Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
  • B66B23/00—Component parts of escalators or moving walkways
  • B66B23/16—Means allowing tensioning of the endless member
  • B66B23/20—Means allowing tensioning of the endless member for handrails
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
  • B66B—ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS
  • B66B25/00—Control of escalators or moving walkways
  • B66B25/006—Monitoring for maintenance or repair

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a continuously conveying, walk-in passenger transport system which is designed as an escalator or moving walk.
• Escalators and moving walks are used to transport passengers standing on tread units such as steps or pallets within buildings or structures.
• An escalator or a moving walk has a moving handrail on each side. These serve to enable passengers to hold on to one of the handrails of the escalator or moving walk in order to remain balanced and not fall. For example, a passenger may become unbalanced if they receive an unexpected push from another passenger, or if the escalator or moving walk comes to an abrupt stop.
• the transitions in escalators between the horizontal travel sections of the boarding and exit areas and the inclined travel section in between also harbor a certain risk of falling if the steps are shifted vertically in relation to one another and the passenger on the upper step has placed his toes just barely on the edge of the step.
• the handrail moves as synchronously as possible with the step belt or pallet belt. Since the handrails or handrail belts are usually driven by a friction drive, the handrail must be sufficiently pretensioned against the friction wheel so that the frictional force between the handrail and the friction wheel of the handrail drive is high enough to prevent slippage between these two friction partners.
• JP2008063056 A describes, for example, a handrail tensioning device with a tensioning element. Due to signs of wear and settling as well as the constant bending changes during operation, the handrail becomes longer and must therefore be retensioned from time to time. In order to detect the time of re-tensioning, a button is built into this handrail tensioning device, which scans the end position of the tensioning element and sends a signal to the control of the people transport system as soon as this is reached and the handrail has to be re-tensioned. The problem with this device is that the time for re-tensioning is only displayed when this is necessary, but it is not possible to predict a probable maintenance date.
• the handrail pretensioning force must not be too high, otherwise the handrail will be pressed too hard against the guide rollers and guide profiles with which it is guided all the way around, and this will increase the energy required to move the handrail and the associated wear and tear on these parts is high. Excessive handrail pretension cannot be detected with this button either.
• the object of the present invention is therefore to achieve a precise and more meaningful determination of the existing handrail pretensioning force.
• the handrail tension monitoring device for a passenger transport system designed as a moving walkway or escalator.
• the handrail tension monitoring device has at least one distance sensor and a signal processing unit.
• the measurement signals detected by the distance sensor can be processed and evaluated in the signal processing unit, the oscillation frequency of a scanned handrail of the passenger transport system being able to be determined in the signal processing unit from the signal profile of the measurement signals.
• the vibration frequency determined can be compared at least with a lower threshold value, with an alarm signal being generated if the value falls below the lower threshold value.
• the handrail pretensioning force is assessed on the basis of the vibration behavior of the handrail.
• Known parameters here are the length of a freely hanging area of the handrail, its structure, dimensions and materials used as well as the measured parameters of vibration frequency and, if applicable, the amplitude level.
• the parameter to be determined is the handrail pre-tensioning force.
• the higher the handrail preload force the higher the handrail vibration frequency and vice versa.
• the vibration frequency determined has fallen below the lower threshold value
• the minimum handrail pretensioning force has fallen below and this can lead to slippage between the friction partners mentioned above.
• From the vibration behavior or the changing oscillation frequency a change trend can also be recognized, which can be extrapolated. Using this extrapolation, a prediction can be made as to when the lower threshold value will be reached and the handrail will have to be tightened. This makes it much easier to plan maintenance.
• the handrail is preferably excited to vibrate by its movement during the conveying operation.
• the excitation to vibrate can be supported by a suitably designed device such as, for example, an alternating magnetic field that is switched on for a short time, since the handrails usually have tension members made of steel strands.
• the lower threshold is a reference value that represents the minimum required handrail pretensioning force.
• the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value described further below are preferably determined by tests on a passenger transport system after it has been assembled and can then be used for all identical or possibly even structurally similar passenger transport systems.
• the threshold values can also be determined specifically for each completed passenger transportation system and, for example, stored in a storage medium of the signal processing unit and retrieved from it. Thanks to the lower threshold value, with the help of operating status information (whether the passenger transport system is stationary or in conveying operation), a handrail failure (tearing) can be recognized immediately and suitable measures such as an emergency stop of the passenger transport system can be initiated.
