Shared Guide Rail Layout for Stable Elevator and Counterweight Guidance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems face a conflict between achieving robust guidance of the elevator car and counterweight while minimizing the number and cost of guide rails, which are space-intensive and costly.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with three guide rails arranged on different sides of a hoistway, including two double guide rails for both the elevator car and counterweight, and a single guide rail for additional support, allowing for stable guidance with reduced material and installation costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the number of guide rails is reduced to lower material and installation costs, then cost is reduced, but the robustness and stability of guidance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the guidance functions for the elevator car and counterweight into shared guide rails. Specifically, guide rails 4a and 4b serve dual purposes by guiding both the elevator car (via guiding devices 24) and the counterweight (via guiding devices 24), thereby reducing the total number of guide rails needed while maintaining adequate guidance stability for both components.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails are designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple guidance tasks simultaneously. The same guide rail structure provides guidance support for both the elevator car and counterweight, making the guide rail system universal and reducing redundancy in the guidance infrastructure.
2Reliability
If more guide rails are installed to improve guidance robustness, then guidance stability is improved, but the hoistway space available for the elevator car is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the guidance functions for the elevator car and counterweight into the same guide rails, the patent eliminates the need for separate dedicated guide rails for each component. This consolidation frees up hoistway space that would otherwise be occupied by additional guide rails, allowing for a larger elevator car volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates redundant guide rails from the system by identifying that separate guide rails for the counterweight are not necessary. The counterweight guidance is integrated into the existing guide rails used for the elevator car, removing unnecessary structural elements and optimizing space utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
An elevator system (1) for transporting goods and/or passengers. The elevator system (1) includes an elevator car (2), a counterweight (3) being motion coupled with the elevator car (2), and several guide rails (4a, 4b, 4c). The guide rails (4a, 4b, 4c) run parallel to each other and guide the elevator car (2) and the counterweight (3) during their up and down movement. In total three guide rails (4a, 4b, 4c) are provided which are distanced from each other and at least one of these guide rails (4a, 4b, 4c) has a first guiding portion (6) receiving the elevator car (2) and a second guiding portion (7) receiving the counterweight (3).