Automatic transmission device, guide bracket for armrest belt of automatic transmission device, and guide bracket kit

Abstract

The invention provides an automatic conveying device, a guide bracket of an armrest belt of the automatic conveying device and a guide bracket kit. An automatic conveying device comprises an armrest belt track; the handrail belt is mounted on the handrail belt track; wherein the handrail belt track comprises steering sections located at the two ends of the automatic conveying device, and the handrail belt track comprises a track body and a handrail belt track body in the steering sections; a plurality of rollers mounted to the track body; and a plurality of guide brackets mounted to the track body, the guide brackets extending in the length direction across at least one roller. The guide bracket according to the embodiment of the invention can smoothly guide the handrail belt.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of automatic transport devices, and more particularly, to an automatic transport device, a guide bracket for a handrail belt thereof, and a guide bracket kit. Background Art

[0002] Automatic conveyors such as escalators and conveyor belts are often equipped with handrails. These handrails typically form a loop and generally consist of a section that moves in the same direction as the conveyor, a section that moves in the opposite direction of the conveyor, and a turning section or return section in between. The turning sections are located at both ends of the conveyor and are typically arranged in an arc shape. To better guide the handrail within these sections, multiple rollers and guide brackets are provided. However, during use, the handrails can sometimes become dislodged from the guide brackets, causing significant noise. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve or at least alleviate the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic transmission device comprising: Handrail belt tracks; and A handrail belt installed on the handrail belt track; Wherein, the handrail belt track includes a turning section located at both ends of the automatic transmission device, and the handrail belt track includes in the turning section: Track body; a plurality of rollers mounted to the track body; and A plurality of guide brackets are mounted to the track body, the guide brackets extending across at least one roller in a length direction.

[0005] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the guide bracket includes: a first end, a second end, and a central opening between the first end and the second end, and the central opening is configured to align with the at least one roller and allow the at least one roller to be exposed through the central opening.

[0006] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, both sides of the guide bracket include guide ribs extending along the entire length of the guide bracket, the central opening is located between the guide ribs on both sides, and the handrail belt is wrapped around the guide ribs of the guide bracket.

[0007] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the guide bracket includes a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt, and the surface of the front side of the guide bracket is formed into a plane or a curved surface.

[0008] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the handrail belt track includes a first type of guide bracket whose front surface is formed as a curved surface and a second type of guide bracket whose front surface is formed as a flat surface in a single turning section.

[0009] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the multiple guide brackets are distributed along the entire turning section of the handrail belt track, and two, three or four rollers are spaced between adjacent guide brackets.

[0010] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the first type of guide brackets are continuously arranged into a first type of guide bracket queue, and the second type of guide brackets are arranged at both ends of the first type of guide bracket queue.

[0011] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the first type of guide bracket is arranged in the arc region of the turning section and the second type of guide bracket is arranged in the transition region at both ends of the arc region.

[0012] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion are respectively provided on the back sides of the first end and the second end of the guide bracket, and the guide bracket is mounted to the rail body through the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion.

[0013] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, the track body includes a first wall and a second wall that are parallel and opposite to each other, and the first wall and the second wall are each composed of a plurality of wall units connected together.

[0014] Optionally, in an embodiment of the automatic transmission device, each wall unit has two end holes located at both ends and a middle hole between the two end holes, adjacent wall units are connected through the end holes, and a roller is connected between the corresponding end holes of the opposing wall units in the first wall and the second wall, and the guide bracket spans the one roller and is connected between the middle holes of the two adjacent pairs of wall units.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a guide bracket for a handrail belt of an automatic transmission device is provided, the guide bracket comprising: a first end, a second end, and a middle opening between the first end and the second end, the middle opening being configured to allow at least one roller installed at the turning section of the handrail belt track to pass through and be exposed.

[0016] Optionally, in an embodiment of the guide bracket, both sides of the guide bracket include guide ribs extending along the entire length of the guide bracket, and the central opening is located between the guide ribs on both sides.

