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EP-4735371-A1 - APRON DEVICE, ELEVATOR CAR AND METHOD FOR PROTECTING FROM FALLING INTO ELEVATOR SHAFT

EP4735371A1EP 4735371 A1EP4735371 A1EP 4735371A1EP-4735371-A1

Abstract

An apron device, an elevator car and method of protecting falling into an elevator shaft. The apron device (13) has a telescopic ladder type configuration provided with relative to each other slidable ladder components (15). The apron device has a normal retracted mode (NM), and it can be launched to an extended mode (EM) for the duration of a rescue operation.

Inventors

  • Kukkola, Mikko
  • KANTOLA, JARI
  • MINKKINEN, Marko
  • NYMAN, LASSE
  • LAINE, JANNE
  • PARVIAINEN, Jussi
  • TALONEN, TAPANI
  • KASPERSMA, Robert
  • Myyryläinen, Ville
  • IJÄS, Mika
  • HAAPANIEMI, MARKKU
  • KATTAINEN, ARI
  • RÄSÄNEN, Matti

Assignees

  • KONE Corporation

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230629

Claims (15)

  1. 1. An apron device (13) of an elevator (1) for preventing falling into an elevator shaft (2) ; wherein the apron device (13) has an extendable configuration comprising several protective elements (15) movable vertically in relation to each other; and the apron device (13) has a normal mode (NM) with retracted vertical length implemented in a normal elevator operation, and a selectively launchable extended mode (EM) implemented in a rescue operation; char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) has collapsible ladder configuration wherein each of the mentioned protective elements (15) comprise at least two vertical extension tubes (16) at a horizontal distance from each other and a rung (17) connecting lower end portions of the extension tubes (16) ; and wherein the extension tubes (16) of successive protective elements (15) are arranged telescopically partly inside each other and are vertically slidable relative to each other.
  2. 2. The apron device as claimed in claim 1, cha r ac t e r i z e d in that the extension tubes (16) and the rungs (17) therebetween are made of metallic material.
  3. 3. The apron device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) comprises a locking device (21) for keeping the apron device (13) in the normal mode (NM) with the retracted vertical length; and the apron device (13) is configured to extend into the extended mode (EM) under gravitational force and in response to opening of the locking device (21) .
  4. 4. The apron device as claimed in claim 3, cha r ac t e r i z e d in that the locking device (21) comprises a triangle key locking element (22) turnable by means of a triangle key (25) from a landing (L) of the elevator (1) for launching the apron device (13) to the extended mode (EM) .
  5. 5. The apron device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 4, char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) comprises a safety device (SD) configured to monitor status of the apron device (13) and the safety device (SD) is configured to prevent drive of the elevator car (3) in response to detection that the apron device (13) is launched to the extended mode (EM) .
  6. 6. The apron device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 5, char ac t e r i z e d in that the telescopic collapsible ladder configuration of the apron device (13) comprises at least one intermediate extension tube (16a) between the mentioned at least two extension tubes (16) .
  7. 7. The apron device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 6, char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) is provided with an additional vertical apron plate (27) arranged parallel with the collapsible ladder configuration and being immovably mounted; and the apron plate (27) comprises a chamfer (28) at a lower edge portion of the apron plate (27) .
  8. 8. The apron device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 - 7, char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) is provided with at least one filling material (26) covering at least partly openings of the ladder structure in the extended mode (EM) .
  9. 9. The apron device as claimed in claim 8, cha r ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) is provided with several separate filling material elements (30) arranged between successive rungs (17) .
  10. 10. An elevator car (3) of a traction elevator (1) , wherein the elevator car (3) is suspended from a suspension rope (5) , is supported to walls of an elevator shaft (2) and is movable vertically between several landings (L) ; and the elevator car (3) comprises: at least one door opening (19) ; a bottom (18) ; at least one apron device (13) which is located at the at least one door opening (19) and is configured to prevent falling into the elevator shaft (2) when there is a gap between the bottom (18) and the landing (L) ; char ac t e r i z e d in that the apron device (13) is in accordance with any one of the previous claims 1 - 9.
  11. 11. A method of protecting from falling into an elevator shaft (2) ; the method comprising: providing an elevator car (3) with an apron device (13) below an elevator car (3) wherein the apron device (13) has an extendable configuration comprising several protective elements (15) movable vertically in relation to each other; holding the apron device (13) during a normal elevator operation in a normal mode (NM) with retracted vertical length; and launching the apron device (13) in a rescue operation to an extended mode (EM) having full vertical length; char ac t e r i z e d by using collapsible ladder configuration in the apron device (13) whereby each of the mentioned protective elements (15) comprise vertical extension tubes (16) and rungs (17) between the extension tubes (16) ; and allowing the vertically successive and telescopically arranged extension tubes (16) to slide relative to each other when moving the apron device (13) between the normal mode (NM) and the extended mode (EM) .
  12. 12. The method as claimed in claim 11, char ac t e r i z e d by lifting the apron device (13) from the extended mode (EM) to the normal mode (NM) manually from a landing (L) of the elevator ( 1 ) .
  13. 13. The method as claimed in claim 11 or 12, char ac t e r i z e d by launching the apron device (13) from a normal mode (NM) to the extended mode (EM) manually from a landing (L) side of the elevator (1) .
  14. 14. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 11 - 13, char ac t e r i z e d by keeping the apron device (13) in the normal mode (NM) by means of a locking device (21) accessible from a landing (L) of the elevator (1) and opening the locking device (21) during a rescue operation manually from the landing (L) side by using a triangle key (22) .
  15. 15. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 11 - 14, char ac t e r i z e d by preventing driving of the elevator car (3) by means of a safety device (SD) when the apron device (13) is in the extended mode (EM) .

