JP2004507411A - Drives for escalators or moving walkways - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor (2) provided with a traveling belt (4). The passenger conveyor (2) is fixed to the frame (6), the frame (6), and a drive shaft (10). A main traveling belt driving mechanism (12) having at least one traveling belt driving wheel connected to the driving shaft; a driving motor (16) and a reduction gear (18) for driving the main traveling belt driving mechanism (12). And an output of the reduction gear (18) is connected to an input of the main traveling belt drive mechanism (12). According to the present invention, the drive motor (16) is fixed to the housing (22) of the reduction gear (18), and the drive motor (16) and the reduction gear (18) constitute a drive device (8); The driving device (8) is supported by the main traveling belt driving mechanism (12).

Description

[0001]
【Technical field】
The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor having a running belt, and more particularly to an escalator or moving walkway. The passenger conveyor drives a main traveling belt driving mechanism including a frame, a driving shaft fixed to the frame, and a driving shaft and at least one traveling belt driving wheel connected to the driving shaft, and a main traveling belt driving mechanism. And a drive device including a drive motor and a reduction gear, and an output of the reduction gear is connected to an input of the main traveling belt drive mechanism.
[0002]
[Background Art]
Currently, many passenger conveyors of this type are in use. The running belt corresponds to a passenger transport element of the passenger conveyor. Passengers are transported along the exposed surface of the traveling belt while standing or walking. In an escalator, the running belt is also called a step belt. The step belt is composed of a plurality of steps connected to each other by a step chain. A main running belt drive is generally provided in one of the reversal areas of the running belt, and the main running belt drive typically includes two chain wheels that drive the running belt engaging a step chain. In. The main traveling belt driving mechanism is driven by a driving device.
[0003]
On a moving sidewalk, the running belt is formed by individual pallet bodies connected to each other. Therefore, the running belt is also called a pallet belt in such a case. The pallet bodies are connected to each other via a transport chain similar to the escalator, and are driven by the main traveling belt drive mechanism. However, there are also moving walkways in which the running belt is made of a material that is relatively elastic, such as reinforced plastic, and that extends substantially continuously over the length of the running belt. That is, in this case, no individual steps or pallets are provided. Such a moving sidewalk is also generally driven by a main running belt drive mechanism provided in one of the reversal areas.
[0004]
The drive for driving the main running belt drive mechanism often includes a drive motor, to which the first stage of the reduction gear is directly connected. Passenger conveyor brakes are often also provided in the area of the drive motor. The drive motor is generally fixed to the frame of the passenger conveyor together with the first stage of the reduction gear. The output of the first stage of the reduction gear drives the main running belt drive via a so-called intermediate gear. This intermediate gear generally comprises a chain gear or a gear. The intermediate gear needs to be effective over a certain distance, but this is easily achievable with a chain gear. That is, the effective distance can be easily extended by a slightly longer chain. Intermediate gears designed in the form of gears generally include a plurality of gears having uniform dimensions and are not required for gear reduction. Chain gears are commonly used in so-called department store equipment, including even department stores, shopping centers, and even office buildings. For example, so-called transportation devices used in public transport areas such as railway stations, airports, subway stations, etc., need to meet significantly higher standards than devices used in commercial applications. Intermediate gears realized in the form of gears are used in particular in traffic equipment.
[0005]
The known embodiments of such devices all have various disadvantages. First, there is a need for a series of components that need to be arranged in relation to each other and individually fixed to the frame. In particular, by individually fixing the drive motors to the frame, additional vibrations are transmitted to the frame and undesired noise is generated. Also, fixing the components individually has the disadvantage that the components need to be individually adjusted with respect to each other. This increases assembly costs and adversely affects competitiveness. In addition, the need for each individual housing for each individual component requires additional materials and increases costs.
[0006]
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is based on the object of designing a passenger conveyor of the type described above which has a design which prevents the transmission of vibrations from the drive motor to the frame and which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
[0007]
In the present invention, the object is that the drive motor is fixed to the housing of the reduction gear, the drive motor and the reduction gear constitute a drive device, and the drive device is supported by the main traveling belt drive mechanism. This is achieved by a passenger conveyor. Preferably, the brake is also provided integrally with the driving device. The brake can be arranged, for example, as a separate part between the drive motor and the reduction gear, or provided integrally with the drive motor or the reduction gear.
