HK1124031B - Passenger conveyor handrail drive - Google Patents

Description

Passenger ladder handrail driving device

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to a passenger conveyor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for driving a handrail of a passenger conveyor.

Background

Passenger elevators are very efficient in transporting passengers within a building, for example between different floors, or through an elongated passageway. Typical arrangements include steps or a conveyor belt on which passengers are to be carried from one location to another. Handrails are often mounted above balustrades and provide a gripping surface for passengers to balance themselves stably. Typical handrail configurations have a generally planar surface oriented parallel to the ground or direction of movement of the passenger conveyor (i.e., at an angle to the vertical in the direction of rise of the conveyor).

The handrail is driven to move in synchronism with the steps or moving conveyor. The handrail drive mechanism moves the handrail in a desired manner. Conventional handrail drive systems suffer from various drawbacks and deficiencies. A typical arrangement relies on pinch rollers engaging oppositely facing sides of the handrail to generate sufficient friction to drive the handrail in the desired direction.

One problem with conventional drive arrangements is that the pinch roller engages the gripping surface side of the handrail. This can lead to scratching and wear of the gripping surface. The end result of this is that the handrail is replaced earlier than expected. It is very useful to extend the useful life of the handrail.

Another disadvantage of conventional drive arrangements is that a "friction clash" phenomenon is created by the need to generate sufficient friction to move the handrail and to enable the handrail to slide easily along the guides on the balustrade. The same surface that needs to be easily slidable along the guides is typically engaged by a drive mechanism that uses friction to engage the surface and push the handrail.

In addition, the frictional forces generated by the pinch rollers in the drive mechanism can wear the fabric layers used to slide the handrail along the balustrade. When the fabric layers wear, the handrail eventually fails to function properly and requires repair or replacement. At the same time, low friction materials require higher compression forces on the handrail, which can accelerate wear of the gripping surface, resulting in premature replacement of the handrail.

Various alternative arrangements have been proposed. An earlier example of a toothed belt for driving a handrail is described in US 3749224. Japanese patent document 2735453 describes another toothed belt which engages with a corresponding toothed surface on a handrail. One disadvantage of the arrangement described in this document is that a vertical separation force is generated which interferes with the correct engagement between the drive belt and the handrail. One particular embodiment in this document includes rollers for counteracting the vertical separation force. These rollers against the gripping surface of the handrail can still cause wear on the gripping surface. Alternative drive arrangements are described in patent documents WO 03/066500 and WO 2004/035451. Other arrangements including a drive belt for driving a handrail are described in US5117960 and US 5307920.

Of the various alternative arrangements disclosed, most passenger conveyor installations include a conventional pinch roller drive. There is a need for improved handrail drives that avoid the aforementioned frictional interference, avoid introducing unnecessary wear on the gripping surface, and ensure sufficient engagement between the handrail and the drive means that is not affected by the vertical separation forces between the drive belt and the handrail.

The present invention addresses these needs.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention includes a particular suspension arrangement that supports the handrail in a manner that facilitates engagement with the drive member while avoiding undesirable contact with the passenger gripping surface.

One exemplary means for propelling a passenger conveyor handrail includes a drive member for engaging teeth on an inner surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction. A suspension adjacent the drive member suspends the handrail from an inner surface of a lip of the handrail to facilitate engagement between the handrail and the drive member.

One example suspension includes at least one cantilevered member that engages an inner surface of the handrail. In one example, the suspension includes a generally planar member along which the inner surface of the handrail slides. In another example, the cantilever member includes at least one roller.

An exemplary passenger conveyor handrail assembly includes a handrail having a driven surface including a plurality of teeth and a lip adjacent the teeth. A drive member engages a plurality of teeth on the driven surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction. A suspension adjacent the drive member suspends the handrail from the lip to facilitate engagement between the handrail teeth and the drive member.

One disclosed example passenger conveyor system includes a handrail having an outer surface that provides a passenger gripping surface. The handrail also includes an inner surface. A guide supports the handrail from the inner surface along a portion of the loop traveled by the handrail, the portion of the loop traveled by the handrail having a distance corresponding to the distance traveled by a passenger on the escalator. A drive member engages the inner surface of the handrail for moving the handrail in a desired direction around the loop. A reverse guide adjacent the drive member suspends a corresponding portion of the handrail from the inner surface along another portion of the loop corresponding to the portion engaged by the drive member.

The present invention is directed to a device for propelling a handrail of a passenger conveyor, comprising a driving member for engaging teeth formed on an inner surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction; and a suspension adjacent the drive member for suspending the handrail from an inner surface of a lip of the handrail to facilitate engagement between the handrail and the drive member.

