Moving walkway with a cleaning device

Abstract

The invention relates to a moving walkway (1) which comprises a support structure (3) and a pallet belt (11) which is arranged so as to be movable revolvingly and is guided by means of guide rails (5, 7) in the support structure (3). The pallet belt (11) comprises two annularly closed conveyor chains (13) and, arranged therebetween, pallets (21) which interconnect the two conveyor chains (13). Each of the pallets comprises a tread surface (23), the pallet belt (11) having an advance portion (25) which users (99) can step on, and a return portion (27) which is hidden from users (99), due to the arrangement of the pallet belt so as to be movable revolvingly. The moving walkway (1) also comprises at least one brush assembly (41) for each of the conveyor chains (13), which brush assembly has a brush (43) which, when the pallet belt (11) is in the intended-use position, is arranged positionally fixedly in the support structure (3) in the return portion (27) and underneath the conveyor chain (13). The brush (43) is in contact with those lateral edge regions (49) of the tread surfaces (23) that adjoin the conveyor chain (13) associated with this brush (43).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a moving walkway comprising a supporting structure and a pallet belt arranged to be movable around the circumference of the supporting structure.

[0002] Moving walkways of the aforementioned type are well-known and efficient devices for transporting people. They are typically used for transporting people horizontally or with a slight incline of up to 12° from one point in a building to another. The pallet conveyor used for transporting users is guided by guide rails arranged in the supporting structure and has two ring-shaped conveyor chains with pallets arranged between them, connecting the two conveyor chains. Each pallet includes a tread, and due to its circumferentially movable arrangement, the pallet conveyor has a forward section accessible to users and a return section concealed from users.

[0003] To minimize energy loss and operating noise, the conveyor chains must be lubricated. Excess lubricating oil is collected in oil collection channels that run parallel to the conveyor chains and are located below each chain, in accordance with the intended operating position of the pallet conveyor. However, due to the specific design of the moving walkway (pallets are returned with the platform facing downwards), the continuous lubrication of the conveyor chain inevitably results in the lubricating oil flowing to the platform, visible during forward operation. This makes the pallet conveyor unsightly and suggests inadequate maintenance to the user. Furthermore, the lubricating oil can damage expensive footwear or luggage, and oil adhering to soles can cause slipping accidents on smooth floors adjacent to the moving walkway.

[0004] WO2010 / 121331A1 discloses a cleaning device for cleaning walking surfaces. Since there is no space in moving walkways to install such cleaning devices, the device is periodically installed by maintenance personnel in the approach track, and its brush mechanically cleans the entire walking surface. During this time, however, the moving walkway cannot be used, and the periodic installation and removal is complex and expensive. Furthermore, due to the periodic use, it is not possible to reliably prevent lubricating oil from being distributed on the walking surfaces.

[0005] From JP H11 217177 A a brush arrangement for an escalator is known, which serves to clean edge areas on the treads which are color-coded.

[0006] JP H0873172 A discloses a device for removing lubricating oil that adheres to the step shafts of an escalator. For this purpose, each step shaft has a drip ring on each side where the lubricating oil collects and is wiped off by a stationary brush.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to propose a cleaning device which is inexpensive to manufacture and use and which reliably prevents the distribution of lubricating oil on the running surfaces.

[0008] This task is accomplished by a moving walkway that has at least one brush assembly with a single brush for each of the conveyor chains of its pallet belt. This brush assembly is fixed in the supporting structure with respect to the intended operating position of the pallet belt in the return direction and below the conveyor chain. Each of these brushes is in contact with the lateral edge areas of the walking surfaces. These lateral edge areas are strip-shaped sections of the walking surface that border the conveyor chains. Furthermore, the brush assembly includes a receiving element with at least one guide element, the brush being attached to the receiving element. The guide element directs any lubricating oil that comes into contact with the receiving element in a predetermined direction.

[0009] In other words, the brush assembly does not cover the entire tread surface, but only a lateral edge area adjacent to each conveyor chain. Extensive tests have confirmed that positioning the brush at the lateral edge is highly effective in preventing the lubricating oil film from spreading across the tread surface. This is because, firstly, it continuously removes accumulated lubricating oil from the edge area, and secondly, it prevents lubricating oil adhering to the brush bristles from being transferred to adjacent bristles and applied to dry areas of the tread surface. Furthermore, due to their small size, the brush assemblies can be easily installed on both sides of the pallet belt in the return section, allowing for continuous rather than intermittent use. Moreover, this does not impede the conveyor's operation in any way.Since no lubricating oil film can spread, dirt and dust adhere much less to the treads, causing them to fall off due to gravity during the return stroke. This also minimizes the cleaning effort required for the entire tread surface. It should be noted that the terms "brush and bristles" are not intended to be restrictive of the invention. Instead of a brush with synthetic and / or metallic bristles, elastic scrapers, sponge-like blocks of material, absorbent pads, bundled wicking material, and the like can also be used to remove lubricating oil from the lateral edges of the pallets. The guide element prevents the removed lubricating oil from spreading uncontrollably to other components within the moving walkway and instead directs it to a location within the walkway where lubricating oil and dirt are already being collected.

