EP0491725B1 - Handrail for escalators, moving sidewalks and the like and process for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/DE90/00656 Sec. 371 Date Mar. 11, 1992 Sec. 102(e) Date Mar. 11, 1992 PCT Filed Aug. 27, 1990 PCT Pub. No. WO91/04219 PCT Pub. Date Apr. 4, 1991.Handrails for escalators, moving walkways and the like consist of an endless, flexible strip (1) with a gripping region (2) and guiding regions (4) which, in operation, slide on a fixed guideway, and steel cables which are embedded in the strip (1) and serve as tensile supports. In order to be able to produce the handrails more simply and with less outlay, the strip (1) is divided in its longitudinal direction into individual segments (5, 6, 7) which follow closely upon one another, the segments being molded firmly around the steel cable (3). The segments can be injection molded around the steel cables (3), a thermoplastic elastomer being used.

Description

The invention relates to a handrail for escalators, moving walks and the like, consisting of an endless, flexible bar with a grip area and guide areas that slide in operation on a stationary track, and one or more tension members embedded in the bar made of high-strength, low-stretch materials and a Process for its manufacture.

Known handrails of the type mentioned consist of continuous endless strips made of natural or synthetic rubber with incorporated reinforcement layers. These known handrails have proven their worth in operation, but their manufacture is extremely complex. The known handrails are produced in their entire length or in long sections and then have to be vulcanized in sections, for which they each have to be treated in a vulcanization press. After vulcanization, a relatively complex and not always satisfactory endless closure takes place.

So-called link handrail strips are also known, which are composed of individual links of the same cross-section. The links are either directly connected to each other (DE-PS 18 11 982) or mounted on a common continuous drag chain (US-PS 2,766,886). The disadvantage of the known link handrail strips is that they have too much elongation in the direction of travel, since the play and assembly-related play between each pair of links add up to an impermissibly large play over the entire length. This applies particularly to wear after a long run and is noticeable through a sharp increase in running noise. Another disadvantage is the wear caused by the friction between the individual links and guide rails.

A handrail is known from US Pat. No. 2,778,882, which consists of basic bodies and an endless coating of an elastic plastic material or rubber. The basic bodies made of a hard plastic material are individually or in groups formed around the pulling ropes. In order to obtain a continuous support for the coating, the mutually facing sides of the base body are provided with projecting lugs arranged on a gap.

The invention has for its object to provide a handrail of the type mentioned, which can be manufactured more easily and with less effort while maintaining its previous good properties.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the bar is divided in its longitudinal direction into individual, closely spaced, one-piece segments formed around the continuous tension member, which encompass the stationary path and are provided with a grip area and a sliding area.

The handrail according to the invention has the advantage that the segments can be produced individually or in groups independently of one another in close succession, whereby they are shaped around the continuous tension member. The tension member can thus be molded into the individual segments during the manufacturing process in the same operation. Alternatively, however, it is also possible to prefabricate the individual segments separately and to firmly connect them to the tension member in a second operation, for example by gluing, welding or the like. An additional continuous coating is not necessary.

Furthermore, on the basis of the concept according to the invention, it is also possible for the segments forming the strip to be formed from a thermoplastic elastomer. These Segments can be injection molded or blown around the tension member. Alternatively, the segments can also be made from foamable polyurethane using the RIM process.

The successive segments, which expediently have an approximately rectangular shape in plan view, can overlap one another in the grip area. This ensures that the handrail is closed to the outside, so that there is no risk of injury to the user.

The overlap regions can be formed by flat tongues projecting in the axial direction, which engage in a corresponding recess in the following segment. The tongues either extend only in the area of the upper side of the handrail strips or around their entire cross section.

Each segment expediently has at its one end a flat projecting tongue which extends at least over the entire width of the grip region and at its other end a recess which is adapted to this. This ensures that all segments consist of identical molded parts that can be manufactured in the same shape or in the same group of shapes.

The upper sides of the tongues are preferably in the plane of the upper sides of the segments, so that a continuously smooth surface is produced when the handrail strip is in operation.

The undersides of the tongues are expediently above the tension member in the area of the tension member, so that the good flexibility of the bar is retained.

In another embodiment of the handrail you can the mutually facing sides of the segments in the grip area may each be provided with a projecting, deformable flat lip, the lips lying close together and thereby forming a continuously closed handrail.

When the tension member is stretched, the lips preferably lie against one another under prestress, so that a reliably tight connection of the grip part is created.

The tension member is expediently formed by a plurality of steel cables running parallel to one another. These can be arranged at a distance from one another in one plane. At least during the connection to the individual segments, the steel cables should be under tension so that it is ensured that all steel cables are supported.

