An elevator comprising an elevator car; a plurality of belt-shaped ropes connected to the car, each having a width larger than thickness as measured in transverse direction of the rope; and at least one rope wheel, around which the belt-shaped ropes pass; wherein the rope wheel comprises a plurality of circumferential rope contact areas distributed in axial direction thereof, one of said ropes passing against each circumferential rope contact area, the elevator further comprising a sensing arrangement for sensing displacement of one or more of said ropes, comprising a sensing member for sensing displacement of one or more of said ropes radially outwards from the rope wheel, extending in axial direction of the rope wheel along its surface at a radial distance therefrom, whereby a gap is formed between the sensing member and each rope contact area, the height of the gap being more than thickness of the belt-shaped ropes and less than 2.2 times the thickness of the belt-shaped ropes; sensing member being displaceable by a rope colliding into contact with it, and the sensing arrangement is arranged to trigger one or more predefined action in response to displacement of the sensing member.

A break detection device includes a sensor, an abnormal variation detection unit (22), a storage unit (20), an arithmetic unit (23), and a break determination unit (24). The arithmetic unit (23) increases a determination score when the abnormal variation detection unit (22) detects occurrence of an abnormal variation when a car (1) passes a position stored in the storage unit (20). The arithmetic unit (23) decreases the determination score when the abnormal variation detection unit (22) does not detect the occurrence of the abnormal variation when the car (1) passes the position. The break determination unit (24) determines whether or not a broken portion is present in a rope on the basis of the determination score.

A method and an apparatus for monitoring and supervising the lubricant content of elevator ropes in an elevator, which includes at least a hoisting machine provided with a drive motor, the hoisting machine including at least a traction sheave, around which one or more elevator ropes are fitted side-by-side, which ropes move under the effect of friction along with the rotational movement of the traction sheave and at the same time move the elevator car. The lubricant content is monitored and supervised by the aid of a magnetic measuring device disposed in the immediate proximity of the traction sheave and the elevator ropes by collecting in the measuring device the metal dust detaching in connection with wear of the traction sheave and of the elevator ropes during operation of the elevator and by letting the metal dust switch on an alarm about a lubricant content of the elevator ropes that is too low.

A method is provided for condition monitoring of a rope of an elevator including an elevator car and a rope wheel arrangement, which rope is connected to the elevator car and passes around at least one rope wheel included in the rope wheel arrangement. The method includes obtaining travel data of the elevator car, the travel data including information describing occurrence(s) of car start(s) and/or bypass(es); and determining based on the travel data a total number of car visits at a predetermined landing in the path of the elevator car, which total number is the sum of the number of starts of the elevator car away from said predetermined landing so as to travel to any other landing irrespective of the traveling direction, and the number of times the elevator car has bypassed said predetermined landing without stopping irrespective of the traveling direction; and comparing the total number or a multifold of the total number with a first predetermined limit value, wherein said multifold equals to the total number multiplied with factor n wherein n equals the number of said at least one rope wheel; and performing one or more predetermined action if said total number or the multifold of the total number meets the first predetermined limit value, said one or more action including one or more of indicating a weakened rope condition, indicating a need for maintenance or replacement of elevator rope(s), calculating an estimated moment of maintenance or replacement of elevator rope(s), sending a specific or general warning signal, sending a fault signal, sending a signal to a service center the signal indicating weakened rope condition or a need for maintenance or a need for replacement of elevator rope(s). An arrangement implements the method.

A rope load detecting device for detecting total rope load in multiple elevator ropes, includes a frame held on the multiple elevator ropes, and a force sensing element. The frame includes a tension beam, a first and second connecting bars, a movable member and a supporting beam, one end of the first and second connecting bars is fixed to the tension beam, the other end is fixed to the supporting beam, one end of the movable member is connected to the tension beam, the other end freely passes the supporting beam. The frame is configured to enable the part of each elevator rope passing through the first and second connecting bars and the movable member of the frame to be bent so that enable the force caused by each loaded elevator rope to act on the force sensing element by means of the movable member of the frame, whereby the total rope load in multiple elevator ropes can be detected by a single force sensing element.

A vibration damping device for reducing vibration of an elevator rope includes a displacement amplifier arranged around a region from a first portion of the elevator rope drawn and a second portion of the elevator rope drawn from an opposite side of one or more sheaves in parallel with the first portion. The displacement amplifier is configured to amplify a displacement of each of the first portion and the second portion of the elevator rope. The device also includes a limiting member that controls displacement amplification performed by the displacement amplifier such that the displacement of the first portion or the second portion amplified by the displacement amplifier does not become greater than a first displacement, which is a displacement of the elevator rope by which the elevator rope is not allowed to return to an equilibrium position of the vibration.

A method for monitoring elevator suspension rope condition, the elevator comprising: a car; a hoisting machinery with a motor, a traction sheave and a machine brake; one or more suspension ropes; and a counterweight; the car and the counterweight being suspended by said one or more ropes which are guided over a unitary traction sheave or a group of rotatable individual wheels comprised by the traction sheave for moving the car vertically in an elevator shaft; the method comprising a) performing consecutive first and second measurement steps, wherein in the first measurement step: parking the car to a first position in the shaft, in which position a total rope force on car side is selected different from a total rope force on counterweight side, and locking the car vertically immobile in place relative the shaft; enabling the traction sheave or one of the individual wheels to rotate to the direction of larger rope force; recording a first rotation angle difference (1) of the traction sheave or said one individual wheel; and in the second measurement step: parking the car to a second position in the shaft, in which position a total rope force on car side is selected different from total rope force on counterweight side, and locking the car vertically immobile in place relative the shaft; enabling the traction sheave or said one individual wheel to rotate to the direction of larger rope force; recording a second rotation angle difference (2) of the traction sheave or said one individual wheel; and b) calculating the rope stiffness based on at least said first and second measurements in at least two different vertical positions; c) indicating rope condition based on changed rope stiffness. An arrangement for monitoring elevator suspension rope condition.

A method for determining the degree service life end of a support cable of an elevator, wherein the support cable is routed over a drive sheave and/or one or more return pulleys and connects a car to a counterweight, includes the steps of: the support cable is subdivided into a plurality of sections; and for each of the sections, a determination is made as to whether the section passes over the drive sheave and/or one or more of the return pulleys during a trip, and if this is the case, a usage level representing the degree of service life use is increased accordingly.

A method for detecting degradation of resin film detects whether a resin coated rope having a circumferential portion coated with resin film has the resin film degraded. The method for detecting degradation of resin film includes: winding a wire on a circumferential portion of the resin coated rope; applying tension to the wire to compress the resin film in a radial direction of the resin coated rope; and comparing a first relationship with a second relationship to determine how the resin film is degraded, the first relationship indicating a relationship between the tension of the wire and how much amount the resin film has compressed, as obtained in the applying, the second relationship indicating a relationship between the tension of the wire and how much amount the resin film has compressed, as predetermined as a reference.

A belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car extending longitudinally along a length of the belt. An inner belt layer formed from a first material is bonded to the plurality of tension elements at a first side of the belt. The inner belt layer forms an inner belt surface interactive with a traction sheave of an elevator system. An outer belt layer formed from a second material is bonded to the plurality of tension elements at a second side of the belt. The plurality of tension elements are located between the first side and the second side.