A passenger conveyor has a guardrail belt configured to run on a pair of right and left handrails in synchronization with footsteps; a camera provided at a platform of the handrail; and a control device configured to analyze an image obtained by photographing the platform with the camera, detect a passenger getting in from the platform, stop the footsteps or lower a running speed than a normal speed when detecting no passenger for a predetermined time, and move the running speed of the footsteps at the normal speed when detecting the passenger.

A passenger conveyor has a guardrail belt configured to run on a pair of right and left handrails in synchronization with footsteps; a camera provided at a platform of the handrail; and a control device configured to analyze an image obtained by photographing the platform with the camera, detect a passenger getting in from the platform, stop the footsteps or lower a running speed than a normal speed when detecting no passenger for a predetermined time, and move the running speed of the footsteps at the normal speed when detecting the passenger.

A method of manufacturing an escalator handrail of the invention is characterized by including: a metallic steel-wire producing step of placing a center elemental wire and a plurality of strands so that the plurality of strands surrounds the center elemental wire, and applying tension to them so that each distance between the center elemental wire and each of the strands becomes the same, to thereby produce the metallic steel wire; a preheating step of heating the metallic steel wire to a temperature equal to or more than that of a thermoplastic resin in a molten state; a composite-material forming step of integrating the metallic steel wire heated with the thermoplastic resin in a molten state, and extruding them through a die finished into a cross-section shape of the escalator handrail to thereby form the composite material; and a cooling step of forcibly cooling the composite material.

A method of manufacturing an escalator handrail of the invention is characterized by including: a metallic steel-wire producing step of placing a center elemental wire and a plurality of strands so that the plurality of strands surrounds the center elemental wire, and applying tension to them so that each distance between the center elemental wire and each of the strands becomes the same, to thereby produce the metallic steel wire; a preheating step of heating the metallic steel wire to a temperature equal to or more than that of a thermoplastic resin in a molten state; a composite-material forming step of integrating the metallic steel wire heated with the thermoplastic resin in a molten state, and extruding them through a die finished into a cross-section shape of the escalator handrail to thereby form the composite material; and a cooling step of forcibly cooling the composite material.

In a handrail including a carcass, a stretch inhibitor within the carcass, and a sliding layer bonded to the carcass, at least a portion of the carcass has a gas phase dispersed in a solid polymer matrix. The gas phase can reduce a density of the carcass by at least 5% or 10%, or about 15%, as compared to a density of the polymer matrix. The carcass can have a generally uniform distribution of gas bubbles in the polymer matrix, which can define a generally closed cell structure in the polymer matrix. The gas phase can be formed of particles of a syntactic foam dispersed in the polymer matrix. The handrail can further include a cover. The carcass and the cover can be formed of thermoplastic materials, and the cover can represent between 10 and 30% of the overall TPU required for the handrail.

In a handrail including a carcass, a stretch inhibitor within the carcass, and a sliding layer bonded to the carcass, at least a portion of the carcass has a gas phase dispersed in a solid polymer matrix. The gas phase can reduce a density of the carcass by at least 5% or 10%, or about 15%, as compared to a density of the polymer matrix. The carcass can have a generally uniform distribution of gas bubbles in the polymer matrix, which can define a generally closed cell structure in the polymer matrix. The gas phase can be formed of particles of a syntactic foam dispersed in the polymer matrix. The handrail can further include a cover. The carcass and the cover can be formed of thermoplastic materials, and the cover can represent between 10 and 30% of the overall TPU required for the handrail.

The invention provides a handrail belt tension device for an escalator, the escalator comprising a truss and an annular handrail belt rotatable relative to the truss, wherein the handrail belt tension device comprises: a base plate on which a roller for supporting the handrail belt is provided; a guiding mechanism which is fixed to the truss; and wherein the base plate is connected to the guiding mechanism, and rotatable and translatable relative to the guiding mechanism so as to adjust the handrail belt by the base plate thereby the handrail belt can be in a well tensioned status. The handrail belt tension device ensures that the tension device is installed in a more accurate position, making it easier to adjust the tensioning force of the handrail belt, reducing the time for adjusting the handrail belt, and increasing the service life of the handrail belt.

The invention provides a handrail belt tension device for an escalator, the escalator comprising a truss and an annular handrail belt rotatable relative to the truss, wherein the handrail belt tension device comprises: a base plate on which a roller for supporting the handrail belt is provided; a guiding mechanism which is fixed to the truss; and wherein the base plate is connected to the guiding mechanism, and rotatable and translatable relative to the guiding mechanism so as to adjust the handrail belt by the base plate thereby the handrail belt can be in a well tensioned status. The handrail belt tension device ensures that the tension device is installed in a more accurate position, making it easier to adjust the tensioning force of the handrail belt, reducing the time for adjusting the handrail belt, and increasing the service life of the handrail belt.

A handrail includes a carcass, a stretch inhibitor arranged within the carcass, a cover bonded to the carcass, and a sliding layer secured to the carcass. At a central width axis of the handrail, a face height between an upper exterior surface of the cover and a bottom surface of the sliding layer may be less than about 8.0 mm. The carcass may be formed of a first thermoplastic material, the cover may be formed of a second thermoplastic material, and the first thermoplastic material may be harder than the second thermoplastic material. The first thermoplastic material may have a modulus at 100% elongation of between 10 and 16 MPa, and may have a hardness of between 93 and 96 Shore A.

A handrail includes a carcass, a stretch inhibitor arranged within the carcass, a cover bonded to the carcass, and a sliding layer secured to the carcass. At a central width axis of the handrail, a face height between an upper exterior surface of the cover and a bottom surface of the sliding layer may be less than about 8.0 mm. The carcass may be formed of a first thermoplastic material, the cover may be formed of a second thermoplastic material, and the first thermoplastic material may be harder than the second thermoplastic material. The first thermoplastic material may have a modulus at 100% elongation of between 10 and 16 MPa, and may have a hardness of between 93 and 96 Shore A.