RU2311334C2 - Passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering; endless belt passenger conveyors.

SUBSTANCE: proposed conveyor belt consists of great number of step treads connected by sides to drive chain setting them into motion, and moving flange. In operation, flange moves together with conveyor belt. Said flange consists of great number of disks attached to step tread members and great number of bridges. Each bridge is alternately fastened between two adjacent disks. "Pin-slot" joint is formed between bridge and disk. Plastic insert is used in "pin-slot" joint.

EFFECT: reduced cost of manufacture of flange parts at preservation of high quality of surfaces in "pin-slot: joint.

8 cl, 7 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to passenger conveyors, and more particularly to passenger conveyors containing an endless conveyor belt equipped with a group of step tread elements connected by side edges to a drive chain mounted to drive them, and a moving flange mounted to move together with conveyor belt during operation and consisting of a group of disks attached to the elements of the tread steps, and a group of jumpers, each of which is alternately fixed between do two adjacent disks.

State of the art

Such a passenger conveyor is known, for example, from document WO 02/44072 A1. Typical examples of such passenger conveyors are escalators and moving walkways. An escalator usually contains a sequence of movable, interconnected elements of the tread steps, called "steps", driven by a drive motor around the upper and lower pulleys or other mechanisms to reverse the direction of chain movement. These steps connected to each other are called passenger conveyor belts or stage belts. Similarly, moving paths contain a plurality of plates connected to each other, which are also driven in such a way that they go in a closed circle, using mechanisms to reverse the movement of the chain. In moving tracks of this type, the belt of a passenger conveyor is usually called a plate belt.

In the passenger conveyor, in accordance with WO 02/44072, a moving flange is mounted on each side edge of the step tread element, protruding upward from the step tread surface so as to prevent any relative displacement between the tread surface of the step tread element and the stationary guard adjacent to it from the side. Such a flange eliminates the possibility of grabbing anything in the gap between the moving elements of the step tread and the fixed guard, which can occur in structures where there is no such moving flange or moving guard. In particular, a moving flange is made up of alternating sequences of first flange parts connected to step tread elements called "disks" and second parts that are located between adjacent disks and which are called "jumpers". Disks and jumpers are arranged one after another in such a way that they form a substantially continuous moving flange. There is a small gap between the disks and jumpers to ensure their mutual movement, especially in escalators. The upper edge of the moving flange is covered by an internal visor. The inner visor usually protrudes downward from the balustrade, going beyond the upper edge of the moving flange.

Despite the fact that the moving flange significantly increases the safety of passenger conveyors compared with conventional designs, engineers in this area have new problems. One of the problems associated with conveyors of this type is that it is necessary to create a moving flange with a small thickness and high stability, which would be designed for the entire life of the conveyor. For example, the German Product Testing and Certification Service tests a moving flange with a force of 1,500 N applied perpendicular to a moving flange. Under the influence of this force, the deflection of the moving flange should be less than 4 mm when fully restored when removing the impact. To preserve the integrity of the open surface formed by the disks and jumpers, it is proposed to use a tongue-and-groove-tongue-to-groove connection between the disks and jumpers (see WO 02/44072 A1). Such a thorn-groove connection provides a relatively loose fit with a sufficiently large gap between the parts to be joined so that contact, if it can occur, is practically only between the surfaces of the tenon and groove. However, to provide the required clearance between the spike and the groove, machining of at least one of these elements is required. Such processing, however, significantly increases the cost, especially of parts such as jumpers, which can usually be used directly after casting or after simple machining.

Disclosure of invention

In accordance with the foregoing, the present invention is directed to reducing the cost of manufacturing parts of the flange while maintaining high surface quality in the connection "spike (protrusion) - groove".

In accordance with the present invention, such a technical result is achieved in the passenger conveyor described above due to the use of an insert (nozzle) made of plastic between the junction surfaces of the jumper and the disk. It is known that inexpensive plastic parts with a good quality surface can be obtained by injection molding. As a result, despite the fact that such an insert is an additional part, its use can significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing the corresponding conveyor assemblies. Various plastics may be used. It is preferable to use plastics having good glide on aluminum, since the flange parts are usually made of cast aluminum. Especially preferred is the use of a material such as DELRIN 500AL NC (manufactured by DuPont) or materials containing chemical lubricant and / or materials containing Kevlar, such as DELRIN 500CL NC or DELRIN 500KM NC.

