Machine Room-less Elevator Suspension with Segmented Deflection Rollers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional machine-room-less elevators face challenges in optimizing space usage, reducing wear and tear on suspension cables, and minimizing maintenance efforts while maintaining safety and compactness, as they often require large spaces for pulleys and have high risks associated with single hoist ropes.

Innovation Solution

The elevator design features an elevator car suspended on car guide rails with a 2:1 deflection ratio, using separate deflection rollers with distinct axes to distribute suspension elements horizontally, allowing for space savings and improved safety with multiple suspension elements, and incorporating a drive system in the shaft head to reduce structural demands and enhance smooth operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple adjacent hoisting ropes are used to form a rope bundle, then the suspension reliability is improved, but the space required for cable pulleys increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuspension reliabilityVSAvoidspace for cable pulleys
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention divides the rope bundle into individual hoisting ropes, each guided separately through its own groove in the cable pulley. This segmentation allows each rope to be independently managed while sharing the same pulley structure, reducing the total space required compared to traditional bundled arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cable pulley is designed with multiple grooves arranged in a radial pattern around the pulley circumference. This dimensional arrangement allows multiple ropes to be distributed around the pulley's perimeter rather than stacked linearly, efficiently utilizing the pulley's circumferential space and reducing the overall footprint of the backpack kit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If rope pulleys are installed parallel to the shaft wall to optimize space, then the space requirement is reduced, but wear and tear on suspension cables increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace requirementVSAvoidwear and tear on cables
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cable pulley is designed with an asymmetric groove configuration where grooves are positioned at specific angular intervals rather than symmetrically distributed. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes the cable entry and exit angles, reducing lateral forces and wear on the cables while maintaining the pulley's parallel orientation to the shaft wall.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Solution Approach 2:

The invention modifies the geometric parameters of the cable pulley grooves, including their depth, width, and angular positioning. By optimizing these parameters, the groove geometry accommodates the cable bundle configuration that runs parallel to the shaft wall, minimizing friction and wear while maintaining space efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Area of stationary object

If only one hoisting rope is used to minimize space, then the space requirement is reduced, but the risk of breakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace requirementVSAvoidrisk of breakage
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention uses multiple individual hoisting ropes (at least two) instead of a single rope, with each rope independently guided through grooves in the cable pulley. This segmentation provides redundancy, so if one rope fails, the others can still support the elevator car, significantly reducing the risk of catastrophic failure while maintaining compact space requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Stability of the object's composition

If deflection rollers are arranged above the car to absorb uneven loads, then load distribution is improved, but the elevator car cannot drive past the drive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload distributionVSAvoidcar movement past drive
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of arranging deflection rollers above the car as in traditional designs, the invention inverts the arrangement by positioning the cable pulley system on the elevator car itself. This inversion allows the car to pass freely under the drive mechanism in the shaft head, eliminating the obstruction problem while the cable pulley's groove configuration still provides load distribution capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

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 design achieves a larger car footprint within the same shaft dimensions, reduces space requirements, lowers maintenance efforts, and enhances safety by distributing suspension elements efficiently, making it suitable for new and retrofitted installations while minimizing wear and tear.

Implementation Method 1

The suspension element strands are deflected on the car side by means of their own separate deflection rollers with separate axes in the direction of the driving body axis

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 2

a driving body (4) on which the suspension element strands run

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP1818303B1Machine room-less elevator.
Publication Date: 2010.02.10 AUFZUGTEILE
  • EP1818303B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1818303B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP1818303B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The lift consists of a lift cabin (1) traveling on guide rails (2), suspended in 2:1 ratio in diverting rollers on the rail side. A counterweight (10) is on carrier cables (3) running over the drive body (4) to the diverting rollers (5) on the cabin. The carrier cables on the cabin side are diverted by individual spatially separated diverting rollers with separate axles (7).