Antimicrobial handrail and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to an antibacterial handrail and a manufacturing method therefor, the method comprising: a canvas preparation step of preparing a canvas to be disposed on the bottom surface of the handrail; a metal cable preparation step of preparing a metal cable embedded long in the longitudinal direction of the handrail to reinforce durability of the handrail; and an extrusion molding step of integrally molding the canvas prepared through the canvas preparation step and the metal cable prepared through the metal cable preparation step into a body, with a synthetic resin being continuously extruded, wherein the synthetic resin in the extrusion molding step is obtained by mixing 4 - 7 parts by weight of an antibacterial agent, 0.5 - 1 parts by weight of a dispersant, 0.3 - 0.6 parts by weight of an antioxidant, 0.2 - 0.5 parts by weight of a coupling agent, and 0.5 - 1 parts by weight of an anti-hydrolysis additive with respect to 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin.

Description

Antibacterial handrail and its manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to an antibacterial handrail and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an antibacterial handrail having an antibacterial function applied to a handrail applied to an escalator or the like that many people come into contact with, and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002] In general, escalators are installed and operated in public buildings and department stores with a lot of floating population to maximize the transport capacity of floating population between floors. In such escalators and moving walkways, it is essential to install endless handrails so that users can hold on to them with their hands and move while maintaining stability.

[0003] Meanwhile, with the recent outbreak of infectious diseases like COVID-19, interest in personal hygiene is growing. Accordingly, various policies and self-help measures are being proposed, such as placing hand sanitizers at entrances and inside elevators, and attaching antibacterial films to elevator buttons.

[0004] However, in the case of handrails, even though they are used by an unspecified number of people, they are installed on escalators and run on an endless track, so it is difficult to apply antibacterial films, etc. In the past, a sterilization unit was installed on one side of the escalator, but there was a problem that management and maintenance were difficult.

[0005] The present invention was devised to solve this problem, and provides an antibacterial handrail and a method for manufacturing the same, which prevent bacteria from growing by including an antibacterial agent in the synthetic resin used in the manufacture of the handrail used by an unspecified number of people.

[0006] The present invention relates to an antibacterial handrail and a manufacturing method thereof, comprising: a canvas preparation step of preparing a canvas to be placed on the bottom of a handrail; a metal cable preparation step of preparing a metal cable that is embedded along the length of the handrail to reinforce the durability of the handrail; and an extrusion molding step of continuously extruding a synthetic resin, wherein the canvas prepared through the canvas preparation step and the metal cable prepared through the metal cable preparation step are integrally molded together with a body, wherein in the extrusion molding step, the synthetic resin is characterized in that, with respect to 100 parts by weight of a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin, 4 to 7 parts by weight of an antibacterial agent, 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a dispersant, 0.3 to 0.6 parts by weight of an antioxidant, 0.2 to 0.5 parts by weight of a coupling agent, and 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a hydrolysis-resistant additive are mixed.

[0007] In addition, the canvas preparation step is characterized by including a canvas weaving step in which a canvas is woven by including at least one strand of conductive yarn as a warp yarn in addition to the fibers supplied as weft and warp yarns, and a canvas heat coating step in which a coating resin is heat-coated on one side of the canvas woven in the weaving step to form a coating layer on one side of the canvas.

[0008] In addition, in the canvas weaving step, the warp is characterized in that it comprises nylon fiber yarn containing polyester fiber yarn and conductive yarn, and is prepared by 13 to 20 parts by weight of nylon fiber yarn per 100 parts by weight of polyester fiber yarn.

[0009] In addition, the present invention is characterized by including an antibacterial handrail manufactured by such a manufacturing method.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has the effect of providing an antibacterial treatment to prevent bacteria from growing by including an antibacterial agent in the synthetic resin used in the manufacture of a handrail used by an unspecified number of people.

[0011] In addition, the TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin is used as the main component, but an antibacterial agent and multiple additives are additionally added to have the effect of improving antibacterial properties while satisfying workability and moldability during extrusion molding.

[0012] In addition, the present invention has a remarkable effect of reducing safety accidents such as sparks, fires, and explosions caused by static electricity by including a conductive material in a canvas formed at the lowest end of a handrail and continuously in contact with and rubbing against the escalator structure, thereby suppressing the generation of static electricity.

[0013] Figure 1 is a drawing of a handrail according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing an antibacterial handrail according to the present invention.

[0015] <Explanation of symbols>

[0016] 10: Handrail

[0017] 12: Canvas

[0018] 14: Metal cable

[0019] 16: Body

[0020] S100: Canvas Preparation Stage

[0021] S110: Canvas weaving stage

[0022] S120: Canvas heat coating stage

[0023] S300: Metal Cable Preparation Stage

[0024] S500: Extrusion molding stage

[0025] Hereinafter, the technical idea of ​​the present invention will be described in more detail using the attached drawings.

