Displaceable Guide Member for Horizontal Elevator Car Movement

Solution Overview

Problem

Elevator devices require mechanisms to rotate guide rails at all heights for horizontal movement, increasing construction time and costs.

Innovation Solution

An elevator device with a guide rail and car equipped with a guide device featuring a supporting member and a displaceable guide member that moves between contact and non-contact positions with the guide rail, allowing horizontal movement without the need for rotating guide rails at multiple heights.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If guide rails are rotated at all heights to enable horizontal car movement, then horizontal movement capability is achieved, but construction period and expenses increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehorizontal movement capabilityVSAvoidconstruction period

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the horizontal movement function from the guide rail rotation mechanism and relocates it to the guide device on the car. Instead of rotating guide rails at all heights, the guide member on the car is made displaceable between a first position (contacting guide rail for vertical guidance) and a second position (retracting to enable horizontal movement). This extraction eliminates the need for complex guide rail rotation mechanisms while preserving horizontal movement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member is designed with dynamic displacement capability, allowing it to move between a first position where it contacts the guide rail to restrict horizontal movement and guide vertical motion, and a second position where it retracts to allow horizontal movement. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to adapt its guiding function based on operational requirements without requiring multiple guide rails at different orientations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If guide rails are rotated at all heights to enable horizontal car movement, then horizontal movement capability is achieved, but construction expenses increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehorizontal movement capabilityVSAvoidconstruction expenses

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the horizontal movement function from the guide rail rotation mechanism and relocates it to the guide device on the car. Instead of rotating guide rails at all heights, the guide member on the car is made displaceable between a first position (contacting guide rail for vertical guidance) and a second position (retracting to enable horizontal movement). This extraction eliminates the need for complex guide rail rotation mechanisms while preserving horizontal movement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide device on the car is designed to perform multiple functions: when the guide member is in the first position, it guides vertical movement and restricts horizontal movement; when in the second position, it allows horizontal movement. This multi-functional design replaces the need for separate guide rail rotation mechanisms, reducing construction expenses while maintaining horizontal movement capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Stability of the object's composition

If guide member contacts guide rail continuously, then vertical movement guidance is maintained, but horizontal movement is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevertical movement guidanceVSAvoidhorizontal movement capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide member is designed with dynamic displacement capability, allowing it to move between a first position where it contacts the guide rail to restrict horizontal movement and guide vertical motion, and a second position where it retracts to allow horizontal movement. This dynamic reconfiguration enables the system to adapt its guiding function based on operational requirements without requiring multiple guide rails at different orientations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The guide member's contact with the guide rail is segmented into distinct operational phases: in the first position, it contacts the guide rail to provide vertical guidance and restrict horizontal movement; in the second position, it retracts from the guide rail to enable horizontal movement. This segmentation allows the system to switch between guiding functions based on operational needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12030745B2Elevator device

Publication Date: 2024.07.09 MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

AI summary

An elevator device includes a guide rail (1), a car (3), and a guide device (4). The car (3) is movable in a horizontal direction at a specific height. The guide device (4) includes a supporting member (11) and a guide member (12). The guide member (12) is displaceable to a first position for restricting movement of the car (3) in the horizontal direction and guiding up-down movement of the car (3) and a second position where the guide member (12) does not come into contact with the guide rail (1) when the car (3) moves in the horizontal direction.