In a preferred embodiment, the insert is worn by means of an elastic or spring fit on a disk or jumper. In an alternative embodiment, the insert may be injection molded directly on the corresponding part. It is also desirable to attach the insert to the spike (protrusion). Particularly preferred is when the spike is located on a jumper.

In a preferred embodiment, when connecting by means of an elastic or spring fit, recesses are used in the jumper stud, the inlet of these recesses being directed mainly in the radial direction relative to the jumper, i.e. relatively rounded (curved) spike shape.

In this way, the spring connection can ensure that the insert is firmly fixed in a circular direction, that is, in the direction of relative movement between the disk and the jumper. It should be noted that the orientation of the recesses for the spring fit may deviate to a certain extent from exactly radial. It is enough that the spring connection provides a reliable fixation in the direction along the rounding (bending). In particular, for each insert, several recesses are used for spring seating, one of the central recesses being oriented almost exactly in the radial direction, and the other recesses being oriented essentially parallel to this central recess. This design allows easy insertion with a single spring-loaded direction. This mounting method can also be used if the spike is located on the disk.

In a preferred embodiment, the insert is located both on the jumper and on the disk. This is especially desirable if a high surface quality is required on the mating surface of another mating component.

Another problem is the attachment of jumpers. Since the disks are fixedly attached to the elements of the step tread, the reliable attachment of moving jumpers is a difficult task. In particular, the moving jumpers must be attached to any moving part so that the jumpers cannot in any way fall off the moving flange. If the bridge is lost, the resulting opening moves with the moving flange, creating a high risk that an object may be captured by it at the exit site where the opening disappears. Therefore, a reliable and durable attachment of jumpers is absolutely necessary.

On the other hand, as shown in WO 02/44072, the ease of dismantling an individual step tread element during maintenance is also very important. Dismantling the elements of the step tread requires disassembling the inner visor, removing the jumpers associated with the corresponding step, and then removing the step. In achieving both of these goals, that is, the reliability of the fastening and the ease of dismantling, there is a certain contradiction.

The present invention contemplates the possibility of other technical solutions for attaching a jumper. One solution is to fasten the jumper with a threaded bolt directly to the chain link. However, in a chain link made of aluminum casting, the durability of the thread is small. The fragility of the thread creates a problem, since it is assumed that during the operation of the conveyor, the jumper will be dismantled several times. On the other hand, a bolt is a separate component that can be lost during installation / disassembly, fall into the conveyor, and cause damage. In addition, the space in this place is very limited, as a result of which the bolt must be installed close to the inner surface of the jumper. However, to ensure the required structural rigidity of the jumper part, stiffeners are made on its inner surface. To install a bolt through these stiffeners, it is necessary to make a hole in the center of the jumper, which leads to a decrease in its strength. In addition, the bolt must be tightened with a specific tightening torque. This increases the risk of improper assembly.

Thus, there is a need to create a reliable, trouble-free jumper attachment mechanism without separate parts, the installation / dismantling of which could be carried out using simple tools.

This is achieved in the inventive passenger conveyor, in which at least one jumper is attached to the drive chain via a pin-socket connection, and there is an elastic locking element mounted with the possibility of elastic displacement (pressing) of the jumper to the chain during operation.

In a preferred embodiment, all jumpers are attached to the drive chain in a similar manner. The elastic locking element provides fastening of the jumper without a gap. In addition, this element can be made in such a way that when the jumper is correctly installed, the jumper is accompanied by a distinct sound. This avoids improper installation by maintenance personnel. The design of the elastic fixing element may be such that a simple tool, such as a screwdriver, etc. is required. In addition, no separate additional elements are required.

