Apron device, elevator car and method for protecting from falling into elevator shaft
AssigneeKone Corporation
InventorTapani Talonen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apron device, an elevator car and method of protecting falling into an elevator shaft. The apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element which are both located under a door sill of an elevator car. The elements form together a bending stiff sleeve structure which can move in relation to the elevator car. The first protective element can lift the second protective element being closer to the elevator car. When the second protective element is lifted, its upper part moves in transversal direction towards a space below a bottom of the elevator car. The first protective element is moved only in vertical direction.
Claims15
An apron device of an elevator for preventing falling into an elevator shaft;
- wherein the apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element, which are both vertically orientated;
- the first protective element is mountable at a distance from a bottom of an elevator car;
- the second protective element is located above the first protective element;
- the first and second protective elements are mountable movably in relation to the bottom of the elevator car;
- and the first and second protective elements are made of rigid material and are thereby provided with bending stiffness;
- wherein the first protective element comprises at least one vertical first support for supporting the first protective element vertically movably to the elevator car;
- the first protective element is configured to move only in vertical direction together with the mentioned vertical first support;
- and wherein at least part of the second protective element is configured to move in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.
A method of protecting from falling into an elevator shaft;
- the method comprising:
- providing an elevator car with an apron device below an elevator car wherein the apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element both made of bending stiff rigid material and being orientated vertically;
- arranging the first protective element at a vertical distance from a bottom of an elevator car in the elevator shaft and arranging the second protective element above the first protective element;
- and retracting full vertical extension of the apron device in response to situation wherein the elevator car moves to its lowermost movement position and the first protective element becomes in contact with immovable structures at the elevator shaft;
- characterized by
- hanging the first protective element below the second protective element and supporting the first protective element to the elevator car by means of at least one first vertical first support;
- moving the first protective element only in vertical direction in relation to the bottom of the elevator car;
- lifting the second protective element by the vertical movement of the first protective element;
- and
- moving at least part of the second protective element in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.