Alignment device for support structure connection areas

Abstract

The invention relates to a support structure (11) of a passenger transport system (1) which is in the form of an escalator or moving walkway and has an alignment device (40) for two support structure sections (13, 15) of the support structure (11) to be connected to one another. The alignment device (40) has: a first alignment part (41) having a fastening region (43) and a recess (45); and a second alignment part (42) having a fastening region (43) and a projection (44), a contour (47) of the projection (44) being complementary to a contour (47) of the recess (45). The projection and / or the recess also has a V-shape.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger transport system designed as an escalator or moving walkway, which can be divided into sections for transport and assembly. In particular, the present invention relates to the design of a connecting area of ​​structural sections of a supporting structure of such a passenger transport system.

[0002] Passenger transport systems of the aforementioned type are used to move people, for example, between different floor levels or within a constant floor level in buildings. Escalators, also known as moving walkways, are used, for example, to transport people from one floor to another in a building. Moving walkways can be used to transport people within a floor on a horizontal plane or between two floors on a moderately inclined plane.

[0003] These passenger transport systems generally feature a supporting structure that serves as the load-bearing element. Such structures are typically designed as truss constructions using steel profiles. However, thanks to available modern manufacturing equipment such as laser cutting machines and large press brakes, the supporting structures can also be manufactured from sheet metal. The supporting structure is designed to absorb static and dynamic forces acting on the passenger transport system, such as the weight of passengers, forces generated by the system's drive mechanism, and similar forces, and to support these forces against the structures of the building housing the passenger transport system. For this purpose, the passenger transport system can be mounted and fastened to the building at appropriately designed support points.Depending on the area of ​​application, the supporting structure can, for example, extend over two or more levels or floors of the building and / or over shorter or longer distances within a constant floor in the building.

[0004] A supporting structure, mounted on the building's bearing points, can accommodate both movable and stationary components of the passenger transport system. Depending on whether the passenger transport system is an escalator or moving walkway, such components can include, for example, step belts, pallet belts, deflection axles, drive shafts, drive motors, gearboxes, control systems, monitoring systems, safety systems, balustrades, comb plates, bearing points, treads, and / or guide rails.

[0005] A load-bearing structure generally consists of a multitude of interconnected, load-bearing structural components. These components can include, for example, top and bottom chords, as well as connecting struts such as cross braces, diagonal braces, columns, and the like. Furthermore, additional structures such as gusset plates, angle plates, retaining plates, bottom plates, soffit plates, etc., may be included.

[0006] To ensure sufficient stability and load-bearing capacity of the structure, the individual structural components must be securely connected. This is usually achieved by welding or riveting the structural components together.

[0007] Depending on the installation location, an escalator or moving walkway can have a considerable length of 30 meters or more. These long passenger transport systems, and especially their supporting structure, cannot be transported from the manufacturing site to the installation site in one piece. Therefore, such a supporting structure typically consists of at least two sections that can be connected via a connecting element. The connecting element disclosed in WO 2020 173753 A2 has connecting plates welded to the ends of the top and bottom chords of a supporting section, which are provided with bolt holes. These supporting sections are usually fitted with all other components of the passenger transport system at the manufacturing plant. The sections thus created are then packaged for transport and moved to their designated installation location within a building.At the installation site, the sections simply need to be connected in the correct order to create a ready-to-use passenger transport system.

[0008] Installing a sectioned passenger transport system into a structure requires qualified assembly personnel who work with precision. JP 2006232489 A describes a corresponding assembly procedure for an escalator in a subway shaft. In this procedure, the section is lowered into the subway shaft one by one, connected to each other, and anchored in the structure. Due to the considerable weight of the individual sections and the structural conditions of the shaft, joining two sections is very time-consuming and labor-intensive, as the connecting areas of adjacent sections must be precisely aligned before they can be joined, for example, with connecting bolts.

