PROTECTION DEVICE DURING INSTALLATION WORKS ON A PASSENGER TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a protection device for protecting installation personnel while the installation personnel carry out installation works on a passenger transport system designed as an escalator or a moving walkway. The protection device has at least one blocking device, at least one support with a fastening region for fastening to a supporting structure of the passenger transport system, and a sensor system. Data relating to a fastening state of the fastening region can be detected with the sensor system and the data can be transmitted via a signal connecting unit to a data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A protection device for protecting installation personnel during installation works on a passenger transport system in the form of an escalator or moving walkway, the protection device comprising: at least one blocking device; and at least one support which is connected to the at least one blocking device, wherein said at least one blocking device extends transversely to the at least one support and along a longitudinal extent of the passenger transport system at least during the installation works, wherein the at least one support comprises a fastening region at one end of the at least one support, which fastening region is configured for fastening to a supporting structure of the passenger transport system; at least one sensor module; and a signal connecting unit configured to exchange data with the at least one sensor module and with a data transmission module of the passenger transport system, wherein the at least one sensor module is positioned in the fastening region of the at least one support, the at least one sensor module configured to detect the data about a fastening state of the fastening region and to transmit said data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

15. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the fastening region of the at least one support is configured as a clamping region, wherein the clamping region is configured as a panel clamping region of a balustrade panel of the passenger transport system and is configured to be fastened in a clamping device fixedly installed on the supporting structure of the passenger transport system, and wherein the at least one sensor module is configured to detect whether or not the clamping region is fastened in the clamping device.

16. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the fastening region of the at least one support is configured as a clamp device for fastening to the supporting structure of the passenger transport system, wherein the clamp device has a clamping plate and at least one clamping claw which can be braced toward the clamping plate, wherein the at least one sensor module is positioned in the at least one clamping claw and/or in the clamping plate, and wherein the at least one sensor module is configured to detect whether or not a region of the supporting structure is fastened between the clamping plate and the at least one clamping claw.

17. The protection device of claim 14, wherein at least two of the at least one support are fixedly connected to at least one of the at least one blocking device and form a rigid railing.

18. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the at least one support comprises a receptacle, in which the at least one blocking device is positioned in so as to protrude from the receptacle.

19. The protection device of claim 18, wherein one of the at least one sensor module is positioned in the receptacle, which sensor module is configured to detect receptacle data about an arrangement of the at least one blocking device in the receptacle and to transmit said receptacle data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

20. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the at least one support comprises a hinge positioned between the fastening region and the at least one blocking device so that the at least one support is configured to pivot between a transport position and an installation position, and wherein one of the at least one sensor module is positioned in a region of the hinge, which sensor module is configured to detect hinge data about a position state of the hinge and transmit said hinge data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

21. The protection device of claim 20, wherein one of the at least one blocking device connected to the at least one support is configured to block pivoting of the hinge at least in the installation position.

22. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the at least one blocking device is configured such that personal protective equipment can be fastened thereto and at least one of the at least one sensor module is positioned in the at least one support such that the at least one sensor module is configured to detect a stress spike acting on the protection device and to transmit corresponding data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

23. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor module comprises a passive or active RFID chip and at least one sensor element from the group: force measurement sensor, bipolar switch, proximity sensor, optical sensor.

24. The protection device according to claim 23, wherein the signal connecting unit has an RFID reader and a signal transmission module.

25. The protection device of claim 15, wherein at least two of the at least one support are fixedly connected to at least one of the at least one blocking device and form a rigid railing.

26. The protection device of claim 15, wherein the at least one support comprises a receptacle, in which the at least one blocking device is positioned in so as to protrude from the receptacle.

27. The protection device of claim 18, wherein the at least one support comprises a hinge positioned between the fastening region and the at least one blocking device or the receptacle of the at least one support so that the at least one support is configured to pivot between a transport position and an installation position, and wherein one of the at least one sensor module is positioned in a region of the hinge, which sensor module is configured to detect hinge data about a position state of the hinge and transmit said hinge data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

28. The protection device of claim 15, wherein the at least one blocking device is configured such that personal protective equipment can be fastened thereto and at least one of the at least one sensor module is positioned in the at least one support such that the at least one sensor module is configured to detect a stress spike acting on the protection device and to transmit corresponding data via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system.

