Patent Publication Number: US-10781079-B2

Title: Safety device for escalator

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of International Patent Application PCT/KR2018/002059 filed on Feb. 20, 2018, which designates the United States and claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0013481 filed on Feb. 2, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a safety device for an escalator. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A moving step of an escalator continuously moves toward a platform and gets under the platform. In this case, when a person or cart on the moving step does not rapidly move toward the platform, an accident that the person or cart collides with another person or cart coming from behind occurs. Such an accident may lead to an almost big accident because the moving steps are continuously moving. 
     The occurrence of the accident has been inherent in a conventional escalator with insufficient safeguards against the accident, and the conventional escalator has caused large shopping malls to employ workers to pull the cart on the moving step toward the platform and the like inconvenience. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to provide a safety device for an escalator, which can safely guide a person or cart on a moving step toward a platform. 
     An aspect of the disclosure is achieved by providing a safety device for an escalator with a platform member which covers an upper surface of a moving step getting thereunder in an end region of the escalator, the safety device including: a tilting member including a free end portion extended from a front end portion of the platform member toward an upper surface of an approaching moving step, and a rotary end portion rotatably installed under the platform member; a contact roller installed in a region of the free end portion and rotatable being in contact with the moving step; and at least one guide roller rotatable being in contact with the contact roller and partially exposed through the upper surface 
     Here, a spring member may be installed in the rotary end portion and elastically biases the free end portion in a direction to be spaced apart from the moving step, thereby allowing the guide roller to rotate only when a person or a cart comes into contact with the front end portion of the tilting member, and enhancing durability of the safety device for the escalator. 
     Further, a balance weight may be installed on an opposite side of the free end portion, thereby improving reliability of the tilting member. 
     Also, a cam roller may be disposed between the contact roller and the rotary end portion, be rotatable being in contact with the moving step, have a non-circular cross-section, and periodically move up and down the tilting member, thereby making a person or cart positioned above the rotary end portion easily move toward the platform. 
     Further, the guide roller may include a protrusion radially protruding therefrom, thereby making the guide roller more stably move a person or a cart toward the platform. 
     According to the present invention, a safety device for an escalator has an effect on safely guiding a person or cart on a moving step toward a platform. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a standby mode of a safety device for an escalator, 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the safety device for the escalator, 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an operation mode of the safety device for the escalator, and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a tilting mode of the safety device for the escalator. 
     
    
    
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 &lt;Reference Numerals for Major Elements in Drawings&gt; 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 10: moving step 
                 11: groove 
               
               
                   
                 20: platform member 
                 30: cart 
               
               
                   
                 100: tilting member 
                 110: free end portion 
               
               
                   
                 111: inclined portion 
                 120: rotary end portion 
               
               
                   
                 121: spring member 
                 130: balance weight 
               
               
                   
                 200: contact roller 
                 310: first guide roller 
               
               
                   
                 320: second guide roller 
                 311, 321: protrusion 
               
               
                   
                 400: cam roller 
                 401: cam portion 
               
               
                   