In a preferred embodiment, the pin is attached to the chain link, while the socket (sleeve) is fixed to the jumper. In this design, the jumper can be easily slid onto the pin even without the use of a tool. In a preferred embodiment, the pin is attached to the link by means of a thread (screwed into the chain link). This is a relatively easy mount. In any case, the chain link after casting requires a lot of machining to ensure dimensional accuracy, therefore, making a threaded hole will not significantly increase the cost and duration of the machining. A “disposable” threaded connection is a fairly reliable connection for a link. In addition, an additional fixation of this threaded connection by means of glue is possible, since it is not intended to unscrew this pin in the future. It is also possible to attach the pin to the chain link in any other way, for example by tight fit, using only glue, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the socket is an integral part of the jumper. For example, the socket may be a simple hole drilled in a jumper. In a preferred embodiment, drilling is performed after casting over the hole formed during casting to obtain good alignment accuracy between the pin and the drilled hole of the socket. In another embodiment, the socket may be manufactured separately and attached to the jumper.

In a preferred embodiment, the resilient retaining element is a wire retaining spring. The spring may be attached to the jumper and contact (engage) with the engagement surface of the pin. In a preferred embodiment, the engagement surface of the pin is a groove (recess) formed on the pin. The upper flange or wall of the groove may serve as an engagement surface. In a preferred embodiment, the wire retaining spring is made of stainless steel to prevent corrosion, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the wire retaining spring is mounted on a jumper for a spring or spring fit. In a preferred embodiment, the wire retaining spring is W-shaped. Recesses may be made on the jumper to engage the spring. Thus, the spring can be easily snapped onto a jumper during the manufacturing process. In a preferred embodiment, the direction of snap-in of the spring on the jumper is approximately perpendicular to the direction of snap between the pin and socket. In this way, a reliable engagement of the spring and the bridge in the direction of fixing the pin and socket can be achieved.

In a preferred embodiment, the top of the pin has a narrowing. The narrowing of the top of the pin allows you to put a jumper on the pin without using any tool. The conical surface removes the spring from its position, overcoming the spring's elasticity. As soon as the spring enters the pin engagement surface, the spring moves back to its original position and fixes the jumper, while a clearly audible sound is heard indicating to the repair mechanic that the jumper is correctly installed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Examples of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 represents a part of a passenger conveyor in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view of a jumper that is attached to a chain link in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a node similar to that shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an image of a pair of inserts in accordance with the present invention.

5 is a sectional view showing a snap part.

6 is an image of a jumper in accordance with the present invention, without an insert attached thereto.

7 is a detailed illustration of a pin for a pin-to-socket connection in accordance with the present invention.

The implementation of the invention

Figure 1 shows a passenger conveyor 2 with an endless belt (in the form of a closed loop) 6 of the passenger conveyor (hereinafter referred to as the “6 step belt”), consisting of several interconnected elements 4 of the step tread (referred to below as the “step 4”), in accordance with the present invention. The step tread elements 4 are connected to the drive chains 8, which, respectively, are located at the edges of the tread steps elements 4 and consist of a sequence of chain links 10. The chain links 10 are connected to each other by hinges 12. The passenger conveyor 2 is driven by a conveyor drive, for example a linear drive, etc. The drive engages the teeth 14 of the chain links 10.

Shown in figure 1 as an example, the passenger conveyor 2 is an escalator. In the case of escalators, the belt 6 of the passenger conveyor is called the "belt of steps", and the elements 4 of the tread of the steps are called steps. Figure 1 mainly shows the tape 6 steps, the drive chain 8 and the rollers 30 and 22 of the chain and steps, respectively. Thus, the guide rails for rollers and others are not shown in FIG. 1. One of the steps 4 is removed from the tape 6 steps. A specific design in which ease of removing step 4 from a strip of 6 steps is provided is described in WO 02/44072 A1. Stage 4 contains a lateral flange element, for example, a disk 16, which moves together with stage 4. The disks 16 are rigidly attached to the steps 4, while the second type of flange element, for example, a jumper 18, respectively, is installed between two adjacent disks 16. Jumpers 18 close the gaps between adjacent disks 16 and are connected to the drive chain 14, as described in detail below. Jumpers 18 can also be attached to any other part of the structure moving together with steps 4 and chain 8.

