Handrail automatically tensioning system and a method for adjusting tension level of handrail

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865074-B2
Application number	US-201916573042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

An automatic handrail tensioning system and a method for adjusting the tension degree of a handrail, and belongs to the technical field of escalators. The automatic handrail tensioning system of the present invention comprises: a sensor for detecting information that can reflect a tension degree of the handrail; a controller for determining the tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and generating a corresponding control instruction for adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and an actuator for driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic handrail tensioning system, comprising:
a sensor for detecting information that reflects a tension degree of the handrail;
a controller for determining tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and generating a corresponding control instruction for adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and
an actuator for driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction;
wherein the controller is configured to quantitatively determine the tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and to generate the corresponding control instruction for quantitatively adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on quantitative tension degree information.

2. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor, the information detected by the pressure sensor being a pressure value corresponding to a tension of the handrail.

3. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor and/or a second pressure sensor; wherein the first pressure sensor is mounted between a first end revolution chain and a handrail guideway of the escalator, and/or the second pressure sensor is mounted between a second end revolution chain and the handrail guideway of the escalator.

4. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor and/or a second pressure sensor; wherein the first pressure sensor is mounted on a bearing pedestal of a wheel of a first end revolution chain and/or the second pressure sensor is mounted on a bearing pedestal of a wheel of a second end revolution chain.

5. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured for: determining the tension degree information of the tension degree of the handrail being substantially normal when the pressure value is greater than or equal to a first predetermined pressure value and less than or equal to a second predetermined pressure value, determining the tension degree information of the tension degree of the handrail being too tight when the pressure value is greater than the second predetermined pressure value, and determining the tension degree information of the tension degree of the handrail being too loose when the pressure value is less than the first predetermined pressure value.

6. An escalator system comprising a handrail, further comprising the automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1 .

7. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor for detecting temperature information of the handrail.

8. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further used to determine the tension degree information of the tension degree of the handrail being too tight when the temperature information is greater than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold.

9. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor for detecting spacing information between the handrail and a handrail guideway.

10. An automatic handrail tensioning system, comprising:
a sensor for detecting information that reflects a tension degree of the handrail;
a controller for determining tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and generating a corresponding control instruction for adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and
an actuator for driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction;
wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor for detecting spacing information between the handrail and a handrail guideway;
wherein the controller is further used to determine the tension degree information of the tension degree of the handrail being too tight when the spacing information is greater than or equal to a predetermined spacing threshold.

11. An automatic handrail tensioning system, comprising:
a sensor for detecting information that reflects a tension degree of the handrail;
a controller for determining tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and generating a corresponding control instruction for adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and
an actuator for driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction;
wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor for detecting spacing information between the handrail and a handrail guideway;
wherein the ranging sensor is mounted below the handrail corresponding to an upper corner part of the escalator.

12. An automatic handrail tensioning system, comprising:
a sensor for detecting information that reflects a tension degree of the handrail;
a controller for determining tension degree information of the handrail according to the information detected by the sensor, and generating a corresponding control instruction for adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and
an actuator for driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction;
wherein the sensor comprises a ranging sensor for detecting spacing information between the handrail and a handrail guideway;
wherein the tensioning device comprises:
a body;
wheels acting on an adjusted handrail;
main screw rod substantially perpendicular to the adjusted handrail;
an upper platen;
a lower platen substantially parallel to the upper platen; and
a compression elastomer between the upper platen and the lower platen;
wherein the main screw rod is connected with a output end of the actuator, when the main screw rod is driven by the actuator to rotate in a first direction/second direction, the upper platen is driven to move upwards/downwards along the main screw rod, thus the lower platen is driven by the compression elastomer to move upwards/downwards, and the lower platen drives the wheel to release/increase the tension of the handrail.

13. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 12 , further comprising: a pair of linear guides secured on the body and substantially perpendicular to the adjusted handrail, wherein the main screw rod is positioned between the pair of linear guides, the lower platen being movable upwards/downwards along the pair of linear guides.

14. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 12 , further comprising a fixed bracket secured on the body for securing a lower end of the main screw rod and the actuator.

15. The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a pressure sensor, the information detected by the pressure sensor being a pressure value corresponding to a tension of the handrail;
wherein the pressure sensor is mounted between the upper platen and the lower platen to detect a pressure value produced by the compression elastomer.

16. A method for adjusting a tension degree of a handrail, the method comprising:
detecting information that reflects the tension degree of the handrail;
determining tension degree information of the handrail according to the detected information;
generating a corresponding control instruction for a

Assignees

• Otis Elevator Co

Inventors

• Cai Qingxi
• Li Jianguo
• Wei Xin
• Hu Jie
• Cheng Lifei
• Tang Zuan
• Ma Jun

Classifications

• B66B21/02

  Escalators · CPC title

• B66B29/00

  Safety devices of escalators or moving walkways (walkways of variable speed type B66B21/12; handrails of variable speed type B66B23/26) · CPC title

• B66B23/04 Primary

  for handrails · CPC title

• B66B23/20 Primary

  for handrails · CPC title

• B66B31/02

  for handrails · CPC title