) of what is presently achieved in an elevator of conventional design.

[0015] If also it is regulated so that the use of the lower cabin corresponds to the odd floors and the upper to the even floors, the stops amid the total trip will be equivalent to half of those in the case of a conventional elevator with only one cabin, which allows it to again duplicate the transporting, capacity by the reduction to half of the time journeyed.

[0016] The merit of the system and of the corresponding multi-cabin type elevator proposed, is that they allow utilizing available infrastructures, including the original cabin, requiring only to replace the existing motor by another adequate to displace the double of the load, as well as the cables, the balancing counterweight of the elevator system, in addition to the new cabin module that is superimposed to the original cabin.

[0017] The scheme that is presented in the following Table compares the trips of of a single cabin or conventional elevator with another of double cabin. In the analysis, the considerations that are indicated for the times of stopping and journeying have been made.

[0018] The scheme set forth in the preceding Table may also be prepared in an analogous manner for a cabin of three modules, in which case the increase in transportation capacity is even higher. The convenience of a system of three modules will depend on the number of floors of the building and the demand of use of such and its convenience must be evaluated for each case, considering technical and practical aspects relative to the use of the elevator system.

[0019] In the preceding Table, by way of example, a building of 20 floors has been considered and that the demand in a given moment forces the elevator to stop at all the floors. Considering as well the preceding statements, the five columns represent the following:

[0020] Column I: corresponds to the performance of a conventional elevator, provided with only one cabin of only one floor or of a mono-modular type. Such elevator starts its trip and then stops at all of the floors, a total of 19 times requiring a total of 342 seconds and having transported a maximum of 8 persons among the mentioned floors.

[0021] The other columns represent the new proposal of the invention which, when optimized, achieves more than to quadruplicate the transportation capacity. The investment required is minimal when compared with that of the installation of more parallel elevators, without considering the definitive loss of m² occupied in the new installation of elevators and their corresponding cost-effectiveness.

[0022] In column II of the Table, operation of an elevator composed of two modules or identical cabins has been represented, in particular a lower cabin "A" and another higher cabin"B", when starting from the first and second floor respectively. The passengers may opt for boarding the cabin "B" on the second floor or wait 12 minutes for a place in the following trip in the cabin "A". The first stop is of the cabin "A" at the second floor and the cabin "B" at the third. The total time of the trip is the same but the transportation capacity is increased by 100%, in other words it is a total of 16 passengers.

[0023] When it is established as a unavoidable condition that cabin "A" reaches the last floor and "B" the first, then a transfer must be made on any floor.

[0024] Column III shows the most efficient alternative which accomplishes more than to quadruplicate the transportation capacity. This is achieved by distributing the passengers to the odd floors into cabin "A" and those to the even floors into cabin "B". At the first stop cabin "A" will be located at the third floor and cabin "B" at the fourth floor. That way the number of stops will be reduced from 19 to 9 and the time of journey to less than half.

[0025] Column IV differs from the preceding column in that the height of the engine-room has been increased such that cabin "A" by an additional stop, may reach the last floor.

[0026] Column V corresponds to an option in which besides increasing the height of the engine-room, the elevator pit has been deepened such that cabin "B" also reaches the first floor.

[0027] The elevator system and the corresponding multi-cabin type lift have been described and explained, by reference to a particular example of an elevator of two modules or superimposed cabins. Thus, as readily apparent to one of ordinary skill, the columns in the Table analyzed as general examples in the preceding Table, allow a plurality of variations when parts thereof are combined.

Claims

1. A multi-modular elevator system for a high building comprising at least two cabin modules, means for elevating the cabin modules and means for descending the cabin modules, characterized in that

the system comprises a lower cabin module and at least a first upper cabin module;

the cabin modules are rigid bodies which are not collapsible;

the cabin modules form a column such that access to the lower cabin module is provided at a lower floor of the building and access to the first upper cabin module being provided on a higher floor of the building;

whereby the system comprises accessing means for selectively providing simultaneous access to the lower module and to the first upper module.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the accessing means comprise at least one first door for the lower cabin module and at least one second door for the upper module, whereby said first and second doors can be operated to open and close simultaneously or independently from each other.

3. A system according to the claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the cabin modules are comprised by a cabin body.

4. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises at least a second upper cabin module.

5. A system according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the cabin modules are linked to each other by means which allow fastening a top portion of one module to the bottom portion of the subsequent upper module.

6. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cabin body is designed to fit with an already existing conventional elevator shaft to thereby replace a conventional cabin body.

7. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed such that access to one of the cabin modules is provided on odd-numbered floors whilst access to at least another cabin module is provided at even-numbered floors.

8. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that all modules have an identical transporting capacity and/or dimensions.

9. A system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that its vertical extension is such that at least one cabin module may be accessed at any floor, by increasing the depth of the elevator pit.

10. A system according to any of claims 1-8, characterized in that its vertical extension is such that at least one cabin module may be accessed at any floor, by increasing the height of the top engine room.

11. A system according to the claim 2, characterized in that in that said first doors are orientated towards a direction being different from the orientation of said second doors.