| JPS59116374 | [Title of the device] Elevator riding cage |
| JP4614720 | Elevator landing |
GUILANI BRAD (US)
| WO1998015486A1 | 1998-04-16 |
| JP2003206670A | 2003-07-25 | |||
| KR100257357B1 | 2000-05-15 | |||
| US20060175143A1 | 2006-08-10 |
| CLAIMS I claim: 1. An assembly for moving an elevator door, comprising: a track having a first low friction material layer on at least one side of the track, the first low friction material layer including a plurality of first guide members projecting from the first low friction material layer; a slider configured to be connected to a door hanger, the slider having a second low friction material layer on at least one side of the slider, the second low friction material layer including a plurality of second guide members projecting from the second low friction material layer, at least some of the second guide members being at least partially received between at least some of the first guide members such that the first and second guide members cooperate to allow the slider to move along the track in a desired direction and to inhibit the slider from moving in another direction transverse to the desired direction. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first or second guide members establish a plurality of channels and the other of the second or first guide members comprise a plurality of tabs that at least partially received into the channels. 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the channels comprise interiorly facing retaining surfaces oriented in two directions and the tabs include two cooperating surfaces that each cooperate with a corresponding one of the retaining surfaces to inhibit the slider from moving in either of two transverse directions, each transverse direction being generally perpendicular to one of the retaining surfaces. 4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the tabs have a generally T-shaped cross- section. 5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first guide members each comprise a first stem portion generally perpendicular to the side of the track and a first cross member near a distal end of the stem portion, the first cross member being generally perpendicular to the first stem portion; the second guide members each comprise a second stem portion generally perpendicular to the side of the slider and a second cross member near a distal end of the second stem portion, the second cross member being generally perpendicular to the second stem portion; and the first cross members are received against the second cross members to inhibit movement of the side of slider away from the side of the track in a direction generally perpendicular to the sides. 6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein each of the second stems is received between two of the first stems. 7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein some of the first stems have a first height dimension, others of the first stems have a second, smaller height dimension, the first stems having the first height dimension are each between two of the first stems having the second, smaller height dimension some of the second stems have the first height dimension, others of the second stems have the second, smaller height dimension, and the second stems having the first height dimension are each between two of the second stems having the second, smaller height dimension. 8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the first cross members near the end of the first stems having the first height are received against the second cross members near the end of the second stems having the second height, and the first cross members near the end of the first stems having the second height are received against the second cross members near the end of the second stems having the first height. 9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer, the first guide members, the second layer and the second guide members all comprise the same low friction material. 10. The assembly of claim 1, comprising: a door hanger connected to the slider; and an elevator door connected to the door hanger such that the elevator door is supported by the slider being received against the track. 11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the second low friction material layer is received on top of the first low friction material layer. 12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the first and second guide members cooperate to inhibit the slider from lifting off the track and to inhibit the slider from moving parallel to the one side of the track in a direction that is perpendicular to the desired direction. 13. A method of controlling movement of an elevator door, comprising the steps of: providing a first low friction material layer on one side of a track, the first low friction material layer including a plurality of first guide members projecting from the first low friction material layer; providing a second low friction material layer on at least one side of a slider that faces the one side of the track, the second low friction material layer including a plurality of second guide members projecting from the second low friction material layer; and interlocking the first and second guide members to thereby allow the slider to move along the track in a desired direction and to inhibit the slider from moving in another direction transverse to the desired direction. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first guide members comprise a plurality of channels having interiorly facing retaining surfaces oriented in two directions, the second guide members comprise a plurality of tabs having two cooperating surfaces and the interlocking comprises inserting the tabs at least partially into the channels such that the cooperating surfaces are each received against a corresponding one of the retaining surfaces to inhibit the slider from moving in two transverse directions, each transverse direction being generally perpendicular to one of the retaining surfaces. 15. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first layer, the first guide members, the second layer and the second guide members all comprise the same low friction material. |
INCLUDING A LOW FRICTION MATERIAL SLIDER LAYER
BACKGROUND
[0001 ] Elevators include doors on the elevator car and at the entrances to the hoistway. The doors are typically supported for moving along a track between open and closed positions. Conventional arrangements include door hangers from which the door panels are suspended. The door hangers include rollers that roll along the track.
[0002] One design goal for elevator door assemblies is to have the doors operate as smoothly and quietly as possible. Typical door assemblies include relatively expensive components to meet those goals. Even with expensive materials, there still are issues regarding complexity, noise and durability.
SUMMARY
[0003] An exemplary assembly for moving an elevator door includes a track having a first low friction material layer on at least one side of the track. The first low friction material layer includes a plurality of first guide members projecting from the first low friction material layer. A slider is configured to be connected to a door hanger. The slider has a second low friction material layer on at least one side of the slider. The second low friction material layer includes a plurality of second guide members. At least some of the second guide members are at least partially received between at least some of the first guide members such that the first and second guide members cooperate to allow the slider to move along the track in a desired direction. The first and second guide members also cooperate to inhibit the slider from moving in another direction transverse to the desired direction.
