Elevator Door System

Abstract

An elevator door system includes a motor, a vertical reel, and a door attached at a first end to the vertical reel for winding and unwinding thereupon. A force transmission device interconnects a second end of the door and a compensation device whereby the motor simultaneously drives the vertical reel and the compensation device having a variable diameter. In use, as the door is unwound from the vertical reel, the force transmission device is simultaneously wound upon the compensation device. Hence, not only is a thrust exerted on the door by the vertical reel, but a drag is exerted thereupon by the force transmission device. Furthermore, the compensation device has a variable diameter to compensate for, amongst other things, the changes in the diameter the door wound on the vertical reel. Hence, the tension in the force transmission device and the door can be kept substantially constant during operation.

1 . An elevator door system including a motor rotating a vertical reel and a door attached at a first end to the vertical reel for winding and unwinding thereupon comprising: 
 a compensation means having a variable diameter; and    a force transmission means interconnecting a second end of the door and said compensation means whereby the motor simultaneously drives the vertical reel and said compensation means.    
   
   
       2 . The door system according to  claim 1  wherein said compensation means is a cone and said force transmission means is attached to a larger diameter portion of said cone.  
   
   
       3 . The door system according to  claim 2  whereby said cone is configured to provide a pitch between successive windings of said force transmission means on said cone substantially equal to a depth of the door.  
   
   
       4 . The door system according to  claim 2  wherein said cone is mounted on the vertical reel.  
   
   
       5 . The door system according to  claim 4  including resilient means interconnecting said cone and the vertical reel.  
   
   
       6 . The door system according to  claim 1  wherein the door includes a plurality of vertically aligned panels mounted to a belt, a first end of said belt being fixed to the vertical reel and a second end of said belt fixed to said force transmission means.  
   
   
       7 . The door system according to  claim 1  wherein a tension in said force transmission means is greater than or equal to a combination of an acceleration force and a friction force acting on the door during operation of the door.  
   
   
       8 . The door system according to  claim 1  including a first one of said force transmission means provided at an upper part of the door and being coupled to a first one of said compensation means, and a second one of said force transmission means provided at a lower part of the door and being coupled to a second one of said compensation means.  
   
   
       9 . The door system according to  claim 8  wherein a tension in said second force transmission means is greater than a tension in said first force transmission means.  
   
   
       10 . The door system according to  claim 9  wherein said tension in said second force transmission means is mgs/h greater than said tension in said first force transmission and where “m” is a mass of a panel of the door, “g” is gravitational force, “s” is a horizontal displacement of an upper end of said panel relative to a lower end of said panel and “h” is a height of said panel.  
   
   
       11 . An elevator door system comprising: 
 a vertical reel;    a motor rotating said vertical reel;    a door attached at a first end to said vertical reel for winding and unwinding thereupon by operation of said motor;    a compensation means having a varied diameter; and    a force transmission means interconnecting a second end of said door and said compensation means whereby said motor simultaneously drives said vertical reel and said compensation means.    
   
   
       12 . The door system according to  claim 11  wherein said compensation means is a cone and said force transmission means is attached to a larger diameter portion of said cone.  
   
   
       13 . The door system according to  claim 12  wherein said cone is configured to provide a pitch between successive windings of said force transmission means on said cone substantially equal to a depth of said door.  
   
   
       14 . The door system according to  claim 12  wherein said cone is mounted on said vertical reel.  
   
   
       15 . The door system according to  claim 14  including resilient means interconnecting said cone and said vertical reel.  
   
   
       16 . The door system according to  claim 11  wherein said door includes a plurality of vertically aligned panels mounted to a belt, a first end of said belt being fixed to said vertical reel and a second end of said belt fixed to said force transmission means.  
   
   
       17 . The door system according to  claim 11  wherein a tension in said force transmission means is greater than or equal to a combination of an acceleration force and a friction force acting on said door during operation of said door.  
   
   
       18 . The door system according to  claim 1  including a first one of said force transmission means provided at an upper part of the door and being coupled to a first one of said compensation means, and a second one of said force transmission means provided at a lower part of the door and being coupled to a second one of said compensation means.  
   
   
       19 . The door system according to  claim 18  wherein a tension in said second force transmission means is greater than a tension in said first force transmission means during operation of said door.  
   
   
       20 . The door system according to  claim 19  wherein said tension in said second force transmission means is mgs/h greater than said tension in said first force transmission and where “m” is a mass of a panel of said door, “g” is gravitational force, “s” is a horizontal displacement of an upper end of said panel relative to a lower end of said panel and “h” is a height of said panel.