Catching device for a traveling body, elevator system having a catching device and method for unblocking a catching device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11807496-B2
Application number	US-201816765193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2018
Priority date	Dec 7, 2017
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A catching device for a traveling body in an elevator system and a method for unblocking the catching device include at least two retaining units that can be brought into a blocked state and into an unblocked state, the retaining units retaining the traveling body on a rail in the blocked state. The retaining units are connected to the traveling body such that each of the retaining units and the traveling body can be slid relative to each other within a limited sliding displacement. A first sliding displacement of a first of the retaining units is longer than a second sliding displacement of a second of the retaining units.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A catching device for a traveling body comprising:
first and second retaining means,
the first retaining means actuatable between a blocked state and an unblocked state and being adapted, in the blocked state, to clamp and retain the traveling body on a first rail;
the second retaining means actuatable between a blocked state and an unblocked state and being adapted, in the blocked state, to clamp and retain the traveling body on a second rail;
where the first retaining means and the traveling body are slidable relative to one another within a limited first sliding displacement in a direction of movement of the traveling body along the first rail when the first retaining means is mounted on the traveling body,
and where the second retaining means and the traveling body are slidable relative to one another within a limited second sliding displacement in a direction of movement of the traveling body along the second rail when the second retaining means is mounted on the traveling body,
and the limited first sliding displacement is longer than the limited second sliding displacement by an incremental distance,
wherein, to actuate the first and second retaining means from the blocked state to the unblocked state, the traveling body is set in motion relative to the first and second retaining means, and when the traveling body traverses the limited second sliding displacement the second retaining means is released from the second rail into the unblocked state, and when the traveling body further traverses the incremental distance the first retaining means is released from the first rail into the unblocked state.

2. The catching device according to claim 1 including at least one of for the first retaining means an upper stop forming an upper limit of the first sliding displacement and a lower stop forming a lower limit of the first sliding displacement and for the second retaining means an upper stop forming an upper limit of the second sliding displacement and a lower stop forming a lower limit of the second sliding displacement, and wherein the upper and lower stops are firmly connected to the traveling body.

3. The catching device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second retaining means are connected to the traveling body for sliding relative to the traveling body within the first and second sliding displacements respectively that are each delimited by an upper stop and a lower stop.

4. The catching device according to claim 1 wherein the first sliding displacement is up to 1.5 times as long as the second sliding displacement.

5. The catching device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second retaining means are electromechanical retaining means that, in a deactivated state, release the first and second retaining means for braking into the blocked state.

6. The catching device according to claim 5 including electromagnetic holding devices that interact with the electromechanical retaining means to keep the electromagnetic holding devices open in an energized state of the electromagnetic holding devices and wherein the electromechanical retaining means are released for braking into the blocked state when electrical power to the electromagnetic holding devices is turned off.

7. The catching device according to claim 1 including a spring element arranged on each of the first and second retaining means and pressing the first and second retaining means against an upper stop that delimits the limited sliding displacement.

8. The catching device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second retaining means are adapted for braking in two directions of movement of the traveling body.

9. An elevator system comprising:
the catching device mounted on the traveling body according to claim 1 ;
the first and second rails along which the traveling body moves; and
the catching device being adapted to clamp and retain the traveling body on the first and second rails in a blocked state of the catching device.

10. The elevator system according to claim 9 wherein the first and second retaining means are mounted on the traveling body to clamp on the first and second rails respectively and wherein the first and second rails are arranged on opposite sides of the traveling body.

11. A method for unblocking a catching device of an elevator system comprising the steps of:
mounting the catching device on the traveling body according to claim 1 ; and
when the first and second retaining means of the catching device are in the blocked state, moving the traveling body in a second direction opposite a first direction of movement of the traveling body before the first and second retaining means assumed the blocked state to actuate the first retaining means into the unblocked state later than actuating the second retaining means into the unblocked state.

12. The method according to claim 11 including moving the traveling body relative to the first retaining means over the first sliding displacement that is longer than the second sliding displacement.

13. The method according to claim 11 including before moving the traveling body in the second direction moving the traveling body in the first direction to tension the first and second retaining means.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein the first and second retaining means are electromechanical retaining means and including the steps of:
activating electromagnetic holding means for holding the electromechanical retaining means in a ready position;
moving the traveling body in the first direction of travel to tension or re-tension the electromechanical retaining means; and
moving the traveling body in the second direction opposite to the first direction to unblock the electromechanical retaining means and bring the electromechanical retaining means into the ready position to be held by the activated electromagnetic holding devices.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein the traveling body is connected to a counterweight via a suspension rope driven by a drive unit, and wherein after a downward travel of the traveling body and actuation of the first and second retaining means into the blocked state, lifting the counterweight and then moving the counterweight downward to actuate the first and second retaining means into the unblocked state.

16. An elevator system comprising:
first and second guide rails along which a traveling body moves in a direction of movement;
first and second retaining means,
the first retaining means actuatable between a blocked state and an unblocked state and being adapted, in the blocked state, to clamp and retain the traveling body on the first guide rail,
the second retaining means actuatable between a blocked state and an unblocked state and being adapted, in the blocked state, to clamp and retain the traveling body on the second guide rail;
first and second upper stops fixedly coupled to the traveling body; and
first and second lower stops positioned relative to the traveling body by first and second positioning screws;
where the first retaining means and the traveling body are slidable relative to one another within a limited first sliding displacement in the direction of movement of the traveling body along the first rail when the first retaining means is mounted on the traveling body, wherein the limited first sliding displacement is delimited by the first upper stop and the first lower stop,
and where the second retaining means and the traveling body are slidable relative to one another within a limited second sliding displacement in the direction of movement of th

Assignees

• Inventio Ag

Inventors

• Steiner Adrian
• Schuler Christoph
• Meierhans Daniel
• Stähli Julian
• Müller Philipp

Classifications

• B66B5/22 Primary

  by means of linearly-movable wedges (B66B5/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B66B5/16

  Braking or catch devices operating between cars, cages, or skips and fixed guide elements or surfaces in hoistway or well · CPC title