[0026] The attached drawings are merely examples illustrated to more specifically explain the technical idea of ​​the present invention, and therefore the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to the form of the attached drawings.

[0027] Figure 1 is a drawing of an antibacterial handrail according to the present invention.

[0028] The antibacterial handrail (10) according to the present invention comprises a canvas (12) that is arranged on the lower surface of the handrail and is in direct contact with an escalator, a moving walkway, etc., and causes friction when the handrail is driven in an endless loop, a body (16) made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material that is integrally extruded on the upper part of the canvas (12), and a metal cable (14) that is built into the interior of the body.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the antibacterial handrail (10) is provided in a form in which a canvas (12) and a plurality of metal cables (14) are built long along the length of the handrail inside the body (16).

[0030] The above canvas (12) is placed on the bottom of the handrail and is an element that comes into direct contact with an escalator, moving walk, etc. when the handrail is driven in a circular manner on an endless track, thereby causing friction.

[0031] The above body (16) has a long length, and the vertical cross-section of the body is designed to have the cross-sectional shape of a general handrail with both ends bent downward by an extrusion mold.

[0032] The above metal cable (14) is intended to improve the durability of the handrail. A plurality of metal cables are arranged at a predetermined interval and are embedded in the central part of the body along the length of the body.

[0033] Meanwhile, Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing an antibacterial handrail according to the present invention.

[0034] The method for manufacturing an antibacterial handrail according to the present invention includes a canvas preparation step (S100), a metal cable preparation step (S300) of preparing a metal cable that is embedded along the length of the handrail to reinforce the durability of the handrail, and an extrusion molding step (S500) of forming a body, canvas, and metal cable as one piece while continuously extruding a synthetic resin.

[0035] First, the above canvas preparation step is a step for preparing a canvas to be placed on the bottom of the handrail.

[0036] In more detail, the above canvas preparation step includes a canvas weaving step (S110) and a canvas heat coating step (S120).

[0037] First, the canvas weaving step (S110) is a step in which a canvas (12) is woven including a challenger, and in the canvas weaving step, polyester fiber yarns are woven in a twill pattern as weft and warp yarns.

[0038] In addition, in the above canvas weaving step, in addition to the polyester fiber yarn supplied as the weft and warp yarns, at least one conductive yarn (conductive wire) is included as the weft and / or warp yarn to weave the canvas, and in the present invention, nylon fiber yarn is used as an example of the conductive yarn.

[0039] More specifically, in the above canvas weaving step (S110), the canvas is woven using the weft and warp yarns, which are materials forming the canvas (fabric).

[0040] The above weft yarn is polyester fiber yarn, and the warp yarn is polyester fiber yarn and nylon fiber yarn.

[0041] The above nylon fiber is a conductive fiber and contains one or more conductive materials such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene.

[0042] The above-mentioned warp and weft yarns are prepared in a state of being wound on a failure, and the failure is fixed to a stand provided on the yarn supply side of the loom, and as the loom operates, the fibers wound on the failure are unwound to form a cotton canvas (fabric).

[0043] In the above weaving step, the weft and warp yarns are woven in a twill weave, so that the fabric is made densely with relatively few weave points, resulting in good durability.

[0044] The density of the canvas woven through the above weaving steps is 41*40, and it has sufficient tensile strength, friction and wear strength, and has the effect of improving durability when applied to a handrail.

[0045] In addition, the canvas that has gone through the weaving step is prepared with 13 to 20 parts by weight of nylon fiber per 100 parts by weight of polyester fiber, and more preferably, the ratio of polyester fiber and nylon fiber is prepared at 7:1.

[0046] In this way, the canvas weaving step (S110) according to the present invention has the effect of reducing safety accidents such as sparks caused by static electricity by including a conductive yarn in the canvas (12) to suppress the generation of static electricity.

[0047] Next, the canvas woven through the above process goes through a heat-coating step (S120) where the canvas is heat-coated.

[0048] In the above canvas heat coating step (S120), a coating resin is applied to one side of the canvas, and heated in a heat coating chamber at 200 to 220°C for 15 to 25 minutes to form a coating layer on one side of the canvas.

[0049] This is the optimal condition for forming a coating layer on the canvas. If heated for less than 15 minutes at a temperature condition of less than 200℃, the coating resin is not sufficiently penetrated into the canvas, which is not desirable. If heated for more than 25 minutes at a temperature condition of more than 220℃, the properties of the coating resin deteriorate, which is not desirable.

