Elevator Traveling Cable Guide Device for Seismic Sway Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator travelling cables tend to become entangled during earthquakes or extreme conditions due to sway, causing damage and operational disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A device with a channel and guide elements, including a sheave and rollers, that moves alongside the elevator car to push and hold the travelling cable within the channel, reducing entanglement by maintaining alignment and minimizing frictional forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the travelling cable is allowed to move freely with the elevator car, then the cable can accommodate cable length changes during elevator movement, but the cable becomes entangled during building sway or earthquakes
Solution Approach 1:
A guide device is introduced as an intermediary component between the travelling cable and the elevator car. This guide device includes a guide element that moves with the elevator car and a guide channel that directs the cable, preventing entanglement while allowing necessary cable movement during normal operation and building sway.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guidance function is extracted from the elevator car structure and placed into a separate guide device mounted on the building structure. This allows the cable to be guided independently of the elevator car's movement, preventing entanglement during seismic events while maintaining cable length accommodation.
2Reliability
If a guide device is introduced to prevent cable entanglement, then cable sway is limited during earthquakes, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is segmented into distinct functional components: a guide element that moves with the elevator car, a guide channel mounted on the building, and a connection mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while keeping the overall design modular and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide element is designed to move dynamically with the elevator car during normal operation, adapting to cable length changes. During seismic events, the guide channel provides rigid guidance to prevent entanglement. The device transitions between dynamic following and rigid guiding modes as needed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the guide element moves along the channel to push the cable inside, then cable alignment is improved, but frictional forces increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact between the guide element and cable is designed to minimize frictional forces. The guide channel provides a low-friction path for the cable, and the guide element's movement along the channel is optimized to reduce resistance while maintaining sufficient force to push the cable into proper alignment within the channel.
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 device effectively limits cable sway and reduces the likelihood of entanglement, ensuring smooth operation and preventing damage to the cable and elevator system during seismic events.
Implementation Method 1
minimizing frictional forces
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A device for limiting sway in a travelling cable (6) in an elevator system is provided. The device comprises: a channel extending in a first direction for receiving the travelling cable (6) therein, wherein the channel is configured to be mounted in an elevator hoistway (2) such that the first direction corresponds to a direction of motion of an elevator car (4) within the hoistway (2); and an element (20) configured to move in the first direction along an open side of the channel simultaneously with an elevator car (4) and to push the travelling cable (6) into the channel when the element (20) moves along the open side thereof.