Self-propelled handrail

Abstract

To provide a self-propelled handrail that can assist stable movement by reducing a physical burden during ascending / descending on stairs and that can be inexpensively installed in a saved space and used even on curved stairs, and to provide a method for manufacturing the self-propelled handrail.SOLUTION: The self-propelled handrail comprises: a rail extending in a person moving direction; a motor; and a handrail body that is fitted to the rail and that travels on the rail by the motor. The rail is provided with an aluminum frame 1 having a groove which extends in a longitudinal direction, and a rack gear of a flexible type fitted in the groove. The rack gear is provided on a side opposite to a person with respect to the center axis of the rail in a horizontal direction. A body of the motor is provided on the upper side of the rail integrally with the handrail body. An output shaft of the motor is provided with a gear extending in a gravity direction and engaged with the rack gear.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a self-propelled handrail that reduces the physical burden and assists stable movement when a pedestrian moves on stairs or a passageway.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in homes and facilities, elevators, elevating platforms with motors, etc. have been used as means to reduce the physical burden when ascending and descending stairs. However, the introduction of these requires costs of several million yen or more and a large installation space, so they cannot be easily introduced.

[0003] An elevating platform with a motor installed on stairs, which is developed for people with disabilities in the legs and waist, can automatically ascend and descend the stairs by sitting on the provided seat chair. However, for healthy people with sound legs and waist, the assistance by the seat chair is not only overly sufficient for reducing the physical burden and assisting stable movement, but also has the drawbacks that the installation cost of the seat chair is high and the installation compresses the space of the stairs.

[0004] As a means to reduce the physical burden when healthy people ascend and descend stairs, for example, there is a rail-type handrail elevator described in Patent Document 1, and the physical burden can be reduced by grasping the handrail and ascending and descending the stairs. These are also more compact in installation space than the above-mentioned elevating platform with a motor. However, due to the mechanism of installing the motor at a high position and fixing a rope to the handrail to pull it, it takes time and cost to install the motor separately, and there is a drawback that it cannot be easily used on curved stairs.

[0005] The automatic handrail moving machine described in Patent Document 2 is also a similar rail-type handrail elevator, but since the handrail is a belt type, a structure for sliding the belt on the rail side is required, and the structure of the rail itself becomes complicated. Also, this device has the drawback that it cannot be easily used on curved stairs.

[0006] There is a device that climbs stairs by spring force, like the lifting assist device for people and heavy objects described in Patent Document 3. However, as mentioned above, it cannot be easily used on curved stairs, and when going down the stairs, there is a drawback that the handrail must be slid to apply the spring force.

[0007] In the stair lifting assist system described in Patent Document 4, since a wire rope 7 is required for the worm motor 5 to move the suspension ring fixing part 8, it is difficult to move the suspension ring fixing part 8 in a curved manner.

[0008] In the assist device for stair lifting described in Patent Document 5, when configured as shown in Fig. 3, the dimensions in the left - right direction become large, making it difficult to install in a space - saving manner.

[0009] In the stair lifting assist device described in Patent Document 6, since the electric motor 4 is not provided integrally with the auxiliary rod 3 and a feed screw 2b is required to move the auxiliary rod 3, it is difficult to move the auxiliary rod 3 in a curved manner.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0010]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve such problems, and to provide a self-propelled handrail that can be installed at low cost and in a space-saving manner, and can be easily used even on a curved staircase, and a method for manufacturing the self-propelled handrail.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0012] It includes a rail extending along the moving direction of a person and a motor, has a handrail body attached to the rail and traveling on the rail by the motor, the rail includes an aluminum frame having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction, and a flexible type rack gear fitted into the groove, the rack gear is provided on the opposite side of the person with respect to the central axis of the rail in the horizontal direction, the main body of the motor is provided on the upper side of the rail integrally with the handrail body, the output shaft of the motor extends in the direction of gravity, and a gear meshing with the rack gear is provided. Also, it is preferable that the rail includes an aluminum frame having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction and a flexible type rack gear fitted into the groove. Also, it is preferable to have a handle suspended from the handrail body. Further, the aluminum frame is bent into a curved shape.

Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, a self-propelled handrail that can be installed in a space-saving manner and can be easily used even on a curved staircase can be provided, and the installation cost can also be provided at a lower cost than an elevator or a lift with a motor. Also, by arranging the motor on the upper side, the horizontal dimension can be reduced and it can be installed in a more space-saving manner. Not only is it easier for the handrail body to move curvilinearly, but the rail support can be attached from the lower side, and by providing a support column connecting the rail supports from the ground, a stable and low-cost rail support method is possible even when it is difficult to fix to the wall surface. Furthermore, by providing the rack gear on the opposite side of the person, the rack gear is not exposed on the person side, which not only improves the appearance but also works advantageously for accident prevention measures such as accidentally putting a finger into the gear.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. The self-propelled folding screen includes a folding screen main body integrated with a motor that travels on a rail guided by the rail. The rail extends along the moving direction of a person, and a rail support for attaching the rail may be connected to a support column and provided on the floor or ground, or the support column may be extended from a wall surface or the like arranged beside a staircase, slope, or passage and connected to the rail support. FIG. 1 is composed of a rail attached to the side of a staircase or the like and the folding screen main body.

