Passenger transport system having a support

Abstract

The invention relates to a passenger transport system (1) comprising a circulating transport belt (25) and comprising a drive (41) for driving the belt. The drive (41) has a motor (80), a connecting gear unit (83) and a drive shaft (84) which is operatively connected via the connecting gear unit (83) to the motor (80). The passenger transport system (1) has a supporting structure (11) in which the transport belt (25) is movably guided and the drive shaft (84) is rotatably mounted. The passenger transport system (1) also has a support (33) which is arranged in the region of a first end (8) of the supporting structure (11) in order to support the first end (8) of the supporting structure (11) against a building structure (3). The support (33) projects from a bottom (U) of the supporting structure (11) and from the supporting structure (11) in an orthogonal direction relative to the longitudinal extent of the supporting structure (11). The motor (80) is secured to the support (33) outside of an interior space (12) bounded by the supporting structure (11).

Description

[0001] Passenger conveyor system with one support

[0002] The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor system designed as an escalator or moving walkway.

[0003] Passenger conveyor systems such as escalators or moving walkways are often used to transport large crowds. Escalators and moving walkways are therefore often found in department stores, airports, train stations, or underground stations.

[0004] Passenger conveyor systems of the aforementioned type usually have a stable supporting structure in the form of a supporting framework in which conveying elements connected to form a circulating conveyor belt are movably arranged. In the case of an escalator, this conveyor belt is designed as a step belt, while in the case of a moving walkway it is essentially a flat pallet belt. This circulating conveyor belt is driven by a drive arranged in the supporting framework, which drive has at least one motor, at least one connecting gear, and a drive shaft operatively connected to the motor via the connecting gear. The conveyor belt is usually guided at an angle of 180° around the drive shaft so that it can be deflected and driven by the drive shaft. Furthermore, balustrades with movable handrails are usually provided on both sides of the conveyor belt. These handrails are driven synchronously with the conveyor belt via a handrail drive.

[0005] Due to the high load forces that occur during the operation of an escalator or moving walkway and particularly affect the drive, the surrounding frame must be particularly stable in order to be able to absorb and dissipate these large forces that act on the drive.

[0006] In escalators and moving walks, the motors and gears used to drive them should, if possible, be located in the space between and below the step belt or pallet belt in the supporting structure due to the limited space available and for architectural reasons; this also applies to the handrail drive. However, for extra-long escalators and moving walks, the space in the supporting structure is insufficient. RU 2 508 242 C2 therefore discloses a drive frame that is completely separate from the supporting structure, on which the drive shaft, connecting gear, and motor are mounted. The drive frame and supporting structure must be very well anchored in the structure, as the conveyor belt exerts enormous tensile forces between the two parts. Furthermore, the structure in this area must be designed to adequately support these tensile forces.

[0007] Depending on the type of structure in which the passenger conveyor system is to be used, maintenance of the passenger conveyor system from below may also be necessary. EP 3 224 185 B1 discloses such an escalator that can be serviced from below. The gear housing of the connecting gear serves as a support for the motors and the drive shaft and has a set of gears of a reduction gear arrangement inside. The gear housing serving as a support must be very robust and rigid and is therefore very large. In addition, the manufacture of such a gear housing is very complex and expensive. Due to this multifunctional design, the entire drive must be removed as a unit in most cases for maintenance work, which requires considerable surrounding space that must be created within the structure.CN 105 712 168 A discloses an escalator whose supporting structure is supported on the building by means of a support arranged on its underside.

[0008] The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating a drive, in particular for extra-long escalators with a high travel height and for very long moving walkways, wherein the space requirement in the structure and the manufacturing costs of the drive are to be kept as low as possible.

[0009] This object is achieved by a passenger conveyor system designed as an escalator or moving walkway. The passenger conveyor system comprises a circulating conveyor belt composed of a plurality of conveying elements, as well as a drive for driving the conveyor belt. The drive has at least one motor, at least one connecting gear, and a drive shaft, which drive shaft is operatively connected to the motor via the connecting gear. The conveyor belt is guided over the drive shaft and can be moved by means of the drive shaft. The passenger conveyor system also has a supporting structure in which the conveyor belt is movably guided. With regard to its longitudinal extent, the supporting structure is limited by two ends, wherein in the region of a first end of the supporting structure, the drive shaft is rotatably mounted in the supporting structure.The longitudinal extension of the supporting structure or the passenger conveyor system essentially corresponds to the direction of its longest extension or a conveying direction of the conveyor belt.

