Escalator Floor Covering Positioning Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor coverings for people-conveyor devices like escalators and moving walks often suffer from incorrect assembly, which can lead to safety hazards and maintenance challenges due to the lack of clear indication of proper installation, potentially causing the floor covering to slip, tilt, or unintentionally open access to technical facilities.
Innovation Solution
A floor covering system with a positioning device that ensures correct installation by using a lever pawl mechanism and sensors to visibly indicate if the cover elements are not flush, thereby preventing incorrect assembly and ensuring safety by forcing a check and rectification of any defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If the floor covering is designed to be removable or hinged for maintenance access, then ease of repair is improved, but reliability deteriorates because the covering may unintentionally open and expose technical facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary warning action by raising the adjacent cover element when incorrect assembly is detected. This preliminary action prevents the serious consequence of unintentional opening by providing a visible warning before the cover can be fully removed or opened, thus maintaining safety while allowing maintenance access.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the positioning element detects the installation state of the cover element and provides visual feedback by raising the adjacent cover element. This feedback loop ensures that incorrect assembly is immediately visible, preventing safety hazards while maintaining the removable design for maintenance.
2Device complexity
If no positioning device is used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to lack of clear installation guidance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service positioning system where the cover elements themselves provide the positioning function through their geometric design. The positioning element and recess work together to automatically guide correct assembly without requiring external positioning devices, thus maintaining simplicity while ensuring installation precision.
3Reliability
If a positioning device is implemented to ensure correct assembly, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the positioning function with the cover elements themselves rather than adding separate positioning devices. The positioning element on one cover element and the recess on the adjacent cover element are integrated into the cover element design, combining structural and positioning functions to minimize additional complexity while ensuring reliable correct assembly.
4Manufacturing precision
If the positioning element uses form-fitting connection, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the positioning element and recess with compatible geometries that create a natural guiding path during assembly. The form-fitting connection is designed to align automatically during the assembly process, reducing the operational difficulty while maintaining high positioning accuracy through the geometric compatibility of the positioning elements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system guarantees a secure and safe installation by clearly indicating incorrect positions through visible protrusions and sensor monitoring, preventing accidents and facilitating easy maintenance by ensuring all cover elements are correctly aligned, thus maintaining a flush and secure surface.
Implementation Method 1
The device 20 contains a lever pawl 23 which has a first lever arm 26, a bearing point 39 and a second lever arm 27
Implementation Method 2
the positioning element (28) is in a form-fitting operative connection with the recess (52) in the floor covering support (12)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The invention relates to a floor covering (10) of an escalator (100) or of a moving walkway. This floor covering has a support (12), a first covering element (1) and at least one adjoining covering element (2, 3, 4, 5). At least the first covering element (1) and the adjoining covering element (2) have arranged between them at least one device (20, 50) which predetermines a single-possible, correct installation position (X0) of the covering elements (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) on the floor-covering support (12), wherein, in the presence of a correct installation position (X0), the first covering element (1) and the adjoining covering element (2, 3, 4, 5) are arranged to rest flush on the floor-covering support (12) and, in the presence of an incorrect installation position (X1), the device (20, 50) provides for at least part of the adjoining covering element (2, 3, 4, 5) to be arranged in a visibly protruding manner on the floor-covering support (12).