Elevator system having a derailment protection device

An elevator system that is suitable both for normal operating situations and for emergency situations, the elevator system comprising:

• an elevator car adapted to move within an elevator shaft;
• a guide means connected directly to a side of the elevator car;
• a derailment protection device connected directly to the side of the elevator car at a location distal from the guide means;
• and
• a guide rail having a first subregion that is contacted by the guide means to guide the elevator car along the guide rail via a channel-shaped sliding interface which delimits motion of the guide means with respect to the guide rail in three horizontal directions and permits said motion in a fourth horizontal direction, the guide rail having a second subregion that contacts the derailment protection device during the emergency situations when the guide means moves away from the first subregion in the fourth horizontal direction perpendicular to the second subregion,
• wherein a clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail maintains the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail spaced apart during the normal operating situations, and the clearance is less than a disengagement distance of the channel-shaped sliding interface in the fourth horizontal direction during the normal operating situations, the disengagement distance is a distance between the guide means and the first subregion where the channel-shaped sliding interface no longer delimits motion of the guide means in the three horizontal directions;
• wherein the second subregion of the guide rail also provides a braking region for a gripping device connected to the elevator car.

An elevator system comprising:

• an elevator car adapted to move within an elevator shaft;
• a guide means connected to a side of the elevator car;
• a derailment protection device connected to the side of the elevator car at a location distal from the guide means;
• and
• a guide rail having a channel-shaped first subregion in which the guide means slides to guide the elevator car along the guide rail, where the guide rail delimits motion of the guide means in three horizontal directions and permits motion of the guide means in a fourth horizontal direction, and where the guide rail has a second subregion that contacts the derailment protection device during emergency situations when the guide means moves away from the first subregion in the fourth horizontal direction, and the guide rail has a third subregion which slidably guides an elevator counterweight along the guide rail,
• wherein a clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail maintains the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail spaced apart during normal operating situations, and the clearance is less than a disengagement distance of the guide means in the channel-shaped first subregion in the fourth horizontal direction during the normal operating situations, the disengagement distance is a distance between the guide means and the first subregion where the channel-shaped sliding interface no longer delimits motion of the guide means in the three horizontal directions;
• wherein the second subregion of the guide rail also provides a braking region for a gripping device connected to the elevator car.