Everyone using an elevator wishes to move as quickly as possible without stopping at intermediate floors, especially since high-rise buildings often lack the space to install a large number of elevators.
A new solution has been proposed by Hitachi Elevator: an elevator that allows 6 to 8 cabins to circulate in a space equivalent to twice that of a conventional elevator.
Each cabin will shift to one side before moving up or down. Researchers at Hitachi have stated that this new technology can save space and reduce waiting times for passengers.
This idea from Hitachi is inspired by the paternoster elevator (see photo), which was popular in Europe in the early 1900s. The paternoster elevator operates with open doors, allowing passengers to enter or exit without waiting for the cabin to stop. However, this type of lift is no longer used due to safety concerns and maintenance challenges. Hitachi’s elevator has addressed these issues.
The cabins (which have doors) operate in pairs with an independent control system that allows one cabin to stop while the other continues moving. With independent drive systems and doors on all cabins, safety regulations for lifting equipment are still maintained. Each pair operates on a loop, so the movement or stoppage of one pair does not affect the operation of others.
If the elevator has 8 cabins, there will be 4 drive systems, with each system moving a pair of cabins in opposite directions on a loop. This setup allows the cabins to stop or start without interrupting the movement of other cabins. A computer controls the position and speed of each cabin to ensure they do not collide. Hitachi has also calculated safety and stability levels to ensure passenger safety throughout their ascent and descent.
“The elevator can come to a complete stop, and the doors can open and close, allowing passengers to enter and exit safely, making them feel as if they are using a conventional elevator,” said the head of the research team at Hitachi’s Mechanical Research Laboratory. Hitachi will participate in the International Electronics Exhibition in China this August with a new scale model of the elevator at a 1/10 ratio featuring 9 floors.
T.VY