[0010] Furthermore, the passenger conveyor system comprises a support arranged in the region of the first end of the supporting structure and intended to support the first end of the supporting structure in the intended installation position of the passenger conveyor system on a building. For this purpose, the support extends below an underside of the supporting structure, projecting from the underside at least orthogonally. The at least one motor is attached to the support outside an interior space defined by the supporting structure. If multiple motors are present that drive the drive shaft, all motors are preferably attached to the support.

[0011] In other words, the column protrudes from the underside of the structure and extends at least orthogonally to its longitudinal extension. The column does not have to end at the underside, but can also extend into the interior of the structure bounded by the structure.

[0012] In other words, the support not only supports the weight of the passenger conveyor system and any lateral operating forces acting at the first end of the passenger conveyor system, but also serves as a mounting point for at least one motor. The support thus provides an exceptionally stable and rigid base, allowing the motor(s) to be mounted relative to the other parts of the passenger conveyor system without major adjustment work. The counter torque and the weight of the motor are supported directly in the structure via the support, which decouples the connecting gear housing from motor forces and allows for significantly lower dimensions and lower cost of manufacture.The same applies to the drive shaft, which is mounted in the supporting structure. Its weight and the tensile forces of the conveyor belt acting on it are supported directly by the supporting structure, so that the connecting gear housing is not subjected to additional stress. Furthermore, with this drive arrangement, the motor, drive shaft, and, depending on the specific design, even the connecting gear can be easily removed and serviced independently of one another.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, an intermediate gear is arranged between the motor and the connecting gear. The motor is attached to the support via an intermediate gear housing. The intermediate gear housing thus also supports the weight force and counter-torques of the motor on the support. Since the intermediate gear is thus arranged outside the supporting structure, accessibility for maintenance work is also very well ensured.

[0014] The intermediate gear unit is preferably a hypoid gear unit, a hypoid spur gear unit, or a worm gear unit. A hypoid spur gear unit is a gear unit with at least two stages, comprising a hypoid gear unit and a spur gear unit. Such gear units allow a motor drive shaft to be easily arranged along the longitudinal extension of the passenger conveyor system, allowing two motors to be arranged side by side if necessary, depending on the width of the supporting structure. Furthermore, the design of the intermediate gear unit as a worm gear unit, hypoid spur gear unit, or hypoid gear unit enables a high gear ratio in the range of 1:5 to 1:40 in the smallest possible space.

[0015] The connecting gear is preferably designed as a spur gear. This allows for a very flat housing design, so that no additional space is required at the first end in the width of the passenger conveyor system. The connecting gear can have a gear ratio between its output shaft and its input shaft that ranges from 1:1 to 1:20.

[0016] In one embodiment of the invention, the connecting gear and the intermediate gear are connected to one another via a flexible coupling in a torque-transmitting manner. This has the advantage of dampening vibrations in the drive train. In addition, the flexible coupling can also compensate for axial errors between the gear shafts of the two gears that are to be connected to one another. A claw coupling or pin coupling with elastic intermediate elements made of metal or plastic, for example, can be used as the flexible coupling. In one embodiment of the invention, the drive shaft projects through a connecting gear housing of the connecting gear. As a result, the connecting gear is pivotally mounted in the supporting structure via the projecting drive shaft. In order to support torques and thus relieve the load on the flexible coupling, the connecting gear is also supported on the support or supporting structure via a torque arm.This design ideally decouples the connecting gear housing from external forces. The connecting gear is designed so that its output shaft has a bore through which the drive shaft can pass. If necessary, the output shaft with its driven spur gear is split into two halves (the separation plane contains the rotational axis of the output shaft and the driven spur gear), and the connecting gear housing and the roller bearings are designed to be divisible in a similar manner in the area of ​​the output shaft. By opening the connecting gear housing at this point and removing the driven spur gear, the connecting gear can be removed from the drive shaft without detaching the drive shaft from the supporting structure.

