Rope

Abstract

The invention relates to a rope made with high-performance fibres and formed by multiple strands. Along the majority of the length of the rope, all the strands (11) run in one direction and are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rope (1), while at the ends and in sections in the central area of the length of the rope, the strands are interwoven to form braided areas (12).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] A rope

[0003] Technology sector

[0004] The invention falls within the sector of the manufacture of ropes or cables, whether metallic, fibrous or filamentary, whatever their origin; provided, or not, with an enveloping sheath and / or loop-shaped terminations at the ends, forming a casing in which the rope itself is interwoven.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] A rope is a set of threads or strands, of natural or synthetic fibers, with a certain length, diameter and resistance; used to hold, tie, hang, suspend, lift, drag, carry, signal, mark, secure, ascend and descend...

[0007] Currently, two types of ropes are available on the market, regardless of the material: braided or unidirectional core. The braided type is the most common, and each type has its limitations.

[0008] Ropes with a braided core exhibit a loss of utilization of the inherent mechanical properties of the material from which they are made, due to their structure, since the fibers are not working purely under tension. One of the characteristics most affected is stiffness, producing significant elongation, which can even become permanent after the first few load cycles, especially if the tension is maintained over time. Furthermore, strength is also affected because the fibers are not operating under pure tension, and primarily because the braiding increases friction between the fibers themselves, generating wear and ultimately resulting in a reduction of strength.To compensate for this loss of properties, the amount of material can be increased, but this implies an increase in weight, cost and diameter, which for certain applications has a significant impact on the efficiency of the final application.

[0009] On the other hand, there are also unidirectional ropes, which take full advantage of the rigidity properties of the material they are made of. However, due to the manufacturing method (which consists of winding the filaments between two ends on a reel to then form the rope itself), the length of these types of ropes is limited by the manufacturer's facilities. Therefore, they are generally manufactured to a specific length that cannot be modified, which is detrimental to flexibility in use, since for certain applications the final length required is simply unknown, and therefore it is necessary to adjust the length on site.Furthermore, because the end is the weakest point of the rope, its strength is also affected. However, in this case, the reason is the amount of material at the end. Inside the reel, the amount of material is half that of the straight section of the rope, meaning the entire central portion is oversized. This results in a rope with a larger diameter, greater weight, and higher cost than necessary. Another limitation observed in this type of rope is its poor performance when bent. This is because all the fibers are unidirectional, causing a localized bend where the fibers facing inward are under compression, while those facing outward are under tension. If tension is applied to the rope, the entire rope will be under tension, but the interior and exterior will not be stressed equally.

[0010] It's worth noting that there is a third type of rope, a unidirectional type. This consists of a bundle of fibers that are moderately unidirectional (the larger the rope's diameter, the less unidirectional its core). These are typically covered with a plastic jacket, which is extruded over the core itself. To make a rope functional, it must have terminals attached, which usually consist of a set of two metal cones, one external and one internal. The internal cone is driven into the rope's core, expanding it and securing it to the external cone through friction. One of the major drawbacks of this solution is that tension must be applied to ensure the cones are properly seated, which usually results in a length limitation related to the length of the installation.While it is true that a method of locking the cones with a temporary clamp could be developed, due to this process, it is difficult to obtain a rope with a good length tolerance.

[0011] Patent literature contains several references, all pertaining to unidirectional, braided, or mixed ropes, mostly with a unidirectional core and a braided jacket or sheath. For example, US4640178A describes a rope comprising a core made of parallel, elongated textile elements that may be braided, parallel, or twisted together, with a braided tubular sheath comprising a plurality of pairs of individual yarns helically wound around the core in opposite directions. CN113389073A discloses a high-strength, antifouling, and nonstick polyester cable for deep-water use, comprising a core, a braided protective jacket, and a polyurethane coating.Document WO2015173129A1 refers to a cut-resistant rope, comprising a core to provide strength to said rope, in which at least one metallic fabric is provided, formed by multiple substantially parallel elongated elements, around which a braided protective jacket is also arranged.

[0012] However, a type of rope that is not limited in length would be desirable. It should use the same amount of material at both ends and along the straight section to maximize the use of its mechanical properties of stiffness and strength, and to reduce wear from internal friction. Furthermore, it would be beneficial to minimize the weight, diameter, and final cost of the product.