[0008]
Comparing this configuration to that known in the art, it will be readily apparent that the overall gear reduction is achieved by only one gear instead of two separate reduction gears. The drive motor is fixed to the gear housing. In this case, the brake can be arranged between the reduction gear and the drive motor if necessary. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to fix the drive motor directly to the frame, and the transmission of vibrations to the frame is considerably reduced. Accordingly, when a brake is provided together with the reduction gear and the drive motor, the brake also constitutes an integrated drive device. An additional feature is that the integrated drive is directly supported by the main running belt drive. This drive can be pre-assembled as a whole as a single part. No special adjustment of the drive is required. The drive can in particular be designed such that the housing of the reduction gear simultaneously constitutes the end shield of the rotor of the drive motor. In this case, it is particularly advantageous for the housing of the reduction gear to simultaneously constitute the housing of the brake. Also, the housing of the drive motor may be connected to the housing of the reduction gear by a conventional connecting element. When assembling the passenger conveyor, the entire drive unit can be fixed to the main running belt drive mechanism. As will be explained in more detail below, depending on the fixing method, only a slight adjustment is required or no adjustment is required.
[0009]
The drive is preferably supported by the shaft of the main running belt drive. The axis of the main running belt drive may include, for example, longitudinal teeth that mesh with corresponding teeth of the output of the reduction gear. In this case, the driving device is simply pressed against the driving shaft of the main traveling belt driving mechanism, and is fixed so as not to be loosened by a bolt joint or keying.
[0010]
Also, the housing of the drive can be connected to the support structure of the main running belt drive, for example by being bolted tight. In this configuration, a specific alignment is required to ensure complete transmission of power from the drive motor to the main travel belt drive mechanism via the reduction gear. For example, if the reduction gear is not fixed to the main traveling belt drive mechanism with the correct alignment, misalignment may occur between the rotating components, resulting in increased wear. In contrast to the case where the drive is supported on the drive shaft of the main running belt drive, this type of configuration requires specific adjustments.
[0011]
Preferably, a torque support is provided between the frame of the passenger conveyor and the drive. The torque support may e.g. extend from the housing of the reduction gear or from the drive motor. This torque support is particularly required in a configuration in which the drive device is supported only by the drive shaft of the main traveling belt drive mechanism. This design is advantageous even in a configuration in which the driving device is connected to a support frame or the like of the main traveling belt driving mechanism because the stress center distance is relatively long. Also, the torque support can be directly connected to the frame of the passenger conveyor. This connection can also be realized indirectly by components arranged between them. In extreme cases, the torque support may have another design. If desired, a torque support can be implemented in connection with the building where the passenger conveyor is located.
[0012]
Preferably, an elastic torque support is provided. This torque support may be, for example, a conventional damper or a coil spring damper used in large quantities in the automotive industry. Parts of this type are particularly preferred in view of cost. For this purpose, a polymer vibration insulator, a rubber insulator, or an insulator made of another suitable elastic material may be considered.
[0013]
The reduction gear is preferably realized in the form of a gear. Gears are generally suitable for transmitting high loads. Furthermore, gears require less maintenance. This is particularly advantageous with respect to the one-piece construction of the drive. Three-stage reduction gears are particularly preferred. The most preferred reduction gear is a three-stage reduction gear, in which the first stage comprises a conical gear turning the rotation axis by 90 °, and the second and third stages are formed by a conical gear. It consists of spur gears and in these stages the direction of the axis of rotation does not change, ie the axis of rotation simply translates from step to step.
