EP2542493B1

EP2542493B1 - People mover

Info

Publication number: EP2542493B1
Application number: EP10846852.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rui SHANG; Xianduo Hua; Ralf Weber
Original assignee: Kone Corp
Current assignee: Kone Corp
Priority date: 2010-03-03
Filing date: 2010-03-03
Publication date: 2021-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 2030-03-03
Also published as: EP2542493A1; EP2542493A4; WO2011106933A1

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a people mover, such as an escalator, a travelator or a moving ramp.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known in the art are people movers comprising a manual handle, which when moved away from the normal position causes initiation of the stopping of the people mover, e.g. stopping of the motor and/or activation of the brake. The manual handles known to the art are large and their location is difficult to access without stretching. Owing to their large size, manual handles have to be, among other things, positioned disadvantageously. Likewise, their construction has been complex and otherwise expensive to implement.
In FR 480 111 A , a handle is disclosed which is a manually operated potentiometer having a winding, an inverter switch for inverting the current through a motor of a conveyor in a well-known manner, and an electromagnet having normally open contacts. The conveyor cannot be turned on in the direction of descent if, by mistake, an operator tries do so until the electromagnet is energized. In JP H03 124694 A , it is described that a helper of a person in a wheel chair is able to hold the wheel chair with both hands to protect the wheel chair user while the helper is enabled to kick a kick plate of an emergency stop switch of an escalator system with his/her foot to urgently stop the escalator system.

AIM OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the invention is to produce a people mover that is improved in its safety arrangements. One aim of the invention, among others, is to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks of prior-art solutions. The purpose of the invention is further to produce one or more of the following advantages, among others:

A manual handle that is easy to access and to notice in terms of its placement, e.g. children can reach it.
A simple safety apparatus and manual handle construction.
A people mover that is inexpensive to manufacture.
A people mover that is of neat appearance.
A people mover in which the collision hazard is very small.
A safety apparatus and a manual handle construction that are advantageous in their usage of space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the concept that the manual handle of the safety apparatus of a people mover, via which manual handle the people mover can be stopped, can be arranged to extend in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt. Thus it is adequately visible from inside a travelator and it is at an advantageous height from the viewpoint of its activation.
According to the invention, a people mover, such as an escalator, travelator or ramp, comprises a conveyor part and a handrail on the side of the conveyor part, which handrail comprises a fixed stationary frame part of the handrail and a moving handrail belt, which people mover further comprises a machine for moving the conveyor part, and a safety apparatus, which comprises a movable manual handle via which the people mover can be stopped. The movable manual handle extends in the vertical direction from below (i.e. upwards) to at least beside the handrail belt.
According to the invention, the movable manual handle extends in the vertical direction from a level lower than the handrail belt to at least beside the handrail belt. In this way it can be simply supported and the apparatus formed compact.
According to the invention, the manual handle extends in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt so that its top side is essentially level with or higher than the top surface of the handrail belt. When the side is level with the top surface of the belt it is still visible but is not in the way. When it is higher, the side is more visible but the construction is still compact. The handle preferably does not extend more than 5 cm above the top surface of the handrail belt.
According to the invention, the manual handle is movably supported on the safety switch frame, which is fixed to fixed stationary frame part (6) at a fixing point inside the vertical projection of the handrail belt, from where the frame preferably extends to outside the vertical projection. Thus the construction is compact.
According to the invention, the people mover comprises means for determining the position of the manual handle and for stopping the people mover if the manual handle leaves the pre-defined normal position. The manual handle is movably supported on the safety switch frame, which comprises a safety switch for determining the position of the manual handle, which safety switch is connected to the safety circuit, and arranged to disconnect the safety circuit if the manual handle leaves the pre-defined normal position.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle is movable in the vertical direction.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the movable manual handle extends in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt and is at a horizontal distance from the handrail belt beside the handrail belt.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, moving the manual handle downward initiates stopping of the people mover. Thus a stop is easy to activate by pressing and the handle can be formed to be simple.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, moving the manual handle upward initiates stopping of the people mover.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, at least the part of the manual handle that is beside the handrail belt is flat in the transverse direction of the travelator. Thus the construction is compact.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle is a plate-like piece, the large sides of which are vertical and in the direction of travel of the travelator. Thus the construction is compact.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, at least the part of the manual handle that is beside the handrail belt is red.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the movable manual handle extends in the vertical direction to between the handrail belt and the wall or other part of the travelator, e.g. handrail belt, that is beside the handrail belt.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the safety apparatus comprises a fixed protector part supported immovably in its position (essentially near, e.g. at a horizontal distance of at most 2 cm) beside the manual handle, which protector part extends (upwards, i.e. from below) to at least level with the topmost point of the manual handle, preferably to above the topmost point of the manual handle.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle is movably supported on the safety switch frame, which is immovably fixed to the frame part of the handrail.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the frame is fixed to below the handrail belt so that the bottom surface of the frame is at the highest 15 cm from the top surface of the handrail belt. Thus the construction is compact and the visibility of the frame part minimal.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle is movably supported on a frame, which is immovably fixed to the side glass comprised in the frame part of the handrail. Thus the construction is compact.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle of the handrail belt has a top side with the same angle of upward slope as the handrail belt that is at the point of it.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the part of the manual handle extending to at least beside the handrail belt is one continuous piece, preferably a plastic plate. Thus it is advantageous to manufacture e.g. by molding.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, the manual handle is a solid piece, preferably of plastic.
In a more refined embodiment of the invention, one of the manual handles 3 defined above is preferably disposed as presented on an upward sloping section, preferably at the end of an upward sloping section, preferably at the top and at the bottom end. Thus it is easy to activate before arriving at a comb plate.
Some inventive embodiments are also presented in the descriptive section and in the drawings of the present application. The features of the various embodiments can be applied within the framework of the invention in conjunction with other embodiments. Each embodiment can also singly and separately from the other embodiments form a separate invention.

