# US 10,865,074 B2 · Handrail automatically tensioning system and a method for adjusting tension level of handrail > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,865,074 B2 - Document ID: US10865074B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/573,042 - Filed: 2019-09-17 - Published: 2020-03-19 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-19 - Assignees: Otis Elevator Company - Applicants: Otis Elevator Company - Inventors: QingXi Cai; JianGuo Li; Xin Wei; Jie Hu; LiFei Cheng; ZuAn Tang; Jun Ma - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865074B2 ## CPC - B66B 23/20: for handrails - B66B 21/02: Escalators - B66B 23/24: Handrails (driving gear therefor B66B23/02; tensioning means therefor B66B23/16; preventing jamming thereof by foreign objects B66B29/04; accessories therefor B66B31/02) - B66B 25/003: {Methods or algorithms therefor} - B66B 25/006: {Monitoring for maintenance or repair (for security reasons B66B29/005)} - B66B 31/02: for handrails - B66B: ELEVATORS; ESCALATORS OR MOVING WALKWAYS ({apparatus for raising or lowering persons on theatrical stages or the like A63J5/12} ; funicular railbound systems with rigid ground-supported tracks and cable traction, e.g. cliff railways, B61B9/00; arrangements of ammunition handlers in vessels B63G3/00; hoists, lifts, or conveyors for loading or unloading in general B65G; braking or detent devices controlling normal movements of winding drums or barrels B66D; ship-lifting devices E02C; garages for many vehicles with mechanical means for lifting vehicles E04H6/12; hoists for feeding ammunition or projectiles to launching apparatus or to loading mechanisms F41A9/00) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) 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. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An escalator system comprising a handrail, further comprising the automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The automatic handrail tensioning system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor for detecting temperature information of the handrail. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) 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. ### Claim 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 adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction; wherein determining the tension degree information includes quantitatively determining quantitative tension degree information of the handrail according to the detected information; wherein generating the corresponding control instruction includes generating the corresponding control instruction for quantitatively adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the quantitative tension degree information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the detected information comprises a pressure value corresponding to a tension of the handrail. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein determining the tension degree information includes: 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. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the detected information comprises temperature information of the handrail; wherein determining the tension degree information includes determining 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. ### Claim 20 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 adjusting the tension degree of the handrail based on the tension degree information; and driving a tensioning device to adjust the tension degree of the handrail based on the control instruction; wherein the detected information comprises spacing information between the handrail and a handrail guideway; wherein determining the tension degree information includes determining 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.