[0009] The JP2013193843A features structural sections whose connection area is equipped with alignment devices in the area of ​​the load-bearing walls. These alignment devices are formed by plates welded to the end faces, one of which has a hole and the other a conical bolt that engages in the hole. A disadvantage of this solution is that, due to space constraints and required strength, the conical bolt can only have a slight taper and therefore only achieves a degree of automatic fine-tuning during assembly. Furthermore, the bolt and the hole are difficult to see when the structural sections are joined, meaning that significant time, personnel, and skill are still required to align the structural sections.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to minimize the alignment work required during the assembly of a sectioned passenger transport system and to simplify the assembly to such an extent that it can also be carried out by less qualified assembly personnel.

[0011] This task is solved by a supporting structure of a passenger transport system designed as an escalator or moving walkway, which has at least a first supporting structure section and a second supporting structure section. The two supporting structure sections can be connected to each other by means of a connecting area formed at their end faces. In theIn the connection area, at least one alignment device is permanently or at least temporarily arranged during the assembly process. The alignment device comprises a first alignment part with a mounting area and a recess, and a second alignment part with a mounting area and a projection. The contour of the projection is complementary to the contour of the recess, with the contour of the projection and / or the recess having a V-shape. The structural sections each have two load-bearing walls arranged in parallel planes and at least two cross braces. The load-bearing walls are rigidly connected to each other by the cross braces, so that the structural sections have an H-shaped cross-section. The structural sections can also be supplemented with a floor structure, so that their H-shaped cross-section is extended to a U-shaped cross-section.

[0012] As accumulated assembly experience shows, aligning the structural sections laterally to each other repeatedly leads to considerable difficulties. To overcome these difficulties, the V-shape of the projection or recess of at least one alignment device is arranged in a plane that extends orthogonally to and between the load-bearing walls.

[0013] In other words, the alignment device is permanently or temporarily installed in the supporting structure of a passenger transport system designed as an escalator or moving walkway, before the passenger transport system is installed in the building. At least one alignment device is arranged in at least one of the connection areas, preferably in each connection area, with the two alignment parts of each device logically being divided between the two supporting structure sections to be connected.

[0014] As previously mentioned, the V-shape of the projection and / or recess lies in a plane that extends orthogonally to and between the load-bearing walls. Due to this configuration, the structural sections are automatically aligned laterally to each other by the alignment device during assembly, eliminating any misalignment between the structural sections. If necessary, only vertical alignment adjustments to the plane between the two structural sections are required.

[0015] In other words, the position of the V-shape, or rather the direction plane, within the structural sections determines the direction in which the structural sections are aligned by the alignment device. This direction always lies in the aforementioned direction plane and is always orthogonal to the axis of symmetry of the V-shape.

[0016] As part of the assembly preparation, at least one initial alignment element is permanently positioned in the connection area of ​​the first structural section by means of its fastening area. The axis of symmetry of the recess extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the structural section. In the In the connection area of ​​the second structural section, at least one second alignment element is fixedly arranged by means of its fastening area, wherein the axis of symmetry of the projection also extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the structural section. According to the invention, the first and the second alignment element are arranged sufficiently close to each other in the connection area that, in the assembled state, the load-bearing walls of the structural sections are precisely aligned with each other due to the interlocking of the projection and the recess.

[0017] A preferred arrangement, in which the alignment device is clearly visible to the assembly personnel, involves arranging it on crossbeams located in the connection area of ​​two structural sections. Depending on its space requirements, the alignment device can easily remain within the structure. However, the alignment devices can also be removed after the two structural sections are joined, for example, if they obstruct movable components of the personnel transport system.

[0018] When installing the passenger transport system in the structure, two support sections equipped with an alignment device are pushed against each other, and the projection increasingly engages in the recess. Due to the design of the recess and projection, the two support sections align themselves with high precision in the plane of the direction. This is important because the rail joints of the guide rails of the step conveyor or pallet conveyor, which are factory-installed in the sections, must align precisely. Once the support modules are positioned adjacent to each other in the structure, fasteners such as connecting screws, rivets, and the like can be easily installed in the designated holes in the connection area without the need for time-consuming alignment work.

[0019] The observations mentioned above during assembly have also shown that, due to the lifting equipment and assembly tools used, a lateral offset of up to 5% of the structure's width is typically to be expected when joining structural sections. Therefore, the alignment device preferably has a ratio of the width of the V-shaped base to the structural width of the intended support structure that is in the range of 1:20 to 1:40.