[0017] Optionally, in an embodiment of the guide bracket, the guide bracket includes a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt, the back sides of the first end and the second end of the guide bracket are respectively provided with a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, and the surface of the front side of the guide bracket is formed as a plane or a curved surface.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a guide bracket kit is provided, which includes a guide bracket according to an embodiment, each guide bracket including a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt, wherein the plurality of guide brackets include a first type of guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a curved surface and a second type of guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a flat surface.

[0019] The guide bracket according to the embodiment of the present invention can smoothly guide the handrail belt. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The disclosure of the present invention will be more easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings represent similar components, wherein: Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an escalator device is shown; Figure 2 A perspective view of a handrail belt track at a turning section is shown; Figure 3 Shown Figure 2 A local magnified image of an area; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a handrail belt is shown; Figure 5 A perspective view of another handrail belt track at a turning section is shown; Figure 6 Shown Figure 5 A perspective view of the first type of guide bracket; Figure 7 Shown Figure 5 A partial magnified image of an area in the image; Figure 8 Shown Figure 5 A longitudinal section view of a regional bureau in; Figure 9 Shown Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of the second type of guide bracket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Figure 1An escalator 10 is illustrated. As will become apparent from the subsequent description, the present invention is applicable to other passenger conveyor systems, such as moving walkways. The escalator 10 generally includes a truss 12 extending between a lower landing 14 and an upper landing 16. A plurality of sequentially connected steps or pallets 18 are connected to a step chain 20 and travel through a closed-loop path within the truss 12. Pairs of handrails 22 include moving handrails 24. A drive machine 26 or drive system is typically positioned in a machine space 28 below the upper landing 16; however, an additional machine space 28′ may be positioned below the lower landing 14. The drive machine 26 is configured to drive the pallets 18 and / or handrails 24 via the step chain 20. The drive machine 26 operates to move the pallets 18 in a selected direction at a desired speed under normal operating conditions.

[0022] The pallet 18 makes a 180-degree change of direction in a turning area 19 positioned below the lower landing 14 and the upper landing 16. The pallet 18 is pivotally attached to a step chain 20 and follows the closed loop path of the step chain 20, running from one landing to another and back again.

[0023] Drive machine 26 includes a first drive component 32, such as a motor output sheave, connected to a drive motor 34 via a belt reduction assembly 36. Belt reduction assembly 36 includes a second drive component 38, such as an output sheave, driven by a tensioning component 39, such as an output belt. In some embodiments, first drive component 32 is a driving component and second drive component 38 is a driven component.

[0024] As used herein, in various embodiments, the first drive member 32 and / or the second drive member 38 can be any type of rotating device, such as a rope, pulley, gear, wheel, sprocket, cog, pinion, etc. In various embodiments, the tensioning member 39 can be configured as a chain, belt, cable, belt, band, strap, or any other similar device that operatively connects two elements to provide a driving force from one element to another. For example, the tensioning member 39 can be any type of interconnecting member that extends between the first drive member 32 and the second drive member 38 and operatively connects the first drive member 32 and the second drive member 38. In some embodiments, as Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the first drive member 32 and the second drive member 38 can provide belt reduction. For example, the diameter of the first drive member 32 can be approximately 75 mm (2.95 inches), while the diameter of the second drive member 38 can be approximately 750 mm (29.53 inches). For example, the belt reduction allows the sheaves to be changed to change the speed for 50 or 60 Hz mains power applications or different step speeds. However, in other embodiments, the second drive member 38 can be substantially similar to the first drive member 32.

[0025] As noted, the first drive member 32 is driven by the drive motor 34 and is therefore configured to drive the tensioning member 39 and the second drive member 38. In some embodiments, the second drive member 38 can be an idler gear or similar device that is driven by the tensioning member 39 through the operative connection between the first drive member 32 and the second drive member 38. The tensioning member 39 travels around a loop defined by the first drive member 32 and the second drive member 38, which may be referred to hereinafter as the small loop. The small loop is provided for driving a larger loop comprised of the step chain 20 and driven by, for example, the output sheave 40. Under normal operating conditions, the tensioning member 39 and the step chain 20 move in unison based on the speed of movement of the first drive member 32, as driven by the drive motor 34.

