ELEVATOR EQUIPMENT AND RESPECTIVE COUPLING AND LOCKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC CAB DOORS

Abstract

 An elevator equipment is described comprising: at least one cab, which is movable between the floors of a building and comprises a cab door whose panels are driven by a respective actuation mechanism to slide horizontally; at least one landing door, which comprises an actuator element engageable with the cab door and which allows access to the cab when aligned with the cab door; and a coupling and locking device, which is connected to at least one of the panels. The coupling and locking device comprises: a locking mechanism, which is vertically movable between a position for locking and a position for unlocking the opening of the panels; a cam mechanism, which is driven by the actuation mechanism to slide horizontally and to selectively actuate the locking mechanism; and an abutment element. The cam mechanism comprises: a first lever, which is horizontally movable with reciprocating motion towards and away from the abutment element; and a second lever, which is vertically movable and is mechanically coupled to both the first lever and the locking mechanism. The interposition of the actuator element between the abutment element and the first lever limits the reciprocating motion of the first lever and transfers its remaining stroke to the second lever to vertically move the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is of the so-called lever bolt type and comprises at least one rod whose lower end has a bolt shape and is engageable in a corresponding hole obtained at the floor of the cab.

Description

[0001] The present invention generally relates to an elevator equipment, such as a lift/elevator or a freight elevator and, in particular, a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment.

[0002] Known elevator equipment comprise a cab which is movable inside a shaft commonly called "elevator shaft". The cab, moved in a conventional way by ropes or hydraulic pistons, serves at least two distinct floors of the same building.

[0003] A so-called "landing door" which restricts access to the elevator equipment shaft is provided for each floor of the building. The cab is also equipped with a so-called "cab door", which normally consists of at least one panel sliding on guides to open and close this cab door.

[0004] In the most recent elevator equipment, both the cab door and the various landing doors are generally automatically and synchronously opened and/or closed. Apart from the cab door, in fact, each landing door also usually consists of at least one panel sliding on guides. Consequently, during normal operation of the elevator equipment, the cab door is synchronized with the opening/closing of the landing door of the floor the cab has stopped at, thus allowing the door of each floor to open automatically when the cab door opens when both these doors are aligned.

[0005] In case of malfunctions of the elevator equipment or when unexpected situations, such as a power cut, occur, the cab could suddenly stop between two distinct floors of the building. In this situation, as the cab door is not aligned with any of the landing doors, it obviously does not allow the automatic opening of these landing doors, which are therefore locked in the closed position.

[0006] The current European standards for the design and manufacture of elevator equipment (EN 81-20 and EN 81-50) require that the cab doors are also equipped with at least one locking device preventing these doors from being opened manually from inside the cab when the cab door and any landing door are not aligned. This requirement has been introduced to prevent entrapped passengers from accidentally falling into the elevator shaft when attempting to escape from the cab.

[0007] A known locking device for the sliding panels of a cab door is disclosed, for example, in document US-A-4926974. This locking device comprises a so-called lever bolt mechanism that prevents the cab door from opening under certain operating conditions of the elevator equipment. In other words, the cab door sliding panel is provided with a vertically sliding bolt which, in case of non-alignment of the cab door with one of the landing doors, engages with the cab floor to prevent cab door from being opened manually.

[0008] Obviously, during normal operation of the elevator equipment, the cab door locking device must not operate when this cab door is correctly aligned with one of the landing doors. The locking device, therefore, must always ensure the opening of both the cab door and a corresponding landing door in case of correct coupling between these doors.

[0009] Document WO 2005/077808 discloses a known coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment. While operating reliably, this coupling and locking device consists of a considerable number of moving components, the production and assembly of which require high time and cost.

[0010] Document WO 2011/020877 discloses another known coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment. This coupling and locking device provides for a limited number of moving components, but the particular shape of its main component makes it not very versatile and not very adaptable to any variations in tolerances that may occur in the different shafts of the elevator equipment.

[0011] Finally, document EP-A-1266860 discloses an elevator equipment according to the preamble of claim 1. This elevator equipment is provided with a further known coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors.

