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.

A connection element for electrically contacting tension members embedded into a matrix material of a load-bearing belt for an elevator system has a frame with an upper part, a lower part and multiple electrically conductive contact elements. The frame is shaped to receive the belt in an interior space delimited at at least two opposite sides. The contact elements are formed as stamped and bent metal parts, and some regions of the contact elements are arranged in the upper part of the frame with other regions protruding from the upper part of the frame into the interior space, for example in the form of piercing tips, in order to contact the tension members embedded in the portion of the belt received in the interior space.

A condition detecting method and device for a surface insulation layer of an elevator traction belt. The condition detecting method includes: positioning a detecting component adjacent to the surface insulation layer of the elevator traction belt; moving the elevator traction belt relative to the detecting component, so that the detecting component scans the surface insulation layer of the elevator traction belt; applying static electricity to the detecting component through a static electricity generation component; detecting the reaction of the elevator traction belt to the static electricity; and identifying the condition of the surface insulation layer of the elevator traction belt according to the detected reaction of the elevator traction belt to the static electricity.

A method for determining a deterioration state in a suspension member arrangement having a suspension member including a plurality of electrically conductive cords includes the steps of: counting a number of bending cycles applied to the suspension member; measuring an electrical characteristic of the suspension member upon applying an electrical voltage to at least one of the cords; performing at least one of (a) determining a critical deterioration state upon monitoring both the bending cycles number and the electrical characteristic, and (b) determining an unexpected deterioration state based on deriving a current actual deterioration state of the suspension member based on the electrical characteristic and assuming a currently expected deterioration state based on the bending cycles number and comparing the current actual deterioration state with the currently expected deterioration state; initiating a defined procedure upon determining at least one of the critical deterioration state and the unexpected deterioration state.

A protective cover for a load bearing member of an elevator system includes a sleeve wrapped around a perimeter of the load bearing member, the sleeve configured to protect the load bearing member from debris damage during installation or maintenance operation of the elevator system, and configured to slide along a length direction of the load bearing member. A tether is configured to connect the sleeve to a working platform.

The invention relates to a method for monitoring condition of a rope of a hoisting device, which rope comprises one or more load bearing members oriented to extend parallel with longitudinal direction of the rope throughout the length thereof. The method comprises measuring strains of one or more portions of a load bearing member of the rope; and comparing the measured strains of one or more portions of a load bearing member of the rope with at least one reference. The invention also relates to a hoisting device implementing the method.

A device may be disposed on an external surface of a component part of an elevator system. The device may be configured to monitor an intrinsic property of the component part. The intrinsic property may relate to at least one of an amount of strain experienced by the component part, an internal resistance within the component part, or a physical quality of the component part. The device may include a layer of electrically conductive material having an electrode that contacts an electrical connection point. Hence the device may be electrically connected to an external component that conducts performance and/or condition monitoring.

The invention relates to an arrangement for condition monitoring of a rope of a hoisting apparatus. The arrangement for condition monitoring of a rope of a hoisting apparatus according to the present invention comprises one or more eddy current test units placed near said rope for generating a time-varying magnetic field, and for detecting a secondary magnetic field being generated by eddy currents in said rope as eddy current detection data, and an on-line monitoring unit receiving and utilizing said eddy current detection data for on-line condition monitoring of said rope, wherein an at least one eddy current test unit comprises: one or more printed circuit boards placed near said rope and arranged in a perpendicular direction in relation to the plane formed by adjacent load bearing members of said rope and parallel to each other, and arranged in a parallel direction or in a direction turned 20 degrees or less from the parallel direction in relation to the length of said rope, wherein at least one printed circuit board each comprises one or more eddy current inspection probes, each of said one or more eddy current inspection probes comprising two excitation coils and/or sensing coils near said rope.

A method and a correspondingly configured device detect damage or defects in a support, including at least one tension member, for an elevator system. A pulse generator generates at least one electrical digital input signal that represents at least one first binary number and is fed to the tension member. After the digital input signal has passed through the tension member, it is detected as a digital output signal that likewise represents at least one second binary number. The second binary number is then compared, in particular compared digit by digit or bit by bit, with a setpoint binary number and/or directly with the first binary number. Damage in the tension member is determined on the basis of an issued comparison result. If the second binary number deviates from the setpoint binary number and/or from the first binary number, a fault message is generated.

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.