Elevator roller guide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725281-B2
Application number	US-201114238855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2011
Priority date	Aug 24, 2011
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

An exemplary vertically moveable elevator system component includes a top portion, a bottom portion and a plurality of vertically oriented side portions between the top and bottom portions. At least one of the side portions includes a roller guide support sheet. A first roller guide roller is supported by the sheet such that the first roller is at least partially disposed on a first side of the sheet and an axis of the first roller is generally parallel with the sheet. Second and third rollers are supported by the sheet such that the second and third rollers are on a second, oppositely facing side of the sheet. An axis of each of the second and third rollers is generally perpendicular to the axis of the first roller. The axis of each of the second and third roller remains in a fixed position relative to the sheet.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vertically moveable elevator cab, comprising:
a top portion comprising a ceiling of the cab;
a bottom portion comprising a floor of the cab;
a plurality of vertically oriented portions each respectively comprising a sidewall of the cab, the side portions respectively having a side portion length that is at least as long as a distance between the top and bottom portions, at least one of the side portions comprising a vertically oriented sheet having a vertically extending sheet length at least as long as the side portion length, the sheet establishing a roller guide support;
a first roller at least partially disposed on a first side of the sheet, an axis of the first roller at least partially passing through at least one roller support arm extending away from the first side of the sheet, the axis being generally parallel with another portion of the sheet, wherein the roller support arm is a bent portion of the sheet; and
second and third rollers supported by the sheet such that the second and third rollers are on a second, oppositely facing side of the sheet with an axis of each of the second and third rollers generally perpendicular to the axis of the first roller, the axis of each of the second and third rollers always remaining in a single location that is in a fixed position relative to the sheet,
wherein the first side of the sheet establishes an interior of at least some of the at least one sidewall and the oppositely facing second side establishes an exterior of at least some of the at least one sidewall.

2. The elevator cab of claim 1 , wherein the sheet includes mounting features for securing the second and third rollers on the second side of the sheet.

3. The elevator cab of claim 2 , wherein the mounting features comprise mounting holes through the sheet, one of the mounting holes receiving a portion of the second roller and another of the mounting holes receiving a portion of the third roller.

4. The elevator cab of claim 3 , wherein the sheet comprises a boss near each of the mounting holes for spacing a wheel portion of a corresponding roller at a desired distance from the second side of the sheet.

5. The elevator cab of claim 2 , wherein the sheet comprises an opening between the mounting features and the first roller partially protrudes through the opening such that at least some of a wheel portion of the first roller is exposed on the second side of the sheet.

6. The elevator cab of claim 1 , wherein the roller support arm is cantilevered from the first side of the sheet.

7. The elevator cab of claim 1 , wherein the at least one side portion comprises flanges spaced from the second side and the second and third rollers are each at least partially received between the second side and a corresponding one of the flanges.

8. The elevator cab of claim 7 , wherein the flanges comprise bent portions of the sheet.

9. The elevator cab of claim 1 , wherein
a second one of the sidewalls on an opposite side of the cab from the one of the sidewalls comprises a second roller guide support sheet;
another first roller is supported by the second sheet at least partially disposed on a first side of the second sheet with an axis generally parallel with the second sheet; and
another second roller and another third roller are each supported by the second sheet on a second, oppositely facing side of the second sheet with axes generally perpendicular to the second sheet.

10. The elevator cab of claim 1 , wherein the cab includes an interior space having a vertical extent between the ceiling and the floor and wherein the second and third rollers are at least partially disposed at a vertical position that overlaps with the vertical extent of the interior of the cab.

11. The elevator cab of claim 1 , comprising a frame that supports the cab and wherein the side portion is an upright of the frame.

12. An elevator cab, comprising:
a floor;
a ceiling;
a plurality of sidewalls each having a height extending between the floor and the ceiling, at least one of the sidewalls at least partially established by a vertically oriented sheet having a vertically extending length at least as long as the height, the sheet establishing a roller guide support;
a first roller guide roller supported by a bent portion of the sheet such that the first roller is at least partially disposed on a first side of the sheet and an axis of the first roller at least partially passes through the bent portion of the sheet and is generally parallel with another portion of the sheet; and
second and third roller guide rollers supported by the sheet such that the second and third rollers are on a second, oppositely facing side of the sheet with an axis of each of the second and third rollers generally perpendicular to the axis of the first roller,
wherein
the axes of the second and third rollers at least partially pass through openings in the sheet; and

the openings remain in a single, fixed position relative to the sheet.

13. The elevator cab of claim 12 , wherein the sheet comprises a boss for spacing a wheel portion of the second roller at a desired distance from the second side of the sheet.

14. An elevator cab comprising:
a ceiling;
a floor;
a plurality of vertically oriented sidewalls each having a length that is at least as long as a distance between the ceiling and the floor of the cab, at least one of the sidewalls comprising a vertically oriented sheet having a vertically extending sheet length at least as long as the length of the sidewall, a first side of the sheet establishing an interior of at least some of the at least one sidewall and an oppositely facing, second side of the at least one sheet establishing an exterior of at least some of the at least one sidewall, the sheet establishing a roller guide support;
a first roller supported by the sheet such that the first roller is at least partially disposed on the first side of the sheet and an axis of the first roller is generally parallel with the at least one sidewall; and
second and third rollers supported by the sheet such that the second and third rollers are on the second side with an axis of each of the second and third rollers generally perpendicular to the at least one sidewall, the axis of each of the second and third rollers being in a single, permanent location relative to the sheet,
wherein a bent portion of the sheet establishes at least one roller support arm extending away from the first side of the sheet, the first roller being supported by the roller support arm.

15. The elevator cab of claim 14 , wherein the roller support arm is cantilevered from the first side of the sheet.

16. An elevator cab comprising:
a ceiling;
a floor;
a plurality of vertically oriented sidewalls each having a length that is at least as long as a distance between the ceiling and the floor of the cab, at least one of the sidewalls comprising a vertically oriented sheet having a vertically extending sheet length at least as long as the length of the sidewall, a first side of the sheet establishing an interior of at least some of the at least one sidewall and an oppositely facing, second side of the at least one sheet establishing an exterior of at least some of the at least one sidewall, the sheet establishing a roller guide support;
a first roller supported by the sheet such that the first roller is at least partially disposed on a first side of the sheet and an axis of the first roller is generally parallel with the at least one sidewall; and
second and third rollers supported by the sheet such that the second and third rollers are on the seco

Assignees

• Fargo Richard N
• Pitts John T
• Hubbard James L
• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Fargo Richard N
• Pitts John T
• Hubbard James L

Classifications

• B66B7/046 Primary

  Rollers · CPC title

• B66B7/02

  Guideways; Guides (arrangements in mine shafts E21D7/02) · CPC title

• B66B11/02

  Cages, {i.e. cars}(doors, gates or other apparatus controlling access to, or exit from, cages B66B13/00) · CPC title