CA-3048752-C - SUSPENSION MEMBER ARRANGEMENT FOR AN ELEVATOR AND MONITORING ARRANGEMENT FOR MONITORING A SUSPENSION MEMBER

Abstract

A suspension member arrangement (2) for an elevator (1)is proposed. The suspension member arrangement (2) comprises a suspension member (11) including a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords (23) commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material (25)and a first connector (31) and a second connector (33) attached to the suspension member (11) and electrically contacting cords (23) within the suspension member (11) in a contacted end region (29) thereof. Therein,the first connector (31) electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a first group (35) of cords (23) comprising a first plurality of directly neighboring cords (23)and the second connector (33) electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a second group (37) of cords (23) comprising a second plurality of directly neighboring cords (23). The approach may facilitate electrically contacting cords (23) of a suspension member using a simple type of connector (31, 33). Furthermore, deteriorations in characteristics of the suspension member (11) may be electrically detected with high accuracy.

Inventors

• Florian Dold
• Oliver Berner
• Philippe Henneau

Assignees

• INVENTIO AG

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20180118

Priority Date

20170418

Claims (15)

1. . 27 We Claim: 1. A suspension member arrangement for an elevator comprising: a suspension member including a plurality of electrically conductive loadbearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material; a first connector and a second connector each attached to the suspension member and electrically contacting cords within the suspension member in a contacted end portion of the suspension member; wherein the first connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a first group of the cords comprising a first plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords; wherein the second connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a second group of the cords comprising a second plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords; and wherein the first group of the cords is separated from the second group of the cords in the contacted end portion by a slit extending through the matrix material in the contacted end portion, the slit mechanically separating a portion of the contacted end portion including the first group of the cords from a portion of the contacted end portion including the second group of the cords and forming a transversal gap between the first connector and the second connector in a width direction of the suspension member.
2. 2. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the slit extends along a length of the suspension member of at least 5 cm.
3. 3. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first connector and the second connector are separated from each other by a transversal gap.
4. 4. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first connector and the second connector are arranged at different positions offset from each other in a longitudinal direction of the suspension member. 28
5. 5. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of the first connector and the second connector includes a plurality of pins penetrating the matrix material and contacting the cords of the suspension member, the pins in each of the pluralities of pins being electrically interconnected.
6. 6. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 5 wherein directly neighboring ones of the pins extend in parallel to each other at a lateral distance being substantially equal to a lateral distance between directly neighboring ones of the cords in the suspension member.
7. 7. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 5 wherein directly neighboring ones of the pins extend in parallel to each other at a lateral distance being one of substantially equal to and smaller than half of a lateral distance between directly neighboring ones of the cords in the suspension member.
8. 8. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the pins have a tapering cross section.
9. 9. The suspension member arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the pins have a maximum cross sectional width being larger than half of a lateral distance between directly neighboring ones of the cords in the suspension member.
10. 10. The suspension members arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first connector and the second connector are electrically short-circuited with each other.
11. 11. The suspension members arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first connector and the second connector are electrically connected to each other by an electrical resistance.
12. 12. A suspension member entity comprising a plurality of the suspension member arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first connectors and the second connectors of the suspension member arrangements are electrically connected with each other. 29
13. 13. A monitoring arrangement for monitoring a suspension member of an elevator, the suspension member including a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material, the arrangement comprising: a first connector and a second connector each including a plurality of pins being electrically interconnected, wherein the pins of each of the first and second connectors are adapted to penetrate the matrix material of the suspension member and to electrically contact a first group and a second group of the cords respectively in a contacted end portion of the suspension member, the first and second groups each comprising a plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords; wherein the first group is separated from the second group in the contacted end portion by a slit extending through the matrix material in the contacted end portion, the slit mechanically separating a portion of the contacted end portion including the first group of the cords from a portion of the contacted end portion including the second group of the cords and forming a transversal gap between the first connector and the second connector in a width direction of the suspension member; a voltage source connected to the first and second connectors for applying alternating voltages to the first and second connectors; and a voltage analyzer connected to the first and second connectors for analyzing a superposition voltage resulting from applying the alternating voltages to the first and second connectors and transmission of the alternating voltages through the cords contacted by the first and second connectors.
14. 14. An elevator comprising: at least one suspension member including a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material; at least one of an elevator car and a counterweight connected to the at least one suspension member; and the monitoring arrangement according to claim 13 connected to the at least one suspension member. ' ' ' . . 30
15. 15. A suspension member arrangement for an elevator comprising: a suspension member extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite end portions and including a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material; a first connector and a second connector each attached to the suspens10n member directly at a same one of the end portions and electrically contacting cords within the suspension member in the contacted one of the end portions of the suspension member; wherein the first connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a first group of the cords comprising a first plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords; wherein the second connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a second group of the cords comprising a second plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords; and wherein the first connector and the second connector are arranged at different positions offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the suspension member.

