HK1204782B - Travelling cable of an elevator, and an elevator - Google Patents

Description

Travelling cable of elevator and elevator

Technical Field

The object of the invention is a travelling cable for an elevator and an elevator with such a travelling cable.

Background

It is advantageous to manufacture the ropes of the hoisting means, more particularly the hoisting ropes and suspension ropes of passenger and freight elevators, as a composite structure. When the longitudinal load-bearing capacity of the rope depends on non-metallic materials, more particularly non-metallic reinforcing fibers, the rope can be lightweight and the energy efficiency of the elevator can be increased due to the lightweight of the rope. By forming the rope as a composite structure and belt type, significant savings can be achieved even if the inexpensive metal materials traditionally used for elevator ropes are replaced by more expensive materials.

The travelling cable via which the elevator car is connected to the elevator control centre is fixed to the car of the passenger elevator and/or freight elevator. The travelling cable is a substantially circular or planar cable and comprises an electrical conductor and a load carrying carrier surrounded by a protective covering. The travelling cable is used for transmitting electric power and by means of which the necessary electric energy is supplied to the elevator car and by means of which data is transmitted between the signalling devices of the elevator car, such as car call buttons, communication devices and displays, and the control system of the elevator. The load-bearing part of the travelling cable is according to the prior art a steel cord bearing, typically a 6-strand or 8-strand steel cord, comprising a steel core and strands passing around the steel core. The travelling cable is typically fixed to the elevator car at a first end of the rope carrier and to the elevator hoistway at a second end.

The travelling cable can also be used fully or partly as a compensator to compensate for the unbalanced moment caused by the hoisting ropes, which is generated when the car is moving. When using lightweight hoisting ropes and suspension ropes of composite construction, the mass per meter of travelling cable with steel cable bearings is too large for implementing an optimum compensation. Travelling cables comprising steel rope carriers are too heavy for use in light composite ropes, in which case overcompensation of the ropes becomes a problem.

Furthermore, a problem especially in high-speed elevators used in high-rise buildings and high-rise buildings is that high-speed eddy currents occur in the elevator shaft due to the air resistance of the elevator car, which eddy currents produce a lateral movement in the travelling cable of the elevator, more particularly in the bottom loop of said cable. Lateral movement in the transverse direction of the travelling cable in high-rise buildings is also caused by movement of the elevator car itself and building sway caused mainly by wind. This type of lateral sway is undesirable because it increases the stress of the travelling cable and creates noise and vibration or other discomfort to the passengers of the elevator car. Furthermore, large lateral movements may cause the travelling cable to hit structures of the elevator hoistway, thereby damaging or causing the cable to be caught by the well device. In this case one result would even be an emergency stop of the elevator. Sway damping solutions are known in the prior art, in which the travelling cable of the elevator is guided by various guides to travel along a certain path, or a separate damping device is used in the bottom loop of the travelling cable.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art solutions. The object of the invention is to improve the construction of the travelling cable of a hoisting apparatus, more particularly a passenger elevator and/or a freight elevator, and to achieve optimum compensation of the hoisting ropes and suspension ropes of the composite construction of the elevator by means of the travelling cable.

It is an object of the invention to achieve at least one or more of the following advantages:

a travelling cable and an elevator are implemented, the mass per meter of said travelling cable being less than before.

A travelling cable and an elevator are implemented, the stiffness properties and strength properties of the load bearing part of the travelling cable being optimal with respect to the application location.

An elevator is implemented, the mass of the components of which moving with the car is lower than before.

An elevator is implemented, the hoisting ropes and suspension ropes of which of the composite structure have an optimal compensation.

A travelling cable and an elevator are realized, the bottom loop of which is the best dimensioned and the better sway damping properties.

A travelling cable and an elevator are implemented, the condition of the load bearing part of which can be monitored by the same condition monitoring method as the hoisting ropes and the suspension ropes.

A travelling cable and an elevator are implemented, in the manufacture of the carrier of which the sensors for condition monitoring can be integrated into the carrier.

The invention is based on the idea that: the travelling cable of a hoisting device, more particularly a passenger and/or freight elevator, comprises one or more carrier parts, which are substantially circular or rectangular in cross-section and which comprise glass fiber reinforcement and/or aramid fiber reinforcement and/or carbon fiber reinforcement and/or polybenzoxazole fiber reinforcement and/or polyethylene fiber reinforcement and/or nylon fiber reinforcement in a polymer matrix material.

In this way, the mechanical properties of the carrier part and the travelling cable can be optimized according to the application location, and the structure becomes strong in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

Preferably, the size of the bottom ring of the travelling cable can be reduced, which has the advantage of an even easier layout design. Another advantage is better riding comfort and safety, since the running cable is stable and can hook onto the shaft structure in the elevator shaft, thus not causing a dangerous or damaging situation. A further advantage is that the damping of the travelling cable can be adjusted by adjusting the stiffness properties of the carrier part. For example, the width of the cross-section of the carrier portion of the travelling cable may be greater than the thickness. In this way, the lateral stiffness of the carrier part can be adjusted, in which case optimal damping of lateral sway is possible in different constructional solutions.

