Construction Elevator Platform Pneumatic Sealing Against Shaft Debris
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems with increasing elevator shafts during building construction are prone to damage from falling objects and contamination, posing risks to personnel and equipment.
Innovation Solution
A pneumatically activated seal is integrated into the platform of the elevator system, which can transition between a rest and active position to seal the gap between the platform and elevator shaft, using a variable-volume O-ring or bellows design to protect against falling debris and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the elevator shaft is made taller to accommodate increasing building height, then the usable lifting height of the elevator car increases, but the risk of damage from falling objects and contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed to be movable between a rest position (spaced apart from the shaft wall) and an active position (contacting the shaft wall), allowing it to adapt dynamically to the platform's vertical movement while providing protection when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The seal acts as an intermediary element between the platform and the elevator shaft, creating a protective barrier that prevents falling objects and contamination from reaching the shaft space below
2Reliability
If a seal is introduced to protect against falling objects, then safety is improved, but the complexity of the platform increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is implemented as a flexible, bellows-like structure that can deform and move freely while maintaining its sealing function, avoiding the need for complex rigid protective structures
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is actuated by pneumatic pressure from a compressed air source, allowing it to be deployed and retracted without complex mechanical actuation mechanisms
3Reliability
If the seal is in constant contact with the shaft wall, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the platform cannot move vertically
Solution Approach 1:
The seal transitions between a rest position (spaced apart) and an active position (contacting the shaft wall), allowing vertical movement when needed while providing sealing protection when required
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is activated periodically based on operational requirements, being deployed to contact the shaft wall when protection is needed and retracted when vertical movement is required
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 seal effectively prevents falling objects and contamination, ensuring safe operation and easy adaptation to the increasing building height, enhancing safety and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a pneumatically activated seal for sealing or closing a gap between platform and elevator shaft
Implementation Method 2
the seal can be precisely controlled thanks to its pneumatic mode of action. If required, the sealing effect can be easily created by appropriate control
Implementation Method 3
The platform, which can be moved vertically as the building height increases, can, for example, comprise an O-ring seal, wherein the volume of the O-ring seal is variable depending on the pressure applied to a cavity of the seal
Data Source
AI summary
A platform for an elevator system in a building that is under construction, the building having an elevator shaft that becomes taller as the building height increases over the course of the building phase of the building, includes a pneumatically activated seal for sealing a gap between platform and the walls of the elevator shaft. The seal is configured as a circumferential seal attached to the platform. A compressed air source in the form of a compressor is arranged on the platform to operate the pneumatically activated seal.