Pivoting Elevator Sill Plate Reducing Landing Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems have a significant gap between the elevator car sill and the landing sill, which allows objects to fall through and is exacerbated by thin high heels that may partially slip into the gap, posing both functionality and aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
A sill assembly with a pivoting sill plate and actuator arms that move the sill plate from a stored position to an actuated position as the elevator doors open, aligning it with the landing sill to reduce the gap, utilizing gear teeth for mechanical advantage and a biasing member like a magnet or spring to return to the stored position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the gap between the elevator car sill and landing sill is reduced, then safety and aesthetics are improved, but device complexity increases due to the pivoting mechanism and actuators
Solution Approach 1:
The sill plate is pre-positioned in a retracted state during normal operation, and the gap reduction action is performed in advance before the door opens by pivoting the sill plate into the extended position. This preliminary action ensures safety is addressed before the critical moment when the door is open
Solution Approach 2:
The sill plate transitions from a static fixed position to a dynamic pivoting mechanism that can extend and retract. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt between two states: extended position for safety/aesthetics and retracted position for maintaining operational clearance, resolving the contradiction between gap reduction and device complexity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the sill plate is extended to reduce the gap, then safety is improved by preventing objects from falling through, but the risk of interference with door operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sill plate dynamically changes position based on operational requirements - extended when doors are closed to prevent objects from falling, and retracted when doors need to open to avoid interference. This temporal separation of functions resolves the contradiction between safety and operational reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The sill plate is retracted in advance before door operation begins, ensuring clear path for door movement. After door operation completes, the sill plate returns to extended position to restore safety function, preventing any potential interference while maintaining safety during critical periods
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a pivoting mechanism with multiple components is used, then gap reduction effectiveness is improved, but maintenance complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot axis serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the rotation point for the sill plate, supports the actuator arm movement, and provides the hinge point for the biasing member. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate components that would require maintenance, addressing the contradiction between gap reduction effectiveness and maintenance complexity
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
Effectively reduces the gap between the elevator car sill and the landing sill, preventing objects from falling through and improving aesthetics by minimizing the visible gap, while maintaining efficient door operation and reducing maintenance complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member like a magnet or spring to return to the stored position
Implementation Method 2
a biasing member like a magnet or spring to return to the stored position
Data Source
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AI summary
An illustrative example elevator sill assembly includes a sill plate and at least one support arm secured to the sill plate. A mounting bracket is configured to be mounted to an elevator car. The support arm is supported on the mounting bracket to allow the support arm to pivot relative to the mounting bracket. At least one actuator arm has a portion configured to be contacted by a door of the elevator car to cause movement of the actuator arm relative to the mounting bracket as the door moves into an open position. The movement of the actuator arm causes the support arm to pivot relative to the mounting bracket to thereby cause the sill plate to pivot from a stored position to an actuated position.