Elevator Cover Assembly with Modular Trim for Adaptable Peg Spacing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional elevator pads are not easily modifiable to fit various elevator installations, often requiring costly and time-consuming manufacturing processes, and may compromise the pad's strength or leave ceiling areas uncovered due to mismatched hole spacing and irregular ceiling profiles.
Innovation Solution
A modular elevator protection assembly featuring a flexible cover with a separately formed trim that includes multiple openings to accommodate various projection configurations, allowing for easy adjustment and installation without weakening the pad, along with a method of using quick-curing adhesives and radio frequency welding for cost-effective production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If holes are placed in the pad itself for attachment, then the pad can be hung in the elevator, but the pad's strength is compromised and it may tear at any spacing interval
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment function is segmented from the protective pad body. The pad and trim are separated into distinct components, with the trim bearing the attachment openings while the pad maintains its structural integrity for protection purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment openings are extracted from the pad material and relocated to the trim component. This extraction eliminates the weakening effect of holes in the pad while preserving the hanging functionality through the trim's openings.
2Ease of manufacture
If the pad is made with fixed hole spacing, then manufacturing is simplified, but it cannot accommodate different peg spacing in various elevator installations
Solution Approach 1:
The trim component serves multiple functions: it provides attachment openings for various peg spacings, reinforces the pad edge, and offers aesthetic finishing. The multiple openings in the trim allow it to adapt to different installation configurations while the pad itself remains a simple, standardized protective element.
Solution Approach 2:
The trim is designed as a flexible component that can be positioned and attached at different locations along the pad edge. This dynamic positioning capability allows the openings to align with various peg spacings in different elevator installations, providing versatility without complicating pad manufacturing.
3Ease of operation
If buttonholes with stitching are used in the pad, then attachment is possible, but manufacturing becomes time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The trim is designed as a separate, replaceable component that can be mass-produced using simple cutting or punching operations. This approach replaces complex stitching operations with simpler manufacturing processes, increasing productivity while maintaining attachment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment feature is extracted from the pad body and placed in the trim component. This extraction eliminates the need for time-consuming stitching operations in the pad itself, as the trim can be attached using simpler methods and provides the attachment openings for pegs.
4Ease of manufacture
If the pad has a straight top edge, then manufacturing is simple, but it cannot accommodate irregular ceiling profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The trim is designed as a flexible component that can be conformingly attached to irregular ceiling profiles. While the pad maintains a simple rectangular shape for easy manufacturing, the flexible trim can be shaped or positioned to follow irregular ceiling contours, providing adaptability without compromising pad manufacturing simplicity.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, durable, and easily deployable elevator protection system that can fit a wide range of installations without compromising the pad's strength, accommodating irregular ceiling profiles and reducing manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
radio frequency welding for cost-effective production
Implementation Method 2
The base provides a stable support for the stem and is secured to a wall with a quick-curing permanent adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator cover assembly having a cover pad and a trim with openings for receiving a hanging knob inside the elevator is disclosed. The trim is a separate piece attached to the elevator cover after openings are made in the trim. The trim slits formed therein are sized and positioned to receive hanging knobs. The trim is made of a flexible material that can be deformed to broaden the openings to more easily position the openings over the knobs. A hanging knob can be a stud device attached to any wall for hanging a wall cover. The stud device comprises a mount attached to a wall, and a knob extending from the mount and extending outwardly from the wall. The knob is configured to receive an opening of the wall cover to hang the wall cover. A variety of such stud devices is provided.