Patent Application
20140124328
The invention relates, in general, to escalators and, more particularly, to a side safety device for escalators which is configured to prevent part of the body of a user or an object such as clothes from being caught in a gap between an escalator stair and a handrail, and to an escalator having the side safety device.
Generally, escalators are a transportation means which is widely used for transportation between adjacent floors in buildings such as department stores, supermarkets, airports, hotels, etc.
A rail type grip 4 is installed on each handrail 3 to allow people (or users) who stand on the stairs 2 to grasp the grip 4 with their hands so that they can safely move on the escalator 1.
In the conventional escalator 1 having the above-mentioned construction, because a gap is present between the stairs 2 and each handrail 3, there is the possibility of an accident in which, for example, shoes or the like are caught in the gap when the stairs 2 move upwards or downwards.
In other words, when the stairs 2 move upwards, a shoe or the like may be caught between a step board 2a provided on an upper surface of the corresponding stair 2 and the handrail 3. When the stairs 2 move downwards, a shoe or the like may be caught between a vertical plate 2b provided on a front surface of the corresponding stair 2 and the handrail 3. Such accidents frequently occur.
In addition to shoes, items such as clothing, waste debris or other objects placed on the upper surface of a stair may be caught in such a gap, thus causing an accident or leading to malfunction of the escalator.
Moreover, when a child falls on the escalator, there is a risk of an accident in which his/her finger or the like is caught between a stair 2 and the handrail 3.
The invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object is to provide a side safety device for escalators which is configured to prevent part of the body of a user or an object such as clothing from being caught in a gap between an escalator stair and a handrail, and to an escalator having the side safety device.
In order to accomplish the above object, an embodiment provides a side safety device for an escalator in which a plurality of stairs circulate in a circulation belt manner between upper and lower rollers having a height difference.
The side safety device comprises a side safety plate which is coupled to each of side surfaces of each of the stairs at a position adjacent to a vertical plate of the stair. The side safety plate has a triangular shape and protruding forwards from the vertical plate.
The side safety plate having the triangular shape comprises a bottom side extending parallel to a step board of the stair in a direction away from the stair, and a hypotenuse extending at a predetermined inclination so as to meet the bottom side. The inclination of the hypotenuse is substantially equal to that of an inclined section of the escalator.
In the inclined section of each of the stairs, the bottom side may be level with an upper surface of the step board of the following stair adjacent to the vertical plate of the stair.
The side safety plate may extend such that a distal end of the side safety plate is disposed at a position spaced apart from a boundary between the step board and the vertical plate of the following stair by a predetermined distance.
The side safety device may further comprise an elastic deformation member provided on an upper end of the side safety plate. The elastic deformation member extends along the hypotenuse. The inclination of an upper surface of the elastic deformation member may be equal to that of the inclined section of the escalator. The elastic deformation member may be made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility.
A distal end of the side safety plate may extend to a boundary between the step board and the vertical plate of the following stair adjacent to the vertical plate of the stair. The side safety plate may be made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility.
The side safety plate may be provided so as to be rotatable relative to the vertical plate of the stair by a predetermined angle around a point adjacent to an upper end thereof at which the bottom side and the hypotenuse meets. The side safety device may further comprise: a shaft connecting the side safety plate rotatably to the vertical plate of the stair at the point adjacent to the upper end of the side safety plate; and a spring elastically connecting the side safety plate to the vertical plate of the stair at a position adjacent to the bottom side of the side safety plate.
The side safety device may further comprise: a shaft fastened to the side safety plate to rotatably connect the side safety plate to the stair at the point adjacent to the upper end of the side safety plate; and a spring fastened at a first end thereof to the side safety plate and fastened at a second end thereof to the stair so that the side safety plate is elastically connected to the stair by the spring.
The side safety device may further comprise a skirt guard protruding from an inner surface of a handrail towards the stairs and extending along the inclined section. The skirt guard may extend at an inclination equal to the inclination of the hypotenuse in such a way that a bottom surface of the skirt guard is adjacent to the hypotenuse of the side safety plate.
