TITLE OF THE INVENTION
PASSENGER CONVEYER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a passenger conveyer such as an escalator and a motor driven moving walk and in particular, relates to a passenger conveyer with a devised frame body structure.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
From the past, in order to lighten weight of a frame body of a passenger conveyer, and to enhance the production efficiency thereof by reducing the number of the welding works, such a frame body has been disclosed in JP(U)-A-50-30498 in which an upper side portion and a lower side portion are constituted by bending an upper portion and a lower portion of a steel plate and a side face portion is formed between these upper and lower side portions, and a plurality of triangular shaped holes are formed by punching the side face portion so as to constitute a truss shaped side frame body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
#
In JP(U)-A-50-30498 in the above, the frame body
is constituted by coupling a pair of right and left side face portions with lateral beams respectively at the intermediate portions and the lower end portions in its height direction thereof. However, when it is intended to further lighten the weight thereof by thinning the steel plate, the rigidity of the steel plate above the lateral beams coupled to the intermediate portions thereof is reduced. Accordingly, if a balustrade member is disposed there in upright, a new problem is feared to arise that the balustrade member including the steel plate is caused to deform easily and to swing laterally because of the forces such as when a passenger leans to and pulls the balustrade member.
An object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyer that permits not only to enhance the productivity of the frame body but also to maintain the rigidity of the balustrade member even when the weight thereof is lightened.
Features of the present invention that achieve the above object are that a side face portion of the passenger conveyer is formed by a steel plate, an upper side portion and a lower side portion thereof are constituted by bending an upper portion and a lower portion of the steel plate as well as vertical face portions and diagonal face portions are formed between
the upper side portion and the lower side portion by punching triangular shaped holes through the side face portion, a reinforcing member of a formed section is superposed on each of the vertical face portions and is fixed thereto, and the reinforcing members fixed to the vertical face portions in right and left side frame bodies are coupled by respective lateral beams.
Since the reinforcing members are superposed on the respective vertical face portions of the side frame bodies formed of a steel plate and fixed thereto, and the same are coupled by the lateral beams as indicated in the above, even when the steel plate is thinned, the rigidity thereof is reinforced by the reinforcing members. Therefore, even when balustrade members are disposed in upright manner on the upper portion of the side frame bodies, such as deformation and lateral swing of the balustrade members can be prevented. Further, since the side frame body itself can be formed without using any welding as well as since the vertical face portions of the side frame bodies and the reinforcing members are fixed by such as bolt and nut and riveting without using welding, the welding work for the side frame bodies can be omitted or reduced, thereby, the productivity enhancement of the frame body can be maintained.
EFFECT OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, not only the productivity of a frame body of a passenger conveyer is enhanced, but also the rigidity of a balustrade member of a passenger conveyer can be maintained even when the weight thereof is lightened.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig.l is a schematic side view of an escalator representing an embodiment of a passenger conveyer according to the present invention.
Fig.2 is an enlarged and vertically cross sectioned view taken along line A-A in Fig.l.
Fig. 3 is a side view taken along line B-B in Fig. 2.
Fig.4 is a view showing a modified example of a side frame body in Fig.2
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Herein below, a passenger conveyer according to the present invention will be explained based on an example of an escalator as shown in Fig.l~Fig.3.
An escalator 1 according to the present embodiment includes a frame body 4 disposed between an up stair floor 2 and a down stair floor 3 in a building structure, getting on and off floors 5A and 5B disposed on both
ends in longitudinal direction of the frame body 4, steps 7 including step plates for getting on and off of passengers that are coupled endlessly between the getting on and off floors 5A and 5B by a step chain 6 so as to be moved cyclically, a driving machine 9 for driving the step chain 6 and balustrade members 10 disposed in upright along the moving direction of the steps 7.
The frame body 4 includes a pair of right and left side frame bodies 11A and 11B and a plurality of lateral beams 12A and 12B that couple respective intermediate portions and respective lower portions in height direction of these side frame bodies 11A and 11B each other. Each of these side frame bodies 11A and 11B is constituted from an upper side portion 11a in L shaped cross section constituting an upper chord portion, a lower side portion 11b in L shaped cross section constituting a lower chord portion and a side face portion 11c between these upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b that are formed by bending a thin steel plate in an inverted C shape in cross section. On each of the side face portions, a plurality of rectangular shaped holes 13 of which directions are alternatively varied are formed by punching by a press or by fusion cutting along the longitudinal direction of the side frame
bodies 11A and 11B. Thereby, vertical face portions 14 and diagonal face portions 15 are formed between the upper chord portion and the lower chord portion of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B to constitute the side frame bodies 11A and 11B in a truss structure.
