Platform screen gate systems are used to separate the passenger region of a train loading platform from an adjacent set of train tracks to prevent passengers from accessing the tracks prior to a train reaching the platform. Such systems generally utilize a sliding gate operable between a closed position, to prevent access to the track or train region, and an open position, to permit access to the train when the train arrives at the platform. Such platform screen gates systems vary in design; however, many gate systems require complex designs, include multiple moving parts and are expensive to manufacture.
In a first aspect, there is provided a platform screen gate system having a tower, a gate secured to the tower. The gate is movable between an open position, to facilitate access to and from the platform, and a closed position, to block access to and from the platform. The system further includes at least one roller secured to the tower and a track secured to the gate. The track is supported by and movable on the least one roller such that the door cantilevers from the tower and remains above the platform when the door is moved between the open and closed positions.
According to some embodiments, the tower includes a second roller, wherein the track is supported by and cantilevers from the first and second rollers.
In other embodiments, the tower includes an upper portion and a lower portion, the at least one roller is secured to the upper portion.
In still other embodiments, the gate includes a belt extending from a first end of the gate to a second end of the gate.
In yet other embodiments, a motor is disposed in a lower portion of the tower, the motor being movable on a slide track to adjust belt tension.
In other embodiments, the tower includes a pulley system to apply a tension and rotational force to the belt, the pulley system is disposed in the lower portion of the tower.
In yet another embodiments, the gate includes a lower gate panel adjacent to the belt to at least partially cover the belt.
In still other embodiments, the gate includes an opening positioned to facilitate access to one or more of a motor, a pulley system, toggle switches, and a power supply when the gate is in the closed position.
In other embodiments, the track is located at an upper portion of the gate.
In yet another embodiment, the gate includes a support member on the lower portion of the gate and slideably disposed within a slot in a threshold located beneath the gate.
In a second aspect, there is provided a platform screen gate system having a tower having an upper portion and a lower portion and a gate slideably connected to and cantilevered from the tower by at least one roller disposed in the upper portion of the tower. The system also includes an operator operably coupled to the gate and located in the lower portion of the tower for positioning the gate between an open position, to facilitate access to and from the platform, and a closed position, to block access to and from the platform.
In some embodiments, the gate is secured to the tower such that the gate is elevated above a platform surface upon which the tower is located.
In other embodiments, the tower includes a first tower section, a second tower section and an opening between the first tower section and the second tower section, wherein the gate is slideable within the opening between a closed position and an open position.
In still other embodiments, the second tower section includes the operator and is shorter than the first tower section.
In certain embodiments, the at least one roller is rotatably coupled to the first tower section.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a movable gate apparatus having a tower including a gate support and a controller. A gate is secured to the tower by the gate support and is slideably movable between an open position and a closed position in response to actuation by the controller. The gate includes an opening therethrough and positioned thereon such that when the gate is in the closed position, the opening is aligned with at least a portion of the controller to facilitate access thereto.
In certain embodiments, the gate support movably supports the gate in an elevated position above a platform surface upon which the tower is located.
In other certain embodiments, the gate support includes one or more of a roller, a track, a slide block and a slide blade.
In yet other embodiments, the tower includes a motor located in a lower portion of the tower and being accessible through the opening.
In still other embodiments, the gate includes a belt in a lower portion of the gate and the tower includes a pulley system in a lower portion of the tower to apply a force to the belt.
The accompanying drawings facilitate an understanding of the various embodiments.
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Any number of rollers 110 and 112 can be included on the tower 106 to support the gate 102 and any number of corresponding tracks 118 and 120 can be included on the gate 102 to accept the rollers 110 and 112. In some embodiments, additional rollers (not shown) are included to ride along a bottom portion of the lower track 120 for the purpose of preventing derailment. The vertical position of the rollers 110 and 112 can be adjustable to accommodate field conditions requiring adjustment (i.e., to tilt the door up or down). In addition, in some embodiments, the rollers 110 and 112 are located on the gate 102 and the tracks 118 and 120 are located on the tower 106. In some embodiments, the rollers 110 and 112 are located on a passenger-facing side of the tower 106 while in other embodiments the rollers 110 and 112 are located on a train-facing side of the tower 106. In other embodiments, the rollers 110 and 112 and the tracks 118 and 120 are positioned at locations other than the top of the gate 102 and the top of the tower 106. For example, in some embodiments, the rollers 110 and 112 and the tracks 118 and 120 are located near a bottom of the gate 102 and the tower 106 to hold the gate 102 in a cantilever fashion. In other embodiments, the rollers 110 and 112 and the tracks 118 and 120 are located near the middle of the gate 102 and the tower 106 to hold the gate 102 in a cantilever fashion.
