WO2021032580A1

WO2021032580A1 - Handrail-testing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2021032580A1
Application number: PCT/EP2020/072710
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wolfgang Neszmerak
Original assignee: Inventio Ag
Priority date: 2019-08-21
Filing date: 2020-08-13
Publication date: 2021-02-25
Also published as: CN114269674A

Abstract

A description is given of an apparatus (1) and a method for determining a handrail pulling-off force which can be exerted in order to move a handrail (3) of an escalator or of a moving walkway away from a handrail guide (5) beyond a predetermined extent. The apparatus (1) has a lever (15) and a force-measuring device (17). The lever (15) has a gripping structure (19), a supporting structure (21) and a force-introduction structure (23). The supporting structure (21) is arranged between the gripping structure (19) and the force-introduction structure (23). The lever (15) is configured so that its gripping structure (19) grips beneath an edge (11) of the handrail (3) at a first position (25) of the handrail (3), in order to move the edge (11) of the handrail (3) away from the handrail guide (5), and its supporting structure (21) rests with supporting action on the handrail (3) at a second position (27), which is remote from the first position (25). The lever (15) and the force-measuring device (17) are configured so that the force-measuring device (17) interacts with the force-introduction structure (23) in order to exert a force (F) on the lever (15), as a result of which the gripping structure (19) pushes the handrail (3) away from the handrail guide (5) at the first position (25) and the supporting structure (21) pushes the handrail (3) in the direction of the handrail guide (5) at the second position (27), and in the process triggers a reaction which is dependent on a magnitude of the force (F) exerted and as a result of which it is possible to ascertain, without any additional measuring devices being required, the strength of the force (F) exerted as the handrail pulling-off force.

Description

Handrail mounting device

description

The present invention relates to a device and a method for determining a handrail pull-off force which is to be exerted in order to move a handrail of an escalator or a moving walk away from a handrail guide beyond a predetermined amount.

Escalators and moving walks are used as permanently installed passenger conveyance systems in a building in order to be able to convey people along a travel path with the aid of an actively displaceable conveyor belt from steps or pallets. Balustrades are usually arranged on both sides of the travel path and parallel to the travel path. A handrail can be arranged on each balustrade, which moves synchronously with the conveyor belt and on which a person being transported can hold onto with one hand.

There are various regulations, such as the European standard EN 115, which regulate which properties such a handrail should have and which conditions it should meet. For example, it is regulated that, under normal operating conditions, the handrail must not become detached from the handrail guide guiding and holding the handrail if a person tries to achieve this by hand by forces exerted on the handrail. It is also regulated that the handrail must not come into a state under the conditions mentioned in which it could endanger the integrity of the people being transported, for example by suddenly detaching itself from a handrail guide or by putting the hand of a person being transported between the handrail and a other component such as the handrail guide or the balustrade is pinched or squeezed.

While the regulations do list the properties and conditions that must be complied with, in particular to avoid hazards from the handrail for passengers, no specific test arrangements or procedures have been defined so far that could be used to measure whether a handrail is all of these Properties and conditions. In particular, no devices and methods are defined with the aid of which it can be determined qualitatively or preferably even quantitatively whether a handrail satisfies specified regulations.

In JP 2011 19525 A, an attempt is made to quantitatively record the required properties by means of a force measuring device that spreads the guide lips of the handrail. However, this device has the disadvantage that the spreading forces acting on the handrail do not correspond at all to the possible loads occurring in daily operation, and the information provided by such a measurement is therefore of little significance.

There may therefore be a need, inter alia, for a device and a method for determining a handrail pull-off force with the aid of which the aforementioned deficits can be overcome. In particular, there may be a need for a device and a method by means of which a handrail pull-off force which is to be exerted in order to move a handrail away from a handrail guide beyond a predetermined amount can be determined more realistically and in a simple and reproducible manner.

Such a need can be met by the subject matter according to one of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims and the description below.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a device for determining a handrail pull-off force is proposed which handrail pull-off force is to be exerted in order to move at least areas of a handrail of an escalator or a moving walk away from a handrail guide beyond a predetermined amount. The device has a lever and a force measuring device. The lever has a gripping structure, a support structure and a force introduction structure, the support structure being arranged between the gripping structure and the force introduction structure. The lever is configured to grip with the gripping structure at a first position of the handrail under an edge of the handrail to move the edge of the handrail away from the handrail guide, and with the support structure being supported on the handrail at a second position remote from the first position suspend. The lever and the Force measuring devices are configured so that the force measuring device interacts with the force introduction structure in order to exert a force on the lever, due to which the gripping structure pushes the handrail away from the handrail guide at the first position and the support structure pushes the handrail towards the handrail guide at the second position . In this case, a reaction of the handrail that is dependent on a strength of the force exerted is triggered, which reaction can be inferred as the handrail pull-off force by the strength of the force exerted and the lever ratios of the lever. Here, the strength of the force exerted can be detected by the force measuring device.