The steel cable ends preferably overlap one another during the endless closing in their connecting region, the ends pointing in opposite directions, and are jointly surrounded by at least one segment. This creates a connection area which is not visible from the outside and which can be produced without additional effort. The segment or segments in the transition area are produced in the same shapes as the other segments. Such a connection is much easier and better to produce than a vulcanized connection according to the prior art.

The steel cable ends are expediently arranged in an alternating sequence in the same plane in their connection area, so that no harmful moments can arise when a tensile force is applied.

If the segments are made of a thermoplastic elastomer, they can be provided in the area of their sliding surfaces with molded, protruding knobs, for example in the form of spherical caps, whereby the Frictional force compared to the stationary path on which the handrail slides can be reduced.

Alternatively, the segments in the area of their sliding or drive surfaces can also be provided with molded sliding or adhesive layers, for example with textile layers, which are inserted into the mold or supplied in some other way before the injection molding or blowing process is initiated.

The successive segments can be provided with a continuous covering that overlaps them.

The method according to the invention for producing a handrail is characterized in that a section of the tension member is inserted into a mold, the regions of the tension member adjoining this section being passed through openings lying in a dividing line of the mold, that in the mold with a grip area and a segment provided with a sliding area around the tension member and after completion is removed together with the tension member from the open mold and that a section of the tension member adjacent to the segment is then inserted into the mold and surrounded with another segment and so on.

With a simple design of the segments without undercuts, the injection mold or blow mold can completely surround the respective segment. In the case of a more complicated design of the segments with undercuts, the injection mold or blow mold can be designed to be open on the side which faces the adjacent, already completed segment, the outer contour of the finished segment being used to close the mold on this side and as Part of the shape works.

A particularly simple way to generate a bias between the segments is that the Tension members are bent during the manufacture of the segments.

When using the method according to the invention, it is also readily possible to insert several segments simultaneously to produce a common form or in separate forms arranged side by side.

If the segments are made of a thermoplastic elastomer, the tension member located in the closed mold can be deformed by the melt of the thermoplastic elastomer.

If the tension member consists of parallel steel cables, the bar can be closed endlessly after reaching the prescribed length by simultaneously inserting both ends of the steel cables into the mold or in a plurality of adjacent molds and embedding them in one or more segments.

After completion of the handrail, a continuous covering can be applied to it, which overlaps the individual segments. The coating can be applied by producing it by continuous extrusion.

Fig. 1

in perspektivischer Darstellung einen Abschnitt einer Handlaufleiste,

Fig. 2

einen Schnitt entlang der Linie II-II aus Fig. 1 und

Fig. 3

einen ähnlichen Schnitt wie Fig. 2 durch ein anderes Ausführungsbeispiel einer Handlaufleiste.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, for example, and described in detail below with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

in perspective a section of a handrail bar,

Fig. 2

a section along the line II-II of Fig. 1 and

Fig. 3

a section similar to FIG. 2 through another embodiment of a handrail strip.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, a short section of an endless, flexible handrail bar 1 is shown, which is provided for escalators, moving walks or the like.

The handrail strip 1 has a grip area 2 and sliding areas 4 which, in the assembled state of the handrail strip 1, encompass a stationary guide track (not shown in the drawing) on which the driven handrail strip 1 can slide. Ten steel cables 3 serving as tension members are embedded in the upper area of the handrail strip 1.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, the handrail strip 1 is divided in its longitudinal direction into individual closely consecutive segments 5, 6, 7, which have an approximately rectangular shape in plan view.

As can be seen in particular from FIG. 2, the successive segments 5, 6, 7 overlap one another. Each segment 5, 6, 7 has a projecting tongue 8 at one end and a recess 9 adapted to this at its other end. All segments 5, 6, 7 are of identical design. For example, the tongue 8 of the segment 6 engages in the recess 9 of the segment 5, while the tongue 8 of the segment 7 engages in the recess 9 of the segment 6.

The upper sides of the tongues 8 lie in the same plane as the upper sides 10 of the segments 5, 6, 7, i.e. the tongues 8 practically form an extension of the surface 10 on one side of the segments 5, 6, 7. The undersides of the tongues 8 lie above the steel cables 3.

The recesses 9 of the segments 5, 6, 7 are step-shaped, the height of each step approximately corresponding to the thickness of a tongue 8. The undersides of the tongues 8 each lie on the upper sides of the steps of the recess 9, so that the gaps between the individual segments 5, 6, 7 are thereby bridged.

The tongues 8 extend at least over the entire width of the handle part 2, so that the top of the Handrail bar 1 is almost smooth. However, it is also possible for the tongues 8 to extend over the entire outward region of the segments 5, 6, 7, so that each gap 11 between the individual segments is covered all around. Accordingly, the recesses 9 then extend over the entire outer region of the respective segments.