Description

1 SUSPENSION MEMBER ARRANGEMENT FOR AN ELEVATOR AND MONITORING ARRANGEMENT FOR MONITORING A SUSPENSION MEMBER SCOPE OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a suspension member arrangement for an elevator, to a suspension member entity comprising several such suspension member arrangements, to a monitoring arrangement for monitoring a suspension member of an elevator and to an elevator comprising such arrangements. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Elevators typically comprise a cabin and, optionally, a counterweight which may be displaced for example within an elevator shaft or hoistway to different levels in order to transport persons or items for example to various floors within a building. In a common type of elevators, the cabin and/or the counterweight are supported by a suspension member entity comprising several suspension members arrangements. A suspension member arrangement typically comprises a suspension member, a fixation arrangement for fixing the suspension member within the building and possibly other components which may be used e.g. upon monitoring an integrity of the suspension member. A suspension member may be a member which may carry heavy loads in a tension direction and which may be bent in a direction transverse to the tension direction. For example, a suspension member may be a rope or a belt. Typically, suspension members comprise a plurality of load carrying cords. The cords may be made for example with an electrically conductive material, particularly a metal such as steel. Such cords are typically embedded into an electrically isolating matrix material such as a polymer, the matrix material, inter alia, protecting the cords against e.g. mechanical damaging and/or corrosion. During operation of the elevator, suspension members have to carry high loads and are typically repeatedly bent when running along for example a traction sheave, a pulley and/or other types of sheaves. Accordingly, substantial physical stress is applied to the suspension members during operation which may lead to deteriorations in the suspension members' physical characteristics such as e.g. their load bearing capability. However, as elevators may typically be used by people for transportation along significant heights, safety requirements have to be fulfilled. For example, it has to be safeguarded that the suspension member arrangement can always guarantee safe support of the cabin and/or the counterweight. For such purposes, safety regulations rule for 2 example that substantial deterioration of an initial load bearing capacity of a suspension member arrangement can be detected such that for example counter-measures such as replacing a substantially deteriorated or faulty suspension member from the suspension member entity may be initiated. For example, various approaches to be used upon monitoring suspension members in an elevator have been described in EP l 730 066 Bl, US 7,123,030 B2, US 2011/0284331 Al, US 8 424 653 B2, US 2008/0223668 Al, US 8 011 479 B2, US 2013/0207668 Al, WO 2011/098847 Al, WO 2013/135285 Al, EP 1 732 837 Bl, and in a research article of Huaming Lei et al.: "Health Monitoring for Coated Steel Belts in an Elevator System" in the Journal of Sensors, Volume 2012, Article ID 750261, 5 pages, doi: 10.1155/2012/750261. Most of these prior art approaches are generally based on measuring electrical resistance characteristics upon applying an electrical direct current (DC). Further approaches for methods and devices for detecting deteriorations m load bearing suspension members of an elevator have been proposed by the present applicant, these approaches relying on AC voltage measurements. These approaches have been described by the present applicant in PCT/EP2016/067966, EP 16155357.3, EP 16155358.1, PCT/EP2017/052064 and PCT/EP2017/052281. Furthermore, the applicant of the present application has filed a US provisional application US 62/199,3 75 and a US non-provisional application US 14/814,558 which relate to a more generalised approach for determining deteriorations in a suspension member arrangement for an elevator. All these documents are herein later on referred to as "the applicant's prior art". It shall be emphasized that many technical details of the "applicant's prior art" may also be applied to the present invention and that some technical characteristics of the present invention may be better understood upon studying "the applicant's prior art". In the approaches used for monitoring a deterioration state in suspension members, particularly in those approaches described in the applicant's prior art, electrical AC voltages have to be applied to various cords within the suspension members. For such purpose, connectors are generally attached to a suspension member and electrically contact the cords embedded therein. 3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There may be a need for an alternative suspension member arrangement comprising connectors for beneficially contacting the cords in a susp