The side safety device may further comprise a skirt depression formed in an inner surface of a handrail towards an outer surface of the handrail, the skirt depression extending along the inclined section. The skirt depression may extend at an inclination substantially equal to the inclination of the hypotenuse in such a way that a top surface of the skirt guard is adjacent to the hypotenuse of the side safety plate.
The side safety device may further comprise a safety-plate-receiving-space defining part formed by protruding a portion of an escalator platform upwards in such a way that space is defined in the safety-plate-receiving-space defining part, whereby a distal end of the side safety plate that rotates for circulation along with the stair around a roll under the escalator platform is prevented from coming into contact with a lower surface of the escalator platform.
Another embodiment provides an escalator comprising: a plurality of stairs rotating in a circulation belt manner between upper and lower rollers having a height difference; and the side safety device.
According to the invention, part of the body of a user or an object such as clothing can be prevented from being caught in a gap between an escalator stair and a handrail. The above-mentioned purpose can be achieved without changing the design of the existing escalator.
Hereinafter, embodiments of a side safety device for escalators and an escalator having the side safety device will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
The side safety device can be used in an escalator which transfers users from a predetermined height to another height in such a way that a plurality of stairs rotate in a circulation belt rotating manner between upper and lower rollers having a height difference. The side safety device is configured to prevent an accident in which a portion of the body of a user or a substance such as clothes is caught between an escalator stair and a handrail.
Referring to
A side safety plate 100 is coupled to each of opposite side surfaces of the frame 2c of the stair 2 at a position adjacent to the vertical plate 2b. The side safety plate 100 has a triangular shape and protrudes forwards from the vertical plate 2b.
If the stair 2 does not have the frame 2c, the side safety plates 100 are coupled to respective opposite side surfaces of the vertical plate 2b. If a separate bracket or the like is used, the side safety plates 100 may be coupled to the step board 2a at respective positions adjacent to the vertical plate 2b.
The side safety plate 100 comprises a vertical side 102 which is coupled to the stair 2, and a bottom side 104 and a hypotenuse 106 which are connected to the vertical side 102 to form an approximately triangular shape. The vertical side 102 is oriented in a vertical direction or a direction close to vertical, wherein, for the sake of explanation, the meaning of ‘vertical side’ includes sides which extend in the above-mentioned directions.
The bottom side 104 extends parallel to the step board 2a of the stair 2 from a lower end of the vertical side 102 in a direction away from the stair 2. The hypotenuse 106 extends with an inclination of a predetermined angle from an upper end of the vertical side 102 that is adjacent to the step board 2a and meets the bottom side 104.
The degree of inclination of the hypotenuse 104 is substantially equal to that of an inclined section of the escalator. This will be explained herein with reference to
Reference numeral 108 denotes a point at which the bottom side 104 meets the hypotenuse 106, thus forming a distal end of the side safety plate 100. Reference numeral 110 denotes an upper end of the side safety plate 100 at which the vertical side 102 and the hypotenuse 106 meet each other. More preferably, the upper end 110 of the side safety plate 100 is formed of a planar portion which is level with the step board 2a of the stair 2.
As shown in
The side safety plate 100 extends such that the distal end 108 thereof is spaced apart from a boundary between the step board 2a and vertical plate 2b of the following stair 2 by a predetermined distance. In the inclined section which transfers users, the degree of inclination of the hypotenuse 104 of each side safety plate 100 is almost the same as that of the inclined section.
Due to the above-mentioned construction, the side safety plates 100 cover the sides of the stairs 2. For example, in the case of the downward escalator, even if a child falls over, the side safety plates 100 can prevent the finger of the child from being caught between the step board 2a of the stair 2 and the handrail 3.
Further, in the case of the upward escalator, even if a child falls, the side safety plate 100 can also prevent the finger of the child from being caught between the vertical plate 2b of the stair 2 and the handrail 3.