Due to the specific design of the lever with a gripping structure and a support structure, the device according to the invention can exert the same force on the handrail with regard to the force application points and force directions as is possible with the hand of a passenger. This means that the measurement takes place under realistic conditions and is therefore meaningful.

“Detecting the strength” in this context can be a direct force measurement, in which a value corresponding to the force can be read from the force measuring device or a corresponding force measuring signal can be output by this. However, it can also be an indirect detection of the force, in which a presettable force threshold value is present and the achievement of this force threshold value is indicated by the force measuring device.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for determining a handrail peel force is described. The method comprises at least the following steps, preferably in the order given:

Attaching a lever to the handrail in such a way that a gripping structure of the lever at a first position on the handrail engages under an edge of the handrail and a support structure of the lever rests in a supporting manner on the handrail at a second position remote from the first position;

Exerting a force on a force introduction structure on the lever such that the gripping structure is pulled away from the handrail guide and the support structure is pressed towards the handrail guide; and

Determine the handrail peel force as proportional to a value on the Force introduction structure on the lever exerted force, this force being detected by means of a force measuring device.

Possible features and advantages of embodiments of the invention can be viewed, inter alia and without restricting the invention, as being based on the ideas and findings described below.

As already stated in the introduction, it must be ensured that handrails on escalators or moving walks are designed and can be operated in such a way that they do not pose a risk to passengers.

The handrail usually has an elongated, belt-like band which is held and guided by a handrail guide. The handrail cooperates with the handrail guide in such a way that it can be displaced parallel to the travel of the escalator or moving walk, but cannot be moved significantly away from the handrail guide transversely to that direction under normal operating conditions. For example, the handrail can interact positively with the handrail guide. In particular, the handrail can partially encompass the handrail guide. For example, the handrail can have a C-shaped cross-section and its edges engage behind the handrail guide.

How firmly the handrail is held on the handrail guide depends on the geometry of the handrail, among other things, on mechanical properties of the handrail such as its tension in the catch direction and / or its flexural strength transversely to the catch direction. These mechanical properties, in turn, can depend on various factors such as a material, a material thickness, etc. of the handrail.

Over time and with increasing wear, the mechanical properties of the handrail can change. For example, friction between the handrail and the handrail guide can lead to the material thickness of the handrail being gradually reduced. Also chemical changes in the material of the handrail, such as those due to aging or contact with chemicals Oils, greases or similar can occur, can change the mechanical properties of the handrail.

Accordingly, care should not only be taken when designing a handrail and an associated handrail guide that they cooperate reliably with one another, but it should also be possible to monitor during operation that the properties of these components do not change in a way that would impair their operational safety could endanger.

In relevant regulations, such as ENI 15, it is sometimes only stated in general that handrail profiles and their guides on the balustrades must be designed or covered in such a way that the possibility of finger and hand crushing is reduced. In some cases it is specified in more concrete terms that a distance between the handrail profile and guide or cladding profiles may in no case be wider than a certain dimension, such as 8 mm. In addition, it is sometimes stated that the handrail should be guided and tensioned in such a way that it cannot leave the guide during normal use.

In order to be able to comply with these rules reliably and verifiably, a device and a method for determining a handrail pull-off force which is to be exerted in order to be able to move the handrail away from the handrail guide beyond a predetermined amount are described herein. A handrail pull-off force is a force that can be exerted on the handrail, for example, by a person with his hand gripping the handrail in order to be able to move the handrail away from the handrail guide beyond the specified amount, in particular to be able to lift it off. The handrail pull-off force can typically range from a few 10 N to a few 100 N.

The “specified measure” can be defined, for example, by statutory regulations or regulations specified by a manufacturer. For example, the specified dimension can define how large a distance or gap between the handrail and the handrail guide may be as a maximum. For example, it can be defined as a predetermined dimension that such a distance under normal operating conditions may not be larger than 1 cm, preferably not larger than 8 mm. The predetermined dimension can also include information regarding a position at which such a gap occurs and / or a direction in which such a gap extends.

The device proposed here and the corresponding method can make it possible to determine the handrail pull-off force in the most objective and reproducible manner possible. For example, the handrail pull-off force can be determined as a specific, absolute numerical value. Alternatively, a lower limit for the handrail pull-off force can be determined, i.e. an absolute value of a force that the handrail pull-off force certainly exceeds. In other words, a value of such a lower limit can indicate that with forces acting on the handrail that are less than or equal to this lower limit, the handrail is not yet moved away from the handrail guide beyond the permissible, predetermined amount. When determining the lower limit for the handrail pull-off force, for example, measured values could be used that reflect the force that can be exerted on the handrail by an adult with his fingers.

The aim here is to allow the force to be exerted on the handrail to act on the handrail in a way that corresponds to the force exerted on the handrail in practice, for example by a passenger with his hand, both in terms of strength of the force and in terms of manner how the force acts on the handrail corresponds as closely as possible.

