Elevator suspension member with protective material
An assembly and method includes selecting a jacket material for a jacket that encases a plurality of tension members, selecting a protective material for the jacket, and covering only pre-identified portions of the jacket with the protective material.
1 . An assembly comprising:
at least one suspension member that supports an elevator car and facilitates movement of the elevator car within a hoistway;
a jacket that encases the at least one suspension member, wherein the jacket comprises a first type of material;
protective material that covers only pre-identified portions of the jacket, wherein the protective material comprises a second type of material different than the first type of material, and wherein the protective material comprises a layer of material that extends from one side of the at least one suspension member to an opposite side of the at least one suspension member;
wherein the first type of material comprises a first thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having at least a first characteristic;
wherein the protective material comprises a cold temperature resistant jacket material, and wherein the cold temperature resistant jacket material comprises a second thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having at least a second characteristic different than the first characteristic;
wherein the cold temperature resistant jacket material comprises material suitable for temperatures at freezing or below −30° C.; and
wherein the first characteristic comprises a first glass transition temperature and the second characteristic comprises a second glass transition temperature that is less than the first glass transition temperature.
2 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the jacket has an external facing side and a traction side that faces opposite of the external facing side, and wherein the pre-identified portions of the jacket comprise at least one of the external facing side and the traction side.
3 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein protective material comprises a layer of material that is applied to cover both the external facing side and the traction side.
4 . The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the layer of material is applied to cover only one of the external facing side and the traction side.
5 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the jacket has a cross-sectional volume and wherein the protective material comprises approximately half of the cross-sectional volume.
6 . The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one suspension member comprises a plurality of tension members encased within the jacket.
7 . A method comprising:
selecting a jacket material for a jacket that encases a plurality of tension members to provide a suspension member;
selecting a protective material for the jacket;
covering only pre-identified portions of the jacket with the protective material by applying the protective material as a layer of material that extends from one side of the suspension member to an opposite side of the suspension member;
wherein the protective material comprises a cold temperature jacket material suitable for temperatures at freezing or below;
wherein the jacket material comprises a first thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having at least a first characteristic and the cold temperature jacket material comprises a second thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer having at least a second characteristic different than the first characteristic; and
wherein the first characteristic comprises a first glass transition temperature and the second characteristic comprises a second glass transition temperature that is less than the first glass transition temperature.
8 . The method of claim 7 , including performing at least one mechanical test to identify the protective material.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one mechanical test comprises at least a crack propagation test.
10 . The method of claim 7 , including applying the layer of the protective material to cover both an external facing side and a traction side of the jacket.
11 . The method of claim 7 , including applying the layer of the protective material to cover only one of an external facing side and a traction side of the jacket.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the jacket has a cross-sectional volume and including using the protective material for approximately half of the cross-sectional volume.