• the determined oscillation frequency can also be compared with at least one upper threshold value, with a warning signal being generated if the upper threshold value is exceeded.
• the upper threshold represents the maximum permissible handrail pretensioning force.
• the handrail tension monitoring device can be installed in the passenger transport system, it preferably has a holder for the distance sensor, with this holder being mountable on a fixed component of the passenger transport system.
• the holder can be designed in such a way that in the operating state of the handrail tension monitoring device, the distance sensor is in a freely hanging position Area of the handrail is directed against a palm rest surface or against a back of the handrail.
• the palm resting surface is the broad surface of the handrail on which the user places their hand, grasping the two side surfaces of the handrail with their thumb and fingers.
• the back of the handrail is usually provided with a slippery fabric so that it can slide as well as possible on the surfaces of a guide profile.
• the hand support surface or rear side of the handrail moves towards or away from the sensor.
• the continuously recorded measured values of the distance sensor result in a measured value curve that reflects the vibrations occurring on the handrail.
• a continuous acquisition of the measured values can also be understood as an acquisition in discrete steps with a high cadence and the like, which result in a meaningful and evaluable measured value profile.
• the holder can have adjustment means for aligning the distance sensor relative to the hand support surface or to the back of the handrail.
• the distance sensor can be aligned with the handrail in such a way that, on the one hand, the distance can be continuously measured with sufficient precision and, on the other hand, the handrail does not collide with the distance sensor when it reaches the minimum prestress and thus the greatest amplitude.
• a TOF camera an infrared distance sensor, a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor with time-of-flight detection, or a radar sensor can be used as a distance sensor, for example.
• any sensor that can record the vibrations as a distance signal curve can be used.
• the signal processing unit of the handrail tension monitoring device can be implemented, for example, in the distance sensor, in a controller of the passenger transport system, or in a data cloud.
• the signal processing unit is not tied to a specific location, but it must be connected to the distance sensor via a cable and/or wireless signal transmission, or at least be able to be connected periodically.
• this can output an alarm signal and/or warning signal.
• This alarm signal and/or warning signal can be transmitted to a controller of the passenger transport system.
• the ferry operation of the passenger transport system can be influenced in such a way that it is stopped immediately, the driving speed is reduced or a time is waited until only a low number of users is registered by another sensor and only then is the escalator shut down for corresponding maintenance work.
• Each passenger transport system preferably has a handrail tension monitoring device for each of its handrails.
• the handrail tension monitoring device can have a signal transmission device or can be connected to a signal transmission device, via which at least the recorded signal curve of the measurement signals can be transmitted to a digital double data set of the passenger transport system.
• a digital doppelganger data set that virtually maps this passenger transport system can be present.
• the measurement signals or signal curves generated by the distance sensor can be transmitted to the digital double data set via the signal transmission device.
• dynamic processes of the operating passenger transport system can be simulated and displayed in real time on the digital doppelganger data set.
• the digital doppelganger data set comprises the characterizing properties of components of the physical people transportation system in a machine-processable way. This is constructed from component model datasets, which include data obtained by measuring characteristic properties of the physical transportation system after it has been assembled and installed in a structure.
• the characterizing properties of the physical components can be geometric dimensions of the component, the weight of the component and/or the surface finish of the component. Geometric dimensions of the components can be, for example, a length, a width, a height, a cross section, radii, roundings, etc. of the components.
• the surface properties of the components can include, for example, roughness, textures, coatings, colors, reflectivities, etc. of the components.
• the characterizing properties can also be dynamic information, for example a movement vector of a component model data record, which indicates its direction of movement and speed relative to surrounding component model data records or to a static reference point of the digital double data record.
• the characterizing properties can relate to individual components or groups of components.
• the characterizing properties can relate to individual components from which larger, more complex groups of components are assembled.
• the properties can also relate to more complex equipment composed of several components, such as drive machines, gear units, conveyor chains, etc.
• the signals of the distance sensor are transmitted as measurement data to the digital double dataset and using a set of rules, characterizing properties of the component model datasets affected by the transmitted measurement data are newly determined. Then the characterizing properties of the affected component model data sets are updated with the newly determined, characterizing properties.