Description

Apron device , elevator car and method for protecting from falling into elevator shaft Background of the invention The invention relates to an apron device of an elevator . The invention further relates to an elevator car provided with an apron device , and to a method for preventing falling into an elevator shaft . The field of the invention is defined more speci fically in the preambles of the independent claims . An elevator comprises an elevator car which is moved vertically in an elevator shaft and is stopped at landings . The elevator car comprises a door opening which needs to be provided with an apron device for preventing passengers fall ing into the shaft in special situations when the elevator car is not stopped properly at the desired landing and when a gap is formed between a bottom of the elevator car and the landing . Safety regulations require the use o f apron devices . Therefore , several di f ferent apron devices are designed for the purpose . However, the known solutions have shown to contain some disadvantages . Brief description of the invention An obj ect of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apron device , and an elevator car provided with such apron device . A further obj ect is to provide a new and improved method for preventing falling into an elevator shaft . The apron device according to the invention is characteri zed by the characteri zing features of the first independent apparatus claim . The elevator car according to the invention is characteri zed by the characteri z ing features o f the second independent apparatus claim . The method according to the invention is characteri zed by the characteri zing features of the independent method claim . An idea of the disclosed solution is that the apron device of an elevator has an extendable and collapsible conf iguration comprising several protective elements movable vertical ly in relation to each other . The apron device has a normal mode with retracted vertical length implemented in a normal elevator operation, and a selectively launchable extended mode implemented in a rescue operation . Further, the apron device has collaps ible ladder configuration wherein each of the mentioned protective elements are ladder components or ladder sections which comprise at least two vertical extension tubes at a hori zontal distance from each other and a rung connecting lower end portions of the extension tubes . The extension tubes of successive protective elements , or ladder sections , are arranged telescopically partly inside each other and are vertically slidable relative to each other . In other words , the extension tubes are tubular elements comprising outer dimens ions and inner dimens ions which are dimensioned so that each lower extension tube can slide inside an upper extension tube . When the apron device is retracted the telescopic extension tubes have nested configuration . It can be considered that the apron device comprises an upside down turned telescopic ladder structure tapering in downward direction . An advantage of the disclosed solution is that the structure of the apron device is provided with proper rigidity so that safety regulations are met . A further advantage i s that the disclosed apron device can provide the elevator car with a relatively long skirt at a side of a door opening, and this suf ficiently downwards extending skirt can prevent inj uries ef fectively . Further , the disclosed solution can be implemented in operationally and structurally di f ferent elevators . The ladder type apron structure may also be relatively simple , inexpensive and durable . The structure of the disclosed apron device can be made light in weight , whereby it is simple to launch to the extended mode and to return into the normal retracted mode . Operation principle of the disclosed apron is of type normally inactive since the apron device is in its nonextended pos ition during the normal operation and moves to its active state only when the apron device is launched . According to an embodiment , the apron device is mounted below a bottom part of an elevator car . The apron device may be mounted for example below a door sill of an elevator car door . According to an embodiment , shapes of the extension tubes may be round, rectangular, or oval , for example . According to an embodiment , number of the vertically successive protective elements , or ladder sections , is at least three . Typically the number of the vertically successive protective elements is 3 - 5 . According to an embodiment , the collapsible ladder structure provides the apron device with a fence kind of structure which is not intended for climbing . The structure simply provides a barrier against lateral forces and thereby prevent falling into the elevator shaft . According to an embodiment , the rungs are dimensioned against hori zontally directed forces for providing lateral protection but need not to be dimensioned against hori zontal for