Preferably, the largest diameter of the cross-section of the carrier part of the travelling cable is at least 5 mm or more, preferably at least 10 mm, or even 15 mm or more, or even 20 mm or more, or even 25 mm or more, or even 30 mm or more. In this way, good load-bearing capacity is achieved by a small bending radius. This may preferably be performed by means of a fibre-reinforced composite material as proposed in the present patent application.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises glass fibre reinforcement, more preferably aramid fibre reinforcement or carbon fibre reinforcement. In this way, the specific stiffness and specific strength of the reinforcement is better than that of the metal fibers.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises a polymer fibre reinforcement, such as a polybenzoxazole fibre reinforcement, or a polyethylene fibre reinforcement, such as an UHMWPE fibre reinforcement, or a nylon fibre reinforcement. In this way, the overall reinforcement is much lighter than metal fibers.

In one embodiment, the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises different reinforcements, preferably for example carbon fibre reinforcement and polybenzoxazole fibre reinforcement, in the same structure of the carrier part. In this way the load-bearing part of the rope can be optimized to a desired value in terms of its mechanical properties and costs.

Preferably, one or more optical fibers and/or fiber bundles are positioned inside and/or on the surface of the carrier part of the travelling cable during manufacture for condition monitoring of the rope or for data transmission.

Preferably, the proportion of reinforcement of the carrier part of the travelling cable is at least 50% by volume of the reinforcing fibres in the carrier part. In this way the longitudinal mechanical properties of the carrier part described above are sufficient.

Preferably, the proportion of reinforcement of the carrier part of the travelling cable is at least 50% by weight of the reinforcing fibres in the carrier part. In this way the longitudinal mechanical properties of the carrier part described above are sufficient.

Preferably, at least 65% of the surface area of the cross-section of the carrier part of the travelling cable is fibrous. In this way the longitudinal mechanical properties of the carrier part described above are sufficient.

In one embodiment, the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises one or more optical fibres, most preferably all bundles or rolls of optical fibres, on its interior and/or its surface, which optical fibres are located substantially near the interior of the above-mentioned carrier part and/or the surface of the above-mentioned carrier part when seen in the thickness direction of the carrier part.

Preferably, the optical fibres used for condition monitoring of the carrier part of the travelling cable and for measurement purposes comprise a number of optical fibres required for measurement and in addition optical fibres for data transmission.

Preferably, more than 60% of the surface area of the cross-section of the carrier portion of the travelling cable is of the above-mentioned reinforcing fibres and optical fibres, preferably such that 45-85% of the above-mentioned reinforcing fibres and optical fibres, more preferably such that 60-75% of the above-mentioned reinforcing fibres and optical fibres, most preferably such that about 59% of the surface area is of the reinforcing fibres and at most about 1% is of the optical fibres and about 40% is of the matrix material.

In one embodiment, an optical fiber, which functions as an optical Fabry-Perot type sensor, is incorporated into the carrier portion of the travelling cable.

In one embodiment, a single piece of optical fiber comprising a bragg grating is incorporated into the carrier part of the travelling cable, i.e. the so-called fiber bragg grating FBG method is applied in condition monitoring of the rope.

In one embodiment, the optical fiber for a sensor operating on the time of flight TOF principle is incorporated into the carrier part of the travelling cable.

In one embodiment, an optical fiber used as a sensor based on Brillouin spectral measurements is incorporated into the carrier portion of the travelling cable.

Preferably, the optical fibers and/or fiber bundles contained in the carrier part of the travelling cable are substantially translucent for LED light or laser light. Thus, the condition of the carrier part can be monitored by monitoring a change in one of its optical properties.

In one embodiment, the condition of the carrier portion of the travelling cable is monitored by measuring a change in an electrical property of the carrier portion. The electrical resistance or capacitance of the carrier part comprising the reinforcing fibers, more particularly carbon fiber reinforcement, changes when the state of the composite structure of the carrier part deteriorates, for example when the reinforcing fibers break and when the strain increases.

Preferably, the density of the reinforcing fibres of the carrier part of the travelling cable is less than 4000kg/m³And/or the tensile strength of the reinforcing fibers is about 1500N/mm². Preferably, the reinforcing fibers of the load carrying portion of the travelling cable have a specific strength under tension of about 500(MPa/g/cm 3). One advantage is that the fibres are light and not necessarily many, since they are strong.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable is an uninterrupted (unbroken) elongate rod-like member.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable is substantially unidirectional to the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

Preferably, the structure of the carrier part of the travelling cable continues substantially identically over the entire length of the travelling cable.

Preferably, the individual reinforcing fibers of the carrier part of the travelling cable are uniformly distributed into the above-mentioned matrix material.

Preferably, the reinforcing fibers of the carrier part of the travelling cable are bound by the polymer matrix material into an uninterrupted carrier part by arranging the reinforcing fibers in the polymer matrix material at the manufacturing stage.

Preferably, the reinforcing fibers and the one or more optical fibers and/or bundles of optical fibers of the carrier part of the travelling cable are bound to the uninterrupted carrier part by the polymer matrix material by arranging the reinforcing fibers and the optical fibers in the polymer matrix material at the manufacturing stage.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable is formed by straight reinforcing fibers which are substantially unidirectional with respect to the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable and one or more optical fibers and/or bundles of optical fibers bound by the polymer matrix material in an uninterrupted portion.

Preferably, the one or more optical fibres and/or optical fibre bundles are glued or laminated to the surface of the carrier part of the travelling cable or in the vicinity of the surface along the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable. Preferably, substantially all of the reinforcing fibers and the one or more optical fibers and/or bundles of optical fibers of the aforementioned load-bearing portion of the travelling cable are along the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

Preferably, the matrix material of the carrier part of the travelling cable is non-elastomeric. More preferably, the matrix material of the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises epoxy, polyester, phenolic or vinyl ester.

