Vertically Offset Buffer Contact Surfaces for Elevator Impact Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elevator system buffer devices face challenges in distributing impact stress effectively, leading to potential damage and material requirements for buffer strike components when a descending elevator car or counterweight impacts the buffer device, necessitating thicker and heavier materials to manage stress and deformation.
Innovation Solution
A buffer device with two vertically offset contact surfaces that distribute impact force across different components of the elevator car or counterweight, reducing stress and deformation by spreading the load between distinct contact areas, allowing for thinner and lighter materials while maintaining safety standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single contact surface buffer device is used, then the structure is simple, but the impact stress concentrates on one area causing higher stress and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer device is divided into multiple contact surfaces (first contact surface and second contact surface) that are vertically offset from each other. This segmentation allows the impact force to be distributed across multiple contact points with the elevator car or counterweight, reducing stress concentration on any single area while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Strength
If thicker materials are used for buffer strike components, then stress and deformation are reduced, but the weight and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer device utilizes a vertical offset arrangement of contact surfaces, transitioning from a single-point contact to a multi-point contact distributed in the vertical dimension. This dimensional distribution spreads the impact load across multiple components (e.g., cross-beam and safety plank), allowing thinner, lighter materials to be used while maintaining adequate stress resistance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If thicker materials are used for buffer strike components, then deformation is reduced, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the contact interface into multiple vertically offset surfaces, the impact force is distributed across multiple components. This reduces the deformation experienced by any single component, allowing the use of thinner, less expensive materials that are easier and cheaper to manufacture while still meeting deformation control requirements.
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
The buffer device effectively distributes impact stress, reducing material requirements and costs while ensuring safety by spreading the load across multiple components, minimizing deformation and stress concentration.
Implementation Method 1
Buffer devices are typically compressible, and are arranged to decelerate the elevator car by absorbing a portion of the impact force
Implementation Method 2
a significant amount of stress is introduced into areas of the buffer strike surface of the elevator car around the area of its impact with the buffer devices
Data Source
AI summary
A buffer device (121) for an elevator system (100), the buffer device (121) including a first contact structure (501) and a second contact structure (503). The first contact structure (501) includes a first contact surface (505), and the second contact structure (503) includes a second contact surface (507). The first contact surface (505) and the second contact surface (507) are arranged for contacting respective vertically offset surfaces of an elevator car (101) or counterweight (109).