KR100903832B1 - Elevator load bearing member with a jacket having at least one traction-improving outer surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The elevator load bearing member assembly includes one or more traction improving surfaces 46 on the jacket 44. In one example, a mechanical removal process is used to peel at least a portion of the amide-rich layer from the surface 46 after the jacket is extruded onto the tension members 2. In another example, a chemical removal process is used. Another example disclosed includes tearing a surface.

Description

ELEVATOR LOAD BEARING MEMBER HAVING A JACKET WITH AT LEAST ONE TRACTION-ENHANCING EXTERIOR SURFACE}

In general, the present invention relates to load bearing members for use in elevator systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an elevator load support member having a special jacket surface.

Typically, elevator systems include caps and counterweights that move in a hoistway, for example, to transport passengers or cargo to different landings in a building. Load bearing members, such as roping or belts, typically move across a set of sheaves and carry loads of caps and counterweights. There are various types of load bearing members in elevator systems.

Exemplary load bearing members include a polymer jacket (eg, polyurethane or nylon) surrounding the tension members (eg, steel cords or aramid fibers). Such structures may be round or flat.

In the case of some load bearing members, the extrusion process of applying a jacket over the tension members requires selecting a material having chemical properties that are advantageous for the jacket application process. However, the resulting jacket may present difficulties in having the desired level of traction when installed in an elevator system. Using some materials that are advantageous from a processing point of view, the coefficient of friction incurred between the jacket and the elevator sheave surface may be larger or smaller than desired to meet the towing requirements in the hoistway.

Conventional processes create a smooth or glossy exterior of the jacket on sheave contact surfaces. In some instances, this smoothness can result in undesirable adhesion between the jacket and the traction sheave. In most cases, the coefficient of friction caused between the smooth surface and the traction sheave does not match the desired traction performance.

Some jackets include polyurethane. Most polyurethane suppliers provide polyurethane stocks that include additives such as waxes, mold release agents and components that promote urethane treatment. Such additives typically migrate to the surface of the jacket during the molding process. These waxes, mold release and processing agents are transferred to the polyurethane surface, creating a surface layer that provides the aforementioned difficulties of traction.

Alternative configurations are needed to minimize or eliminate undesirable frictional properties of conventional polymer jackets. It corresponds to this need of the present invention.

An exemplary method of manufacturing a load bearing member for use in an elevator system includes removing at least a portion of a layer from at least one surface of a polymer jacket that generally surrounds at least one tension member such that pure polyurethane is exposed. . In one example, the method includes the step of fully exposing pure polyurethane throughout the surface.

In one example, at least a portion of the surface layer is chemically removed using, for example, chemical wash or chemical etching techniques. In another example, at least a portion of the surface layer is mechanically removed using one or more of abrading, rubbing, or grinding the jacket surface. In another example, the surface layer is disrupted by a dimpled roller to cause an underlying polyurethane layer to appear on the surface.

One example load bearing member includes one or more tension members. Generally, the jacket surrounds the tension member. The jacket has at least one surface with pure polyurethane exposed on the outside of the jacket. In one example, the surface with exposed pure polyurethane is smooth. In another example, the surface is rough.

Various features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.

1 schematically illustrates a portion of an exemplary load bearing member designed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

2 schematically illustrates a portion of another exemplary load bearing member designed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary method of manufacturing a load bearing member designed according to one embodiment of the present invention;

5 schematically illustrates one example configuration for performing a portion of the method of the embodiment of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates another example device for use in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4; FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of another exemplary device used in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4;

8 schematically illustrates another example device for use in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4;

9 schematically illustrates an example device for tearing the surface of an example jacket.

1 schematically illustrates a load bearing member 40 designed for use in an elevator system. The plurality of cords 42 are aligned substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the load bearing member 40. In one example, the cords 42 are made of strands of steel wire. The jacket 44 generally surrounds the cords 42. In another example, the load bearing member is round rather than rectangular, and may include only one tension member.

In one example, jacket 44 comprises a polyurethane-based material. Many such materials are commercially available and are known in the art to be useful in elevator systems. In one example, the preferred urethane material is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Other examples include a wide range of TPUs including ether, ester and aliphatic based TPUs and derivatives containing fluorine or other elements so long as the specialized TPU provides the required mechanical properties. do. Given this description, those skilled in the art will be able to select an appropriate jacket material to meet the needs of their particular situation.

Exemplary jacket 44 defines the outer length L, width W, and thickness t of load bearing member 40. In one example, the width W of the load bearing member is approximately 30 mm and the thickness t is approximately 3 mm. In the same example, the cords 42 have a diameter of 1.65 mm. Cords 42 preferably extend along the entire length L of the assembly. Exemplary jacket 44 has outer surfaces 46 and 48. One or more of the surfaces 46 or 48 may contact the traction sheave and may contact other components in the elevator system as the load bearing member 40 moves to provide the desired movement of the elevator cap. At least the outer surface 46 has some exposed pure polyurethane. In one example, pure polyurethane is exposed over the width W and along the length L.