Preferably, the modulus of elasticity E of the matrix material of the carrier part of the travelling cable exceeds 1.5GPa, most preferably exceeds 2GPa, even more preferably in the range of 2-10GPa, most preferably in the range of 2.5-4 GPa.

Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable comprises the above-mentioned polymer matrix, reinforcing fibers bonded to each other by the polymer matrix, one or more optical fibers and/or bundles of optical fibers, and possibly a sizing surrounding the fibers, and possibly additives mixed in the polymer matrix.

In one embodiment, the optical fibers of the carrier portion of the travelling cable serve as long vibration sensors. In the vibration measuring apparatus, a single-mode optical fiber or a multimode optical fiber is used as a sensor, and a semiconductor laser is used as a light source. The detection of the vibration is based on measuring the change in the speckle pattern formed by the bright and dark speckle occurring at the second end (at the distal end) of the optical fiber.

According to the invention, the elevator comprises means for monitoring the status of the optical fibres and/or bundles of optical fibres of the carrier part of the travelling cable, said means preferably monitoring the status of the aforementioned optical fibre or fibres and/or bundles from the carrier part of the travelling cable.

Preferably, by means of the condition monitoring device described above, the condition of the carrier part of the travelling cable is monitored by monitoring the condition of the part comprising one or more optical fibres and/or bundles of optical fibres in one of the following ways:

by measuring the change that has occurred in the transit time of the optical pulse in the optical fiber; by monitoring the spectral and/or phase and/or wavelength changes of the reflected, deflected or scattered light; -detecting the amount of light transmitted through the fiber, either visually or by means of a photodiode; -by comparing values measured from different fibers and/or bundles of optical fibers with each other; and-by observing deviations between measured values rather than absolute values.

In this way, it is possible to assess the change in strain of one or more carrier parts of the travelling cable and thus the state of the above-mentioned carrier parts.

The elevator according to the invention comprises an elevator car, a counterweight, suspension ropes connecting the above-mentioned elevator car and counterweight to each other, and which suspension ropes comprise one or more ropes comprising a load-bearing composite part comprising reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix. The elevator car and the counterweight are arranged to be movable by exerting a vertical force on at least the elevator car or on the counterweight.

Preferably the elevator comprises a rope pulley near the top end of the path of movement of the elevator car, on which rope pulley the ropes of the suspension roping are preferably suspended by a suspension ratio of 1:1 or 2: the suspension ratio of 1 supports the elevator car and counterweight. Preferably, the aforementioned rope pulley is a non-driven rope pulley. In this way the machine does not require the space of a large diverting pulley required by hard composite ropes.

In one embodiment, the suspension roping is suspended in a ratio of 1: a suspension ratio of 1 is connected to the elevator car and the counterweight and the hoisting roping is connected to the elevator car and the counterweight with a suspension ratio of 2: 1.

Preferably the suspension roping is connected to the elevator car and the counterweight so that the counterweight moves downwards when the elevator car moves upwards and vice versa, and the suspension roping travels over a rope pulley supported in its place.

In one embodiment the hoisting machine is arranged near the top end of the path of movement of the elevator car, in which case the aforementioned rope pulley is a driven traction sheave. In this way the space required by the bottom part of the elevator and by the elevator shaft can be kept small, if necessary.

In one embodiment, the hoisting machine is arranged near the bottom end of the path of movement of the elevator car. In this way the hoisting machine is easily accessible in terms of installation and maintenance. The hoisting machine is easy to install and does not increase the size of the structure of the top part of the elevator.

Preferably, the hoisting machine is arranged in the elevator hoistway near the bottom end of the path of movement of the elevator car. Thus, no separate space is required for it. It may be supported on the base of the elevator hoistway or between the walls of the elevator hoistway and the path of movement of the elevator car, e.g. on the wall structure of the elevator hoistway. Preferably the hoisting machine is arranged to exert a downward pulling force on the elevator car or the counterweight via the hoisting roping. In this way it is achieved that a vertical downward pulling force is exerted by the hoisting machine on the elevator car or the counterweight for the force balance acting between them and thus for adjusting their movement.

The elevator is most preferably an elevator suitable for transporting people and/or goods, which elevator is installed in the building, travels in a vertical direction, or at least substantially in a vertical direction, preferably on the basis of a landing call and/or a car call. The elevator car preferably has an interior space which most preferably is adapted to receive one passenger or a number of passengers. The elevator preferably comprises at least two, preferably more, served landing levels.

The inventive content of the application can also be defined in the description part and in the drawings of the application. The inventive content may also consist of several separate inventions, especially if the invention is considered in the light of expressions or implicit sub-tasks or from the point of view of advantages or categories of advantages achieved. In this case, some of the features contained below may be superfluous from the point of view of separate inventive concepts. The features of the various embodiments of the invention can be applied within the framework of the basic idea of the invention, together with other embodiments. The additional features mentioned with respect to each of the foregoing embodiments may also form separate inventions singly and independently of other embodiments.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown

