With Barrier For Regulating Access To Load Support Patents (Class 187/313)
  • Patent number: 7210564
    Abstract: In a fire control system for an elevator, the time for the fire and smoke to reach the elevator hall of each floor of a building during fire is pre-calculated as the evacuation time of the floor. When the evacuation time of a floor is longer than the time for making a car respond to a rescue call from the evacuation floor, the floor is judged as a rescue floor, and when shorter, the floor is judged as a non-rescue floor. Furthermore, the order in which the rescue is carried out among the rescue floors is determined. Accordingly, it is possible to rescue remainders on a rescue floor using an elevator as an evacuation means. Moreover, since rescue operation by the elevator is performed with the order of rescue determined, rescue operation suitable for the conditions of the fire can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Dabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoji Kawai
  • Patent number: 7178638
    Abstract: A car door apparatus of an elevator includes a pair of door panels, a door drive device, and a door-opening mechanism. The pair of door panels open and close a doorway of the car of the elevator. The door drive device drives the door panels to open and close the doorway using electric power. When the car is stopped in an emergency in which a power source for driving the elevator is shut off, the door-opening mechanism starts up the door drive device using a secondary battery to move the door panels in the opening direction by a predetermined distance respectively to make a predetermined clearance between the door panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Fujita, Kenzo Tonoki, Norihito Togashi
  • Patent number: 7152713
    Abstract: An elevator door system for an entrance opening to an elevator cab. The system includes a two-part door having an open position and a closed position. The two-part door includes a first door portion for traversing across and covering a portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. The two-part door also includes a second door portion for traversing across and covering another portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. A header track includes a rail with a door track for guiding movement of the first and the second door portions. The door track is held onto the rail of the header track via an S-shaped spring clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventor: Michael G. Miller
  • Patent number: 7143871
    Abstract: An elevator door assembly includes a rail and at least one roller that rolls along the rail to move a door between opened and closed positions, for example. A resilient track is provided on the rail that facilitates more efficient roller movement and increases the longevity of the assembly. In one example, the resilient track includes several pieces of flexible material that are snapped in place onto the rail. In another example, the flexible track is supported on the rail using a spray coating technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: John P. Wesson, Neil R. Baldwin
  • Patent number: 7143870
    Abstract: A door panel comprises a surface board 11 facing a hoistway, a back board 12 facing a hoistway, and a reinforcing member 13 for reinforcing the surface board 11 and the back board 12 . The back board is connected to the surface board or the reinforcing member by a connecting member 15 which is capable of losing the force of constraint against the surface board or the reinforcing member on high temperature conditions during a fire. This connecting member 15 prevents the door panel of the elevator hall door from being deformed during a building fire, and prevents the elevator hall door from falling, thus preventing smoke and flame from entering the hoistway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Watabe, Hisato Ito
  • Patent number: 7025179
    Abstract: An emergency safeguard system for elevator includes an emergency push-button disposed in the elevator car applied to cooperate with an auxiliary control panel and an auxiliary door opening system, furthermore, on the elevator car and in the elevator shaft are provided with photoinduced system and positioning and direction judging system, such that the stranded users are able to extricate themselves from the elevator car under an automatic and safety program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Inventor: Kuei-Tang Shih
  • Patent number: 6988592
    Abstract: A door panel includes a surface board facing a hoistway, a back board facing a hoistway, and a reinforcing member for reinforcing the surface board and the back board. The back board is connected to the surface board or the reinforcing member by a connecting member which is capable of losing the force of constraint against the surface board or the reinforcing member on high temperature conditions during a fire. This connecting member prevents the door panel of the elevator hall door from being deformed during a building fire, and prevents the elevator hall door from falling, thus preventing smoke and flame from entering the hoistway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2006
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masato Watabe, Hisato Ito
  • Patent number: 6971482