[0014]
The required gear reduction ratio can be realized to be particularly advantageous with a three-stage reduction gear. A typical rotational speed in a conventional drive motor, for example a four pole asynchronous motor, is about 1500 rpm with a supply frequency of 50 Hz. At the same frequency, a six pole asynchronous motor has a rotational speed of about 1000 rpm. Since a rotation speed of about 10 rpm is desirable for driving the main running belt drive mechanism, it is desirable to achieve a gear reduction ratio of about 120: 1. A particularly preferred reduction gear is a first reduction stage including a conical gear having a gear reduction ratio of about 6: 1 as a first stage, a spur gear having a gear reduction ratio of about 4: 1, and about 6: 1. A second gear reduction stage including a spur gear having a gear reduction ratio of This provides a total gear reduction ratio of about 120: 1. The conical gear is advantageously a hypoid bevel gear, but may be another type of conical gear.
[0015]
Further, the reduction gear may be a chain gear or a combination of a gear gear and a chain gear.
[0016]
The reduction gear housing is preferably divided into separate chambers so that different lubricants can be used for the individual gear stages. Clearly, higher gears require higher quality lubricants than lower gears. Similarly, gears with higher power densities require correspondingly better lubricants. For example, for low speed gears a grease lubricant is sufficient, while for high speed gears it is advantageous to provide an oil lubricant. If a common lubricant is provided for all gears, the gear with the highest requirements will determine the quality of the lubricant and the intervals between lubricant changes. If the reduction gear is divided into separate chambers, it is possible to select a suitable lubricant for each chamber. This can significantly reduce the demand for expensive and high quality lubricants. By properly selecting the dimensions of the chambers and matching the respective lubricants to one another, the lubricant change intervals in both chambers can be adapted such that no additional maintenance costs are substantially incurred.
[0017]
Preferably, a first chamber is provided for the first and second gear stages and a second chamber is provided for the third gear stage.
[0018]
Individual modules, each comprising a first stage of a reduction gear and a drive motor, can be connected to the last gear of the gear train at which the output of the reduction gear is generated. This is in a particularly simple way, especially if the first chamber is provided for the first and second gear stages and the second chamber is provided for the third gear stage. It is feasible. The option of connecting a plurality of individual modules, including the drive motor and the first stage of the reduction gear, to the last gear of the gear train is an option for a small number of identical parts, namely passenger conveyors of any size due to the concept of modules. And a driving device for the same. It is evident that a shorter conveyor distance or a lower conveyor height requires a much lower drive output than a longer conveyor distance or a higher conveyor height. Heretofore, drive motors with different rated outputs have been used for different output requirements. Also, gears of different dimensions have been manufactured for each rated output of the drive motor. The manufacture and storage of these parts was correspondingly cost intensive. With the modular design proposed in the present invention, two different parts, the last gear of a gear train provided in a housing with a plurality of selectable connection functions, the first stage of a reduction gear and the drive motor And a drive device that can handle any rated output of a passenger conveyor alone.
[0019]
The drive of the reduction gear is preferably connected to the shaft of the main running belt drive.
[0020]
The last gear of the gear train is preferably connected directly to the running belt drive wheels of the main running belt drive. This embodiment offers the advantage that, in extreme cases, the last gear of the gear train and the running belt drive wheels of the main running belt drive can be realized in one piece. This often simplifies manufacturing, since these parts often have substantially the same diameter.
[0021]
The present invention further relates to a drive for the passenger conveyor of the present invention having a running belt, the drive comprising a drive motor and a reduction gear connected to the main running belt drive mechanism, wherein the drive motor is It is characterized by being fixed to a reduction gear.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows schematically the main parts of a passenger conveyor 2 according to the invention. This figure shows a part of the traveling belt 4, a part of the frame 6, the driving device 8, and the driving shaft 10 of the main traveling belt driving mechanism 12.
[0023]
The traveling belt 4 can be a step belt if the passenger conveyor 2 is an escalator, and a pallet belt or an endless traveling belt if the passenger conveyor moves on a sidewalk. In any case, the traveling belt 4 is driven by the main traveling belt drive mechanism 12. The main traveling belt drive mechanism 12 includes at least one traveling belt driving wheel (not shown), which can be, for example, a chain wheel that engages with a driving chain of the traveling belt 4. In general, two running belt drive wheels fixed to a common drive shaft 10 are provided, that is, one running belt drive wheel is arranged on each side of the running belt 4.
