Self-climbing self-locking elevator
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsStephen Richard Nichols, Tadeusz Pawel Witczak, John-Paul Clarke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator system includes a platform and a plurality of supports configured to selectively engage a nearby structure. The plurality of supports include at least a first support and a second support. The first and second supports alternate between engaging the nearby structure to support the platform while the other one of the supports is disengaged from the nearby structure. At least one of the first and second supports is configured to move relative to the platform while engaging the nearby structure to cause vertical movement of the platform.
Claims13
An elevator system, comprising:
- an elevator car situated inside a hoistway, the elevator car including a cabin having a floor, solid panel walls having one end adjacent the floor and a ceiling adjacent opposite ends of the solid panel walls, the ceiling covering an entire area spanning between the solid panel walls, and wherein the floor, solid panel walls, and the ceiling of the cabin define an enclosed space configured to accommodate at least one passenger and isolate the at least one passenger from an interior of the hoistway;
- and
- a plurality of supports configured to selectively engage a nearby structure inside the hoistway, the plurality of supports including at least a first support and a second support, wherein the first support extends and contracts above the elevator car to cause vertical movement, and the second support extends and contracts beneath the elevator car to cause vertical movement, and the first and second supports alternating between engaging the nearby structure to support the elevator car while another one of the first and second supports is disengaged from the nearby structure, at least one of the first and second supports being configured to move relative to the elevator car while engaging the nearby structure to cause vertical movement of the elevator car.
An elevator system, comprising:
- an elevator car situated inside a hoistway, the elevator car including a cabin having a floor, solid panel walls having one end adjacent the floor and a ceiling adjacent opposite ends of the solid panel walls, the ceiling covering an entire area spanning between the solid panel walls, and wherein the floor, the solid panel walls, and the ceiling of the cabin define an enclosed space configured to accommodate at least one passenger and isolate the at least one passenger from an interior of the hoistway;
- and
- a plurality of supports configured to selectively engage a nearby structure inside the hoistway, the plurality of supports including at least a first support and a second support, the first and second supports alternating between engaging the nearby structure to support the elevator car while another one of the first and second supports is disengaged from the nearby structure, at least one of the first and second supports being configured to move relative to the elevator car while engaging the nearby structure to cause vertical movement of the elevator car, and wherein the at least one of the first and second supports extends or contracts while engaging the nearby structure to cause the vertical movement of the elevator car, and wherein
- each of the supports has a vertical stroke corresponding to a distance between a fully contracted position and a fully extended position of the support, and
- both of the first and second supports simultaneously engage the nearby structure while extending or contracting along at least a portion of the vertical stroke of the support such that both of the first and second supports simultaneously cause the vertical movement of the elevator car.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.