[0050] The above coating resin may be various types of synthetic resin or natural resin, and in the present invention, polyurethane resin is used as the coating resin.

[0051] Preferably, at least one of dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAC), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and toluene is mixed as a solvent for polyurethane resin, but surfactants, antifoaming agents, and pigments may also be added, and this is not limited to the present invention.

[0052] The canvas manufactured through this process is wound onto a drum or the like in a roll shape and supplied to the extrusion device in the extrusion molding step described later.

[0053] Next, the metal cable preparation step (S300) is a step in which a metal cable (14) to be embedded in the length direction of the handrail inside the handrail is prepared.

[0054] In the above metal cable preparation step, the metal cable is wound on a drum and placed on a support that supports the drum so that it can rotate idly, and is supplied to the extrusion device in the extrusion molding step described later.

[0055] At this time, the drums on which the canvas and metal cable are each wound are installed at different heights, etc., so that the canvas and metal cable do not interfere with each other when each drum is wound.

[0056] Lastly, the extrusion molding step (S500) is a step in which a body is formed by extruding synthetic resin together with the canvas prepared through the canvas preparation step and the metal cable prepared through the metal cable preparation step, thereby forming a finished handrail product.

[0057] The antibacterial handrail (10) according to the present invention is formed into a finished handrail product by extruding the canvas (12), metal cable (14), and body (16) as one unit in a process in which synthetic resin is continuously extruded by an extrusion device.

[0058] In the above extrusion molding step (S500), synthetic resin is injected into the extrusion device in a particle state, and as the synthetic resin is melted by heat, the body is extruded as one piece with the canvas and metal cable, thereby molding the finished handrail product.

[0059] In the above extrusion molding step, the body is molded using a synthetic resin containing TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin as the main component, an antibacterial agent, and a mixture of multiple additives.

[0060] The thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) described above possesses both soft and hard phases through block copolymerization, enabling polymerization of elastomers of varying hardness depending on the ratio of the two phases. Due to the strong urethane cross-linking between the polymer backbone chains, it possesses not only the highest mechanical properties among thermoplastic elastomers, but also excellent chemical resistance, including oil and fuel resistance.

[0061] TPU is synthesized from linear polyol (mostly polyester polyol or polyether polyol), diisocyanate, and chain extender. The TPU formation reaction can be accelerated by adding a catalyst to improve the reaction rate, and to control the properties of the formed product, materials such as fillers, auxiliary agents, and plasticizers are included to control cold resistance, heat resistance, hydrolysis resistance, solvent resistance, etc. TPU can exhibit various physical properties depending on the types of raw materials and additives used.

[0062] The synthetic resin used in the extrusion molding step according to the present invention is a mixture of 4 to 7 parts by weight of an antibacterial agent, 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a dispersant, 0.3 to 0.6 parts by weight of an antioxidant, 0.2 to 0.5 parts by weight of a coupling agent, and 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a hydrolysis-resistant additive, per 100 parts by weight of a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin.

[0063] The above antibacterial agent is a substance for implementing an antibacterial effect on the handrail, and any substance that can impart antibacterial properties, such as zinc oxide, zeolite, zinc (Zn), silver (Ag), ceramic, copper (Cu), or oyster shell powder, may be used as the antibacterial agent. In particular, the antibacterial agent is preferably an inorganic antibacterial agent that exhibits an antibacterial effect against algae, mold, bacteria, etc. by physically supporting metal ions on an inorganic carrier or chemically bonding them through ion exchange, etc.

[0064] In particular, if you look at the chemical composition of oyster shells, more than 95 parts by weight out of the total 100 parts by weight is composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and in addition, the remaining trace amounts of inorganic substances such as silicon oxide (SiO2), magnesium oxide (MgO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), sodium oxide (Na2O), and sulfur trioxide (SO3), and oyster shell powder obtained by crushing such oyster shells also has the same composition as above. Such oyster shell powder has excellent physical properties for adsorption of chemical substances, and because it has high affinity for microorganisms, it is excellent at adsorbing bacteria or viruses, so it has antibacterial and sterilizing effects.

[0065] If the above-mentioned antibacterial agent is less than 4 parts by weight, the antibacterial effect is minimal and the antibacterial performance is not properly implemented. If the antibacterial agent exceeds 7 parts by weight, the processing workability deteriorates and the problem of not being able to form smoothly occurs.