[0026] The escalator 10 also includes a controller 115 in electronic communication with the drive motor 34. As shown, the controller 115 can be located in the machine space 28 of the escalator 10 and is configured to control the operation of the escalator 10. For example, the controller 115 can provide a drive signal to the drive motor 34 to control the acceleration, deceleration, stopping, etc. of the step 18 via the step chain 20. The controller 115 can be an electronic controller including a processor and associated memory, the memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a variety of operations. The processor can be, but is not limited to, a single processor or a multi-processor system in any of a variety of possible architectures, including field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), central processing units (CPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or graphics processing units (GPUs) hardware arranged in a homogeneous or heterogeneous manner. The memory can be, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic, or any other computer-readable medium.

[0027] Although a specific escalator drive system and specific components are described herein, this is merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art will recognize that other escalator system configurations are operable with the invention disclosed herein.

[0028] like Figure 1 The moving handrail 24 in the escalator shown is typically a handrail belt, which is driven by a belt drive pulley and moves in a loop along a handrail belt track. The handrail belt track is a loop that generally includes a first portion (i.e., a handrail portion) that moves in the same direction as the escalator, a second portion that moves in the opposite direction of the escalator, a turning section at each end of the escalator that connects the first and second portions of the handrail belt track and enables the handrail belt to turn, and a drive section that bypasses the belt drive pulley to receive driving force.

[0029] Continue to refer Figures 2 to 4 , which shows the structure of the handrail belt track in the turning section. The handrail belt track generally includes a track body 5 at the turning section; a plurality of rollers 61, 62 mounted to the track body 5; and a plurality of guide brackets 79 mounted to the track body 5. The guide brackets 79 are arranged between some adjacent rollers 61, 62. There are guide ribs 791 on both sides of the guide bracket 79, and the surface of the guide bracket 79 facing the handrail leather surface (including the guide ribs 791) is a plane. As shown Figure 4 The handrail belt 9 shown includes curved portions 91, 92 on both sides to wrap around the guide ribs 791 of the guide bracket 79, and the handrail belt 9 has a sliding layer 93 on the inner side facing the handrail belt track to facilitate the handrail belt to slide relative to the rollers 61, 62 and the guide bracket 79, so that the handrail belt 9 can move along the handrail belt track.

[0030] Continue to refer Figures 5 to 9 Next, a guide bracket applicable to the turning section of a handrail belt track according to an embodiment of the present invention will be introduced. In this embodiment, the handrail belt track generally comprises a track body 5 at the turning section; a plurality of rollers 6, 60 mounted to the track body 5; and a plurality of guide brackets 771, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777 mounted to the track body 5. In this embodiment, the guide bracket extends across at least one roller 6 in the length direction. By making the guide bracket span at least one roller 6 in the length direction, the length of the guide bracket is increased, thereby making the installation of the handrail belt more stable and less likely to fall off. It should be understood that although in the illustrated embodiment, the guide bracket spans one roller 6 in the length direction, in alternative embodiments, the guide bracket can be made longer to span two or more rollers.

[0031] In some embodiments, each guide bracket may include a front side 785 facing the handrail belt and a back side 786 facing away from the handrail belt. In some embodiments, the surface of the front side of the guide bracket may be formed as a flat surface or a curved surface. In some embodiments, a plurality of guide brackets 771, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777 in a single turning section of a single handrail belt track may include a first type of guide bracket 781 whose front side surface is formed as a curved surface and a second type of guide bracket 782 whose front side surface is formed as a flat surface, wherein the first type of guide bracket 781 is formed in a curved surface. Figures 6 to 8 As shown in FIG, the second type of guide bracket 782 is Figure 9 Shown in.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first type of guide brackets 781 are arranged in the arc region of the turning section and the second type of guide brackets 782 are arranged in the transition regions at both ends of the arc region. In some embodiments, the first type of guide brackets 781 are arranged continuously to form a first type of guide bracket array (i.e., there is no second type of guide bracket 782 between the first type of guide brackets 781), and the second type of guide brackets 782 are arranged at both ends of the first type of guide bracket array. Specifically, Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, guide brackets 772, 773, 774, and 775 are arranged as first-type guide brackets 781 and form a first-type guide bracket array. Guide brackets 771, 776, and 777 are second-type guide brackets 782, located at either end of the first-type guide bracket array. In some embodiments, within a single turning section of a single handrail belt, the number of first-type guide brackets 781 can range from two to six, and the number of second-type guide brackets 782 can range from two to four. The use of both curved and flat guide brackets within a single turning section enhances compatibility between the guide brackets and the handrail belt, reducing friction between the guide brackets and the handrail belt, and the resulting wear and noise.