The device proposed here has at least one lever and a force measuring device. The lever is designed to be able to exert a force on the handrail starting from the handrail in such a way that the handrail is pushed away from the handrail guide. The force to be transmitted by the lever is exerted on the lever via the force measuring device and can be measured with the aid of the force measuring device.

The lever basically has at least one gripping structure, one support structure and one force introduction structure. The lever is elongated and the support structure is located between the gripping structure and the force introduction structure. In other words the gripping structure and the force introduction structure can each be arranged at or near opposite ends of the lever and the support structure can be located between them.

The lever can be stable and largely rigid, so that with its help considerable forces of for example up to 2000 N, up to 1000 N or at least up to 500 N can be transferred from the force introduction structure to the gripping structure and ultimately to the handrail.

The gripping structure on the lever is designed to interact with the handrail in that the gripping structure grips under an edge of the handrail at a first position. By engaging behind the edge of the handrail in this way, this edge of the handrail can be levered away from the handrail guide with the aid of the force exerted on the lever. In other words, the gripping structure should be designed in such a way that the lever can use it to cause forces or torques on the handrail at least at one edge in such a way that this edge is moved away from the handrail guide, similar to when a person surrounds the handrail with your fingers at the edge and bends the handrail at the edge away from the handrail guide.

The support structure on the lever is designed to rest in a supporting manner on the handrail at a second position spaced apart from the edge of the handrail that is engaged behind by the gripping structure. With the help of the support structure, the lever can thus be supported on a surface of the handrail if a force is exerted on the lever on one side of the lever on the force introduction structure and this force is transferred to the edge of the handrail in a levering manner on the opposite side of the lever via the gripping structure becomes.

The support structure can act like the heel of a hand gripping the handrail when the heel of the hand is supported on the handrail while fingers grip the edge of the handrail and bend it away from the handrail guide.

Here, a distance between the gripping structure and the support structure can be, for example, smaller than a width of the handrail. In particular, the distance between the gripping structure and the support structure be similar to the distance between curved fingers and the ball of the hand of an average-sized hand. For example, the distance can be between 2 cm and 10 cm, preferably between 4 cm and 8 cm. The distance can be measured, for example, between geometric centers of the gripping structure and the support structure or between attack positions at which these structures interact with the handrail in use.

Using the method proposed herein, the handrail pull-off force can be determined by attaching the lever to the handrail so that its gripping structure grips under the edge of the handrail at the first position on the handrail and its support structure is supported on the handrail at the second position. In this configuration, a force can be exerted on the force introduction structure on the lever in such a way that the gripping structure is pulled away from the handrail guide and the support structure is pressed towards the handrail guide. The handrail pull-off force can be determined as proportional to a value of the force exerted on the force introduction structure on the lever.

In particular, according to one embodiment, the handrail pull-off force can be determined as the value of the force exerted on the force introduction structure on the lever multiplied by a lever factor which is dependent on a geometry of the lever.

In other words, the value or the strength of the force exerted on the lever can be measured directly and, taking into account the geometry of the lever, conclusions can be drawn as to which force or which torque is ultimately caused by this force on the force introduction structure at the opposite end of the lever from the Gripping structure is effected on the handrail. Depending on the geometry of the lever, a lever factor can be calculated or determined in some other way. With the aid of the lever factor, the force exerted on the force introduction structure can be converted directly into a force or a corresponding torque produced by the lever on the handrail.

The force to be exerted on the lever can be exerted on the force introduction structure on the lever via the force measuring device. The force measuring device causes in this case not only the transmission of a desired force to the lever, but can also be used at the same time to infer the strength of the force exerted.

For this purpose, the force measuring device, as explained in more detail below, can be designed in different ways. In any case, when the force is exerted on the lever, a reaction dependent on the strength of the force exerted is triggered in the force measuring device. This reaction can be directly recognizable on the force measuring device, for example it can be perceived visually. Alternatively, the reaction can change properties of the force measuring device, which can be perceived indirectly. At least the reaction at the force measuring device should take place in such a way that, for example, a technician without an additional measuring device can draw conclusions about the strength of the force exerted by the force measuring device and thus ultimately about the handrail pull-off force.

According to one embodiment, the lever is configured to have a clearance from a surface of the handrail in an intermediate area between the gripping structure and the support structure.

In other words, the lever can be designed in such a way that, although it interacts mechanically with the handrail on the gripping structure as well as on the support structure, it is exposed in an intermediate area between these two structures, i.e. it does not touch the surface of the handrail locally, but rather by it is spaced. For example, the lever in the intermediate area by a few millimeters or even a few centimeters, in particular with a distance of between 2 mm and 10 cm, preferably a distance of between 5 mm and 5 cm, be spaced from the surface of the handrail when it is Gripping structure on the one hand engages under the handrail and on the other hand rests with its support structure on the surface of the handrail.