[0013] Explanation of the invention

[0014] In order to achieve the proposed objectives, mentioned in the previous section, the invention proposes a rope, which has the characteristics of claim 1.

[0015] The proposed rope features an overall internal structure made of high-performance fibers such as Aramid, HMPE, PBO, Carbon, and even metal, composed of multiple strands of unidirectional fibers (fibers, filaments, monofilaments, strands, etc.), which are kept parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rope thanks to an enveloping jacket, except at its ends and in sections located towards the middle of its length, or when reinforcement is required, in which cases these strands will be braided.

[0016] The ends of the rope can be left unfinished, or one or both ends can be inset to create a closed loop.

[0017] The areas where the rope is braided (ends and intermediate sections, at mid-length when required) may also be covered with an additional braided jacket, or they may be left without a protective jacket. Other types of protection could also be used, such as tape, heat-shrink tubing, pre-braided sock, extruded plastic, or simply the application of resin to the rope core.

[0018] Additional layers of braided jacket can also be added for extra reinforcement, along its entire length or in specific sections.

[0019] Therefore, the rope we propose incorporates the best features of each existing solution. It is not limited in length. It uses the same amount of material at both ends and along the straight section, maximizing the use of its mechanical properties of stiffness and strength while reducing wear from internal friction. This also minimizes the weight, diameter, and final cost of the product. To overcome the limitations of unidirectional ropes at the bends, we propose braiding these areas locally, thus preventing the effects described above.

[0020] Description of the drawings

[0021] To complement the description being made and in order to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this descriptive report in which, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented:

[0022] - Figures 1-5 show different embodiments of the rope (1) of the invention.

[0023] Figure 6 shows a section (12) where this rope is braided. Figure 7 shows a section (11) where the rope is unidirectional.

[0024] Fig. 8 shows a loop (13) in which this rope (1) terminates at one of its ends.

[0025] Realization of the invention

[0026] As can be seen in the referenced figures, the rope (1) of the invention has a general rope structure, manufactured with high-performance fibers such as Aramid, HMPE, PBO, Carbon, and even metal, which for most of its length is composed of multiple strands of unidirectional fibers (11) that are all kept parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rope. At the ends and in short sections along its length, if preferred, the strands are intertwined, forming a braid (12).

[0027] The specific braided sections (12) in the middle of the rope form a reinforcement, where necessary, for example, due to bending in that area (see Fig. 1).

[0028] The ends of the rope can be left unfinished (Fig. 2), or at one or both ends (Fig. 3 and 4 respectively) the strands can be tucked into themselves creating a closed loop (13).

[0029] The entire rope (1), at least in the area where the strands (11) are arranged unidirectionally, is wrapped in a protective braided jacket (14). The areas where the rope is braided (12) may also be covered with an additional braided jacket, or they may be left without a protective jacket.

[0030] Additionally, extra layers of braided jacket can be added for extra reinforcement, along its entire length or in specific sections.

[0031] The rope of the invention has the following properties compared to other completely unidirectional or braided ropes:

[0032] Minimizing axial stretching.

[0033] Maximizing axial stiffness.

[0034] Maximizing axial strength. Minimizing weight.

[0035] Minimizing the diameter.

[0036] Improvement and reduction of transport costs.

[0037] Improved and safer handling.

[0038] Having described the nature of the invention, as well as an example of a preferred embodiment, it is evident that the invention is capable of industrial application in the indicated sector. It is also noted, for all relevant purposes, that the materials, shape, size, and arrangement of the described elements may be modified, provided that this does not alter the essential characteristics of the invention claimed below:

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A rope, made with high-performance fibers such as Aramid, HMPE, PBO, Carbon, and even metal, made up of multiple strands of fibers that: in most of its length have all its strands (11) unidirectionally, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rope (1), at the ends and in sections located in the central area of ​​its length these strands intertwine forming braided areas (12). 2.- A rope, according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the braided ends of the rope (1) is tucked into itself forming a closed loop (13). 3.- A rope, according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least the part in which the strands are arranged unidirectionally (11) is provided with a protective cover (14). 4.- A rope, according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising additional layers of a braided jacket that form an additional reinforcement, along its entire length, or in specific sections.

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