Description

Technical Field

[1] The invention relates to an elevator rope for mounting in an elevator

installation, the invention also relates to a connector for fixing a polymer coated wire rope for elevator.

Background Art

[2] Elevator generally is using traction rope to separately fixedly connect with the lift car and the counter weight, and the lift car is driven to go up and down by the friction between the traction rope and the rope groove of the traction wheel.

[3] The connection between the traction rope and the lift car or the counter weight is realized by a connector. The existing connector is a wedge connector or cuneiform connector, as described in GB/T5973-2006 - “Cuneiform connector for use with steel wire rope”.

[4] However, this wedge connector is not available for all types of traction elevator rope. For the traditional wire rope without polymer coating, the wedge can well fix the rope since the wire rope diameter will not change during the use. However, for the wire rope with polymer coating, there is a risk that the polymer coating may soften or drop during the use of the wire rope which may lead to the change of the wire rope diameter, thereafter the wire rope which is inside the wedge connector may be pulled out from the wedge connector.

Disclosure of Invention

[5] The primary object of the invention is to solve the above mentioned

problem.

[6] One object of the invention is to provide an elevator rope with firmer and safer connection.

[7] Another object of the invention is to provide a connector which is more suitable for fixing a polymer coated wire rope to an elevator installation.

[8] According to the present invention, an elevator rope suitable for mounting in an elevator installation is provided. The elevator rope comprises a polymer coated wire rope and one or two connectors for connecting the end of the polymer coated wire rope with an elevator installation, each of one or two connectors comprise a socket body and a wedge, and the socket body has a cavity for receiving the wedge and one end of the polymer coated wire rope, the wedge has a side surface at its thickness direction, the wedge has a guiding groove on at least part of the side surface for holding the end of the polymer coated wire rope, the guiding groove has a width Wg expressed in mm, the wedge has a thickness Tw expressed in mm, the ratio of Wg and Tw is ranging from 0.38 to 0.67.

[9] Compared with the existing wedge connector, for invention connector the guiding groove of the wedge which is for holding the wire rope has a shallow depth, and this makes the contacting force between the rope and the inner wall of the socket body and the guiding groove of the wedge increasing, and thus the friction between the wire rope and the connector increases, thereafter the rope is fixed firmer. And even if the polymer coating of the wire rope drops, the wire rope can still be firmly fixed between the socket body and the wedge since the guiding groove is shallow, and the wire rope can not fall off due to the dropping of the polymer coating. The elevator rope is safer.

[1 0] Preferably, the ratio of Wg and Tw is ranging from 0.45 to 0.56.

[1 1] Preferably, the guiding groove has a curved shape at its cross section with a curvature radius R, the curvature radius R is ranging from 0.30xd to 0.52xd, d being the diameter of the polymer coated wire rope and expressed in mm. This ensures the wire rope and the guiding groove and the inner wall of the socket body can still keep a close connection even if the polymer coating drops. More preferably, the curvature radius R is ranging from 0.35d to 0.50d.

[12] The side suface of the wedge at the thickness direction has a right side, a left side and an upper curved side. Preferably the guiding groove is straight and extending over the left side, the right side and through the upper curved side with a constant depth. In other words, only part of the upper curved side is set with the guiding groove, and this makes more friction being generated at the junction between the guiding groove and the upper curved side, and thereby the wire rope can be better fixed, the risk of the sliding of the wire rope is reduced. As an alternative solution, the guiding groove is curved and extending over the left side, the right side and the whole upper curved side with a constant depth. As another alternative solution, the wedge side suface has a right side, a left side, an upper curved side and a down side, the guiding groove is straight and extending over the left side, the right side and part of the upper curved side with a constant depth, or the guiding groove is curved and extending over the left side, the right side and the whole upper curved side with a constant depth.

[13] Preferably, the socket body has an entrance opening for entering the

wedge, the entrance opening has a shape fitting the shape of the wedge, the shape of the entrance opening has a width Wo, Wo is ranging from (2.8d+Ww) to (4d+Ww), Ww being the width of the wedge expressed in mm, i.e. Ww being the distance between the two end point of the upper curved side of the wedge. Compared with the opening of the socket body of the existing wedge connector, the invention connector has a socket body with a bigger openning, this makes the operation of the installation of the rope inside the connector being more easier.

[14] The wire rope of the present invention is polymer coated wire rope. The present invention is suitable for any type of the existing polymer coated wire rope, such as the polymer coated wire rope in CN1753826A.

[15] According to another aspect of the invention, a connector for fixing a

polymer coated wire rope to an elevator installation is provided. The connector comprises a socket body and a wedge, and the socket body has a cavity for receiving the wedge and one end of the polymer coated wire rope, the wedge has a side surface at its thickness direction, said wedge has a guiding groove on at least part of the side surface for holding the end of the polymer coated wire rope, the guiding groove has a width Wg expressed in mm, the wedge has a thickness Tw expressed in mm, the ratio of Wg and Tw is ranging from 0.38 to 0.67.

[1 6] Compared with the existing wedge connector, for invention connector the guiding groove of the wedge has a shallow depth, and this makes the contacting force between the wire rope and the inner wall of the socket body and the guiding groove of the wedge increasing, and thus the friction between the wire rope and the connector increases, thereafter the rope is fixed firmer. And even if the polymer coating of the wire rope drops, the wire rope can still be firmly fixed between the socket body and the wedge since the guiding groove is shallow, and the wire rope can not fall off due to the dropping of the polymer coating. The elevator rope is safer.

