Patent Application
20180044139
The present disclosure relates to drag rollers, steps, and pallet belts for escalators, moving walkways, and other conveyors.
Escalators and moving walkways have long been known. Escalators comprise steps, and moving walkways comprise pallets which are typically guided, by way of two chain rollers and two drag rollers, on rails. Here, the step or pallet is connected in the region of the chain roller to the pallet chain or step chain of the escalator or of the moving walkway, and is also laterally guided there. By contrast, the drag rollers typically run on flat rails without additional lateral guidance.
To ensure smooth running, various measures have become known. For example, for approximately 50 years, the running surfaces of the drag rollers have been coated with rubber or, nowadays, plastic in order to ensure reduced rolling noise. It has also been proposed for the steps or pallets to be sprayed with noise-deadening material from the underside.
Furthermore, in EP 0 169 349 A1, it has been proposed for the roller spindles themselves to be mounted flexibly in a type of silent block. This solution is duly basically effective when the step or pallet is guided over unevennesses on the rail, because the vibrations are dampened in this way. Said approach however has not become established because, in the case of unilateral loading of said step, the step sinks downward there and accordingly comes dangerously close to the balustrade, to the point of grinding against the balustrade or even carrying the balustrade along.
If it is intended to prevent this, it is duly possible for the gap between the step or pallet and the balustrade to be increased, for example to 15 mm. This is however undesirable and is objectionable from a safety aspect, because then the risk of injury to passengers is even greater.
Various other types of fastening of the drag rollers to the steps are also provided. A mechanically expedient solution is presented in GB 1 373 795. In said document, the steel spindle of the drag roller is cast into the light-metal body of the step. Such a step is however highly cumbersome to produce.
Furthermore, DE 203 01 358 U1 has disclosed a mounting of a step by way of screwed bearing journals secured by locknut, which bearing journals form the roller spindles. Said solution is likewise highly stable and permits a small lateral clearance toward the balustrade.
Owing to the unilateral mounting, said screw connections are subject to considerable moments; the burden is dependent on the load, which is to say generally the number of passengers being transported by the respective step or pallet.
Although certain example methods and apparatus have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
Referring to
Therefore, one example objective of the present disclosure is to improve an escalator or a moving walkway such that, even in the event of fluctuating loads, good durability is made possible. The production of an escalator or of a moving walkway should furthermore advantageously be simplified.
Referring to
In one particularly advantageous refinement of the present disclosure, in each case between the roller spindle and the body, there is formed an adhesive connection by way of which the roller spindle is held rotationally conjointly. That is to say, here, in addition to the latching connection, the roller spindle is advantageously adhesively bonded into the body.
This advantageously generates a secure seat of the roller spindle, which itself withstands high axial forces. Furthermore, rotational conjointness is advantageously achieved in an inexpensive manner by way of the adhesive bonding. Furthermore, adhesive bonding of the roller spindle into the corresponding receptacle of the body advantageously permits a greater radial and/or axial clearance between spindle and receptacle, such as occur in particular in the case of the spindle and/or body being manufactured by way of aluminum pressure die casting.
A further advantageous refinement of the present disclosure provides that an undercut is formed on a surface, situated opposite the drag roller, of the body.
The roller spindle advantageously comprises a ledge, the ledge surface of which faces toward the body. The ledge advantageously bears against the body under preload applied by the latching device.
According to a further advantageous aspect of the present disclosure, the undercut is in the form of an encircling groove in a bushing of the body, into which groove there is engaged, with snap-in action, a circular spring which is formed in a roller groove of the roller spindle.
In particular, it is provided that the latching device comprises a circular spring which is preloaded so as to act in an outward direction and in relation to which the roller groove has an oversize as viewed in an axial direction of the roller spindle.
The roller groove preferably has, as viewed in a radial direction of the roller spindle, a depth equal to or greater than the radial height of the circular spring.
A further advantageous refinement of the present disclosure provides that the undercut comprises a body effective area pointing away from the drag roller, which body effective area is in particular of oblique form, at an angle of greater than 90° with respect to the spindle, or of concave form.
The circular spring preferably comprises a convex or oblique side surface which bears under preload against the body effective area. Here, the circular spring is advantageously clamped between the body effective area and the roller groove effective area and, owing to the outwardly directed preload of the circular spring, presses the ledge of the roller spindle against the body.
In a further advantageous refinement of the present disclosure, it is provided that, when the ledge comes into contact with the body as the roller spindle is inserted into the body, the roller spindle automatically snaps in, or engages with latching action, at the undercut by way of the latching device.
The body of the step or pallet is preferably formed from a light metal or plastic. It is particularly preferable for the body-side bushing to be in the form of an insert-molded or cast-around steel part.
