Elevator Safety Exit Assembly with Dynamic Door Panel

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing safety exit assemblies for elevator cars are not efficiently designed to ensure reliable and quick opening in emergency situations while maintaining stability and preventing passenger tripping during normal operations.

Innovation Solution

A safety exit assembly with a door panel that moves downward and translates relative to the elevator car floor, utilizing a drive assembly, locking assembly, and switches to ensure the door panel remains flush with the floor in the closed state, quickly opens in emergencies, and reliably locks to reduce vibration and noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the safety exit door panel is designed to be flush with the floor in closed state, then passenger tripping is prevented, but the opening speed and reliability in emergency situations may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassenger trippingVSAvoidopening reliability in emergency
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The door panel transitions from a static flush design to a dynamic configuration where it can be quickly deployed downward and translated outward. The moving assembly with guide blocks and guide rails enables the door panel to dynamically change position from flush (closed) to open (escape) state, resolving the contradiction between safety during normal operation and rapid opening in emergencies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The safety exit assembly is divided into separate functional components: the door panel, moving assembly (guide blocks and rails), drive assembly, and locking assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the door panel remains flush when closed, while the moving assembly enables rapid deployment when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If a moving assembly with guide blocks and guide rails is used to enable door panel movement, then the door panel can be quickly opened in emergencies, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedoor panel opening speedVSAvoidmoving assembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The complex mechanical moving assembly is replaced with a simpler electric drive system. The drive assembly uses a motor to directly drive the door panel along simplified guide rails, eliminating the need for complex guide blocks and mechanical linkages while maintaining rapid opening capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If the door panel is designed to translate downward and outward for opening, then quick escape is enabled, but the locking reliability and vibration control become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveescape efficiencyVSAvoidlocking reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The locking assembly incorporates feedback mechanisms that detect the door panel position and locking status. This feedback ensures the door panel is properly locked in the closed position and confirms when the emergency opening sequence is complete, maintaining locking reliability while enabling rapid escape when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4008665B1Safety exit assembly for elevator car, and elevator system
Publication Date: 2024.05.29 OTIS ELEVATOR CO
  • EP4008665B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4008665B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4008665B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present application provides a safety exit assembly (100) for an elevator car (210), and an elevator system (200). The safety exit assembly includes: a door panel (110), which is configured to open and close a safety exit (211) of the elevator car, and which has an upper surface and a lower surface; a moving assembly, which includes a guide block (121) provided on a lower surface of the door panel, and a guide rail (122) which guides the door panel to move downward and translate through a cooperation with the guide block; a drive assembly (13), which drives the door panel to reciprocate along the guide rail, in a controlled manner; and a locking assembly, which includes an unlocking element (141) provided on an upper surface of the door panel; wherein the unlocking element is electrically connected to the drive assembly, and an unlocking action of the unlocking element triggers the drive assembly to drive the door panel to move until the safety exit is opened. The safety exit assembly and the elevator system according to the present application can smoothly cooperate with the floor of the car in normal states to prevent passengers from being tripped; and in case of emergency, a quicker and smoother movement of the door panel can be realized so that the safety exit can be thoroughly exposed, thereby providing a larger escape space.