Elevator having free fall protection system
AssigneeKone Corporation
InventorAri Kattainen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An elevator includes a car, a counterweight, and a hoisting member connecting the car with the counterweight over a traction sheave. A free fall protection system includes a free fall protection controller, a free fall protection member connecting the car with the counterweight over the traction sheave or over a separate free fall sheave. The car and the counterweight are supported by the hoisting member in normal operation and by the free fall protection member only in a situation in which the hoisting member support fails. At least one free fall protection brake is arranged to stop the movement of the free fall protection member and thereby also the movement of the car and/or the counterweight, when being activated by the free fall protection controller.
Claims19
An elevator comprising:
- a car;
- a counterweight;
- a hoisting member connecting the car with the counterweight over a traction sheave;
- and
- a free fall protection system comprising:
- a free fall protection controller;
- a free fall protection member connecting the car with the counterweight over the traction sheave or over a separate free fall traction sheave, whereby a pre-tensioning load of the free fall protection member is less than a pre-tensioning load of the hoisting member, so that the car and the counterweight are supported by the hoisting member in normal operation and by the free fall protection member alone only in a situation in which the hoisting member support fails;
- and
- at least one free fall protection brake device arranged to stop the movement of the free fall protection member and thereby also the movement of the car and/or the counterweight,
- when being activated by the free fall protection controller, wherein a first end of the free fall protection member is attached to the car and a second end of the free fall protection member is attached to the counterweight.
A method for controlling an elevator, the elevator comprising:
- a car;
- a counterweight;
- a hoisting member connecting the car with the counterweight over a traction sheave;
- and
- a free fall protection system comprising:
- a free fall protection controller;
- a free fall protection member connecting the car with the counterweight over the traction sheave or over a separate free fall traction sheave, whereby a pre-tensioning load of the free fall protection member is less than a pre-tensioning load of the hoisting member, so that the car and the counterweight are supported by the free fall protection member alone only in a situation in which the hoisting member support fails, wherein a first end of the free fall protection member is attached to the car and a second end of the free fall protection member is attached to the counterweight;
- and
- at least one free fall protection brake device arranged to stop the movement of the free fall protection member and thereby also the movement of the car and/or the counterweight,
- the method comprising the step of activating the at least one free fall protection brake device with the free fall protection controller to stop the movement of the free fall protection member and thereby also the movement of the car and/or the counterweight when the hoisting member support fails.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.