Elevator Balance Checking via Rail-Locked Force Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for checking the balance of elevator systems require additional weights and involve cumbersome procedures, necessitating the use of lead blocks to alter tensile forces, which are inefficient and labor-intensive.

Innovation Solution

A device and method that temporarily fix one of the moving components to a rail system, altering the tensile force in the suspension system, allowing force measurement without additional weights, using a locking mechanism and a measuring device to determine the weight of the counterweight and cabin, thereby simplifying the balancing check.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If additional weights (lead blocks) are used to alter tensile force for balance checking, then the balance can be verified, but the procedure becomes cumbersome and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebalance verification accuracyVSAvoidprocedure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the additional weight (lead blocks) from the system entirely. Instead of adding weights to the cabin, the device uses the existing counterweight and cabin weights by temporarily fixing the cabin to the rail system, thereby eliminating the need for extra materials while maintaining measurement capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The conventional approach adds weight to the cabin to change tensile force. This invention inverts the approach by temporarily fixing the cabin to the rail system, which alternatively changes the tensile force in the suspension system without adding any weight, thus simplifying the procedure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Measurement precision

If additional weights are used to alter tensile force, then force measurement can be performed, but manual labor increases due to loading and unloading

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveforce measurement capabilityVSAvoidchecking efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the additional weight component entirely from the process. By using the existing counterweight-cabin weight difference and temporarily fixing the cabin, it eliminates the labor-intensive steps of loading and unloading lead blocks while preserving force measurement capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own existing weights (counterweight and cabin) to perform the balance checking. The counterweight and cabin themselves serve as the measurement reference, eliminating the need for external additional weights and the associated manual handling operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If a locking mechanism is used to fix the cabin to the rail system, then the procedure is simplified, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocedure simplicityVSAvoidlocking mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The device is divided into functionally independent modules: a locking device for securing the cabin to the rail system, and a measuring device for detecting force. This segmentation allows each component to be simple and specialized, reducing overall complexity while improving operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The locking device acts as an intermediary between the cabin and the rail system, providing a simple mechanical connection that enables the measurement process without requiring complex integration. The measuring device then independently measures the force, separating the locking function from the measurement function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Eliminates the need for additional weights, reduces manual labor, and enables precise measurement of forces to assess the elevator system's balance, facilitating partial automation and efficient verification of weight ratios.

Implementation Method 1

The measuring device (104) is designed to represent the force transferred from the movable component into the rail system via the locking device (102) as a force value (106)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForce measurement: Force

Implementation Method 2

The locking device (102) is designed to be mechanically connected to a rail system of an elevator and to support or attach a component of the elevator system, such as a cabin or a counterweight, which is movably mounted on the rail system, to the rail system and to transfer a force from the movable component into the rail system

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical force transfer: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP4452809B1Device for measuring a force on a lift installation, method for checking a balancing of a lift installation, and a lift installation for implementing the method
Publication Date: 2026.02.04 INVENTIO AG
  • EP4452809B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP4452809B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP4452809B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention relates to an apparatus (100) for a lift installation (204), wherein the apparatus (100) has a blocking device (102) and a measuring device (104), wherein the blocking device (102) is designed to connect a counterweight and/or a lift car of the lift installation (204) to a rail system (208) of the lift installation (204), wherein the measuring device (104) is designed to display in the form of a force value (106) a force diverted from the counterweight and/or lift car into the rail system (208).