Fig. 1 presents an elevator according to a first embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2 presents an elevator according to a second embodiment of the invention;

fig. 3 shows a cross section of a travelling cable according to a first embodiment of the invention;

fig. 4 shows a cross section of a travelling cable according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 and 2 show an elevator according to the invention, which comprises an elevator car 1, a counterweight 2 and suspension roping 3, the ropes of which suspension roping 3 connect the above-mentioned elevator car 1 and the above-mentioned counterweight 2 to each other. The elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2 are arranged to move by exerting a vertical force on at least the elevator car 1 or on the counterweight 2 by means of the devices M, 6, 3, 4. The suspension roping 3 comprises one or more ropes comprising a load-bearing composite part comprising reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix. The elevator is preferably a passenger transport elevator and/or a freight transport elevator, which is installed to travel in an elevator shaft S in the building.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the means for exerting a force on at least the elevator car 1 or the counterweight 2 comprise suspension roping 3 connected to the elevator car and/or the counterweight, and the hoisting machine M comprising means for moving the suspension roping 3, said means for moving the suspension roping 3 preferably comprising a rotating device, such as a motor, and a traction means 6, preferably a traction sheave, to be rotated. The hoisting machine M is arranged near the top end of the path of movement of the elevator car 1. In this way the hoisting machine M is in force-transmitting connection with the elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2 via the suspension roping 3, more particularly the hoisting machine M is arranged to exert an upward pulling force on the elevator car 1 or the counterweight 2 via the suspension roping 3. The compensating ropes C are fixed to the bottom parts of the elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2 to compensate the unbalance moment caused by the suspension ropes.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the means for exerting a force on at least the elevator car 1 or the counterweight 2 comprise suspension roping 4 connected to the elevator car and/or the counterweight, and the hoisting machine M comprising means for moving the suspension roping 4, which means for moving the suspension roping 4 preferably comprise a rotating device, such as a motor, and a traction means 6, preferably a traction sheave, to be rotated. The hoisting machine M is arranged near the bottom end of the path of movement of the elevator car 1. In this way the hoisting machine M is in force-transmitting connection with the elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2 via the suspension roping 4, more particularly the hoisting machine M is arranged to exert a downward pulling force on the elevator car 1 or the counterweight 2 via the suspension roping 6. The ropes of the compensating roping 3 do not need to transmit the longitudinal forces of the rope via the outer surface of the rope during normal operation of the elevator and the shear forces in the direction of said surface are not exerted on the load-bearing composite part or on the coating possibly connected to it.

The ropes suspending the roping 3 can be suspended by bending of the roping pulleys, which need not be driven rope pulleys. As shown, the elevator comprises one or more rope pulleys 5 near the top and/or bottom end of the movement path of the elevator car 1. The ropes of the suspension roping 3 support the elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2, e.g. when supported on the rope pulley 5. In the embodiment shown, this is implemented as a suspension ratio of 1:1, in which case the ropes of the suspension roping 3 are fixed at their first ends to the elevator car 1 and at their second ends to the counterweight 2. However, the suspension ratio may be other, for example, 2:1, but 1: a ratio of 1 is advantageous because when the rope arrangement comprises a composite material portion in a given manner, it is disadvantageous to form a large number of bends, because these bends take up space. Preferably the rope pulley is a non-driven rope pulley, so that the top of the elevator can be formed spacious. The rope pulleys are located in the elevator shaft S, in which case a separate machine room is not required.

The hoisting roping 4 can differ from the suspension roping 3 in its cross-section and/or in its material. The structure of the ropes of the hoisting roping 4 can be optimized e.g. from the point of view of shear forces in the rope direction and friction, while the structure of the ropes suspending the roping 3 can be optimized from the point of view of tensile strength and stiffness and lightness of the ropes. The suspension roping 3 and the hoisting roping 4 can comprise one or more ropes comprising one or more force transmitting parts of a composite structure.

A travelling cable T for the electricity supply of the elevator car 1 and/or for data transmission, e.g. a cable of circular cross-sectional shape or a flat cable, is fixed at its first end to the elevator car 1, e.g. to the bottom of the elevator car 1, and at its second end to a connection point on the wall of the elevator hoistway S, which connection point is typically located near or above the midpoint in the height direction of the elevator hoistway. From the elevator car 1 the travelling cable first leaves downwards and then turns upwards towards the fixing point of its second end forming a bottom loop at its bottom, which is freely suspended in the elevator hoistway and moves upwards or downwards in the elevator hoistway S with the movement of the elevator car 1.

Fig. 3 and 4 show a cross-section of a preferred embodiment of the travelling cable T of the elevator according to the invention. As described earlier, the travelling cable T of the elevator comprises electrical conductors for the transmission of electrical power, through which the necessary electrical energy is supplied to the elevator car 1 and through which data is transmitted between the signaling devices of the elevator car 1, e.g. between the car call buttons, the communication devices and displays, and the control system of the elevator. The embodiment of fig. 1 shows a travelling cable of flat cross-section of an elevator, comprising a carrier part 10 of composite structure according to the invention and between the carrier part 10 side by side electrical conductors 7 and twisted pair cables 8, preferably inside a protective cladding 9 made of PVC plastic. The carrier part 10 according to the invention comprises reinforcing fibres, preferably glass fibre reinforcements, more preferably aramid fibre reinforcements or carbon fibre reinforcements, in a polymer matrix material, preferably a resin, such as an epoxy resin, a polyester resin, a phenolic resin or a vinyl ester. Preferably, the carrier part of the travelling cable may further comprise a polymer fibre reinforcement, such as a polybenzoxazole fibre reinforcement, or a polyethylene fibre reinforcement, such as an UHMWPE fibre reinforcement, or a nylon fibre reinforcement, in a polymer matrix material. In this way the specific stiffness and specific strength of the fibre-reinforced load bearing part is better than that of the steel cable load bearing part. Furthermore, the stiffness properties of the fiber-reinforced carrier part and the diameter of the bottom loop of the travelling cable can be modified to be desired by changing the geometry and diameter or cross-sectional thickness of the carrier part.

