Elevator Car Panel with Spanning Member for Hoistway Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Elevator maintenance personnel face safety risks and challenges when accessing component parts located in the elevator hoistway, as existing solutions do not adequately address fall prevention and safety during maintenance operations.

Innovation Solution

The elevator car design includes a moveable panel that can open to provide access outside the car, a member extending across the opening to prevent falls, and a mechanism to secure the panel in the closed position, ensuring safety during maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If maintenance personnel enter the hoistway to access component parts, then access to component parts is achieved, but safety risks and fall prevention challenges increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveAccess to component partsVSAvoidSafety of maintenance personnel

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary structure (the panel with opening and covering member) that mediates between the maintenance personnel inside the elevator car and the component parts outside in the hoistway. This intermediary allows access to component parts without requiring personnel to directly enter the hazardous hoistway environment, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of access and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the sidewall of the elevator car into a closed panel structure with a removable opening portion. This segmentation allows the main body of the panel to remain closed for safety while a controlled opening provides access to external component parts, enabling maintenance personnel to access components without compromising the overall safety integrity of the elevator car enclosure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If openable car panels are provided to access component parts from within the elevator car, then safety of maintenance personnel is improved, but fall prevention risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSafety of maintenance personnelVSAvoidFall prevention risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by providing a covering member that is positioned to automatically cover the opening when the panel is in the open position. This preliminary protective measure is in place before any maintenance personnel can potentially fall, preemptively eliminating the fall hazard while still allowing access when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The covering member acts as an intermediary protective element between the maintenance personnel inside the elevator car and the external environment through the opening. It mediates the potential harmful effect of falls by providing a physical barrier that prevents personnel from accidentally falling outside the car while still allowing controlled access to component parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a covering member is provided to prevent falls when the panel is open, then fall prevention is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveFall preventionVSAvoidPanel and mechanism structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The covering member is designed with multi-functionality: it serves as both a fall prevention barrier when the panel is open and as a structural component that can be integrated with the panel mechanism. By making this single element serve multiple purposes (safety barrier, structural support, and potential locking component), the patent reduces the need for additional separate safety devices, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250042696A1Elevator car, elevator system and a method of providing access to an area outside an elevator car

Publication Date: 2025.02.06 OTIS ELEVATOR CO

AI summary

An elevator car comprises a panel that is moveable between a closed position, in which the panel at least partially defines a sidewall of the elevator car, and an open position, in which an opening is provided in the sidewall to an area outside of the elevator car. A member is provided external to the sidewall and extends across at least a portion of the sidewall such that, when the panel is in the open position, the opening is spanned by the member. A mechanism is on one of the panel and the member. The mechanism is moveable between a first position, in which the mechanism is not engaged with the other one of the panel and the member, and a second position, in which the mechanism is engaged with the other one of the panel and the member such that the panel is held in the closed position.