• the vibration frequency and amplitude measured by the distance sensor can be transferred to the component model data set representing the handrail and to the component model data sets that guide the handrail and guide profiles and guide rollers.
• all dynamically movable component model data sets can be displayed with the same movements as their physical components in the physical passenger transport system have at the time the signals are recorded.
• the interactions of the component model data sets can be simulated from the movements of the component model data sets and, using the corresponding known calculation programs from the fields of physics, mechanics and strength of materials, determine the forces acting on the components.
• the present invention also includes a method for processing and evaluating measurement signals from the handrail tension monitoring device described above.
• the vibration frequency of the scanned handrail is determined in the signal processing unit from the signal profile of the measurement signals and the vibration frequency determined is compared with at least one lower threshold value. From the comparison (change trend in the vibration frequency) and difference to the lower threshold value, a maintenance time can be determined, for example, at which the handrail must be retensioned. If the value falls below the lower threshold value, an alarm signal is generated, which is transmitted for further processing, for example to the controller of the passenger transport system. Based on the alarm signal, this can, for example, stop the drive and send a message to a maintenance center.
• the determined oscillation frequency can also be compared with at least one upper threshold value in the signal processing unit, with a warning signal being generated if the upper threshold value is exceeded.
• the drive does not necessarily have to be stopped due to the warning signal.
• the signal processing unit can, for example, send a message to the mobile phone of the maintenance worker who has just tightened the handrail too much.
• a number of successive amplitude levels of the oscillating handrail can also be determined and these can be compared with a level limit value and a number limit value. If a certain number of amplitudes exceed the height limit, this confirms that the vibration frequency or handrail preload force is too low.
• the recorded signal course can be transmitted to a digital double data set of the passenger transport system and the repercussions of the vibrating handrail on other components of the passenger transport system can be determined using static and dynamic simulations.
• the vibration frequency of a handrail is usually dependent on the direction of travel. Accordingly, the threshold values can be defined depending on the direction of travel.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows the most important components or parts of an escalator, in particular its handrail and its handrail tensioning device as well as the components of a handrail tension monitoring device according to the invention with a distance sensor.
• FIG. 2 shows the handrail tensioning device and the distance sensor of the handrail tension monitoring device of the passenger transport system shown in FIG. 1 in an enlarged representation.
• FIG. 3A shows a fictitious signal curve of the measurement signals of the distance sensor shown in FIGS.
• FIG. 3B shows a possible evaluation of the measurement signals shown in FIG. 3A.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows the most important components or parts of a passenger transport system 1 configured as an escalator.
• the support structure 3 accommodates the other components of the passenger transport system 1, such as a conveyor belt 11 that runs around the structure 3, two balustrades 13, each with a handrail 15 that runs around it (only one balustrade 13 is shown), a drive unit 17 for driving the conveyor belt 11 and of the handrails 15, and a controller 19, which is connected to the drive unit 17 via a signal line 49 to control the latter.
• a returning run 21 of the handrail 15 is guided in a balustrade base 25 by means of guide rollers 27, while its leading run 23 is guided on guide profiles 29 (see FIG. 2, section AA).
• the part of the handrail 15 that is visible to the user and can therefore be grasped is the leading strand 23 , while the returning strand 21 is hidden in the base 25 of the balustrade.
• the drive unit 17 is operatively connected to a main drive shaft 31 .
• the conveyor belt 11 is also guided around the main drive shaft 31 and is driven by it.
• the handrail 15 is driven by friction wheels 35 of a handrail drive 33 , these friction wheels 35 also being operatively connected to the drive unit 17 via the main drive shaft 31 .
• a handrail clamping device 37 is provided.
• the handrail 15 can be prestressed by means of this.
• the handrail tensioning device 37, the handrail drive 33 and the guide rollers 27 guiding the handrail 15 in places are also arranged within the balustrade base 25.
• a distance sensor 43 of a handrail tension monitoring device 41 is arranged in the balustrade base 25 .
• the distance sensor 43 is connected to the controller 19 of the passenger transport system 1 via a signal line 45 shown with a broken line.
• a signal processing unit 47 of the handrail tension monitoring device 41 can be arranged in the controller 19 or implemented in its electronics. However, it can also be implemented in the distance sensor 43 itself, or even outside the physical area of the passenger transport system 1, for example in a data cloud (cloud) 95.
