Elevator Door Drive Modernization via Linear Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Older elevator door systems are prone to repair and maintenance issues due to their complex design, leading to increased downtime and noise, and are difficult to modernize without significant disruption or resource expenditure.
Innovation Solution
A modernization method and kit that replaces the wear-intensive car door drive and car door/shaft door coupling with new linear-moving door drives and shaft door locks, allowing for minimal downtime and retention of existing components, including the shaft doors and their frames, enabling quick and quiet conversion of elevator door systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a crank mechanism with drive linkage is used to move car doors, then the door movement can be controlled with precisely defined end positions and almost sinusoidal motion, but the door drive becomes mechanically complex and requires considerable effort for inspection, maintenance and readjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical crank mechanism with drive linkage with a linearly moving door drive system. The new system uses a door drive that moves linearly along the door opening direction, eliminating the need for crank arms, connecting rods, and multiple lever joints. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity while maintaining precise door movement control through direct linear actuation.
2Ease of operation
If the car door/shaft door coupling is arranged below the door drive in the area of the car door opening, then the coupling can be connected to the crank mechanism, but the coupling requires significant space and is difficult to access for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the car door/shaft door coupling from the traditional position below the door drive to a position above the door opening. This spatial reconfiguration in the vertical dimension allows the coupling to be accessed from above, improving maintenance accessibility while reducing the horizontal space requirements in the door opening area.
3Reliability
If the old door drive and car door/shaft door coupling are completely replaced with new components, then the door system achieves modern operating properties with reduced noise and maintenance, but the modernization requires significant downtime and resource expenditure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the modernization process into two independent parts: the car door side and the shaft door side. The modernization kit provides components for both sides that can be installed separately. This allows the replacement to be performed in stages, reducing the overall downtime required for complete modernization while ensuring that both sides are eventually upgraded to achieve modern reliability standards.
4Manufacturing precision
If a crank mechanism with countershaft and drive linkage is used, then the door movement can be controlled precisely, but the mechanism becomes a strong source of noise and is difficult to adapt to changes in building use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the noise-generating crank mechanism with a linearly moving door drive system. The new system eliminates the mechanical interactions between crank arms, connecting rods, and lever joints that produce noise. The linear actuation provides precise door position control through direct motor-driven movement, significantly reducing noise generation while maintaining adaptability to different building configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The method involves demounting an old door drive (6a) and an old car door/shaft door coupling (7a) from an elevator car. A new door drive and a new car door/shaft door coupling are mounting at the elevator car, where fastening points of the new coupling are arranged in a region above the door opening. The old shaft door lock (25a) is demounted and a new shaft door lock is mounted at the shaft door in correspondence with the arrangement of the new car door/shaft door coupling. An independent claim is also included for a modernization kit for modernizing an elevator door system of an elevator installation in a building.