A belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car includes a plurality of tension elements extending along a length of the belt and a plurality of belt fibers transverse to the plurality of tension elements and interlaced therewith. The belt fibers define at least one traction surface of the belt. An edge fiber is located at a lateral end of the belt transverse to and secured to the plurality of belt fibers to secure the belt fibers in a selected position.

A belt (30) for suspending and/or driving an elevator car (14) includes a plurality of tension elements (32) extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, at least one tension element of the plurality of tension elements having one or more tension element coating layers (46) applied thereto. A plurality of fibers are interlaced with the plurality of tension elements forming a composite belt structure. A belt coating (44) at least partially encapsulates the composite belt structure.

Provided is a rope including a load supporting member and a covering member covering an outer periphery of the load supporting member. The load supporting member includes: an impregnation material and reinforcement fiber bodies, which continuously extend in a longitudinal direction of the rope, are embedded in the impregnation material, and are configured to support a load acting in the longitudinal direction. The reinforcement fiber bodies include corrugated reinforcement fiber bodies which have, at least in part, a corrugated shape in a section parallel to the longitudinal direction. The corrugated reinforcement fiber bodies have such a length that a total length thereof given when the corrugated reinforcement fiber bodies are straightened is equal to or larger than 1.1 times a total length of the load supporting member.

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 includes a plurality of basalt fibers to enhance temperature resistance of the tension member. A jacket material at least partially encapsulates the plurality of tension members. An elevator system includes a hoistway, an elevator car located in the hoistway and movable therein, and a belt operably connected to the elevator car to suspend and/or drive the elevator car along the hoistway. The belt includes a plurality of tension members arranged along a belt width and extending longitudinally along a length of the belt. Each tension member includes a plurality of basalt fibers to enhance temperature resistance of the tension member. A jacket material at least partially encapsulates the plurality of tension members.

An exemplary elongated elevator load bearing member includes a plurality of tension elements that extend along a length of the load bearing member. A plurality of weave fibers transverse to the tension elements are woven with the tension elements such that the weave fibers maintain a desired spacing and alignment of the tension elements relative to each other. The weave fibers at least partially cover the tension elements. The weave fibers are exposed and establish an exterior, traction surface of the load bearing member.

A method of making an elevator load bearing member includes unidirectional weaving a plurality of load bearing fibers including at least a first material and a second material. A melting point of the first material is higher than a melting point of the second material. The method includes bonding the load bearing fibers together by at least partially melting at least some of the second material and coating the plurality of load bearing fibers.

An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator load bearing member includes a plurality of load bearing cords and a woven fabric including a plurality of warp yarns along a length of the load bearing member and a plurality of weft yarns transverse to the length of the load bearing member. The woven fabric includes a central portion and lateral edge portions extending along the length of the load bearing member. The central portion includes the load bearing cords interlaced with the woven fabric. The lateral edge portions each include terminal ends of the weft yarns. The central portion has a first plurality of warp yarns situated between laterally outermost ones of the cords. The lateral edge portions have a second plurality of warp yarns between the laterally outermost ones of the cords and the terminal ends of the weft yarns.

An illustrative example embodiment of an elevator load bearing member includes a unidirectional weave of a plurality of load bearing fibers including at least a first material and a second material. A melting point of the first material is higher than a melting point of the second material. The plurality of load bearing fibers are bonded together by at least some of the second material that is at least partially melted. A coating covers the plurality of load bearing fibers.

A belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car includes a plurality of tension elements extending longitudinally along a length of the belt, at least one tension element of the plurality of tension elements having one or more tension element coating layers applied thereto. A plurality of fibers are interlaced with the plurality of tension elements forming a composite belt structure. A belt coating at least partially encapsulates the composite belt structure. A method of forming a belt for suspending and/or driving an elevator car includes forming a plurality of tension elements and applying one or more coating layers to at least one tension element of the plurality of tension elements. A plurality of fibers are interlaced with the plurality of tension elements to form a composite belt structure. A belt coating is applied to the composite belt structure to at least partially encapsulate the composite belt structure.

An illustrative example assembly for making an elevator load bearing member includes a fabric having a plurality of fibers arranged with some of the fibers transverse to others of the fibers. A plurality of cords are configured to support a load associated with an elevator car. The cords are included in the fabric and have respective coatings. The coatings include a first coating material and a second coating material, or include different coating thicknesses such that some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings, or the coatings include the first coating material and the second coating material and some of the coatings have a different coating thickness than others of the coatings.