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US 12,358,757 B2Granted
Wear detection for elevator system belt
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorBrad Guilani
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt for an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, each tension member including a plurality of fibers. A metallized coating layer is applied to at least a portion of an outer surface of at least one tension member of the plurality of tension members. The metallized coating has a coating electrical conductivity greater than a tension member electrical conductivity of the at least one tension member. A jacket material at least partially encapsulates the plurality of tension members and the metallized coating layer.
Claims13
A belt for an elevator system, comprising:
- a plurality of non-metallic tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, each tension member including a plurality of fibers;
- a metallized coating layer applied directly to a first portion of an outer surface of at least one tension member of the plurality of tension members, a second portion of the outer surface free from the metallized coating, the metallized coating having a coating electrical conductivity greater than a tension member electrical conductivity of the at least one tension member;
- and
- a jacket material at least partially encapsulating the plurality of tension members and the metallized coating layer;
- wherein the metallized coating includes graphene-based materials;
- wherein a tension member of the plurality of tension members has a fiber density of the plurality of fibers in the range of 30% to 70% fibers per unit of volume of the tension member;
- and
- wherein the at least one tension member is formed from the plurality of fibers suspended in a thermoset matrix material;
- wherein the metallized coating layer is applied to a first tension member of the plurality of tension members, and the metallized coating layer is absent from a second tension member of the plurality of tension members.
6 more elements
An elevator system comprising:
- a hoistway;
- an elevator car disposed in the hoistway;
- and
- a belt operably connected to the elevator car to suspend and/or drive the elevator car along the hoistway, the belt including:
- a plurality of non-metallic tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, each tension member including a plurality of fibers;
- a metallized coating layer applied directly to a first portion of an outer surface of at least one tension member of the plurality of tension members, a second portion of the outer surface free from the metallized coating, the metallized coating having a coating electrical conductivity greater than a tension member electrical conductivity of the at least one tension member;
- and
- a jacket material at least partially encapsulating the plurality of tension members and the metallized coating layer;
- a traction sheave disposed in the hoistway over which the belt is routed to urge movement of the elevator car along the hoistway;
- a health monitoring unit operably connected to the belt at the metallized coating layer, the health monitoring unit configured to:
- apply a voltage across the metallized coating layer;
- measure a baseline electrical resistance across the metallized coating layer;
- and
- measure a subsequent electrical resistance across the metallized coating layer after a predetermined time;
- wherein a change in electrical resistance from the baseline electrical resistance to the subsequent electrical resistance is indicative of wear of or damage to the jacket material, the change in electrical resistance indicative of contact of the metallized coating layer with the traction sheave;
- wherein a tension member of the plurality of tension members has a fiber density of the plurality of fibers in the range of 30% to 70% fibers per unit of volume of the tension member;
- and
- wherein the at least one tension member is formed from the plurality of fibers suspended in a thermoset matrix material;
- wherein the metallized coating layer is applied to a first tension member of the plurality of tension members, and the metallized coating layer is absent from a second tension member of the plurality of tension members.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.