The local release of the lever from the surface of the handrail can ensure that the lever in the intermediate area between the gripping structure and the support structure does not cause any forces whatsoever through direct contact with the handrail. Accordingly, the handrail can move freely in the intermediate area for example, bent, kinked or deformed in a similar way. Such an arrangement corresponds in principle to a configuration in which a hand rests with the heel of the hand on the handrail in a supporting manner and grips under the edge of the handrail with the fingers and does not transmit any or at least no significant force in an intermediate area between the heel of the hand and the fingers There is contact between the hand and the handrail.

According to one embodiment, the lever can be configured to grip with the gripping structure on a first side of the handrail from below under the edge of the handrail in order to move the edge of the handrail away from the handrail guide, and with the support structure on a side opposite the first side to rest on the second side from above on the handrail.

In other words, due to its geometry and / or the components used to form it, the lever can be designed to grip under the edge of the handrail with its gripping structure from below. The gripping structure can, for example, grip between the edge of the handrail and a part of the handrail guide or the balustrade lying below it. In this way, the gripping structure can interact with the edge of the handrail from below and lift it upwards and / or move it away from the handrail guide in another way, for example by a combined bending and pulling movement. The support structure of the lever can rest on the handrail from above at a second position spaced apart from the first side of the handrail guide on or in the vicinity of the second side of the handrail. When the force to be transmitted to the handrail is exerted, the support structure can thus serve as a counter-bearing through the introduction of force on the force introduction structure, so that the force exerted on the force introduction structure is converted into a force by supporting the support structure, which the gripping structure engages with the edge of the Handrail moved away from the handrail guide or levered away.

In principle, the lever can be designed in one piece, for example, by forming a one-piece structural part such as a suitably bent flat iron or a piece of thick sheet metal both the gripping structure and the support structure and also the force introduction structure. However, such a one-piece lever be expensive to manufacture and / or not have to be individually adapted to different application constellations.

According to one embodiment, the lever can be constructed in several pieces and in particular have a one-piece elongate lever body and an attachment body. The lever body can be designed as a hook at a distal end in order to form the gripping structure. The hub body may be attached to the lever body remote from the distal end to form the support structure.

In other words, the lever can be composed of at least two components, which are referred to here as the lever body and the attachment body. The lever body can be an elongated structural part. In particular, the lever body can be formed from a metal sheet or a metal profile. The lever body can be in one piece and extend from a distal end on which the gripping structure is formed to a proximal end on or in the vicinity of which the force introduction structure is formed.

The gripping structure can be formed by the hook-shaped distal end of the lever body. At this hook-shaped end, the lever body can for example be bent by at least 110 °, preferably at least 130 ° or at least 160 °. In particular, the hook-shaped end can be curved in a semicircle or approximately in a semicircle. A geometry of the hook-shaped end can be designed to be adapted to the edge of the handrail to be encompassed. In particular, the hook-shaped end can be dimensioned in such a way that the gripping structure can “grip” the edge of the handrail in a non-positive and / or form-fitting manner in order to then be able to move it away from the handrail guide. The gripping structure is preferably designed in such a way that various handrails with different cross sections can be adequately gripped from behind. The hook-shaped distal end of the lever body can have a suitably designed tip or engagement edge which fits into a gap present between the handrail guide and the handrail.

The attachment body can be attached to the lever body, for example at least a few centimeters away from the gripping structure. A distance between the attachment and the gripping structure should be smaller than the width of the handrail, in particular, for example, less than 10 cm or less than 7 cm. The attachment body can be fixed to the lever body in any way. For example, the attachment body can be releasably attached to the lever body. In particular, the attachment body can be screwed to the lever body. The attachment body can be changed depending on the intended use. As a result, the geometry of the entire lever can be adapted to the dimensions of a specific handrail, for example.

According to a specific embodiment, the attachment body can be blocked in an area directed towards the handrail during use.

In other words, the attachment body can be blocked where it is to be supported on the handrail and thus have no sharp edges. The attachment body can possibly even be designed to be elastically flexible in this area, for example in that the attachment body is formed with a type of cushion. The attachment body can thus rest on the handrail in a supporting manner like a ball of the hand, without, for example, causing local notch effects or other inhomogeneities in the support force acting on the handrail.

According to a further specific embodiment, the lever body can be bent in a region proximal to the attachment body in a direction away from the attachment body.

In other words, the lever body can be angled locally. The gripping structure and possibly also the support structure can be arranged on a first partial area of the lever body. This first sub-area can extend in a straight line. A second partial area of the lever body can lead to the force introduction structure. This second sub-area can also extend in a straight line. The first and the second partial area can enclose an angle of, for example, between 110 ° and 170 °, preferably between 130 ° and 160 °, with one another. A lever body angled in this way can have an advantageous effect in that a force to be introduced on the force introduction structure can be exerted on the lever body in an advantageous manner, in particular in an advantageous direction. For example, according to one embodiment, the lever and the force measuring device can be configured so that the force measuring device interacts with the force introduction structure in order to exert a downward tensile force on the lever.

