Pivotable Elevator Wall Panels for Shaft Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator car systems pose challenges for maintenance access while ensuring safety, as they often require mechanics to enter the elevator shaft to access components, and there is a need to reduce the volumetric footprint of elevator systems within buildings.
Innovation Solution
The elevator car wall panel system includes pivotally connected wall panels with a connecting element and actuation mechanism, allowing easy opening and locking of the panels to access components from within the passenger space without entering the shaft, featuring a rigid rod connecting element and sliding/rotating pivots for operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wall panels are made fixed and sealed to ensure safety and reduce shaft exposure, then safety of mechanics is improved, but access to components for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The wall panel is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can be independently operated. The movable portion can be opened to provide access to components while the fixed portion remains sealed to maintain safety. This segmentation allows the wall to simultaneously provide both safety and maintenance access functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall panel transitions from a static fixed structure to a dynamic system with movable portions that can be opened and closed. The movable portion is connected via pivots and connecting elements that allow controlled movement between closed and open positions, enabling the wall to adapt between safety mode (closed) and maintenance mode (open).
2Volume of moving object
If elevator car volume is reduced to minimize building footprint, then space efficiency is improved, but maintenance access and component accessibility become constrained
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing maintenance access through horizontal expansion of the car or shaft entry, the solution uses vertical dimension by pivoting wall panels outward. The movable portion rotates on pivots to create access openings without requiring additional horizontal space, allowing maintenance personnel to access components from within the compact car interior.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting element acts as an intermediary mechanism between the movable wall portion and the fixed structure. This connecting element (rigid rod or linkage) transfers motion from the actuation element to the movable wall portion, enabling controlled opening and closing movements within the limited space of the compact elevator car.
3Reliability
If complex locking mechanisms are added to secure wall panels in closed state, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to automatically engage and secure the movable wall portion in its closed position without requiring manual intervention. The system uses self-latching features or automatic locking elements that activate when the wall panel reaches the closed position, providing safety functionality while minimizing operational complexity for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution replaces complex multi-component mechanical locking systems with simpler alternative mechanisms such as friction-based holding, gravity-assisted latching, or minimal mechanical stops. The actuation element uses a combination of sliding and rotating pivots that inherently provide stable positioning and automatic securing without requiring elaborate locking hardware.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Elevators and elevator car wall panel systems are provided herein. The systems include an elevator car frame, at least two wall panels pivotally connected to the frame, a connecting element operably connecting the at least two wall panels, and an actuation element operably connected to the connecting element, wherein the actuation element is operable to transition the at least two wall panels from a closed state to an open state.