The width of the above-mentioned carrier part 10 is preferably larger than the thickness, for example, the cross-section of the carrier part 10 may be rectangular in shape, as shown in fig. 3, or circular. In this way the carrier part is more rigid in the transverse direction of the travelling cable for reducing transverse sways. The carrier part may also be a fibre rope woven from straight reinforcing fibres or bundles of reinforcing fibres. The carrier part may also comprise a core material, which is a different material than the fibre-reinforced surface material, or which is hollow in the centre. In this way, a more flexible carrier part is obtained with a smaller mass per meter, without losing the good strength properties of the carrier part in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

The above-described carrier part 10 can be manufactured, for example, by pultrusion by pulling a resin-wetted reinforcement or a prepreg reinforcement through a heated nozzle as a mold in which the carrier part 10 receives its shape and the resin is hardened. In this way, good strength properties in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable are obtained for the carrier part 10. The reinforcement may also be partially or completely wrapped around the preformed piece used as core material. In this way, the stiffness properties of the carrier portion 10 can be further adjusted by adjusting the winding angle of the reinforcement. The core material is preferably, for example, polyvinyl chloride foam or polyurethane foam plastic. Pultrusion is a continuous, highly automated process for the production of profiles which achieves high production speeds, preferably up to 0.5-2 m/min, that is to say pultrusion is particularly suitable for large series of production. Pultruded products are characterized by a high reinforcement content and longitudinal alignment of the reinforcement. Thereby, the axial mechanical properties are also high. The reinforcements are typically roller-type reinforcements.

The carrier portion 10 of the travelling cable T is a flexible member elongated in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable T for receiving a load substantially in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable T. The aforementioned load bearing part is capable of bearing a substantial part of the load exerted on the travelling cable, e.g. the tensile stress in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable caused by the movement of the elevator car 1 and the counterweight 2 according to the embodiment of fig. 1. The conductor 7 and the twisted pair cable 8 of the travelling cable are connected at their first ends to the connection point of the bottom of the elevator car 1 so that the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable T is fixed into the fixing element of the bottom of the elevator car 1, which fixing element carries the load applied from the travelling cable T. The conductor 7 and the twisted pair cable 8 of the travelling cable are connected at their second ends to a connection point 11 on the wall of the elevator hoistway S, and the travelling cable is suspended on the connection point 11 by being supported by a carrier terminal carried fixed to the end of the carrier portion 10.

According to the invention, the width of the above-mentioned carrier part 10 is preferably greater than the thickness. The width-to-thickness ratio of the carrier part 10 is preferably at least 2 or more, more preferably at least 4, or even 5 or more, or even 6 or more, or even 7 or more, or even 8 or more.

According to one embodiment of the invention, as shown in fig. 3, the travelling cable T comprises two carrier parts 10, preferably glass fiber-reinforced and/or aramid fiber-reinforced and/or carbon fiber-reinforced and/or polybenzoxazole fiber-reinforced and/or polyethylene fiber-reinforced and/or nylon fiber-reinforced plastic composite material, comprising glass reinforcement fibers and/or aramid reinforcement fibers and/or carbon reinforcement fibers and/or polybenzoxazole reinforcement fibers and/or polyethylene reinforcement fibers and/or nylon reinforcement fibers, most preferably carbon fibers, and one or more optical fibers O, more preferably one or more optical fiber bundles, for monitoring the rope condition. The optical fibre or optical fibre bundle may be a continuous optical fibre or optical fibre bundle arranged inside the composite structure or near the surface of the composite structure such that the optical fibre starts from the second end of the travelling cable inside the structure, turns back at the first end of the travelling cable and exits the structure again from the second end of the travelling cable. The optical fibres and/or fibre bundles may be wound, i.e. the optical fibres may have one or more bends in the interior of the structure or on the surface of the structure, so that but only one optical fibre and/or fibre bundle is used for measurement, and the optical fibres and/or fibre bundles may enter and exit from the same end and/or different ends of the travelling cable. In this way one or more optical fibres and/or fibre bundles are incorporated into the structure as sensor fibres and/or reference fibres, the condition of which sensor fibres is detected, for example by measuring the transit time of a light pulse in the sensor fibres. The optical fiber and/or the fiber bundle preferably comprises at least a sensor fiber, preferably also referred to as optical fiber. The reference fiber may also be mounted inside the cladding so that the structure-induced strain to be measured is not imposed on it. In fig. 3, the optical fibers O are drawn in only one of the two carriers 10 of the travelling cable, but preferably the optical fibers are arranged in two carriers 10, preferably in all carriers, of similar structure according to an embodiment of the invention.

The width of the above-mentioned carrier part 10 according to the invention shown in fig. 3 is preferably greater than the thickness. The above-mentioned carrier part 10 may also comprise one or more grooves in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the rope on one or more of the wider sides of the rope, which grooves divide the carrier part 10 into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal and/or transverse direction of the rope for optimizing the longitudinal rigidity of the carrier part. The shape of the cross-section of the carrier part 10 may also be quadratic.

According to an embodiment of a travelling cable T according to the invention, which is shown in fig. 4 and which is substantially circular in cross-sectional shape, the above-mentioned carrier part 10 comprises one or more carrier parts 10 substantially in the central part of the travelling cable, which carrier comprises the above-mentioned reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix material. The carrier part 10 may also be a fiber rope woven from straight reinforcing fibers or bundles of reinforcing fibers. The carrier portion 10 may also include a core material that is a different material than the reinforcing surface material, or that is hollow on the inside. According to the embodiment shown in fig. 4, substantially in the center of the travelling cable is a carrier part 10, said carrier part 10 being surrounded by six similar carrier parts having a circular cross-sectional shape. By varying the number of carrier parts, the diameter of the reinforcement, the material and possibly the material of the matrix material, the stiffness properties of the travelling cable and the dimensions of the bottom ring can be adjusted to be desired. According to the embodiment of fig. 4, one optical fiber O is depicted in the carrier part, but the carrier part may also comprise a plurality of optical fibers. In this way, the measurement accuracy can be improved if necessary. The travelling cable may also include filler fibers, such as jute filler fibers, and insulation and fabric layers between the protective covering and the conductor for reducing friction therebetween.

