Elevator braking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821983-B2
Application number	US-200913509288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2009
Priority date	Dec 23, 2009
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

An exemplary elevator braking device comprises a brake housing. A plurality of rollers are supported by the brake housing. The rollers are arranged to be positioned on opposite sides of a guiderail. The rollers are selectively moveable between a first position in which the rollers are spaced apart a first distance and a second position in which the rollers are spaced apart a second, smaller distance so that the rollers engage and roll along opposite sides of the guiderail. At least one biasing member is supported by the brake housing. The biasing member is associated with at least one of the rollers and biases the associated roller toward the other roller in the second position. A plurality of braking surfaces are supported by the brake housing. At least one braking surface is associated with each of the rollers. Each braking surface engages a periphery of the associated roller that faces the side of the guiderail. Friction between the periphery of the associated roller and the braking surface provides a stopping force.

First claim

We claim:

1. An elevator braking device comprising:
a brake housing;
at least one roller supported by the brake housing, the roller being selectively moveable between a first position in which the roller does not engage a guide rail and a second position in which the roller engages and rolls along the guide rail;
at least one biasing member supported by the brake housing, associated with the at least one roller and biasing the roller toward the guide rail in the second position; and
at least one braking surface supported by the brake housing and engaging a periphery of the roller that faces the guide rail such that friction between the periphery of the roller and the braking surface provides a stopping force for stopping vertical movement of an associated elevator car or counterweight.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member is deformable responsive to the roller moving into the second position.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the biasing member includes at least a portion of the braking surface.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the biasing member comprises a leaf spring.

5. The device of claim 1 , comprising
at least one braking member supported in the housing and comprising at least a portion of the braking surface.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the roller periphery has a first portion that engages a side of the guide rail and a second portion that engages the braking surface.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first portion of the roller periphery has a first outside diameter and the second portion has a second, smaller outside diameter such that only the first portion engages the guide rail and wherein the braking surface only engages the second portion.

8. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one braking member comprises a cylindrical braking member having a contour corresponding to a contour of the roller periphery.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the cylindrical braking member is supported by the housing such that the cylindrical braking member is fixed relative to the housing.

10. The device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one biasing member has a countour corresponding to a contour of the roller periphery.

11. The device of claim 1 , comprising
a plurality of rollers supported by the brake housing and arranged to be positioned on opposite sides of the guide rail, the rollers being selectively moveable between the first position in which the rollers are spaced apart a first distance and the second position in which the rollers are spaced apart a second, smaller distance so that the rollers can engage and roll along opposite sides of the guide rail.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one biasing member biases each of the rollers toward a corresponding side of the guide rail in the second position.

13. The device of claim 11 , comprising at least one braking surface associated with each of the rollers, each braking surface engaging a periphery of the associated roller that faces the side of the guide rail such that friction between the periphery of the associated roller and the braking surface provides the stopping force.

14. A method of decelerating a vertically moving mass in an elevator system, comprising the steps of:
providing at least one braking device on the vertically moving mass, the braking device having at least one roller that engages a surface of a guide rail;
biasing the roller toward the guide rail;
permitting the roller to roll along the guide rail without sliding along the rail; and
applying a braking force to a periphery of the roller that faces the surface of the guide rail using at least one braking surface that engages the periphery of the roller, the braking force providing a stopping force to stop vertical movement of the mass.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising
providing the braking surface on a biasing member that biases the roller toward the guide rail.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the roller peripheries each include a first portion that engages only the guide rail and a second portion that engages only the braking surface.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the roller peripheries each include a first portion that engages only the guide rail and a second portion that engages only the at least one braking surface.

18. The method of claim 14 , comprising
progressively increasing the applied braking force.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the braking device comprises a plurality of rollers and at least one of the rollers is on each of oppositely facing surfaces on the guide rail, each of the rollers is biased toward the guide rail and the braking force is applied to each of the rollers.

20. The method of claim 14 , comprising
providing the braking surface on a braking member that is supported by a housing that supports the rollers.

Assignees

• Billard Justin
• Draper James M
• Cooney Anthony
• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Billard Justin
• Draper James M
• Cooney Anthony

Classifications

• B66B5/22 Primary

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