On the vertical face portion 14' formed in the side face portion 11c, a reinforcing member 16 having height in size matching to the inner slope size H between the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b is superposed, and is fixed to the upper side portion 11a and the side face portion 11c by means of fastening means such as bolt and nut. The lower end of the reinforcing member 16 is fixed to the lower side portion 11b by fixing the same to the lateral beam 12B connecting the respective lower side portions 11b in the side frame bodied 11A and 11B at both sides with such as bolt and nut and riveting. In other words, the lower end of the reinforcing member 16 is fixed to the lower side portion 11b via a separate member such as the lateral beam 12B. Herein, although the lateral beam 12B serving as a constitutional member of the frame body 14 is used as the separate member, it is acceptable to prepare a dedicated connecting piece and to connect the same without using the lateral beam 12B.
In the like manner, the respective intermediate
portions in height direction of the reinforcing members 16 fixed to the respective side frame bodies 11A and 11B are connected by the lateral beam 12A.
The reinforcing member 16 is a formed section in which portions contacting to respective members are formed by bending, and by making use of the bent portion a supporting bracket with supporting seats is formed so as to support constitutional parts in the escalator. In the present embodiment, with the supporting bracket such as a guide rail GR is supported on which running wheels 7W axially supported by the step 7 run, and a skirt guard SG and an oil pan OP disposed at the bottom representing other parts are further supported.
Further, on the diagonal face portion 15 formed in the side face portion 11c, in order to enhance the rigidity of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B, another reinforcing member 17 constituted from a formed section is superposed and fixed thereto like the reinforcing member 16 depending on necessity.
On one hand, the balustrade member 10 is constituted in such a manner that on the upper portions of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B of which rigidity has been ensured by fixing such as the reinforcing members 16 and 17, balustrade panels 20A and 20B are disposed in upright via brackets 19A and 19B, and moving
handrails 21A and 21B that are driven in synchronism with the steps 7 are guided along the circumferential edges of the balustrade panels 20A and 20B.
As has been explained above, according to the present embodiment, even when the side frame bodies 11A and 11B in a truss structure are formed by thinning a steel plate so as to lighten the weight thereof, since the rigidity of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B is ensured by such as the reinforcing members 16 and 17, the side frame bodies 11A and 11B are prevented from being deformed or swung easily by such as the weight of the balustrade member 10 and when a passenger leans to and pulls the balustrade member 10, and a safe balustrade member 10 for passengers can be provided.
Further, since the side frame bodies 11A and 11B are formed in a truss structure by punching the holes 13 through a steel plate, the welding work is unnecessitated, accordingly, the productivity of the frame body 4 is of course enhanced.
Now, the triangular shaped holes 13 are formed away from the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b and the respective angled portions thereof are formed in a circular arc shape so as to constitute the upper and lower chord portions for the side frame bodies 11A and 11B.
After the respective angled portions of the triangular shaped holes 13 are formed in a circular arc shape, such as the reinforcing members 16 and 17 are fixed to the vertical face portion 14 and the diagonal face portion 15 at the one side of the upper chord portion of L shaped cross section including the circular arc shape and at the one side of the lower chord portion of L shaped cross section including the circular arc shape with such as bolt and nut and riveting. Accordingly, since a broad area for forming such as bolt holes and rivet holes can be ensured, reduction in mechanical strength of the fixing portions of the reinforcing members 16 and 17 can be prevented, and the rigidity thereof can be enhanced. Namely, if the angled portions of the holes are not formed in a circular arc shape, an area sandwiched between angled portions of mutually adjacent holes 13 is narrowed as indicated by two dotted chain lines in Fig. 3. As a result, since such as these bolt holes and rivet holes used for fastening come close to the holes 13, the mechanical strength of the side face portion 11c are caused to be reduced, therefore, even when the reinforcing members 16 and 17 are fixed, it is feared that a necessary rigidity may not be obtained.
Provided that when the width sizes W1 and W2 of
such as the vertical face portion 14 and the diagonal face portion 15 are widened, the reduction of the mechanical strength can be eliminated. However, when the width sizes W1 and W2 of such as the vertical face portion 14 and the diagonal face portion 15 are widened over the entire length of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B, the weight of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B increases, which is contrary to the lightening of weight and is not advantageous.
