Escalator Step Shock-Absorbing Cleat Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing escalator steps fail to reliably prevent serious head injuries when passengers fall and hit the corner, as they lack specific material and hardness specifications for the cleat strips, and may encourage falling in normal use states due to inadequate design.
Innovation Solution
An escalator step design featuring a shock-absorbing cleat made of polymeric material with a Young's modulus of 1000 MPa or less, integrated into the corner of the tread and riser, which absorbs collision energy while maintaining sufficient hardness to prevent buckling under normal loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a flexible polymeric material is used for the cleat strip to absorb collision energy, then the degree of injury can be reduced, but the cleat may buckle under normal loads and encourage passenger falling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the Young's modulus of the polymeric material within a specific range (50-1000 MPa) to achieve the optimal balance between shock absorption and structural stability. This quantitative parameter specification resolves the contradiction by defining the exact material property threshold that prevents buckling while maintaining injury protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the polymeric material with specific structural features (convex sections, notches, and integration with the tread-riser corner) to create a cleat that achieves both flexibility for shock absorption and rigidity for load-bearing stability. The composite approach integrates material selection with structural design to resolve the performance contradiction.
2Strength
If the cleat strip hardness is increased to prevent buckling under load, then structural integrity is maintained, but the ability to absorb collision energy and prevent head injuries is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter changes by establishing the Young's modulus range (50-1000 MPa) that simultaneously satisfies both requirements: the lower bound ensures sufficient shock absorption for head injury prevention, while the upper bound guarantees adequate buckling resistance for structural integrity under normal loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the shock absorption function specifically at the corner region where the tread and riser meet, which is the critical impact zone. The polymeric material is strategically placed and shaped (with convex sections) to provide localized energy absorption exactly where head collisions occur, while maintaining overall cleat stability through its integration with the step structure.
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 design effectively reduces the risk of serious head injuries by absorbing collision energy and maintaining structural integrity under normal use conditions, thereby providing a safer and more reliable escalator experience.
Implementation Method 1
a shock absorbing cleat provided in a notch formed at a corner at which the riser and tread are connected to each other... effectively reduces the risk of serious head injuries by absorbing collision energy
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An escalator step (1) includes a tread (2) having a body section (6) on which a plurality of convex sections (8) are arranged in parallel, a riser (3) connected to a rear end portion of the tread (2) and having thereon a plurality of convex sections (9) and a plurality of concave sections (10) formed between the adjacent convex sections, and a shock absorbing cleat (5) provided on a corner at which the riser (3) and tread (2) are connected to each other. The shock absorbing cleat (5) includes a plurality of long convex sections (12) which are arranged in parallel and a plurality of short convex sections (11) which are arranged in parallel between the adjacent long convex sections. The shock absorbing cleat (5) is formed of a polymeric material having a Young's modulus of 1000 MPa or less.