LIST OF FIGURES

In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of some embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 presents a people mover according to the invention viewed from the side and in the direction of travel.
Fig. 2 presents an A-A section of the people mover of Fig. 1 implemented according to a first embodiment.
Fig. 3 presents an A-A section of the people mover of Fig. 1 implemented according to a second embodiment.
Fig. 4 presents a solution according to Fig. 2. in three dimensions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 presents a side view of a people mover 1 according to the invention, which is an escalator, travelator or ramp, which comprises a conveyor 10 and a handrail on the side of the conveyor, which handrail comprises a fixed stationary frame part 6 of the handrail and a moving handrail belt 5. The people mover 1 further comprises a machine for moving the conveyor part and a safety apparatus 2, which comprises a movable manual handle 3, via which the people mover 1 can be stopped. The movable manual handle 1 extends in the vertical direction from below (i.e. upwards)to at least beside the handrail belt 5 (at its point in the direction of travel). The manual handle 3 is preferably disposed as presented on a uniformly upward sloping section, preferably at the end of a uniformly upward sloping section, preferably at both ends. The manual handle 3 moves in the vertical direction, and moving the manual handle in the vertical direction initiates the stopping of the people mover 1. Preferably downward movement triggers the aforementioned stopping. An advantage is that the handle can be formed to be simple.
Fig. 2 presents the people mover of Fig. 1 in more detail, implemented according to a first embodiment, as an A-A cross-section of it. The movable manual handle 3 extends in the vertical direction from below the handrail belt 5 to a level above the top surface of the handrail belt 5.
Fig. 3 presents the people mover 1 of Fig. 1 in more detail, implemented according to a second embodiment, as an A-A cross-section of it. The movable manual handle 3 extends in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt 5 so that its top side is essentially level with the top surface of the handrail belt 5. The safety apparatus 2 can comprise a fixed protector part supported immovably in its position essentially near, e.g. at a horizontal distance of at most 2 cm, and beside the manual handle 3, which protector part extends to at least level with the topmost point of the manual handle, preferably to above the topmost point of the manual handle. In this way the handle can be protected from accidental activation.
Generally speaking it is preferable that at least the part of the manual handle beside the handrail belt 5 is flat in the transverse direction of the travelator. In other words the thickness of it in the transverse direction is considerably smaller than its length (in the direction of travel). The manual handle 3 is a plate-like piece, the large sides of which are vertical and in the direction of travel of the travelator. In the embodiments presented the manual handle 3 is movably supported on the safety switch frame 7, which is immovably fixed to the frame part of the handrail belt to a fixing point inside the vertical projection of the handrail belt, from where the frame 7 extends to outside the vertical projection. The part of the frame part to which the safety switch frame 7 is fixed is preferably the side glass 6, as presented. The safety switch frame 7 comprises a safety switch 8 for determining the position of the manual handle 3, which safety switch 8 is preferably connected to the safety circuit (not presented) of the people mover 1, and arranged to disconnect the safety circuit if the manual handle leaves the pre-defined normal position. The safety switch frame 7 is preferably fixed to below the handrail belt 5 so that the bottom surface of the frame is at the highest 15 cm from the top surface of the handrail belt. The safety switch frame can be fixed with glue 14 or with mechanical fasteners 15.
