Handrail having indicator unit and manufacturing method therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a handrail having an indicator unit and a manufacturing method therefor. More specifically, during a process of manufacturing a handrail, joint grooves are formed and a material exhibiting a visually noticeable color is injected into the joint grooves so as to form an indicator unit. The indicator unit is formed to allow a user to easily check whether the escalator is in operation with the naked eye. When the handrail moves, the indicator unit is prevented from being damaged by the interference of a driving unit for the handrail while allowing the user to easily check whether the escalator is in operation with the naked eye and thus preventing safety-related accidents.

Description

Handrail with a display formed thereon and its manufacturing method

[0001] The present invention relates to a handrail having an indicator formed thereon and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a handrail having an indicator formed thereon and a method for manufacturing the same, which allows a user to easily visually check whether an escalator is in operation by forming an indicator on the handrail during the handrail manufacturing process.

[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, since reverse escalator accidents in places with a lot of foot traffic, such as subway stations, can lead to major accidents, the need for safety accident prevention measures such as reverse escalator prevention devices or reverse escalator response systems is emerging.

[0004] The present invention was devised to solve this problem, and provides a handrail having an indicator formed thereon, and a method for manufacturing the same, which allows a user to easily visually check whether an escalator is in operation by forming a groove during the process of molding a handrail and injecting a visible color material into the groove to form an indicator.

[0005] The present invention relates to a handrail having a display portion formed thereon, and is characterized by having a long length, a canvas provided on a bottom surface, and a metal cable embedded in the center, the handrail including a horizontal portion, a round portion formed to extend from both ends of the horizontal portion and having a shape of being rolled inwardly downward, and an end portion formed to extend inwardly from an end of the round portion, wherein the handrail comprises a first body forming the horizontal portion and the round portion and formed from a first raw material, a second body formed to extend so as to surround an outer surface of the first body and forming the entire horizontal portion, the round portion, and the end portion, but having a lower hardness than that of the first body, and a display portion formed on an upper surface of the second body, a plurality of which are formed at a predetermined interval, and formed from a third raw material having a different color from the second raw material, thereby having visibility.

[0006] The present invention comprises a method for manufacturing a handrail, comprising a first step in which a canvas and a metal cable are introduced into a handrail extrusion mold, a second step in which a first raw material is introduced into the mold and a first body is formed to form the horizontal portion and the round portion integrally with the canvas and the metal cable introduced in the first step, a third step in which a second raw material is introduced and formed to extend around the first body formed in the second step and form the entire horizontal portion, the round portion, and the end portion, a fourth step in which a groove is formed on an upper surface of the second body formed in the third step, and a fifth step in which a display portion is formed by introducing a third raw material into the groove formed in the fourth step.

[0007] In addition, in the fourth step, a forming step in which a groove is formed on the upper surface of the second body and a non-forming step in which a groove is not formed are repeatedly and cross-performed so that a plurality of grooves are continuously formed at predetermined intervals.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention has a remarkable effect of preventing safety accidents by forming a display portion on a handrail during the handrail manufacturing process, so that when the handrail is driven, the display portion is not damaged by interference with the driving portion of the handrail, and the user can easily visually check whether the escalator is driven.

[0009] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a handrail having a display unit formed according to the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed according to the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a handrail is manufactured according to the present invention.

[0012] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first step of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 is a front view of the first mold used in the first step of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the second step of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 7 is a front view of the second mold used in the second step of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the third step of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 9 is a front view of the third mold used in the third step of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fourth step of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 11 (a) is an operating diagram in a state where the scraper is raised, and (b) is an operating diagram in a state where the scraper is lowered.

[0020] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fifth step of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 13 is a front view of the fourth mold used in the fifth step of the present invention.

[0022] <Symbol explanation>

[0023] 10: Handrail

[0024] 12: Canvas

[0025] 14: Metal cable

[0026] 16: Body

[0027] 16a: First body

[0028] 16b: Second body

[0029] 18: Display

[0030] 200: Mold

[0031] 210: Mold 1

[0032] 212: Canvas Hall

[0033] 214: Metal cable hole

[0034] 220: Second mold

[0035] 222: First body hole

[0036] 230: Third mold

[0037] 232: Second Body Hole

[0038] 240: Mold 4

[0039] 242: Third Body Hole

[0040] S100: Stage 1

[0041] S200: Stage 2

[0042] S300: Stage 3

[0043] S400: Stage 4

[0044] S500: Stage 5

[0045] S600: Stage 6

[0046] E: End

[0047] G:Gate

[0048] H: Horizontal section

[0049] R: Round section

[0050] R1:RUNNER

[0051] S:Scraper

[0052] Hereinafter, the technical idea of ​​the present invention will be described in more detail using the attached drawings.