[0010] In one embodiment, the brush assembly comprises a holder whose first end is rigidly connected to the supporting structure and whose second end houses the mounting element with the brush. The holder also features a telescopic mechanism located between the first and second ends. The distance between the brush and the treads of the pallet conveyor is adjustable via this telescopic mechanism. This provides greater flexibility in selecting suitable attachment points on the supporting structure and allows for stepless adjustment of the brush bristle pressure on the tread. Furthermore, bristle wear can be compensated for by periodically readjusting the telescopic mechanism.

[0011] The telescopic mechanism can be implemented, for example, by a screw connection located between two components of the bracket. In this configuration, at least one slot-shaped hole is formed in one of the two components, through which a screw of the connection protrudes when the assembly is complete.

[0012] In a further embodiment, at least one slot-shaped mounting hole is formed at the first end of the bracket, through which at least one mounting screw, connectable to the supporting structure, is arranged. This allows the position of the bracket relative to the supporting structure to be adjusted within a range defined by the slot-shaped mounting hole. Preferably, the slot-shaped hole of the telescopic device extends in a plane that is orthogonal to the plane in which the slot-shaped mounting hole extends.

[0013] Preferably, the receiving element in the moving walkway is arranged in its intended installation position at an angle towards an oil collection channel of the moving walkway. This facilitates the flow of lubricating oil scraped from the brush into the oil collection channel, so that only small amounts of lubricating oil remain on the brush.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the brush assembly features a clamping device with which the brush is detachably connected to the mounting element. This allows a worn brush to be removed and a new brush to be installed in just a few steps.

[0015] To lubricate the conveyor chain, the moving walkway includes at least one lubricant dispensing device for each conveyor chain. Preferably, the lubricant dispensing device is fixedly arranged in the support structure above the conveyor chain in the return section and dispenses the lubricating oil to the conveyor chain via bristles. Due to gravity, the lubricating oil flows to the lower edge of the conveyor chain, with excess lubricating oil forming droplets at the lower edge and dripping into the oil collection channel.

[0016] To prevent the lubricating oil droplets forming at the lower edge from becoming too large and spreading across the walking surfaces, the brush assembly associated with the conveyor chain is preferably located in the area of ​​the lubricant dispensing device. The conveyor chain thus runs between the lubricant dispensing device and the brush assembly. "In the area" here does not necessarily mean that the brush of the assembly must be positioned exactly vertically below the lubricant dispensing device. The brush assembly can also be offset in the direction of travel of the conveyor chain, with the length of the offset being tailored to the flow rate (viscosity) of the lubricating oil, the distance to be traveled (height of the conveyor chain), and the conveying speed of the conveyor chain. Naturally, a moving walkway can also have more than one brush assembly per conveyor chain.

[0017] 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 are designated by the same reference numeral. The drawings show: Figure 1: schematic, a partial cross-section of a moving walkway with a continuously movable pallet conveyor guided by guide rails, wherein a brush arrangement is provided for cleaning the edge areas of the pallets; Figure 2: enlarged, showing the Figure 1 designated section A; Figure 3: which is in the Figure 1 and 2 Brush arrangement shown in three-dimensional view.

[0018] The figures are schematic only and not to scale. Identical reference symbols in the different figures denote identical or equivalent features.

[0019] Figure 1Figure 1 schematically shows a partial cross-section of a moving walkway 1. Its basic structure corresponds to known moving walkway constructions, which is why the partial cross-section only depicts just under a quarter of the actual cross-section of the moving walkway 1. Figure 2 shows the one in the Figure 1 Section A is shown in an enlarged representation, which is why the two figures are described together below.

[0020] The moving walkway 1 has a supporting structure 3 in which guide rails 5, 7 are mounted. The guide rails 5, 7 guide a pallet conveyor 11, which is arranged to move circumferentially within the supporting structure 3. This conveyor has two ring-shaped closed conveyor chains 13 (only one of the two conveyor chains 13 is shown due to the partial cross-section), which are arranged parallel to and spaced apart from each other within the supporting structure 3. The conveyor chains 13 are link chains made of steel, on whose chain pivot pins 15 rollers 17 are rotatably mounted. The rollers 17 run on the guide rails 5, 7 and support the pallet conveyor 11 against them. In the present embodiment, the rollers 17 are arranged between the chain links 19 of the conveyor chain 13. However, conveyor chains 13 can also be used in which the rollers 17 are arranged laterally to the side of the chain links 19.

