Patent Publication Number: US-8123020-B2

Title: Easily dismantled escalator outer decking

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to an escalator outer decking, and more particularly, to an easily dismantled escalator outer decking. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Outer decking is a necessary part of an escalator or a moving walkway. The outer decking needs to be dismantled for easy replacement of parts during maintenance. There are several ways of securing the outer decking of an escalator or a moving walkway at present. One is that the outer decking  1 ′ is secured to a handrail system bracket  5 ′ by T-shaped bolts  12 , see  FIG. 6 . When disassembling, the outer decking  1 ′ can be taken down only after the inner decking of handrail system is taken down first, even the skirting board needs to be taken down. Another is that the outer decking  1 ′ is mounted by side screws  13 , see  FIG. 7 . In this case, if the escalator abuts against structure of building or a paratactic escalator, the outer decking  1 ′ can not be dismantled. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide an escalator outer decking, which has good configuration and can be easily dismantled during maintenance. 
     The foregoing objective is attained by the easily dismantled escalator outer decking of the present invention. 
     According to the present invention, an escalator includes a handrail system bracket, a balustrade panel and a balustrade panel clamping member; and an escalator outer decking includes a cover plate, a first bracket, a retention member and an insertion strip. The first bracket is mounted on the handrail system bracket. The retention member has an open end and a closed end; the closed end of the retention member is secured to the underside of the cover plate while the open end is connected to the first bracket in a manner of embedding or snapping. The insertion strip is wedged between the cover plate and the balustrade panel. 
     When disassembling, the cover plate and the retention member can be taken down together by removing the insertion strip first and then uplifting the cover plate and the retention member or pushing them towards the balustrade panel. 
     In one exemplary embodiment, the manner of connecting the retention member to the first bracket is that at the side closest to the balustrade panel, a crooking portion that faces away from the balustrade panel is formed at the end of the retention member, and a gap that faces towards the balustrade panel, into which the crooking portion can be inserted, is formed correspondingly on the first bracket; and at the side away from the balustrade panel, a projecting portion that faces away from the balustrade panel is formed at the end of the retention member, and a groove that faces towards the balustrade panel, into which the projecting portion can be fitted, is formed correspondingly on the first bracket. In the illustrative embodiment, the retention member and the first bracket can be taken down together by pushing them towards the balustrade panel. A second bracket may also be provided between the cover plate and the balustrade panel clamping member. In the illustrative embodiment, the second bracket is snapped onto the balustrade panel clamping member and is secured to the underside of the cover plate for example, by screws. 
     In another embodiment, a leaf spring is provided between the retention member and the first bracket to hold the retention member in place. Preferably, the leaf spring is upside-down V-shaped. 
     Alternatively, the retention member and the first bracket can be connected in such a manner that at the side closest to the balustrade panel, a bulge that faces towards the balustrade panel is formed at the end of the retention member, and a notch that faces away from the balustrade panel, into which the bulge can be fitted, is formed correspondingly on the first bracket; and at the side away from the balustrade panel, a projecting portion that faces away from the balustrade panel is formed at the end of the retention member, and a groove that faces towards the balustrade panel, into which the projecting portion can be fitted, is formed correspondingly on the first bracket. In yet another embodiment, the side of the first bracket that is closest to the balustrade panel is upright or curved, such as S-shaped member. 
     In the illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the first bracket is mounted on the handrail system bracket, for example by bolts, and the retention member is secured to the underside of the cover plate, for example by bonding. 
     Additionally, in the escalator outer decking according to the present invention, the positions of the first bracket and the retention member are interchangeable. 
     In the escalator outer decking according to the present invention, the cover plate is mounted to the balustrade system bracket by simple connection such as, for example, embedding or snapping between the retention member and the first bracket. Comparing with the prior art, the escalator outer decking in accordance with the present invention is easy to assemble and disassemble. When disassembling, it is only needed to remove the insertion strip, then uplift the cover plate and the retention member or push them towards the balustrade panel, and thus the cover plate and the retention member can be taken down together. Such an escalator outer decking can be dismantled easily, and be free from structure of buildings and paratactic escalators. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing the structure of the first embodiment of an escalator outer decking in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view taken from the area A of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the structure of the second embodiment of the escalator outer decking in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic view showing the structure of the third embodiment of the escalator outer decking in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing the structure of the fourth embodiment of the escalator outer decking in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the first structure of an escalator outer decking of the prior art. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view showing the second structure of the escalator outer decking of the prior art. 
     
