Rope Terminal Assembly With Melted Coating Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rope terminal assemblies for hoisting ropes with thermoplastic coatings malfunction at high temperatures, as the coating softens and melts, leading to unreliable grip and potential slipping of the rope, due to the compression mechanism's inability to handle the changed coating properties.
Innovation Solution
A rope terminal assembly with movable compression members that create a gap to accommodate the thermoplastic polymer coating, featuring indentations that form cavities to collect melted coating material, ensuring continuous compression and preventing blockages, thus maintaining reliable grip even at high temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If compression members are used to grip the rope, then reliable grip is achieved under normal conditions, but the grip becomes unreliable when the thermoplastic coating melts at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of melted coating material into a beneficial outcome by designing cavities that actively receive and contain the flowing melted coating. Instead of allowing the melted coating to cause malfunction or blockage, the cavities channel it away from critical areas, and the displaced coating material actually helps fill gaps and maintain compression contact between the compression members and the rope core, thereby maintaining grip reliability even at high temperatures
Solution Approach 2:
The cavities are pre-formed in the compression members before the rope is installed. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the thermoplastic coating melts during operation, the melted material has pre-designed pathways and containment spaces ready to receive it, preventing unexpected malfunction and ensuring continuous reliable operation
2Reliability
If compression is applied against the coating, then the rope is securely held, but melted coating material is displaced and blocks gaps between movable parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the potential problem of coating material displacement by providing dedicated cavities that serve as designated receptacles for the melted and displaced coating. This removes the coating material from the harmful pathway (between housing and wedge) and relocates it to a harmless location (within the cavities), preventing blockage and maintaining operational reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The cavities act as intermediary spaces between the compression members and the housing structure. They provide a buffer zone that receives the displaced coating material, preventing direct contact between the coating and the gaps between movable parts, thereby eliminating the blocking issue
3Strength
If thermoplastic coating is used on the rope, then friction engagement with drive wheel is improved, but the coating softens and melts at high temperatures causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the harmful softening and melting of the thermoplastic coating at high temperatures into a beneficial self-adjusting mechanism. The melted coating flows into the cavities and fills gaps, maintaining continuous contact between the compression members and the rope core, thereby preserving the friction engagement capability even when the coating loses its structural integrity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a fault-safe rope terminal assembly that maintains reliable performance in high temperatures by allowing melted coating to flow into cavities, preventing slipping and ensuring secure rope fixation, thereby enhancing the safety and reliability of the hoisting system.
Implementation Method 1
when the thermoplastic polymer coating melts
Implementation Method 2
contact faces of the compression members compressing against opposite wide sides of the belt-shaped rope
Implementation Method 3
the coating can be used to provide rope with a surface via which the rope can effectively engage frictionally with a drive wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A rope terminal assembly of a hoisting apparatus includes a first compression member having a first contact face and a second compression member having a second contact face. The compression members are placed such that their contact faces face each other and delimit between them a gap. A belt-shaped rope having a thermoplastic polymer coating forming the outer surface of the rope is placed in the gap, the contact faces of the compression members compressing against opposite wide sides of the belt-shaped rope. One or both of the compression members includes on the contact face thereof, and/or in proximity of the contact face thereof, one or more indentations, each indentation forming a cavity in the compression member which is in open connection with the gap and arranged to be empty when the thermoplastic polymer coating of the rope compressed by the contact face is solid, and to receive via said open connection thermoplastic polymer coating of the rope flowing from the gap pushed by the compression when the thermoplastic polymer coating melts. An elevator is provided with the rope terminal assembly.