Elevator load bearing member including a unidirectional weave

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945689-B2
Application number	US-202318299818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2023
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A method of making an elevator load bearing member includes unidirectional weaving a plurality of load bearing fibers including at least a first material and a second material. A melting point of the first material is higher than a melting point of the second material. The method includes bonding the load bearing fibers together by at least partially melting at least some of the second material and coating the plurality of load bearing fibers.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of making an elevator load bearing member, the method comprising:
unidirectional weaving a plurality of load bearing fibers including at least a first material and a second material, wherein at least some of the load bearing fibers comprise the first material and the second material, and wherein a melting point of the first material is higher than a melting point of the second material;
bonding the load bearing fibers together by at least partially melting at least some of the second material; and
coating the plurality of load bearing fibers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first material comprises a first type of polymer;
the second material comprises a second type of polymer;
at least some of the load bearing fibers comprise the first type of polymer; and
at least some others of the load bearing fibers comprise the second type of polymer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
a coating of the plurality of load bearing fibers comprises applying a jacket onto the load bearing fibers; and
the jacket defines a traction surface of the elevator load bearing member.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein
the jacket comprises a thermoplastic material; and
the coating comprises applying an adhesive onto the load bearing fibers between the thermoplastic material and at least some of the load bearing fibers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bonding comprises heating and applying pressure to the load bearing fibers.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the heating includes exposing the load bearing fibers to a temperature that is at least as high as the melting point of the second material and below the melting point of the first material.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the bonding comprises
pressing the load bearing fibers between first rollers that are heated; and
pressing the load bearing fibers between second rollers that are not heated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the first material to the second material is between 1:1 and 4:1.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ratio is 2:1.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the first material comprises at least one of carbon, liquid crystal polymer, aramid, polyhydroquinone-diimidazopyridine, polybenzimidazole, polypyridobisimidazole and polybenzoxazole; and
the second material comprises at least one of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and ultrahigh molecular weight polypropylene.

11. A method of making an elevator load bearing member, the method comprising:
unidirectional weaving a sheet of a plurality of load bearing fibers including at least a first material and a second material, wherein at least some of the load bearing fibers comprise the first material and the second material, and the first material having a melting point that is higher than a melting point of the second material,
bonding the plurality of load bearing fibers together by at least partially melting at least some of the second material; and
coating the plurality of load bearing fibers to provide a coating, wherein the coating has a rectangular cross section defining a width of the elevator load bearing member, wherein the sheet of the plurality of load bearing fibers is continuous and extends across a majority of the width.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein
the first material comprises a first type of polymer;
the second material comprises a second type of polymer;
at least some of the load bearing fibers comprise the first type of polymer; and
at least some others of the load bearing fibers comprise the second type of polymer.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises a jacket that defines a traction surface of the elevator load bearing member.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein
the jacket comprises a thermoplastic material; and
the coating comprises an adhesive between the thermoplastic material and at least some of the load bearing fibers.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein a ratio of the first material to the second material is 1:1.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein a ratio of the first material to the second material is 2:1.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein a ratio of the first material to the second material is 3:2.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein
the first material comprises at least one of carbon, liquid crystal polymer, aramid, polyhydroquinone-diimidazopyridine, polybenzimidazole, polypyridobisimidazole and polybenzoxazole; and
the second material comprises at least one of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and ultrahigh molecular weight polypropylene.

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Zhao Chen Qian
• Martin Kyle B

Classifications

• B66B7/062 Primary

  Belts · CPC title

• B29D29/00

  Producing belts or bands · CPC title

• D07B1/02

  Ropes built-up from fibrous or filamentary material, e.g. of vegetable origin, of animal origin, regenerated cellulose, plastics · CPC title

• D07B1/162

  characterised by a plastic or rubber enveloping sheathing · CPC title

• D07B1/22

  Flat or flat-sided ropes; Sets of ropes consisting of a series of parallel ropes · CPC title