Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people – By stairway having steps forming an endless member
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-25
2002-05-07
Valenza, Joseph E. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people
By stairway having steps forming an endless member
Reexamination Certificate
active
06382388
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a passenger conveyer apparatus having a plurality of steps connected to each other in an endless loop that conveys passengers, and more particularly to a passenger conveyer apparatus that may shorten the depth measurement of a main frame, which is partly laid under a floor of a building, of the passenger conveyer apparatus. In this specification, the word “step” is used to have the broad meaning that includes so-called pallets.
2. Description of the Background
In recent years, with the advent of aging society, it has been discussed whether escalators and moving walkways should be installed in several kinds of facilities. The escalator is one example of a passenger conveyer apparatus that has a plurality of steps like stairs and is installed between upper and lower floors. The moving walkway is another example of a passenger conveyer apparatus that has a plurality of steps or pallets forming a plane surface which conveys passengers.
Public facilities for transportation, such as a train station particularly, promote the installation of such passenger conveyer apparatuses. Most of the train stations mainly promote the installation of escalators because the building of the train station needs to convey people in a condition that passenger paths cross train paths.
FIG. 1
is a side view of a conventional escalator
51
. Escalator
51
has a main frame
52
, which includes an upper frame
52
a
, a lower frame
52
b
and a middle frame
52
c
. The escalator
51
is bridged in a building
54
by support frames
53
a
and
53
b
that are secured to opposite ends of the main frame
52
. In
FIG. 1
, a symbol “A” represents a depth measurement of the upper frame
52
a
, a symbol “B” represents a depth measurement of the lower frame
52
b
, and a symbol “C” represents a depth measurement of the middle frame
52
c.
In general, in the case that the escalator
51
is installed in an existing building for a train station, stairs
55
are already set in the passenger path. In some cases, there is no space to install the escalator
51
in a different place from the stairs
55
, or the escalator
51
may not function as the passenger path practically even if there is a space to install the escalator
51
in a different place from the stairs
55
. Therefore, the escalator
51
is often installed along the stairs
55
after pulling down and altering a part of the stairs
55
, a platform
57
, and/or a concourse. Further, a roof
56
is usually set above the stairs
55
, In the case that the escalator
51
is installed along the stairs
55
, it is required to keep a regulation clearance of “K” below the ceiling
56
. Therefore, an opening is generally excavated in the stairs
55
and the platform
57
in order to put the main frame
52
therein. Hatching portions “H” in
FIG. 1
are portions to be excavated for the opening.
The depth measurement A of the upper frame
52
a
and the depth measurement of B of the lower frame
52
b
depend mainly on a depth of a space for putting a turning system for the steps of the escalator
51
.
FIG. 2
is a side view showing the upper frame
52
a
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, steps
60
are connected to each other in an endless loop and drawn by step chains
61
(only one is shown). Each of the steps
60
has a pair of first guide rollers
62
and a pair of second guide rollers
63
. The first guide rollers
62
and the second guide rollers
63
are guided by a pair of first guide rails
65
and a pair of second guide rails
66
respectively. Since the first guide rollers
62
are disposed at left and right sides of the step
60
, only one side of the first guide rollers
62
is shown in FIG.
2
. Likewise, since the second guide rollers
63
are disposed at the right and left sides of the step
60
, only one side of the second rollers
63
is shown in
FIG. 2
, Moreover, a portion of the second roller
63
, is hidden in
FIG. 2
, and only one side of the first guide rails
65
and second guide rails
66
is shown.
A pair of step chain sprockets
64
is set in the upper frame
52
a
and disposed at the right and left sides of the step
60
in order to turn the steps
60
over. The step chains
61
are placed around the step chain sprockets
64
respectively. The step chain sprockets
64
are connected together by a sprocket axle
64
a
. The adjacent steps
60
come close to each other at the time that the steps
60
are turned over by the step chain sprockets
64
. Accordingly, it is required to secure a clearance of “D” shown in
FIG. 2
in order to avoid interference between the respective adjacent steps
60
. Therefore, a radius of the step chain sprocket
64
may not be reduced easily. Consequently, it is difficult to reduce the depth measurement of the upper frame
52
a.
The second guide rollers
63
of the step
60
are disposed below a riser
60
b
of the step
60
. Accordingly, the height of the step
60
is determined by at least the sum of a height of the riser
60
b
and a height of the second guide rollers
63
. Further, since the second guide rollers
63
are guided by the second guide rails
66
and turn around the sprocket axle
64
a
, it is needed to secure a space more than the sum of a diameter of the sprocket axle
64
a
and double the thickness of the second guide rails
66
between a forward side (upper side) and a backward side (lower side) of the second guide rails
66
.
The lower frame
52
b
has the substantially same structure as the upper frame
52
a
. Accordingly, the depth measurement of B of the lower frame
52
b
is determined in the same way as the depth measurement of A of the upper frame
52
a.
The depth of C of the middle frame
52
c
, as shown in
FIG. 3
, relies mainly on a depth of a space for putting a guide system for the steps
60
of the escalator
51
.
FIG. 3
is a side view of the middle frame
52
c
. To put it in detail, the depth of C of the middle frame
52
c
is determined by the height of the riser
60
b
, a diameter of the second guide rollers
63
and a size of a crossbeam
67
secured to the middle frame
52
c
in the right and left direction against the moving direction of the steps
60
.
As described above, in the case that the escalator
51
is installed in an existing building for a train station that has already been built and operated, a lot of costs and time are required to alter a part of the building and to temporarily take some obstructions apart. That is, in case that the escalator
51
is installed along the existing stairs
55
, it is required that large openings for putting the main fame
52
of the escalator
51
be excavated in the stairs
55
and the platform
57
, thereby greatly increasing a construction cost. If a strengthening material exists under the stairs
55
, it is required that the strengthening material be removed and then another strengthening material be newly added, thereby increasing construction costs in most cases. Further, as the building needs massive alteration, a term of the construction extends over a long period of time. In the in station that remains operated, it is needed to take more precautions by separating the construction area, thereby causing inconvenience to users. As a result, the loss to the train station increases.
Japanese patent publication (Kokai) No. 2-243489 discloses a way to reduce the depth measurement of a main frame as explained by using FIG.
4
. As shown in
FIG. 4
, at the time that the step
60
starts to turn over by the step chain sprockets
64
, the rear edge
60
p
of the step
60
makes a locus
72
that transiently overhangs upward. Accordingly, it is required that the height of a floor
73
be determined so as to secure a space for avoiding interference between the steps
60
and the floor
73
. According to the above-mentioned JP '489, the escalator
51
includes lower rails
70
a
and
71
a
at a part of each guide rail
65
and
66
respectively for guiding the first guide rollers
62
and the second guide rollers
63
respectively. The steps
60
move d
Hara Kazuhisa
Hirai Masaaki
Kikuchi Takayuki
Ogimura Yoshio
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Valenza Joseph E.
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