Solid Elevator Guide Rail with Segmented Flange Contours
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems face challenges with high manufacturing costs, complex design, increased installation time, and limited availability of custom irregular shaped elevator rails, which result in elevated procurement costs and reduced ease of storage and installation.
Innovation Solution
The use of solid guide rails with standard I-, T-, or double T-shaped cross sections, manufactured using conventional techniques, which include guide contours for engaging with elevator cars and counterweights, allowing for easier assembly and replacement, and minimizing space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If custom irregular shaped elevator rails are used, then the guide contours can be shaped to be suitable for interacting with a guide shoe, but the manufacturing complexity increases and installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rail is divided into modular components: a standard I-shaped profile with attached flange portions. The flange portions can be separately manufactured and then attached to the I-shaped rail, allowing each component to be optimized independently while simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to monolithic custom shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The I-shaped rail profile serves as a universal base that can accommodate different flange portion configurations. This standardized base design allows the same rail structure to guide both elevator cars and counterweights, reducing the need for completely custom-designed rails for different applications.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom irregular shaped elevator rails are used, then the guide contours can be shaped to be suitable for interacting with a guide shoe, but the manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the rail into an I-shaped profile and separate flange portions, each component can be manufactured using standard processes and then assembled. This reduces the need for expensive custom machining of complex monolithic shapes while maintaining the required guide contour precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the rail by using a standardized I-shaped profile with variable flange portions. This allows the rail to maintain precision for guide contours while using common, cost-effective structural shapes that are easier and cheaper to manufacture than custom irregular forms.
3Manufacturing precision
If custom irregular shaped elevator rails are used, then the guide contours can be shaped to be suitable for interacting with a guide shoe, but the installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with separate flange portions that attach to the I-shaped rail allows for pre-fabrication and standardization of components. This modular approach enables faster on-site assembly compared to installing custom monolithic rails, as the components can be quickly positioned and connected using standardized attachment methods.
4Manufacturing precision
If custom irregular shaped elevator rails are used, then the guide contours can be shaped to be suitable for interacting with a guide shoe, but the ease of storage decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with the I-shaped profile and separate flange portions creates more regular, standardized geometric shapes that are easier to store and handle. The flange portions can be stored separately or attached to the I-shaped rails, creating compact and organized storage configurations compared to custom irregular shapes that are difficult to stack and store efficiently.
Data Source
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AI summary
An elevator rail (2) for guiding moving bodies of an elevator system (1) is disclosed. The moving bodies serve as a car (4) for the transport of people or goods or as a counterweight (5). The elevator rail (2), is a solid guide rail (2), including guide contours (6a, 6b, 10) adapted to engage with the counterweight (5) and the car (4) such that the solid guide rail (2) includes at least one flange portion (8) and at least one web portion (9). The guide contours (6a, 6b, 10) are defined on at least one of the flange portion (8) and the web portion (9).