[0066] The above dispersant is a substance added to create a stable dispersion system, and silicone-based, acetylene-based nonionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, anionic surfactants, etc. can be used. If the amount of the dispersant is less than 0.5 parts by weight, the dispersing effect is minimal and proper dispersion is not achieved. If the amount of the dispersant exceeds 1 part by weight, there is a problem that the tensile strength is reduced and the physical and mechanical strength is lowered.

[0067] The above antioxidants are substances that prevent the resin from separating and losing its original properties by inhibiting or blocking the chemical reaction between the resin and oxygen, and may be one or more selected from the group consisting of phenol-based, amine-based, sulfur-based, and phosphorus-based. If the amount of the antioxidant is less than 0.3 parts by weight, the antioxidant does not sufficiently perform its function, resulting in a decrease in tensile strength and other physical and mechanical strength, and if it exceeds 0.6 parts by weight, there is a problem in that the binding function is not sufficiently performed.

[0068] The above coupling agent is a modifier for combining components such as TPU and antibacterial agents that are not compatible with each other, and the coupling additive may be used without limitation as long as it is a diene copolymer or one commonly used for radical polymerization in the relevant field.

[0069] For example, one or more monomers and oligomers selected from the group consisting of silicone acrylates, urethane acrylates, epoxy acrylates, polyester acrylates, and polyether acrylates can be used.

[0070] If the content of the above coupling agent is less than 0.2 parts by weight, there is a problem that the components such as TPU and antibacterial agent are not sufficiently mixed, and if it exceeds 0.5 parts by weight, there is a problem that the physical properties deteriorate.

[0071] The above hydrolysis resistance is added to prevent hydrolysis and secure the quality of the extrudable raw material. However, if the amount of the hydrolysis resistance additive is less than 0.5 parts by weight, there is a problem that the effect of preventing hydrolysis is minimal, and if it exceeds 1 part by weight, there is a problem that the physical properties deteriorate and it is difficult to secure the quality of the extrudable raw material.

[0072] In this way, in the extrusion molding step, for 100 parts by weight of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin, 4 to 7 parts by weight of an antibacterial agent, 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a dispersant, 0.3 to 0.6 parts by weight of an antioxidant, 0.2 to 0.5 parts by weight of a coupling agent, and 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a hydrolysis-resistant additive are dispersed using a twin screw extruder and then extrusion molded.

[0073] In addition, in the extrusion molding step, an adhesive or hot melt made of TPU material is applied to the upper surface of the canvas (the contact surface between the canvas and the body). At this time, since a coating layer is formed on the upper surface of the canvas, an adhesive or hot melt is additionally applied to the upper surface of the coating layer.

[0074] In this way, the present invention has the effect of providing an antibacterial treatment to prevent bacteria from growing by including an antibacterial agent in the synthetic resin used in the manufacture of a handrail used by an unspecified number of people.

[0075] In addition, the TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin is used as the main component, but an antibacterial agent and multiple additives are additionally added to have the effect of improving antibacterial properties while satisfying workability and moldability during extrusion molding.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, this is only for the purpose of explaining the invention, and a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that various modifications or equivalent embodiments are possible from the detailed description of the invention.

[0077] Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of ​​the patent claims.

Claims

1. Canvas preparation stage for preparing a canvas to be placed on the bottom of the handrail; A metal cable preparation step in which a metal cable is prepared by being embedded along the length of the handrail to reinforce the durability of the handrail; and An extrusion molding step in which a canvas prepared through the above canvas preparation step and a metal cable prepared through the above metal cable preparation step are integrally molded together with a body while a synthetic resin is continuously extruded; In the above extrusion molding step, The above synthetic resin is characterized in that 4 to 7 parts by weight of an antibacterial agent, 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a dispersant, 0.3 to 0.6 parts by weight of an antioxidant, 0.2 to 0.5 parts by weight of a coupling agent, and 0.5 to 1 part by weight of a hydrolysis-resistant additive are mixed with respect to 100 parts by weight of a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resin.

2. In paragraph 1, The above canvas preparation steps are: A canvas weaving step in which a canvas is woven by including at least one strand of warp yarn in addition to the fibers supplied as weft and warp yarns; An antibacterial handrail and a method for manufacturing the same, characterized in that the method comprises a canvas heat coating step in which a coating resin is heat-coated on one side of the canvas woven in the above weaving step to form a coating layer on one side of the canvas.

3. In paragraph 2, At the canvas weaving stage, An antibacterial handrail and a method for manufacturing the same, characterized in that the above-mentioned slope is made of polyester fiber yarn and nylon fiber yarn containing a conductive yarn, and is prepared by 13 to 20 parts by weight of nylon fiber yarn per 100 parts by weight of polyester fiber yarn.

4. An antibacterial handrail manufactured by the manufacturing method of paragraph 1.

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