The example assembly includes a plurality of spaced grooves 47 that periodically interrupt the surface 46, which comes from several belt-making techniques. Portions of the cords in the arrangements of the grooves may be fully or partially exposed and may not be fully covered with the material of the jacket 44 as is known. The grooves 47 may not have pure polyurethane exposed. At least portions of the jacket extending between the grooves have some exposed pure polyurethane.

Surface 46 dispatches (ie, partially or partially) a portion of the amide-rich layer that is transferred to the surface of jacket 44 during the molding and curing processes used to form jacket 44. Removal or tearing). Various techniques for dispatching at least a portion of the layer of surface 46 are described below.

In the example of FIG. 1, surface 46 is smooth. In this example, since the chemical properties of the removed amide-rich layer no longer exist, the smooth surface does not interfere with the desired traction (as occurs in conventional belts with urethane jackets). Surface layers comprising exposed pure polyurethane exhibit more desirable traction properties.

In one example, the entire amide-rich layer is removed such that the entire surface 46 (except for the grooves 47) has pure polyurethane exposed. In another example, a portion of the amide-rich layer remains on surface 46. In the latter example, only part of the surface 46 has bare polyurethane.

2 and 3 show another embodiment of the load bearing member 40 'that is configured as a flat belt but does not include any grooves 47 on the surface 46'. The examples of FIGS. 2 and 3 are made using a manufacturing technique different from the manufacturing technique used to make the embodiment of FIG. 1 such that the grooves 47 are present only in the embodiment of FIG. 1. In this example, a plurality of impressions 49 are provided on the surface 46 'to make the surface rough.

The roughness of the exemplary surface 46 'includes a plurality of surface irregularities that roughen (ie, not smooth) the surface 46'. In the example shown, the plurality of impressions 49 are distributed over the surface 46 ′. In some instances, the pattern of surface irregularities can be constructed in a controlled manner. In other instances, surface irregularities are randomly distributed over surface 46 ′.

In one example, a plurality of impressions 49 are provided on the surface 46 'that are at least 5 microns deep. Deeper impressions may be used depending on the needs of a particular embodiment.

In one example, the rough surface 46 ′ is pure polyurethane over the entire surface. In this example, the impressions 49 are made in the polyurethane material during the process of removing the entire amide-containing layer.

In another example, a portion of the amide-rich layer remains. In one example, the impressions 49 are created from the removal of the corresponding portions of the amide-rich layer in this example, wherein the impressions 49 comprise exposed pure polyurethane.

The rough surface provides a significantly different coefficient of friction between the load bearing member and the traction sheave compared to the smooth surface with the amide-rich layer on the urethane. The rough surface 46 in some examples significantly reduces traction. Depending on the urethane material selected for the manufacture of the jacket 44 ', if the coefficient of friction decreases with increasing pressure, the rough surface 46' effectively increases pressure and reduces friction. On the other hand, with some urethane materials, the coefficient of friction increases with increasing pressure, so that the increased roughness may have the effect of increasing friction. In either situation, the roughness of the surface 46 'reduces adhesion even if some of the amide-containing material remains, thus imparting reliable friction. Those skilled in the art having the benefit of this description will be able to select the appropriate surface texture (ie, roughness) to meet the needs of their particular situation in view of the materials selected for manufacturing the load bearing member assembly.

4 schematically illustrates a method of manufacturing an example load bearing member. The cord supply 40 provides the cords 42. The positioning device 52 aligns the cords 42 in the desired alignment so that the cords extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the load bearing member 40. Tensioning device 54 controls the amount of tension on cords 42 during the jacket application process. Jacket application station 56 preferably includes a suitable mold or other device for applying jacket material on cords 42. Supply 58 provides the selected material to jacket application station 56 in a conventional manner. The jacket material may be pressure molded, extruded or otherwise applied to the cords 42. The assembly formed in this example is finished at the finishing station 60. In the example shown, the finishing station includes one or more devices for removing at least a portion of the one or more surface layers from the jacket 44.

5 schematically illustrates the device used in one embodiment of the present invention to remove at least a portion of an amide-rich layer from a jacket 44 surface 46. In the example of FIG. 5, the abrading pad 65 is a rough surface 66 supported at the machine of the finishing station 66 such that the surface 66 engages at least the surface 46 of the jacket 44. Has In one example, the moving mechanism causes the abrading device 65 to quickly move in circular or reciprocating motion to rub against the jacket 44 to remove any layer from the surface 46.

6 schematically illustrates another example where an abrasive sheet 67, such as sandpaper, is in contact with at least surface 46 such that the abrasive sheet 67 is properly supported within finishing station 60 to remove the desired amount of material from surface 46. It is shown.

7 schematically illustrates another device for removing material from surface 46. In this example, a buffing pad 68 is supported in a suitable manner so as to rub against at least the surface 46 to buff the surface until the surface 46 has an appropriate amount of roughness. do.

