Facade Lifting System with Curved Guides and Stabilized Platform

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lifting and carrying systems for building facades are unable to accommodate complex, curved surfaces and lack the ability to stabilize the platform horizontally, making them unsuitable for buildings with intricate designs.

Innovation Solution

The system features rail- or mast-type guides that mimic the building's shape, attached to load-bearing structures, with a telescopic sectional platform and stabilization systems to maintain horizontal position, allowing adaptation to curved facades and ensuring safety through emergency locking and speed control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a single vertical guide is used, then the system can maintain a stable vertical lifting path, but it cannot accommodate complex curved surfaces of modern building facades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to building facade shapesVSAvoidstability of lifting path
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is divided into multiple independent guide rails that can be positioned at different locations on the building facade. Each guide rail operates independently but works in coordination with the platform, allowing the system to adapt to complex curved surfaces while maintaining stable vertical lifting through each individual guide

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from a single vertical guide to multiple guides arranged in a spatial configuration that matches the building's curved facade. By adding horizontal and depth dimensions to the guide arrangement, the system can conform to three-dimensional curved surfaces while each guide maintains its vertical stability function

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

2Adaptability or versatility

If the guide shape is fixed to match the building, then the system can adapt to complex curved surfaces, but it cannot provide access to extended horizontal sections of the facade

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to curved surfacesVSAvoidaccess to horizontal facade sections
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide rails are designed with dynamic positioning capabilities, allowing them to be adjusted along the building facade to reach extended horizontal sections. The guides can be repositioned or extended horizontally while maintaining their curved configuration, providing both adaptability to the facade shape and access to horizontal areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The guide system is designed to perform multiple functions: conforming to curved vertical surfaces, extending to horizontal facade sections, and providing stable lifting. The same guide structure serves both vertical adaptation and horizontal access requirements through its configurable design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of manufacture

If a simple platform design is used, then the system is easier to manufacture, but it cannot stabilize the horizontal position of the platform

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplatform manufacturing simplicityVSAvoidhorizontal position stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The platform is divided into modular sections that can be manufactured separately and assembled on-site. This segmentation maintains manufacturing simplicity while allowing the integration of stabilization mechanisms in each module, such as horizontal positioning systems and alignment features

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Intermediary stabilization mechanisms are introduced between the simple platform structure and the guide rails. These intermediaries include horizontal positioning systems, alignment devices, and stabilization components that connect the platform to the guides, providing horizontal stability without complicating the core platform design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Ease of operation

If the platform shape is fixed, then the system is simpler to operate, but it cannot adjust to match the shape of the building facade

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperational simplicityVSAvoidplatform shape adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The platform incorporates dynamic shape-adjustment capabilities through telescopic sections and articulated joints that allow it to change its configuration. The platform can transform from a simple fixed shape to a complex curved shape that matches the building facade, while control systems maintain operational simplicity through automated adjustment sequences

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Enables the system to be used on complex shape buildings by adapting to curved surfaces, stabilizing the platform horizontally, and ensuring safety through emergency locking and speed control, expanding its application to include complex facade maintenance and operations.

Implementation Method 1

a toothed wheel mounted on the drive shaft of the gearbox so as to be able to engage with the above-mentioned teeth of the guides in such a manner that during rotation of said toothed wheel, said lifting device moves along the guides

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical interlocking: Rack and Pinion

Implementation Method 2

each of which represents a system of guiding thrust rollers resting on the rail- or mast-type guides

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP3279127B1Lifting and carrying system for maintaining building facades
Publication Date: 2020.12.02 OBSHCHESTVO S OGRANICHENNOJ OTVETSTVENNOSTJU EDINAJA FASADNAJA KOMPANIJA
  • EP3279127B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3279127B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3279127B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to lifting devices for residential, public and industrial buildings and structures, and more specifically, to lifting and carrying systems for maintaining building facades, said lifting and carrying systems comprising rail or mast-type guides, which are arranged on the external wall of the building and equipped with teeth, and a lifting device having a drive, wherein the drive includes a motor with a gearbox, and a toothed wheel which is mounted on the drive shaft of the gearbox so as to be able to engage with the above-mentioned teeth of the guides in such a manner that, when the toothed wheel rotates, the above-mentioned lifting device moves along the guides; the system additionally comprises control means which can control the motor. According to the invention, the rail or mast-type guides have a shape duplicating the shape of the building, and are attached to the building by means of brackets, which pass through the building facade and are secured to load-bearing structures of the building, and the lifting device comprises a platform, each edge of which is hinged to a frame connecting two carriages, each of which comprises a system of guiding thrust rollers supported on the rail or mast-type guides. The technical result which can be achieved consists in extending the field of use of the system owing to the possibility of using said system on building facades of complex shape.