Unlocking control for a lift floor door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9592995-B2
Application number	US-201313938576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2013
Priority date	Mar 3, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

Control system for disengaging a safety lock of a lift floor door, comprising: a linear actuation unit; at least one plate in elastically deformable material; at least one actuation cable between said actuation unit and said plate; said actuation unit, said plate and said actuation cable being associated with the lift cabin, in which the actuation cable induces a deformed configuration of said plate, and the plate in deformed configuration disengages said safety lock so as to allow the floor door to open.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system configured to disengage a safety lock of a lift floor door associated with an elevator shaft, said safety lock configured to prevent the lift floor door from opening when the safety lock is engaged, said control system comprising:
at least one plate on a lift cabin, the at least one plate being elastically deformable such that the at least one plate is configured to vary between a formed configuration and a deformed configuration in which a center portion thereof protrudes relative to ends thereof, the at least one plate being positioned on an outer wall of the lift cabin such that, when the lift cabin is present and the at least one plate is in the deformed configuration, the center portion of the at least one plate contacts a lever to disengage the safety lock of the lift floor door;
a linear actuator configured to deform the at least one plate to the deformed configuration by providing a force thereto; and
at least one actuation cable connected between said actuator and the at least one plate, the actuation cable configured to transfer the force to the at least one plate.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plate has a flat shape in the form of a substantially elongated rectangle.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one plate is made from spring steel.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one plate is made from elastically deformable plastic material.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one plate comprises:
a fixed end that is firmly attached to a fixed support, and
a mobile end that is firmly attached to a mobile support, the mobile support configured to slide linearly in a direction parallel to the at least one plate, the mobile support being connected to said actuation cable.

6. The control system according to claim 5 , wherein the mobile support is configured to cause the at least one plate to vary configurations between the formed configuration and the deformed configuration in response to the linear sliding of mobile support, and
the at least one plate is configured to selectively engage and disengage said safety lock based on the configuration of the at least one plate.

7. A lift comprising: the control system according to claim 1 ; and a lift cabin in an elevator shaft.

8. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises:
a motor housed in a container fixed to the lift cabin; said motor configured to linearly actuate a pin, the pin having an eyelet that pulls a cylinder forwards or backwards;
at least one cable having a first end and a second end, the first end of the at least one cable being fixed to said cylinder and the second end of the cable being fixed to the mobile support of a respective one of the at least one plate.

9. The control system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of the at least one plate, each of the at least one plate being connected to the actuator with a respective one of the at least one actuation cables, each of the at least one plate being arranged on different sides of the cabin, so as to allow floor doors positioned on different sides of a well to open irrespective an opening direction of the floor doors.

10. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one plate is flat when the at least one plate is in the formed configuration and the at least one plate is curved when the at least one plate is in the deformed configuration.

11. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the safety lock of the floor door comprises:
a bolt configured to move between a first position that locks the floor door and a second position that unlocks the floor door; and
a rolling lever configured to move the bolt between the first position and the second position as the at least one plate varies between the formed configuration and the deformed configuration.

12. A lock controller comprising:
a mobile support configured to slide in a first direction; and
at least one deformable plate having a first end connected to the mobile support, the at least one deformable plate configured to vary, in response to the mobile support sliding in the first direction, a shape thereof between a first configuration where the at least one deformable plate is flat and a second configuration where the at least one deformable plate is curved such that the at least one deformable plate selectively applies pressure, via a lever, to a safety lock of a floor door of an elevator shaft based on whether the at least one deformable plate is in the first configuration or the second configuration, the safety lock configured to selectively allow the floor door to open in response to the pressure from the at least one deformable plate.

13. The lock controller of claim 12 , wherein the lock controller is positioned on a lift cabin.

14. The lock controller of claim 13 , wherein the lock controller further comprises:
a linear actuator configured to apply a force, via an actuation cable, to the at least one deformable plate such that the at least one deformable plate applies the pressure to the safety lock of the floor door, if when the lift cabin is aligned with the floor door.

15. The lock controller of claim 14 , further comprising:
a plurality of the at least one deformable plate, each of the plurality of the at least one deformable plate being arranged on a respective side of at least two sides of the lift cabin, the at least two sides of the lift cabin having an opening that is configured to align with an associated floor door, each of the plurality of the at least one deformable plate configured to selectively apply pressure to a safety lock of the associated floor door based on whether an associated one of the plurality of the at least one deformable plate is in the first configuration or the second configuration, the pressure configured to allow the associated floor door to open irrespective of an opening direction of the floor door.

Assignees

• Fierri Gabriel
• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Fierri Gabriel

Classifications

• B66B13/20 Primary

  Lock mechanisms actuated mechanically by abutments or projections on the cages · CPC title

• B66B5/00 Primary

  Applications of checking, fault-correcting, or safety devices in elevators · CPC title