Electrically heated elevator tension member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11447369-B2
Application number	US-202016872470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2020
Priority date	May 12, 2020
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

An illustrative example embodiment of a method provides control over a temperature of a jacket on an elevator tension member that includes at least one electrically conductive cord that is at least partially covered by the jacket. The method includes determining an amount of electrical energy needed to achieve a desired temperature of the jacket and supplying the determined amount of electrical energy to the electrically conductive cord.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method of controlling a temperature of a jacket on an elevator tension member that includes at least one electrically conductive cord that is at least partially covered by the jacket, the method comprising:
determining an amount of electrical energy needed to achieve a desired temperature of the jacket; and
supplying the determined amount of electrical energy to the at least one electrically conductive cord.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount of electrical energy comprises
determining a temperature of at least a selected portion of the jacket;
determining a difference between the determined temperature and the desired temperature of the jacket; and
determining the amount of electrical energy needed to increase the determined temperature to the desired temperature.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the amount of electrical energy needed to increase the determined temperature to the desired temperature comprises using a relationship between electrical energy and a resistance of the at least one electrically conductive cord to select the amount of electrical energy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount of electrical energy comprises
determining a present time;
identifying an amount of electrical energy associated with the present time from a predetermined schedule including times and associated amounts of electrical energy; and
using the identified amount of electrical energy as the determined amount of electrical energy.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes different amounts of electrical energy for different times of day or different amounts of electrical energy for different seasons.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount of electrical energy comprises
determining an ambient temperature near at least a selected portion of the jacket; and
determining the amount of electrical energy from a predetermined relationship between ambient temperature and electrical energy needed to achieve the desired jacket temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising
monitoring the temperature of the jacket; and
continuing the supplying if the temperature of the jacket is below the desired temperature,
or
pausing the supplying if the temperature of the jacket exceeds the desired temperature.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising
monitoring a temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord; and
continuing the supplying if the temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord is below a temperature corresponding to the jacket reaching the desired temperature,
or
pausing the supplying if the temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord exceeds the temperature corresponding to the jacket reaching the desired temperature.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one electrically conductive cord comprises a plurality of load bearing cords,
the method comprises electrically coupling at least two of the load bearing cords, and
the supplying includes supplying the electrical energy to the electrically coupled load bearing cords.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein
the tension member comprises a flat belt,
the flat belt has at least one surface configured to engage a sheave,
the at least one surface extends across a width of the flat belt between edges along sides of the flat belt, and
only selected ones of the load bearing cords that are near the edges are coupled together.

11. A device for controlling a temperature of a jacket on an elevator tension member that includes at least one electrically conductive cord that is at least partially covered by the jacket, the device comprising a controller including a processor and memory associated with the processor, the controller being configured to:
determine an amount of electrical energy needed to achieve a desired temperature of the jacket; and
supply the determined amount of electrical energy to the at least one electrically conductive cord.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of electrical energy by
determining a temperature of at least a selected portion of the jacket;
determining a difference between the determined temperature and the desired temperature of the jacket; and
determining the amount of electrical energy needed to increase the determined temperature to the desired temperature.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of electrical energy needed to increase the determined temperature to the desired temperature using a relationship between electrical energy and a resistance of the at least one electrically conductive cord to select the amount of electrical energy.

14. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of electrical energy by
determining a present time;
identifying an amount of electrical energy associated with the present time from a predetermined schedule including times and associated amounts of electrical energy; and
using the identified amount of electrical energy as the determined amount of electrical energy.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the predetermined schedule includes different amounts of electrical energy for different times of day and different amounts of electrical energy for different seasons.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the amount of electrical energy by
determining an ambient temperature near at least a selected portion of the jacket; and
determining the amount of electrical energy from a predetermined relationship between ambient temperature and electrical energy needed to achieve the desired jacket temperature.

17. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to
monitor the temperature of the jacket; and
continue the supplying if the temperature of the jacket is below the desired temperature,
or
pause the supplying if the temperature of the jacket exceeds the desired temperature.

18. The device of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to
monitor a temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord; and
continue the supplying if the temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord is below a temperature corresponding to the jacket reaching the desired temperature,
or
pause the supplying if the temperature of the at least one electrically conductive cord exceeds the temperature corresponding to the jacket reaching the desired temperature.

19. An elevator system, comprising:
the device of claim 11 ;
an elevator car;
a counterweight;
the elevator tension member coupling the elevator car and the counterweight; and
at least one electrical connector establishing a connection between the at least one electrically conductive cord and the controller,
wherein
the at least one electrically conductive cord comprises a plurality of load bearing cords,
at least two of the load bearing cords are electrically coupled together, and
the controller is configured to supply the electrical energy to the load bearing cords that are electrically coupled together.

20. The elevator system of claim 19 , comprising at least one sheave that guides movement of the tension member and wherein
the tension member comprises a flat belt,
the flat belt has at least one surface configured to engage the at least one sheave,
the at least one surface extends across a width of the flat b

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Murphy Cole Downey

Classifications

• B66B5/0018

  Devices monitoring the operating condition of the elevator system · CPC title

• B66B7/12 Primary

  Checking, lubricating, or cleaning means for ropes, cables or guides · CPC title

• B66B7/06

  Arrangements of ropes or cables · CPC title

• B66B7/062

  Belts · CPC title

• B66B11/00

  Main component parts of lifts in, or associated with, buildings or other structures · CPC title