Braking device for braking a hoisted object relative to a guide member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016200549-A1
Application number	US-201314911167-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2013
Priority date	Sep 11, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A braking device is operable to aid in braking a hoisted object relative to a guide member. The braking device includes a mounting structure connected to the hoisted object, and first and second brake pads positioned on the mounting structure on opposing sides of a passageway through which the guide member extends. The first and second brake pads each include a contact surface that is operable to frictionally engage the guide member. The second brake pad engages the mounting structure in a manner that enables the second brake pad to move relative to the mounting structure between a non-braking position and a braking position. The braking device includes a brake initiator that is selectively operable to initiate movement of the second brake pad from the non-braking position toward the braking position by selectively actuating an actuatable portion of the brake initiator from a non-deployed position to a deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A braking device that is operable to aid in braking a hoisted object relative to a guide member, comprising:
a mounting structure connected to the hoisted object; a first brake pad and a second brake pad, wherein the first and second brake pads are positioned on the mounting structure so that they are on opposing sides of a passageway through which the guide member extends, wherein the first and second brake pads each comprise a contact surface that is operable to frictionally engage the guide member, and wherein the second brake pad engages the mounting structure in a manner that enables the second brake pad to move relative to the mounting structure between a non-braking position and a braking position; and a brake initiator that is selectively operable to initiate movement of the second brake pad from the non-braking position toward the braking position by selectively actuating an actuatable portion of the brake initiator from a non-deployed position to a deployed position.

2 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein in the non-braking position, the contact surface of the second brake pad does not frictionally engage the guide member.

3 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein in the braking position, the contact surface of the second brake pad frictionally engages the guide member.

4 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the contact surface of the second brake pad and the passageway progressively decreases as the second brake pad is moved from the non-braking position to the braking position.

5 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the first brake pad is statically connected to the mounting structure.

6 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the braking device is configured so that when the contact surface of the second brake pad frictionally engages the guide member, the second brake pad is caused to move relative to the mounting structure of the braking device.

7 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the second brake pad includes a brake pad base portion and a brake pad contact portion, wherein the brake pad contact portion forms the contact surface of the moveable brake pad, and wherein the brake pad contact portion is moveable relative to the brake pad base portion between a non-compressed position and a compressed position.

8 . The braking device of claim 7 , wherein a compression spring extends between the brake pad contact portion and the brake pad base portion, and wherein the compression spring biases the brake pad contact portion towards the non-compressed position.

9 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the mounting structure comprises a positioning plate that has a brake pad positioning channel, and wherein the second brake pad comprises a positioning member that engages the brake pad positioning channel to guide movement of the second brake pad as it is moved between the non-braking position and the braking position.

10 . The braking device of claim 9 , wherein the brake pad positioning channel extends along an axis that is disposed at an angle relative to the passageway.

11 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the mounting structure comprises a guide plate that defines a surface that extends along an axis that is disposed at an angle relative to the passageway, wherein a plurality of a roller elements are positioned between the second brake pad and the guide plate, and wherein the second brake pad engages the roller elements to guide movement of the second brake pad as it is moved between the non-braking position and the braking position.

12 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein in the non-deployed position, a contact surface of the brake initiator does not frictionally engage the guide member.

13 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein in the deployed position, a contact surface of the brake initiator frictionally engages the guide member.

14 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the braking device is configured to automatically return the actuatable portion of the brake initiator to the non-deployed position from the deployed position as the second brake pad moves from the non-braking position toward the braking position.

15 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the braking device is configured so that the actuatable portion of the brake initiator is automatically returned to the non-deployed position from the deployed position after the actuatable portion is mistakenly actuated from the non-deployed position to the deployed position.

16 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the actuatable portion of the brake initiator comprises an initiator piston and an initiator housing that is connected to the second brake shoe, wherein the initiator piston engages an inner wall of the initiator housing, and wherein the actuatable portion of the brake initiator is biased toward the deployed position by an initiator compression spring that extends between the initiator piston and the inner wall of the initiator housing.

17 . The braking device of claim 16 , wherein the brake initiator additionally comprises a latch device that is disposed relative to the actuatable portion of the brake initiator, and wherein the latch device is operable to selectively prevent the actuatable portion of the brake initiator from moving from the non-deployed position to the deployed position.

18 . The braking device of claim 17 , wherein the latch device comprises a latch piston and a latch compression spring, wherein the latch piston is selectively actuatable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the latch compression spring extends between the latch piston and a wall of a chamber formed in the initiator piston to bias the latch piston towards the latched position, wherein the latch piston engages a first portion of a channel formed in the initiator housing when the latch piston is in the latched position, and wherein the latch piston engages a second portion of the channel formed in the initiator housing when the latch piston is in the unlatched position.

19 . The braking device of claim 18 , wherein the latch device comprises a latch lever arm that is pivotably connected to the initiator housing, wherein the latch lever arm is selectively actuatable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the latch lever arm is biased toward the latched position by a spring, wherein a portion of the latch lever arm extends through a channel disposed in the initiator housing to engage a flange formed in the initiator piston when the latch lever arm is in the latched position, and wherein the latch lever arm does not engage the flange formed in the initiator piston when the latch lever is in the unlatched position.

20 . The braking device of claim 1 , wherein the braking device is operable to be electronically controlled by a control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted to selectively provide signals to the braking device to selectively actuate the actuatable portion of the brake initiator from a non-deployed position to a deployed position.

21 . The braking device of claim 20 , wherein the control unit is operable to selectively provide signals to the braking device in response to a velocity signal received from a velocity sensing device.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Billard Justin
• Marvin Daryl J
• Dube Randall S

Classifications

• B66B5/22 Primary

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

• F16D2121/14

  Mechanical · CPC title

• B66B5/24

  by acting on guide ropes or cables · CPC title