Patent ID: 6382388
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: B66B

Abstract:
A passenger conveyer apparatus, comprising:a plurality of steps, connected to each other in an endless loop, traveling on a forward path, a backward path and a pair of turning paths connecting between opposite ends of said forward path and said backward path, each of said steps comprising a step tread and first and second guide rollers offset from each other in the traveling direction of said steps; a step chain coupled to said steps and placed around a step chain sprocket disposed in one of said turning paths; a drive unit configured to drive said step chain sprocket and to circulate said steps; a forward rail configured to guide said first and said second guide rollers in said forward path; a backward rail configured to guide said first and said second guide rollers in said backward path; and a pair of turning rails configured to guide said second guide roller in said turning paths, each turning rail having a curving rail formed in an arc, wherein at least one of said turning rails is formed in a manner such that a line segment drawn between an orbital center of a corresponding curving rail and a first center of said first guide roller makes an acute angle with a line segment drawn between said orbital center and a second center of said second guide roller, and a loci made by respective turning motions of front and rear edges of said step tread cross each other.