Elevator Counterweight Safety Gear Triggering System
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Solution Overview
Problem
In elevator systems with two cars in a shaft, particularly in high-rise buildings, there is a challenge in providing a safe and space-efficient mechanism to trigger a braking device on the counterweight for the lower car to prevent upward movement, as conventional mechanical speed limiters require revolving ropes and electrical activation is not feasible due to the arrangement of counterweights.
Innovation Solution
A triggering system for a safety gear attached to a counterweight using a single tensioning device, such as a rope, which is tensioned between the upper and lower ends of the shaft, allowing for electrical activation from the machine room without the need for a hanging cable, utilizing an actuating device with an electromagnet and a coupling device to transfer force to the safety gear, enabling easy and space-efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical overspeed governor with a revolving rope is used, then the safety gear can be triggered, but it requires significant space in the shaft and cannot be implemented with two counterweights arranged side by side
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the triggering mechanism into separate components: a stationary tensioning means (cable) anchored at shaft ends, and an actuating device mounted on the counterweight. This eliminates the need for a single long revolving rope spanning the entire shaft, reducing space requirements while maintaining safety functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the rope revolve around a pulley system, the invention inverts the approach by using a stationary cable that moves linearly with the counterweight. The cable is anchored at both ends of the shaft and moves in sync with the counterweight's vertical motion, eliminating the need for revolving components and reducing shaft space.
2Extent of automation
If electrical activation of the safety gear is implemented, then the triggering can be controlled, but it requires a traveling cable or electrical connection to the counterweight which is not available
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary actuating device that converts the mechanical motion of the stationary cable into electrical signals. This actuating device includes components that detect cable movement and generate corresponding electrical triggering signals, eliminating the need for direct electrical connections to the moving counterweight while enabling automated control.
3Reliability
If a braking device on the lower car is provided to stop upward movement, then safety is improved, but it requires additional space and complex triggering mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The stationary tensioning means serves multiple functions: it acts as both the triggering mechanism for the safety gear and the actuating element for the braking device. The same cable that triggers the safety gear when the counterweight moves also activates the braking device on the lower car, eliminating the need for separate triggering mechanisms and reducing overall system complexity.
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
This solution provides a simple, space-saving, and electrically triggered safety gear for the counterweight, effectively preventing upward movement of the lower car and ensuring safety without the need for additional electrical connections, enhancing safety and operational efficiency in dual-car elevator systems.
Implementation Method 1
The actuating device has, in particular, an electromagnet, by means of which the actuating device can be triggered
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a triggering system (200) for a safety catch apparatus (230) which can be attached to a counterweight (125) or to an elevator car (120), which counterweight is connected to the elevator car by means of a supporting means guided by a drive sheave coupled to a drive and is guided in a shaft. A stationary clamping means (241) which can be clamped in the shaft, an actuating device (210) by means of which a force can be exerted on the clamping means (241), as required, in the longitudinal direction of the clamping means, and a coupling device (220) by means of which the clamping means (241) and the safety catch apparatus (230) can be coupled together such that the safety catch device (230) can be triggered when the force is exerted on the clamping means (241), are provided. The invention also relates to an elevator system having such a triggering system (200) and a method for operating an elevator system.