• the distance sensor 43 is arranged in a freely suspended area 57 of the handrail 15, preferably between two guide rollers 27.
• the handrail sags to different degrees in the freely hanging area 57 .
• solid line 51 When properly tensioned, it will sag slightly as shown by solid line 51. If it is too tight, it tends to be in the position shown in phantom line 53, and if it is under-tightened, it is in the position shown in broken line 55.
• FIG 2 shows an enlarged view of the handrail tensioning device 37 and the distance sensor 43 of the handrail tension monitoring device 41 of the passenger transport system 1 shown in Figure 1.
• the handrail tensioning device 37 has a roller carrier 69 with pressure rollers 67, a spindle 63, adjusting nuts 65 and a support 61.
• the support 61 is attached to a fixed component 81 of the passenger transport system 1, in the example shown to an upper flange of the supporting structure 3, for example with screws.
• the spindle 63 which is firmly connected to the roller carrier 69, can be adjusted relative to the support 61 by means of the adjusting nuts 65 adjust so that the desired handrail biasing force can be applied to the handrail 15.
• handrail clamping devices 37 designed differently can also be used, for example with a spring element. However, such a handrail clamping device 37 must also be tightened from time to time.
• the handrail tension monitoring device 41 has a holder 71 which is also mounted on the upper chord or on a fixed component 81 of the passenger transport system 1 .
• the holder 71 is designed in such a way that when the handrail tension monitoring device 41 is in operation, its distance sensor 43, more precisely a sensor head 77 of the distance sensor 43, is directed in a freely suspended area 51 of the handrail 15 against a hand support surface 83 or against a rear side 85 of the handrail 15.
• the holder 71 has adjustment means 73, 75 for aligning the distance sensor 43 relative to the hand support surface 83 or to the rear side 85 of the handrail 15.
• these adjusting means 73, 75 are adjusting nuts 75, which are also used to fasten the distance sensor, and slotted screw connections 73, in order to mount and align the holder 71 on the stationary component 81.
• the distance sensor 71 must be able to carry out a rapid sequence of distance measurements, i.e. the changing distances caused by vibrations (represented by the double arrow 87 and the deflections of the handrail in the freely suspended area 51 indicated with broken lines) as measurement signals and their capture the waveform.
• Various distance sensors 71 are suitable for this, such as a TOF camera, an infrared distance sensor, a laser distance sensor, an ultrasonic sensor with transit time detection or a radar sensor.
• the measurement signals and their signal profile are transmitted to the signal processing unit 47 via the signal line 45, for example.
• the signal line 45 wireless transmission can also take place, for example via a Bluetooth connection and the like.
• the signal processing unit 47 itself can be arranged in the distance sensor 71 . But you can as shown in Figure 1, also in the controller 19 of Passenger transport system 1 to be integrated. Furthermore, it is also possible for the signal processing unit 47 to be implemented in a data cloud (cloud) and for the necessary evaluations to be made there.
• the handrail tension monitoring device 41 can have communication means 89 or can be connected to communication means 89 via which at least the recorded signal curve of the measurement signals can be transmitted to a digital double dataset 101 of the passenger transport system 1 .
• FIGS. 3A and 3B A possible evaluation of the measurement signals M and the signal curve MV are shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
• Figure 3A shows a fictitious signal curve MV of the measurement signals M of the distance sensor 43 shown in Figures 1 and 2.
• the illustrated signal curve MV shows a low amplitude A and a high oscillation frequency f.
• the handrail 15 is able to oscillate further and further, so that the oscillation frequency f decreases and the amplitude height H of the amplitudes A increases.
• the loss of preload force does not occur within a few oscillations, but actually over a very long period of time.
• FIG. 3B shows the frequency curve FK determined from the signal curve MV as well as an upper threshold value OS and a lower threshold value US.
• the measured oscillation frequency f is so high that the frequency curve FK exceeds the upper threshold value OS.
• the handrail 15 is thus far too tight, which is why a warning signal W is generated in the signal processing unit 47 and this is transmitted to the maintenance technician's mobile phone, for example, so that he sees immediately after the handrail 15 has been tightened that the handrail pretensioning force is too high is. He can then reduce the handrail pretensioning force to such an extent that it falls below the upper threshold value OS.