[0024]
As shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, the traveling belt drive shaft 10 is attached to the frame 6 of the passenger conveyor 2 via a bearing 14. Further, the main traveling belt drive mechanism 12 may include a separate transport frame fixed to the frame 6 of the passenger conveyor 2.
[0025]
The drive shaft 10 of the main traveling belt drive mechanism 12 is driven by the drive device 8. The drive device 8 includes a drive motor 16, a brake 17, and a reduction gear 18. The drive motor 16 may be a conventional 4-pole or 6-pole asynchronous motor or the like. This type of motor operates at a rotational frequency of about 1000-1500 rpm with a supply frequency of 50 Hz. The reduction gear 18 is preferably arranged in a closed housing. Reduction gears typically provide a gear reduction ratio of about 120: 1. Other gear reduction ratios are possible depending on the operating frequency, drive motor, and intended use.
[0026]
The drive motor 16 is fixed to a housing of a reduction gear 18 via a brake 17. The drive motor is substantially cylindrical and is arranged such that its longitudinal axis is substantially located on an extension in the direction in which the reduction gear extends. For this reason, it is necessary to change the rotation direction by 90 ° between the drive motor 16 and the drive shaft 10, but this provides an advantage that the mass distribution of the drive device is substantially one-dimensional. This makes it possible to attach the drive to the main running belt drive so that moment absorption is virtually unnecessary around the direction in which the drive 8 extends. When the drive motor 16 is provided substantially parallel to the drive shaft 10, in a region where the drive device 8 is attached to the main traveling belt drive mechanism 12, around the direction in which the drive device 8 extends. It will be readily apparent that significant moments need to be absorbed. Further, since this moment is transmitted by the housing of the reduction gear 18, it is necessary to provide the housing 22 to be appropriately stabilized.
[0027]
In the embodiment shown, the housing 22 of the reduction gear 18 is fixed to the frame 6 of the passenger conveyor 2. Further, the drive device 8 is supported by a torque support section 20 via a drive motor 16. In another configuration, the drive device 8 is substantially supported only by the drive shaft 10 of the main running belt drive mechanism 12.
[0028]
FIG. 1 clearly shows that the drive device 8 does not project below the running belt 4 but rather generally outside the running belt 4 and into the upper region of the machine. Unlike the arrangement in which the drive device 8 is arranged between the front running part and the rear running part of the running belt 4, the configuration of the invention offers the advantage that the drive can be easily accessed, for example for manual operation. I do. Manual operation may be necessary, for example, when it is necessary to rescue a passenger in the area of the running belt after an emergency stop.
[0029]
FIG. 2 is a substantially enlarged view of the reduction gear 18 of the driving device 8. This figure also shows a drive motor 16 having a longitudinal axis that is turned 90 ° with respect to the axis of rotation of the individual gears of the reduction gear 18. A conical gear 24 is arranged in the reduction gear housing 22, which constitutes the first stage of the reduction gear and has a first conical gear 26 and a gear shaft 28. And a second conical gear 30 fixed to the A relatively small spur gear 32 engaged with a relatively large spur gear 34 rotates with the second conical gear 30 and the gear shaft 28. The spur gear 34 is fixed to a shaft 36. The two spur gears 32, 34 constitute a second stage 37 of the reduction gear. Another relatively small spur gear 38, which engages another relatively large spur gear 40 that ultimately drives the drive shaft 10 at the desired rotational speed, rotates with the spur gear 34 and the shaft 36. The individual gear shafts are provided in the housing 22 of the reduction gear and in corresponding bearings 42 shown schematically in this figure.
