Escalator Handrail Sensor System for Force Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Escalator safety incidents occur due to passenger misuse, such as leaning on handrails, leading to potential equipment malfunction and injury, as existing systems lack effective sensors to detect and respond to excessive pressure or force applied to handrails.
Innovation Solution
An escalator system equipped with sensors between the handrail base and cover, which monitor pressure, force, weight, or displacement, triggering a responsive measure like stopping the escalator or providing alerts when the applied force exceeds acceptable limits, using multiple sensors spaced along the handrail to ensure accurate detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sensors are installed to detect excessive force on handrails, then safety and reliability improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The handrail system is segmented into multiple sensing zones with individual sensors spaced along the handrail cover. Each sensor independently monitors force in its specific zone, allowing localized detection without requiring a complex centralized sensing system. This segmentation enables comprehensive safety coverage while keeping individual sensor units simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting excessive force, determining location of the force application, and triggering appropriate safety responses. By making the sensing system multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate systems for each function, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are spaced along the handrail cover, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The handrail cover is divided into multiple sensing segments with sensors spaced at intervals along its length. This segmentation allows the system to precisely locate and measure force applications at different positions, improving measurement precision while maintaining a simple, modular sensor arrangement that doesn't overly complicate the device.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sensor is positioned to monitor specific local zones of the handrail cover where force applications are most likely to occur. By concentrating sensing capability at critical locations rather than uniformly distributing sensors, the system achieves high measurement precision where needed while minimizing overall device complexity.
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 effectively prevents handrail damage and passenger injury by detecting excessive force and triggering alerts or stopping the escalator, ensuring safer operation and reducing the risk of accidents.
Implementation Method 1
the sensed parameter is one or more of pressure, force, weight, impulse and displacement
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an escalator system including handrail, the system having: a handrail including a handrail base and a handrail cover operationally connected to the handrail base, a first sensor disposed between the handrail base and the handrail cover and a first controller for controlling the first sensor, and wherein the first sensor processes data representing a sensed parameter, whereby the system identifies the occurrence of a trigger event and executes a first responsive measure.