[0033] In some embodiments, the guide bracket may include a first end 783, a second end 784, and a central opening 780 between the first and second ends 783, 784. The central opening 780 is configured to align with a roller 6 and allow the roller 6 to pass through the central opening 780. It is contemplated that if the guide bracket spans multiple rollers 6, the central opening 780 may be a single opening surrounding the multiple rollers 6 or multiple openings surrounding each roller 6. The central opening 780 ensures that the continuous arrangement of the rollers 6 is not affected by the lengthened guide bracket. In some embodiments, the back sides of the first and second ends 783, 784 of the guide bracket are respectively provided with a first mounting portion 787 and a second mounting portion 788. The guide bracket is mounted to the rail body 5 via the first and second mounting portions 787, 788. By increasing the length of the guide bracket and using two mounting points for fixing, the guide bracket installation is more stable and less susceptible to breakage or damage.

[0034] In some embodiments, both sides of the guide bracket include guide ribs 789 extending along the entire length of the guide bracket. The front profile of the guide ribs 789 matches and matches the front profile of the guide bracket. A central opening 780 is located between the guide ribs 789 on both sides, and the handrail belt wraps around the guide ribs 789 of the guide bracket. This arrangement allows the guide ribs 789 to be longer and prevents the handrail belt from detaching.

[0035] In some embodiments, as Figure 5As shown, a plurality of guide brackets are distributed along the entire turning section of the handrail belt track 5, and two, three or four rollers 60 are spaced apart between adjacent guide brackets. It should be understood that for the sake of clarity, Figure 5 Some rollers are omitted.

[0036] refer to Figure 7 In some embodiments, the track body 5 includes a first wall 51 and a second wall 52, each of which is parallel and opposed to each other. The first wall 51 and the second wall 52 are each composed of a plurality of wall units 511 and 512. In some embodiments, each wall unit is sheet-shaped and has two end holes 515 and 516 at both ends and a central hole 517 between the two end holes 515 and 516. Adjacent wall units are connected through the end holes 515 and 516, and the rollers 6 and 60 are connected between the corresponding end holes 515 and 516 of the opposing wall units in the first wall 51 and the second wall 52. The guide bracket is connected between two adjacent pairs of wall units across a roller 6. More specifically, the guide bracket's first mounting portion 787 is connected between the wall unit 511 of the first wall 51 and the central hole 517 of the wall unit of the second wall 52 opposite to the wall unit 511, while the second mounting portion 787 is connected between the central hole 517 of the wall unit 512 of the first wall 51 and the central hole 517 of the wall unit of the second wall 52 opposite to the wall unit 512. In some embodiments, the upper edge of each wall unit facing the handrail belt has a notch 519 to accommodate the guide bracket. It is contemplated that in embodiments where the guide bracket spans multiple rollers, additional mounting portions connected between the rollers may be added to the back side of the guide bracket.

[0037] like Figure 8 As shown, the guide bracket 781 has a shape adapted to the handrail belt 9 at its installation position, wherein the central opening 780 exposes one roller 6 without hindering the rollers 6, 60 from guiding the handrail belt 9, and the handrail belts 9 on both sides thereof are wrapped with the guide ribs 789 on both sides thereof. There is a gap between the front side of the guide bracket and other positions thereof except for the guide ribs 789, and when the guide bracket is long, even if the handrail belt 9 is subjected to pressure, it is not easy for the handrail belt 9 to contact with the guide bracket and cause friction.

