BALUSTRADE FOR A PEOPLE CONVEYOR

Abstract

A balustrade (5) for a people conveyor (2) comprising a conveyance portion extending in a conveying direction between two landing portions (3, 9) comprises a base portion (5a) which is at least partially covered by a pressure sensitive coating (17), in particular a pressure sensitive paint (17).

Claims

1. Balustrade (5) for a people conveyor (2) comprising a conveyance portion extending in a conveying direction between two landing portions (3, 9), the balustrade (5) comprising a base portion (5a) which is at least partially covered by a pressure sensitive coating (17), in particular a pressure sensitive paint.

2. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, further comprising at least two electrodes (22) in electric contact with the pressure sensitive coating (17).

3. Balustrade (5) according to claim 2, comprising more than two electrodes (22) in electric contact with different areas of the pressure sensitive coating (17).

4. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, comprising at least one brush (25) extending along the conveying direction, wherein the pressure sensitive coating (17) is applied to an area of the balustrade (5) below said at least one brush (25).

5. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive coating (17) is applied to the base portion (5a) in at least one of the landing zones (3, 9).

6. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, wherein the pressure sensitive coating (17) is applied to the base portion (5a) in the conveyance portion.

7. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, further comprising an undercoating (27) sandwiched between the base portion (5a) and the pressure sensitive coating (17).

8. Balustrade (5) according to claim 1, further comprising a protective coating (29) covering the pressure sensitive coating (17).

9. People conveyor comprising at least one conveyance element (14) and at least one balustrade (5) according to claim 1, wherein the balustrade (5) is arranged at a lateral side of the at least one conveyance element (14) and the pressure sensitive coating (17) is applied to a surface (21) of the balustrade (5) facing the at least one conveyance element (14).

10. People conveyor according to claim 9, wherein the people conveyor (2) is an escalator or a moving walkway.

11. People conveyor according to claim 9, further comprising a detection unit (24), which is electrically connected with the at least two electrodes (22) and which is configured for detecting an electric signal generated by the pressure sensitive coating (17).

12. People conveyor according to claim 11, wherein the detection unit (24) is configured to issue an alarm signal in case the detected electric signal exceeds a predetermined alarm threshold, wherein the detection unit (24) in particular is configured to issue at least one of an electric alarm signal, an acoustic alarm signal and an optical alarm signal.

13. People conveyor according to claim 11, further comprising a control unit (26), which is configured to stop movement of the at least one conveyance element (14) in case an alarm signal has been issued.

14. People conveyor according to claim 13, wherein the control unit (26) is configured to stop movement of the at least one conveyance element (14) in case the alarm signal has been issued for a predetermined period of time.

15. People conveyor according to claim 13, wherein the control unit (26) is configured to stop movement of the at least one conveyance element (14) in case the detected signal exceeds a stopping threshold which is larger than the alarm threshold.

Description

[0022] In the following an exemplary embodiment of the invention is described with reference to the enclosed figures.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a lower portion of a people conveyor to which exemplary embodiments of the invention may be applied.

[0024] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the people conveyor.

[0025] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of a section of a balustrade according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 4 schematically shows a portion of the balustrade covered by a sandwich structure including an undercoating, a pressure sensitive coating and a protective coating.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a portion of a people conveyor 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0028] The people conveyor 2 shown in FIG. 1 is an escalator. The people conveyor 2 comprises a truss 4 extending in a (longitudinal) conveying direction between a lower landing zone 3 comprising a floor plate 6 and a corresponding upper landing zone 9 (see FIG. 2), which is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0029] The truss 4 supports a chain of conveyance elements 14 forming a conveyance band 8, and two balustrades 5 extending parallel to the conveyance band 8. In case of an escalator, as it is shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance elements 14 are steps 14 so that the conveyance band 8 is a chain of steps 14. The balustrades 5 reside laterally at both sides of the conveyance band 8. Each balustrade 5 comprises a base portion 5a extending parallel to a lateral side of the conveyance band 8 and an upper portion 5b, which is supported by the base portion 5a and supports a moving handrail 7.

[0030] The base portion 5a is usually made of metal. The upper portion 5b may be made of metal or a transparent material such as glass or acrylic glass. The upper portion 5b may extend in a vertical direction, as shown in FIG. 1, or it may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction.

[0031] Although the people conveyor 2 shown in FIG. 1 is an escalator comprising a plurality of steps 14, the skilled person will understand that the ideas and principles described in the following may be applied to horizontal and inclined moving walkways comprising pallets instead of steps 14 and to any other types of people conveyors 2 as well.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of the upper landing zone 9, which is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0033] FIG. 2 in particular illustrates that an upper surface of each of the steps 14 is provided with a plurality of alternating grooves 15 and cleats 13 extending in the conveyance direction.