[0012] The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment which is capable of solving the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in an extremely simple, economical and particularly functional way.

[0013] In detail, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment that is safe in any operating condition of the elevator equipment.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment that is capable of simultaneously locking all the components that form the assembly consisting of the cab door and a respective landing door. This feature makes it possible to increase the strength of the aforementioned assembly consisting of the cab door and a respective landing door, even in the case of limited dimensions of the panels of each of these doors.

[0015] A further object of the present invention is to provide a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment which is easily adaptable to the various types of shafts of the elevator equipment.

[0016] These objects according to the present invention will be achieved by providing a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment as set forth in claim 1.

[0017] Further features of the invention are highlighted by the dependent claims, which are an integral part of the present description.

[0018] The features and advantages of a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment according to the present invention will be clearer from the following exemplifying and non-limiting description, referring to the attached schematic drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment according to the present invention, shown in a first operating condition which coincides with the movement of the cab along the elevator shaft;

Figure 2 is a front view of the coupling and locking device of Figure 1, shown in a second operating condition wherein, for any reason, the cab has stopped along the elevator shaft and the cab doors are not aligned with any landing doors;

Figure 3 is a front view of the coupling and locking device of Figure 1, shown in a third operating condition wherein the cab has stopped regularly at a floor and the cab doors are aligned with the respective landing doors;

Figure 4 is a front view of both the coupling and locking device according to the present invention and the respective cab door, wherein the coupling and locking device is in the first operating condition of Figure 1 and the respective lever bolt mechanism is in the cab door opening locking position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the detail indicated with V in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a front view of both the coupling and locking device according to the present invention and the respective cab door, wherein the coupling and locking device is in the third operating condition of Figure 3 and the respective lever bolt mechanism is in the cab door opening unlocking position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the detail indicated with VII in figure 6;

Figure 8 is a front view of both the coupling and locking device according to the present invention and the respective cab door, wherein the coupling and locking device is in an operative condition immediately preceding, or immediately following, to that of Figure 3 and the respective lever bolt mechanism is in the cab door opening locking position; and

Figure 9 is a front view of a landing door the coupling and locking device according to the present invention cooperates with to obtain the selective opening and closing of the cab door.

[0019] With reference to the figures, a preferred embodiment of a coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment according to the present invention is shown. The coupling and locking device is indicated as a whole with the reference number 10.

[0020] The coupling and locking device 10 is installed on an elevator equipment which comprises at least one cab 100 which is vertically movable within a respective elevator shaft between at least two floors of a building. The cab 100, in a per se known manner, can slide vertically between the various floors of the building by means of a vertical guide system and a motorized movement system.

[0021] The cab 100 comprises at least one cab door 102 provided with one or more sliding panels 102A, 102B, 102C. The panels 102A, 102B, 102C can be of a variable number according to the type of cab door 102. Regardless of their number, the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 are driven by a respective actuation mechanism 104 to slide along a first substantially horizontal direction X. In the attached figures, the panels 102A, 102B, 102C are three in number and slide laterally (that is in the same orientation), but the coupling and locking device 10 can also be applied to central doors (that is with doors always sliding along the same direction, but in opposite orientations) with two, four, six or more panels.

[0022] The elevator equipment also includes at least one landing door 106, which is located at each floor of the building and which is designed to control access to the elevator shaft. Each landing door 106 allows access to the cab 100 of the elevator equipment when aligned with the cab door 102 along a certain passage direction.

[0023] Usually, also the landing door 106 can comprise one or more sliding panels 106A, 106B, 106C, whose number is usually equal to the number of the corresponding sliding panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102. Each landing door 106 also comprises at least one actuator element 108 configured to engage with the cab door 102 to allow its opening and closing simultaneously with the landing door 106, as will be better specified hereinafter.

[0024] The coupling and locking device 10 is connected to at least one of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 and comprises at least one locking mechanism 12, which is movable along a second direction Y substantially perpendicular to the first direction X. The second direction Y is a substantially vertical direction. The locking mechanism 12 is, therefore, movable along the second direction Y between a position for locking the opening of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 and a position for unlocking the opening of these panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102.