A further advantageous refinement of the present disclosure provides that the body comprises, on the bushing, an insertion bevel, the radial height of which corresponds to at least one third of the radial height of the circular spring.
An undercut is preferably formed on the roller spindle, against which undercut the resilient latching connection acts.
To solve the problem mentioned in the introduction, there is also proposed an escalator or moving walkway, comprising a step belt or pallet belt composed of a multiplicity of steps or pallets guided on rails, wherein each step or pallet comprises at least two drag rollers, which are mounted on the step or pallet and which each run on rails, with a roller spindle which is held rotationally conjointly in or on the body of the step or pallet and wherein, between the roller spindle and body, there is formed a plug-in connection by way of which the roller spindle is held with a frictionally engaging connection against the body. In particular, it is provided that the roller spindle is held against the body with a frictionally engaging connection by way of a clamping element, preferably a clamping body.
To solve the problem mentioned in the introduction, there is also proposed an escalator or moving walkway, comprising a step belt or pallet belt composed of a multiplicity of steps or pallets guided on rails, wherein each step or pallet comprises at least two drag rollers, which are mounted on the step or pallet and which each run on rails, with a roller spindle which is held rotationally conjointly in or on the body of the step or pallet, and wherein, between the roller spindle and body, there is formed a plug-in connection by way of which the roller spindle is held with a clamping connection against an undercut, in particular of the roller spindle or of the body under preload of the clamping connection.
The clamping connection preferably comprises a clamping element which is more flexible than the body, wherein the clamping connection is preferably realized by way of a clamping device.
It is advantageously provided that a clamping element of the clamping connection or of the clamping device extends between the roller spindle and the body and bears in particular both against the body and against the roller spindle.
Furthermore, to solve the problem mentioned in the introduction, there is proposed an escalator or moving walkway, comprising a step belt or pallet belt composed of a multiplicity of steps or pallets guided on rails, wherein each step or pallet comprises at least two drag rollers, which are mounted on the step or pallet and which each run on rails, with a roller spindle which is held rotationally conjointly in or on the body of the step or pallet, and wherein, between the roller spindle and body, there is formed an adhesive connection by way of which the roller spindle is held rotationally conjointly.
Furthermore, to solve the problem mentioned in the introduction, there is proposed a step or pallet for an escalator or a moving walkway respectively, wherein the step or pallet comprises at least two drag rollers, which are mounted on a roller spindle which is held rotationally conjointly in or on the body of the step or pallet, and wherein, between the roller spindle and body, there is formed a resilient latching connection, or a frictionally engaging connection with a clamping element, or a clamping connection, which is held against an undercut under preload.
According to the present disclosure, it is duly particularly expedient for the mounting of the roller with its roller spindle on the body of the step or pallet to firstly be purely metallic, which in this regard results in little deflection. According to the present disclosure, the accommodation of moments by the axial or lateral mounting is mechanically equalized: the accommodation of moments is realized by way of the mutually opposite bearing surfaces of a bushing with the roller spindle as bearing journal, wherein it is self-evident that the diameter of said plug-in connection, and the contact pressure resulting therefrom, is adapted to the requirements.
By contrast, the axial mounting is realized by way of a resilient latching connection which presses a ledge on the bearing journal against a corresponding counterpart shoulder of the body, and thus ensures that the drag rollers are held without clearance, and thus in rattle-free fashion.
According to the present disclosure, it is particularly expedient if, by way of suitable insertion bevels and undercuts, it is ensured that, when the ledge makes contact, the latching device according to the present disclosure automatically engages with snap-in action and at the same time holds the roller spindle under stress in the axial direction. Here, the undercut is advantageously formed in each case on a surface, situated opposite the drag roller, of the body.
By way of the insertion action, the assembly process can be simplified considerably, and it is not necessary for an insert part, such as is provided in GB 1 373 795, to be jointly cast in. This shortens the casting process considerably, and likewise yields a cost saving.
According to the present disclosure, it is accordingly expedient that, firstly, large support surfaces are provided for the accommodation of moments, which support surfaces extend between the roller spindle, which forms the journal of the plug-in connection, and the passage recess, which forms the bushing of the plug-in connection, of the body of the step or pallet. Said surfaces are capable of accommodating the forces generated as a result of the unilateral mounting and the lever action thereby induced.
By contrast, the forces in the axial direction of the roller spindle are considerably lower: since the rail for the drag roller is typically in the form of a flat rail, no lateral forces are generated for the lateral guidance of the step or pallet. These are rather accommodated entirely by way of the chain roller and the mounting thereof. Accordingly, all that remain are friction-generated axial forces which can be accommodated by the undercut and the spring element of the latching connection.
The plug-in connection according to the present disclosure with latching connection also makes it possible for a drag roller with the roller spindle to be rapidly exchanged, for example in the event of damage thereto.