                 500: power transmission unit 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Below, a safety device for an escalator according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     The safety device for the escalator according to the present invention is applicable to a type of machine in which a moving step  10  gets under a platform. In other words, the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention is applicable to an escalator, a moving sidewalk and the like automatic conveying mechanism. In this disclosure, for convenience of description, a person or a cart  30  is described by way of example, but the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention is applicable for safety of any object that moves from the moving step  10  toward the platform through the moving step  10  in the automatic conveying mechanism. Further, the person or the cart  30  disclosed in the present invention more specifically refers to the foot of the person or the wheel of the cart  30 . 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a standby mode of a safety device for an escalator,  FIG. 2  is a plan view of the safety device for the escalator,  FIG. 3  illustrates an operation mode of the safety device for the escalator, and  FIG. 4  illustrates a tilting mode of the safety device for the escalator. Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention is installed in a platform member  20  covering an upper surface of the moving step  10  getting under an end region of an escalator, and includes a tilting member  100  having a free end portion  110  extended from the platform member  20  toward the upper surface of the moving step  10  and a rotary end portion  120  rotatably coupled to a lower portion of the platform member  20 , a contact roller  200  installed in a region of the free end portion  110 , and a guide roller. 
     The platform member  20  is a generic term for a member installed at a point where the platform meets the moving step  10  in the platform in which an object on the moving step  10  stays after getting out of the moving step  10 . The safety device for the escalator according to the present invention is installed in the platform member  20  at an exit side where the moving step  10  gets under the platform, and the platform member  20  is also called a comb plate in a general industry site. The safety device for the escalator according to the present invention may be installed in such a comb plate. 
     The moving step  10  refers to a solid structure for automatically moving an object from one platform to the other platform of the escalator, as a part of the escalator or the moving walkway. The moving step  10  continuously moves from one platform to the other platform in the form of a plurality of foot-steps connected to each other forming a loop. The plurality of moving steps  10  are moved engaging with each other, and the moving step  10  includes grooves  11  recessed in the same direction as the moving direction and formed at regular intervals along a widthwise direction to make the moving steps  10  more precisely engage with each other and prevent an object from slipping over on the moving step  10 . 
     The tilting member  100  is installed under the platform member  20 , and includes the free end portion  110  extended from below the platform member  20  toward above the moving step  10 , and the rotary end portion  120  rotatably coupled to the lower portion of the platform member  20   
     The free end portion  110  is shaped inclining downward in a direction from the rotary end portion  120  toward the moving step  10 , or includes an inclined portion  111  formed at least inclining downward at an extended end region. The inclined portion  111  is to make an object on the moving step  10  more easily move above the free end portion  110  through the inclined portion  111  when the object comes into contact with the front end region of the free end portion  110  as the moving step  10  moves, so that the object on the moving step  10  can move above the free end portion  110  after contacting the front end of the free end portion  110  when the moving step  10  (to be described later) gets under the free end portion  110  due to such a shape of the free end portion  110   
     The rotary end portion  120  is installed under the platform member  20 , and the tilting member  100  is tiltable within a predetermined angle under the platform member  20  by coupling between a pin hole formed in one of the rotary end portion  120  and the platform member  20  and a rotary pin formed in the other one. Such a tiltable angle of the tilting member  100  is between a standby position where the end of the platform member  20  is in contact with the upper end of the tilting member  100  and an operation position where the bottom surface of the tilting member  100  is in contact with the top surface of the moving step  10 . Due to the tiltable angle, the end of the free end portion  110  is movable up and down as much as the tiltable angle. 
     The rotary end portion  120  is provided with a spring member  121  to maintain the tilting member  100  in the standby position. The spring member  121  applies elasticity to make the free end portion  110  be maintained in the standby position. The spring member  121  is provided as a rolled-up flat spring installed in the rotary pin and wound along the rotary pin, and has an end being in contact with a lower portion of the free end portion  110  and continuously pushing the free end portion  110  upward. 