In other aspects, the suspension includes at least one cantilever member engaging the inner surface. The suspension arrangement comprises at least two cantilever members spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the width of the driving member, and wherein the cantilever members are positioned on both sides of the driving member. The drive member includes a belt that engages the handrail along its length, and wherein each of the cantilevered members engages the inner surface along a lip corresponding to the length of the belt. The apparatus includes supports from which the cantilevered members respectively extend, and wherein the band is at least partially received between the supports. The cantilever member is a substantially planar support arm. The cantilever member comprises a roller. The cantilever member includes a plurality of rollers. The suspension arrangement includes at least one elongate member having a first generally planar portion supported in a fixed position relative to the drive member and a second portion extending away from the first portion for receiving another portion of the inner surface of the handrail.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a passenger conveyor handrail assembly comprising a handrail having a driven surface including a plurality of teeth and a lip proximate to the teeth; a drive member engaged with the plurality of teeth on the driven surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction; and a suspension adjacent the drive member, the suspension suspending the handrail from the lip to facilitate engagement between the teeth of the handrail and the drive member.

In other aspects, the suspension comprises at least one cantilever member. The lip slides along a portion of the cantilevered member as the drive member moves the handrail. The suspension includes at least one roller that rotates in response to contact with the lip as the handrail moves in response to the drive member. The suspension engages the lip along a length of the handrail, the length corresponding to an amount of engagement between the drive member and the handrail, and wherein the suspension supports the weight of at least a portion of the handrail along the length. The drive includes a toothed belt that engages the teeth on the driven surface of the handrail, the belt being received in a channel of the suspension. The suspension comprises a first support means on one side of the belt and a second support means on the other side of the belt. The assembly includes at least one locating member extending through a space between the first support means and the second support means, the belt being at least partially disposed between the at least one locating member and the handrail.

The object of the present invention is further to provide a passenger conveyor system comprising a handrail having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface providing a passenger gripping surface; a guide supporting the handrail from the inner surface along a portion of a loop traveled by the handrail, the portion of the loop having a distance corresponding to a distance traveled by a passenger on the passenger conveyor; a drive engaging the inner surface of the handrail for moving the handrail in a desired direction around the loop; and a reverse guide adjacent the drive, the reverse guide suspending a corresponding portion of the handrail from the inner surface along another portion of the loop.

In other aspects, the inner surface of the handrail includes a plurality of teeth and a lip proximate the teeth, and the inverted guidance engages the lip to support the weight of the corresponding portion of the handrail. The system includes a channel through the reverse guide, wherein the drive member includes a strap that is at least partially received in the channel.

The various features and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.

Drawings

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates selected portions of an exemplary passenger conveyor including a handrail drive device designed according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an exemplary drive belt and selected portions of an exemplary handrail;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2, schematically illustrating an exemplary configuration of the handrail and a guidance cooperating therewith;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a handrail drive device including a suspension designed according to an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the suspension shown in FIG. 4; and

fig. 7 is a view similar to fig. 5 showing another exemplary embodiment of a suspension.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a passenger conveyor 20. In this embodiment, the passenger conveyor is an escalator having a plurality of steps 22 for transporting passengers between landings 24 and 26 at different levels of a building. The invention is not limited to escalators but can also be used for other types of passenger conveyors, such as moving walkways.

The exemplary passenger conveyor shown in fig. 1 includes a handrail 30 that moves forward along with the steps 22 and can be grasped by passengers on the conveyor to stabilize themselves. Figure 2 schematically illustrates an example handrail 30 having an outer surface 32, the outer surface 32 facing generally upward in the view shown in figure 1. The exemplary outer surface 32 provides a gripping surface for a passenger to grasp. Corresponding to the cut-away portion in fig. 1, the outer surface 32 is facing downward in fig. 2 because the handrail is moving along the return portion of the handrail loop (or loop).

The handrail 30 also includes a driven or inner surface 34 having a plurality of teeth 36. The handrail drive device 40 includes a drive belt 42 having a drive surface 44, with the drive surface 44 including a plurality of teeth 46 that engage (or cooperate with) the teeth 36 on the handrail 30 to propel (or drive) the handrail in a desired direction. In this sense, the illustrated arrangement (or device) is a linear positive drive arrangement.

The teeth 46 in the illustrated example have a particular configuration to facilitate proper engagement between the drive belt teeth 46 and the handrail teeth 36. Each tooth 46 includes a generally concave portion 50 along an engagement surface that contacts or engages a corresponding surface of the teeth 36 on the handrail. The exemplary teeth 46 include a projection 52 proximate an end 54 of each tooth 46, the end 54 being distal from a base 56.

