Elevator entryway with magnetic guidance for controlling door panel motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11148907-B2
Application number	US-201916275837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2019
Priority date	Feb 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed is an elevator system having: a door panel configured for moving along a first axis for opening and closing of the door panel at an entryway, the door panel having a door magnet, the entryway including a sill, the sill having a sill magnet, wherein the door magnet and the sill magnet are configured for forming a first magnetic pairing, and wherein the first magnetic pairing guides the door panel to move along the first axis and prevents the door panel from moving in a lateral direction with respect to the first axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator system comprising:
a door panel configured for moving along a first axis for opening and closing of the door panel at an entryway, the door panel comprising a door magnet,
the entryway including a sill, the sill having a sill magnet, wherein the door magnet and the sill magnet are configured for forming a first magnetic pairing, and
wherein the first magnetic pairing guides the door panel to move along the first axis and prevents the door panel from moving in a lateral direction with respect to the first axis, wherein:
the sill includes a sill enclosure that is sealed, and the sill magnet is within the sill enclosure; and
the sill enclosure includes a track that extends along the first axis and the sill magnet is movable along the track for traveling in the first axis with the door magnet when the door is opening and closing.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the sill is without inset guide grooves.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the door panel comprises a base and the door magnet is at or proximate the base.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sill magnet is movably supported on the track by at least one roller.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the door magnet is a first set of magnets that comprises a first magnet and a second magnet spaced along the first axis by a first distance,
the sill magnet is a second set of magnets that comprises a third magnet and a fourth magnet that are spaced along the first axis by the first distance,
whereby as the door panel moves along the first axis, the first magnet is aligned with the third magnet and the second magnet is aligned with the fourth magnet.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are spaced by a mechanical spacer that extend along the first axis.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the track includes a pair of track rails, including a first track rail and a second track rail, the pair of track rails extending along the first axis and being spaced from each other in the lateral direction; and
the third magnet and the fourth magnet each comprise:
a first roller of the at least one roller, the first roller traveling on the first track rail; and
a second roller of the at least one roller, the second roller traveling on the second track rail.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first roller and the second roller are each a pair of rollers.

9. A method of configuring an elevator system comprising:
configuring a door panel for moving along a first axis for opening and closing of the door panel at an entryway, the door panel comprising a door magnet, wherein the entryway includes a sill, the sill includes a sill magnet, and
configuring the door magnet and the sill magnet for forming a first magnetic pairing, wherein the first magnetic pairing guides the door panel to move along the first axis and prevents the door panel from moving in a lateral direction with respect to the first axis, wherein:
the sill includes a sill enclosure that is sealed, and the sill magnet is within the sill enclosure; and
the sill enclosure includes a track that extends along the first axis and the sill magnet is movable along the track for traveling in the first axis with the door magnet when the door is opening and closing.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a top surface of the sill is without inset guide grooves.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the door panel comprises a base and the door magnet is at or proximate the base.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the sill magnet is movably supported on the track by at least one roller.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the door magnet is a first set of magnets that comprises a first magnet and a second magnet spaced along the first axis by a first distance,
the sill magnet is a second set of magnets that comprises a third magnet and a fourth magnet that are spaced along the first axis by the first distance,
whereby as the door panel moves along the first axis, the first magnet is aligned with the third magnet and the second magnet is aligned with the fourth magnet.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are spaced by a mechanical spacer that extend along the first axis.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the track includes a pair of track rails, including a first track rail and a second track rail, the pair of track rails extending along the first axis and being spaced from each other in the lateral direction; and
the third magnet and the fourth magnet each comprise:
a first roller of the at least one roller, the first roller traveling on the first track rail; and
a second roller of the at least one roller, the second roller traveling on the second track rail.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first roller and the second roller are each a pair of rollers.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Schmidt Walter Thomas
• Chmiel James

Classifications

• B66B13/301 Primary

  Details of door sills · CPC title

• B66B5/0018

  Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B13/14 Primary

  Control systems or devices · CPC title

• B66B13/30

  Constructional features of doors or gates (of interest apart from this application E06B) · CPC title

• B66B13/08 Primary

  guided for horizontal movement · CPC title