US 5,020,639 AGranted

Method of, and apparatus for, absorbing vibrations in cars of high-speed elevators

AssigneeInventio AG

InventorAime Michel

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The elevator car contains an elevator car body substantially horizontally supported at low friction at a support frame. The elevator car body is supported at a bottom yoke of the support frame by, for example, three hydraulic suspension units and is maintained in floating position during travel of the elevator car. During such travel, only the support frame carries out substantially horizontally directed thrust movements or vibrations which are generated by the associated guide rails, whereas the elevator car body remains in position or at rest due to its mass inertia and the low friction support. The floating elevator car body can be displaced into predeterminate positions by means of actuating cylinders. During travel of the elevator car, the floating elevator car body is displaced into a position spaced at a greater distance from the elevator shaft wall on the side of the elevator door for increasing the movement clearance. During approach to a destination floor or landing, the elevator car body is displaced into a position closer to the elevator shaft wall for reducing the entrance gap. The elevator car body is mechanically locked into a fixed position relative to the support frame prior to the mechanical coupling of the elevator door. '

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of supporting at low friction an elevator car body at a support frame of an elevator car, comprising the steps of:

floatingly supporting the elevator car body at the support frame during travel of the elevator car;
isolating the elevator car body which is floatingly supported at said support frame, against substantially horizontal movements carried out by said support frame relative to said elevator car body during said travel of said elevator car;
positioning said elevator car body relative to said support frame in at least two predeterminate substantially horizontal positions one of which is a travelling position assumed by said elevator car body during said travel of said elevator car, and another one of which is a stop position assumed by said elevator car body during a stop at a preselected destination of said elevator car;
said step of positioning said elevator car body in said stop position entailing, during approach of said elevator car to said preselected destination, the steps of displacing said elevator car body from said travelling position into said stop position close to a elevator shaft wall and ultimately locking said elevator car in said stop position at said support frame for providing a reduced entrance gap;
said step of positioning said elevator car body in said travelling position entailing, during departure of said elevator car from a predeterminate destination, the step of displacing said elevator car body relative to said support frame from said stop position into said travelling position and thereby providing a predetermined spacing of said elevator car body from said elevator shaft wall;
generating a variable adjusting force for positioning said elevator car body relative to said support frame in said at least two predeterminate positions;
during travel of said elevator car, counteracting and thereby compensating for substantially horizontal relative movements between said elevator car and said support frame by means of said variable adjusting force;
and
varying said variable adjusting force as a function of an offset of the elevator car body from said travelling position.

6 more elements

An apparatus for supporting at low friction an elevator car body at a support frame of an elevator car, comprising:

support means for floatingly supporting the elevator car body at the support frame during travel of said elevator car;
said elevator car body assuming relative to said support frame at least two predeterminate substantially horizontal positions one of which is a travelling position in which said elevator car body is floatingly supported at said support frame during said travel of said elevator car, and another one of which is a stop position in which said elevator car is stopped at a preselected destination of said elevator car;
displacing means for substantially horizontally displacing said elevator car body relative to said support frame between said at least two predeterminate substantially horizontal positions;
adjusting means for generating a variable adjusting force at said displacing means;
said adjusting means generating, during said travel of said elevator car in said travelling position of said elevator car body, as said variable adjusting force, an adjusting force which counteracts and thereby compensates for substantially horizontal relative movements between said elevator car body and said support frame;
and
said adjusting means varying said variable adjusting force as a function of an offset of said elevator car body from said travelling position of said elevator car body relative to said support frame.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.