Apron device, elevator car and method for protecting from falling into elevator shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330912-B2
Application number	US-202418749067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2024
Priority date	Jan 20, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

An apron device, an elevator car and method of protecting falling into an elevator shaft. The apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element which are both located under a door sill of an elevator car. The elements form together a bending stiff sleeve structure which can move in relation to the elevator car. The first protective element can lift the second protective element being closer to the elevator car. When the second protective element is lifted, its upper part moves in transversal direction towards a space below a bottom of the elevator car. The first protective element is moved only in vertical direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apron device of an elevator for preventing falling into an elevator shaft;
wherein the apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element, which are both vertically orientated;
the first protective element is mountable at a distance from a bottom of an elevator car;
the second protective element is located above the first protective element;
the first and second protective elements are mountable movably in relation to the bottom of the elevator car;
and the first and second protective elements are made of rigid material and are thereby provided with bending stiffness;
wherein the first protective element comprises at least one vertical first support for supporting the first protective element vertically movably to the elevator car;
the first protective element is configured to move only in vertical direction together with the mentioned vertical first support;
and wherein at least part of the second protective element is configured to move in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.

2. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the second protective element has a sliced configuration comprising several horizontal slats connected to each other by means of joints allowing relative turning movement between the slats.

3. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the apron device comprises guide surfaces for guiding the second protective element from vertical position to transverse position under the bottom of the elevator car.

4. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the apron device comprises a reeling device for reeling the second protective element at least partly under the elevator car.

5. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the apron device comprises at least one return spring for ensuring return movement of at least the second protective element from the inactive position to the vertical active position.

6. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first protective element is a rigid one piece plate-like element having vertical orientation and movement path.

7. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first protective element comprises a first component and a second component which are configured to slide vertically in relation to each other, whereby vertical dimension of the first protective element is dependent on relative positions of the mentioned first and second components.

8. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first protective element comprises two vertical first supports, which are fixedly mounted at opposite end portions of the first protective element; and
the first supports are supportable movably to the elevator car and at least vertical upper end portions of the first supports are allowed to move above the bottom of the elevator car.

9. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first and second protective elements are made of metallic material.

10. An elevator car of a traction elevator,
wherein the elevator car is suspended from suspension rope, is supported to walls of an elevator shaft and is movable vertically between several landings;
and the elevator car comprises:
at least one door opening;
a bottom;
at least one apron device which is located at the at least one door opening and is configured to prevent falling into the elevator shaft when there is a gap between the bottom and the landing;
wherein
the apron device is in accordance with claim 1 .

11. A method of protecting from falling into an elevator shaft;
the method comprising:
providing an elevator car with an apron device below an elevator car wherein the apron device comprises a first protective element and a second protective element both made of bending stiff rigid material and being orientated vertically;
arranging the first protective element at a vertical distance from a bottom of an elevator car in the elevator shaft and arranging the second protective element above the first protective element;
and retracting full vertical extension of the apron device in response to situation wherein the elevator car moves to its lowermost movement position and the first protective element becomes in contact with immovable structures at the elevator shaft;
characterized by
hanging the first protective element below the second protective element and supporting the first protective element to the elevator car by means of at least one first vertical first support;
moving the first protective element only in vertical direction in relation to the bottom of the elevator car;
lifting the second protective element by the vertical movement of the first protective element; and
moving at least part of the second protective element in transverse direction in response to upward directed vertical movement of the first protective element.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized by
guiding at least a top part of the second protective element below the bottom of the elevator car when the first protective element strikes a bottom of a pit of the elevator shaft and lifts upwards in relation to the downwardly moving elevator car.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized by
reeling the second protective element by means of a reeling device which is located under a door sill or under a bottom of the elevator car.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized by
providing the apron device with at least one return spring and moving the apron device to extended state after being retracted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11 , characterized by
providing the second protective element with at least two elements and allowing them to be turned relative to each other when moving the second protective element to retracted position below a bottom of the elevator car.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Talonen Tapani

Classifications

• B66B11/0226

  Constructional features, e.g. walls assembly, decorative panels, comfort equipment, thermal or sound insulation · CPC title

• B66B13/285 Primary

  Toe guards or apron devices · CPC title