Further, in the present embodiment, although on the vertical face portion 14 formed in the side face portion 11c, the reinforced member 16 having height in size matching to the inner slope size H between the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b is superposed, and is fixed thereto, it is possible that the reinforcing member 16 cannot be fit within the inner slope size H between the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b of the side frame bodies 11A and 11B due to such as production error and assembly error. For meeting to such instance, the reinforcing member 16 can be formed as in a modified example as shown in Fig.4.
Namely, in Fig. 4, after shortening the height size of the reinforcing member 16 below the inner slope size H between the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b of the side frame body 11A (11B) , the reinforcing member
16 of the shortened height size is butted and fixed to the upper side portion 11a and the side face portion 11c so as to form a gap g between the lower side portion 11b and the lower end of the reinforcing member 16. Thereafter, the lower end of the reinforcing member 16 is fixed to the lower side portion 11b via the lateral beam 12B that positions at the lower portion.
When constituting the reinforcing member 16 in the above manner, the reinforcing member 16 can be fitted easily within the inner slope size H between the upper and lower side portions 11a and 11b.
In the above explanation, although an example of a frame body for an escalator as a representative of a passenger conveyer was explained, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to a frame body for a horizontally installed type motor driven moving walk and that for an inclinedly installed type motor driven moving walk.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS
1. A passenger conveyer provided with a frame body-installed in a building structure, steps that are disposed in the frame body and are coupled endlessly, balustrades that are disposed in upright on the frame body along both sides of the steps in the moving direction thereof and a moving handrail that is guided along the circumferential periphery of the balustrade and is driven in synchronism with the steps, wherein the frame body includes right and left side frame bodies and the right and left side frame bodies are supported by a plurality of lateral beams,
characterized in that a side face portion of the side frame body is formed by a steel plate, and an upper side portion and a lower side portion thereof are formed by bending an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the steel plate as well as vertical face portions and diagonal face portions are formed between the upper side portion and the lower side portion by punching triangular shaped holes through the side face portion, a reinforcing member of a formed section is superposed on each of the vertical face portions and is fixed thereto, and the reinforcing members fixed to the vertical face portions in right and left side frame bodies are coupled by the respective lateral beams.
2. A passenger conveyer according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member is formed shorter than the interval between the upper side portion and the lower side portion, the reinforcing member is superposed on the upper side portion and the side face portion of the side frame body and fixed thereto and the lower end of the reinforcing member is connected to the lower side portion via a separate member.
3. A passenger conveyer according to claim 1, characterized in that on the opposing faces of the reinforcing members fixed to the vertical face portions of the right and left side frame bodies, a supporting seat for a constitutional part constituting the passenger conveyer is formed.
4. A passenger conveyer according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member is superposed respectively on the upper side portion, the lower side portion and the side face portion of the side frame body and is fixed thereto.
5. A passenger conveyer according to claim 1, characterized in that the reinforcing member is superposed respectively on the upper side portion and the side face portion of the side frame body and is fixed thereto as well as is fixed to the lower side portion of the side frame body via a separate member.
6. A passenger conveyer according to claim 1, characterized in that to the lower side portion of the side frame body the lateral beam is connected, the reinforcing member is superposed respectively on the upper side portion and the side face portion of the side frame body and is fixed thereto as well as the lower end of the reinforcing member is fixed to the lateral beam that is connected to the lower side portion of the side frame body.
7. A passenger conveyer according to any one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that the reinforcing member of a formed section is superposed on the diagonal face portion of the side frame body and is fixed thereto.
8. A passenger conveyer according to any one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that an angled potion of the triangular shaped holes formed through the side face portion is formed in circular arc shape.
9. A passenger conveyer according to claim 8, characterized in that a plurality of triangular shape holes of which angled portion is formed in circular arc shape are formed through the side face portion, and the reinforcing member is fixed on the vertical face portion formed between the adjacent triangular shaped holes.
10. A passenger conveyer according to claim 8,
characterized in that a plurality of triangular shape holes of which angled portion is formed in circular arc shape are formed through the side face portion, and the reinforcing member is fixed on the vertical face portion and the diagonal face portion formed between the adjacent triangular shaped holes.
11. A passenger conveyer provided with a frame body installed in a building structure, steps that are disposed in the frame body and are coupled endlessly substantially as herein described with reference to accompanying drawings and example.