    Abstract: When there is a breakdown in either one of first and second power converters supplying electrical power to a multi-winding motor comprising a wind-up mechanism, a rescue operation can be safely and reliably carried out by using the remaining power converter. A wind-up mechanism comprises a two-winding motor having first and second windings, and, during normal operation, power is supplied to the first and second windings from first and second inverters respectively. When the first inverter has broken down due to excessive current, first and second contactors are switched off, and a third contactor comprising a short-circuiting unit is switched on. Consequently, both windings receive power from the second inverter, enabling the rescue operation to be carried out without causing vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Toshiba Elevator Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yasuaki Takeda
  • Patent number: 6945364
    Abstract: An elevator door assembly includes a rail and at least one roller that rolls along the rail to move a door between opened and closed positions, for example. A resilient track is provided on the rail that facilitates more efficient roller movement and increases the longevity of the assembly. In one example, the resilient track includes several pieces of flexible material that are snapped in place onto the rail. In another example, the flexible track is supported on the rail using a spray coating technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: John P. Wesson, Neil R. Baldwin
  • Publication number: 20040216961
    Abstract: A device moves a door seal for a displaceable door panel of an elevator car in an elevator installation with an elevator shaft having shaft doors. The movable door seal is arranged so that the door panel in a closed state is sealed off. The device includes an entrainer unit connected with the door panel and upon stopping of the elevator car at a floor executes a part movement. The device also includes a coupling mechanism mechanically connecting the entrainer unit with the door seal to bring the door seal out of a sealing position into an open position when the entrainer unit executes the part movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Peter J. Spiess, Dario Augugliaro
  • Publication number: 20040211629
    Abstract: A service barrier for elevator equipment and a method for deploying the same, said barrier comprising a floor plate and a plurality of leaves hinged along vertical axes, said floor plate pivotally mounted in front of said elevator equipment and at least one of said plurality of hinged leaves mounted to a side of said elevator equipment, wherein the floor plate is pivotal from a stored position to a substantially horizontal extended position, and said plurality of hinged leaves fold out from a stored position between said stored floor plate and said elevator equipment to an extended position thereby establishing a space in front of said elevator equipment so as to permit maintenance work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Publication date: October 28, 2004
    Applicant: Inventio AG
    Inventor: Richard Lauch
  • Publication number: 20040206582
    Abstract: An elevator door unit comprises cage doors, a cage door lock unit, hall doors, and a lock release unit. The cage doors are provided in a cage which moves in a shaft. The cage door lock unit limits and locks the opening width of the cage doors to the width not to permit passing of passengers. The hall doors are provided in a landing hall, and opened interlocking with the cage doors, when the cage stops in a range of facing to the cage doors. The lock release unit releases the cage door lock unit within the opening width by opening the cage doors by manual operation, when the cage stops in a range that the cage doors face to the hall doors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Kenzo Tonoki, Yoshiaki Fujita, Shin Murakami, Norihito Togashi
  • Publication number: 20040206581
    Abstract: A device for shielding elevator sills includes a rectangular body divided into top and bottom portions with a depression running the width of the body and defining the separate portions. The device includes a plurality of mounting slots located on the top portion of the shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2003
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventor: Matthew D. Baumann
  • Publication number: 20040168862
    Abstract: An elevator door panel for closing the opening to an elevator shaft comprising a generally planar steel sheet reinforced on the shaft side by a perimeter framework and intermediate vertical stiffening members. At its lower edge the panel includes a resilient seal member supported on a structural steel construction that is generally symmetrical about a vertical plane at a mid-section of the panel thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Darryl J. Greenaway, Steven P. Reynolds, Richard W. Lajeunesse, Zygmunt Dziwak, David E. Kairis
  • Publication number: 20040149523
    Abstract: A height adjustment assembly connecting an elevator door to an elevator door hanger comprises a door bracket, a plurality of door clip receiving sections and corresponding number of door clips. Each door clip comprises upper and lower fins, side fins, and an oblique slot disposed centrally between the fins. Each oblique slot is aligned with an aperture in the receiving sections, and the upper and lower fins slidably engage corresponding slots in the receiving sections. A fastener inserted into the oblique slot in the door clip and the aperture in the door bracket holds the clip and the bracket onto the door hanger in a friction hold mode. The height of the door may be adjusted by moving the door clips laterally in the slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventor: Patrick M. Bass
  • Publication number: 20040149522
