Elevator Plate Assembly with Obstruction Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hoistway-less elevator systems in domestic settings face challenges such as the need for additional safety systems to prevent damage and injury, maintaining fire safety, and reducing noise and drafts, while also serving multiple levels without the infrastructure of a traditional elevator system.
Innovation Solution
An elevator plate assembly that includes a plate to cover apertures in building floors and a sensor system communicatively coupled to the elevator control system. The sensor system, which can include pressure sensitive devices, cameras, or active sensors, detects obstructions on the plate and sends alerts to the control system to prevent accidents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a plate is provided to cover the aperture when the elevator car is beneath it, then fire safety and draft control are improved, but the risk of objects or people being carried upward by the plate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system performs preliminary detection of obstructions on the plate before the elevator car arrives. When an obstruction is detected, the system activates warning signals (visual and audible) in advance to alert users to move off the plate, preventing the harmful effect of being carried upward while maintaining the fire safety function of the plate
2Reliability
If a sensor system is added to detect obstructions on the plate, then safety against carrying objects is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system continuously monitors the plate surface for obstructions and provides real-time feedback to the control system. When an obstruction is detected, the system generates warning signals that are displayed to users. This feedback mechanism enables automatic safety monitoring without requiring complex mechanical intervention systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical safety systems (such as physical barriers or mechanical locking mechanisms) with an electronic sensor-based detection system. The sensor system uses optical or capacitive sensing to detect obstructions, substituting mechanical complexity with electronic monitoring and visual/audible warning signals
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the plate is made larger to better cover the aperture, then fire safety and draft control are improved, but the likelihood of objects being placed on it increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system detects obstructions on the plate surface in advance before the elevator car arrives. By providing early warning through visual and audible signals, the system allows users to remove objects or move off the plate, thereby maintaining the benefit of a large plate for fire safety while preventing the harm of carrying objects upward
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The elevator plate assembly enhances safety by preventing accidents due to obstructions, maintains fire safety by controlling the spread of fire between levels, reduces noise and drafts, and allows the elevator system to serve multiple levels without additional infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
a pressure sensitive device coupled to the plate, the pressure sensitive device being configured to detect the presence on an obstruction on the plate by detecting a force applied to the pressure sensitive device
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator plate assembly for use with an elevator system including an elevator car configured to move between levels of a building along a pathway, the assembly including: a plate configured to be positioned to cover an aperture defined by a floor of the building and to be carried by the elevator car as the elevator car travels along the pathway through the aperture defined by the floor of the building; and a sensor system configured to be communicatively coupled to a control system of the elevator system, the sensor system including a pressure sensitive device coupled to the plate, the pressure sensitive device being configured to detect the presence on an obstruction on the plate by detecting a force applied to the pressure sensitive device which is greater than a threshold force, such that, on detection of the presence of an obstruction by the pressure sensitive device, the sensor system is configured to send an alert to the elevator control system.