A suspension member arrangement for an elevator includes a suspension member having a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material, a first connector and a second connector each attached to the suspension member and electrically contacting the cords within the suspension member in a contacted end region thereof. The first connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a first group of the cords being a first plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords. The second connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a second group of the cords being a second plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords. The suspension member arrangement facilitates electrically contacting the cords of the suspension member using a simple type of connector whereby deteriorations in characteristics of the suspension member can be electrically detected with high accuracy.

A suspension member arrangement for an elevator includes a suspension member having a plurality of electrically conductive load-bearing cords commonly embedded in an electrically isolating matrix material, a first connector and a second connector each attached to the suspension member and electrically contacting the cords within the suspension member in a contacted end region thereof. The first connector electrically contacts and electrically interconnects in parallel a group of cords being a plurality of directly neighboring ones of the cords. The second connector electrically contacts a single cord not included in the group of cords. The suspension member arrangement facilitates electrically contacting the cords of the suspension member using a simple type of connector whereby deteriorations in characteristics of the suspension member can be electrically detected with high accuracy.

An elevator suspension member arrangement includes at least two suspension members having electrically conductive cords. A monitoring arrangement generates first and second alternating voltages phase shifted by 180 and includes a plurality of input connectors and output connectors electrically connected to the cords and a voltage analyzer arrangement analyzing a neutral point voltage resulting from applying the voltages to the cords. Each suspension member can have the cords connected in parallel between the input connector and the output connector or have two groups of the cords connected in series between the connectors with the groups connected to an interconnecting connector. A multiplexer arrangement can be used to selectively test each pair of suspension members when the suspension member arrangement includes more than two suspension members.

A method includes transmitting electromagnetic radiation towards a rope with a transmitter, receiving electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted from the rope with a detector, performing a mathematical transformation of the output signal of the detector with a processing unit for decomposing the output signal into the frequencies that make it up, and determining the wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation that have been absorbed by at least one substance on the rope and the amount of the absorption of said wavelengths in order to determine the amount and the content of the substance on the rope.

A suspension member for an elevator system includes at least one tension member arranged along a suspension member width and extending longitudinally along a length of the suspension member, each tension member including a plurality of fibers. A jacket material at least partially encapsulates the at least one tension member. One or more conductive elements are enclosed in the jacket material. A method of health monitoring of a suspension member of an elevator system includes connecting a detection circuit to a suspension member of an elevator system. The detection circuit is monitored for one of an open circuit condition or a short condition, indicative of a health condition of the suspension member.

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.

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.

A method of monitoring a suspension member of an elevator system includes determining a condition of the suspension member based on a combination of an electrical inspection technique, a use indicator corresponding to an amount of use of the suspension member, and a mechanical characteristic indicator corresponding to at least one mechanical characteristic of the suspension member. The suspension member is removed from service based on an indication from the electrical inspection technique, the mechanical characteristic indicator, and the use indicator satisfying at least one predetermined combination of criteria.

The invention relates to a method for condition monitoring of a rope of a hoisting apparatus, and to an arrangement for condition monitoring of a rope of a hoisting apparatus, preferably of an elevator for transporting passengers and/or goods. The arrangement for condition monitoring of a rope of a hoisting apparatus according to the present invention, in which rope comprises one or more conductive load bearing member for bearing the load exerted on the rope in longitudinal direction and extending parallel to each other and to the longitudinal direction of the rope, comprises an at least one eddy current testing probe, placed near said rope for generating an alternating magnetic field, said alternating magnetic field causing eddy currents in said rope, and for detecting a secondary magnetic field being generated by said 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.

A method for determining a state of an elevator system suspension traction apparatus having at least one electrically conductive cord with a first end and an opposite second end, the cord having a wave impedance. A signal generator is electrically connected to the cord first end and a terminating resistor having a first resistance value matched to the wave impedance of the cord is electrically connected to the cord second end. The method includes the steps: inputting an, in particular alternating, electrical excitation signal of the signal generator into the cord first end; at least one of measuring a reflection signal of the excitation signal at the cord first end, and measuring a transmitted signal of the excitation signal at the cord second end; and determining the state of the suspension traction apparatus by comparing the excitation signal with at least one of the reflection signal and the transmitted signal.