[0016] The rail is composed of an aluminum frame 1, a rack gear 2, a limit switch operating bolt 3, and a rail support 14. The handrail body is composed of a geared motor 4 with an electromagnetic brake, a gear 7 attached to the geared motor 4 with an electromagnetic brake and meshing with the rack gear 2, a total of 16 roller followers 8 for guiding the flat surface of the aluminum frame 1 functioning as a rail to assist the operation of the handrail body, a limit switch 6 that operates and stops by the limit switch operating bolt 3 on the rail side, a handle 9, an operating switch 11, a stop switch 10, a selection switch 12 for selecting the forward and backward movement of the handrail body, a hook 13 for hanging luggage, and a control box 5 for storing electrical components such as a relay. Electricity may be supplied from an outlet or the like, or may be supplied from a battery provided in the handrail body. The self-propelled handrail according to this embodiment all has an inexpensive and simple configuration. As shown in FIG. 1, a person holds the handle 9 suspended from the handrail body, hangs luggage on the hook 13, and climbs the stairs, thereby reducing the physical burden and assisting stable movement. However, it is not limited to this. For example, it may be used by a person grasping the handrail body. In this case, the stop switch 10, the operating switch 11, the selection switch 12, and the hook 13 may be provided on the handrail body.

[0017] When a person climbs the stairs, hang the luggage on the hook 13, hold the handle 9, select the upward side with the selection switch 12, and press the operating switch 11, the handrail operates the geared motor 4 with an electromagnetic brake, and when the gear 7 rotates, it meshes with the rack gear 2 and moves in the upward direction of the stairs. The geared motor 4 with an electromagnetic brake is decelerated by the built-in gear head, and it is preferably set to a moving speed of about 0.5 to 1.0 m / s.

[0018] The electric circuit uses a relay and a limit switch 6, and as shown in FIG. 6, the upward and downward movement of the stairs is performed by a self-holding circuit.

[0019] Since the handrail body moves while pulling a person's hand, the person can reduce the physical burden during stair climbing and does not need to carry luggage.

[0020] When stopping the handrail body in the middle of the stairs, press the stop switch 10 to activate the emergency stop. During the stop, the electromagnetic brake of the geared motor 4 with electromagnetic brake holds the stop position. The stopped handrail body is restarted by the operation switch 11.

[0021] When the handrail body reaches the top of the stairs, the limit switch operating bolt 3 activates the upper limit switch 6 and automatically stops.

[0022] When going down the stairs, it is the reverse operation of going up.

[0023] When installing the rail by bending it, such as for a curved staircase, it is cost-effective to use a pre-bent manufacturer's standard product for the aluminum frame 1, but those bent into a curved shape by a vendor or the like are also acceptable. The rack gear 2 is preferably a flexible type and is fitted into the groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the aluminum frame 1. When the handrail body moves along a curve, in the case of a rail that draws a curve with a radius of 300 mm as shown in Fig. 5, a gap of 2.68 mm occurs between the gears on the body side and the rail side compared to when moving in a straight line. Therefore, when installing the rail by bending it, the gap is avoided by leaving a 2.68-mm gap between the flat part of the aluminum frame 1 and the mounting position of the rack gear 2 compared to when it is straight.

[0024] In recent years, land prices have risen in the city center, and the demand for three-story houses is increasing in order to make use of narrow land. When building a three-story house, in order to reduce the physical burden during stair climbing and descending, one would like to install an elevator. However, due to the installation cost of several million yen and the need for an installation space of about two tatami mats on each floor, there are many cases where the installation hurdle is too high and one gives up. On the other hand, a self-propelled handrail installs a rail on the side of the stairs, and with at least one handrail body, it can solve the physical burden during stair climbing and descending in a space-saving and low-cost manner.

Explanation of Symbols

[0025] 1 Aluminum frame 2 Rack gear 3 Limit switch operating bolt 4 Gear motor with electromagnetic brake 5 Control box 6 Limit switch 7 Gear 8 Roller follower 9 Handle 10 Stop switch 11 Actuating switch 12 Selection switch 13 Hook 14 Rail support

Claims

【Claim 1】 A handrail body that includes a rail extending along the moving direction of a person and a motor, and is attached to the rail and travels on the rail by the motor. The rail includes an aluminum frame having a groove portion extending in the longitudinal direction and a flexible type rack gear fitted in the groove portion. The rack gear is provided on the side opposite to the person with respect to the central axis of the rail in the horizontal direction. The main body of the motor is provided on the upper side of the rail integrally with the handrail body. An output shaft of the motor extends in the direction of gravity, and a self-propelled handrail provided with a gear meshing with the rack gear.

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