29. The protection device of claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor module comprises a passive or active RFID chip and at least one sensor element from the group: force measurement sensor, bipolar switch, proximity sensor, optical sensor.

30. An installation assembly comprising: the protection device of claim 14; the passenger transport system; a user interaction module; and an installation script, wherein the installation script is retrievable from a storage medium via a data connection to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system, and wherein the installation script is configured to be displayed on a screen of the user interaction module and to present, in chronological order, individual installation steps, which are acknowledged with a user input after a current individual installation step has been carried out, in order to call up a subsequent individual installation step; and wherein, in the case of at least one of the individual installation steps, the data from at least one of the at least one sensor module regarding the fastening state of the fastening region of the at least one support of the protection device corresponding to the at least one of the at least one sensor module is retrieved via the data transmission module and the signal connecting unit.

31. A method for carrying out installation works on an installation assembly according to claim 30, the method comprising: establishing the data connection between the data transmission module and the user interaction module by putting into operation the user interaction module, the signal connecting unit and the data transmission module; retrieving the installation script from the storage medium via the data connection, wherein the installation script contains the individual installation steps to be carried out on the passenger transport system; processing in chronological order the individual installation steps, wherein, after the current individual installation step has been carried out, its conclusion is acknowledged by an acknowledgment inputted with the user input in order to call up the subsequent individual installation step; installing the protection device on the supporting structure of the passenger transport system as a first installation step according to a defined sequence of the installation script; and retrieving, when the first installation step is acknowledged, the data about the fastening state of the fastening region of at least one of the at least one support of the protection device via the data transmission module and the signal connecting unit, wherein the acknowledgment is permitted if the fastening region is fastened and the acknowledgment is rejected if the fastening region is not fastened.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: transmitting, while carrying out of the individual installation steps, stress spike data about a stress spike, which data was detected by the at least one sensor module, via the signal connecting unit to the data transmission module of the passenger transport system and permanently storing said data in the storage medium.

33. The method according to claim 31, further comprising: removing, according to the defined sequence of the installation script, the protection device from the supporting structure of the passenger transport system accompanied by installation of balustrade panels of the passenger transport system; and retrieving, when said individual installation step of removing the protection device is acknowledged, the data about the fastening state of the fastening region of at least one of the at least one support of the protection device via the data transmission module and the signal connecting unit, wherein the acknowledgment is permitted if the fastening region is not fastened and the acknowledgment is rejected if the fastening region is fastened.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein neither the drawings nor the description are intended to be interpreted as limiting the disclosure. Furthermore, the same reference signs are used for elements that are identical or have the same effect. In the drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1: shows a simplified view of an installation assembly having a protection device in a first embodiment and having a passenger transport system, in the central part of which no balustrade has yet been constructed;

[0040] FIG. 2: shows a three-dimensional, enlarged view of detail A indicated in FIG. 1, the illustrated fastening region comprising a hinge and an engagement mechanism;

[0041] FIG. 3: shows, in a three-dimensional view, a second possible embodiment of the protection device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a simplified view of an embodiment of an installation assembly 1, which has a passenger transport system 11 and a protection device 51. The passenger transport system 11 connects a lower level E1 to an upper level E2 of a building 5. The passenger transport system 11, which is designed as an escalator, comprises a supporting structure 33 designed as a truss structure. A circulating step belt 13 is arranged in the supporting structure 33, which step belt is deflected at the upper level E2 and at the lower level E1 and thus has a forward portion and a return portion. For the sake of clarity, the return portion has not been shown, nor have ribs, guide rails, rail blocks and a drive unit.