[0020] Preferably, the V-shape is designed to be mirror-symmetrical about a central longitudinal axis of the alignment part, since the offset present when joining structural modules is random and therefore does not always occur in the same direction. The mounting area of ​​the respective alignment part can be designed according to the application requirements and may, for example, have holes for receiving screws, rivets, pins, and the like. The contours of the mounting area can also be designed such that the alignment part can be easily welded, soldered, or glued to a component of the structural section. The mounting area may also include clamping devices such as clamps, clamps, and the like to securely attach the alignment part to parts of the structural section.

[0021] The first and second alignment components are machined from a sheet of material. Due to their plate-like design, they require very little space, allowing the alignment components, mounted on crossbeams, to remain in the installed, operational escalator or moving walkway. The projection or recess is formed by the machined contour of each alignment component. Manufacturing such an alignment device is particularly economical and material-saving when both alignment components are cut from the sheet material in a single operation using a laser cutting or waterjet cutting system. Of course, other machining methods such as milling or sawing can also be used. Various shape combinations are conceivable within a single alignment device.For example, both the projection and the recess can have a V-shape. Another possibility is that the recess is prism-shaped, thus having a V-shape, and the projection is semi-cylindrical. Complementary contours here mean that the semi-cylinder of the projection fits precisely into the prism of the recess, so that after the structural sections are joined, surfaces of the projection touch surfaces of the recess, but are not pressed against each other with high force. It is also conceivable that the projection has a V-shape and the recess is designed as a rectangular groove. However, this solution can cause problems during assembly, as the sharp corners of the groove result in only line contact between the projection and the recess.

[0022] The V-shape of the projection or recess has flanks arranged at a predetermined angle to each other. The flank angle is to be selected in the range of 10° to 140°, preferably between 60° and 100°, and particularly preferably between 60° and 90°.

[0023] The structural sections can each be fitted with a base plate to retain lubricant and dirt deposits that may occur within the passenger transport system. In theAt the connection point of two structural sections, an edge portion of one of the two adjacent floor plates projects beyond the two load-bearing walls. This projecting edge portion is provided with a double bend and an inclined flank surface to ensure an overlap of the two floor plates. The inclined flank surface can also be aligned with and interact with the alignment device, so that when two structural sections are joined, the lateral offset is aligned by the alignment device and the vertical offset by the inclined flank surface.

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein identical elements in all figures are provided with matching reference numerals. Neither the drawings nor the description are to be interpreted as limiting the invention. The drawings show: Figure 1: Schematic side view of a passenger transport system with a supporting structure composed of two supporting sections rigidly connected by a connecting area; and Figure 2: Enlarged, three-dimensional view of the structure in the Figure 1 specified point A of the connection area with two alignment devices arranged in the connection area.

[0025] The Figure 1 Figure 1 schematically shows a side view of a passenger transport system 1 designed as an escalator or moving walkway, which connects a first floor E1 with a second floor E2 of a building 3. The passenger transport system 1 has a supporting structure 11, which is composed of two supporting structure sections 13, 15. The supporting structure 11 is supported by two end-mounted bearing brackets 17 on the floors 5, 7 of floors E1, E2 of the building 3 and spans the space 9 between floors E1, E2 like a bridge.

[0026] The two structural sections 13 and 15 of the structure 11 are connected at point A by a connection area 21. Typically, detachable fasteners, such as high-strength connecting bolts, are used to connect two structural sections 13 and 15. It is, of course, possible to divide the structure 11 into more than two structural sections 13 and 15, thereby increasing the number of connection areas 21. As indicated, the depicted structure 11 is a truss construction, which consists either of welded steel profiles or has been machined from sheet metal plates.

[0027] As schematically illustrated by the balustrade 19, the supporting structure 11 bears the load of all other components of the passenger transport system 1 and supports them against the structure 3. The passenger transport system 1 is usually fully assembled and tested at the manufacturer's plant and then separated at the connection points 21. The resulting sections 14 and 16 are then packaged for transport and moved to the designated installation location. At the installation location, the sections 14 and 16 simply need to be connected in the correct sequence to create a fully operational passenger transport system 1.