[17] Preferably, the ratio of Wg and Tw is ranging from 0.45 to 0.56.

[18] Preferably, the guiding groove has a curved shape at its cross section with a curvature radius R, the curvature radius R is ranging from 0.30xd to 0.52xd, d being the diameter expressed in mm of the polymer coated wire rope intended to be fixed by said connector. This ensures the wire rope and the guiding groove and the inner wall of the socket body can still keep a close connection even if the polymer coating drops. More preferably, the curvature radius R is ranging from 0.35d to 0.50d.

[19] The side suface of the wedge at the thickness direction has a right side, a left side and an upper curved side. Preferably the guiding groove is straight and extending over the left side, the right side and through the upper curved side with a constant depth. In other words, only part of the upper curved side is set with the guiding groove, and this makes more friction being generated at the junction between the guiding groove and the upper curved side, and thereby the rope can be better fixed, the risk of sliding of the rope is reduced. As an alternative solution, the guiding groove is curved and extending over the left side, the right side and the whole upper curved side with a constant depth. As another alternative solution, the wedge side suface has a right side, a left side, an upper curved side and a down side, the guiding groove is straight and extending over the left side, the right side and part of the upper curved side with a constant depth, or the guiding groove is curved and extending over the left side, the right side and the whole upper curved side with a constant depth.

[20] Preferably, the socket body has an entrance opening for entering the

wedge, the entrance opening has a shape fitting the shape of the wedge, the shape of the entrance opening has a width Wo, Wo is ranging from (2.8d+Ww) to (4d+Ww), Ww being the width of the wedge expressed in mm, i.e. Ww being the distance between the two end point of the upper curved side of the wedge. Compared with the opening of the socket body of the existing wedge connector, the invention connector has a socket body with a bigger openning, this makes the operation of the installation of the wire rope inside the connector being more easier.

[21] The connector of the present invention is suitable for any type of the

existing polymer coated wire rope, such as the polymer coated wire rope in CN1753826A. For sure the present invention connector is also available for the wire rope without polymer coating.

Brief Description of Figures in the Drawings

[22] Figure 1 a-1 c show the front view, bottom view and side view of the wedge of the first embodiment.

[23] Figure 1 a-1 c show the front view, bottom view and side view of the wedge of the second embodiment.

[24] Figure 3 shows the socket body of the present invention.

[25] Figure 4 shows the polymer coated wire rope for the invention connector.

Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

[26] Embodiment 1

[27] Elevator rope comprises a polymer coated wire rope 400 and a connector for connecting the end of the polymer coated wire rope 400 with the elevator installation. The connector comprises a socket body 300 and a wedge 100. The wire rope 400 has a diameter d, d is 6.5mm. The wedge 100 has a thickness Tw, Tw is 9mm. The wedge 100 has a left side 105, a right side 105’, a down side 125 and an upper curved side 110 at its thickness direction. The distance between the two end point of the upper curved side 110 is the width of the wedge 100 Ww, Ww is 25mm. The wedge 100 is set with a guiding groove 115 for keeping the end of the polymer coated wire rope 400. The guiding groove 115 is straight with a constant depth, and guiding groove 115 starts from the junctions between the down side 125 and the left side 105 and right side 105’ and extends over the left side 105 and right side 105’ and through part of the upper curved side 110. The guiding groove 115 has a curved shape at its cross section with a curvature radius R, and the guiding groove 115 has a width Wg, R is 2.65mm and Wg is 4.67mm. The ratio of Wg and Tw is 0.518. The socket body 300 has a cavity for receiving the wedge 100 and one end of the polymer coated wire rope 400, the socket body 300 has an entrance opening 305 for entering one end of the polymer coated wire rope 400 and the wedge 100 inside the cavity wedge, and the entrance opening 305 has a flat shape fitting the shape of the wedge 100. The entrance opening 305 has a width Wo which is the longest distance between one end of the flat shape of the entrance opening 305 to its another end, Wo is 46.54mm.

[28] Embodiment 2

[29] Elevator rope comprises a polymer coated wire rope and a connector for connecting the end of the polymer coated wire rope with the elevator installation. The connector comprises a socket body 300 and a wedge

200. The wire rope has a diameter d, d is 5mm. The wedge 200 has a thickness Tw, Tw is 8mm. The wedge 200 has a left side 205, a right side 205’, a down side 225 and an upper curved side 210 at its thickness direction as the side surface. The distance between the two end point of the upper curved side 210 is the width of the wedge 200 Ww, Ww is

24mm. The wedge 200 is set with guiding groove 215 for keeping the end of the polymer coated wire rope. The guiding groove 215 is straight with a constant depth, and guiding groove 215 starts from the junctions between the down side 225 and the left side 205 and right side 205’ and extends over the left side 205 and right side 205’ and through whole the upper curved side 210. The guiding groove 215 has a curved shape at its cross section with a curvature radius R, and the guiding groove 215 has a width Wg, R is 2.5mm and Wg is 4.6mm. The ratio of Wg and Tw is 0.58.