[0043] The passenger transport system 11 also has two balustrades 15 that extend along each longitudinal side of the step belt 13: in FIG. 1, only the balustrade 15 arranged in the foreground in the viewing plane is visible. A handrail 17 is arranged around each balustrade 15, the return portion of which handrail is arranged in a balustrade base 19. The balustrade base 19 also connects the balustrade 15 to the supporting structure 33. The balustrade 15 comprises a plurality of (optionally transparent) balustrade panels 21, 23, 25, 27, 29; the uppermost balustrade panels 25, 27 and the lowermost balustrade panels 21, 23 have special shapes. The center balustrade panels 29 are substantially rectangular plates. On at least one edge region of each of the balustrade panels 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, a guide profile 31 for guiding the handrail 17 is arranged.

[0044] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the passenger transport system 11 is not yet fully installed. In particular, the center balustrade panels 29 can still be installed. For this reason, the handrail 17 sags down to the balustrade base 19 in the central region of the passenger transport system 11. If installation personnel are located in this central region and working there, the installation personnel should be secured against falling over the side.

[0045] To secure the installation personnel, the protection device 51 already mentioned can be temporarily installed in place of the missing balustrade panels 29. For this purpose, the protection device 51 can comprise a plurality of railings 53, which each have three supports 55 and two blocking devices 57, wherein the blocking devices 57, which are arranged parallel to one another, connect the supports 55 to one another. Specifically, the supports 55 and blocking devices 57 can be profile tubes which are fixedly welded to one another. As shown, the blocking devices 57 extend, at least when installed on the personal transport system 11 and thus during the installation work, transversely to the supports 55 and along the longitudinal extent of the passenger transport system 11. In order that the supports 55 can be fastened to the supporting structure 33 of the passenger transport system 11, the supports have a fastening region 59 at one of their ends. Because profile tubes are used, the blocking device 57 is also suitable for the fastening of personal protective equipment 121 to the blocking device, for example, with the snap hooks of the personal protective equipment 121.

[0046] To ensure that the protection device 51 is also actually used, it can have at least one sensor module 61 and a signal connecting unit 71, the signal connecting unit 71 being configured to exchange data with the at least one sensor module 61 (double arrow 75 shown with a broken line) and with a data transmission module 93 (double arrow 75 shown with a dash-dotted line) of the passenger transport system 11.

[0047] A sensor module which merely indicates the presence of the protection device 51 in the building 5 would not be expedient enough. Therefore, the sensor module 61 is arranged in the fastening region 59 of the support 55, wherein the sensor module 61 can detect data about a fastening state of the fastening region 59 and can transmit these data via the signal connecting unit 71 to the data transmission module 93 of the passenger transport system 11.

[0048] In other words, the sensor system can be used to check whether the protection device 51 is installed on the supporting structure 33 or not. Possible method steps as to how the sensor system can contribute to implementing the prescribed safety concept are to be presented herein. For this purpose, the installation assembly 1 can also comprises a user interaction module 95 and an installation script 101. The user interaction module 95 can be, for example, a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone. The installation script 101 can be retrieved from a storage medium 97 via a first data connection 77 (dash-double-dotted double arrow) between the user interaction module 95 and the data transmission module 93 of the passenger transport system 11 and via a second data connection 79 (dash-triple-dotted double arrow) between the storage medium 97 and the data transmission module 93. The storage medium 97 can be contained, for example, in the controller 91 of the passenger transport system 11 or in the data transmission module 93. As shown, however, the storage medium 97 can also be implemented in a data cloud 99 which is formed from a plurality of servers networked with one another. The installation script 101 displayed on a screen 96 of the user interaction module 95 can present in chronological order the individual installation steps 103, . . . , 115 which are still to be carried out in order to complete the passenger transport system 11 such that it is ready for operation. After each installation step 103, 115 has been carried out, its conclusion can be acknowledged with a user input 119 in order to be able to call up the subsequent installation step 103, . . . , 115.