In other words, the geometry of the lever and / or the force measuring device can be selected such that a downward tensile force can be exerted on the lever via the force measuring device. Such a tensile force can generally be brought about by a person much more easily than forces directed in other directions, especially since in this case gravity has a supporting effect.

According to one embodiment, the force measuring device has a force display in order to visually display a value of the force exerted on the lever.

The force indicator can be designed in different ways. For example, the value of the force exerted can be displayed as a numerical value or as an indication on a scale.

In particular, the force measuring device can be designed in the form of a spring balance, in which a force introduced at one end of the spring balance leads to a deflection of a spring and a force indicator shows the force applied to the spring. A force indicator that can be read visually can be used, for example, by a technician in a simple manner to determine the force exerted on the lever and to derive the force acting on the handrail therefrom.

Alternatively or in addition, according to one embodiment, the force measuring device can have a trigger mechanism which, when the force exerted on the lever exceeds a predetermined maximum force, is triggered in order to limit further force transmission to the lever.

In other words, similar to a torque wrench, the force measuring device can be designed to be able to exert a maximum predetermined maximum force on the lever and, in the case of forces exceeding this, to release or relieve a mechanical coupling between the lever and the force measuring device interrupt that no forces exceeding the maximum force can be transmitted to the lever.

With such a configuration of the force measuring device, the maximum force not to be exceeded can be set in advance. This maximum force can, for example, correspond to the maximum force that a person can exert on the handrail with their hand. The force measuring device can then be used to exert a force on the force introduction structure on the lever. The strength can be increased gradually. Should the exerted force reach the maximum force and thus the force measuring device release the further force transmission to the lever before, for example, the handrail has been moved away from the handrail guide beyond an allowable amount, the handrail pull-off force can be regarded as sufficiently high and the handrail regarded as sufficiently safe become. However, if the handrail detaches excessively from the handrail guide before the maximum force is reached, the handrail pull-off force is insufficient.

If necessary, suitable countermeasures would have to be taken in this case. For example, the handrail would have to be tightened more tightly or replaced.

According to one embodiment, the force measuring device can have a force measuring sensor which outputs a force signal depending on the force exerted on the lever.

In this embodiment, the force measuring device can be designed, for example, as an electrical or electronic device and the force measuring sensor can be a sensor that generates an electrical or electronic force signal depending on a force acting on it. Such a force sensor is sometimes also referred to as a force transducer or load cell. The use of different force measuring sensors is conceivable. For example, force measuring sensors in the form of a spring body force sensor, a piezo force sensor, a force sensor with vibrating elements, an electrodynamic force sensor or a resistive force sensor can be used. An electrical or electronic force signal can be easily evaluated and / or displayed visually or in some other way that is perceptible to humans. In particular, according to one embodiment, the force measuring device can furthermore have a display for displaying a force value represented by the force signal.

The display can show the force value visually. A display of the force value caused by the force measuring device on a display can enable a user to determine the handrail pull-off force in a particularly simple manner. The display can for example be integrated in a housing of the force measuring device. Alternatively, the display can also be provided as a separate unit and be coupled to the force sensor of the force measuring device.

According to a further specific embodiment, the force measuring device can be configured to transmit the force signal to an external evaluation device.

The evaluation device can, for example, be an external device, with the aid of which the force signals can be further processed and / or stored. For example, the evaluation device can be a processor-controlled mobile device such as a smartphone, a notepad, a laptop or the like, such as a data cloud formed by a computer network. Alternatively, the evaluation device can, for example, be part of a remotely located maintenance or monitoring center so that the force signals received when checking the handrail can be evaluated in the maintenance or monitoring center.

As part of a measuring process, the force measuring device can then use its force measuring sensor to measure the force transmitted to the lever and transmit a corresponding force signal to the external evaluation device, such as the smartphone of a technician performing the measuring process. The force signals obtained can be evaluated, further processed and / or stored in the evaluation device. If necessary, the force signals or variables derived therefrom can be transmitted from the evaluation device to further devices such as a maintenance or monitoring center that monitors the integrity of the escalator or moving walk. In addition, such force signals can also be transferred to a digital double data record (digital twin) of the corresponding escalator or moving walk and simulations relating to the state of the handrail can be carried out using the digital doppelganger data set.

A signal transmission between the force measuring device and the external evaluation device can preferably take place wirelessly, for example by radio. Accordingly, no mechanical coupling between the two devices is necessary. Alternatively, however, wired signal transmission can also be established.

It is pointed out that some of the possible features and advantages of the invention are described herein with reference to different embodiments on the one hand of the device and on the other hand of the method for determining the handrail pull-off force. A person skilled in the art recognizes that the features can be combined, adapted or interchanged in a suitable manner in order to arrive at further embodiments of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, neither the drawings nor the description being to be interpreted as restricting the invention.

