Weird! Why do Hospital Elevator Doors Always Open on One Side?

In everyday life, elevator doors typically open from the center to the sides, while those in hospitals often open from one side to the other. Do you know why?

Time to highlight this point!

The most obvious impression of hospital elevators is their large and deep dimensions, accommodating 20 to 30 people. This is not only due to the high volume of patients in hospitals, but also to facilitate the transport of hospital beds (typically 0.6 meters wide and 1.9 meters long). The elevator door design also serves this purpose, requiring it to open wide enough.

1. Elevator Shaft Space Issue

First, there's the issue of elevator shaft space. For ordinary passenger elevators, a door opening width of 900 cm or 1100 cm is sufficient. However, hospital elevators used to transport hospital beds and freight have much higher heights to handle, and door openings of 1500 cm or 1800 cm are common.

Double-door systems require an additional half-car width on each side of the elevator shaft, in addition to the elevator's own width, to ensure smooth door opening. If the door opening is 900 cm, an additional 450 cm of space is required on each side, for a total of 900 cm. If a hospital uses an 1800 cm wide elevator, the space required is 1800 cm + 900 cm + 900 cm, effectively wasting 1800 cm of space. However, with a single-door, double-fold elevator, only half the width of the elevator car is required on one side.

If the elevator shaft area is already planned, side-opening doors can create a larger door opening than center-opening doors, making it easier for beds to enter and exit.

2. Related to the Position of the Elevator's Counterweight

Secondly, there's another issue of space consumption, but it's related to the position of the elevator's counterweight. The mechanical traction balancing device in medical bed elevators uses a side counterweight, meaning the counterweight is located on the side of the elevator car. The car has a counterweight on one side of the shaft. This allows the door to save shaft space while increasing the door width for easier vehicle entry and exit. Similarly, freight elevators often use side-opening doors. For common commercial elevators, the traction balancing device is a rear counterweight, and with limited space on both sides of the shaft, a center-opening door design is more reasonable.

3. Considering Hospital Disease Control Issues

The third issue, and one that many in the medical field have mentioned, is epidemic prevention requirements. Double-door elevators are prone to leaking in the middle, while single-door elevators can ensure a tight seal simply by installing an E-shaped structure (an E-shaped structure represents an improved structural design) on the fixed side.

For hospitals, disease control is a more pressing consideration than floor space.

Next time you visit a hospital, consider the elevator door structure. Remember, the moral responsibility of saving lives isn't solely the responsibility of the angels in white; every brick and tile in a hospital reflects the dedication and hard work of those who care for patients and patients!