# US 10,501,288 B2 · Seal member for sealing a door sill gap > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,501,288 B2 - Document ID: US10501288B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/346,966 - Filed: 2016-11-09 - Published: 2017-05-18 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-13 - Assignees: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Taku Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501288B2 ## CPC - B66B 13/301: {Details of door sills} - B66B 13/308: {Details of seals and joints} - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## Abstract A seal member for sealing a gap between a car-side door sill and a landing-side door sill is slidable between a sealing position and a retracted position and is driven by a link mechanism. The seal member is connected to an actuation spring that receives a movement force toward the sealing position. The link mechanism releases engagement with the actuating member in synchronization with a start of a door open operation of the car door to permit sliding toward the sealing position caused by the actuation spring. The link mechanism is engaged with the actuating member of the car door side in synchronization with movement of the car door toward a door close end to move the seal member to the retracted position resisting to the actuation spring. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An elevator apparatus comprising: a car-side door sill configured to guide a car door provided in a doorway of an elevator car along its open/close direction; a landing-side door sill configured to guide a landing door provided in a doorway to the elevator car in each floor where the elevator car can be landed along its open/close direction; a seal member shaped to seal a gap between the car-side door sill and the landing-side door sill and slidable between a sealing position in which the gap is sealed and a retracted position; and a link mechanism connected to the seal member, engaged with an actuating member of a car door side in synchronization with a car door open/close operation, and configured to convert a force received from the actuating member by the engagement with the actuating member into a sliding direction of the seal member to drive the seal member in the sliding direction, wherein the seal member is connected to an actuation spring configured to receive a movement force toward the sealing position, wherein the link mechanism is structured to release the engagement force with the actuating member of the car door side in synchronization with a start of the door open operation from a door close end of the car door to permit sliding toward the sealing position by the actuation spring, and wherein the link mechanism is structured to engage with the actuating member of the car door side in synchronization with the movement of the car door toward the door close end and receive a movement force of the car door to slide the seal member placed in the sealing position to the retracted position in resistance to a spring force of the actuation spring, wherein the seal member is connected to a bracket provided in a link mechanism side through an elastic material and is displaceable toward the gap between the car-side door sill and the landing-side door sill. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism has a plurality of links including a dual-end connecting type link; each of the plurality of links is pivotally supported by a rotation shaft; one end of the dual-end connecting type link is connected to the seal member through the bracket; and another end of the dual-end connecting type link is connected to the actuation spring, which receives the movement force toward the sealing position to the seal member through a connecting rod. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the link mechanism engaged with the actuating member of the car door side is placed outside a width of the doorway of the elevator car opened or closed by the car door. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the seal member is placed under upper surfaces of the car-side door sill and the landing-side door sill. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a leaf spring, and at least a horizontal bending portion is formed in a vertical center of the leaf spring to generate a vertical spring force. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic material is a leaf spring, and at least a horizontal bending portion is formed in a vertical center of the leaf spring, and the bending portion has a V-shaped or semicircular cross section. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is divided in a portion where the car-side door sill passes by an interlock mechanism provided in a landing side when the elevator car is lifted or lowered. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper for stopping sliding of the seal member in the sealing position and the retracted position by abutting on an abutting member provided in the seal member side. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper for stopping sliding of the seal member in the sealing position and the retracted position by abutting on an abutting member provided in the seal member side; and a cushion provided in any one of the stopper and the abutting member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is formed of resin. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper corner of the seal member is chamfered. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the seal member facing a lateral side of the landing-side door sill is provided with a concave portion for avoiding a head of a screw used to install an apron for partitioning an underfloor space provided in the lateral side. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The elevator apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism has a rotation shaft rotated by engagement with the actuating member of the car door side, and the rotation shaft is provided with a torsion spring for exerting a rotational force resisting to a direction of the rotation caused by the engagement with the actuating member.