The escalator stairs 2 provided with the side safety devices having the above-mentioned construction circulate in the manner of
In
A side safety device according to another embodiment will be described with reference to
As shown in
The elastic deformation member 120 has an upper edge which has the same inclination as that of the inclined section of the escalator. As shown in
A distal end 122 of the elastic deformation member 120 extends such that it comes into contact with a boundary between the step board 2a and the vertical plate of the following stair 2. Preferably, the distal end 122 of the elastic deformation member 120 extends such that it covers the upper end 110 of the corresponding adjacent side safety plate 100-1.
By virtue of the elastic deformation member 120, the side safety device according to this embodiment can more effectively cover the sides of the stairs 2. That is, space between the step board 2a of each stair 2 and the distal end 108 of the corresponding side safety plate 100-1 is covered with the elastic deformation member 120. Thus, the side safety device according to this embodiment can almost completely eliminate a gap between the step board 2a of each stair 2 and the handrail 3. As a result, this embodiment can more effectively prevent an accident in which, for example, the finger of a child is caught between the stair 2 and the handrail 3.
The elastic deformation member 120 is made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility. For example, the elastic deformation member 120 is formed of any one among sponge, rubber, elastic resin and brush.
The side safety device according to this embodiment has the following advantages. As shown in
If the elastic deformation member 120 is made of hard material, there may be a problem of the elastic deformation member 120 being deformed and becoming unusable. In this embodiment, because the elastic deformation member 120 is made of material having elasticity, ductility and/or flexibility, the distal end 122 of the elastic deformation member 120 can be elastically deformed when it is pressed by the vertical side 102 of the corresponding adjacent side safety plate 100-1. That is, the distal end 122 is elastically deformed in the conversion section, and after the distal end 122 passes through the conversion section, it returns to its original state.
As shown in
When the side safety device is applied to an escalator, there may be need for an increase in the distance between a lower surface of the escalator platform 14 and the stairs 2, in some cases. However, if the above-mentioned elastic deformation member 120 is used, the side safety device can be applied to the escalator without requiring a change in design of the escalator.
A side safety device according to another embodiment will be described in detail with reference to
As shown in
Meanwhile, the elastic deformation body 200B is made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility in the same manner as that of the above-mentioned elastic deformation member 120. The elastic deformation body 200B is preferably fastened to the safety plate body 200B by bonding or the like.
The side safety plate 200 comprising the safety plate body 200A and the elastic deformation body 200B according to this embodiment can more effectively cover the corresponding side of the stair. Further, in the side safety plate 200 according to this embodiment, the elastic deformation body 200B can be elastically deformed in the same manner as that of the elastic deformation member 120 illustrated with reference to
Meanwhile, unlike this embodiment, the entirety of the side safety plate 200 may be made of material which can be elastically deformed. In this case, material which can be elastically deformed while maintaining appropriate strength must be used.
The operation of the side safety device according to another embodiment will be explained with reference to
In the embodiment of
The upper end of the side safety plate 300 is coupled to the stair 2 by a hinge shaft 330. The side safety plate 300 can rotate around the hinge shaft 300 with respect to the vertical plate 2b of the stair 2.
Although the side safety plate 300 and the stair 2 of the side safety device of
A detailed example pertaining to this will be explained with reference to
As shown in
A first end of the spring 140 is connected to the coupling hole H1 of the side safety plate 300-1, and a second end thereof is connected to the coupling hole H2 of the stair 2. The side safety plate 300-1 can rotate around the hinge shaft 330 by a predetermined angle with respect to the vertical plate of the stair 2. In other words, the side safety plate 300-1 can rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction by a predetermined angle along the arrow A of
Another detailed example will be explained with reference to
As shown in
The elastic hinge unit 350 comprises a hinge shaft 352, a spring 354 and a bracket 356. A first end of the hinge shaft 352 is fastened to the side safety plate 300-2, and a second end thereof is rotatably supported on the bracket 356. A first end of the spring 354 is fastened to the hinge shaft 352, and a second end thereof is fastened to the bracket 356. The bracket 356 is fastened to the vertical plate 2a of the stair 2. Meanwhile, the bracket 356 may be coupled to the step board or the frame 2c (refer to
In this construction, although the side safety plate 300-2 can rotate relative to the vertical plate of the stair 2, it is limited by the spring 354 such that it rotates within a predetermined angular range. That is, the side safety plate 300-2 can rotate in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction by a predetermined angle along the arrow A of
The elastic hinge unit 350 may be configured in such a way that the hinge shaft 352 is fastened to the bracket 356 and is rotatably coupled to the side safety plate 350-2. The first end of the spring 354 is directly fastened to the side safety plate 350-2, and the second end thereof is fastened to the hinge shaft 352 or the bracket 356.