1 shows an apparatus for determining a handrail peel force according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 shows another device for determining a handrail peel force in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

3 shows yet another device for determining a handrail peel force in accordance with a further alternative embodiment of the present invention.

The figures are only schematic and not true to scale. In the various figures, the same reference symbols denote the same or identically acting features. 1 shows a device 1 with the aid of which a handrail pull-off force can be determined which is necessary to move a handrail 3 of an escalator or a moving walk away from a handrail guide 5 beyond a predetermined amount.

The handrail guide 5 (shown with a broken line for reasons of clarity) can be designed as a guide rail 7, on the top of which an underside of the handrail 3 can slide along. The handrail guide 5 can have a T-shaped widening 9, which can be gripped from behind on both laterally opposite sides by edges 11 of the elongated handrail 3, which is C-shaped in cross section. As a result, the handrail 3 is reliably held on the handrail guide 5 during normal operation. The handrail guide 5 can be held on a balustrade 13 at the top

The device 1 has a lever 15 and a force measuring device 17. The lever 15 has a gripping structure 19, a support structure 21 and a force introduction structure 23. The support structure 21 is arranged between the gripping structure 19 and the force introduction structure 23. With the aid of the gripping structure 19, the lever 15 can grip at a first position 25 on a first side 29 of the handrail 3, preferably from below, under one of the edges 11 of the handrail 3 in order to move the edge 11 of the handrail 3 away from the handrail guide 5. In this configuration, the support structure 21 can be supported in a second position 27 remote from the first position 25, for example in the vicinity of an opposite second side 31 of the handrail 3, preferably resting on the handrail 3 from above.

In the example shown, the lever 15 is constructed in several pieces. It has a one-piece elongated lever body 33 and an attachment body 35.

The lever body 33 can be formed, for example, from a thick, bent sheet metal or a metal profile. The lever body 33 is sufficiently stable to be able to transmit the forces exerted on it during use of, for example, up to 2 kN or at least up to 1 kN between its ends, without being plastically deformed. The lever body 33 forms the gripping structure 19 at a distal end, ie at its end closest to the handrail 3 in use, by means of a hook-shaped end region of the lever body 33. The hook-shaped gripping structure 19 is in the Cross-section formed approximately semicircular, so that it can at least partially encompass the likewise approximately semicircular edge 11 of the handrail 3 and reach under its end engaging behind the widening 9 of the handrail guide 5. At its proximal end opposite the distal end, the force introduction structure 23 is formed on the lever body 33. In the example shown, the force introduction structure 23 is designed as a through opening which forms an eyelet 55 into which, for example, a hook 53 can engage in order to introduce forces onto the lever body 33.

In the example shown, the attachment body 35 is approximately cylindrical or roller-shaped, i.e. it has an approximately round or partially round cross-section. The attachment body 35 is rounded in particular in an area 39 directed towards the handrail 3 during use. The attachment body 35 is reversibly and releasably attached to the lever body 33 with the aid of one or more screws 37.

In the embodiment shown, the lever 15 is designed in such a way that it does not lie against the handrail 3 in an intermediate region 41 between the gripping structure 19 and the support structure 21, but rather has a clearance 43 on a surface of the handrail 3. In the area of the clearance 43, the lever is spaced several millimeters or even centimeters from the surface of the handrail 3.

Due to the configuration of the lever 15 with the hook-shaped gripping structure 19 at one end of the lever body 33 and the support structure 21 arranged at a distance from this gripping structure 19 and formed by the attachment body 35, the lever 15 can apply forces on the handrail similar to a human hand gripping the handrail 3 3 exercise. A force F acting near a proximal end of the lever 15 on the force introduction structure 23 causes an upward force or torque acting on the edge 11 of the handrail 3 at the distal end of the lever 15 on the edge 11 of the handrail 3, which is encompassed by the hook-shaped gripping structure 19 11 of the handrail 3 tried to move away from the handrail guide 5.

For example, in order to be able to exert the force F advantageously and / or ergonomically on the lever 15, the lever body 33 has a bend 45 proximal to the attachment body 35, so that a proximal portion 49 of the lever body 33 from a distal sub-area 47 of the lever body 33 is bent in a direction away from the attachment body 35, so that both sub-areas 47, 49 enclose an angle of between 120 ° and 160 ° with one another, for example. In the case of such a lever body 33 provided with the bend 45, the lever 15 can be loaded with a downwardly inclined force F in a direction that can be exercised ergonomically for a technician.

