Elevator with a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an integrity of suspension members

An elevator comprising:

• a suspension member arrangement including at least a first suspension member and a second suspension member, each of the first and second suspension members having electrically conductive cords;
• a monitoring arrangement for monitoring an integrity status of the suspension member arrangement, wherein the monitoring arrangement includes an alternating voltage generator arrangement, a plurality of input connectors and output connectors, and a voltage analyzer arrangement;
• wherein the alternating voltage generator arrangement generates first and second alternating voltages being phase shifted by 180° with respect to each other;
• wherein each of the input connectors and the output connectors establishes an electrical connection to the cords in an associated one of the first and second suspension members;
• wherein the voltage analyzer arrangement analyzes a neutral point voltage resulting from applying the first alternating voltage to the cords of one of the first and second suspension members, applying the second alternating voltage to another one of the first and second suspension members and, after transmission of the first and second alternating voltages through the cords, superimposing the transmitted first and second alternating voltages;
• wherein a first of the input connectors and a second of the input connectors are electrically connected to the alternating voltage generator arrangement and a first of the output connectors and a second of the output connectors are electrically connected to the voltage analyzer arrangement;
• and
• wherein the first input connector and the first output connector establish a first circuitry in which the first alternating voltage is applied via the first input connector to a first end region of at least some of the cords in the first suspension member and, after transmission of the first alternating voltage through all of the cords of the first suspension member, the first alternating voltage is further transmitted via the first output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement, and wherein the second input connector and second output connector establish a second circuitry in which the second alternating voltage is applied via the second input connector to a first end region of at least some of the cords in the second suspension member and, after transmission of the second alternating voltage through all of the cords of the second suspension member, the second alternating voltage is further transmitted via the second output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement.

A monitoring arrangement for monitoring an integrity status of a suspension member arrangement of an elevator, the suspension member arrangement including at least a first suspension member and a second suspension member, each of the suspension members having electrically conductive cords, the monitoring arrangement comprising:

• an alternating voltage generator arrangement generating a first alternating voltage and a second alternating voltage being phase shifted by 180° with respect to each other;
• a plurality of input connectors and output connectors, each of the connectors establishing an electrical connection to the cords in an associated one of the suspension members;
• a voltage analyzer arrangement analyzing a neutral point voltage resulting from applying the first alternating voltage to the cords of one of the first and second suspension members and applying the second alternating voltage to another of the first and second suspension members, transmission of the first and second alternating voltages through the cords and superimposing the transmitted first and second alternating voltages;
• wherein a first of the input connectors and a second of the input connectors are electrically connected to the alternating voltage generator arrangement and a first of the output connectors and a second of the output connectors are electrically connected to the voltage analyzer arrangement;
• wherein the first input connector and the first output connector establish a first circuitry in which the first alternating voltage is applied via the first input connector to a first end region of at least some of the cords in the first suspension member and, after transmission of the first alternating voltage through all of the cords of the first suspension member, the first alternating voltage is transmitted via the first output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement;
• and
• wherein the second input connector and the second output connector establish a second circuitry in which the second alternating voltage is applied via the second input connector to a first end region of at least some of the cords in the second suspension member and, after transmission of the second alternating voltage through all of the cords of the second suspension member, the second alternating voltage is transmitted via the second output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement.

A method for monitoring an integrity status of a suspension member arrangement of an elevator, the suspension member arrangement including at least a first suspension member and a second suspension member, each of the suspension members having electrically conductive cords, the method comprising the steps of:

• establishing an electrical connection to the cords in each of the first and second suspension members with a plurality of input connectors and output connectors;
• generating first and second alternating voltages being phase shifted by 180° with respect to each other from an alternating voltage generator arrangement;
• using a voltage analyzer arrangement to analyze a neutral point voltage resulting from applying one of the first and second alternating voltages to the cords of the first suspension member and applying another of the first and second alternating voltages to the cords of the second suspension member, and superimposing the first and second alternating voltages transmitted through the cords;
• wherein a first input connector and a second input connector of the input connectors are electrically connected to the alternating voltage generator arrangement and a first output connector and a second output connector of the output connectors are electrically connected to the voltage analyzer arrangement;
• wherein the first input connector and the first output connector establish a first circuitry to which the first alternating voltage is applied via the first input connector to a first end of at least some of the cords in the first suspension member, the first alternating voltage being transmitted through all of the cords of the first suspension member and the first output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement;
• and
• wherein the second input connector and the second output connector establish a second circuitry to which the second alternating voltage is applied via the second input connector to a first end of at least some of the cords in the second suspension member, the second alternating voltage being transmitted through all of the cords of the second suspension member and the second output connector to the voltage analyzer arrangement.