[0004] An exemplary method of controlling movement of an elevator door includes providing a first low friction material layer on one side of a track. The first low friction material layer includes a plurality of first guide members projecting from that layer. A second low friction material layer is provided on at least one side of a slider that faces the once side of the track. The second low friction material layer includes a plurality of second guide members projecting from that layer. The first and second guide members are interlocked to thereby allow the slider to move along the track in a desired direction and to inhibit the slider from moving in another direction transverse to the desired direction.
[0005] The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates selected portions of an example elevator car.
[0007] Figure 2 schematically illustrates selected portions of an example elevator door assembly.
[0008] Figure 3 is an end view of one example low friction material layer.
[0009] Figure 4 is an end view of another example low friction material layer.
[00010] Figure 5 illustrates another example low friction material layer configuration.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00011] Figure 1 shows selected portions of an elevator car 20. A door assembly 22 includes door panels 24. A door mover 26 (e.g., a motor and controller) selectively causes movement of the door panels 24 along a track 28 between open and closed positions. The door panels 24 are suspended from the track 28 and guided by a sill 30. The example of Figure 1 includes a coupler member 32 for coupling the elevator car doors to hoistway doors at a landing where access to the elevator car is desired, for example.
[00012] Figure 2 schematically shows an example door assembly 22. In this example, the track 28 is supported on a lintel 36 so that one side of the track 28 faces upward (according to the drawing). The door panel 24 is secured to a door hanger 40. A slider 42 is provided on the door hanger 40.
[00013] The upper facing surface on the track 28 includes a low friction material layer 44. An oppositely facing surface on the slider 42 includes a low friction material layer 46. The low friction material layers 44 and 46 allow for the door panel 24 to be suspended from the track 28 and to move in a desired direction of door movement (e.g., into and out of the page according to the drawing). The low friction material layers 44 and 46 eliminate the need for any rollers to facilitate door movement.
[00014] As can be appreciated from Figure 3, an example low friction material layer 46 includes a plurality of guide members 50 that project from the layer of low friction material. In one example, the guide members are formed during an extrusion process and the low friction material layer 46 can be considered a micro-replicated product because the guide members 50 will have a significantly smaller dimension than the overall length or width of the layer 46. The low friction material layer comprises a synthetic polymer material in one example, which is available from 3M. One such example material is marketed as a "micro rail" material by 3M.
[00015] The guide members 50 establish constant longitudinal features on the low friction material layer 46. Corresponding constant longitudinal features are provided on the other low friction material layer 44 so that the guide members cooperate with each other to allow for the desired movement of the door panel 24 and to inhibit, ideally prevent, movement in a direction that is transverse to the desired direction of movement. For example, the guide members 50 interlock with each other to inhibit the slider 42 from being moved upward (according to Figure 2), to the right (according to Figure 2) or to the left (according to Figure 2).
[00016] Referring to Figure 4, it can be appreciated how the guide members 50 in this example establish a plurality of channels 52. The guide members on one of the layers 46 or 44 establish channels into which at least portions of the guide members on the other layer are received. In the case of Figure 4, the low friction material layer 44 supported on the slider 28 establishes the channels 52 and the guide members 50 on the low friction material layer 46 would be received within those channels.
[00017] Each of the guide members 50 on the example material layer 44 in
Figure 4 is in the form of a tab that is defined by a stem portion 54 and a cross- member 56 at a distal end of each stem 54. The stems 54 provide a retaining surface 58 and the cross-members 56 each provide retaining surfaces 60. The retaining surfaces 58 and 60 cooperate with corresponding tab surfaces on the guide members 50 of the other layer 46 to inhibit undesired movement of one layer relative to the other and, therefore, to inhibit undesired movement of the slider 42 relative to the track 28.
[00018] Figure 5 shows one configuration of the low friction material layers 44 and 46. In this example, each of the layers includes guide members 50 that have a first height hi. Others of the guide members 50 have a second, smaller height h 2 . In this example, the guide members 50 on the layer 44 having the first height hi cooperate with the guide members 50 on the layer 46 that have the second, smaller height h 2 . Similarly, the guide members 50 on the layer 46 that have the first height hi cooperate with the guide members 50 having the second, smaller height h 2 . As can be appreciated from Figure 5, the retaining surfaces 58 and 60 on the cooperating guide members 50 facilitate relative movement between the layers 44 and 46 in a desired direction corresponding to a length of each layer (e.g., into or out of the page). At the same time, the retaining surfaces 58 and 60 inhibit relative movement between the layers 44 and 46 in an up or down direction or a left or right direction (according to the drawing). In other words, the guide members 50 essentially interlock with each other to allow for relative sliding movement between the layers 44 and 46 while inhibiting movement in a direction transverse to the desired direction of sliding movement.
[00019] The layers 44 and 46 are secured to the rail 28 and slider 42, respectively. Given this description, those skilled in the art will be able to select an appropriate technique for securing the low friction material layers 44 and 46 in position on the appropriate component to meet the needs of their particular situation. One example includes using an adhesive. Another example includes using mechanical fasteners.
[00020] The disclosed examples allow for sliding movement of elevator door assembly components relative to each other in a low noise and reliable manner. The disclosed examples provide substantial cost savings in terms of materials, components and labor compared to previous elevator door systems that relied upon door rollers moving along a track.
[00021] The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.