Stretcher Elevator

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A stretcher elevator is not a standalone elevator but a specialized design of a regular passenger elevator. Its core feature is an optimized cabin size and layout, capable of accommodating standard emergency stretchers (approximately 1.8-2 meters in length), ensuring efficient patient transport in medical emergencies. Essentially, it functions the same as a regular passenger elevator, but with a customized rectangular cabin (deep cabin design, such as 1.1 meters wide by 2.1 meters deep, or wide cabin design, such as ≥1.6 meters long by ≥1.5 meters short) and a side-mounted counterweight system, it overcomes the limitation of regular elevators' rectangular cabins, which cannot accommodate stretchers flatly.

Key design requirements for this type of elevator include: a minimum clear car door width of 0.9 meters to ensure smooth stretcher passage, and a shaft depth that accommodates the car's dimensions (for example, the minimum clear shaft dimensions for a deep-car design are 2.2 meters wide by 2.85 meters deep).

National standards (such as the "Residential Design Code" GB 55038-2025) mandate that residential buildings of four or more stories or high-rise buildings of twelve or more stories must be equipped with at least one stretcher elevator to address emergency situations and improve rescue efficiency. While stretcher elevators share basic technologies such as the traction system, they differ significantly from conventional elevators in terms of car shape (rectangular rather than square), counterweight placement (side rather than rear), and space utilization (prioritizing stretcher placement). Some models also incorporate fire safety and barrier-free features.

In practice, stretcher elevators are commonly found in residential communities, hospitals, and nursing homes. Millimeter-level design precision (e.g., car height ≥ 2.1 meters, door sill height ≤ 50 mm) ensures safe operation for medical personnel and avoids transport delays.