Tension member for an elevator
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsPedro S. Baranda, Ary O. Mello, Hugh J. O'Donnell, Karl M. Prewo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tension member for an elevator system has an aspect ratio of greater than one, where aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of tension member width w to thickness t (w/t). The increase in aspect ratio results in a reduction in the maximum rope pressure and an increased flexibility as compared to conventional elevator ropes. As a result, smaller sheaves may be used with this type of tension member. In a particular embodiment, the tension member includes a plurality of individual load carrying ropes encased within a common layer of coating. The coating layer separates the individual ropes and defines an engagement surface for engaging a traction sheave.
Claims18
A traction drive for an elevator system, the elevator system including a car and a counterweight, the traction drive comprising:
- at least one tension member, each of which interconnects the car and counterweight, the tension member comprising a load carrying rope and a polyurethane coating encasing the load cog rope, the tension member having a width w, a thickness t measured in the bending direction, and an engagement surface defined on the polyurethane coating by the width dimension of the tension member, wherein he tension member has an aspect ratio, defined as the ratio of width w relative to thickness t, of greater than one;
- and
- a traction sheave driven by a machine and over which the tension member passes, the traction sheave including a traction surface configured to receive the engagement surface of the tension member between take-up and take-off points on either side of the traction sheave such that traction between the traction surface of the sheave and the tension member in a region between the take-up and take-off points is transmitted through the polyurethane coating to the load carrying rope and moves the car and counterweight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.