Elevator door restrictor

In 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 disposed within one of the floor zones, the improvement comprising:

• an electric solenoid mounted to the car and having a plunger which is mounted adjacent to the inner door, the plunger having a blocking position wherein it moves downward from the solenoid and a released positioned wherein it is drawn upward into the solenoids;
• a striker mounted to the inner door for contacting the plunger while the inner door is being opened and the plunger is in the blocking position and preventing the inner door from being opened, and for allowing the inner door to fully open when the plunger is in the released position;
• a ramp on the striker which forces the plunger to move to the released position when the inner door is being closed and the plunger is in the blocking position;
• and
• an electrical controller for the plunger to move to the blocking position when the inner door is substantially open.

In 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 disposed within one of the floor zones, the improvement comprising:

• an electric solenoid mounted to the car and having a plunger which is mounted adjacent to the inner door, the plunger having a blocking position wherein it moves downward from the solenoid and a released position wherein it is drawn upward into the solenoid;
• a striker mounted to the inner door for contacting the plunger while the inner door is being opened and the plunger is in the blocking position and preventing the inner door from being opened, and for allowing the inner door to fully open when the plunger is in the released position;
• a ramp on the striker which forces the plunger to move to the released position when the inner door is being closed and the plunger is in the blocking position;
• floor zone sensing means for determining when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones, and for emitting a floor zone data signal in response thereto;
• and
• an electric controller operable in response to the floor zone data signal and the door data signal for automatically causing the plunger to move to the released position when the car stops at one of the floor zones.

In an elevator of the type having a car, an inner door mounted to the car and outer doors mounted to floor opening located at different floors to define floor zones, wherein the inner door registers with the outer doors when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones, the improvement comprising:

• an electric solenoid mounted to the car and having a plunger which is mounted adjacent to the inner door, the plunger having a blocking position wherein it moves downward from the solenoid and a released positioned wherein it is drawn upward into the solenoid;
• a striker mounted to the inner door for preventing the inner door from being opened when the plunger is in the blocking position, and for allowing the inner door to fully open when the plunger is in the released position;
• a downwardly-inclied plate on the stker which forces the plunger to move to the released position when the plunger is in the blocking position and the inner door is being closed;
• floor zone sensing means for determining when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones, and for emitting a floor zone data signal in response thereto;
• an electric controller operable in response to the floor zone data signal for automatically moving the plunger to the released position when the car stops at one of the floor zones.