Elevator Shaft Door Locking Mechanism for Compact Rescue Zones

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Solution Overview

Problem

Elevator systems with reduced shaft head or pit height struggle to provide a necessary protective space, as current designs require a minimum height for safety regulations, which is not feasible with minimized dimensions, and existing solutions involve complex mechanics.

Innovation Solution

An elevator system with a shaft door that can only be unlocked when the elevator car is within the emergency rescue zone, featuring a door bolt and blocking element that prevents opening outside this zone, allowing direct access only when safe, and incorporating a partially openable car floor or roof flap to create a protective space within the car.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If the shaft head or shaft pit height is reduced to minimize elevator shaft dimensions, then the overall shaft size is improved, but the ability to provide a necessary protective space for service personnel deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshaft dimensionsVSAvoidprotective space
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The blocking element is designed to dynamically change position based on the elevator car's location. When the car is in the emergency rescue zone, the blocking element prevents door opening. When the car moves out of this zone, the blocking element automatically retracts, allowing door opening. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction by adapting the safety mechanism to the real-time position of the elevator car, enabling reduced shaft dimensions while maintaining protective space requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The actuator serves as an intermediary between the elevator car's position detection system and the blocking element. It translates the car's position information into appropriate blocking or releasing actions, mediating between the safety requirement and the door operation to resolve the contradiction between compact dimensions and protective space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a blocking element with actuator is added to control door opening based on elevator car position, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidmechanics
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The blocking element system is designed to be self-regulating through the actuator, which automatically responds to the elevator car's position without requiring external intervention or complex control mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the car's position information to automatically engage or disengage the blocking function, simplifying the overall control architecture while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the shaft door is locked to prevent opening when the elevator car is outside the emergency rescue zone, then safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoiddoor opening
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback from the elevator car's position detection to control the blocking element. The actuator continuously monitors the car's position and adjusts the blocking element's state accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically enables or disables door opening based on safety conditions, thus maintaining both safety and operational ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3003944B1Door lock of a shaft door of an elevator system.
Publication Date: 2019.03.13 INVENTIO AG
  • EP3003944B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3003944B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP3003944B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4B

AI summary

The invention relates to an elevator system (2) with a shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) arranged on a floor (8.1, 8.2, 8.3); an elevator car (10); a door latch (32) arranged on the shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) for locking the shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3), wherein the door latch (32) can be brought from a locked position into an unlocked position in order to unlock the shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) from a shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) face facing the floor (8.1, 8.2, 8.3) using a key; a blocking element (34) which prevents the shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3) from being opened in a blocking position of the blocking element; and an actuator (30) which acts on the blocking element, said actuator (30) being designed such that the blocking position of the blocking element (34) is released exclusively when the elevator car (10) is arranged within an emergency rescue zone paired with the shaft door (4.1, 4.2, 4.3).