Patent ID: 8657076

Claim:
An elevator car sliding guide comprising: a shoe configured to slide on one or more rails; a first bracket connected to the shoe; a second bracket configured to connect to a car assembly; and a plurality of elongated elastomeric members arranged generally from a first end of the sliding guide to a second end of the sliding guide and connected to the first bracket along a first wall and to the second bracket along a second wall; wherein the shoe and the first bracket are substantially surrounded on three sides by the second bracket; wherein each of the plurality of elongated elastomeric members is configured for deflection under loads of increasing magnitude; and wherein one or more of the plurality of elongated elastomeric members is generally tubular, and wherein: (i) each of the generally tubular elastomeric members has a generally rounded-octagonal, tube-shaped cross-section with a contoured tube wall of varying thickness; or (ii) each of the generally tubular elastomeric members has a tube-shaped cross-section comprising: a generally convex third wall; and a generally convex fourth wall; and wherein each of the third and fourth walls has a varying wall thickness, wherein the wall thickness of each of the third and fourth walls is thinner toward respective ends of each of the third and fourth walls and thicker in a respective middle of each of the third and fourth walls; or (iii) each of the generally tubular elastomeric members has a tube-shaped cross-section with a generally rectangular outer wall and a generally circular inner wall.