Depending on the size of the escalator, different sizes of drag rollers are required. The mounting thereof is also simplified according to the present disclosure by way of the compact and easily assemblable arrangement of the drag rollers.
A particular advantage according to the present disclosure is that the latching device according to the present disclosure, which preferably comprises a circular spring, engages with latching action on an undercut of the body. The undercut may, in a preferred refinement, be formed on that surface of the body which is situated opposite the drag rollers; in this exemplary embodiment, the circular spring engages with latching action when the roller spindle has passed through the bushing of the body to such an extent that the circular spring emerges again on the opposite side.
Instead of the realization of the undercut, as it were, on the rear side of the body of the step or pallet, the undercut may also be realized in a groove in the bushing of the body, a so-called body groove. In the case of this solution, the circular spring of the latching connection is received in protected fashion, such that the tendency for fouling is lower.
The present disclosure is not restricted to the realization of the latching connection by way of a spring washer or circular spring. Instead, use may also be made of any other desired latching device that engages with latching action when the roller spindle has been fully inserted. In this context, it is at any rate preferable for the latching device, even in the engaged state, to still exert tensile forces which ensure the contact between the shoulder of the body and the ledge of the roller spindle journal. For example, for this purpose, use may be made of one or more latching mechanisms, or of a starlock washer which is pressed onto the roller spindle.
In a modified refinement, it is provided that, instead of the circular spring which is received in the groove of the roller spindle and which is preloaded in an outward direction, use is made of a circular spring which is received in the groove of the body of the pallet or of the step and which is preloaded in an inward direction.
According to the present disclosure, it is in any case expedient for oblique surfaces to be formed on the insertion opening of the body and/or of the roller spindle, which oblique surfaces compress or expand the circular spring, respectively, counter to the stress thereof in order to allow it to slide easily along the bearing surfaces until the circular spring engages with a snap-in action at the undercut.
In a further advantageous refinement of the present disclosure, provision is made for a clamping device to be used for securing the plug-in connection according to the present disclosure. Said clamping device acts with clamping action between the body of the step or pallet and a roller spindle on which drag rollers run. The clamping may be implemented in any suitable manner by way of a clamping element which preferably extends between body and roller spindle and which, by way of oblique surfaces or by way of a compression, generates a contact pressure with respect to the body and/or with respect to the roller spindle.
Owing to the clamping device which is held under pressure, the flexibility is virtually as low as, for example, in the case of a screw connection, wherein it is self-evident that the material of the clamping device is preferably less hard than the material of the ledge or pallet and of the spindle only to a small extent. For example, a clamping element composed of copper or, for example, a hard plastic may be realized, and may extend as a sealing bushing between step and body.
According to the present disclosure, it is particularly expedient for the dimensioning to be selected such that, by way of the preload of the groove, effective areas of the body and of the roller spindle are pressed in opposite directions, and thus the contact between the ledge and the shoulder is realized under preload.
Referring to
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The drag roller 18 comprises, in a manner known per se, a bearing 20 which is fixedly attached to the roller spindle 16. A drag roller body 22 is applied to the outer shell of the bearing 20, which drag roller body is coated with a running surface layer (not illustrated) composed of a relatively soft plastics material. The drag roller 18 runs on a flat rail 24, which is realized in fixed form and which does not form a lateral guide for the drag roller 18, but rather serves exclusively for supporting the drag roller 18 with respect to the loads that must be accommodated by the step 10.
For the accommodation of the loads, the passage recess 14 is of extremely deep and solid form and is furthermore on a body part of the step 10, the extent of which body part points in the load direction, that is to say perpendicular to the surface of the flat rail 24.
The roller spindle 16 according to the present disclosure is of special design. That part 26 which is adjacent to the bearing 20 is of slightly thickened form. In relation to the bearing journal 28 itself of the roller spindle 16, said part forms a ledge 30 which points toward the body 12. The bearing journal 28 is cylindrical, or else may be of very slightly conical form, with a cone angle of for example one degree, preferably a cone angle of less than 3.5°, in order to ensure even more secure mounting. The bushing 32 that is formed in the passage recess 14 comprises, in any case, a surface which is exactly parallel to the surface of the bearing journal 28. Said two surfaces, which are situated opposite one another, serve for accommodating the load of the drag roller 18 in order to transmit said load to the body 12, and are of a size which is sufficient to ensure that the contact pressure is not excessively high.
In the profile of the extent of the bearing journal, preferably at the free end thereof, there is formed a latching device 34. Said latching device comprises a circular spring 36 which is mounted in a roller groove 37, specifically with a clearance, in such a way that it is preloaded in an outward direction.
