Elevator car with stowable working platform
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsAurélien Fauconnet, Frédéric Beauchaud
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elevator car defines an interior space for accommodating passengers and/or cargo. The elevator car comprises a working platform and a tension member, wherein the working platform is moveable between a stowed position, above the interior space, and an operational position, within the interior space using the tension member. and A support member is arranged to support the working platform, from below, when the working platform is in the operational position.
Claims18
An elevator car defining an interior space for accommodating passengers and/or cargo, the elevator car comprising:
- a working platform having an upper surface facing a ceiling of the elevator car and a lower surface facing a floor of the elevator car;
- a tension member, wherein the working platform is moveable between a stowed position, above the interior space, and an operational position, within the interior space, using the tension member;
- a mounting frame arranged on the lower surface of the working platform;
- a support frame arranged above an interior space of the elevator car, wherein the tension member comprises a first tension member, and including a second tension member wherein the first and second tension members extend between the support frame and the working platform, and including a plurality of deflection sheaves comprising at least a first deflection sheave, a second deflection sheave, and a third deflection sheave associated with each of the first tension member and the second tension member, and wherein each of the first tension member and the second tension member comprises at least:
- a first portion that extends downwards from the support frame to the first deflection sheave which is attached to the working platform;
- a second portion that extends along a length of the working platform to the second deflection sheave which is attached to the working platform;
- and
- a third portion that extends upwards to the third deflection sheave which is fixed to the support frame;
- and
- a support member, arranged, when in a supporting position, to support the working platform, from below, when the working platform is in the operational position, and wherein the support member is accommodated within the mounting frame underneath the working platform when the support member is in a stowed position.
An elevator car defining an interior space for accommodating passengers and/or cargo, the elevator car comprising:
- a working platform;
- a tension member, wherein the working platform is moveable between a stowed position, above the interior space, and an operational position, within the interior space, using the tension member;
- a support member, arranged, when in a supporting position, to support the working platform, from below, when the working platform is in the operational position;
- and
- a stopper mechanism having an open configuration, in which the stopper mechanism allows movement of the tension member such as to allow movement of the working platform between the stowed position and the operational position, and a closed configuration, in which the stopper mechanism prevents movement of the tension member such as to prevent movement of the working platform between the stowed position and the operational position.
A method of moving a working platform of an elevator car between a stowed position above an interior space defined by the elevator car, for accommodating passengers and/or cargo, and a position within the interior space in which the working platform is usable by a maintenance person, the method comprising:
- moving the working platform between the stowed position and an operational position, within the interior space, using a tension member, wherein movement is in response to releasing a stopper mechanism associated with the tension member
- moving the stopper mechanism between a closed configuration and an open configuration to control movement of the working platform, wherein:
- when the stopper mechanism is in the closed configuration, movement of the working platform via the tension member is prevented, and
- when the stopper mechanism is in the open configuration, movement of the working platform via the tension member is allowed;
- and
- moving a support member between a stowed position and a supporting position, wherein the support member is arranged to support the working platform from below when the support member is in the supporting position and the working platform is in the operational position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.