    Abstract: An elevator door system for an entrance opening to an elevator cab. The system includes a two-part door having an open position and a closed position. The two-part door includes a first door portion for traversing across and covering a portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. The two-part door also includes a second door portion for traversing across and covering another portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. A header track includes a rail with a door track for guiding movement of the first and the second door portions. The door track is held onto the rail of the header track via an S-shaped spring clip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Applicant: INVENTIO AG
    Inventor: Michael G. Miller
  • Publication number: 20040149521
    Abstract: The invention provides an elevator door sill assembly for use in elevator systems that have sliding doors. The door sill assembly comprises a sill plate, a support sill located below the sill plate having a rail that presents an inboard sliding surface and an outboard sliding surface. The assembly also comprises a first guiding surface that engages that inboard sliding surface and a second guiding surface that engages the outboard sliding surface. The assembly prevents that bottom of the elevator door from swinging while the door slides opened and closed. The sill assembly and guide system may be used with either hoistway doors or elevator car doors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Publication date: August 5, 2004
    Inventors: Ernest A. Heath, Eugene C. Ulm
  • Patent number: 6736241
    Abstract: An elevator door system for an entrance opening to an elevator cab. The system includes a two-part door having an open position and a closed position. The two-part door includes a first door portion for traversing across and covering a portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. The two-part door also includes a second door portion for traversing across and covering another portion of the entrance opening as the two-part door moves between the open position and the closed position of the two-part door. A header track includes a rail with a door track for guiding movement of the first and the second door portions. The door track is held onto the rail of the header track via an S-shaped spring clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Inventio AG
    Inventor: Michael G. Miller
  • Publication number: 20030221374
    Abstract: A door suspension assembly includes a ferromagnetic flat plate horizontally extending from a support rail adapted to be attached to a door frame above a doorway or entrance portal. Two supporting blocks each have an opening in which a cylindrical bearing with an axial hole is located. The supporting blocks are attached to a door panel. Connectors extend downwardly from the flat plate and support a tube that extends through the holes in the bearings. A magnet array is supported by an upper plate attached to upper ends of the supporting blocks with a small magnetic gap between the magnet array and the flat plate such that the magnet array generates a magnetic force lifting the supporting blocks and the door panel. A primary of a linear motor is attached to the upper plate between the supporting blocks and cooperates with a secondary located in the interior of the tube to move the door panel relative to the flat plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Publication date: December 4, 2003
    Inventors: Tian Zhou, Jean-Marie Rennetaud
  • Publication number: 20030111297
    Abstract: This invention relates to a cost saving way of solving a difficult problem in the structure and installation and leveling of an elevator sill.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Inventors: Harold S. Friedman, Richard B. Michalik, George Karazim, Jeffrey Friedman
  • Publication number: 20020112410
    Abstract: A door suspension assembly includes a ferromagnetic flat plate horizontally extending from a support rail adapted to be attached to a door frame above a doorway or entrance portal. Two supporting blocks each have an opening in which a cylindrical bearing with an axial hole is located. The supporting blocks are attached to a door panel. Connectors extend downwardly from the flat plate and support a tube that extends through the holes in the bearings. A magnet array is supported by an upper plate attached to upper ends of the supporting blocks with a small magnetic gap between the magnet array and the flat plate such that the magnet array generates a magnetic force lifting the supporting blocks and the door panel. A primary of a linear motor is attached to the upper plate between the supporting blocks and cooperates with a secondary located in the interior of the tube to move the door panel relative to the flat plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Tian Zhou, Jean-Marie Rennetaud
  • Publication number: 20020046907
    Abstract: Elevator landing door structure, comprising a door sill (1, 5) fixed to the lower edge of a landing door opening, an overhead supporter (2, 9) and at least one door panel (3) movably mounted on the overhead supporter. Furthermore, the door structure comprises vertical frames (4, 6) fixed to the door sill (1, 5) on either side of the door opening, the overhead supporter being attached to said vertical frames. The vertical frames (4, 6) are fastened by their upper parts via junctures that are rigid in the horizontal plane but capable of yielding in the vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2001
    Publication date: April 25, 2002
    Inventors: Juha Toivola, Helge Korhonen
  • Patent number: 6145630
