Hydraulically activated shutoff valve for a hydraulic elevator system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10647546-B2
Application number	US-201615381484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2016
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

An illustrative example hydraulic elevator system includes an elevator car, a hydraulic plunger associated with the elevator car, a fluid reservoir and a conduit coupling the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger. A pump causes fluid movement through the conduit between the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger to cause selective movement of the elevator car. A shutoff valve is associated with the conduit, the shutoff valve being between the pump and the hydraulic plunger. The shutoff valve has a closed position in which the shutoff valve prevents fluid movement between the hydraulic plunger and at least one of the reservoir and the pump to prevent movement of the elevator car. The shutoff valve has an open position in which the shutoff valve permits fluid movement between the pump and the hydraulic plunger to permit movement of the elevator car. A valve actuator operates based on pressure in at least the hydraulic plunger. The valve actuator selectively causes the shutoff valve to be in the open position or the closed position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A hydraulic elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car;
a hydraulic plunger associated with the elevator car;
a fluid reservoir;
a conduit coupling the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger;
a pump that causes fluid movement through the conduit between the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger to cause selective movement of the elevator car;
a shutoff valve associated with the conduit, the shutoff valve being between the pump and the hydraulic plunger, the shutoff valve having a closed position in which the shutoff valve prevents fluid movement to or from the hydraulic plunger to prevent movement of the elevator car, the shutoff valve having an open position in which the shutoff valve permits fluid movement between the hydraulic plunger and at least one of the pump and the reservoir to permit movement of the elevator car, the shutoff valve including a handle that is moveable to place the shutoff valve into the open position or the closed position; and
a valve actuator that operates based on pressure in the hydraulic plunger for selectively causing the shutoff valve to be in the open position, the valve actuator also operating based on the pressure in the hydraulic plunger for selectively causing the shutoff valve to be in the closed position, the valve actuator comprising a ram coupled with the handle, wherein the pressure causes movement of the ram to cause movement of the handle.

2. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 1 , wherein
the ram includes a piston;
the valve actuator includes at least one control valve that controls fluid movement toward opposite sides of the piston;
the control valve directing fluid toward a first side of the piston to cause movement of the ram for moving the shutoff valve into the closed position; and
the control valve directing fluid toward a second side of the piston to cause movement of the ram for moving the shutoff valve into the open position.

3. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 2 , comprising
a fluid outlet associated with the at least one control valve, the fluid outlet being configured to direct fluid from one side of the piston to the reservoir; and
a check valve that permits fluid flow through the fluid outlet in one direction toward the reservoir and prevents fluid flow in an opposite direction through the fluid outlet.

4. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 2 , wherein
the control valve includes a solenoid that controls whether the control valve directs fluid toward one of the sides of the piston; and
the solenoid is powered by a battery.

5. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 2 , wherein
the control valve has a first position for directing fluid toward the first side of the piston;
the control valve has a second position for directing fluid toward the second side of the piston; and
the control valve has a third position for maintaining a current amount of fluid on each side of the piston when the shutoff valve is in a desired one of the positions.

6. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 1 , comprising
at least one sensor that provides an indication of a position of the ram as an indication of whether the shutoff valve is in the closed position.

7. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the shutoff valve comprises a manually operable ball valve.

8. The hydraulic elevator system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure in the hydraulic plunger is caused by a weight of the elevator car.

9. A hydraulic elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car;
a hydraulic plunger associated with the elevator car;
a fluid reservoir;
a conduit coupling the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger;
a pump that causes fluid movement through the conduit between the fluid reservoir and the hydraulic plunger to cause selective movement of the elevator car;
a shutoff valve associated with the conduit, the shutoff valve being between the pump and the hydraulic plunger, the shutoff valve having a closed position in which the shutoff valve prevents fluid movement to or from the hydraulic plunger to prevent movement of the elevator car, the shutoff valve having an open position in which the shutoff valve permits fluid movement between the hydraulic plunger and at least one of the pump and the reservoir to permit movement of the elevator car; and
a valve actuator that operates based on pressure in the hydraulic plunger for selectively causing the shutoff valve to be in the open position, the valve actuator also operating based on the pressure in the hydraulic plunger for selectively causing the shutoff valve to be in the closed position,
wherein
the shutoff valve has a handle for manually moving the shutoff valve between the open and closed positions;
the handle is at least partially visible from outside the shutoff valve;
the valve actuator is coupled to the handle for moving the handle; and
the valve actuator is coupled to the handle in a manner that allows for visual observation of a position of the handle indicative of a position of the shutoff valve.

10. An assembly for controlling whether an elevator car can move in a hydraulic elevator system in response to a change in hydraulic fluid in a hydraulic plunger associated with the elevator car, the assembly comprising:
a shutoff valve configured to selectively allow or prevent a flow of elevator system hydraulic fluid through the shutoff valve to thereby selectively allow or prevent movement of the elevator car, respectively; and
a valve actuator including
a ram coupled to the shutoff valve in a manner that movement of the ram opens or closes the shutoff valve, and
at least one control valve associated with the ram to selectively allow pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic plunger to cause movement of the ram for selectively opening the shutoff valve and selectively closing the shutoff valve,

wherein
the shutoff valve has an external handle adapted for manual manipulation to open or close the shutoff valve; and
the ram is coupled to the handle in a manner that the movement of the ram causes movement of the handle.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein
the valve actuator includes a chamber and a piston situated for movement in the chamber;
the piston is connected to the ram for movement with the ram;
the control valve selectively controls pressure on opposite sides of the piston to control a position of the ram and whether the shutoff valve is open or closed.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , comprising at least one detector that provides an indication of a position of the piston within the chamber and wherein the indication provides information regarding whether the shutoff valve is open or closed.

13. The assembly of claim 11 , comprising
a fluid outlet associated with the at least one control valve, the fluid outlet being configured to direct fluid away from the chamber; and
a check valve that permits fluid flow through the fluid outlet only away from the chamber and prevents fluid flow in an opposite direction through the fluid outlet.

14. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein
the control valve has a first position for directing fluid toward a first side of the piston;
the control valve has a second position for directing fluid toward a second side of the piston; and
the control valve has a third position for maintaining a current amount of fluid on each side of the piston when the shutoff valve is in a desired one of the positions.

15. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the ram is coupled to the shutoff valve in a manner that allows visual observation of an external component of the shutoff valve which provides a visua

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Shepherd Kevin
• Creel Jr James O'Neal

Classifications

• B66B5/028 Primary

  Safety devices separate from control system in case of power failure, for hydraulical lifts, e.g. braking the hydraulic jack (B66B5/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F15B13/02

  Fluid distribution or supply devices characterised by their adaptation to the control of servomotors · CPC title

• B66B5/0087

  Devices facilitating maintenance, repair or inspection tasks (devices incorporated in the buffer B66B5/288; railings on top of the car B66B11/0226) · CPC title

• B66B9/04 Primary

  actuated pneumatically or hydraulically (platforms for lifting or lowering through short distances B66F7/00) · CPC title

• B66B11/0423

  actuated pneumatically or hydraulically · CPC title