[0025] The coupling and locking device 10 further comprises at least one cam mechanism 14 and at least one abutment element 16. The cam mechanism 14 is driven by the actuation mechanism 104 of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 to slide along the first direction X. The cam mechanism 14 is, therefore, designed to selectively actuate the locking mechanism 12 and thus allow the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 to open and close.

[0026] In detail, the cam mechanism 14 comprises at least one first lever 18, which is movable with reciprocating motion along the first direction X to move towards and away from the abutment element 16. The cam mechanism 14 also comprises at least one second lever 20, which is movable along the second direction Y and is mechanically coupled to both the first lever 18 and to the locking mechanism 12. In this way, when the actuator element 108 of a given landing door 106 is interposed between the abutment element 16 and the first lever 18, as shown for example in Figure 3, the reciprocating motion of the first lever 18 is limited and the second lever 20 is consequently actuated to move the locking mechanism 12 along the second direction Y.

[0027] According to the invention, the locking mechanism 12 is of the so-called lever bolt type and comprises at least one rod 22 whose lower end has a bolt shape. This bolt is engageable in a corresponding hole (not shown) obtained at the floor 110 of the cab 100. In this way, the locking mechanism 12 simultaneously locks four different elements of the elevator equipment instead of locking only two of them. Specifically, the locking mechanism 12 of the lever bolt type allows to constrain both the "cab out-of-floor lock" as defined by the European standards EN 81-20 and EN 81-50, and the landing lock the elevator equipment must be provided with to comply with these European standards. Not only that, but the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 and the panels 106A, 106B, 106C of the landing door 106 are simultaneously constrained by means of the combined movement of the cam mechanism 14 and the lever bolt. This ensures a high level of safety, as the locking mechanism 12 does not allow any movement along the first direction X, not even under the action of a push, and also increases the strength of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 and of the panels 106A, 106B, 106C of the landing door 106 also along a direction Z, that is to say a direction perpendicular to the development plane of each panel 102A, 102B, 102C and 106A, 106B, 106C.

[0028] If both the cab door 102 and the landing door 106 consist of a plurality of respective panels 102A, 102B, 102C and 106A, 106B, 106C (such as the three panels shown in the attached figures), the locking mechanism 12 of the lever bolt type is capable of locking the sliding of all the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 and of all the corresponding panels 106A, 106B, 106C of the landing door 106 along the first direction X. The panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102, as well as the corresponding panels 106A, 106B, 106C of the landing door 106, are in fact interconnected by means of a system of suitably "chicane"-shaped sheets so that, when the bolt of the rod 22 is engaged in the corresponding hole obtained at the floor 110 of the cab 100, the locking mechanism 12 of the lever bolt type simultaneously blocks the sliding along the first direction X of both the plurality of panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102, and of the corresponding plurality of panels 106A, 106B, 106C of the landing door 106. Ultimately, apart from the fact that these panels 102A, 102B, 102C and/or 106A, 106B, 106C are strengthened by the locking mechanism 12 of the lever bolt type according to the present invention, a cab 102 and/or a landing 106 door consisting of a plurality of panels 102A, 102B, 102C and/or 106A, 106B, 106C can be manufactured with panels 102A, 102B, 102C and/or 106A, 106B, 106C with a width (measured along the first direction X) very small compared to their height (measured along the second direction Y), ensuring compliance with the European standards EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 which regulate the design and production of elevator equipment.

[0029] The actuator element 108 of each landing door 106 preferably consists of a roller. Both the abutment element 16 and the first lever 18 can be, therefore, provided with respective flat rolling surfaces 24 and 26, oriented along the second direction Y, on which the roller 108 rolls when interposed between this abutment element 16 and this first lever 18, that is to say in the operating condition of Figure 3 of the coupling and locking device 10.