[0017] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support is detachably attached to the supporting structure using fasteners. This has the advantage that the support can, for example, first be mounted in the structure, and then the first end of the supporting structure can be placed on the support. This makes the supporting structure or supporting structure section to be installed in the structure less bulky.

[0018] In a further embodiment of the invention, the support has a height-adjustable base section. This allows for precise height adjustment of the passenger conveyor system relative to an adjacent floor of the building. This allows for a less precise and therefore more cost-effective construction of the foundation of the building on which the support is to be mounted. Furthermore, no additional materials such as a set of spacers or the like are required.

[0019] To accommodate the remaining components, the supporting structure has a U-shaped cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the passenger conveyor system, formed by two side panels and a floor structure of the supporting structure. Guide rails for the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt itself, return sections of handrails, and the like are arranged in the free space between the side panels. The floor structure is arranged at the lower edges of the side panels with respect to the installation position of the supporting structure in a building and firmly connects them to one another. Top chords are provided on the upper side of the side panels, with the first ends of the side panels and the first end of the floor structure forming the first end of the supporting structure.

[0020] In a further embodiment of the invention, upper chord end sections of the two upper chords are provided in the area of ​​the first end of the supporting structure. These end sections protrude in the longitudinal extension of the supporting structure beyond the support, the floor structure, and the remaining components of the side sections. The upper chord end sections serve as supports for a floor covering of the passenger conveyor system. The floor covering is designed as a walkable surface and spans the area between a floor of the building and the conveyor belt. This creates a very stable support for the floor covering on the supporting structure.

[0021] In a further embodiment of the invention, the upper chord end sections extend above the at least one motor. The floor cover arranged on the upper chord end sections thus covers components of the drive system located below.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the invention, the supporting structure has two L-shaped side members, each comprising a vertical leg and a horizontal leg. At the first end of each side member, a side member is attached by its vertical leg, with the two side members arranged parallel to each other and their horizontal legs extending parallel to the upper chord end sections of the passenger conveyor system. Preferably, the vertical leg and the side member are connected to each other by means of welds, but the side members can also be soldered or glued to the side members. Of course, positive and non-positive connections such as screws, pins, rivets, and the like are also usable.

[0023] In a further embodiment of the invention, a bearing block with a roller bearing is arranged on each horizontal leg of the side walls for rotatably supporting the drive shaft. In other words, the horizontal legs at the first end of the supporting structure form a kind of fork on which the bearing blocks are arranged and between which the drive shaft is rotatably mounted.

[0024] In a further embodiment of the invention, the bearing block is attached to the side wall by means of adjusting means, allowing its position relative to the side wall to be adjusted. This allows the drive shaft to be adjusted relative to the supporting structure, so that the sprockets arranged on the drive shaft are aligned with the conveyor belt and the drive shaft's rotational axis can be correctly aligned.

[0025] Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereby neither the drawings nor the description are to be interpreted as limiting the invention. Identical or equivalent features have the same reference numerals. They show:

[0026] Figure 1: schematically shows a side view of a passenger conveyor system according to the invention, the first end of which is supported by a support in a building and the second end of which is supported by a support angle in the building;

[0027] Figure 2: the first end of the passenger conveyor system from Figure 1 in an enlarged and more detailed side view;

[0028] Figure 3: the first end of the passenger conveyor system shown in Figure 2 in a three-dimensional view from below, without adjacent contours of the structure.

[0029] The figures are merely schematic and not to scale. The same reference numerals designate identical or equivalent features in the various figures.

[0030] Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a passenger conveyor system 1 designed as an escalator and connecting a first floor E1 with a second floor E2 of a building 3. The passenger conveyor system 1 has a supporting structure 11 composed of four serially connected supporting structure modules 13, 15, 17, 19. A first end 8 of the supporting structure 11 is supported on a foundation floor 7 of the floor E1 via a support 33 arranged on the floor. A second end 6 of the supporting structure 11 is supported on the floor 5 of the floor E2 via a support angle 16 arranged on the end face. Instead of via a support angle 16, the second end 6 can also be supported on the floor 5 of the floor E2 by means of a support arranged on the floor of the supporting structure 11.