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     The First Embodiment 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in this embodiment, a first bracket  3  is mounted on the handrail system bracket  5  by bolts  4 . A retention member  2  is open at one end and close at the other end. The closing end of the retention member  2  is secured beneath a cover plate  1  by bonding, such as using AB glue, and thus integrated with the cover plate. The opening end of the retention member  2  is connected to the upside of the first bracket  3 . A balustrade panel  9  (which, in many modern escalators, is a glass panel, the so-called balustrade glass) is seated in a balustrade panel clamping member  10 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the retention member  2  has a crooking portion away from the balustrade panel  9  at the end of the side close to the balustrade panel  9 , while the first bracket  3  has a transverse gap correspondingly, into which the crooking portion can be inserted. The retention member  2  is connected with the first bracket  3  in such a manner of embedding that the retention member  2  cannot move upwards, downwards or away from the balustrade panel  9 . When the retention member  2  is moved towards the balustrade panel  9  for some distance, the crooking portion can be released from the gap, and thus the retention member  2  is separated from the first bracket  3 . 
     The retention member  2  has a projecting portion  17  that faces away from the balustrade panel  9 , that is semicircular in its cross-section, at its end of the side away from the balustrade panel  9 , while the first bracket  3  has a matched groove  18  that faces towards the balustrade panel  9 , into which the projecting portion can be fitted, correspondingly. The function of such structure is similar to that of the crooking portion  15  of the retention member  2  and the gap  16  of the first bracket  3 ; both are used for limiting movement of the retention member and cover plate upwards, downwards or away from the balustrade panel  9 . However, the difference between these structures is that the interface between the projecting portion and the groove is a cylindrical surface that permits the retention member  2  to rotate relative to the first bracket  3  for some degree (such design is more useful in the Second and Third Embodiments described below). 
     A second bracket  6  is provided between the cover plate  1  and the balustrade panel clamping member  10 . It can be seen clearly in  FIG. 2  that the second bracket  6  can be (f) snapped onto the balustrade panel clamping member  10  and secured to the underside of the cover plate  1 , for example by screws  7 . Therefore, the cover plate  1  can be fixed in position. The second bracket  6  can be made from plastic or other similar material. 
     An insertion strip  8  is wedged between the cover plate  1  and the balustrade panel  9 . It can both fill the gap between the cover plate  1  and the balustrade panel  9  and hold other parts in place. 
     The retention member  2  is preferably π-shaped (or upside-down “U” shaped) in its cross-section, and may be formed by being extruded from a material such as aluminum alloy. The first bracket  3  may be made from spring steel or other similar material. 
     When disassembling, first the insertion strip  8  is removed, then the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  are pushed towards the balustrade panel  9  for some distance, and then the retention member  2  is disengaged from the first bracket  3 , from where they are connected, so the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  can be removed together. 
     The Second Embodiment 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , this embodiment is the same as the First Embodiment at the side of the retention member  2  away from the balustrade panel  9 . In this embodiment, however, the side of the first bracket  3  close to the balustrade panel  9  is upright, on which a notch  20  is provided that faces away from the balustrade panel  9 . A bulge  19  is formed correspondingly that faces towards the balustrade panel  9  on the side of the retention member  2 . The retention member  2  is connected with the first bracket  3  for example, by snapping. 
     Since the movement of the retention member  2  towards the balustrade panel  9  is prevented by the upright portion of the first bracket  3 , the second bracket  6  in the First Embodiment is unnecessary here. An insertion strip  8  is also wedged between the cover plate  1  and the balustrade panel  9 . 
     When disassembling, first the insertion strip  8  is removed, the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  are lifted from the side close to the balustrade panel  9 , and then the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  are rotated relative to the first bracket  3  for some degree and the retention member  2  is disengaged with the first bracket  3  from where it is connected, thus the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  can be taken down together. 
     The Third Embodiment 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , this embodiment is similar to the Second Embodiment, except that the side of the first bracket  3  closest to the balustrade panel  9  is curved or S-shaped. 
     The way for removing the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  is same as that of the Second Embodiment. 
     The Fourth Embodiment 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, retention member  2  is connected to the first bracket  3  at both sides in a manner of embedding, similar to the First Embodiment, but the difference is that a leaf spring  11  is provided between the retention member  2  and the first bracket  3 . The leaf spring  11  can limit the movement of retention member  2  towards the balustrade panel  9  to some degree and keep the retention member  2  in the state of embedding on the first bracket  3 . As shown in the illustrative embodiment, the leaf spring  11  may have an upside-down V-shape. No second bracket  6  is provided between the cover plate  1  and the glass clamping member  10  in this embodiment. 
     The way for taking down the cover plate  1  and the retention member  2  is same as that of the First Embodiment. 
     Additionally, it will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the positions of the first bracket  3  and the retention member  2  can be interchanged in all of the above embodiments, i.e. the first bracket  3  can be secured to the underside of the cover plate  1  while the retention member  2  can be mounted on the handrail system bracket  5 . In this case, the orientation of the connection portion (the crooking portion  15  and the gap  16 , the projecting portion  17  and the groove  18 , the bulge  19  and the notch  20 ) of the first bracket  3  and the retention member  2  may need to be adjusted accordingly. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essence thereof. Various adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention will be indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.