Elevator Floor With Local Honeycomb Reinforcement

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing elevator floor designs, even with composite or sandwich constructions, fail to meet high demands for rigidity and resilience, especially under high mechanical loads, and are challenging to produce efficiently and inexpensively.

Innovation Solution

A floor design featuring a metallic base and cover plate with a support structure having a first packing density, locally reinforced by a second arrangement with a higher packing density, typically a honeycomb structure with smaller cells, which is strategically positioned to enhance mechanical strength and absorb impact energies effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a uniform honeycomb structure is used throughout the floor, then the floor achieves good mechanical strength, but the weight increases and manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidfloor weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by varying the honeycomb structure density across different floor regions. High-density honeycomb cells are placed in areas requiring greater strength (e.g., near doors, corners), while low-density cells are used in less critical areas. This selective distribution optimizes mechanical strength where needed while minimizing overall weight and material usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The floor is segmented into multiple zones with different honeycomb densities. The support structure is divided into first and second arrangements with different packing densities, allowing each segment to be optimized for its specific functional requirements rather than using a uniform structure throughout the entire floor.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If the support structure is reinforced throughout the entire floor area, then rigidity and impact absorption improve, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefloor rigidityVSAvoidsupport structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support structure implements local quality by providing different packing densities in different regions. The first arrangement has a lower packing density for general areas, while the second arrangement has a higher packing density specifically in regions requiring enhanced rigidity and impact absorption, such as areas above the buffer element or near high-traffic zones.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of uniformly reinforcing the entire floor, the patent applies partial reinforcement only where structurally necessary. The second arrangement with higher packing density is strategically positioned to provide excessive reinforcement only in critical areas, rather than applying uniform reinforcement across the whole floor surface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Strength

If a composite sandwich construction is used, then load-bearing capacity increases, but manufacturing difficulty and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload-bearing capacityVSAvoidmanufacturing ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs composite materials by combining metallic plates (base plate and cover plate) with a honeycomb support structure made of potentially different materials. This composite construction achieves high load-bearing capacity by leveraging the strengths of each material: the metallic plates provide surface integrity and attachment points, while the honeycomb structure provides core strength and impact absorption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The floor is segmented into distinct components (base plate, cover plate, and support structure) that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized and manufactured using the most appropriate processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity compared to creating a monolithic composite structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2694419B1Elevator
Publication Date: 2016.05.11 INVENTIO AG
  • EP2694419B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2694419B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2694419B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a floor for an elevator car, comprising a base plate (7), a cover plate (8), and a support structure (6) arranged therebetween. The support structure (6) comprises a first grating arrangement (10) made of a plurality of upright intersecting profiled sections (12, 13). For local reinforcement, the support structure (6) additionally comprises a centrally arranged second grating arrangement (11) that is superimposed on the first arrangement.