[0021] Furthermore, the pallet conveyor 11 has several pallets 21 arranged one behind the other, positioned between the conveyor chains 13 and connecting the two conveyor chains 13. Each of the pallets 21 includes a platform 23. Due to its continuously movable arrangement, the pallet conveyor 11 has a forward section 25 accessible to users 99 and a return section 27 concealed from users 99.

[0022] For each of the conveyor chains 13, at least one lubricant dispensing device 31 is provided in the moving walkway 1 for lubricating the conveyor chain 13. The lubricant dispensing device 31 is mounted in the return 27 of the pallet belt 11 and, with respect to the intended operating position of the pallet belt 11, is mounted above the conveyor chain 13 in the support structure 3.

[0023] The moving walkway 1 also has at least one brush arrangement 41 with a brush 43 for each of the conveyor chains 13. The brush arrangement 41 is fixedly positioned in the support structure 3 with respect to the intended operating position of the pallet belt 11 in the return 27 and below the conveyor chain 13. The brush 43 is in contact with those lateral edge areas 45 of the tread surfaces 23 that border the conveyor chain 13 assigned to this brush 43. For example, on both sides of a pallet 21, only a three-centimeter-wide strip of the tread surface 23 is brushed by the bristles 44 of the brush 43. Since the accumulating lubricating oil 91 (see in particular Figure 2 ) in these edge areas 45 is continuously removed by the brush arrangement 41, it cannot spread to the remaining tread surface 23.

[0024] The brush assembly 41 is arranged in the area of ​​the lubricant dispensing device 31, with the conveyor chain 13 running between the lubricant dispensing device 31 and the brush assembly 41. The brush assembly 41 comprises a holder 47, the first end 48 of which is fixedly connected to the support structure 3 and the second end 49 of which the brush 43 is attached. The holder 47 has a telescopic extension 51, which is arranged between the first end 48 and the second end 49. The telescopic extension 51 allows a distance S between the brush 43 and the treads 23 of the pallet conveyor 11 to be adjusted.

[0025] More precisely, the distance S between a brush body 46 of the brush 43 and the tread surface 23 must be adjusted, since the bristles 44 of the brush 43 have a predefined contact pressure and thus theoretically a predefined overlap (in the Figure 2(as indicated accordingly) should exhibit. In fact, the bristles 44 do not protrude into the body of the pallets 21, but rather bend outwards in accordance with the direction of movement of the pallet belt 11.

[0026] Below the conveyor chain 13 and partially also below the brush assembly 41, an oil collection channel 53 is arranged, which extends in the return path 27 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveyor chain 13. The oil collection channel 53 is made of thin sheet metal and is held in place in the support structure 3 by spring clamps 55.

[0027] In the Figure 3 , which are in the Figure 1 and 2 Further details of the brush arrangement 41 shown in the three-dimensional view are evident. At the second end 49 of the holder 47, a receiving element 61 for the brush 43 is arranged. The receiving element 61 is inclined in its intended installation position towards the oil collection channel 53 of the moving walkway 1 (see also Figure 1 and2 ), to facilitate the drainage of the lubricating oil 91 wiped off by the brush 43 into the oil collection channel 53. Due to this arrangement, the receiving element 61 has a raised edge 63 and a lowered edge 65 with respect to its installation position. The brush 43 can have flow channels 42 in its brush body 46, so that the lubricating oil 91 can flow even more effectively from the direction of the raised edge 63 to the lowered edge 65 of the receiving element 61 and drip into the oil collection channel 53. The receiving element 61 also has guide elements 67, 68, which direct the lubricating oil 91 in a predetermined direction towards the lowered edge 65 of the receiving element 61.

[0028] Furthermore, the brush assembly 43 has a clamping device 69 with which the brush 43, or rather its brush body 46, is detachably connected to the receiving element 61. This allows a brush 43 with worn bristles 44 to be easily replaced with a new brush 43 during maintenance work.

[0029] The telescopic device 51 mentioned above is formed by a screw connection 71, which is arranged between two components 77, 78 of the bracket 47. For this purpose, at least one slot-shaped hole 73 is formed in one of the two components 77, through which a screw of the screw connection 71 protrudes when assembled.

[0030] Furthermore, at least one slot-shaped fastening hole 75 is formed at the first end 48 of the bracket 47, in which at least one fastening screw 76 connectable to the supporting structure 3 (see Figure 1 and 2) is arranged to protrude through. This allows the position of the bracket 43 relative to the support structure 3 to be adjusted within a range defined by the slot-shaped mounting hole 75. To enable the position of the brush 43 relative to the pallet 21 to be adjusted in at least two dimensions of three-dimensional space, the slot-shaped hole 73 of the telescopic device 51 extends in a plane that is orthogonal to the plane in which the slot-shaped mounting hole 75 extends. The slot-shaped mounting hole 75 allows, as described in the Figure 2 It is noticeable that the width of the 45 can be varied.

