Movable Flap for Elevator Shaft Safety and Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In machine room-less elevator apparatus, the risk of falling during maintenance work is not adequately addressed by existing safety measures like safety rails and fixed flaps, which can restrict workspace and lead to collisions with shaft elements, and the use of rails poses ergonomic and space limitations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile flap system that automatically adjusts its position to maintain a safe distance from shaft elements, preventing collisions and eliminating the need for safety rails by extending and retracting to cover the free space between the traveling assembly and the shaft wall, ensuring operator safety without compromising workspace.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed flaps are used to cover the free space between the traveling assembly and shaft wall, then the risk of falling is reduced, but the flaps may collide with shaft elements at certain positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the flap movable rather than fixed. The flap is configured to move between an extended position (providing fall protection) and a retracted position (avoiding collision with shaft elements). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt its configuration based on the traveling assembly's position in the shaft, resolving the contradiction between fall prevention and collision avoidance.
2Reliability
If safety rails are installed on the roof of the traveling assembly, then operator safety is improved, but the workspace area and refuge space are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the safety function from the traditional fixed rail structure and relocates it to a movable flap system that can be deployed only when needed. By taking out the safety protection mechanism from the permanent structure and making it movable, the system provides safety coverage without permanently occupying workspace area, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and workspace availability.
3Ease of operation
If the free space between the traveling assembly and shaft wall is increased, then maintenance accessibility is improved, but the risk of falling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing fall protection through the movable flap before any fall incident can occur. The flap is positioned to cover the free space between the traveling assembly and shaft wall in advance, creating a protective barrier that prevents falls while allowing the free space to be maintained for maintenance accessibility. This proactive safety measure resolves the contradiction between accessibility and fall risk.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to an elevator apparatus comprising: - a traveling assembly (1), - a shaft (3) where the traveling assembly (1) can be displaced, - a shaft element (4) which at some point of the path of the traveling assembly (1) is located in a space between a wall (3') of the shaft (3) and said traveling assembly (1), and - covering means (5) located in the traveling assembly (1) which can be displaced between an active position and an inactive position, such that the minimum distance between the wall (3') of the shaft (3) and the covering means (5) in the active position is smaller than in the inactive position, where the covering means (5) automatically switch from the active position to the inactive position when the traveling assembly (1) is located in its path next to the shaft element (4).