Elevator Car Door Intumescent Sealing for Fire Gap Blocking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Elevator fire prevention and heat insulation systems fail to effectively block flame, heat, smoke, and noise due to movement gaps between car doors and jambs, posing safety risks and discomfort to passengers.

Innovation Solution

A fire-proof seal made of intumescent graphite material is arranged in the gaps between elevator car doors and jambs, expanding by 10-20 times when heated to fill the gaps and block external threats, providing enhanced fire prevention and noise insulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If movement gaps are maintained between car door and jamb for normal operation, then ease of operation is improved, but fire prevention and heat insulation performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidfire prevention and heat insulation performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fire-proof seal is pre-installed in the gaps between the car door and jamb before any fire incident occurs. This preliminary placement ensures that when temperature rises during a fire, the seal is already positioned to expand and block the gaps, preventing flame and heat transfer while maintaining normal door operation gaps for everyday use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The fire-proof seal undergoes parameter change through thermal expansion when exposed to high temperatures. The seal material is designed to expand significantly (10-20 times volume increase) when heated to preset temperatures (150°C-230°C), transforming the gap-filling state from open to closed, thereby blocking fire and heat transfer paths while maintaining operational gaps during normal conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If fire-proof seal is added to block gaps, then fire prevention performance is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire prevention performanceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fire-proof seal is designed to automatically activate and perform its sealing function without external control or intervention. When the temperature rises during a fire incident, the seal autonomously expands to block the gaps, eliminating the need for complex control systems, sensors, or manual activation mechanisms, thus adding minimal complexity while achieving effective fire prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The fire-proof seal utilizes phase transition or significant volumetric expansion of the intumescent material when heated. This physical transformation allows a thin, compact seal in normal conditions to become a thick, blocking barrier during fire, achieving effective fire prevention with minimal material addition and structural complexity modification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #36Phase transitions

3Temperature

If intumescent material is used to fill gaps, then heat insulation effect is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat insulation effectVSAvoidmanufacturing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The fire-proof seal is pre-installed in the gaps during the door assembly manufacturing process, before final positioning and operation testing. This preliminary installation allows for controlled placement and ensures proper positioning, reducing the need for high precision during final assembly while guaranteeing effective gap coverage when the seal expands during fire conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 effectively blocks flame, heat, and noise from entering the elevator car, creating a safer and more comfortable environment for passengers by filling the gaps between the doors and jambs during external fires, while maintaining a quiet and comfortable experience during normal use.

Implementation Method 1

a fire-proof seal 14 made of an intumescent material is arranged in the gaps... so that the fire-proof seal 14 can intumesce and deform when the ambient temperature exceeds a preset value

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectIntumescing: Intumescent Materials

Implementation Method 2

the fire-proof seal 14 can intumesce and deform when the ambient temperature exceeds a preset value

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3971124B1Elevator car, elevator car door and elevator system
Publication Date: 2024.05.22 OTIS ELEVATOR CO
  • EP3971124B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3971124B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to an elevator car, an elevator car door and an elevator system. The elevator car includes an elevator car door and a jamb, the elevator car door having a gap communicating with an exterior of the elevator car when in a closed state, wherein the elevator car further comprises a fire-proof seal disposed on the elevator car door and/or the jamb, and intumescing to at least partially fill the gap when the temperature of an environment in which the fire-proof seal is located exceeds a preset value. The present disclosure is simple in structure and easy to implement, has a low cost and good fire prevention and heat insulation effect, and can provide a safer, more reliable and comfortable elevator-taking environment to elevator passengers. Therefore, the present disclosure has high practicability.