The force measuring device 17 and the lever 15 interact in such a way that the force F is exerted on the lever 15 on the force introduction structure 23 and, due to this force F, the gripping structure 19 pushes the handrail 3 at the first position 25 away from the handrail guide 5 and the support structure 21 presses the handrail 3 at the second position 27 towards the handrail guide 5.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the force measuring device 17 is designed similarly to a spring balance. With a first active component 51, the force measuring device 17 interacts releasably with the force introduction structure 23 of the lever 3, which in this case is designed as an eyelet 55 on the proximal end of the lever body 33, for example with the aid of a hook 53. A second active component 57 is coupled to the first active component 51 via a spring 59. When the force F is exerted on the second active component 57 via a handle 63 connected to the second active component 57, the spring 59 expands and the second active component 57 moves away from the first active component 51. A relative displacement between the two active components 51, 57 can can be read visually on a force indicator 65 in the form of a scale 61. The force F exerted can be inferred from this relative displacement.

With knowledge of the lever ratios at the lever 15, ie the ratio of the length ft between the force introduction structure 23 and the support structure 21 on the one hand and the length h between the support structure 21 and the gripping structure 19 on the other hand, a lever factor dependent on the geometry of the lever 15 can be determined , on the basis of which ultimately the force exerted on the handrail 3 via the gripping structure 19 or the associated torque can be determined. In order to be able to determine a handrail pull-off force in particular with the aid of the described device 1, the lever 15 is first attached to the handrail 3 in such a way that its gripping structure 19 engages under one of the edges 11 of the handrail 3 at the first position 25. For this purpose, the lever 15 can initially be attached to the handrail 3 in a vertical orientation (shown in FIG. 1 with a broken line) so that the hook-shaped distal end of the lever body 33 on the first side 29 of the handrail 3 in a gap 67 between the edge 11 of the handrail 3 and the handrail guide 5 can engage. The configuration of the hook-shaped distal end of the lever body 33 shown in FIG. 1 is only one example and represents a multitude of possible configurations of this end which enable the desired engagement in the gap 67. The hook-shaped distal end of the lever body 33 can, for example, also have a suitably designed tip or engagement edge that fits into the gap 67 and protrudes there, even if the support structure 21 is supported on the handrail 3, as shown with a broken line in FIG .

The lever 15 can then be folded down until its support structure 21 on or near the second side 31 of the handrail 3 presses on the handrail 3 from above.

With the aid of the force measuring device 17, a force F can then be exerted on the force introduction structure 23 on the lever 15. Due to the support of the lever 15 on the support structure 21 at the opposite end of the lever 15, this force F is transmitted to the edge 11 of the handrail 3 coupled to it and moves it away from the handrail guide 5. The gap 67 between the edge 11 of the handrail 3 and the handrail guide 5 increases.

The force that has to be exerted in order to move the handrail 3 away from the handrail guide 5 beyond a predetermined amount, so that the gap 67 becomes larger than a predetermined amount of 8 mm, for example, can be regarded as the handrail pull-off force. This force can be calculated using the force F measured by the force measuring device 17 and taking into account the lever factor of the lever 15. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the force measuring device 17 is equipped with a force measuring sensor 69. The force measuring sensor 69 can measure the force F transmitted from a handle 63 to the lever 15 on the force introduction structure 23 and generate a corresponding electronic signal. On the basis of this signal, the measured force F can be displayed, for example, on a display 71 acting as a force indicator 65. The force measuring device 17 can optionally also have an integrated signal processing device in order to be able to convert the measured force F directly into the force exerted on the handrail and to be able to output it via the display 71, for example.

Alternatively, the electronic signal can be transmitted wirelessly or wired to an external evaluation device 75, for example in the form of a mobile processor-controlled device 73 such as a technician's smartphone, and can then be evaluated and / or stored there. If necessary, the electronic signal can also be transmitted directly or via the evaluation device 75 to other devices such as a control of the escalator or a remote monitoring center.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the force measuring device 17 has a release mechanism 77. The trigger mechanism 77 is designed, similar to a torque wrench, to trigger when a maximum force to be transmitted by it is exceeded in order to limit further force transmission.

The specified maximum force can be, for example, a force that should be able to be transmitted at least to the handrail 3 with the aid of the lever 15 without the handrail 3 moving beyond a permissible amount from the handrail guide 5, that is, without, for example, the gap 67 becomes larger than a maximum permissible gap. The predetermined maximum force, taking into account the lever factor of the lever 15, can correspond to the force that a person can typically exert on the handrail 3 with his hand. For example, such a predetermined maximum force could typically be between 100 N and 1 kN, depending on the lever factor of the lever. In order to be able to determine the handrail pull-off force in this case, an increasing force can be exerted successively on the handle 63 interacting with the force measuring device 17 and it can be observed how far the gap 67 increases. If the predetermined maximum force is reached before the gap 67 has increased beyond a permissible amount, it can be assumed that the handrail pull-off force is sufficiently large and thus the handrail, for example, complies with regulations and can be operated without risk. If, however, the trigger mechanism 77 does not yet trigger at a force sufficient to remove the edge 11 of the handrail 3 from the handrail guide 5 beyond a permissible extent, it is to be assumed that the handrail pull-off force is too low. In this case, suitable measures such as retensioning the handrail 3 or replacing the handrail 3 should be initiated.

