Elevator door restrictor

An elevator comprising in combination:

• a car;
• plurality of flood openings;
• a main elevator control;
• outer doors mounted to floor openings located at different floors to define vertically spaced apart floor zones;
• an inner door mounted to the car, wherein the inner door registers with the outer doors when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones;
• a solenoid mounted to the car and having a plunger for moving to an extended position adjacent to a portion of the inner door to block the inner door from being moved to a fully open position, and for moving to a retracted position away from the portion of the inner door to allow the inner door to be moved to the open position, the solenoid defaulting to the extended position;
• a reflective target mounted proximate to each of the floor zones;
• a first photo sensor mounted to the car for detecting the presence of one of the reflective targets when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones, for emitting a floor zone data signal, and for initiating movement of said inner door by said main elevator control in response thereto;
• a reflective target mounted to the inner door;
• said second photo sensor mounted to the car for detecting the presence of the reflective target on the inner door to determine when the inner door is being moved, and for emitting a door data signal in response thereto;
• and
• a controller operable in response to receiving the floor zone and door data signals for automatically moving the plunger from the extended position to the retracted position when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones and the inner door is being moved.

A method for use witch an elevator of the type having a car, an inner door mounted to the car and outer doors mounted to floor openings located at different floors to define floor zones, wherein the inner door registers with the outer doors when the car is within one of the floor zones, a main elevator control, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a blocking member, a vertical position sensor, an inner door sensor and a controller for operating the blocking member in response to the vertical position sensor and the inner door sensor;
• movably mounting the blocking member to the car, adjacent to the inner door, for selectively moving between an extended position to block the inner door from being moved to a fully open position, and a retracted position for allowing the inner door to be moved to the open position;
• mounting the vertical position sensor to the car for detecting when the car is within one of the floor zones for emitting a floor zone data signal, and for initiating movement of said inner door by said main elevator control in response thereto;
• mounting the inner door sensor to the car for detecting when the inner door is being moved toward the open position and for emitting a door data signal in response thereto;
• connecting the controller to the vertical position sensor, the inner door sensor and the blocking member for operating the blocking member in response to receiving the floor zone data signal and the door data signal;
• moving the car into a first one of the floor zones, with the blocking member disposed in the extended position;
• wherein the vertical position sensor detects the car being disposed within the first one of the floor zones and emits the floor zone data signal in response thereto;
• wherein the inner door sensor detects the inner door being opened and emits the door data signal in response thereto;
• and then
• wherein the controller operates the blocking member to move from the extended position responding into the retracted position only when both of the data signals are being received.

A method for use with an elevator of the type having a car, an inner door mounted to the car, a main elevator control, and outer doors mounted to floor openings located at different floors to define floor zones, wherein the inner door registers with the outer doors when the car is within one of the floor zones, the method comprising the steps of:

• blocking the inner door from fully opening with a blocking member when the car is in motion and when the car is between floor zones;
• detecting when the car is within a floor zone emitting a floor zone data signal, and for initiating movement of said inner door by said main elevator control in response thereto;
• detecting when the inner door starts to open and emitting a door data signal in response thereto;
• and then
• moving the blocking member to an open position in response to receiving both data signals to allow the inner door to open.