Glossary
When talking about elevators, platform lifts and goods lifts, it’s sometimes necessary to understand the technical knowledge used throughout the industry. So we’ve created a handy glossary to help you make sense of some of these words. Click on each word below to find its definition.
Electrical power supply that provides single-phase voltage.
Electrical power supply that provides 3-phase alternating voltage.
A button for activating the alarm bell in case of emergency.
The emergency alarm button in an elevator is connected to an alarm bell. The bell rings when the button is pushed to alert people that someone is stuck in the elevator and needs assistance.
Automatically opening and closing door.
An emergency power source that will lower the elevator to the next lower level in the event of a power failure.
The lowest floor in a residence.
The lowest landing in a residence the elevator serves.
An electrically operated safety device attached to the machine that acts to stop and hold the elevator.
Stops the cabin from descending below its normal travel limit.
The elevator cabin transports passengers and goods from one floor to another.
Pressing the call button at the landing will call the elevator to your level.
The maximum weight the elevator cabin is able to carry safely of both passengers and goods.
A control panel inside the elevator containing car operating controls such as floor pushbuttons, alarm, emergency stop (for swing door elevators), and any other buttons or key switches for operation.
Detects and indicates when a cabin is fully loaded with passengers and goods beyond its maximum limit.
Interior lighting, provides light to the passengers traveling in the cabin.
The main cabinet containing the electrical equipment necessary to operate the elevator.
Used for traction (non-hydraulic) elevators.
A counterweight provides balance to the cabin so the motor lifts much less of the carriage’s weight. The counterweight is typically the weight of the cabin plus 40-50% of its rated load.
An indicator located on the Car Operating Panel, that indicates traveling direction of a cabin.
A device that indicates the position of the elevator cabin.
Displays can be placed at each landing on the Landing Operating Panel and inside the elevator cabin on the Car Operating Panel.
Sliding elevator doors: The doors are divided into landing doors and car doors.
Landing doors: is the set of doors that people see outside the elevator, at each landing.
Car doors: is the set of doors that people see inside the elevator.
Swing doors: Only have one set of doors.
Swing landing doors: the set of doors that people see outside the elevator, at each landing.
A door type which consists of two horizontal sliding panels which move in opposite directions.
A door type which consists of horizontal sliding panels that open to the left or right. It’s one of the most common sliding door types.
A button located on the Car Operating Panel to close the doors, used when doors need to be closed before they close automatically.
A button located on the Car Operating Panel to open the doors, used when closing doors need to be reopened.
A mechanical lock designed to prevent the opening of a shaft door from the landing side.
A motor-driven device mounted on the cabin which opens and closes the doors.
The threshold of a door opening with grooves to guide the bottom of the car door.
An elevator car with two entrances.
An elevator cabin with two entrances. The entrance is on opposite sides of the elevator shaft.
An elevator cabin with two entrances. The entrance is on adjacent sides of the elevator shaft.
Term used when there is an existing elevator. Usually used when someone is going to replace one elevator with another elevator.
An elevator equipped to carry goods.
Guide rails used to direct the travel of an elevator car in an elevator shaft.
A hand hold support for passengers, positioned in an elevator car.
A telephone that uses a speaker and microphone integrated in the Car Operating Panel. Provides two-way communication between the elevator and our 24-hour call centre.
Part of the elevator shaft between the top finished floor level (FFL) and the ceiling of the shaft.
The opening (shaft) space in which the elevator moves from one level to another.
A method by which an elevator is moved. The elevator is “pushed” up by oil.
A safety device to prevent passengers from being caught by the doors by using a multitude of invisible infrared light beams.
Sliding doors: If the beams are broken the doors reopen.
Swing doors: If the beams are broken the cabin automatically stops.
A device that provides a physical lock for the landing door and gives an electrical signal which allows the cabin to run.
A drawing showing plan views and elevations of an elevator hoistway or shaft, dimensions and sizes.
The floor area in front of the elevator entrance.
A function that brings a cabin level with the landing floor.
A system of regulations pertaining to the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators and moving walks.
AS1735 is the Australian Standard.
The maximum weight that can be accommodated by the elevator cabin of both passengers and goods safely.
The room in which machinery for the operation of the elevator is located.
Acronym for Machine RoomLess. i.e. Without Machine Room.
Elevators that do not require a machine room, the control panel and drive system are located inside the elevator shaft.
If the doors are held longer than a predetermined time, a warning signal is sounded and the doors close at a reduced speed.
In order for the elevator to move, the button must have pressure maintained throughout operation. Once pressure is removed from the button, the elevator will stop.
There is one button for each landing. Performs one function at a time. When the button is pressed for one landing, the elevator will go to that landing and then wait for its next command. (There is no collective function)
The elevator stops at each floor in order of other ascending or descending order.
A short distance between the landing and the resting point of a fully loaded cabin.
The elevator receives a signal to always return to a pre-selected landing after all the car or landing calls have been completed.
The pit provides clearance for the support components that are below the floor of the elevator car allowing the elevator floor to level with the lowest landing floor.
Part of an elevator, floor on which the passenger stands.
A device which draws oil from the tank to move the elevator in the up direction.
The speed the elevator operates with the rated load in the car.
A mechanical device, designed to stop the elevator cabin in the event the cabin exceeds the maximum speed.
Earthquake safety switch that disable the elevator which may become unsafe during an earthquake.
The opening (hoistway) space in which the elevator moves from one level to another.
A type of drive which operates at a single speed.
A type of drive which has 2 distinct speeds.
A protective strip positioned between the floor and car wall.
A method by which an elevator is moved, whereby the elevator is “pulled” up by cables.
The procedure which involves parking designated elevators to serve a specified floor or group of floors.