[0049] In the present embodiment, after the start sequence 103, the installation script 101 may require the installation of the supports 55 and blocking devices 57 as a first step 105. As a next installation step 107, the fastening states of all fastening regions 59 provided with a sensor module 61 can be retrieved. Since the sensor module 61 is based on RFID technology, the fastening states may be read out with the signal connecting unit 71, which is in the form of an RFID reader, and this data may be forwarded, with an integrated signal transmission module 73, to the data transmission module 93 (dash-dotted double arrow 75). The data may be transmitted from the data transmission module 93 to the user interaction module 95 (dash-double-dotted double arrow 77) and checked there. If all fastening regions 59 are fastened or the sensor modules 61 have transmitted corresponding data may the next installation step 109, . . . , 115 of the installation script 10 be released for processing and thus the instructions belonging to this installation step 109, . . . , 115 may be displayed on the screen 96. If one of the fastening regions 59 is not fastened, said fastening region may be indicated so that it can be properly fastened.

[0050] The installation step 109 shown by a broken line represents a plurality of installation steps 109 in chronological order which may be processed in order to arrive at a passenger transport system 11 ready for operation. Here, too, after the installation step 109 in question has been carried out, its conclusion is acknowledged with a user input 119 in order to call up the subsequent installation step 109.

[0051] The installation script 101 can also require that the installation personnel secure themselves to the supports 55 and/or to the blocking device 57 with the personal protective equipment 121. As a result of a suitable arrangement of the sensor modules 61 or the arrangement of additional sensor modules 61 in the supports 55, stress spikes caused by excessive force acting on the blocking device 57 or on the supports 55 can be detected. During the carrying out of the installation steps 103, . . . , 115, data about a stress spike, which data was detected by a sensor module 61, can be transmitted via the signal connecting unit 71 to the data transmission module 93 of the passenger transport system 11 and permanently stored in a storage medium 97. As a result, it can be checked whether the installer was exposed to excessive forces during a fall and whether the securing concept (for example the length of the securing rope or the available fastening points) has to be modified.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the installation script 101 also provides for the removal of the protection device 51. Here, when this installation step 111 is acknowledged, data about the fastening state of the fastening regions 59 may be retrieved via the data transmission module 93 and the signal connecting unit 71 (installation step 113). The acknowledgment with a user input 119 may be permitted if the fastening region 59 is not fastened and may be rejected if the fastening region 59 is fastened. It can thereby be ensured that no part, for example no support 55 or clamp device (see FIG. 3) of a support 55, remains on the supporting structure 33.

[0053] FIG. 2 shows a three-dimensional, enlarged view of detail A indicated in FIG. 1: the fastening region 59 shown here has a hinge 131 and a blocking device 133, which can be designed to block pivoting of the hinge 131 at least in an installation position M. Supports 55 having hinges 131 are preferably used when the protection device 51 is to be fastened in clamping devices 151 of the passenger transport system 11 already in the manufacturing plant. The supports 55 (with or without blocking devices 57) can then be folded down into a transport position T and transported in this transport position from the manufacturing plant to the building 5. After the passenger transport system 11 is inserted in the building 5, the supports 55 can be folded up from the transport position T into the installation position M and, if necessary, provided with the blocking devices 57.

[0054] In order that the fastening region 59 of the support 55 can be fastened in the clamping device 151 fixedly installed on the supporting structure 33 of the passenger transport system 11, said fastening region has a clamping region 135 which is modeled on a panel clamping region (not shown) of a balustrade panel 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 of the passenger transport system 11.

[0055] In order to be able to clamp the clamping region 135 in place, the clamping device 151 has a clamping jaw 153 with a wedge groove 155, as well as a wedge element 157 and a tightening element 159. The clamping region 135 is inserted into the wedge groove 155 and then the wedge element 157 is braced together with the clamping region 135 in the wedge groove 155 with the tightening element 159. The clamping region 135 has two clamping surfaces, which are parallel to one another and has thickness S of which is matched to the wedge groove 155 and to the wedge element 157, so that clamping can also be carried out really reliably. Preferably, the thickness distance S corresponds to the material thickness of the balustrade panel 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 to be clamped in place afterwards. If necessary, the clamping region 135 can be supplemented with additional insert plates (not shown) if the thickness distance S is too small.

