PASSENGER CONVEYING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SAFELY OPERATING A PASSENGER CONVEYING DEVICE

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a passenger conveying device, including a trigger device disposed continuously along a truss facing side of a skirt boarding over a length of the passenger conveying device as well as to a method for safely operating a passenger conveying device.

Claims

1. A passenger conveying device, comprising: a trigger device disposed continuously along a truss facing side of a skirt boarding over a length of the passenger conveying device, wherein the trigger device is configured to produce an electrical short circuit, [if] when the skirt boarding is deformed above a predetermined threshold value.

2. The passenger conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a value of a deformation perpendicular to the plane of the skirt boarding.

3. The passenger conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device is disposed in the vicinity of a trajectory of a step belt of the passenger conveying device.

4. The passenger conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device comprises: a first and a second metal strip disposed over the length of the trigger device, wherein the metal strips are being arranged distanced to each other and configured to produce an electrical short circuit upon touching each other.

5. The passenger conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the first metal strip is disposed on a bumper device, the bumper device being in contact with the skirt boarding and the second metal strip is disposed on a support profile, the support profile being arranged facing away from the skirt boarding.

6. The passenger conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the metal strip comprises a wire.

7. The passenger conveying device (10) according to claim 4, wherein the metal strip comprises a metal tape.

8. The passenger conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device is kept in contact with the skirt boarding by a multitude of spaced apart holding members.

9. The passenger conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the trigger device is mounted by a skirt support device, the skirt support device being attached to the truss.

10. A method for operating a passenger conveying device comprising steps of: operating the passenger conveying device; upon detecting a deformation above a predetermined threshold value of the skirt boarding by an electrical short circuit of a trigger device; and stopping the passenger conveying device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the following part of the description, reference is made to the figures, which are presented to illustrate specific aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure. It is understood that other aspects may be employed and structural or logical changes may be made in the illustrated embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description of the figures is therefore not to be understood as limiting.

[0033] Illustrating are

[0034] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of an exemplary passenger conveying device according to the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of an exemplary mounting solution of a trigger device of an exemplary passenger conveying device according to the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of an exemplary trigger device of an exemplary passenger conveying device according to the present invention; and

[0037] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a method for safely operating a passenger conveying device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In the following, identical reference signs refer to identical or at least similar features.

[0039] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of a passenger conveying device 10 described herein. In the depicted embodiment, the passenger conveying device 10 is implemented as an escalator 10 connecting a lower and an upper floor or access point of a building (e.g. a lower platform 11 and an upper platform 12 of the escalator 10). In other embodiments the passenger conveying device 10 may be or include a moving walk or a travelator.

[0040] A skirt boarding 13, including a plurality of skirt boarding elements 113, a step belt 14 including a plurality of connected stepping elements and other functional components are fixed on a truss 15 of the escalator 10.

[0041] A trigger device 16 is disposed continuously along the truss 15 facing side of the skirt boarding 13 and over the entire length of the passenger conveying device (e.g. the length of the step belt 14 and in the vicinity of a trajectory of the step belt 14 of the passenger conveying device 10), in order to reliably detect a deformation of the skirt boarding 13 resulting from an entrapment of an object in a gap between the skirt boarding 13 and a stepping element of the step belt 14.

[0042] The trigger device 16 is configured to produce an electrical short circuit, if or when the skirt boarding 13 is deformed above a predetermined threshold value. This threshold value may be a value of a deformation perpendicular to the plane of the skirt boarding 14, which in the illustration is vertical to the drawing plane.

[0043] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary mounting solution of the trigger device 16 of the passenger conveying device 10 of FIG. 1 according to the present disclosure.

[0044] The skirt boarding 13 is attached to the truss 15 by a skirt support device 17 and additional fixings 18. A multitude of holding members 19 are disposed along the length of the escalator 10 in order to keep the trigger device 16 in contact with the skirt boarding 13. These holding members 19 are arranged spaced apart from each other to provide a stable contact in between the skirt support device 17 and the skirt boarding 13 and/or individual skirt boarding elements 113.

[0045] If an object gets trapped in a gap 20 between the skirt boarding 13 and the step belt 14 or step element 114, the trigger device gets displaced and/or deflected, thereby effecting an electrical short circuit. This electrical short circuit then may actuate an emergency control mechanism of the escalator 10, which may halt any moving parts of the passenger conveying device 10, such as the step belt 14 in order to prevent further damage to passengers, objects or the passenger conveying device 10 itself. Hence, the proposed passenger conveying device 10 enables monitoring of a possible deformation of the skirt boarding 13 caused by an entrapment in said gap 20, thereby increasing the safety of passengers of the passenger conveying device 10.

[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of the trigger device 16 of the passenger conveying device 10 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 according to the present invention.

[0047] The trigger device 16 includes a flexible bumper device 161. The bumper device 161 arranged to be in contact with the skirt boarding 13 of the escalator 10 (see FIG. 2), and a support profile 162. The support profile 162 arranged facing away from the skirt boarding 13 and opposing the bumper device 161. A first metal strip 21 is disposed on the bumper device 161 and a second metal strip 22 is disposed on the support profile 162. The first and second metal strips 21, 22 extend along the trigger device 16 and are arranged to be in contact with each other upon deformation of the skirt boarding 13 above a predetermined threshold value, thereby causing an electrical short circuit. The metal strips 21, 22 of the depicted embodiment are designed as metal tape having a predetermined width, and are subjected to an electrical power supply in order to be capable of producing an electrical short circuit upon contact between the first and second metal strips 21, 22.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation of a method 100 for safely operating a passenger conveying device 10 according to the present disclosure.

[0049] In a first step a), the passenger conveying device 10 is operated (e.g. a step belt 14 is moved or motioned in order to transport passengers from a first access point 11 of the passenger conveying device 10 to a second access point 12 of the passenger conveying device 10).

[0050] In a second step b), a trigger device 16 detects a deformation of the skirt boarding 13 above a predetermined threshold value by an electrical short circuit.

[0051] In a third step c), the passenger conveying device 10 is stopped (e.g. by an emergency stopping mechanism or circuit triggered by the electrical short circuit of the trigger device 16).

[0052] By stopping the motion of the steps 114 and/or step belt 14 of the passenger conveying device 10, the risk of injuries to passengers and/or damages to objects and/or the passenger conveying device 10 itself, caused by an entrapment in a gap 20 of the passenger conveying device 10, may be reduced and passenger safety may be increased.