The segments 5, 6 and 7 of the embodiment of the handrail strip 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are made of a thermoplastic elastomer. The individual segments 5, 6, 7 can accordingly be produced by injection molding. For this purpose, the steel cables 3 are guided through openings in a corresponding shape under the same pretension and then encapsulated with the melt of a thermoplastic elastomer when the mold is closed. After the melt has cooled, the mold is opened and the finished segment is removed from the mold axially to the pretensioned wire ropes, the wire ropes for the next segment being introduced into the mold. The process is then repeated as often as required. The shape is designed so that the distance between the segments is extremely small, so that each gap 11 between the individual segments remains less than 2 mm. The number of segment nests in the mold can vary depending on the size of the injection molding machine. In a very small injection molding machine, for example, each segment is manufactured individually, while in a larger injection molding machine, for example, ten segments can be manufactured simultaneously.

After reaching the required length, the handrail strip 1 is closed endlessly by simultaneously inserting the two ends of the steel cables 3 into the corresponding shape or into several shapes and embedding them in the segments by injecting the thermoplastic elastomeric material. After the segments have cooled, the ends of the steel cables are firmly connected. In order to In the respective overlap area of the steel cables when a tensile force cannot be applied to them, both ends of the steel cables lie in one plane. If, for example, the steel cables 3 are considered as ends in FIG. 1, the other ends would be inserted exactly into the gaps 12 between the steel cables 3.

Thermoplastic elastomers are available today in high hardness, so that the usual textile reinforcements can be dispensed with in a handrail bar made from them. This considerably simplifies the construction of the handrail strip.

When processing by injection molding, much tighter manufacturing tolerances can be achieved than with conventional vulcanizable rubber compounds, which means that the handrail strip is of better quality. In addition, there is an excellent surface quality in the injection molding process, so that the handrail strip also has a good quality in terms of appearance. The same applies to the color qualities, which can be observed very precisely.

In addition, the segments made from the thermoplastic elastomers are printable so that they can also be used as advertising media.

Practically all thermoplastic elastomers, such as polyurethanes, elastomer alloys, copolyesters and the like, are suitable as the production material.

The steel cables 3 embedded in the segments 5, 6, 7 are preferably made of stainless steel or subjected to a surface treatment so that they do not rust. Alternatively, the steel cables can be overmoulded with a thermoplastic elastomer.

Handrail strips made from thermoplastic elastomers are also very environmentally friendly when it comes to disposal, because the thermoplastic material can be reused in the recycling process.

Compared to conventional vulcanized handrail strips, the process is extremely energy-saving because neither high pressures nor higher temperatures need to be maintained over longer periods.

In deviation from the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is also possible to provide the handrail bar with other design features. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the handrail strip 13 is composed of segments 14, 15, 16 which, in the same way as in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, consist of a thermoplastic elastomer. The segments 14, 15, 16 are injection molded in close succession around steel cables 3, which serve as tension members in the handrail strip 13.

At both ends, the segments 14, 15, 16 each have a projecting lip 17 and 18, respectively, the lips 17 and 18 of two adjacent segments lying closely against one another. For example, the lip 17 of the segment 15 bears against the lip 18 of the segment 14, while the lip 18 of the segment 15 bears against the lip 17 of the segment 16. In the case of elongated steel cables 3, the lips bear against one another under prestress, so that the gaps 19 between the individual segments are tightly bridged.

The manufacturing process is carried out in the same way as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2. However, in order to ensure that the lips 17 and 18 bear against one another under tension when the steel cables are stretched, the steel cables 3 are bent, for example, during the injection molding of the segments. In the stretched state of the steel cables 3, the lips 17 and 18 of the successive segments then automatically abut one another under pretension.

Alternatively, for example, the lip 18 of the already completed segment 15 can also be pressed onto the segment 15, while the segment 16 with its opposite lip 17 is produced by the injection molding process. After the completion of the segment 16, the lip 18 of the segment 15 is released again, so that the two adjacent lips 17 and 18 then inevitably bear against one another under prestress.

In all embodiments of the handrail strips 1 and 13, the tension members or steel cables 3 should be under prestress, so that the segments lie close together and, at the same time, it is ensured that all cables 3 carry along.

With a corresponding material pairing between the segments and the stationary track on which the handrail strip formed from the segments slides, no precautions need to be taken to improve the sliding properties. However, it would be possible to form knobs in the form of spherical caps on the inside of the segments in order to reduce the frictional force, which nubs can easily be produced in one operation during the injection molding of the segments. Alternatively, it would also be possible, as with conventional handrail strips, to use textile inner layers which are inserted into the mold before injection molding.