[0031] Furthermore, the brush arrangement 41 can also be offset in the direction of travel of the conveyor chain 13 (in the Figure 1 and 2(This runs orthogonally to the plane of the drawing) and the length of the offset can be adjusted to the flow rate (viscosity) of the lubricating oil, the distance to be traveled (height of the conveyor chain 13), and the conveying speed of the conveyor chain 13. If the moving walkway 1 is designed for two directions of travel, for example, two brush arrangements 41 per conveyor chain 13 can be provided, which are arranged with a corresponding offset before and after the lubricant dispensing device 31 with respect to the two directions of travel of the conveyor chain 13.

[0032] Although in the Figures 1 to 3Since only screw connections 71, 76 and slotted holes 73, 75 are shown, it is obvious that for the present invention, further mounting structures that can be fixed in defined positions, such as lockable linear guides, rod frames with lockable joint nodes, and the like, can be used to adjust the correct position of the brush 43 relative to the tread surfaces 23 of the pallets 21. Of course, rigid mounts 47, which have no adjustment options at all, can also be used. Furthermore, more than one brush arrangement 41 can be provided for each conveyor chain 13, arranged one behind the other along the guide rails 5, 7.In addition, instead of brushes 43 with synthetic and / or metallic bristles 44, elastic scrapers, sponge-like material blocks, absorbent pads, bundled wicking material and the like may also be used to remove lubricating oil 91 from the lateral edge areas 45 (usually two per pallet 21) of the pallets 21.

[0033] Finally, it should be noted that terms such as "comprising," "encompassing," 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 as limitations.

Claims

1. A moving walkway (1) having a supporting structure (3) and a pallet belt (11) arranged in the supporting structure (3) so as to be circumferentially movable, which pallet belt (11) comprises two ring-shaped, closed conveyor chains (13) and pallets (21), each with a tread surface (23), arranged between them which interconnect the two conveyor chains (13), wherein the pallet belt (11), due to its circumferentially movable arrangement, has a forward run (25) that can be accessed by users (99) and a return run (27) that is hidden from users (99), wherein the moving walkway (1) has for each of the conveyor chains (13) at least one brush arrangement (41) with a brush (43), which brush arrangement (41) is arranged in a positionally fixed manner in the supporting structure (3) with respect to the intended operating position of the pallet belt (11) in the return run (27) and below the conveyor chain (13), and wherein the brush (43) is in contact with those lateral edge regions (49) of the tread surfaces (23) which are adjacent to the conveyor chain (13) associated with this brush (43), characterized in that the brush arrangement has a receiving element (61) with at least one guide element (67, 68), wherein the brush is fastened to the receiving element, and the guide element (67, 68) directs lubricating oil (91), reaching the receiving element (61), in a predetermined direction.

2. The moving walkway (1) according to claim 1, wherein the brush arrangement (41) comprises a holder (41), the first end (48) of which is firmly connected to the supporting structure (3) and to the second end (49) of which the receiving element (61) is fastened to the brush (43), wherein the holder (41) has a telescopic apparatus (51) between the first end (48) and second end (49) so that a distance (S) between the brush (43) and the tread surface (23) of the pallet (21) is adjustable.

3. The moving walkway (1) according to claim 2, wherein the telescopic apparatus (51) is formed by a screw connection (71) between two components (77, 78) of the holder (41), wherein, in one of the two components (77), at least one slot-shaped hole (73) is formed through which a screw of the screw connection (71) protrudes in the assembled state.

4. The moving walkway (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one slot-shaped fastening hole (75) is formed at the first end (48) of the holder (41), in which at least one fastening screw (76) is protruding through arranged that can be connected to the supporting structure (3), so that the position of the holder (41) relative to the supporting structure (3) can be adjusted within a region specified by the slot-shaped fastening hole (75).

5. The moving walkway (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the receiving element (61) is arranged in the moving walkway (1) in its intended installation position inclined towards an oil collection channel (53) of the moving walkway (1).

6. The moving walkway (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the brush arrangement (41) has a clamping device (69) with which the brush (43) is detachably connected to the receiving element (61).

7. The moving walkway (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein, for each conveyor chain (13), it comprises at least one lubricant dispensing device (31) for lubricating the conveyor chain (13), wherein the lubricant dispensing device (31) is arranged above the conveyor chain (13) in a positionally fixed manner in the supporting structure (3).

8. The moving walkway (1) according to claim 7, wherein the brush arrangement (41) is arranged in the region of the lubricant dispensing device (31), and the conveyor chain (13) is passed between the lubricant dispensing device (31) and the brush arrangement (41).

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