[0056] Furthermore, a sensor module 61 (shown with additional enlargement) is arranged in the clamping region 135, with which sensor module it can be detected whether the clamping region 135 is fastened in a clamping device 151 or not. The sensor module 61 has an RFID chip 63 with a loop antenna 65 (RFID tag) and four strain gages 69, which are arranged in a bridge circuit 67 and are connected to one another in the manner shown.

[0057] If the loop antenna 65, which is in the form of an induction coil, receives electrical energy from the signal connecting unit 71 shown in FIG. 1, the RFID chip 63 may measure the resistance value of the bridge circuit 67. The RFID chip may send the measured resistance value R together with a resistance value RA stored in the RFID chip 63 as a data packet back to the signal processing unit 71 via the loop antenna 65. The resistance value RA stored in the RFID chip 63 represents the electrical resistance of the bridge circuit 67 in the unloaded state. A slightly projecting pin 137, which is arranged in the clamping region 135, transmits the clamping force of the tightened clamping device 151 to the zone of the sensor module 61 that is provided with the bridge circuit 67.

[0058] As already mentioned, the support 55 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has a blocking device 133 in order to block the hinge 131 in the installation position M. The blocking device 133 is shown schematically in order to show its function. Since the sensor module 61 is arranged in the vicinity of the blocking device 133, the blocking device 133 and the position of the hinge 131 are also monitored with said sensor module. The blocking device 133 can be actuated and can act on a switch tongue 62 of the sensor module 61 if the support 55 is in the installation position M. The switching position of the switch tongue 62 can be detected by the RFID chip 63, since the switch tongue 62 is pressed onto a contact pin 64 by the blocking device 133 and, for example, a current pulse is used to check whether this circuit is closed. The sensor module 61 transmits corresponding data about the position state of the hinge 131 to the data transmission module 93 of the passenger transport system 11 via the signal connecting unit 71.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a three-dimensional view of a second possible embodiment of the protection device 51. Its supports 55 are fastened to the supporting structure 33 of a passenger transport system 11 with a fastening region 59. Unlike in the first embodiment, the supports 55 are not each a complete component, but rather have a support tube 161 and a clamp device 163 which serves as a fastening region 59 of the support. The support tube 161 can be inserted into the clamp device 163. The clamp device 163 has a clamping plate 165 and at least one clamping claw 167 which can be braced toward the clamping plate 165. In the present embodiment, the sensor module 61 is arranged in the clamping plate 165. Of course, the sensor module could also be arranged in the clamping claw 167. With the sensor module 61, it can be detected whether or not a region of the supporting structure 33 is fastened between the clamping plate 165 and the clamping claw 167.

[0060] The blocking device 57 of the protection device 51 is formed by slats 169, which are inserted through receptacles 171 of the supports 55. The supports 55 are oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the supporting structure 33. The slats 169 are held substantially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the supporting structure 33 by the receptacles 171 of the supports 55. Here, each support 55 has two receptacles 171 arranged one above the other and each pair of supports 55 is connected at different heights above the supporting structure 33 by two slats 169.

[0061] In order to ensure correct arrangement of the blocking device 57 on the supports 55, sensor modules 61 are likewise arranged in the receptacles 171. The sensor modules 61 can detect data about an arrangement of the blocking device 57 in the receptacle 171 and may transmit this data via the signal connecting unit 71 to the data transmission module 93 of the passenger transport system 11.

[0062] Although FIGS. 1 to 3 show different aspects of the present disclosure on the basis of a passenger transport system 11 which is in the form of an escalator and which is intended to interconnect floors E1, E2 vertically spaced apart from one another, the described protection devices 51 can also be used similarly in the case of obliquely arranged moving walkways or in the case of moving walkways arranged on a horizontal plane.

[0063] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as having, comprising, etc, do not preclude other elements or steps, and terms such as a or one do not preclude a plurality. Furthermore, it should be noted that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments described above. Reference signs in the claims should not be considered to be limiting.