The condition of the load bearing part 10 of the travelling cable of the elevator is monitored by monitoring the condition of the sensor fibre, and if it is detected that a part of the sensor fibre has been short-circuited or its condition has fallen below a certain predetermined level, it is determined that the travelling cable needs to be replaced or overhauled, and a travelling cable replacement operation or a travelling cable maintenance operation is started. The status of the carrier part 10 can also be monitored by measuring the transit times of the light pulses in the sensor fibers of the different parts and by comparing the transit times of the light pulses with each other, and when the difference between the transit times of the light pulses increases above a predetermined level, it is determined that the travelling cable needs to be replaced or overhauled, and a travelling cable replacement operation or a travelling cable maintenance operation is started. The condition monitoring means may be arranged to activate an alarm if the light pulse transit time does not fall within an expected range of values or differs sufficiently from the measured value of the transit time of the light pulse of the other sensor being measured. The transit time of the light pulse changes when a property, such as strain or displacement, changes depending on the state of the load-bearing part of the travelling cable. For example, the transit time of the light pulse changes due to the breaking of the reinforcing fibers, from which it can be concluded that the carrier part 10 is in a poor state.

Preferably the means for monitoring the condition of the carrier portion 10 comprises a condition monitoring means of a sensor fibre and a reference fibre connected to the carrier portion 10, said means comprising an apparatus such as a computer comprising a laser transmitter, a receiver, a timing discriminator, a circuit for measuring time intervals, a programmable logic circuit and a processor. The apparatus includes one or more sensors, such as reflectors and a processor, each of which generates an alarm regarding excessive wear of the carrier portion 10 when they detect a change, such as a change in the transit time of a light pulse in the sensor fiber.

The property to be observed may also be, for example, a change in the amount of light transmitted through the carrier portion 10. In this case, light is fed into the optical fiber from one end by means of a laser transmitter or LED transmitter, the passability of the light through the carrier part 10 being evaluated visually or by means of a photodiode at the other end of the fiber. When the amount of light transmitted through the carrier portions 10 is significantly reduced, the state of the carrier portions 10 is evaluated as having deteriorated.

In one embodiment of the invention, the optical fiber is used as an optical Fabry-Perot type sensor. The Fabry-perot interferometer FPI includes two reflective surfaces at the end of the fiber, or two parallel highly reflective dichroic mirrors. When it strikes the mirror, a portion of the light passes through and a portion of the light is reflected back. After the mirror, the passed light is transmitted, for example, through air, after which it is reflected back from the second mirror. Some light has traveled a longer distance in different materials, which results in a change in the properties of the light. The strain causes, for example, a change in the phase of the light. The light of which the property is changed interferes with the original light, and then the change is analyzed. After the lights have been combined, they end up in the receiver of the condition monitoring device of the elevator and in the signal processing device. In this embodiment, the strain of the fibers and thus the state of the carrier part 10 is evaluated.

In one embodiment of the invention an optical fiber comprising a bragg grating is used, i.e. the so-called fiber bragg grating FBG method is applied in condition monitoring of the rope. Periodic grating structures are fabricated in single mode fibers for FBG sensors that reflect light of a certain wavelength back to the corresponding grating. When light is directed into the fiber, light of the wavelength corresponding to the grating is reflected back. When strain is applied to the grating structure, the refractive index of the fiber changes. The change in refractive index affects the wavelength of the light that is reflected back. By monitoring the wavelength change, the change in strain exerted on the grating can be determined and thus the condition of the carrier portion 10. There may be tens or hundreds of gratings on the side of the same fiber.

In one embodiment of the invention, a distributed sensor fiber based on Brillouin spectrometry is used as the optical fiber. A common single mode fiber or a multimode fiber may be used as the sensor. The optical fiber serves as a distributed sensor, which can be used as a sensor that is several hundred meters long, measures the entire length and corresponds to thousands of point sensors if necessary. As light propagates in the fiber, backscattering of the light continues to occur. This can be exploited by monitoring the intensity of certain backscattered wavelengths. Brillouin scattering occurs in a non-uniform spot generated in the optical fiber at the manufacturing stage. By observing the wavelengths of the primary optical signal and the scattered optical signal, the strain of the optical fiber and thus the state of the carrier part 10 is determined.

The temperature influence in the strain measurement can be eliminated by using, inter alia, a reference fiber as an aid, which is mounted such that the strain caused by the structure to be measured is not applied to it.

In one embodiment of the invention, the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable comprises a part that conducts electricity, preferably carbon fibre reinforcement, for example in a polymer matrix material. The condition monitoring arrangement comprises a condition monitoring device connected to the second end of the carrier part in the vicinity of its fixing point, said monitoring device thus being electrically conductive. The arrangement further comprises a conductor fixed to the electrically conductive, preferably metallic, first connection point of the carrier part 10, said conductor also being connected to the condition monitoring device. The condition monitoring device connects the carrier part 10 and the conductor and is arranged to generate a voltage between them. The condition monitoring device further comprises means for observing the electrical properties of the electrical circuit formed by the carrier part 10 and the conductor. These means may include, for example, sensors and processors that generate an alarm regarding excessive wear of the load bearing part 10 when they monitor changes in the electrical properties. The electrical property to be observed may be, for example, a change in resistance or capacitance of the above-described circuit. The electrical properties of the carrier part 10 comprising reinforcing fibers, more particularly carbon fiber reinforcement, vary when the condition of the reinforcement deteriorates and when the strain of the carrier part increases.