[0028] The Figure 2 shows in an enlarged, three-dimensional representation the [unclear text] in the Figure 1 The specified location A of the connection area 21 of the two structural sections 13, 15. Each of the structural sections 13, 15 has two load-bearing walls 23 arranged in parallel planes. In the Figure 2For each structural section 13, 15, only one of the two load-bearing walls 23 is shown to better illustrate the interior space 25 of the structural sections defined by these walls. A central longitudinal axis ML of the structural sections 13, 15 further clarifies that each structural section 13, 15 has a second load-bearing wall 23 that is mirror-symmetrical to the first load-bearing wall 23. These two load-bearing walls 23 are rigidly connected to each other at their mid-height Hm by cross braces 27, so that each of the structural sections 13, 15 has an H-shaped cross-section. The two structural sections 13, 15 are rigidly connected to each other in the connection area 21 by fasteners such as the connecting screws 31 and connecting plates 33 shown.

[0029] Furthermore, two alignment devices 40 are arranged in the connection area 21. Each of the alignment devices 40 has a first alignment part 41 with a mounting area 43 and a recess 45, and a second alignment part 42 with a mounting area 43 and a projection 44. A contour 47 of the projection 44 is designed to be complementary to a contour 47 of the recess 45, with both contours having a V-shape.

[0030] As in Figure 2As shown by way of example, in connection area 21, the two first alignment elements 41 are fixedly arranged on a cross member 27 of the first structural section 13 by means of their fastening area 43. An axis of symmetry SA of the V-shaped recess 45 extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis LM or to the longitudinal extent of the first structural section 13. In a similar manner, in connection area 21, the two second alignment elements 42 are fixedly arranged on a cross member 27 of the second structural section 15 by means of their fastening area 43. Here, the first alignment elements 41 and the second alignment elements 42 are aligned with each other in connection area 21 such that, in the assembled state, the load-bearing walls 23 of the structural sections 13, 15 are precisely aligned with each other due to the interlocking of the V-shaped projection 44 and the V-shaped recess 45.The V-shape of the projection 44 and the recess 45 is arranged lying in a directional plane RE that extends orthogonally to and between the load-bearing walls 23. Due to this arrangement, the load-bearing walls 23 align themselves "automatically" with each other when the structural sections 13, 15 are joined. However, this is only possible if the projection 44 also aligns with the recess 45. Experience shows that a lateral offset of the load-bearing walls 23 of two structural sections 13, 15 is always present when joining them with common assembly equipment such as hoists, winches, and the like. Preferably, the width B of the base of the V-shape should be in the range of 1:20 to 1:40 of the structural width Y of the structure 11.

[0031] The two in the Figure 2The alignment devices 40 shown are made of a sheet material. The alignment parts 41, 42 of the alignment device 40 can, for example, be cut from a steel plate using a laser cutting system or from a high-strength polymer plate using a waterjet cutting system. The mounting areas 43 are provided with through holes, which are located in the Figure 2 are concealed by screws 48. Threaded holes (not visible) are provided in the crossbars 27, in which the screws 48 are tightened.

[0032] To achieve precise alignment of the alignment parts 41, 42 on the crossbeams 27, the alignment devices 40 are mounted in the connection areas 21 after the complete assembly of the passenger transport system 1 at the manufacturer's plant. For this purpose, the alignment devices 40 are fastened to the crossbeams 27 with the screws 48, ensuring that the projection 44 is precisely positioned in the recess 45. This is the case when the flanks 51, 52, which form the V-shape of the V-shaped projection 44 and the V-shaped recess 45 respectively, are in contact with each other. In the present embodiment, the flanks 51, 52 are arranged at a flank angle α of 90° to each other; however, this angle can also be more obtuse or acute. After tightening the screws 48, through holes are drilled for dowel pins 49, and the dowel pins 49 are pressed into the holes.The completed passenger transport system 1 can then be disassembled into sections at the manufacturer's plant by removing the connecting screws 31 and connecting plates 33 in the connection areas 21.