[0031] The first supporting structure module 13, located on floor E2, has an access area 21. The fourth supporting structure module 19 also has an access area 23 and is located on floor E1. The second supporting structure module 15 and the third supporting structure module 17 are arranged between the first supporting structure module 13 and the fourth supporting structure module 19 and connect them. For the sake of clarity, only the outlines of the first and fourth supporting structure modules 13, 19 have been shown. The second and third supporting structure modules 15, 17 are shown in more detail and, in the present example, have an identical structure. The supporting structure modules 13, 15, 17, 19 are connected to one another via connection points 31. Detachable connecting elements such as high-strength screws are typically used for this purpose.

[0032] The supporting structure 11 supports all other components of the passenger conveyor system 1 in a load-bearing manner and supports them on the structure 3. Such components include, for example, a drive 41, guide rails 43, and a controller 45 for controlling the drive unit 41. Furthermore, a conveyor belt 25 is arranged between the side parts 63, 65 of the supporting structure 11, described further below in Figure 2 and Figure 3. The conveyor belt 25 of the passenger conveyor system 1 has steps 27. In a moving walkway, the conveyor belt 25 would have pallets instead of steps 27. The conveyor belt 25 is guided for circumferential movement by the guide rails 43 and can be driven by the drive 41.

[0033] Above the supporting structure 11, two balustrades 51 are constructed from balustrade components 53, 55, 57 (only one of the two balustrades 51 is visible due to the side view of Figure 1). The balustrades 51 are arranged on either side of the conveyor belt 25 and are attached to fastening flanges 61 of the supporting structure 11. A handrail 29 is arranged on each of the two balustrades 51 so as to be movable in a circumferential direction. The two handrails 29 are also driven synchronously with the conveyor belt 25 by means of the drive 41. Figures 2 and 3 both show the first end 8 of the supporting structure 11 from Figure 1 in an enlarged and more detailed side view, and in a three-dimensional view from below, respectively. The two figures will be described together. The position specifications “bottom” and “top” and the characteristics “underside” and “top” used below refer to the installation position of structure 11 in structure 3.

[0034] The first end 8 of the supporting structure 11 is supported on the structure 3 by means of the support 33 in the intended installation position of the passenger conveyor system 1. For better clarity, the structure 3 is shown only in Figure 2, but not in Figure 3. The support 33 protrudes from the supporting structure 11, starting from an underside U of the supporting structure 11 and extending in a direction orthogonal to its longitudinal extension.

[0035] As can be seen particularly from Figure 3, the supporting structure 11 has a U-shaped cross-section transverse to the longitudinal extent of the passenger conveyor system 1, which is formed by two side parts 63, 65 and a floor structure 67 of the supporting structure 11. The floor structure 67 is arranged at the lower edges 64, 66 of the side parts 63, 65 and firmly connects them to one another. On the upper side 68 of the side parts 63, 65, upper chords 69, 70 are provided, which protrude beyond the first end 8 of the supporting structure 11 in the longitudinal extent of the passenger conveyor system 1 as upper chord end sections 71, 72. By definition, the first end 8 of the supporting structure 11 is formed by the first ends of the side parts 63, 65 and the first end of the floor structure 67 and not by projecting areas such as the upper chord end sections 71, 72. The upper chord end sections 71, 72 serve as supports for a floor cover 73 of the passenger conveyor system 1.The drive 41 is arranged below the upper belt end sections 71, 72 and is completely covered by the floor cover 73.

[0036] The supporting structure 11 also has two L-shaped side members 75 (only one visible), each comprising a vertical leg 76 and a horizontal leg 77. Below the upper chord end sections 71, 72, a side member 75 with its vertical leg 76 is welded to each side part 63, 65. The two side members 75 are arranged parallel to each other, with their horizontal legs 77 extending parallel to the upper chord end sections 71, 72 of the supporting structure 11.

[0037] The drive 41 mentioned above has, following its drive train, a motor 80, an intermediate gear 81, a connecting gear 83 and a drive shaft 84. The

[0038] Drive shaft 84 is thus connected to the motor 80 in a speed-reducing and torque-transmitting manner.