In this embodiment, in addition to the roller groove 37 which is adapted to the circular spring 36, there is a so-called body groove 38 for forming the undercut in the bushing 32.
In the inserted state of the bearing journal 28, the circular spring 37 engages with latching action on the undercut, that is to say in this case into the body groove 38.
Instead, it is also possible for that surface of the body 12 which points away from the roller 18 to form the undercut. The circular spring 36 then engages with latching action in an audible manner.
In the inserted state, the bearing journal 28 is received entirely in the passage recess 14, and also projects out of the latter slightly, as can be seen from
To facilitate the insertion, the bearing journal 28 comprises, on its front end, an oblique surface 40.
In an advantageous design variant of the present disclosure, between the roller spindle 16 and body 12, there is formed an adhesive connection by way of which the roller spindle 16 is held rotationally conjointly. Here, the roller spindle 16 is advantageously adhesively bonded into the passage recess 14 of the body 12. In particular, it is provided that the steps or pallets are produced with the corresponding components, in particular the roller spindle 16 and the body 12, in an aluminum pressure die casting process. Here, the latching connection advantageously provides an additional securing action in addition to the adhesive connection, which in particular prevents a release of the roller spindle 16 from the passage recess 14, advantageously also in the event of a fault, in which the adhesive connection does not withstand an acting load.
Referring to
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, the circular spring 36 has a non-circular, somewhat elongate cross section, wherein the longitudinal axis extends substantially radially. The circular spring 36 lies between a body effective area 44 and a roller groove effective area 46. The body effective area 44 diverges toward the axis 47 of the bearing journal 28, such that, when the circular spring 36 engages into the body groove 38, the body 12 is pushed toward the drag roller 22. Formed at the transition between the bearing journal 28 and the part 26 of the roller spindle 16 is the ledge 30 which bears against a correspondingly designed shoulder 52 of the body 12. The action of the circular spring 36 in combination with the body effective area 44 gives rise to a preload between the ledge 30 and the shoulder 52.
Correspondingly, that groove flank 54 which is situated opposite the effective area 44 is free from the circular spring 36. This applies correspondingly to the diagonally opposite opposing flank of the roller groove 37.
On the shoulder 52, too, there is formed an insertion bevel in the direction of the bearing journal 28. Said insertion bevel, which forms the transition between the shoulder 52 and the passage recess 14, pushes the circular spring 36 inward during the insertion of the bearing journal 28, such that said circular spring 36 can slide along the bearing surfaces of the bearing journal 28 and can slide through the passage recess 14 until it engages, with snap-in action, into the body groove 38.
According to the present disclosure, it is accordingly expedient that a drag roller 18 according to the present disclosure can be mounted on the body 12 of a step 10 using just one hand.
Referring to
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Instead of the embodiment illustrated in
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To permit this, the roller spindle 16 is in the form of a hollow spindle there, and comprises a central recess 72 of large volume.
If a blocking body 74 is introduced into the recess 72, the collar 70 is held securely against the surface 66 in the manner of an undercut. The blocking body 74 may for example be in the form of a screw, wherein the recess 72 is then expediently equipped with a suitable internal thread, or the blocking body may be in the form of a pin, which is quickly hammered in and is held with clamping action in the recess 72.
The refinement as per
The embodiment as per
Whereas it is the case in the embodiments illustrated here that a free mounting of the roller spindle 16 in the axial direction is described in each case, it is self-evident that the present disclosure does not rule out the realization of a stop by way of a suitable ledge, for example as per the ledge 50 from
According to the present disclosure, it is also expedient that the selection of the location at which the passage recess 14 is realized in the body 12 and thus in the bearing arm thereof can be adapted to requirements within a broad scope, and in particular, a highly accommodating mounting can be realized.
In particular, in the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, an adhesive connection may additionally be provided between the roller spindle 16 and the body 12, for example by virtue of the roller spindle 16 being adhesively bonded into the passage recess 14 of the body 12.
While the detailed description above differentiates between escalators and moving walkways, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that terms such as ‘people mover,’ for example, may be used to refer to a broader category of systems that encompasses both escalators and moving walkways. Likewise, although the detailed description above differentiates between steps for escalators and pallets for moving walkways, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that terms such as ‘support member’ may be used to refer to a broader category of components that encompasses both steps for escalators and pallets for moving walkways.
The exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures and discussed in conjunction therewith serve for the explanation of the present disclosure, and do not restrict the latter.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102013107869.9 | Jul 2013 | DE | national |
This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/907,314 filed Jan. 25, 2016, which is a U.S. National Stage Entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2014/001850 filed Jul. 4, 2014, which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 102013107869.9 filed Jul. 23, 2013, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14907314 | Jan 2016 | US |
| Child | 15794160 | US |