     With this configuration, the free end portion  110  is movable between the standby position and the operation position, and maintained in the standby position by the spring member  121 . Therefore, when an object on the moving step  10  moves along the moving step  10  and comes into contact with the front end region of the free end portion  110  or pushes down the upper surface of the free end portion  110 , the moving step  10  downwardly moves with respect to the operation position due to the shape of the free end portion  110  or the inclined portion  111 . When such contact or action of the object disappears, the free end portion  110  returns to and is maintained in the standby position. 
     Like this, the free end portion  110  tilting and moving between the standby position and the operation position includes the contact roller  200  rotatable being in contact with the moving step  10 , and at least one guide roller rotatable by the contact of the contact roller  200  and having an upper surface partially exposed to the upper surface of the tilting member  100 . 
     The contact roller  200  is installed not to be exposed to the upper surface of the tilting member  100 . The contact roller  200  does not rotate in the standby mode, but rotates in an opposite direction to the moving direction of the moving step  10  while being in contact with the moving step  10  only in the operation mode. That is, the contact roller  200  rotates interworking with the moving step  10  by a force of moving the moving step  10 , and has a material or shape for friction high enough to convert the force of moving the moving step  10  into a rotational force when the contact roller  200  comes into contact with the moving step  10 . 
     The guide roller is formed to rotate by the rotation of the contact roller  200 . Because the contact roller  200  rotates in the opposite direction to the moving step  10  and the guide roller rotates by the rotation of the contact roller  200 , the guide roller rotates in the same direction as the moving step  10 . That is, the guide roller rotates in a direction that the moving step  10  gets under the platform member  20 . With the rotation of the guide roller, an object that comes into contact with the free end portion  110  moves toward the platform. 
     The guide roller is partially exposed through an upper surface or front end surface of the tilting member  100 , and therefore an object comes into contact with the exposed surface of the guide roller and moves in the rotating direction of the guide roller. 
     A plurality of guide rollers may be installed in the moving direction of the moving step  10 . In the drawings, a first guide roller  310  and the second guide roller  320  are provided. The first guide roller  310  is installed in the front end region of the free end portion  110  as it is partially inserted in the groove  11 , and the second guide roller  320  is installed as it is spaced apart at a predetermined distance from the first guide roller  310 . 
     The first guide roller  310  is installed in the front end region of the free end portion  110  and comes into direct contact with an object on the moving step  10  when the object does not move to the platform at an appropriate time, thereby moving the object above the free end portion  110 . The first guide roller  310  may be formed to be partially inserted in the groove  11  of the moving step  10  in the operation mode, thereby preventing foreign materials from being caught in a space caused by the groove  11 . The second guide roller  320  makes an object moved by the first guide roller  310  or an object being in contact with the upper portion of the second guide roller  320  be pushed toward the platform. As necessary, a plurality of guide rollers may be arranged at proper intervals. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a power transmission unit  500  for transmitting a rotational force of the contact roller  200  to the guide rollers. The power transmission unit  500  has the same axis as the rotational axis of the guide roller, and rotates in the opposite direction to the contact roller  200  while being in contact with the end of the contact roller  200 . Such a rotating direction of the power transmission unit  500  is the same as that of the guide roller. Although it is illustrated that the power transmission unit  500  is configured with a roller and a shaft, the configuration of the power transmission unit  500  is selectable among configurations for transmitting the rotational force of the contact roller  200  to the guide roller so that the guide roller can rotate in the opposite direction to the contact roller  200 . 
     The safety device for the escalator according to the present invention may include a cam roller  400  disposed between the contact roller  200  and the rotary end portion  120 , rotatable being in contact with the moving step  10 , having a non-circular cross-section, and periodically moving the tilting member  100  up and down. 
     The cam roller  400  is installed not to be exposed through the upper surface of the tilting member  100 , and has a cam portion  401  formed as a partial outer side of a circular roller radially protrudes. The cam roller  400  is installed at a position so that its portion where the cam portion  401  is not formed can be rotated by the moving step  10  while being in contact with the moving step  10  when the contact roller  200  comes into contact with the moving step  10 . That is, when a person, a cart  30  or the like object comes into contact with the front end or upper surface of the free end portion  110 , the free end portion  110  moves down and at this time the contact roller  200  rotates being in contact with the moving step  10 . At this time, the portion of the cam roller  400 , in which the cam portion  401  is not formed, also comes into contact with the moving step  10 . When the cam portion  401  of the cam roller  400  first comes into contact with the moving step  10  by the contact with the object, the contact roller  200  is not in contact with the moving step  10 . When the portion where the cam portion  401  is not formed comes into contact with the moving step  10  as the cam portion  401  of the cam roller  400  is rotated by the moving step  10 , the free end portion  110  moves down as much as the protruding height of the cam portion  401 , thereby making the contact roller  200  be in contact with the moving step  10 . 
