Elevator load bearing member having a fabric structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11814788-B2
Application number	US-201916377662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2019
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

An illustrative example assembly for making an elevator load bearing member includes a fabric having a plurality of fibers arranged with some of the fibers transverse to others of the fibers. A plurality of cords are configured to support a load associated with an elevator car. The cords are included in the fabric and have respective coatings. The coatings include a first coating material and a second coating material, or include different coating thicknesses such that some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings, or the coatings include the first coating material and the second coating material and some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings.

First claim

We claim:

1. An assembly for making an elevator load bearing member comprising:
a fabric having a plurality of fibers arranged with some of the fibers transverse to others of the fibers; and a plurality of cords configured to support a load associated with an elevator car, the plurality of cords being included in the fabric, the plurality of cords having respective coatings, and wherein some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings, and some of the coatings are closer to edges of the width of the fabric than others of the coatings, and the coating thickness of the some of the coatings is larger than the coating thickness of the others of the coatings.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the coatings comprise a first coating material and a second coating material;
the first coating material has a first melting temperature;
the second coating material has a second melting temperature; and
the first melting temperature is higher than the second melting temperature.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first coating material is received against the cords and the second coating material is received against the first coating material.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the fibers of the fabric comprise a material that has a third melting temperature that is higher than the second melting temperature.

5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the third melting temperature is higher than the first melting temperature.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the coatings comprise a first coating material and a second coating material;
the first coating material comprises a first thermoplastic material;
the second coating material comprises a second thermoplastic material; and
the first thermoplastic material is different than the second thermoplastic material.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein
the first coating material comprises at least one of nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or polyvinylchloride (PVC); and
the second coating material comprises at least one other of nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or polyvinylchloride (PVC).

8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the fibers are interlaced together;
the cords are interlaced into the fabric;
the fabric has a length, a thickness and a width;
the length of the fabric is longer than the thickness and the width;
the cords are generally parallel to each other along the length; and
the cords are in selected locations along the width of the fabric.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the coating thickness is less than the thickness of the fabric.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein
the coating thickness of the some of the coatings is a first coating thickness;
the coating thickness of others of the coatings is a second coating thickness; and
the cords are arranged with at least one of the coatings having the second coating thickness between at least two of the coatings having the first coating thickness.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein
the fabric has a length and a width;
the length is greater than the width;
the cords are generally parallel to the length; and
the cords are spaced apart along the width.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of the coatings having the second coating thickness are adjacent each other and situated between the coatings having the first coating thickness.

13. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cords comprise at least one of a metal or a polymer.

14. An assembly for making an elevator load bearing member comprising:
a fabric having a plurality of fibers arranged with some of the fibers transverse to others of the fibers; and a plurality of cords configured to support a load associated with an elevator car, the plurality of cords being included in the fabric, the plurality of cords having respective coatings, wherein the coatings comprise a first coating material and a second coating material, and some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings.

15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein
the first coating material has a first melting temperature;
the second coating material has a second melting temperature; and
the first melting temperature is higher than the second melting temperature.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first coating material is received against the cords and the second coating material is received against the first coating material.

17. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein the fibers of the fabric comprise a material that has a third melting temperature that is higher than the second melting temperature.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein the third melting temperature is higher than the first melting temperature.

19. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein
the first coating material comprises a first thermoplastic material;
the second coating material comprises a second thermoplastic material; and
the first thermoplastic material is different than the second thermoplastic material.

20. The assembly of claim 19 , wherein
the first coating material comprises at least one of nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or polyvinylchloride (PVC); and
the second coating material comprises at least one other of nylon, polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or polyvinylchloride (PVC).

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Eastman Scott Alan
• Humbert Michael Paul
• Mosher Daniel A
• Zhao Wenping
• Grolman Danielle L
• Guilani Brad

Classifications

• D07B1/005 Primary

  Composite ropes, i.e. ropes built-up from fibrous or filamentary material and metal wires · CPC title

• B66B7/062 Primary

  Belts · CPC title

• D07B5/006

  by the properties of an outer surface polymeric coating · CPC title

• D07B5/045

  Belts comprising additional filaments for laterally interconnected load bearing members · CPC title

• D07B2201/1012

  characterised by their internal structure · CPC title