Elevator Guide Rail Absorber for Hoistway Settling Loads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current elevator systems face increased costs and rail size requirements due to new standards for buildings over 40 meters tall, necessitating a solution to absorb push-through forces along guide rail lengths without significant size or cost increments.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an absorber system with a fluid-filled housing chamber and pressure relief valve to absorb loads from building settling, allowing guide rails to move with the settling structure while reducing the need for oversized rails, and using a pressure relief valve to manage fluid pressure and piston stroke.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If guide rails are sized to withstand push-through forces at all brackets along the guide rail length, then safety and structural integrity are improved, but rail size and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide rail brackets with load-absorbing mechanisms that act as intermediaries between the guide rails and the hoistway structure. These brackets include spring elements or shock-absorbing components that dissipate push-through forces, preventing direct transmission of loads to the rails. This intermediary mechanism allows the use of lighter guide rails while maintaining safety by managing the forces at the bracket-rail interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the mechanical parameters of the guide rail brackets by incorporating elements with varying stiffness characteristics. The brackets are designed with spring constants that change based on load conditions, allowing them to be rigid under normal operation but compliant under excessive push-through forces. This parameter change enables the system to protect against rail failure without requiring the rails themselves to be oversized.
2Strength
If guide rails are sized to withstand push-through forces at all brackets along the guide rail length, then structural integrity is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide rail brackets with load-absorbing mechanisms that act as intermediaries between the guide rails and the hoistway structure. These brackets include spring elements or shock-absorbing components that dissipate push-through forces, preventing direct transmission of loads to the rails. This intermediary mechanism allows the use of lighter guide rails while maintaining safety by managing the forces at the bracket-rail interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the load management function into separate components: the guide rails themselves and the specialized brackets. Rather than requiring the entire rail system to be oversized, the braking and load-absorbing functions are segmented into discrete bracket assemblies that can be manufactured and installed independently. This segmentation allows cost-effective production of standard-sized rails combined with specialized brackets that handle the extreme load conditions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If guide rails remain fixed while building settles, then guide rail stability is improved, but buckling risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed connection between guide rails and the hoistway into a dynamic system. The guide rail brackets incorporate spring elements and shock-absorbing mechanisms that allow controlled movement and deformation. This dynamic capability enables the rail support system to adapt to building settlement while maintaining rail stability, as the brackets can flex and redistribute loads rather than transmitting rigid forces that would cause buckling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements pre-installed shock-absorbing elements and spring mechanisms in the guide rail brackets that are designed to cushion against settlement forces before they can cause damage. These cushioning elements are positioned and pre-loaded to immediately absorb the effects of building movement, preventing the transmission of harmful forces to the guide rails that would lead to buckling or instability.
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
This solution enables the use of lighter materials for guide rails, reduces the risk of buckling, and achieves cost savings by distributing settling forces effectively, while maintaining safety and operational integrity.
Implementation Method 1
relative motion of the guide rail relative to the pit floor increases fluid pressure in the housing chamber
Implementation Method 2
an absorber piston located in the absorber housing, and together with the absorber housing defining a housing chamber containing a volume of fluid
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator system includes a hoistway, the hoistway having a plurality of landing floors each landing floor having a landing floor door. One or more guide rails are located in the hoistway to guide one or more elevator system components along the hoistway. An absorber is located at a hoistway pit and is supportive of a guide rail of the one or more guide rails. The absorber is configured to absorb loads imparted to the guide rail due to vertical translation and/or compression of the hoistway. A method of supporting a guide rail of an elevator system includes locating an absorber in an elevator hoistway in operable communication with a guide rail of an elevator system. Vertically-acting loads are transmitted from the guide rail to the absorber via the absorber piston thereby increasing a fluid pressure in the housing chamber.