9 shows a roller 63 useful for tearing the surface 46. This example includes protrusions 64 that tear the surface and expose pure polyurethane at corresponding locations of the surface 46. In some instances, the roller 63 does not remove material from the surface 46 but merely moves or deforms the material. Tearing the surface layer using a textured roller or wheel can occur while the elastic jacket is heated from the extrusion. An alternative process uses a heated roller or external heat source to deform the surface of the cool thermoplastic jacket for a period of time after extrusion. The principle of this method is to tear the surface layer of the wax and allow the base elastomeric properties to be printed through it.

The particular device (s) shown to mechanically remove material from surface 46 may vary depending on the particular material selected to make the desired surface tissue and jacket desired for a given application. In addition, the removal process can be dry or wet, for example, to facilitate handling of the material. Those skilled in the art having the benefit of this description will realize the best in their circumstances, which may include one or more combinations of the above-described devices or other functionally similar devices.

5-7 and 9 illustrate mechanical displacing techniques, while another example finishing station 60 utilizes a chemical-based removal process. The applicator 70 applies a chemical wash, such as, for example, a mixture of 2-butoxyethanol and water, to at least one example surface 46 to partially wear the material on the surface 46. By erode, a surface comprising pure polyurethane is exposed after the chemical wash has been washed off, for example, by water. In another example, chemical etching techniques are applied to at least surface 46. Those skilled in the art who benefit from this description will select the appropriate chemicals and treatment times to meet the needs of their particular situation by achieving at least the desired amount of pure polyurethane exposure in surface 46.

In one example, finishing station 60 also includes a forming device, a dimensional inspection device and a jacket material and a curing cold water bath in which the cords in the material are cooled to an appropriate temperature. The finishing station forming device preferably includes a rigid structure that forces the jacket to have the desired outer structure (ie, rectangular cross section). An inspection device, such as a known laser triangulation apparatus, determines whether the desired geometry has been achieved.

The resulting load bearing member 40 is then preferably stored in storage 62, for example stored in spools for transportation to various areas for installation in elevator systems. desirable. The load bearing member 40 may be precut to specific lengths or provided in larger amounts when the technician selects the appropriate amount of belt material for the particular application upon installation.

The above description is illustrative rather than limiting in nature. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications to the disclosed examples do not necessarily depart from the spirit of the invention. The scope of legal protection given to this invention may be determined by the following claims.

Claims (22)

A method of manufacturing a load bearing member for use in an elevator system, the method comprising: Removing at least some material on at least one surface of the polymer jacket surrounding one or more tension members to obtain a desired traction characteristic of the polymer jacket, And the surface side having said removed material is configured to be at least in contact with a traction sheave. The method of claim 1, Chemically removing the material from the one surface. The method of claim 2, Applying a chemical to the one surface; Wherein said chemical agent comprises a mixture of 2-butoxyethanol and water. The method of claim 2, And at least one of chemically etching or chemically washing the one surface. The method of claim 1, Mechanically removing the material from the one surface. The method of claim 5, wherein And at least one of rubbing, grinding, abrading or buffing the one surface. The method of claim 1, Disrupting the one surface. The method of claim 1, Said jacket comprising polyurethane, said method comprising exposing pure polyurethane on at least a portion of said one surface. The method of claim 1, The polymer jacket has an inner layer having a first friction property and a surface layer having a second different friction property, wherein the removing comprises at least partially exposing at least a portion of the inner layer. How to. In a load bearing member for use in an elevator system manufactured by a process, the process comprises: Removing at least some material on at least one surface of the polymer jacket surrounding one or more tension members to obtain a desired traction characteristic of the polymer jacket, And the surface side having said removed material is configured to be in contact with at least a traction sheave. The method of claim 10, Said process comprising chemically removing said material from said one surface. The method of claim 11, The process includes applying a chemical to the one surface, And said chemical agent comprises a mixture of 2-butoxyethanol and water. The method of claim 11, And wherein said process comprises at least one of chemically etching or chemically washing said one surface. The method of claim 10, The process includes mechanically removing the material from the one surface. The method of claim 14, Wherein said process comprises at least one of rubbing, grinding, abrasion or buffing said one surface. The method of claim 10, And said process includes tearing said one surface. The method of claim 10, Wherein said jacket comprises polyurethane and said process comprises exposing pure polyurethane on said one surface. The method of claim 10, Wherein the jacket has an inner layer having a first friction property and a surface layer having a second different friction property, and wherein the process includes exposing at least a portion of the inner layer. In a load bearing member for use in an elevator system, At least one tension member; And A jacket surrounding the tension member, In order to obtain the desired traction characteristics of the jacket, the jacket has at least one surface defining at least a portion of the outermost layer of the jacket, the at least one surface comprising exposed pure polyurethane, And the surface side including the exposed pure polyupetan is at least in contact with the traction sheave. The method of claim 19, And said exposed pure polyurethane extends over said one surface. The method of claim 19, And said one surface is smooth. The method of claim 19, And the one surface is at least partially rough.

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