The device 1 proposed here and the method that can be carried out with it can be implemented in a technically very simple manner and enable the handrail pull-off force to be determined in a simple and reproducible manner.

Finally, it should be pointed out that terms such as “having”, “comprising”, etc. do not exclude any other elements or steps and that terms such as “a” or “an” do not exclude a plurality. Directional information such as “down” or “up” It should also be pointed out that features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination with other features or steps of other exemplary embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims are not to be regarded as a restriction.

Claims

1. Device (1) for determining a handrail pull-off force which is to be exerted in order to move at least areas of a handrail (3) of an escalator or a moving walk away from a handrail guide (5) beyond a predetermined amount, the device (1) having a lever ( 15) and a force measuring device (17), characterized in that the lever (15) has a gripping structure (19), a support structure (21) and a force introduction structure (23) and the support structure (21) between the gripping structure (19) and the force introduction structure (23) is arranged, the lever (15) being configured to grip with the gripping structure (19) at a first position (25) of the handrail (3) under an edge (11) of the handrail (3), in order to move the edge (11) of the handrail (3) away from the handrail guide (5) and to rest with the support structure (21) at a second position (27) remote from the first position (25) on the handrail (3), wherein the lever (15) and the force measuring device (17) are configured so that the force measuring device (17) cooperates with the force introduction structure (23) in order to exert a force (F) on the lever (15), on the basis of which the gripping structure (19) attaches the handrail (3) the first position (25) pushes away from the handrail guide (5) and the support structure (21) pushes the handrail (3) at the second position (27) towards the handrail guide (5), and thereby one of a strength of the force exerted (F) the dependent reaction of the handrail (3) triggers which reaction can be deduced from the handrail pull-off force, the strength of the force exerted (F) and the lever ratio, and the strength of the force exerted (F) by the force measuring device (17 ) is detectable.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the lever (15) is configured to have a clearance (43) to a surface of the handrail (3) in an intermediate region (41) between the gripping structure (19) and the support structure (21).

3. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever (15) is configured to with the gripping structure (19) on a first side (29) of the handrail (3) from below under the edge (11) of the handrail (3) to grip the edge (11) of the handrail (3) away from the handrail guide (5) and with the support structure (21) on a second side (31) opposite to the first side (29) from above on the handrail (3) in a supporting manner.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever (15) has a one-piece elongated lever body (33) and an attachment body (35), wherein the lever body (33) is hook-shaped at a distal end to the gripping structure (19) and wherein the attachment body (35) is attached to the lever body (33) remote from the distal end to form the support structure (21).

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the attachment body (35) is rounded in a region (39) directed towards the handrail (3) in use.

6. Device according to one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the lever body (33) is bent in a region proximal to the attachment body (35) in a direction away from the attachment body (35).

7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the lever (15) and the force measuring device (17) are configured so that the force measuring device (17) interacts with the force introduction structure (23) in order to apply a downward tensile force to the lever (15 ) exercise.

8. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the force measuring device (17) has a force display (65) in order to visually display a value of the force (F) exerted on the lever (15).

9. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the force measuring device (17) has a trigger mechanism (77) which, when the force (F) exerted on the lever (15) is exceeded above a predetermined maximum force, triggers a further transmission of force to the lever (15) limit.

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the force measuring device (17) has a force measuring sensor (69) which is dependent on the force (F) exerted on the lever (15) outputs a force signal.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the force measuring device (17) further comprises a display (71) for displaying a force value represented by the force signal.

12. Device according to one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the force measuring device (17) is configured to transmit the force signal to an external evaluation device (75).

13. A method for determining a handrail peel force to be exerted to move a handrail (3) of an escalator or moving walk away from a handrail guide (5) beyond a predetermined amount, the method comprising: attaching a lever (15) to the handrail (3) such that a gripping structure (19) of the lever (15) at a first position (25) on the handrail (3) grips under an edge (11) of the handrail (3) and a support structure (21) of the lever ( 15) rests on the handrail (3) in a supporting manner at a second position (27) remote from the first position (25); Exerting a force (F) on a force introduction structure (23) on the lever (15) such that the gripping structure (19) is pulled away from the handrail guide (5) and the support structure (21) is pressed towards the handrail guide (5); and

Determination of the handrail pull-off force as proportional to a value of the force (F) exerted on the force introduction structure (23) on the lever (15), this force (F) being detected by means of a force measuring device (17).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the lever (15) is designed and the force (F) is exerted such that the lever (15) in an intermediate region (41) between the gripping structure (19) and the support structure (21) has an exposure (43) to a surface of the handrail (3).

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 and 14, wherein the handrail pull-off force is determined as the value of the force (F) exerted on the force introduction structure (23) on the lever (15) multiplied by a lever factor dependent on a geometry of the lever (15).