    Abstract: This invention relates to an improved sliding entrance door assembly for an elevator and to the method of installing the assembly. In one embodiment, the elevator sliding entrance door assembly comprises, viewed from the hallway, a sill, a left vertical post having a top portion, a right vertical post having a top portion and positioned parallel to the left post, a header formed with an open notch connected to the left and right posts, a door frame consisting of a strike jamb, head jamb and return jamb attached to the header, one post and sill. An elevator door track is attached to the header. The assembly also includes a sliding elevator door having rolling means to rollingly suspend the door from the track, the door being adjustable after being suspended through the opening formed in the header. In addition, the slide sill having a groove therein which defines a lower track for the door extends between the left post and the right post.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Inventors: Harold S. Friedman, Steven Carosella, Richard Michalik
  • Patent number: 5862887
    Abstract: An elevator car door system for opening and closing elevator car doors in an elevator car includes a high performance linear induction motor having a pair of movable motor primaries, each attached to a door hanger for each door, and a stationary motor secondary attached to a header bracket which is secured to the elevator car. Each motor primary includes a primary winding and a backiron spaced apart by a plurality of spacers that establish a magnetic gap therebetween. The motor secondary fits between the primary winding and the backiron as the moving motor primaries travel across the motor secondary, generating thrust.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Bruce P. Swaybill, William L. King, Thomas M. Kowalczyk, Richard E. Kulak, Michael J. Tracey, K. Narasimha Reddy, James A. Rivera
  • Patent number: 5855253
    Abstract: This invention relates to a security device for an elevator which operates between two levels, comprised of a cabin (1) closed by a swinging door (2) which opens to the exterior, the cabin (1) moving by translational vertical motion from a lower level up to a booth (3), situated at the upper level and comprising a guard rail (4) closed by a swinging landing door (5) which is normally locked, opening toward the exterior of the cabin (1) by means of an articulation situated on the same side as the door (2) of the cabin (1), the elevator being characterized in that it is provided with means, although all of passive and entirely mechanical type, conditioning the translational vertical movement of the cabin (1) between the two levels, and the locking and unlocking of doors (2) and (5) at these levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Inventor: Alain Bourgeois
  • Patent number: 5756946
    Abstract: A linear induction motor for opening and closing elevator car doors in an elevator system includes a motor primary fixedly attached to a door hanger and a motor secondary flexibly mounted to a header bracket of the elevator car. A pair of swivel joints secure the ends of the motor secondary to the header bracket. The swivel joints compensate for misalignment and twisting of the elevator car doors by allowing multi-dimensional movement of the motor secondary relative to the header bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Tracey, James A. Rivera
  • Patent number: 5655627
    Abstract: An elevator is provided with a car, an inner door mounted to the car and outer doors mounted to floor openings which define floor zones. The inner door registers with the outer doors when the car is disposed within one of the floor zones. The elevator includes a door restrictor having an electric solenoid mounted to the car so that the inner door cannot be opened more than four inches when the elevator is between floor zones. The electric solenoid has a plunger which is normally in an extended position to block the inner door from opening. Power will only be applied to the electric solenoid to lift the plunger from the extended position to a retracted position to allow the inner door to be fully opened when both the car is disposed within a floor zone and the inner doors are being initiated to move slightly by the main elevator controls. A floor zone sensor is mounted to the car for detecting when the elevator is disposed within one of the floor zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Advanced Microcontrols, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory L. Horne, Tom J. Harrison
  • Patent number: 5609224
    Abstract: An elevator cab (10) with a door sill (28) adjacent to the landing sill (40) with a gap (44) therebetween and the door sill and/or landing sill configured to produce a visual effect of enlarging the visual appearance of the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1997
    Assignee: Otis Elevator Company
    Inventor: Breffni X. Baggot
  • Patent number: 5394961
    Abstract: A safety edge assembly is provided for an electronic sensor system in an elevator doorway. A narrow elongated transmitter frame mounts appropriate electronic transmitting components of the system thereon and is fastened vertically on one side of the doorway. A narrow elongated receiver frame mounts appropriate electronic receiver components of the system thereon and is fastened vertically on the opposite side of the doorway. A power supply frame mounts appropriate electronic power components of the system thereon and is fastened in a piggyback fashion on the transmitter frame. Electrical cables are coupled between the electronic components on opposite sides of the doorway, the cables extending across the top of the doorway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Montgomery Elevator Company
    Inventor: William R. Biver