A method may be used to monitor the health of a belt in an elevator system. The belt may include first and second terminal ends, a plurality of conductive load carrier strands that extend between the first and second terminal ends, and a polymer material surrounding the strands. A measuring connection point may be located between a pair of adjacent carrier strands at each terminal end of the belt. The method may involve electrically connecting a measuring apparatus between the pair of strands at the measuring connection point at each terminal end and measuring an electrical characteristic at each connection point between at least one pair of strands. The electrical characteristic measured over the complete width of the belt gives a complete overview of the health of the belt, as a change in the measured electrical characteristic over time will be indicative of damage within one or more strands.

A safety chain device includes a safety chain including a plurality of protective switches connected in series, each of the protective switches is configured to switch from a first state to a second state in the event of abnormal operation of a respective corresponding drive chain; a resistive network encoder having a plurality of encoder output values, each of the encoder output values corresponds to one of combinations of states of the plurality of protective switches; a processor coupled with the resistive network encoder and configured to output a level signal corresponding to the encoder output values; a first controlled current source coupled with the safety chain and configured to output a first current corresponding to a current flowing through the safety chain; and a second controlled current source coupled with the processor and configured to output a second current corresponding to the level signal.

A tension member tension monitoring arrangement and method for measuring tension member tension of elevator tension members of a bundle of tension members, the elevator comprising an elevator car suspended by the tension members, such as ropes or belts, of the bundle of tension members, a termination at one end of a tension member and a mounting plate for attaching the termination relative to the hoistway, counterweight and/or the elevator. The tension member tension monitoring arrangement comprises at least one capacitive pressure sensor arranged in connection with a tension member termination. The arrangement further comprises a control unit connected to the at least one sensor. The at least one sensor is configured to sense the tension member forces of the tension members of the bundle of tension members attached to the tension member termination and generate a signal relating to one or more tension members of the tension member bundle readable and/or measurable by the control unit and proportional to the sensed load or force.

A method and device detect non-uniform and uniform deterioration states in an elevator suspension member having first and second groups of electrically conductive cords. First ends of the groups are electrically connected to an alternating voltage generator arrangement and second ends are electrically connected to each other through first and second resistors via a neutral point at which electrical resistances of the groups are the same in a non-deteriorated state of the suspension member. The method includes: applying first and second alternating voltages to the first end of the first and second groups, respectively; determining a neutral point voltage between the neutral point and an electrical reference potential; determining difference voltages between first and second difference measurement points located between the second ends of the groups and the respective resistors; and determining the deterioration state based on both the determined neutral point voltage and the determined difference voltage.

A belt for an elevator system includes a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, each tension member including a plurality of fibers. A metallized coating layer is applied to at least a portion of an outer surface of at least one tension member of the plurality of tension members. The metallized coating has a coating electrical conductivity greater than a tension member electrical conductivity of the at least one tension member. A jacket material at least partially encapsulates the plurality of tension members and the metallized coating layer.

A method for condition monitoring of a hoisting rope of a hoisting apparatus and an arrangement for condition monitoring of a hoisting rope of a hoisting apparatus, preferably of an elevator for transporting passengers and/or goods are disclosed. The arrangement for condition monitoring of a hoisting rope of a hoisting apparatus, the hoisting rope includes a non-conductive coating, and a plurality of adjacent conductive load bearing members for bearing the load exerted on the hoisting rope in longitudinal direction thereof embedded in the coating and extending parallel to each other and to the longitudinal direction of the hoisting rope, the coating forming the surface of the hoisting rope and extending between adjacent load bearing members thereby isolating them from each other, and a control system, the control system including an analyzer unit for generating and inserting propagating electromagnetic wave signals to an at least one parallel conductor transmission line formed by the conductive load bearing members and for detecting and analyzing reflected electromagnetic wave signals from the an at least one parallel conductor transmission line formed by the conductive load bearing members.

An electrical monitoring connector for electrically monitoring the health of electrically conductive tension members in an elevator hoisting member includes a housing for insertion therein of a terminal end of an elevator hoisting member, and an elastomeric connector block inside the housing having a plurality of alternating electrically conductive and non-conductive layers. The connector block is slidable within the housing, and configured to be both electrically connected to active health monitoring equipment and biased by a spring against exposed cut ends of the plurality of electrically conductive tension members, when the terminal end of the elevator hoisting member is inserted in the housing, so as to make electrical connections between the exposed ends of the tension members and only those of the electrically conductive layers that are aligned and make contact therewith, to permit monitoring signals from the health monitoring equipment to be sent down the tension members.

A belt end connector configured to be attached to a terminal end of an elevator belt. The terminal end includes a plurality of exposed conductive load carrier strands. The belt end connector includes a connector housing, an adapter assembly, a plug including a spring mechanism and an electric outlet. The belt end connector is configured to be removable from the belt.

Methods and devices detect a deterioration state of a load bearing capacity in an elevator suspension member arrangement having several suspension members, such as belts, including electrically conductive cords incorporated into an elastomer material. Deterioration is determined by applying alternating electric voltages to the cords included in legs of a circuitry. Phase shifts between the alternating voltages, for example by determining sum voltages and/or differential voltages, provide valuable information about a condition of the belt. A fixation arrangement of the suspension member arrangement is adapted to enable or simplify the proposed measurements. Furthermore, counting a number of performed bending cycles provides further information to be taken into account for determining the current deterioration state of the belts. Overall, deteriorations in a suspension member such as broken cords, shunts between cords, connections between cords and ground potential and/or deterioration due to corrosion of cords may be easily detected.

An elevator installation wherein damage to a support for an elevator car and a counterweight, in particular damage to a sheath of the support, advantageously can be detected. At the elevator installation, a housing at least partially extending around the support, for example at a deflecting roller arrangement. A surface of the housing facing the support is electrically conductive and is electrically grounded. If the support or a wire coming out of the damaged support comes in contact with the housing, an electrical ground fault results. The ground fault can be detected by a security monitoring unit by monitoring a current flowing through the wires of the support, and the damage to the support can thus be inferred.