[0030]
The reduction gear is divided into two chambers 44, 46, the first stage of the reduction gear and the second stage 37 of the reduction gear are arranged in the first chamber 44 and constituted by spur gears 38, 40. A third stage 48 of the reduced gear to be activated is located in the second chamber 46. Thereby, the two chambers 44 and 46 can be individually lubricated. In addition, a plurality of modules consisting of the drive motor 16 and the first and second stages 24, 37 of the reduction gear can be connected to the last gear 40 of the gear train according to the output requirements of the drive 8. , A particularly simple modular design of the drive 8 is possible. In extreme cases, multiple modules can be arranged around the last gear 40 of the gear train, such as a star engine. The housing in which the last gear 40 of the gear train is accommodated may for example comprise a plurality of openings to which individual modules can be connected. However, such openings need to be sealed if the module is not connected to the corresponding opening.
[0031]
The driving force can also be increased by connecting one corresponding driving device 8 to both sides of the driving shaft 10 of the passenger conveyor 2.
[0032]
Also, by changing the gears of the reduction gear 18, different gear reduction ratios for different applications and different drive motors 16 can be achieved relatively easily. Further, the driving device 8 can include main components of the main traveling belt driving mechanism 12 and the like. For example, a bearing device for the drive shaft 10 can be incorporated in the drive device 8. In particular, when the last gear 40 is realized integrally with the driving belt driving wheel, it is conceivable to realize the main driving belt driving mechanism integrally with the driving device 8.
[0033]
Further, the moving handrail drive mechanism (not shown) can be driven by the last gear 40 of the gear train or the traveling belt drive wheels. Also, for example, the pick-off wheel of the mobile handrail drive mechanism can be connected to the last gear 40 and / or the running belt drive wheel.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
It is an explanatory view showing the main parts of the passenger conveyor concerning the present invention.
FIG. 2
FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a driving device used in a passenger conveyor according to the present invention.

Claims (13)

A passenger conveyor (2) comprising a running belt (4),
(A) frame (6);
(B) a main traveling belt driving mechanism (12) fixed to the frame (6) and including a driving shaft (10) and at least one traveling belt driving wheel connected to the driving shaft;
(C) a driving device that drives the main traveling belt driving mechanism (12) and includes a driving motor (16) and a reduction gear (18);
Wherein the output of the reduction gear (18) is connected to the input of the main traveling belt drive mechanism (12).
The drive motor (16) is fixed to a housing (22) of the reduction gear (18), and the drive motor (16) and the reduction gear (18) constitute the drive device (8). And the driving device (8) is supported by the main traveling belt driving mechanism (12). 2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the driving device is supported by a driving shaft of the main traveling belt driving mechanism. 3. Passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a torque support (20) is provided between the frame (6) and the drive (8). Passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that an elastic torque support (20) is provided. A passenger conveyor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reduction gear (18) comprises a gear. 6. A passenger conveyor according to claim 5, wherein said reduction gear comprises a three-stage reduction gear. The first stage (24) of the reduction gear (18) comprises a conical gear turning the rotation axis by 90 °, and the second stage (37) and the third stage (37) of the reduction gear (18). 7. A passenger conveyor as claimed in claim 6, wherein the steps (37, 48) comprise a spur gear and the direction of the rotation axis is not changed in these steps (37, 48). The housing (22) of the reduction gear (18) is characterized in that it is divided into separate chambers (44, 46) so that different lubricants can be used for the individual gear stages. A passenger conveyor according to any of the preceding claims. A first chamber (44) is provided for the first and second stages (24, 37) of the gear, and a second chamber (46) is provided for the third stage (48). 9. A passenger conveyor as claimed in claim 8, wherein the passenger conveyor is provided for: The individual modules, each comprising a first stage of the reduction gear (18) and the drive motor (16), are connectable to the last gear of the gear train from which the output of the reduction gear (18) occurs. A passenger conveyor according to any of the preceding claims. Conveyor for passengers according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the output of the reduction gear (18) is connected to a drive shaft (10) of the main travel belt drive mechanism (12). Conveyor for passengers according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the last gear (40) of the gear train is directly connected to the running belt drive wheels of the main running belt drive (12). . Passenger with a traveling belt (4) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the drive motor (16) and the reduction gear (18) connected to the main traveling belt drive mechanism (12). Conveyor drive (8), wherein the drive motor (16) is fixed to the reduction gear (18).