[0039] As can be seen in particular from Figure 3, the drive 41 has two motors 80, two intermediate gears 81 and two connecting gears 83 (one only just visible), which act in parallel to transmit torque to the drive shaft 84. The number of motors 80 to be used depends on the intended conveying height (vertical distance between floors E1 and E2) and the length of the passenger conveyor system 1. The conveying elements 27, which are connected to form a circulating conveyor belt 25, are guided via the drive shaft 84, as shown in Figure 1. In Figures 2 and 3, the conveyor belt 25 has been omitted for reasons of clarity so that the two drive sprockets 85 of the drive shaft 84, via which the conveyor belt 25 is deflected and driven, are visible.

[0040] On each horizontal leg 77 of the two side cheeks 75, a bearing block 78 with rolling bearings (inside the bearing block, not visible) is arranged, in which the drive shaft 84 is rotatably mounted. The two bearing blocks 78 are attached to the side cheek 75 by adjusting means 79 so that their position relative to the side cheek 75 can be adjusted. For better mutual support, one leg end 74 of each horizontal leg 77 is connected to the upper chord end section 71, 72 arranged above it by a detachable triangular frame 90. Screws, pins, and the like can be used for the detachable connection. The supporting structure 11 thus defines an interior space 12 through its two side parts 63, 65, its base structure 67, its two side cheeks 75, and its two triangular frames 90. The drive shaft 84 is rotatably arranged in the interior space 12.

[0041] The motor 80 is attached to the support 33 via a housing 87 of the intermediate gear 81 outside the interior space 12 defined by the supporting structure 1. The intermediate gear 81 is a hypoid gear, hypoid spur gear, or worm gear and has a gear ratio ranging from 1:5 to 1:40 from its output shaft 88 to its input shaft 89. A motor shaft 103 of the motor 80 is connected to the input shaft 89 of the intermediate gear 81. The output shaft 88 of the intermediate gear 81 is connected to an input shaft 91 of the connecting gear 83 via a flexible coupling 82, transmitting torque. An auxiliary motor 97 is arranged below one of the two motors 80 and can be coupled to the motor shaft 103 of the motor 80 by means of a coupling 98. The auxiliary motor 97 is intended to move the conveyor belt 25 at a very low speed during maintenance work.

[0042] The connecting gear 83 is designed as a multi-stage spur gear and has a gear ratio of its output shaft 92 to its input shaft 91 in the range of 1:1 to 1:20. The output shaft 92 of the connecting gear 83 is designed as a hollow shaft, through which the drive shaft 84 is arranged. The drive shaft 84 also extends through a connecting gear housing 93 of the connecting gear 83. As a result, the connecting gear 83 is pivotally mounted in the supporting structure 11 via the projecting drive shaft 84. On the other hand, the connecting gear 83 is also supported on the support 33 via a torque arm 94. In the present embodiment, the connecting gear 83 is thus arranged partly within the interior space 12 and partly outside the interior space 12.

[0043] A sprocket 86 is arranged on both sides of the drive shaft 84, which drives a handrail drive wheel 101 via a revolving chain 99. The handrail 29, schematically shown by a dash-dotted line in Figure 2, is driven by the handrail drive wheel 101.

[0044] The support 33 can be detachably attached to the supporting structure 11 using fasteners. In the illustrated embodiment, however, the support 33 is welded to the supporting structure 11. Furthermore, the support 33 has a height-adjustable base section 34. This enables precise height leveling of the passenger conveyor system 1 or its floor covering 73 relative to an adjacent floor 4 of the building 3. The base section rests on a foundation plate 95, which is anchored to the foundation floor 7 in the building 3 by means of anchor bolts 96.

[0045] Although Figures 1 to 3 show a welded supporting structure 11, it is obvious that riveted, clinched, screwed, or glued supporting structures 11 can also be used for the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "having," "comprising," etc., do not exclude other elements or steps, and terms such as "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Reference numerals in the claims are not to be considered limiting.