     Due to the cam roller  400 , the free end portion  110  periodically moves up and down and enters the tilting mode, thereby having an effect on easily lifting up an object on the front end or upper surface of the free end portion  110  toward the platform. 
     With the foregoing configurations, the safety device for the escalator operates as follows. 
     In the standby mode, the free end portion  110  stands by being spaced apart from the moving step  10  by the spring member  121 . In this case, the contact roller  200  is spaced apart from the moving step  10 .  FIG. 1  illustrates the standby mode. 
     When a person or the cart  30  is moved by the moving step  10  and approaches the platform member  20 , the front end region of the person or the cart  30  comes into contact with the front end or upper surface of the free end portion  110 , and thus the free end portion  110  moves down to make the contact roller  200  and the cam roller  400  be in contact with the moving step  10  and switch over to the operation mode. In this case, when the free end portion  110  moves down with the cam portion  401  of the cam roller  400  facing downward, the cam portion  401  first comes into contact with the moving step  10  and therefore the contact roller  200  does not rotate. When the cam portion  401  rotates and then the portion where the cam portion  401  is not formed comes into contact with the moving step  10 , the contact roller  200  also comes into contact with the moving step  10 . This operation mode is illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     The contact roller  200  rotates in the opposite direction to the moving step  10 , and this rotation makes the guide rollers rotate in the moving direction of the moving step  10 , i.e., rotate in a direction from the moving step  10  toward the platform. Because the guide roller is partially exposed through the upper surface of the tilting member  100 , the person or the cart  30  is moved toward to the platform by the guide roller. 
     While the person or the cart  30  is moving, the cam roller  400  rotates and thus the cam portion  401  comes into contact with the moving step  10  again, thereby entering the tilting mode. Thus, the free end portion  110  of the tilting member  100  moves up. Such a tilting operation makes the person or the cart  30  more easily move toward the platform. That is, the person or the cart  30  is lifted up and pushed toward the platform by the tilting operation of the cam roller  400  and the moving step  10  even though the person or the cart  30  is heavy. This tilting mode is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     When the person or the cart  30  gets out of the free end portion  110 , the contact roller  200  or the cam roller  400  is separated from the moving step  10  and switches over again to the standby mode. 
     In other words, when the person or the cart  30  comes into contact with the free end portion  110  under the standby mode, the contact roller  200  or the cam roller  400  alternates between the operation mode and the tilting mode. When the person gets out of the free end portion  110 , the contact roller  200  or the cam roller  400  returns to the standby mode. By repetitive tilting operations, the object is easily lifted up from the moving step  10  and moved toward the platform while being more stably guided by the guide rollers. 
     Next, another embodiment of the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention will be described. 
     The tilting member  100  of the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention may include a balance weight  130  installed on the opposite side of the free end portion  110 . To make the free end portion  110  of the tilting member  100  reliably switch over between the standby mode and the operation mode or the tilting mode, the free end portion  110  needs to be always maintained in the standby mode by an elastic member. When the elasticity of the elastic member becomes weaker, the free end portion  110  may move down and make the contact roller  200  or the cam roller  400  be in continuous contact with the moving step  10 , thereby making noise or causing unnecessary wear. The balance weight  130  is formed to be heavier than the free end portion  110  on the opposite side of the free end portion  110 , so that the free end portion  110  can be stably maintained in the standby mode. Therefore, even though the elastic member is not properly working, the free end portion  110  can reliably switch over between the standby mode, the operation mode and the tilting mode. 
     The guide roller of the safety device for the escalator according to the present invention may include protrusions  311  and  321  protruding in a radial direction. The guide roller rotates in the opposite direction to the rotating direction of the contact roller  200  while being in contact with the contact roller  200 , thereby moving an object on the free end portion  110  toward the platform. The protrusions  311  and  321  radially protruding from the guide roller have an effect on increasing friction with an object or directly pushing the object. 
     The present invention is applicable to a safety device for an escalator.