• the warning signal W can also be transmitted to the controller 19 of the passenger transport system 1 shown in FIG. 1, thereby stopping the ferry operation of the passenger transport system 1 after a few seconds.
• the lower threshold US is dimensioned such that with normal loading of the handrail 15 there is just no slippage between the friction wheel 35 of the handrail drive 33 and the handrail 15 (see FIG. 1).
• the lower threshold value US can be determined, for example, by testing, but it can also be calculated from the geometric data of the handrail drive 33, the coefficient of friction between the handrail 15 and the various friction partners along the entire handrail guide route, and the handrail pretensioning force.
• the oscillation frequency f of a handrail 15 depends on the direction of travel. Accordingly, the threshold values can be defined depending on the direction of travel.
• the alarm signal Z is transmitted to the controller 19 of the passenger transport system 1 and, for safety reasons, this stops the ferry operation of the passenger transport system 1 until the handrail 15 has been tightened again by means of the handrail tensioning device 37 .
• a number of successive amplitude heights H of the vibrating handrail 15 can be determined from the signal curve MV of the measurement signals M in order to verify the oscillation frequency f, and these can be compared with a height limit value HG and a number limit value n.
• an impermissibly low handrail prestressing force can also be determined if the handrail 15 is excited to vibrate at a higher frequency as a result of external influences, for example rapid tugging on the handrail 15, and as a result does not fall below the lower threshold value US.
• the amplitude level H reveals that the handrail pretensioning force is too low.
• a digital double data set 101 is used for this purpose, which is stored in a data processing device 95 (cloud), for example.
• This digital doppelganger data set 101 represents the passenger transport system 1 virtually. This means that each individual component of the passenger transport system 1 is also reproduced in the digital double data record 101 .
• the digital doppelganger data set 101 is preferably structured into component model data sets 113 which are linked to one another via interface information. In other words, the components of the passenger transport system 1 are reproduced as component model data sets 113 .
• Each of these component model data records 113 (for example the component model data record 113 of the guide roller 27) has all the characterizing properties of the physical component to be imaged as completely as possible.
• the interface information present in the digital doppelganger data set 101 is there to reflect the arrangement of the components in three-dimensional space relative to one another, their interaction with one another when forces, moments and the like are applied and transmitted, and, if applicable, their relative degrees of freedom of movement.
• This digital doppelganger data set 101 can be downloaded from the data processing device 95 via an input/output interface 99, in the example shown a personal computer, processed further and used for simulations 105.
• the simulations 105 can also be carried out in the data processing device 95, in which case the input/output interface 99 can then only have the function of a computer terminal.
• the simulations 105 there is the possibility, as shown by the double arrow 97, of using the signal transmission device 89 of the handrail tension monitoring device 41 to transmit the measurement signals and the signal curve of the distance sensor 43 to the digital double data set 101. Supplemented in this way, the simulations 105 can then be carried out with this by examining how the measurement signals M of the handrail tension monitoring device 41 affect the individual virtual components of the digital doppelganger data set 101 represented by component model data sets 113 .
• the input/output interface 99 is in communication with the data processing device 95, as represented by the double arrow 115. Accordingly, the simulation 105 and the simulation results 107 can be presented as a virtual representation 103 on the input/output interface 99 . In this way, processes that occur when the passenger transport system 1 is in operation can be displayed in real time on the input/output interface 99 in an evaluated form.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 show a people-transport system 1 designed as an escalator, it is obvious that the present invention can also be used in a people-transport system 1 designed as a moving walk.

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• 2021
  • 2021-09-09 EP EP21777434.8A patent/EP4217303A1/de active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 AU AU2021348956A patent/AU2021348956A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 WO PCT/EP2021/074821 patent/WO2022063595A1/de unknown
  • 2021-09-09 JP JP2023518996A patent/JP2023543789A/ja active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 CN CN202180063589.8A patent/CN116323465A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 US US18/246,260 patent/US20230356983A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 CA CA3195712A patent/CA3195712A1/en active Pending
  • 2021-09-09 BR BR112023005284A patent/BR112023005284A2/pt unknown
  • 2021-09-09 KR KR1020237013744A patent/KR20230074764A/ko unknown
  • 2021-09-11 TW TW110133897A patent/TW202227351A/zh unknown

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