The construction of the side safety plate 300, 300-1 or 300-2 of
In detail, if the distance between the stair 2 and the escalator platform (14, refer to
The side safety plate 300, 300-1 or 300-2 can be directly used in an escalator without requiring a change in design of the escalator.
Another embodiment of the escalator having the side safety device will be described in detail with reference to
As shown in
The skirt guard 160 protrudes from an inner surface of the handrail 3 towards the stairs 2 and extends along the inclined section of the escalator. A bottom surface of the skirt guard 160 is disposed above each of opposite side edges of the stairs 2.
The bottom surface of the skirt guard 160 is located adjacent to the hypotenuses 106 of the side safety plates 100 and is oriented at substantially the same inclination as that of the hypotenuses 106. Of course, in lieu of the side safety plate 100 of
The elastic deformation member 162 is made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility. For example, the elastic deformation member 162 is formed of any one among sponge, rubber, elastic resin and brush.
The skirt guard 160, in cooperation with the side safety plates 100, can more effectively prevent an accident in which the finger of a user is caught between the stair 2 and the handrail 3.
Another embodiment of the escalator having the side safety device will be described in detail with reference to
As shown in
The skirt depression 170 is depressed from the stairs 2 towards the outer plate 3b. The lower surface of the skirt depression 170 is disposed above corresponding one of opposite side edges of the stairs 2.
The lower surface of the skirt depression 170 is located adjacent to the hypotenuses 106 of the side safety plates 100 and is oriented at substantially the same inclination as that of the hypotenuses 106. In lieu of the side safety plate 100 of
The elastic deformation member 162 is made of material having at least one characteristic among elasticity, ductility and flexibility. For example, the elastic deformation member 162 is formed of any one among sponge, rubber, elastic resin and brush.
The skirt depression 170, in cooperation with the side safety plates 100, can more effectively prevent an accident in which the finger of a user is caught between the stair 2 and the handrail 3.
Referring to
The side safety plate 400 is an integral triangular plate and has substantially the same shape as that of the side safety device 100 of
Each safety-plate-receiving-space defining part 142 is formed by protruding a portion of the escalator platform 14 upwards based on the drawing in such a way that a space is defined therein. That is, if the safety-plate-receiving-space defining part 142 is not provided, when the stairs 2 rotates around the drive roll 10, the distal ends of the side safety plates 400 may come into contact with the lower surface of the escalator platform 14 which covers the stairs 2 of the escalator. In this embodiment, the safety-plate-receiving-space defining part 142 is provided so that when the side safety plates 400 rotate around the drive roll 10, the distal ends of the side safety plates 400 can be prevented from coming into contact with the lower surface of the escalator platform 14.
Although the safety-plate-receiving-space defining parts 142 protrude from the escalator platform 14 upwards, they are disposed on opposite side portions of the escalator platform 14 below the respective rail grips 4. The safety-plate-receiving-space defining parts 142 do not impede the walking of users.
As described above, the invention can achieve the purpose of preventing an accident while minimizing a change in the structure of the existing escalator.
Although preferred embodiments have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2011-0071514 | Jul 2011 | KR | national |
This application is the U.S. national phase of International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2012/004683 filed Jun. 14, 2012, which claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0071514 filed Jul. 19, 2011, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2012/004683 | 6/14/2012 | WO | 00 | 12/17/2013 |