[0030] Again preferably, the mechanical coupling between the first lever 18 and the second lever 20 is obtained through the interposition of a plurality of connecting arms 28, 30, 32. In detail, with reference in particular to Figures 1 to 3, there are provided:

• a first connecting arm 28, hinged both to the first lever 18, at a first pin 34, and to the second lever 20, at a second pin 36, and to a second connecting arm 30, at a third pin 38; and
• a third connecting arm 32, hinged both to the first lever 18, at a fourth pin 40, and to the second lever 20, at a fifth pin 42, and to the second connecting arm 30, at a sixth pin 44.

[0031] Preferably, both the first connecting arm 28 and the third connecting arm 32 have respectively an L-shape to form a first articulated quadrilateral, consisting in sequence of the first lever 18, the first connecting arm 28, the second lever 20 and the third connecting arm 32, and a second articulated quadrilateral, consisting in sequence of the second lever 20, the first connecting arm 28, the second connecting arm 30 and the third connecting arm 32.

[0032] The actuation mechanism 104 of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 preferably consists of at least one belt 112 moved by one or more motorized pulleys 114. The cam mechanism 14 as a whole moves, therefore, horizontally when controlled by the movement of the belt 112.

[0033] In particular, the first lever 18 of the cam mechanism 14 moves horizontally to and from the abutment element 16 when the cab 100 moves along the elevator shaft (operating condition of Figures 1, 4 and 5) and in the case in which this cab 100 is stationary along the elevator shaft and the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 are not aligned with any of the landing doors 106 (operating condition of Figure 2). In these operating conditions of the elevator equipment, the panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 must remain closed and at the same time they must be prevented from manual opening, in compliance with European standards EN 81-20 and EN 81-50. In these operating conditions of the elevator equipment, therefore, the second lever 20 of the coupling and locking device 10 keeps the locking mechanism 12 in the respective locking position of the opening of the panels 102A, 102B, 102C, that is to say with the lower end of the rod 22 engaged in the corresponding hole obtained at the floor 110 of the cab 100.

[0034] If the first lever 18 of the cam mechanism 14, during its horizontal movement, meets the roller 108 of a landing door 106, it means that the cab door 102 is correctly aligned with this landing door 106. In this operating condition of the elevator equipment, initially shown in Figure 8, the first lever 18 cannot continue its horizontal movement towards the abutment element 16, since the roller 108 is interposed between the first lever 18 and the abutment element 16. The first lever 18 then transfers the remaining stroke, not made, to the second lever 20 which, being laterally guided by suitable guide means 46, moves vertically upwards lifting the rod 22 to disengage it from the corresponding hole obtained at the floor 110 of the cab 100 (operating condition of Figures 3, 6 and 7). The panels 102A, 102B, 102C of the cab door 102 are, therefore, free to open simultaneously with the landing door 106. The guide means 46 of the second lever 20 can consist, for example, of a plurality of rolling bearings 46 (as shown in the figures), or of at least one slide (not shown) made of a material suitable for sliding.

[0035] It has thus been shown that the coupling and locking device 10 for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment according to the present invention achieves the objects highlighted above. This coupling and locking device 10 has the function of splitting the movement of the cam mechanism 14, from horizontal to vertical, only when the cab 100 of the elevator equipment is stationary at a floor, at a landing door 106.

[0036] The cam mechanism 14, by means of its own system of levers 18 and 20, has the possibility of recognizing the correct position of the cab 100 when it is stationary at a landing door 106, so as to allow the disengagement of the locking mechanism 12, which could not happen otherwise. The locking mechanism 12 is, therefore, actuated by the cam mechanism 14 through a concatenated horizontal and vertical movement of the system of levers 18 and 20, obtained thanks to the respective connecting arms 28, 30 and 32. The coupling and locking device 10 can be used on all cab doors with any number of panels (in the attached figures a cab door 102 with three panels 102A, 102B, 102C is shown by way of example only), and any locking mechanism, for example with central closure or side closure (as the one shown in the attached figures). Finally, the coupling and locking device 10 can operate both in the presence and in the absence of an electrical contact for controlling the closure of the locking mechanism 12. The attached figures show, for example, a coupling and locking device 10 without the electric contact for controlling the closure of the locking mechanism 12.