[0053] 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.

[0054] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a handrail having a display unit formed according to the present invention.

[0055] The present invention forms a display portion (18) on a handrail (10) during the handrail manufacturing process, so that a user can easily visually check whether an escalator is operating without the display portion interfering with the operation of the handrail.

[0056] More specifically, the handrail (10) according to the present invention includes a canvas (12) that is arranged on the lower surface of the handrail and directly contacts and causes friction with a driving unit such as an escalator moving walk when the handrail is circulated in an endless track, a body (16) made of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) material that is integrally extruded on the upper surface of the canvas (12), a metal cable (14) built into the body, and a display portion (18) formed on the upper surface of the body.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 1, the handrail (10) has a long length, and a canvas (12) and a plurality of metal cables (14) are provided in a long form along the length of the handrail inside the body (16).

[0058] In addition, the handrail includes a horizontal portion (H), a round portion (R) formed to extend from both ends of the horizontal portion and having a rounded shape that is rolled inwardly downward, and an end portion (E) formed to extend inwardly from the end of the round portion.

[0059] 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.

[0060] Next, the 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 portion of the body along the length of the body.

[0061] Next, the body (16) has a long length, and the vertical cross-section of the body is provided so that both ends are bent downward by an extrusion mold, so as to have a cross-sectional shape of a general handrail including the horizontal portion, the round portion, and the end portion.

[0062] In particular, the body (16) includes a first body (16a) formed by a first raw material that is transparent and has high hardness, and a second body (16b) formed by a second raw material that has a specific color and has lower hardness than the first body.

[0063] The above body is formed using a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin as its main component, which has a soft phase and a hard phase through block copolymerization, and thus enables polymerization of elastic bodies of various hardnesses depending on the ratio of the two phases, and a TPU synthetic resin mixed with a plurality of additives.

[0064] The first raw material forming the first body (16b) is a transparent, highly tensile, and heat-resistant TPU synthetic resin.

[0065] The second raw material forming the second body (16b) is a TPU synthetic resin that is black, has low hardness, good elasticity, is scratch-resistant, does not discolor under ultraviolet rays, and is resistant to yellowing.

[0066] In particular, in the present invention, the durability of the handrail is improved by forming a first body having relatively high hardness to surround a metal cable (14) that is prone to heat generation and breakage during long-term operation of the handrail. In addition, the horizontal portion is formed with a high ratio of the first body formed from a hard first raw material compared to the second body, thereby improving the durability of the handrail.

[0067] In addition, the second body is formed to surround the outer surface of the first body, so that the second body becomes a contact surface that comes into direct contact with the user, thereby improving the tactile sensation of the user holding the handrail.

[0068] In addition, in the present invention, the end portion (E) of the handrail is formed only with the second raw material having good elasticity, so that when the end portion of the handrail expands or contracts during the process of the handrail being driven on an endless track, it operates flexibly to prevent damage to the handrail.

[0069] In addition, the round part (R) of the handrail has a larger ratio of the second body molded from the second raw material compared to the first body molded from the first raw material as it goes down, thereby improving the durability of the handrail.

[0070] Meanwhile, a display portion (18) is formed on the upper surface of the second body. The display portion (18) is formed by a third raw material having a different color from the second raw material, so as to be visible, and is formed along the length of the handrail, with a plurality of display portions spaced apart from each other, so that when the handrail is operated, users can visually confirm the operation of the handrail from a distance, thereby having the effect of preventing safety accidents.

[0071] In the present invention, for the sake of clarity of explanation, the first raw material is illustrated as being transparent, the second raw material as being black, and the third raw material as being red. However, this is merely an example, and the first, second, and third raw materials may be prepared in various colors according to the needs of the user.

[0072] Meanwhile, Fig. 2 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a handrail is manufactured according to the present invention.

[0073] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed according to the present invention is such that after the canvas and metal cable are inserted into the handrail extrusion mold (200), synthetic resin is continuously extruded to form the body, canvas, and metal cable as one piece.

[0074] In particular, the mold (200) used in the present invention includes a first mold (210) to a fifth mold (250).