Structurally, the above-mentioned carrier part 10 of the travelling cable is preferably of composite construction, preferably of non-metallic composite construction, comprising reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix material. The reinforcing fibers are substantially uniformly distributed in a matrix material that surrounds and is secured to each reinforcing fiber. The matrix material fills the areas between the individual reinforcing fibers and acts as an uninterrupted solid binder bonding substantially all of the reinforcing fibers within the matrix material to each other. In this case, grinding movement between the reinforcing fibers and the matrix material are prevented. Chemical bonding exists between individual reinforcing fibers and the matrix material, preferably between all of the reinforcing fibers and the matrix material, one of the advantages of which is the cohesion of the structure. In order to enhance the chemical bonding, a size obtained as a result of the surface treatment of the reinforcing fibres may be present between the reinforcing fibres and the matrix material, in which case the above-mentioned bonding to the fibres is formed via said size.

The fact that the reinforcing fibers are in a polymer matrix material means that the individual reinforcing fibers and possibly the optical fibers are bonded to each other in the manufacturing stage by a matrix material, such as a resin. With the method according to the invention, in pultrusion, the reinforcement wetted with resin or prepreg is pulled through a heated nozzle as a die in which the object receives its shape and the resin hardens. In this case, there is resin between the individual reinforcing fibers bonded to each other. Thus, according to the invention, a large number of reinforcing fibers, which are bonded to each other in the longitudinal direction of the cord, are distributed in the matrix material and thus also evenly distributed in the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable. The reinforcing fibers are preferably substantially uniformly distributed in the matrix material so that the carrier part 10 of the running cable is as uniform as possible when viewed in the direction of the cross-section of the carrier part 10. In this way, the strength member density does not vary greatly in the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable.

The reinforcing fibers and possibly the optical fibers and the matrix material together form an uninterrupted carrier part 10, inside which carrier part 10 no large shape deformations occur when the cord is bent. The individual fibres of the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable are mainly surrounded by matrix material, but contact between the fibres may occur in some places, for example because of air holes in the matrix material. However, if it is desired to reduce the occurrence of random contact between the fibers, the individual fibers may be surface treated prior to bonding the individual fibers to one another. In the present invention, the individual fibres of the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable may comprise material of the matrix material surrounding them such that the matrix material is directly against the fibres, but a thin surface treatment material of the fibres, for example a primer provided on the surface of the fibres during the manufacturing stage in order to improve adhesion to the matrix material, may be located therebetween. The matrix material may comprise a base polymer and, as a supplement, additives for optimizing the properties of the matrix material and for hardening the matrix material. The matrix material is preferably non-elastomeric. The most preferred matrix material is epoxy, polyester, phenolic or vinyl ester. The modulus of elasticity E of the matrix material is preferably in excess of 1.5GPa, more preferably in excess of 2GPa, more preferably in the range of 2-10GPa, preferably in the range of 2.5-4 GPa.

Preferably, the above-mentioned reinforcing fibers are non-metallic fibers having a high specific stiffness, i.e. the ratio of the modulus of elasticity to the density, and a high specific strength, i.e. the ratio of the strength to the density. Preferably, the specific strength of the reinforcing fibres of the load-bearing part 10 of the running cable under tension exceeds 500 (MPa/g/cm)³) Specific stiffness of more than 20 (GPa/g/cm)³). Preferably, the reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers, glass fibers, aramid fibers or polymer fibersFor example polyethylene fibres such as UHMWPE fibres, polybenzoxazole fibres or nylon fibres, all of which are lighter than metal reinforcements. The reinforcing fibers of the carrier part 10 of the travelling cable comprise one of these, for example only carbon fibers, or may be a combination of these fibers, for example carbon fibers and polybenzoxazole fibers, or may comprise at least one of these fibers. Most preferably, the above-mentioned reinforcing fibers are carbon fibers or polybenzoxazole fibers, which have good specific stiffness and specific strength when being pulled, while withstanding very high temperatures. This is important in elevators, because the poor heat resistance of the load bearing part 10 of the travelling cable may be a safety risk.

It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in many different ways. The invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above, but they may instead vary within the scope of the invention.

Claims (26)

1. Travelling cable (T) for an elevator, which travelling cable comprises a protective covering (9), conductors (7, 8) for transmitting electric energy and data between an elevator car (1) and an elevator hoistway (S), and one or more load-bearing parts (10) of substantially the length of the travelling cable, which load-bearing parts (10) are intended to fix the travelling cable (T) to the elevator car (1) at its first end and to the elevator hoistway (S) at its second end, characterized in that the load-bearing parts (10) are of composite construction and comprise glass and/or carbon and/or polybenzoxazole and/or polyethylene and/or nylon reinforcement fibres in a polymer matrix material.

2. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterized in that the elevator is a passenger and/or freight elevator and the nylon reinforcement fibres are polyaramid reinforcement fibres.

3. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the cross section of the aforementioned carrier part (10) is essentially quadric-curved or rectangular in shape, in which case the width of the cross section is greater than the thickness.

4. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the polymeric matrix material of the carrier part (10) is non-elastomeric, the matrix material having a modulus of elasticity of at least 1.5 GPa.

5. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the density of the reinforcing fibres of the carrier part (10) is less than 4000kg/m³And/or the tensile strength of the reinforcing fibers exceeds 1500N/mm²。

6. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the reinforcing fibres of the carrier part (10) are carbon fibres, glass fibres or polymer fibres or comprise at least one or more of the above-mentioned fibres.

7. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 6, characterised in that said polymeric fibres are aramid fibres.

8. Travelling cable (T) according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the reinforcing fibres of the above-mentioned carrier part (10) are unidirectional reinforcements essentially in the longitudinal direction of the carrier part (10) and/or are wound around the carrier part (10).

9. Travelling cable (T) according to any one of claims 1-7, characterised in that the above-mentioned carrier part (10) comprises one or more optical fibres (O), or bundles of optical fibres, arranged inside the composite structure of the carrier part (10) or substantially near the surface of the composite structure.

10. Travelling cable (T) according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the above-mentioned carrier part (10) comprises one or more optical fibres (O), or a bundle of optical fibres, entering the inside of the composite structure substantially from the first end of the travelling cable (T) and exiting substantially from the second end of the travelling cable (T), or forming one or more turns in the carrier part (10) and exiting substantially from the first end of the travelling cable (T) or from the composite structure substantially from the second end.

11. Travelling cable (T) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the aforementioned carrier part (10) comprises an optical fibre (O) and/or a fibre bundle comprising a sensor fibre of the Fabry-Perot type for condition monitoring of the carrier part (10).

12. Travelling cable (T) according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the above-mentioned carrier part (10) comprises an optical fibre (O) and/or a fibre bundle comprising a sensor fibre with a bragg grating structure for condition monitoring of the carrier part (10).

13. Travelling cable (T) according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the above-mentioned carrier part (10) comprises an optical fibre (O) and/or a fibre bundle comprising a sensor fibre acting as a brillouin distributed fibre sensor for condition monitoring of the carrier part (10).

14. Travelling cable (T) according to any of claims 1-7, characterised in that the above-mentioned carrier part (10) comprises an optical fibre (O) and/or a fibre bundle comprising a sensor fibre in which the transit time of a light pulse is measured for condition monitoring of the carrier part (10).

15. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the aforementioned carrier part (10) comprises one or more optical fibres (O), and/or optical fibre bundles, for data transmission.

16. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the aforementioned carrier part (10) comprises one or more optical fibres and/or fibre bundles which are glued or laminated to the carrier part of the travelling cable in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

17. Travelling cable (T) according to claim 1, characterised in that the aforementioned carrier part (10) comprises one or more optical fibres and/or fibre bundles which are glued or laminated to the surface of the carrier part of the travelling cable or in the vicinity of the surface in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

18. An elevator, comprising:

an elevator car (1),

a counterweight (2) is arranged on the upper part of the frame,

one or more suspension ropes (3), which suspension rope (3) comprises a load-bearing composite part comprising reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix, and which suspension rope (3) connects the above-mentioned elevator car (1) and counterweight (2) to each other, and

device (M, 6, 3) for moving an elevator car (1) and/or a counterweight (2), which device comprises a hoisting machine (M) comprising means for moving a suspension rope (3), which device comprises a rotating apparatus and a traction means (6) to be rotated,

characterized in that the elevator comprises a travelling cable (T) according to one of claims 1-15 for transferring electric energy and data between the elevator car (1) and the elevator shaft (S).

19. Elevator according to claim 18, characterized in that the elevator is a passenger transport elevator and/or a freight transport elevator.

20. Elevator according to one of the preceding claims 18-19, characterized in that the carrier part (10) of the travelling cable (T) comprises optical fibres and/or bundles of optical fibres, which comprise a plurality of optical fibres, and that the elevator comprises means for monitoring the state of the above-mentioned carrier part (10) of the travelling cable (T), and that said means monitor changes that have occurred in the optical properties of the above-mentioned optical fibres (O) and/or bundles of optical fibres of the carrier part (10).

21. Elevator according to claim 20, characterized in that the change in the optical properties that has occurred is a change in the transmission time of a light pulse, a change in the optical spectrum, a change in the phase or wavelength of a light signal.

22. Elevator according to one of the preceding claims 18-19, characterized in that the bearer part (10) of the travelling cable (T) comprises means for monitoring the status of the above-mentioned bearer part (10) of the travelling cable (T), and that said means monitor changes that have occurred in the electrical properties of said bearer part (10).

23. Elevator according to claim 22, characterized in that the change in electrical property has taken place as a change in resistance or capacitance.

24. Elevator according to claim 18, characterized in that the load-bearing composite part of the travelling cable (T) comprises one or more optical fibers and/or a fiber bundle with one or more optical fibers for data transmission.

25. Elevator according to claim 18, characterized in that the load-bearing composite part of the travelling cable (T) comprises one or more optical fibres and/or a bundle of optical fibres with several optical fibres, which one or more optical fibres and/or bundle of optical fibres are glued or laminated to the load-bearing composite part of the travelling cable in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.

26. Elevator according to claim 18, characterized in that the load-bearing composite part of the travelling cable (T) comprises one or more optical fibres and/or a bundle of optical fibres with several optical fibres, which one or more optical fibres and/or bundle of optical fibres are glued or laminated to the surface of the load-bearing composite part of the travelling cable or in the vicinity of the surface in the longitudinal direction of the travelling cable.