[0033] As the Figure 2 Furthermore, as shown, the structural sections 13, 15 are each provided with a base plate 61, 63, wherein in the connection area 21 of two structural sections 13, 15 an edge area 65 of one of the two adjacent base plates 13, 15 projects beyond the two load-bearing walls 23. This projecting edge area 65 is provided with a double bend 67 with an inclined flank surface 69 to ensure an overlap of the two base plates 61, 63.

[0034] Although the invention has been described by presenting specific embodiments, it is obvious that numerous further embodiments can be created with knowledge of the present invention, for example by arranging several alignment devices 40 on the cross members 27, which, by their specific arrangement, enable not only lateral but also vertical alignment. Here, the V-shape of some alignment parts 41, 42 is arranged in the direction plane RE, and the V-shape of other alignment parts 41, 42 is arranged in a plane parallel to the supporting walls 23.

Claims

1. Support structure (11) of a passenger transport system (1), which is designed as an escalator or moving walkway and comprises at least a first support structure section (13) and a second support structure section (15), wherein the two support structure sections (13, 15) can be connected to one another by means of a connection region (21) formed on their end faces, wherein, in the connection region (21), at least one alignment device (40) is arranged, which comprises a first alignment part (41) comprising a fastening region (43) and a recess (45), and a second alignment part (42) comprising a fastening region (43) and a projection (44), wherein a contour (47) of the projection (44) is designed to be complementary to a contour (47) of the recess (45), wherein the contour (47) of the projection (44) and / or the recess (45) has a V-shape, wherein the support structure sections (13, 15) in each case have two support walls (23) arranged in parallel planes and at least two cross-struts (27), and wherein the support walls (23) are firmly connected to one another by the cross-struts, characterized in that the V-shape of the projection (44) or the recess (45) of at least one alignment device (40) is arranged to lie in a directional plane (RE) that extends orthogonally to the support walls (23) and between these support walls (23).

2. Support structure (11) according to claim 1, wherein, in the connection region (21) on the first support structure section (13), at least one first alignment part (41) is arranged in a stationary manner by means of its fastening region (43) and an axis of symmetry (SA) of the recess (45) extends parallel to a central longitudinal axis (ML) of the support structure sections (13, 15), and, in the connection region (21) on the second support structure section (15), at least one second alignment part (42) is arranged in a stationary manner by means of its fastening region (43) and an axis of symmetry (SA) of the projection (44) extends parallel to the central longitudinal axis (ML) of the support structure section (13, 15), and wherein the first and the second alignment parts (41, 42) are aligned arranged in the connection region (21) relative to one another that, in the assembled state of the support structure (11), the support walls (23) of the support structure sections (13, 15) are precisely aligned relative to one another as a result of the interlocking of projection (44) and recess (45).

3. Support structure (11) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one alignment device (40) is arranged on cross-struts (27), arranged in the connection region (21), of two support structure sections (13, 15).

4. Support structure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in each case support structure sections (13, 15) adjoining one another are firmly connected to one another in the connection region (21) by fastening means (31, 33).

5. Support structure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a ratio of the width (B) of a base of the V-shape to a support structure width (Y) is in the range of 1:20 to 1:40.

6. Support structure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support structure sections (13, 15) are in each case provided with a floor plate (61, 63), and, in the connection region (21) of two support structure sections (13, 15), an edge region (65) of one of the two adjacent floor plates (61, 63) protrudes beyond the two support walls (23), wherein this protruding edge region (65) is provided with a double bevel (67) with an inclined flank surface (69), in order to ensure an overlap of the two floor plates (61, 63).

7. Support structure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first alignment part (41) and the second alignment part (42) are machined from a plate material and wherein the projection (44) or the recess (45) is formed by the machined contour (47) of the respective alignment part (41, 42).

8. Support structure (11) according to claim 7, wherein the V-shape of the projection (44) or the recess (45) has flanks (51, 51) which are arranged at a flank angle (α) relative to one another, wherein the flank angle (α) is in the range between 10° to 140°, preferably between 30° to 100°, and particularly preferably between 60° to 90°.

9. Passenger transport system (1) that is designed as an escalator or moving walkway and can be divided into sections (14, 16), characterized in that it comprises a support structure (11) according to one of claims 1 to 8.

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