The tooth configuration, including at least the recess 50, facilitates better engagement between the drive belt teeth 46 and the handrail teeth 36. The recess 50 along at least a portion of the engagement surface minimizes or eliminates the vertical separation force that might otherwise cause the handrail teeth 36 to move away from the drive belt 42 when the handrail 30 is driven. The projections 52 also facilitate minimizing or eliminating vertical separation forces because they provide an at least slightly deformable leading edge to distribute forces associated with engagement between the teeth 46 and 36. This further improves the ability of the exemplary configuration to avoid vertical separation forces.

In one example, the handrail 30 and the drive belt 42 both comprise a thermoplastic polyurethane material, and the illustrated geometry avoids clashing between the teeth associated with engagement between the teeth.

Another feature of the example shown in fig. 2 is a low friction material 60 near the ends of the teeth 36 of each handrail. In one example, the low friction material comprises a fabric known for use in the sliding layer of passenger conveyor handrails. One example includes a Polyoxymethylene (POM) material.

As can be appreciated from fig. 3, the low friction material 60 on the end of each tooth 36 and the low friction material 62 on the inner surface 34 side of the lip 64 adjacent the tooth 36 facilitate sliding of the handrail 30 along the guides 70 in a known manner.

The illustrated exemplary configuration avoids the so-called friction clash that occurs in previous handrail and handrail drive designs. At the same time, the illustrated example also facilitates sliding the handrail 30 along the guide 70 using a low friction material. The disclosed example achieves the dual purpose of having a handrail that is well driven and easily slidable along the guides because the teeth 46 and 36 interact without involving the low friction material 60 on the ends of the teeth 36.

Referring to fig. 4-6, an exemplary drive 40 includes a drive belt 42. The drive wheel 80 urges the belt 42 along the belt loop to engage the belt 42 with a portion of the handrail 30 along a return portion of the handrail loop. In this embodiment, the drive wheel 80 rotates another wheel 82 associated with the movement of the steps of the passenger conveyor 20. In the illustrated example, both drive wheel 80 and wheel 82 rotate with shaft 83.

The drive wheel support 84 causes the drive wheel 80 to rotate in response to a suitable driving force (or motive force). In this embodiment, the drive wheel support 84 is secured to a support wall 86 associated with the passenger conveyor truss, for example, in a manner that provides a stable arrangement of the drive wheels 80.

As the belt 42 engages the handrail 30 along the return portion of the handrail loop, gravity may urge the handrail 30 away from the drive belt 42 in a manner that interferes with the desired engagement between the teeth 46 and 36. The illustrated example includes, for example, a suspension 100 that suspends a corresponding portion of the handrail 30 near the drive belt 42 to ensure proper engagement between the teeth 46 and 36.

In the illustrated example, the suspension 100 includes spaced apart support devices 102, the support devices 102 being positioned on opposite sides of the belt 42 and the drive wheel 80. At least one cantilevered member extends from each support device 102 for engaging the lip 64 on the inner surface 34 of the handrail 30. In the example shown in fig. 5 and 6, the cantilevered member includes a generally planar, elongated support surface 104 along which the lip 64 slides as the handrail 30 moves in response to operation of the drive device 40. In one example, the lip 64 has sliding (or sliding) material thereon to facilitate such movement.

As best understood from fig. 4, the exemplary suspension 100 includes a plurality of spacers (or isolators) 110, the spacers 110 extending through the spaces or passages between the support apparatuses 102 and providing stability and rigidity to the suspension arrangement. In this embodiment, the positioning member 110 comprises a threaded member that is fixed in place. In this embodiment, for example, the drive belt 42 is received between the positioning member 110 and the driven surface 34 of the handrail 30, as can be appreciated from fig. 4 and 5.

As can be appreciated from fig. 4 and 6, the ends of the suspension 100 are positioned outside of the area of engagement of the drive belt 42 and the handrail 30. In this embodiment, the end includes spacers (or locators) 112, and the spacers 112 include flat plates extending between the supports 102.

In one example, as shown in fig. 6, the suspension 100 includes a single piece of metal formed into the shape shown in fig. 6. As shown in the example of fig. 5, one end of a metal plate or sheet may be bent into a configuration that forms the cantilevered support surface 104. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this description will be able to select appropriate materials and appropriate techniques to form a suspension consistent with the example operation illustrated.