[0075] In more detail, the mold (200) comprises a first mold (210) having a canvas hole (212) through which a canvas (12) is passed and transported while maintaining a specific shape, a metal cable hole (214) formed on the upper side of the canvas hole and through which a metal cable (14) is passed and guides the movement of the metal cable, a second mold (220) installed at the rear end of the first mold and having a first body hole (222) formed therein so that a first body (16a) is formed integrally with the canvas (12) and the metal cable (14) that have passed through the first mold (210), a third mold (230) installed at the rear end of the second mold and having a second body hole formed therein so that a second body is formed integrally with the first body that has passed through the second mold, and a third mold (230) installed at the rear end of the third mold and being provided so as to be able to be raised and lowered so that as it is lowered, it comes into contact with the upper surface of the second body and a groove is selectively formed on the upper surface of the second body. It includes a scraper (S), a fourth mold (240) installed at the rear end of the third mold and having a third body hole of the same shape as the second body hole, but having a valve mounted on the gate to form a display portion by injecting synthetic resin only into the groove formed by the scraper, and a fifth mold (250) installed at the rear end of the fourth mold to smoothly finish forming the outer shape of the handrail.

[0076] Below, we will explain the handrail manufacturing method and the molds used in each step.

[0077] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed according to the present invention includes the first step (S100) to the sixth step (S600).

[0078] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first step of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a front view of the first mold used in the first step of the present invention.

[0079] First, the first step (S100) is a step in which a canvas (12) and a metal cable (14) are inserted into the first mold (210).

[0080] In the above first step (S100), the canvas (12) and metal cable (14) introduced into the mold have a long length, and the metal cable is arranged to be placed on the upper part of the canvas.

[0081] At this time, the canvas and metal cable are supplied in a state of being wound on a drum, and it is preferable that 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 unwound.

[0082] Additionally, the canvas may include a conductive agent to suppress static electricity generation, but this is not limited to the present invention.

[0083] And, in the first step, the upper surface of the canvas (the contact surface between the canvas and the body) may be coated with an adhesive or hot melt made of TPU material, but this is not limited to the present invention.

[0084] Meanwhile, in the first mold (210), a canvas hole (212) is formed to allow the canvas (12) to be transported while maintaining a specific shape, and a metal cable hole (214) is formed on the upper side of the canvas hole and is provided to allow a metal cable (14) to pass through and guide the movement of the metal cable.

[0085] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the second step of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a front view of the second mold used in the second step of the present invention.

[0086] In the second step (S200), the first raw material is injected into the mold, and the first body is formed integrally with the canvas and metal cable injected in the first step.

[0087] In more detail, the second step (S200) is a step in which a first raw material, which is a transparent TPU synthetic resin, is injected into the second mold (220), and a first body is extruded onto the upper surface of a canvas passing through the second mold.

[0088] In the above second step (S200), as the first body is formed, some sections of the horizontal portion and round portion of the handrail are formed.

[0089] As illustrated in Fig. 7, a first body hole (222) for forming a first body is formed in the second mold (220), and the first body hole is provided to include both a canvas hole (212) and a metal cable hole (214) formed in the first mold.

[0090] At this time, a gate (G, gate) through which the first raw material is introduced into the second mold is formed in the upper center of the second mold, and a pair of runners (R1, runner) connected to the gate are provided, and are respectively connected to the round portions (R) formed at both ends of the handrail to ensure that the first raw material is smoothly filled into the first body hole (222).

[0091] In the present invention, as an example, the first mold and the second mold are prepared separately, but the canvas and the metal cable may be inserted directly into the second mold, and the first mold may be omitted, and this is not limited to the present invention.

[0092] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the third step of the present invention, and Fig. 9 is a front view of the third mold used in the third step of the present invention.

[0093] The third step (S200) is a step in which a second raw material, which is a black TPU synthetic resin, is injected into the third mold, and a second body is extruded and molded on the outer surface of the first body passing through the third mold (230).

[0094] In the third step (S200), the second body is arranged to wrap around the outer surface of the first body, and for this purpose, as illustrated in FIG. 9, a second body hole (232) is formed in the third mold (230) to include the first body hole (222).

[0095] More specifically, the second body hole (232) is formed in a shape that includes both the first body (16a) and the second body (16b) of the handrail.

[0096] At this time, the gate (G) through which the second raw material is introduced into the third mold is formed in the upper center of the third mold, and a pair of runners (R1) connected to the gate are provided, and are respectively connected to the end portions (E) formed at the lower ends of the handrail so that the second raw material is sufficiently filled in the end portions.

[0097] In particular, the second body formed by the second raw material in the third step (S300) includes an end portion that requires elasticity in the handrail, and the end portion is formed only by the second body so that the handrail can flexibly expand or contract during the process of driving in an endless track.

[0098]

[0099] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fourth step of the present invention.

[0100] The above fourth step (S400) is a step in which a groove (8) is formed on the upper surface of the second body.

[0101] In the fourth step, a forming step in which a groove is formed on the upper surface of the second body and a non-forming step in which a groove is not formed are repeatedly and alternately performed, and as a result, a plurality of grooves (8) are continuously formed at predetermined intervals.

