Rope storage unit, a method for installing elevator and a method for fabricating rope storage unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214388-B2
Application number	US-201414325082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A rope storage unit includes a rope reel, formed by a rope wound in a spiral form and a support body provided with an inner space inside which the rope reel is positioned supported by the support body. The rope is a rod having a straight form when in rest state and elastically bendable away from the straight form, the rope being under substantial bending tension in the spiral form. The support body includes one or more support members delimiting the inner space and surrounding radially the rope reel. The outer rim of the rope reel radially compresses against the one or more support members as an effect of the bending tension. A method is provided for installing an elevator rope implementing the rope storage unit, as well as to a method for fabricating the rope storage unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rope storage unit, comprising
a rope reel, formed by a rope wound in a spiral form; and
a support body provided with an inner space inside which the rope reel is positioned and supported by the support body,
wherein the rope is a rod having a straight form when in rest state, elastically bendable away from the straight form and self-reversible back to the straight form from a bent form, the rope being under substantial bending tension in said spiral form, and wherein the support body comprises:
a plurality of support members delimiting said inner space and surrounding radially said rope reel, the outer rim of the rope reel radially compressing against said one or more support members as an effect of said bending tension, and each of the plurality of support members is spaced apart from each immediately adjacent support member thereof,

wherein each of the support members is made of a fiber board member bent into curved shape with an arc conforming to the outer rim of the rope reel.

2. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said rope has width larger than thickness thereof in transverse direction of the rope, and the rope is wound in said spiral form by bending it around an axis extending in width-direction of the rope.

3. A rope storage unit according to claim 2 , wherein the rope is wound in a spiral form with several rope rounds, including at least an outermost rope round having an outer rim radially compressing against said one or more support members as an effect of said bending tension, as well as several inner rope rounds each having an outer rim radially compressing, as an effect of said bending tension, against the inner rim of the rope round next in radial direction.

4. A rope storage unit according to claim 2 wherein said rope comprises one or more load bearing members made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers in polymer matrix, said reinforcing fibers preferably being carbon fibers.

5. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rope is wound in a spiral form with several rope rounds, including at least an outermost rope round having an outer rim radially compressing against said one or more support members as an effect of said bending tension, as well as several inner rope rounds each having an outer rim radially compressing, as an effect of said bending tension, against the inner rim of the rope round next in radial direction.

6. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said rope comprises one or more load bearing members made of composite material comprising reinforcing fibers in polymer matrix, said reinforcing fibers preferably being carbon fibers.

7. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said load bearing member(s) is/are parallel with the length direction of the rope.

8. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said reinforcing fibers are parallel with the length direction of the rope.

9. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein said one or more support members delimit(s) a cylindrical inner space, said cylindrical inner space preferably having in axial direction open side via which the rope reel can be brought inside the inner space and/or via which the rope can be guided away from the rope reel.

10. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the support member(s) are in supporting contact with the outer rim of the rope reel along at least majority of the rim of the rope reel.

11. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the support body further comprises:
a support shaft via which the rope storage unit can be rotatably mounted;
an axial side face plate comprising an opening leading to the inner space to allow the rope to be guided away from the rope reel;
a tightening band surrounding the one or more support members; and
a plurality of support rods positioned between the tightening band and the one or more support members, and fixed to the axial side face plate.

12. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rope reel delimit(s) a free central space inside the rope reel, and the rope wound in a spiral form has an end extending from the inner rim of the rope reel, the rope being unwindable by guiding said end away from the rope reel via said free central space.

13. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rope is wound in a spiral form with several rope rounds, including at least a radially outermost rope round, and a radially innermost rope round, the rope being unwindable rope round by rope round starting from the innermost rope round.

14. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the inner rim of the rope reel delimit(s) a free central space inside the rope reel, the central space having in axial direction open side via which the rope can be guided away from the rope reel.

15. A rope storage unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rope is wound in a spiral form with several rope rounds, intermediate rope rounds between the innermost and outermost rope rounds, the intermediate rounds radially compressing against the next outer round as an effect of said bending tension.

16. A method for installing an elevator rope, comprising the steps of
providing a rope storage unit according to claim 1 ; and
unwinding the rope from the rope storage unit; and

connecting the rope to one or more movable elevator units, said units including at least an elevator car and preferably also a counterweight.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the rope is wound in a spiral form with several rope rounds, including at least an radially outermost rope round, and an radially innermost rope round, and in said unwinding the rope is unwound rope round by rope round starting from the innermost rope round.

18. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the rope reel delimit(s) a free central space inside the rope reel, and the rope wound in a spiral form has an end extending from the inner rim of the rope reel, and said unwinding comprises guiding said end away from the rope reel via said free central space.

19. A method according to claim 16 , wherein the inner rim of the rope reel delimit(s) a free central space inside the rope reel, the central space having in axial direction open side via which the rope is guided away from the rope reel.

20. A method for fabricating a rope storage unit, comprising the steps of
providing a rope, which is a rod having a straight form when in rest state, elastically bendable away from the straight form and self-reversible back to the straight form from a bent form;
providing a support body provided with an inner space, the support body comprising:
a plurality of support members delimiting said inner space, each of the plurality of support members being spaced apart from each immediately adjacent support member thereof;

forming a rope reel by winding the rope in a spiral form;
positioning the rope inside the inner space such that the rope is supported by the support body and surrounded radially by said one or more support members, and such that the rope is under substantial bending tension in said spiral form, the outer rim of the rope reel radially compressing against said one or more support members as an effect of said bending tension,
wherein each of the support members is made of a fiber board member bent into curved shape with an arc conforming to the outer rim of the rope reel.

Assignees

• Kone Corp

Inventors

• Lehtinen Hannu
• Ikonen Antti
• Lampinen Riku
• Cornea Toma
• Koskinen Antti

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• B65H75/16

  Cans or receptacles, e.g. sliver cans · CPC title

• B65H2701/37

  Tapes · CPC title

• B66B19/02 Primary

  Installing or exchanging ropes or cables · CPC title

• B66B7/062

  Belts · CPC title