Synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car

• US 8,360,208 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Inventio AG (Schindler Holding AG)
• Inventors: De Angelis, Claudio
• Primary Examiner(s): Mansen, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kruer, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US11/950,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20080149430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 572/10, 57231-232, 57236-237, 572/41, 572/44, 572/50, 572/04, 572/38, 187/251, 187/254, 187/266, 187/391, 187/394, 187/393, 356/238.2, 474/260, 474/263, 324/522, 324/525, 324/527, 324/539, 324/543
• US Class Current: 187/251
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 1/025 comprising high modulus, or high tenacity, polymer filaments or fibres, e.g. liquid-crystal polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 1/145 comprising elements for indicating or detecting the rope or cable status
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/205 Aramides
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2501/2007 Elevators
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2801/10 Smallest filamentary entity of a rope or strand, i.e. wire, filament, fiber or yarn

Abstract

A synthetic fiber rope can be used to the limit of failure by setting a sensitivity of detection of the state of wear of the rope. Strands of the rope have indicator fibers or indicator yarn that have a high probability of losing electrical conductivity and thereby indicate a worn cable. The indicator yarn consists of indicator fibers and of synthetic fibers, the indicator yarn fibers being inferior in relation to stress than the synthetic fibers of the strands.

Claims

1. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having a plurality of strands that are arranged in at least one strand layer, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

at least one of the strands in the at least one strand layer being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

at least another strand of the plurality of strands not including either of an indicator fiber or an indicator yarn, wherein said indicator strand is inferior to said another strand in relation to applied stress for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation

wherein the synthetic fibers forming said indicator strand have a reverse bending capacity inferior to a reverse bending capacity of the synthetic fibers forming said another strand.

2. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 wherein the strands of the plurality of strands are each surrounded by a matrix material and said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand has a lower resistance to abrasion than said matrix material surrounding said another strand.

3. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 2 wherein said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand is a softer plastic material than said matrix material surrounding said another strand.

4. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 2 wherein said matrix material surrounding said another strand is impregnated with an additive that reduces friction relative to said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand.

5. A method for monitoring the rope service life of the synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 including a step of continuously monitoring said indicator strand.

6. The method according to claim 5 including monitoring said indicator strand by connecting said indicator fiber at one end of the rope to a signal transmitter, connecting said indicator fiber or said indicator fibers at an opposite end of the rope to a signal receiver, generating a transmission signal from the signal transmitter, monitoring for the transmission signal with the signal receiver, and on the basis of a presence or absence of the transmission signal at the signal receiver evaluating a condition of said indicator fiber or said indicator fibers.

7. The method according to claim 6 including monitoring of said indicator strand by generating optical signals or electrical signals as the transmission signal.

8. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 wherein said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn included in said indicator strand is positioned near an outer surface of said indicator strand.

9. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 including at least three concentric strand layers wherein an inner one of said strand layers includes said indicator strand.

10. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 wherein said indicator strand includes said at least one indicator yarn and not said at least one indicator fiber, and wherein a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said indicator yarn is higher than a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said another strand.

11. An elevator installation with a synthetic fiber rope according to claim 1 connected to an elevator car.

12. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having strands, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

a core strand;

at least one inner strand layer formed of a plurality of first strands surrounding said core strand and including at least one of said first strands being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

an outer strand layer formed of a plurality of second strands surrounding said inner strand layer wherein said indicator strand is inferior in relation to applied stress for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation to ones of said first and second strands not including either of said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn

wherein the synthetic fibers forming said indicator strand have a reverse bending capacity inferior to a reverse bending capacity of the synthetic fibers forming said another strand.

13. The synthetic fiber rope according to claim 12 wherein said first and second strands are each surrounded by a matrix material and said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand has a lower resistance to abrasion than said matrix material surrounding other ones of said first and second strands.

14. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having strands, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

a core strand;

at least one inner strand layer formed of a plurality of first strands surrounding said core strand and including at least one of said first strands being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

an outer strand layer formed of a plurality of second strands surrounding said at least one inner strand layer wherein said first and second strands are each surrounded by a matrix material and said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand has a lower resistance to abrasion than said matrix material surrounding other ones of said first and second strands not including either of said at least indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation; and

wherein the synthetic fibers forming said indicator strand have a reverse bending capacity inferior to a reverse bending capacity of the synthetic fibers forming said another strand.

15. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having a plurality of strands that are arranged in at least one strand layer, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

at least one of the strands in the at least one strand layer being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

at least another strand of the plurality of strands not including either of an indicator fiber or an indicator yarn, wherein said indicator strand is inferior to said another strand in relation to applied stress for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation; and

wherein said indicator strand includes said at least one indicator yarn and not said at least one indicator fiber, and wherein a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said indicator yarn is higher than a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said another strand.

16. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having strands, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

a core strand;

at least one inner strand layer formed of a plurality of first strands surrounding said core strand and including at least one of said first strands being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

an outer strand layer formed of a plurality of second strands surrounding said inner strand layer wherein said indicator strand is inferior in relation to applied stress for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation to ones of said first and second strands not including either of said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn; and

wherein said indicator strand includes said at least one indicator yarn and not said at least one indicator fiber, and wherein a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said indicator yarn is higher than a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said another strand.

17. A synthetic fiber rope for supporting an elevator car in an elevator installation, said synthetic fiber rope having strands, the strands being formed of twisted yarns and the yarns being formed of synthetic fibers, comprising:

a core strand;

at least one inner strand layer formed of a plurality of first strands surrounding said core strand and including at least one of said first strands being an indicator strand including at least one indicator fiber or at least one indicator yarn, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn for monitoring a rope service life of said synthetic fiber rope when supporting said elevator car in said elevator installation, said at least one indicator yarn including indicator fibers and synthetic fibers, said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn being positioned internal of said indicator strand and participating in a spiral structure of the synthetic fibers or of the synthetic fiber yarn;

an outer strand layer formed of a plurality of second strands surrounding said at least one inner strand layer wherein said first and second strands are each surrounded by a matrix material and said matrix material surrounding said indicator strand has a lower resistance to abrasion than said matrix material surrounding other ones of said first and second strands not including either of said at least one indicator fiber or said at least one indicator yarn; and

wherein said indicator strand includes said at least one indicator yarn and not said at least one indicator fiber, and wherein a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said indicator yarn is higher than a modulus of elasticity of the synthetic fibers of said another strand.