Three-Rail Elevator Guidance Layout for Stable Car and Counterweight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elevator systems face a conflict between achieving robust guidance of moving components and reducing the number and cost of guide rails, which are often 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 while minimizing the number of rails and optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple guide rails are used to guide the elevator car and counterweight, then robust guidance is achieved, but the number of guide rails increases leading to higher costs and space consumption
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 robust guidance for both components
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rails are designed with universal functionality to perform multiple guidance tasks. The double guide rails (4a, 4b) are configured to simultaneously guide the elevator car and counterweight along their respective movement paths, making each guide rail serve multiple functions and reducing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If more guide rails are installed to ensure stable guidance, then guidance robustness improves, but material and installation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guidance functions into fewer guide rails by configuring guide rails 4a and 4b as double guide rails that serve both the elevator car and counterweight. This consolidation reduces the quantity of guide rail material required while maintaining guidance robustness through proper structural design and arrangement of the shared rails
3Reliability
If guide rails are arranged to provide sufficient guidance support, then stability is achieved, but the hoistway space utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the guidance functions for the elevator car and counterweight into shared guide rails (4a, 4b), the patent reduces the number of guide rails installed in the hoistway. This consolidation frees up hoistway space that would otherwise be occupied by additional guide rails, allowing for better space utilization while maintaining guidance stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the spatial arrangement of the three guide rails (4a, 4b, 4c) by positioning them on different sides of the hoistway (with 4a and 4b on opposing sides and 4c on a perpendicular side). This strategic dimensional arrangement provides robust guidance support from multiple directions while minimizing the total space consumed by the guide rail system
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to an elevator system (1) for transporting goods and/or passengers. The elevator system (1) comprises 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).