The disks 16 have a rounded shape, and the hinge or point 12 of the attachment of the step 4 are located in the center of the circle. Therefore, the jumpers 18 have edges, respectively, of rounded shape. On the mating surfaces of the disks 16 and the jumpers 18, a thorn-groove connection is provided to maintain the integrity of the open surfaces of the jumpers 18 and the disks 16. With this design, the jumpers 18 are attached to the chain links 10 exactly in the middle between adjacent joints 12.

Steps 4 are driven by drive chains 8, moving in a closed path. The 22 stage rollers mounted on the lever 20 serve to maintain the position of the tread 24 of the stage 4. The stage roller 22 is guided along a guide or guide rail (not shown). The guide rail of the stage rollers 22 follows a predetermined curve so that the position of each element 4 of the stage tread is strictly defined. In the process of this movement, the disks 16 and jumpers 18 are displaced relative to each other in transition regions and zones of change of direction.

As mentioned earlier, step 4 has a step 24 and a front side 26 of the step, also called a "riser". The individual links 10 of the chain of the drive chains 8 are connected on hinges 12 by means of short axial bolts 28. The rollers 30 of the chain are rotatably mounted outside the axial bolts 28.

Two chain links 10 on the left and right traction chains 8, which are located equally with respect to stage 4, are rigidly connected to each other by means of a connecting axis 32. The connecting axis 32 does not protrude beyond the link 10 of the chain. Each stage 4 has a lateral mounting device, through which it is attached to the drive chain 8. With regard to a specific design, its description is given in document WO 02/44072 A1. In this design, it is relatively simple to separate the steps 4 from the tape 6 steps even in places remote from the areas of change of direction in the upper and lower zones of entry and exit, respectively.

It should be noted that although the present invention has been described with reference to an escalator, it can also be used for a moving walk.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show details of a chain link 10 and a jumper 18. In particular, FIG. 3 shows an open face 32 of a jumper 18, that is, a surface that can be seen by a passenger standing on the step 6 belt. Figure 2 shows the reverse side 34 of the jumper. The stiffening ribs 36 are positioned so as to provide structural rigidity of the bridge 18.

The jumper 18, in particular, can be attached via a pin-to-socket connection 38 to the chain link 10. The socket (sleeve) essentially consists of a drilled hole 40 in the inner part of the cylindrical element 42, which is molded at the same time with the jumper 18. The pin 44 is inserted into the hole 40 and is held there by a wire fixing spring (elastic fixing element) 54.

7, pin 44 is shown in detail. Pin 44 has a head 46 including a tapering portion 48 and a reduced diameter portion 50. The reduced diameter portion 50 forms an engagement surface 52 for engagement with the retaining spring 54. The lower end 56 of the pin 44 is threaded. On the threaded part 56 there is a fixing nut 58. The threaded part 56 of the pin 44 is screwed into the protrusion 60 (see Figure 3) on the chain link 10.

The locking spring is approximately W-shaped. It latches its lateral ends into the circular edges 62 of the jumper 18 so that it is reliably locked by the engagement surfaces of the jumper relative to the movement in the direction of the pin 44.

To unlock the jumper element 18, it is enough to hook the fixing spring 54 near the head 46 of the pin 44 with a screwdriver and slide the screwdriver in the direction of the chain link 10. In this case, the tip of the screwdriver disengages the fixing spring 54 from engagement with the engagement surface 52. After that, the jumper 18 can be easily removed. Conversely, to install the jumper 18 on the chain link 10, the pin 44 must be inserted into the hole 40. When the jumper 18 is pressed down, the retaining spring 54 is in contact with the tapering portion 48 of the pin 44. When the jumper 18 is further moved, the retaining spring 54 slides over the engagement surface 52 and fixes the jumper 18 in the desired position. In this case, the spring elastic forces tightly compress it around the part 50 with the reduced diameter of the pin 44, as a result of which a clear sound is heard, signaling the repair mechanic about the correct attachment of the jumper 18. The fixing spring 54 elastically presses the jumper to the link 10 of the chain.