Another example of a suspension 100' is shown in fig. 7. In this example, the support 102 supports a plurality of rollers 120 that are effectively cantilevered from the support 102. In this example, the rollers 120 support the weight of the handrail 30 along the corresponding portion of the handrail when the rollers 120 engage the lip 64 on the inner surface 34 of the handrail 30. In one example, the rollers 120 rotate in response to the operation of the handrail, which is caused by the drive device 40. One example includes a needle roller. In one example, the plurality of rollers are spaced along a length of the suspension 100' that corresponds to a length of engagement between the drive device 40 and the handrail 30.

As can be appreciated from fig. 3, 4 and 5, the exemplary passenger conveyor includes a guide 70 that supports the handrail 30 from the inner surface 34 along a portion of the handrail loop corresponding to the distance traveled by passengers using the conveyor. The guides 70 in this embodiment support the handrail 30 along a portion of the loop where the outer surface 32 provides a gripping surface for passengers. The suspension 100 in one embodiment includes a reverse guidance along at least a portion of the return run of the loop with the handrail 30. The inverted guidance or suspension 100 supports the weight of the corresponding section of the handrail 30 from the inner surface 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the inverted guidance or suspension 100 contacts the lip 64 to support the weight of at least a corresponding portion of the handrail 30.

The illustrated embodiment facilitates avoiding contact between the gripping surface 32 of the handrail 30 and facilitates accurate engagement of the handrail 30 with the drive belt 42 of the embodiment. The illustrated embodiment eliminates the pinch rollers and avoids contact between the gripping surfaces, thereby significantly improving the appearance and extending the useful life of the handrail by substantially reducing wear on the outer surface.

The foregoing description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this invention. The scope of the invention is to be determined solely by the following claims.

Claims (20)

1. A device for propelling a handrail of a passenger conveyor, comprising:

a drive member for engaging teeth formed on an inner surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction; and

a suspension adjacent the drive member for suspending the handrail from an inner surface of a lip of the handrail to facilitate engagement between the handrail and the drive member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suspension comprises at least one cantilever member engaging the interior surface.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the suspension includes at least two cantilevered members spaced apart a distance corresponding to a width of the drive member, and wherein the cantilevered members are positioned on opposite sides of the drive member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the drive member comprises a belt that engages the handrail along its length, and wherein each of the cantilevered members engages the inner surface along a lip corresponding to the length of the belt.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, including support members from which the cantilevered members respectively extend, and wherein the belt is at least partially received between the support members.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cantilevered member is a generally planar support arm.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cantilever member comprises a roller.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cantilever member comprises a plurality of rollers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the suspension includes at least one elongated member having a first generally planar portion supported in a fixed position relative to the drive member and a second portion extending away from the first portion for receiving another portion of the inner surface of the handrail.

10. A passenger conveyor handrail assembly comprising:

a handrail having a driven surface including a plurality of teeth and a lip proximate the teeth;

a drive member engaged with the plurality of teeth on the driven surface of the handrail to move the handrail in a desired direction; and

a suspension adjacent the drive member that suspends the handrail from the lip to facilitate engagement between the teeth of the handrail and the drive member.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the suspension comprises at least one cantilever member.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the lip slides along a portion of the cantilevered member as the drive member moves the handrail.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the suspension includes at least one roller that rotates in response to contact with the lip as the handrail moves in response to the drive member.

14. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the suspension engages the lip along a length of the handrail corresponding to an amount of engagement between the drive member and the handrail, and wherein the suspension supports the weight of at least a portion of the handrail along the length.

15. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the drive member comprises a toothed belt that engages the teeth on the driven surface of the handrail, the belt being received in a channel of the suspension.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the suspension means comprises a first support means on one side of the belt and a second support means on the other side of the belt.

17. The assembly of claim 16, including at least one locating member extending through a space between the first support means and the second support means, the belt being at least partially disposed between the at least one locating member and the handrail.

18. A passenger conveyor system, comprising:

an armrest having an outer surface and an inner surface, the outer surface providing a passenger gripping surface;

a guide supporting the handrail from the inner surface along a portion of a loop traveled by the handrail, the portion of the loop having a distance corresponding to a distance traveled by a passenger on the passenger conveyor;

a drive engaging the inner surface of the handrail for moving the handrail in a desired direction around the loop; and

a reverse guide adjacent the drive, the reverse guide suspending a corresponding portion of the handrail from the inner surface along another portion of the loop.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the inner surface of the handrail includes a plurality of teeth and a lip proximate the teeth, and the inverted guidance engages the lip to support the weight of the corresponding portion of the handrail.

20. The system of claim 19, including a channel through the reverse guide, wherein the drive member includes a strap at least partially received in the channel.