Reference list

1

Handrail rail

2nd

Grip area

3rd

Steel cables

4th

Sliding areas

5

segment

6

segment

7

segment

8th

Tongues

9

Recesses

10th

Tops

11

column

12th

Gaps

13

Handrail rail

14

segment

15

segment

16

segment

17th

lip

18th

lip

19th

Gaps

Claims (27)

1. Handrail for escalators, moving sidewalks and the like, comprising an endless, flexible strip (1; 13) with a gripping region (2) and guiding regions (4) which, in operation, slide on a fixed guideway, and tensile supports (3) embedded in the strip and consisting of high-strength materials with limited extensibility, wherein the strip being provided in its longitudinal direction with individual successive supporting elements which are molded firmly around the continous tensile support, characterised in that the strip (1; 13) is divided in its longitudinal direction into individual one-piece segments (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) which follow closly upon one another, are molded firmly around the continous tensile support, engage around the fixed guideway and are provided with a gripping region (2) and a sliding region (4).
2. Handrail as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the segments (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) forming the strip (1; 13) are formed by a thermoplastic elastomer.
3. Handrail as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the segments (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) are molded individually or in groups around the tensile support (3) by an injection molding or blow molding method.
4. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the segments (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) have an approximately rectangular shape in plan view.
5. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the successive segments (5, 6, 7) overlap one another in the gripping region (2).
6. Handrail as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the regions of overlap are formed by flat tongues (8) which project in the axial direction and engage in a corresponding recess (9) of the following segment.
7. Handrail as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that, at one of its ends, each segment (5, 6, 7) has a flat projecting tongue (8) extending at least over the entire width of the gripping region (2), and, at its other end, has a recess (9) matched to said tongue.
8. Handrail as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that the upper sides of the tongues (8) lie in the plane of the upper sides (10) of the segments (5, 6, 7).
9. Handrail as claimed in claims 7 and 8, characterised in that in the region of the tensile support (3), the lower sides of the tongues (8) lie, above the latter.
10. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the mutually facing sides of the segments (14, 15, 16) are each provided in the gripping region with a projecting deformable flat lip (17 and 18 respectively), and wherein the lips (17, 18) rest closely against one another.
11. Handrail as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that with the tensile support (3) stretched, the lips (17, 18) rest against one another under prestress.
12. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the tensile support is formed by a multiplicity of parallel steel cables (3).
13. Handrail as claimed in claim 12, characterised in that the steel cables (3) are arranged in one plane with mutual spacing.
14. Handrail as claimed in one of claimes 1 to 13, characterised in that the tensile support (3) is under pretension.
15. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 12 to 14, characterised in that during the process of joining together to form an endless loop, the ends of the steel cables (3) overlap one another in their connection region and are surrounded by at least one segment (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16).
16. Handrail as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that, in their connection region, the ends of the steel cables (3) are arranged adjacent to one another alternately in the same plane.
17. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that the segments are provided with integrally molded projecting knobs in the region of their sliding surfaces.
18. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16, characterised in that in the region of their sliding or driving surfaces, the segments are provided with molded-in sliding or adhesive layers.
19. Handrail as claimed in one of claims 1 to 18, characterised in that a continous covering which overlaps the successive segments is provided.
20. Method for producing a handrail as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that a length of the tensile support is placed in a mold, those regions of the tensile support which adjoin this length being passed through openings situated in a parting line of the mold, wherein, in the mold, a segment (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) provided with a gripping region (2) and a sliding region (4) is molded around the tensile support and, on completion, is removed from the opened mold together with the tensile support, and wherein a length of the tensile support adjoining the segment is then placed in the mold and surrounded with a further segment etc.
21. Method as claimed in claim 20, characterised in that a plurality of segments are produced simultaneously in a common mold or in seperate molds arranged adjacent to one another.
22. Method as claimed in claim 20 or 21, in which the segments are produced from thermoplastic elastomeric material, characterised in that the tensile support in the closed mold is encapsulated by the melt of the thermoplastic elastomeric material.
23. Method as claimed in claims 20 to 22, characterised in that a mold is used which is open on the side which faces towards the adjoining, already completed segment (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) and wherein the outer contour of the finished segment (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16) is used for closing the mold.
24. Method as claimed in claims 20 to 22, characterised in that the tensile supports are bent during the production of the segments (5, 6, 7; 14, 15, 16).
25. Method as claimed in one of claims 20 to 24, where the tensile support consists of parallel steel cables, characterised in that after reaching the prescribed length, the strip is joined together to form an endless loop by placing both ends of the steel cables simultaneously in the mold or in a plurality of adjacent molds and embedded in a segment or a plurality of segments.
26. Method as claimed in one of claims 20 to 25, characterised in that on completion of the individual segments, a continous covering which overlaps the latter is applied.
27. Method as claimed in claim 26, characterised in that the covering is produced by continous extrusion.

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