Universal Printed Circuit Board for Escalator Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing passenger transport systems, such as escalators, face high production costs and complexity due to the need for different printed circuit boards with varying requirements for master and slave control units, leading to difficulties in mass production, assembly, and maintenance, especially when a control unit fails and requires replacement.
Innovation Solution
Standardizing the printed circuit boards for both master and slave control units, with identical structures and electronic components, allowing for a single board to function as either, and enabling easy configuration and data transfer via a data bus, simplifying production, assembly, and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If different printed circuit boards are used for master and slave control units, then the control system can meet different functional requirements, but production costs increase and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal printed circuit board design that can function as either a master control unit or a slave control unit. The same circuit board is used in both roles, with the ability to operate independently or in a distributed control architecture. This eliminates the need for separate master and slave specific circuit boards, reducing manufacturing costs and complexity while maintaining the ability to meet different functional requirements through software configuration rather than hardware differentiation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different printed circuit boards are used for master and slave control units, then specific functional requirements can be met, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal printed circuit board that can serve multiple roles as master or slave control unit. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need to manage multiple types of circuit boards, their respective inventories, and assembly procedures. The simplified hardware architecture reduces complexity while the system maintains adaptability to different functional requirements through its distributed control capability and configurable operation modes.
3Reliability
If different printed circuit boards are used for master and slave control units, then specific control functions can be optimized, but assembly errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses identical printed circuit boards for both master and slave control units, eliminating the risk of mixing up different board types during assembly. The universal design ensures that any board can be installed in either position without assembly errors. The system maintains control function optimization through software configuration and distributed control logic rather than hardware differentiation, thereby preserving reliability while improving manufacturing precision.
4Reliability
If control units are replaced during maintenance, then system reliability can be restored, but maintenance time increases due to data transfer requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a copying mechanism where control data and configuration information can be transferred between identical printed circuit boards. When a control unit needs replacement, the data from the faulty board can be copied to the replacement board, or both boards can be configured independently since they share the same hardware architecture. This significantly reduces maintenance time compared to systems requiring manual data entry or complex data migration between incompatible boards.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal printed circuit board design allows for easy recovery and reuse of control data. When a control unit fails, the data stored on its circuit board can be recovered and transferred to another identical board, rather than losing the configuration information. This data recovery capability reduces maintenance time and preserves valuable operational parameters while restoring system reliability.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
The escalator has a revolving belt (10) with master and slave control units (60, 30) and a drive station (20). The slave control unit has a first conductor plate (40) with a first set of electronic components for transmitting to the master control unit data relating to the function of the escalator whilst the master control unit has a second conductor plate (70)of identical structure with electronic components to evaluate data and control the escalator. The two sets of electronic components can also be identical. The conductor plates can have switches and can be configured as a master control unit or slave control unit depending on the position of the switch.