Elevator Derailment Protection Device Clearance Strategy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator systems face issues with uneven load distribution and reduced ride comfort due to deviations in guide rail spacing, leading to high forces during normal and emergency situations, which can cause derailment and compromise safety.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with a derailment protection device that includes a guide rail with distinct subregions, where the derailment protection device maintains a sufficient clearance from the guide rail during normal operation and engages only during emergency situations to prevent derailment, ensuring secure guidance and reduced stress on the guide rail.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the guide rail spacing is made flexible to absorb deviations, then the load distribution on the guide rail becomes more even, but high forces occur between the guide rail and guide means during normal use, reducing ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail is segmented into two functional subregions: a first subregion that works with the guide means during normal operation, and a second subregion that works with the derailment protection device during emergencies. This segmentation allows each subregion to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and force transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The derailment protection device acts as an intermediary element that engages with the second subregion of the guide rail only when necessary. During normal operation, the clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion prevents force transmission, while during emergencies, the device bridges the gap to provide additional support.
2Reliability
If the guide rail is made stiffer to prevent derailment, then safety is improved, but the guide rail cannot absorb spacing deviations, leading to uneven load distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail is divided into two subregions with different functional requirements. The first subregion maintains flexibility for normal operation, while the second subregion provides a rigid engagement surface for the derailment protection device, thus ensuring both safety and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The derailment protection device is pre-positioned with a specific clearance from the second subregion of the guide rail. This preliminary positioning ensures that the device remains disengaged during normal operation but is ready to engage immediately when spacing deviations exceed the clearance distance.
3Reliability
If the derailment protection device is positioned close to the guide rail to prevent derailment, then safety is improved, but the device contacts the guide rail during normal operation, reducing ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The derailment protection device is pre-positioned with an optimized clearance from the second subregion of the guide rail. This clearance is calculated to be sufficient to prevent contact during normal operation, ensuring ride comfort, while being small enough to allow immediate engagement when spacing deviations indicate an emergency situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The clearance parameter between the derailment protection device and the second subregion is optimized to transition the system from a contact state (poor ride comfort) to a non-contact state (good ride comfort) during normal operation, while maintaining the capability for engagement during emergencies.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator system, suitable both for normal operating situations and for emergency situations, includes an elevator car that can be displaced directly or indirectly within an elevator shaft, a guide means that is connected to the elevator car, a derailment protection device that is connected to the elevator car, and a guide rail that has a first subregion which works together with the guide means and is used to guide the elevator car along the guide rail, and that has a second subregion which works together with the derailment protection device. A clearance between the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail is large enough that the derailment protection device and the second subregion of the guide rail remain spaced apart from each other during the normal operating situations.