Elevator Door Interlock With Adjustable Coupling Rollers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator door interlock systems are prone to malfunctions, accounting for 50% of maintenance requests and 30% of callbacks, and the installation process is time-consuming and complicated, often resulting in inaccurate alignment and increased wear on components.
Innovation Solution
A versatile elevator door interlock design featuring a lock with a movable unlocking roller and adjustable coupling rollers, compatible with both clamping and expanding type couplers, separates door unlocking and moving functions, allowing for easy alignment without adjusting lock and switch components, reducing load on the interlock and enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional interlock arrangements are used with multiple rollers and fixed positioning, then door coupling function is achieved, but installation becomes time-consuming and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The interlock device is divided into separate functional components: a lock body that remains fixed and coupling rollers that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the coupling rollers to be adjusted separately from the lock mechanism, simplifying installation and alignment procedures while maintaining the door coupling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling rollers are made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing them to be positioned dynamically during installation to achieve proper alignment with the door coupler. This dynamic positioning capability eliminates the need for complex fixed positioning and reduces installation time.
2Reliability
If interlocks are precisely positioned to avoid undesired contact, then reliability improves, but installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling rollers are designed with adjustable positioning mechanisms that allow installers to easily achieve precise alignment without complex procedures. The adjustability provides fine-tuning capability for reliable operation while keeping the positioning process simple through straightforward mechanical adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The interlock design incorporates self-aligning features where the adjustable coupling rollers can be positioned to naturally align with the door coupler geometry, reducing the need for complex external alignment tools or procedures while ensuring reliable contact.
3Manufacturing precision
If lock and switch components are adjusted for accurate alignment, then door coordination improves, but maintenance and installation time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment adjustment is segmented and localized to only the coupling rollers, while the lock body and switch components remain fixed in their predetermined positions. This segmentation isolates the adjustment requirement to a single component, reducing overall adjustment time while maintaining precise door coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock body and switch components are pre-positioned and fixed during manufacturing or initial installation with predetermined alignment. This preliminary action eliminates the need for field adjustment of these components, reducing installation and maintenance time while preserving alignment precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a single interlock design is used for both clamping and expanding couplers, then versatility improves, but component design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interlock device is designed with universal coupling rollers that can interface with both clamping and expanding door coupler types. The rollers' adjustable positioning and contact geometry allow them to accommodate different coupler mechanisms, providing multi-functionality without requiring separate interlock designs for each coupler type.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling rollers incorporate dynamic adjustment capabilities that allow them to adapt their position and orientation based on the specific coupler type being used. This dynamic adaptability enables a single interlock design to work with multiple coupler variants while managing design complexity through standardized adjustment mechanisms.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4B
Figure 5A~5B
AI summary
An illustrative example elevator door interlock (30) includes at least one coupling roller (60, 62) supported on a base (63). A lock (32) is configured to move relative to the base (63) and the at least one coupling roller (60, 62) between a locking position and an unlocked position. An unlocking roller (44) supported on the lock (32) is situated to be moved by a vane (50a, 50b) of an elevator door coupler (28) to move the lock (32) into the unlocked position prior to the vane (50a, 50b) contacting the coupling roller (60, 62). The elevator door interlock (30) is compatible with a clamping type elevator door coupler and an expanding type elevator door coupler. The coupling roller (60, 62) is situated to be received between two vanes (80a, 80b) of the clamping type elevator door coupler or received against one of two vanes (50a, 50b) of the expanding type elevator door coupler.