Benefits of the Vacuum Elevator

Unique design

• Panoramic 360º vista – Light and airy, no enclosed feeling
• Self-supporting structure – Minimal building works
• Minimal space required – Ideal for new and existing homes due to its compact design
• No shaft, or machine room is needed*
• Installation directly on the existing floor – No Pit
• Absolute safety – State of the art safety features, electronically monitored, mechanically secure
• In case of a power failure, the cabin gently “floats” automatically to the lowest floor

*Some installations may prefer to have a separate motor housing or “split unit”

The only Elevator that Works with the Power of the Air

If you are thinking of installing an elevator in your home and have researched the different types of lifts, you know that this technology is unique within the lift industry.

The vacuum lift operates under the principles of pneumatics and vacuum, both different but related, which together result in pneumatic vacuum technology.

Pneumatic (Greek πνεῦμα “air”) is the technology that uses air as a mode of transmission, of energy, to move and function mechanisms, in our case the cabin of the vacuum lift.

Vacuum (Latin vacīvus) is described as a closed cavity where air pressure or other gases are less than atmospheric pressure.

Safety First

Is the PVE Elevator safe?

When considering a residential lift, one of the first questions asked is about safety. When imagining a home elevator, what typically comes to mind is the image of conventional lifts, with cables, pistons, grease, maintenance, etc…

The PVE Vacuum Elevator has special and unique car locks, which securely anchor the cabin on each level. They are composed of two steel levered hooks located on the top of the cabin.

During ascent, they remain closed, and once the cabin reaches the desired landing position, the car lock deploys and engages firmly into the guide columns of the lift structure. This design ensures a precise stopping position every time without creeping (in the case of Hydraulic systems) or misalignment with the floor (Rope stretch etc).

The cabin will remain in that position using zero energy until needed elsewhere. One of the unique aspects of the PVE vacuum lift is that before descending, the cabin goes up a few centimetres in order to release the locking mechanism before allowing the cabin to gently and freely descend.

In the event of a power failure, the PVE elevator always descends to the ground floor at a safe speed, literally floating to the ground on a cushion of air at which point the occupant is able to get out because the doors are released by mechanical means meaning they can only open when the lift is in the correct location.

Finally, the PVE vacuum lifts are CE marked and meet the legal requirements and technical safety features required of the Member States of the European Union.

What happens in the event of a vacuum loss?

The PVE vacuum elevator has mechanical safety brakes which come into action should the circumstance arise of the complete loss of vacuum above the top seal.

These mechanical safety brakes are activated within the first 5 cm of free fall if vacuum loss is detected, and the cabin immediately anchors to the columns of the structure at that point.

If vacuum loss and safety brake activation occurs, there are a few simple methods of rescue, as in a traditional elevator.

In the rare and unlikely loss of vacuum, the inherent design and mode of operation protect the passenger from any danger. The PVE vacuum lift is probably one of the safety lift designs in the world.