Elevator Belt Smooth Jacket Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional elevator belt assemblies with grooves and irregular cord placement cause noise and vibration due to interactions with sheaves, leading to undesirable operational sounds and vibrations.

Innovation Solution

A belt assembly with a smooth, continuous exterior jacket and uniformly spaced cords, achieved by aligning cords parallel to the belt's longitudinal axis and applying a urethane jacket with controlled tension to maintain consistent spacing, eliminating grooves and irregularities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional jacket application processes are used, then the belt assembly can be manufactured, but grooves are formed in the jacket surface and cord placement becomes irregular, causing noise and vibration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejacket application processVSAvoidnoise and vibration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the cord support structure that causes grooves to form in the jacket surface. By eliminating this support structure, the jacket can be applied smoothly over the cords without creating grooves, thereby eliminating the source of noise and vibration while still allowing the jacket application process to proceed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of supporting the cords during jacket application (which creates grooves), the invention inverts the approach by allowing the jacket to be applied freely and then using adhesive to secure the cords in their proper positions. This reverse sequence eliminates groove formation while achieving proper cord positioning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of manufacture

If grooves are present in the jacket surface, then the jacket can be applied over the cords, but the grooves interact with sheaves to create audible tones and vibrations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvejacket applicationVSAvoidoperational smoothness and quietness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the grooves from the jacket surface by eliminating the cord support structure that creates them. This results in a smooth jacket surface that does not interact with sheaves to produce noise and vibration, while the jacket application process remains feasible through the use of adhesive

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Manufacturing precision

If cord spacing varies from the jacket outer surfaces, then cords can be positioned during manufacturing, but this irregular spacing contributes to noise generation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecord positioningVSAvoidnoise

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces adhesive as an intermediary substance between the cords and the jacket surface. This adhesive mediator allows for precise cord positioning and uniform spacing from the jacket outer surface, eliminating the irregular spacing that contributes to noise generation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8444515B2Elevator belt assembly with noise and vibration reducing grooveless jacket arrangement

Publication Date: 2013.05.21 OTIS ELEVATOR CO

AI summary

An elevator load bearing assembly includes a plurality of cords within a jacket. The cords are spaced from an exterior surface on the jacket such that the spacing remains generally constant along the length of the belt. The jacket has a smooth, uninterrupted exterior surface for contacting sheaves as the belt moves in the elevator system. A method of making the inventive belt assembly is disclosed. The inventive belt assembly minimizes the possibility for generating an annoying, audible sound and vibration during elevator operation.