[0038] In addition, according to some aspects of the present invention, it is also intended to protect a guide bracket for a handrail belt of an automatic conveying device and a guide bracket kit including a first type guide bracket 781 and a second type guide bracket 782, which may be sold or used together with the automatic conveying device.

[0039] The specific embodiments of the present invention described above are intended only to more clearly illustrate the principles of the present invention. The various components are clearly shown or described to facilitate understanding of the principles of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may readily make various modifications or variations to the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that such modifications or variations are intended to be encompassed within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic transmission device, comprising: Handrail belt track; as well as A handrail belt installed on the handrail belt track; It is characterized in that the handrail belt track includes a turning section located at both ends of the automatic transmission device, and the handrail belt track includes in the turning section: Track body; a plurality of rollers mounted to the track body; and A plurality of guide brackets are mounted to the track body, the guide brackets extending across at least one roller in a length direction.

2. The automatic transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guide bracket includes a first end, a second end, and a middle opening between the first end and the second end, wherein the middle opening is configured to align with the at least one roller and allow the at least one roller to be exposed through the middle opening.

3. The automatic transmission device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both sides of the guide bracket include guide ribs extending along the entire length of the guide bracket, the central opening is located between the guide ribs on both sides, and the handrail belt is wrapped around the guide ribs of the guide bracket.

4. The automatic transmission device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide bracket includes a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt, and a surface of the front side of the guide bracket is formed into a flat surface or a curved surface.

5. The automatic transmission device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The handrail belt track includes, in a single turning section, a first type guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a curved surface and a second type guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a flat surface.

6. The automatic transmission device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The plurality of guide brackets are distributed along the entire turning section of the handrail belt track, and two, three or four rollers are spaced between adjacent guide brackets.

7. The automatic transmission device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first-type guiding brackets are arranged continuously to form a first-type guiding bracket array, and the second-type guiding brackets are arranged at both ends of the first-type guiding bracket array.

8. The automatic transmission device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first type of guide bracket is arranged in the arc-shaped area of ​​the deflection section, and the second type of guide bracket is arranged in the transition area at both ends of the arc-shaped area.

9. The automatic transmission device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A first mounting portion and a second mounting portion are respectively provided at the back sides of the first end portion and the second end portion of the guide bracket, and the guide bracket is mounted to the rail body through the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion.

10. The automatic transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The track body includes a first wall and a second wall that are parallel and opposite to each other, wherein the first wall and the second wall are each formed by connecting a plurality of wall units.

11. The automatic transmission device according to claim 10, characterized in that: Each wall unit has two end holes located at both ends and a middle hole between the two end holes, adjacent wall units are connected through the end holes, and a roller is connected between the corresponding end holes of the opposing wall units in the first wall and the second wall, and the guide bracket spans the one roller and is connected between the middle holes of the two adjacent pairs of wall units.

12. A guide bracket for a handrail belt of an automatic transmission device, characterized in that: The guide bracket includes a first end, a second end, and a middle opening between the first end and the second end, wherein the middle opening is configured to allow at least one roller installed at the turning section of the handrail belt track to pass through and be exposed.

13. The guide bracket according to claim 12, wherein: Both sides of the guide bracket include guide ribs extending along the entire length of the guide bracket, and the central opening is located between the guide ribs on both sides.

14. The guide bracket according to claim 12, wherein: The guide bracket includes a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt. The back sides of the first end and the second end of the guide bracket are respectively provided with a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion. The surface of the front side of the guide bracket is formed into a plane or a curved surface.

15. A guide bracket kit, characterized in that: The guide bracket kit includes a plurality of guide brackets as described in claim 12 or 13, each guide bracket including a front side facing the handrail belt and a back side facing away from the handrail belt, wherein the plurality of guide brackets include a first type of guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a curved surface and a second type of guide bracket whose front side surface is formed as a flat surface.

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