[0034] A comb plate 16 is arranged next to floor plate 6 on the side of the floor plate 6 facing the conveyance band 8. The comb plate 16 comprises a plurality of teeth 18 extending parallel to the conveyance direction. The teeth 18 are in a staggered relation with the cleats 13 of the steps 14 and extend into the grooves 15 formed on the upper surfaces of the steps 14.

[0035] The base portion 5a has a front surface 21 facing the steps 14. In case an item, such as a shoe of a passenger (not shown) standing on the steps 14, touches said front surface 21, there is some risk that the item is entrapped between the moving steps 14 and the stationary front surface 21 of the base portion 5a.

[0036] According to an embodiment of the invention, the front surface 21 is at least partially covered with a pressure sensitive coating 17, in particular a pressure sensitive paint, more particularly a piezo-electric paint, which is configured for generating an electric potential when subjected to pressure.

[0037] At least two electrodes 22 are in electric contact with the pressure sensitive coating 17 at at least two different locations. In case pressure is applied to the pressure sensitive coating 17, in particular by a shoe of a passenger touching the base portion 5a of the balustrade 5, an electric voltage is generated between the two electrodes 22.

[0038] The electrodes 22 are electrically connected to a detection unit 24. The detection unit is configured for detecting an electric signal, in particular an electric voltage generated by the pressure sensitive coating 17 and for issuing an alarm signal in case the detected signal (voltage) exceeds a predetermined alarm threshold.

[0039] The detection unit 24 in particular may be configured to issue an acoustic alarm signal and/or an optical alarm signal for notifying the passenger about the potentially dangerous situation and causing the passenger to remove his/her shoe or any other item from the lower portion 5a of the balustrade 5.

[0040] The people conveyor 2 further comprises a control unit 26, which is configured for controlling the operation of the people conveyor 2. The control unit 26 in particular may be configured to stop movement of the conveyance band 8 in case an alarm signal has been issued by the detection unit 24.

[0041] The control unit 26 in particular may be configured to stop the conveyance band 8 in case the alarm signal has been issued for at least a predetermined period of time.

[0042] Alternatively or additionally, the control unit 26 may be configured to stop the people conveyor in case the detected voltage exceeds a stopping threshold. The stopping threshold may be larger than the alarm threshold in order to stop the conveyance band 8 in case a bigger force/pressure is detected by the pressure sensitive coating 17.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a detailed perspective sectional view of a section of a base portion 5a of a balustrade 5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0044] The base portion 5a comprises an upper inclined skirt portion 19 and a vertical front surface 21 formed by a combination of structural elements 23a, 23b, 23c, which are securely connected to each other. A brush 25, which is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is mounted to one of the structural elements 23c. The brush 25 faces the steps 14, which are not shown in FIG. 3, for preventing items/shoes from touching the front surface 21. The pressure sensitive coating 17 is applied to a portion of the front portion 21 below the brush 25, as this is the part of the base portion 5a providing the highest risk of entrapment.

[0045] An undercoating 27, in particular an electrically isolating and/or adhesive undercoating 27, may be applied below the pressure sensitive coating 17 in order to electrically isolate the pressure sensitive coating 17 from the respective structural element 23c and/or cause a better adhesion of the pressure sensitive coating 17.

[0046] Additionally or alternatively, the pressure sensitive coating 17 may be covered with a protective coating 29 in order to protect the pressure sensitive coating 17 from damage and/or wear caused by mechanical contact and/or moisture.

[0047] FIG. 4 schematically shows a section of structural element 23c covered by a sandwich structure including the undercoating 27 applied to a surface of the structural element 23c, the pressure sensitive coating 17 applied to the undercoating 27 and the protective coating 29 covering the pressure sensitive coating 17.

[0048] The pressure sensitive coating 17 may be applied along the whole length of the base portion 5a. Additional electrodes 22, in particular pairs of electrodes 22, may be applied along the length of the base portion 5a in order to allow detecting the position, at which the base portion 5a is touched, more specifically.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment, the pressure sensitive coating 17 may be applied only to selected sections of the base portion 5a along the longitudinal direction, in particular in sections in which the risk of entrapment is high, such as sections close to the landing portions 3, 9.

[0050] While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition many modifications may be made to adopt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the dependent claims.

REFERENCES

[0051] 2 people conveyor

[0052] 3 lower landing zone

[0053] 4 truss

[0054] 5 balustrade

[0055] 5a base portion of the balustrade

[0056] 5b upper portion of the balustrade

[0057] 6 floor plate

[0058] 7 handrail element

[0059] 8 conveyance band

[0060] 9 upper landing zone

[0061] 13 cleat

[0062] 14 conveyance element/step

[0063] 15 groove

[0064] 16 comb plate

[0065] 17 pressure sensitive coating

[0066] 18 teeth

[0067] 19 skirt portion

[0068] 21 front portion

[0069] 23a, 23b, 23c structural elements

[0070] 24 detection unit

[0071] 26 control unit

[0072] 27 undercoating

[0073] 29 protective coating