In some embodiments, other mechanisms are utilized to allow the gate 102 to move with respect to the tower 106 and to hold the gate 102 in a cantilever fashion. For example, in some embodiments the tower 106 includes one or more slide blocks (not shown) that are slideably coupled to corresponding blades (not shown) on the gate 102. In other embodiments, both the gate 102 and the tower 106 include tracks and a plurality of bearings are positioned between the tracks 118 and 120 to allow the gate 102 to move with respect to the tower 106.
Referring to
The controller 136 controls the movement of the gate 102 by controlling the motor 124 in a conventional fashion. The controller 136 may be any suitable controller 136.
The pulley system 178 includes a first idler pulley 126, a second idler pulley 128 and the tension pulley 130. The first idler pulley 126 and the second idler pulley 128 are spaced from the tension pulley 130 by a predetermined vertical distance. The idler pulleys 126 and 128 are maintained in a fixed position and the tension pulley 130 is movable along the slide track 134 to apply tension to the belt 132, as described above.
The belt 132 is connected to the gate 102 and interacts with the pulley system 178 such that movement of the tension pulley 130 via the motor 124 causes the gate 102 to move between the open position and the closed position. A first end 166 of the belt 132 connects to the gate 102 at a first block 146 and a second end 168 of the belt 132 connects to the gate 102 at a second block 148. In some embodiments, the belt 132 includes surface contours, openings or some other feature to allow the tension pulley 130 to impart a force to the belt 132. In some embodiments, for example, the belt 132 includes linked segments of material, such as links in a metal chain, and the tension pulley 130 includes teeth that mate with the segments. In use, the motor 124 applies a force to the tension pulley 130 when the motor 124 is engaged by the operator 136. The tension pulley 130 applies a force to the belt 132 and the belt 132 moves in a lateral direction which causes the gate 102 to move within the opening 108 in the tower 106. The gate 102 is supported in a cantilever fashion by the rollers 110 and 112 so that an end of the gate 102 furthest from the tower 106 is held a predetermined distance above the platform floor 156.
In some additional embodiments, the gate 102 includes one or more additional rollers (not shown) positioned below and coupled to the lower gate panel 144 to support the gate 102 on the platform floor 156 or on a threshold (not shown) positioned on the platform floor 156. In some embodiments, the threshold is positioned on the platform floor 156 below the opening to which access is to be restricted and at least a portion of the additional roller(s) rolls inside, parallel to or next to a groove in the threshold to support the gate 102 as the gate 102 moves between the open and closed positions. In some embodiments, the threshold is installed on top of the platform floor 156 and requires minimal or no excavation of the platform floor 156 due to available space between the gate 102 and the platform floor 156. In other embodiments, the system 100 includes one roller 110 or 112 in the tower 106 and one additional roller (not shown) below the lower gate panel 144 that rolls on a threshold (not shown) on the platform floor 156. In other embodiments, the gate 102 includes a blade below the lower gate panel 144 that slides in a groove in a threshold (not shown) located below the gate 102 to provide lateral stability to the gate 102 as the gate 102 moves between the open and closed positions.
In the foregoing description of certain embodiments, specific terminology has been resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes other technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar technical purpose. Terms such as “left” and right”, “front” and “rear”, “above” and “below” and the like are used as words of convenience to provide reference points and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
In this specification, the word “comprising” is to be understood in its “open” sense, that is, in the sense of “including”, and thus not limited to its “closed” sense, that is the sense of “consisting only of”. A corresponding meaning is to be attributed to the corresponding words “comprise”, “comprised” and “comprises” where they appear.
In addition, the foregoing describes only some embodiments of the invention(s), and alterations, modifications, additions and/or changes can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments, the embodiments being illustrative and not restrictive.
Furthermore, invention(s) have been described in connection with what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the invention(s). Also, the various embodiments described above may be implemented in conjunction with other embodiments, e.g., aspects of one embodiment may be combined with aspects of another embodiment to realize yet other embodiments. Further, each independent feature or component of any given assembly may constitute an additional embodiment.
This non-provisional application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/822,818, filed May 13, 2013, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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