[0102] In the present invention, a groove (8) is formed by a scraper (S).

[0103] The scraper may be installed in the third mold (230), or installed between the third mold (230) and the fourth mold (240), or installed inside the fourth mold (240), and is provided so as to be able to be raised and lowered, so that when the scraper is lowered, the lower part of the scraper comes into contact with the upper surface of the second body to form a groove (8).

[0104] Figure 11 (a) is an operating diagram in a state where the scraper is raised, and (b) is an operating diagram in a state where the scraper is lowered.

[0105] In the present invention, as shown in Fig. 11, as an example of a scraper, a pin is coupled to the end of a valve so that the pin is raised and lowered by the operation of the valve, thereby selectively forming a groove (8). However, the scraper may also be coupled to a raising and lowering unit (not shown in the drawing) such as an actuator so as to be raised and lowered.

[0106] In the above fourth step (S400), the grooves (8) are formed along the length of the handrail, and are formed in multiple pieces spaced apart at a predetermined interval so that the user can easily visually check the operating status of the handrail.

[0107] And the spacing, size, shape, etc. of the groove (8) formed in the fourth step can be provided in various ways, and this is not limited to the present invention.

[0108] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating the fifth step of the present invention, and Fig. 13 is a front view of the fourth mold used in the fifth step of the present invention.

[0109] The above fifth step (S500) is a step in which a display portion (18) is formed by introducing a third raw material into the groove (8) formed in the above fourth step.

[0110] A check valve is installed in the gate of the fourth mold (240) used in the fifth step (S500) to ensure that the third raw material is injected only into the section where the groove (8) is formed, thereby forming the display portion (18).

[0111] As illustrated in Fig. 13, a third body hole (242) identical to the second body hole (232) is formed in the fourth mold (240) used in the fifth step.

[0112] Lastly, the sixth step (S600) is a finishing step to ensure that the outer shape of the handrail is formed smoothly.

[0113] In the fifth mold (not shown in the drawing) used in the sixth step (S600), a fourth body hole (not shown in the drawing) having a cross-sectional area slightly larger than that of the third body hole (242) is formed, so that in the process of forming the groove (8) in the fourth step, the second raw material pushed to the upper surface of the second body is smoothed out to form a smooth shape of the handrail.

[0114] And since the above-mentioned sixth step is a step to improve the quality of the handrail, it is not a mandatory forming step and may be omitted depending on the user's needs.

[0115] In this way, the present invention has a remarkable effect of preventing safety accidents by forming a display portion on a handrail during the handrail manufacturing process, so that when the handrail is driven, the display portion is not damaged by interference with the driving portion of the handrail, and the user can easily visually check whether the escalator is driven.

[0116] 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.

[0117] Therefore, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of ​​the patent claims.

Claims

1. A handrail having a long length, a canvas on the bottom, and a metal cable built into the center, comprising a horizontal portion, a round portion extending from both ends of the horizontal portion and curled in a downward inward direction, and an end portion extending inward from the end of the round portion, The above handrail, A first body formed by a first raw material and forming the horizontal portion and the round portion; A second body formed by extending to wrap around the outer surface of the first body, forming the entire horizontal portion, the round portion, and the end portion, but formed by a second raw material having a lower hardness than the first body; and A handrail having a display unit formed thereon, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of display units formed at a predetermined interval on the upper surface of the second body and formed by a third raw material having a different color from the second raw material to provide visibility.

2. A method for manufacturing a handrail having a long length, a canvas on the bottom, and a metal cable built into the center, comprising a horizontal portion, a round portion extending from both ends of the horizontal portion and curled in a downward inward direction, and an end portion extending inward from the end of the round portion, The first step is when the canvas and metal cables are fed into the handrail extrusion mold; A second step in which a first raw material is injected into the mold and a first body is formed to form the horizontal portion and the round portion integrally with the canvas and metal cable injected in the first step; A third step in which a second raw material is introduced and formed to extend to surround the first body formed in the second step, and a second body forming the entire horizontal portion, round portion, and end portion is formed; A fourth step in which a groove is formed on the upper surface of the second body formed in the third step; A method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed, characterized in that it includes a fifth step in which a display portion is formed by introducing a third raw material into the groove formed in the fourth step.

3. In the above paragraph 2, In the above 4th step, A forming step in which a groove is formed on the upper surface of the second body and a non-forming step in which a groove is not formed are repeatedly performed in an alternating manner. A method for manufacturing a handrail having a display portion formed thereon, characterized in that a plurality of grooves are continuously formed at predetermined intervals.

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