Adjustable Roller-Guide Shoe Adapter for Elevator Rail Variations
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing roller-guide shoes for elevator facilities require significant vertical space and transfer oscillations to the elevator car, making them inefficient for guiding rails of different sizes and axle spacings.
Innovation Solution
A roller-guide shoe with an adapter system that allows for adjustable positioning of the roller axle within the roller bearing, enabling the use of different guide roller diameters and accommodating various rail thicknesses and axle spacings without the need for multiple roller bearings, and incorporating vibration-damping materials to reduce noise and oscillation transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If diagonal longitudinal grooves are used to adjust roller position, then guide rails of different thicknesses can be accommodated, but vertical space requirement increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The guide shoe is divided into modular components: a roller bearing unit, an adapter with receiving contour, and a connecting element. This segmentation allows the adapter to be independently positioned at different locations along the guide rail thickness, providing adjustability without requiring the entire assembly to occupy excessive vertical space.
Solution Approach 2:
An adapter component serves as an intermediary between the roller bearing and the guide rail. This adapter includes a receiving contour that can accommodate the roller bearing at different positions, enabling adjustment to various guide rail thicknesses while maintaining a compact overall structure that reduces vertical space requirements.
2Force
If ball bearings are used for lateral rollers, then friction is reduced, but oscillations are transferred directly to the elevator car structure
Solution Approach 1:
A connecting element acts as an intermediary between the roller bearing and the elevator car structure. This connecting element includes damping means that absorb and dissipate oscillations generated by the ball bearings, preventing direct transmission of these oscillations to the car structure while maintaining the low-friction rolling contact benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The oscillations generated by the ball bearings are converted from a harmful effect into a beneficial damping opportunity. The damping means in the connecting element are specifically designed to absorb these oscillations, transforming the mechanical vibrations into dampened movements that reduce overall system vibration and improve operational smoothness.
3Ease of operation
If pneumatic springs and elastomer springs are used for operating comfort, then oscillation damping is improved, but device complexity and space requirement increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping characteristics are adjusted by changing the parameters of the damping means in the connecting element, such as material composition, geometry, and mounting configuration. This allows optimization of operating comfort through parameter adjustment rather than requiring complex multi-component spring systems, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining comfort levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution allows for adaptable and cost-effective use of roller-guide shoes on both elevator cars and counterweights, reducing damage points and improving operating characteristics by minimizing disturbance frequencies and enhancing vibration damping.
Implementation Method 1
The adapter exhibits a through hole for receiving the roller axle. This hole determines the center axis, which is determined by the center point of the hole. The hole for receiving the roller axle is laterally offset to the first plane of symmetry thereby, or, respectively, the center axis of the hole is disposed at a spacing to the first plane of symmetry for the adapter.
Implementation Method 2
incorporating vibration-damping materials to reduce noise and oscillation transfer
Implementation Method 3
incorporating vibration-damping materials to reduce noise and oscillation transfer
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable roller-guide shoe for guiding an elevator car or a counterweight of an elevator installation contains a roller carrier, which can be fastened on the car or the counterweight, a guide roller and a roller spindle, which is arranged in the roller carrier and accommodates the guide roller. The roller spindle is positioned in the roller carrier by an adapter having an installation contour which matches a corresponding accommodating contour of the roller carrier. The adapter is configured to be fixed in different installation positions in relation to the roller carrier, and thus the roller spindle can be placed in different positions in the roller carrier, depending on the installation position of the adapter. It is thus possible for the roller-guide shoe to be operated with different roller diameters or to be adapted to different rail-web dimensions.