Claims

Patent claims 1. A passenger conveying system (1) designed as an escalator or moving walkway; comprising a circulating conveyor belt (25) and a drive (41) for driving the conveyor belt (25), wherein the drive (41) comprises at least one motor (80), at least one connecting gear (83) and a drive shaft (84) operatively connected to the motor (80) via the connecting gear (83), wherein the conveyor belt (25) is guided over the drive shaft (84) and is movable by means of the drive shaft (84), and comprising a support structure (11) in which the conveyor belt (25) is movably guided and wherein, in the region of a first end (8) of the support structure (11), the drive shaft (84) is rotatably mounted in the support structure (11), wherein • the passenger transport system (1) has a support (33) which is arranged in the area of ​​the first end (8) on the supporting structure (11) and is intended to support the first end (8) of the supporting structure (11) in the intended installation position of the passenger transport system (1) against a building (3); and • wherein the support (33) projects below a bottom surface (U) of the supporting structure (11) by projecting from the bottom surface at least in an orthogonal direction; characterized in that, • that the motor (80) is attached to the support (33) outside an interior space (12) enclosed by the supporting structure (11).

2. Personnel conveying system (1) according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate gear (81) is arranged between the motor (80) and the connecting gear (83) and the motor (80) is attached to the support (33) via a housing (87) of the intermediate gear (81).

3. Passenger conveying system (1) according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate gear (81) is a hypoid gear, hypoid spur gear or worm gear and has a gear ratio from its output shaft (87) to its input shaft (89) in the range of 1:5 to 1:

40.

4. Passenger conveying system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting gear (83) is a spur gear and has a gear ratio from its output shaft (92) to its input shaft (88) in the range of 1:1 to 1:

20.

5. Passenger conveying system (1) according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the connecting gear (83) and the intermediate gear (81) are connected to each other via an elastic coupling (82) in a torque-transmitting manner.

6. Passenger conveying system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the drive shaft (84) extends through a connecting gear housing (93) of the connecting gear (83) and thereby the connecting gear (83) is pivotably mounted in the support structure (11) on the one hand via the extending drive shaft (84) and on the other hand the connecting gear (83) is supported on the support (33) or on the support structure (11) via a torque support (94).

7. Personnel conveying system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support (33) is detachably attached to the supporting structure (11) by means of fastening means.

8. Personnel conveying system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the support (33) has a height-adjustable foot area (34).

9. Passenger conveying system (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the supporting structure (11) has a U-shaped cross-section transverse to the longitudinal extent of the passenger conveying system (1), which is formed by two side parts (63, 65) and a base structure (67) of the supporting structure (11), wherein with regard to the installation position of the supporting structure (11) in the building (3) the base structure (67) is arranged on lower edges (64, 66) of the side parts (63, 65) and firmly connects them together and upper chords (69, 70) are provided on the upper side of the side parts (63, 65), wherein first ends of the side parts (63, 65) and the first end of the base structure (67) form the first end (8) of the supporting structure (11).

10. Passenger conveying system (1) according to claim 9, wherein in the area of ​​the first end (8) of the supporting structure (11) upper chord end sections (71, 72) of the two upper chords (69, 70) are provided, which project in the longitudinal extent of the supporting structure (11) over the support (33), the floor structure (67) and the other components of the side parts (63, 65) and which serve as supports for a floor covering (73) of the passenger conveying system (1).

11. Passenger conveying system (1) according to claim 10, wherein the upper chord end sections (71, 72) extend above the at least one motor (80).

12. Personnel conveying system (1) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the supporting structure (11) has two L-shaped side walls (75) each comprising a vertical leg (76) and a horizontal leg (77) and at the first end (8) of the supporting structure (11) a side wall (75) with its vertical leg (76) is attached to each side part (63, 64), wherein the two side walls (75) are arranged parallel to each other and their horizontal legs (77) extend parallel to the upper chord end sections (71, 72) of the personnel conveying system (1).

13. Personnel conveying system (1) according to claim 12, wherein a bearing block (78) with rolling bearings for rotatable mounting of the drive shaft (84) is arranged on each horizontal leg (77) of the side walls (75).

14. Personnel conveying system (1) according to claim 13, wherein the bearing block (78) is attached to the side wall (75) in a position adjustable relative to the side wall (75) by means of adjusting means (79).

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