Step Plate with Strain Gauge Element

Abstract

The invention relates to a sliding step for a public transit vehicle, which sliding step comprises a tread plate that can be horizontally extended or retracted by means of a drive, with two lateral arms and a tread surface arranged between the lateral arms, whereby the tread plate is provided with at least two rollers associated with the lateral arms, which rollers run on a track attached to the vehicle. At least one of the lateral arms in the area of the rollers is provided with an offset section arranged between the two rollers and comprising a strain gauge element for detecting deformations.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A sliding step for a public transit vehicle, comprising: a tread plate including two lateral arms, a tread surface located between the lateral arms, and at least two rollers at each lateral arm to run on a track attached to the vehicle, wherein the tread plate is configured to be horizontally extended or retracted by a drive, wherein at least one of the lateral arms is formed in two portions, the two portions including a lateral arm assembly portion and a sensor arm assembly portion, and the lateral arm assembly portion and the sensor arm assembly portion each including at least one roller; wherein said at least one of the lateral arms includes an offset section which includes a strain gauge element to detect deformation, and the offset section is located between the at least one roller of the lateral arm assembly portion and the at least one roller of the sensor arm assembly portion.

13. A sliding step as defined in claim 12, wherein a portion of the at least one of the lateral arms is offset in the horizontal plane relative to another portion thereof.

14. A sliding step as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one strain gauge element includes at least two strain gauge elements.

15. A sliding step as defined in claim 14, wherein the at least two strain gauge elements extend in a substantially horizontal plane and substantially measure deformation in vertical direction.

16. A sliding step as defined in claim 14, wherein at least one of the at least two strain gauge elements extends in a substantially horizontal plane and substantially measures deformations in vertical direction, and at least one of the at least two strain gauge elements extends in a substantially vertical plane and substantially measures deformations in a horizontal direction.

17. A sliding step as defined in claim 12, wherein the strain gauge element is a strain gauge measuring strip.

18. A sliding step as defined in claim 12, wherein the lateral arm assembly portion is substantially straight, the sensor arm assembly portion includes the offset section, and whereby the lateral arm assembly portion and the sensor arm assembly portion are connected to each other.

19. A sliding step as defined in claim 18, wherein the lateral arm assembly portion and the sensor arm assembly portion are releasably connected to each other via a bolted connection.

20. A sliding step as defined in claim 19, further comprising at least one feather key adjacent to the bolted connection.

21. A sliding step as defined in claim 12, wherein each of the two lateral arms includes said offset section including a strain gauge element.

22. A sliding step as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one roller of at the least one of the lateral arms is a profile roller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] A possible embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the figures, where:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a sliding step with a frame,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows the tread plate from FIG. 1,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a sensor arm assembly and a lateral arm assembly with cylindrical track rollers, in foldout direction, right, and

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a sensor arm assembly and a lateral arm assembly with cylindrical track rollers, in foldout direction, left.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a sliding step 20. For a better view, a cover plate 22 is shown in raised position. A tread plate 24 runs in a frame 26. Frame 26 is firmly connected to a vehicle (not shown), usually below a door.

[0036] Tread plate 24 can be moved to fold out or to retract, as the arrow indicates. Inside the frame 26, a crossbar 28 is provided which in the embodiment shown carries a drive and other necessary components.

[0037] FIG. 2 shows tread plate 24 in removed condition. It is substantially formed of a tread surface 30 and two lateral arms 32 with associated rollers 34. The tread surface 30 extends between the two lateral arms 32 in a substantially horizontal plane. Rollers 34 run on tracks, which are arranged inside frame 26 and extend in foldout/retraction direction. FIG. 2 shows a tread surface 30 with two rear rollers 34 and a rocker roller assembly 36 which is farther to the front—in foldout direction—and carries four other rollers 34.

[0038] The lateral arms 32 are formed by a lateral arm assembly 38 and a sensor arm assembly 40, whereby the sensor arm assembly 40 is arranged at the rear free end—in foldout direction—of each lateral arm assembly 38.

[0039] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the sensor arm assembly 40 is shown enlarged. It can be seen that the sensor arm assembly 40 has an offset section 42. Also shown are covers 44 under which strain gauge elements (not shown) are located. These extend in a substantially horizontal direction, and in a preferred design variant, they are pasted onto the sensor arm assembly 40 or onto the offset section 42.

[0040] It is also shown that the sensor arm assembly 40 can be positively connected to the lateral arm assembly 38, in the embodiment shown by means of a bolted connection. For this purpose, bolts 46 pass through the substantially horizontal bore drill holes 48. Furthermore, feather keys 50 are provided to transmit the shear forces. In the embodiment shown, these extend above or below drill holes 48 in foldout/retraction direction. The feather keys 50 protrude in relation to the lateral arm assembly 38 or sensor arm element 40 and in their mutually assembled state extend into an opposite groove 52. The drill holes 48, the feather keys 50 and the grooves 52 are designed such that no modification is necessary with sensor arm assembly 40 when it has to be attached in foldout/retraction direction to the right or left of one of the two lateral arm assemblies 38.

[0041] To facilitate the optimal detection of the forces that may occur, cylindrical rollers 54 are provided on one side and profile rollers 56 on the other side. The profile rollers 56 run on one of the rails and can absorb lateral forces.

[0042] The invention is not limited to the shown embodiment, but comprises similar design variants, which take advantage to the substantial teaching of the invention. In particular, the technical characteristics mentioned in the description and the claims can be combined with each other in a useful fashion.