[0037] The coupling and locking device for automatic cab doors of an elevator equipment of the present invention thus conceived is however susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which falling within the scope of the same inventive concept; furthermore, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the technical requirements.

[0038] The scope of protection of the invention is therefore defined by the attached claims.

Claims

1. An elevator equipment comprising:

- at least one cab (100), which is vertically movable between the floors of a building and which comprises at least one cab door (102) provided with one or more panels (102A, 102B, 102C), wherein said panels (102A, 102B, 102C) are driven by a respective actuation mechanism (104) to slide along a first direction (X);

- at least one landing door (106), which is located at each floor of the building and which allows access to the cab (100) when aligned with said cab door (102) along a passage direction, wherein said landing door (106) comprises at least one actuator element (108) configured to engage with said cab door (102); and

- at least one coupling and locking device (10), which is connected to at least one of said panels (102A, 102B, 102C),

wherein said coupling and locking device (10) comprises:

- at least one locking mechanism (12), which is movable along a second direction (Y), substantially perpendicular to said first direction (X), between a position for locking the opening of said panels (102A, 102B, 102C) and a position for unlocking the opening of said panels (102A, 102B, 102C);

- at least one cam mechanism (14), which is driven by said actuation mechanism (104) to slide along said first direction (X) and to selectively actuate said locking mechanism (12); and

- at least one abutment element (16),

wherein said cam mechanism (14) comprises:

- at least one first lever (18), which is movable with reciprocating motion along said first direction (X) towards and away from said abutment element (16); and

- at least one second lever (20), which is movable along said second direction (Y) and which is mechanically coupled to both said first lever (18) and said locking mechanism (12), in such a way that the interposition of said actuator element (108) between said abutment element (16) and said first lever (18) limits the reciprocating motion of said first lever (18) and transfers its remaining stroke to said second lever (20) to move said locking mechanism (12) along said second direction (Y),

wherein said first direction (X) is a substantially horizontal direction and said second direction (Y) is a substantially vertical direction, the elevator equipment being characterized in that said locking mechanism (12) is of the so-called lever bolt type and comprises at least one rod (22) whose lower end has a bolt shape and is engageable in a corresponding hole obtained at the floor (110) of said cab (100).

2. The elevator equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that said actuator element (108) consists of a roller.

3. The elevator equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that both said abutment element (16) and said first lever (18) are provided with respective flat rolling surfaces (24; 26), oriented along said second direction (Y), on which said roller (108) rolls when interposed between said abutment element (16) and said first lever (18).

4. The elevator equipment according to any claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mechanical coupling between said first lever (18) and said second lever (20) is obtained by way of the interposition of a plurality of connecting arms (28, 30, 32).

5. The elevator equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that said mechanical coupling comprises:

- a first connecting arm (28), hinged to both said first lever (18), at a first pin (34), and to said second lever (20), at a second pin (36), and to a second connecting arm (30), at a third pin (38); and

- a third connecting arm (32), hinged to both said first lever (18), at a fourth pin (40), and to said second lever (20), at a fifth pin (42), and to the second connecting arm (30), at a sixth pin (44).

6. The elevator equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that both said first connecting arm (28) and said third connecting arm (32) have respectively an L-shape to form a first articulated quadrilateral, consisting in sequence of the first lever (18), the first connecting arm (28), the second lever (20) and the third connecting arm (32), and a second articulated quadrilateral, consisting in sequence of the second lever (20), the first connecting arm (28), the second connecting arm (30) and the third connecting arm (32).

7. The elevator equipment according to any claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said second lever (20) is guided laterally, in its movement along said second direction (Y), by guide means (46) selected from the group consisting of:

- a plurality of rolling bearings;

- at least one slide made of a material suitable for sliding.

8. The elevator equipment according to any claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said actuation mechanism (104) consists of at least one belt (112) moved by one or more motorized pulleys (114).

Drawing