In order to facilitate the installation of the jumper 18 on the link 10 and, in addition, to additionally resiliently press the jumper 18 on the chain link 10, in a preferred embodiment, an elastic element (not shown) is used behind the fixing nut 58 or instead. The elastic element may be in the form of a spring or may be made of an elastic material. It should be noted that in a plan view in the direction of the pin 44, the stiffening ribs 36 overlap the pin 44 at least partially. Since there is no need to rotate or screw the pin through the tool, then there is no need to make grooves or cuts in the ribs 36 stiffness.

One insert 64 is fixed on each of the rounded (arc) edges 62 of the bridge 18. In particular, the inserts 64, which are shown in more detail in FIG. 4, have an approximately U-shaped cross section and include snap elements 66 for engagement with a corresponding snap-in recess 68 for spring-loaded locking (see FIG. 6) in the spike 70 of the spike-groove connection between the jumper 18 and the disk 16. A corresponding groove (not shown) is formed in the disk 16. The spike 70 having a rounded shape is molded along the rounded edges 62 jumpers 18.

The snap element 66 is shown in detail in FIG. 5. 5 is a sectional view of an insert 64, in particular a section parallel to two flanges of a U-shaped insert 64 through a snap element 66 and a shelf 72 that connects two flanges 74, 76 of the U-shaped profile. The latching element 66 is attached at point 78 to the shelf 72. The latching element has a leg 80 and a cylindrical portion 82. In the latching element 66 there is a through hole 84 in the shape of a drop to give it some flexibility. The leg 80 and the cylindrical portion 82 are integrally molded together with the shelf 72 and one of the flanges, for example a flange 74 in FIG. 4. A cutout 86 is made around the snap element 66 in the opposite flange 76. Thus, the leg 80 and the cylindrical portion 82 are not attached on this side. This design further increases the flexibility of the snap element 66.

The three snap elements 66 of the insert 64 are arranged approximately parallel to each other, that is, the legs and cylindrical portions 80, 82, respectively, of the separate snap means 66 protrude from the shelf 72 parallel to each other. This orientation of the snap-in element 66 and snap-in recess 68 facilitates the connection of the insert 64 with the jumper 18. In FIG. 6, it can be seen that each snap-in recess 68 has an inlet 88. When clicked, each snap-in element 66 is pressed through the inlet 88, the opening of which is slightly less than the outer diameter of the cylindrical element 82. Due to the elasticity of the snap element 66, the snap element 66 can be advanced through the inlet 88 into the snap recess 68, iruya insertion position 64.

Claims (8)

1. Passenger conveyor (2), containing an endless conveyor belt (6), equipped with a group of elements (4) of the tread of the steps connected by lateral edges to the drive chain (8), mounted with the possibility of driving them in motion, and a moving flange mounted with the possibility movements together with the conveyor belt (6) during operation and consisting of a group of disks (16) attached to the steps tread elements (4) and a group of jumpers (18), each of which is alternately fixed between two adjacent disks (16), and between jumper (18) and di com (16) there is a connection "spike (70) - groove", characterized in that between the jumper (18) and the disk (16) there is an insert (64) made of plastic, latched on the disk (16) or jumper (18), and the spike (70) is made on the jumper (18) and has snap-in recesses (68) with inlet openings (88) facing mainly in the radial direction relative to the jumper (18). 2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one jumper (18) is attached to the drive chain (8) via a pin-to-socket connection (38) and there is an elastic fixing element (54), which is installed with the possibility elastic displacement of the jumper (18) to the circuit (8) during operation. 3. The passenger conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive chain (8) consists of a group of chain links (10) pivotally connected to each other, and a pin (44) is attached to the chain link (10). 4. The passenger conveyor according to claim 3, characterized in that the pin (44) is attached to the link (10) by means of a thread. 5. The passenger conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the nest is an integral part of the jumper (18). 6. The passenger conveyor according to claim 2, characterized in that the elastic locking element is a wire fixing spring (54) attached to the jumper (18) and in contact with the engagement surface (52) on the pin (44). 7. Passenger conveyor according to claim 6, characterized in that the wire fixing spring (54) has a W-shape and is elastically latched to the jumper (18). 8. The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the upper part of the pin (44) has a narrowing.

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