The movable manual handle 3 can extend in the vertical direction to between the handrail belt and the wall or other part of the travelator, e.g. handrail belt, that is beside the handrail belt (not shown). In this case the aforementioned construction is preferable for achieving a compact construction without cramping.
In the embodiments presented the manual handle is beside the handrail belt at a horizontal distance from the handrail belt, so that the finger collision hazard would be small. Preferably the distance is at least 3 cm, more preferably at least 5 cm, preferably not however over 20 cm. The manual handle 3 is preferably a solid continuous piece of plastic material. The manual handle 3 in its entirety, or at least the part of the manual handle beside the handrail belt, is preferably red to improve its prominence. The manual handle 3 comprises a top side with preferably the same angle of upward slope as the handrail belt that is at the point of it.
The position of the handle when it is in the normal position has been described above, in which position the people mover has not been stopped by the handle. In the activated position the handle has moved, preferably upward or downward, according to what is described above. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, in which the invention is described using examples, but that many adaptations and different embodiments of the invention are possible within the frameworks of the invention defined by the claims presented below. Thus, for example, it is obvious that the people mover can also be a horizontal conveyor without an upward slope.

Claims

People mover (1), such as an escalator, travelator or ramp, which comprises a conveyor (10) and a handrail on the side of the conveyor, which handrail comprises a fixed stationary frame part (6) of the handrail and a moving handrail belt (5), which people mover further comprises a safety apparatus (2), which comprises a movable manual handle (3) via which the people mover can be stopped,
wherein the manual handle (3) is movably supported on a safety switch frame (7), wherein the safety switch frame (7) comprises a safety switch (8) for determining the position of the manual handle (3) for stopping the people mover (1) if the manual handle (3) leaves a pre-defined normal position, which safety switch (8) is connected to a safety circuit, and arranged to disconnect the safety circuit if the manual handle (3) leaves the pre-defined normal position,

characterised in that

the movable manual handle (3) extends in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt (5) so that its top side is essentially level with or higher than the top surface of the handrail belt (5); and

the safety switch frame (7) is fixed to the fixed stationary frame part (6) at a fixing point (14,15) inside a vertical projection of the handrail belt (5).
People mover according to claim 1,
wherein the manual handle (3) is movable in the vertical direction.
People mover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the movable manual handle (3) extends in the vertical direction from below to at least beside the handrail belt (5) and is at a horizontal distance from the handrail belt beside it.
People mover according to any of the preceding claims, which is configured such that moving the manual handle (3) downward initiates the stopping of the people mover (1).
People mover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least the part of the manual handle (3) beside the handrail belt (5) is flat in the transverse direction of the travelator.
People mover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the safety apparatus (2) comprises a fixed protector part (11) supported immovably in its position essentially near and beside the manual handle (3), which protector part extends to at least level with a topmost point of the manual handle (3), preferably to above the topmost point of the manual handle (3).
People mover according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the safety switch frame (7) is fixed to a side glass (6) comprised in the frame part (6) of the handrail.