# US 2014/0190790 A1 · Passenger conveyor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190790 A1 - Document ID: US20140190790A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/205,731 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-15 - Assignees: Kone Corporation - Inventors: Jinquan FAN; Antti PLATHIN; Yu WEI; Visa RAUTA; Yimin SHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190790A1 ## CPC - B66B 23/14: Guiding means for carrying surfaces - B66B 23/00: Component parts of escalators or moving walkways - B66B 27/00: Indicating operating conditions of escalators or moving walkways (of general application G08) - B66B 29/08: Means to facilitate passenger entry or exit (moving handrails B66B23/24) - B66B 31/006: {for conveying hand carts, e.g. shopping carts (hand carts per se B62B1/00, B62B3/00)} - 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 The invention relates to a passenger conveyor, comprising an endless conveyor track, a power means for moving said conveyor track, an entrance allowing passage to the conveyor track, an exit allowing passage away from the conveyor track, a balustrade beside the conveyor track, a guide element or guide elements, at the entrance and/or at the exit, on the floor at proximity of the end of the balustrade, forming an elongated lateral guide for an object rolling on the floor to/from the conveyor track, so as to guide the rolling object to/from the conveyor without contacting the balustrade. One or more of said guide elements comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation, which is adapted to output electromagnetic radiation to the entrance/exit zone of the passenger conveyor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A passenger conveyor, comprising an endless conveyor track, a power means for moving said conveyor track, an entrance allowing passage to the conveyor track, an exit allowing passage away from the conveyor track, a balustrade beside the conveyor track, a guide element or guide elements, at the entrance and/or at the exit, on the floor at proximity of the end of the balustrade, forming an elongated lateral guide for an object rolling on the floor to/from the conveyor track, so as to guide the rolling object to/from the conveyor without contacting the balustrade, a source of electromagnetic radiation or sources of electromagnetic radiation, which is/are adapted to output electromagnetic radiation to the entrance/exit zone of the passenger conveyor, wherein one or more of said guide elements comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation or sources of electromagnetic radiation, which source/sources of electromagnetic radiation is/are adapted to output electromagnetic radiation to the entrance/exit zone of the passenger conveyor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said guide element is at most 10 cm in height, preferably at most 5 cm in height, most preferably at most 35 mm in height. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation is a source of visible light configured to radiate visible light to the entrance/exit zone towards the passenger/object in the exit entrance/zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said light source is comprised in a guide element located in proximity of the exit of the passenger conveyor and radiates visible red light to the exit zone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said light source is comprised in a guide element located in proximity of the entrance of the passenger conveyor and radiates visible green or blue light to the entrance zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation forms a part of a proximity sensor, arranged to detect objects, such as passengers or rolling objects, moving in the entrance/exit zone. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation forms a part of a proximity sensor, arranged to detect objects, such as passengers or rolling objects moving in the entrance/exit zone, and the passenger conveyor is configured to set the speed of the conveyor track based on the detection, such as initiate start-up or wake-up from stand-by-mode if objects are detected within the entrance zone by the proximity sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the guide element is fixed on entrance plate of the passenger conveyor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the guide element comprises a body having an inside space accommodating components of the source of electromagnetic radiation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the body is made of polymer material, preferably elastomer, such as rubber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation is adapted to radiate electromagnetic waves through a member of the guide element that is opaque to visible light, preferably through the body or a window formed in the body, which body or window is opaque to visible light, and the electromagnetic waves have a wave length between 1 mm-1 m, the waves preferably being microwaves, preferably in the range 24.05 GHz-24.25 GHz, most preferably 24.125 GHz. ### Claim 12 A guide element for a passenger conveyor, to be installed at the entrance and/or exit of the passenger conveyor, on the floor at proximity of the end of balustrade, which is an elongated lateral guide for an object rolling on the floor to/from the conveyor, so as to guide the rolling objects to/from the conveyor without contacting the balustrade, wherein it comprises a source of electromagnetic waves, or a plurality of sources of electromagnetic waves. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12 wherein it comprises a hollow inside space for accommodating electrical components, and at least part of components of said source of electromagnetic waves are positioned in said hollow space. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein it comprises a channel for electric wiring, which channel leads into said hollow inside space. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein it comprises a bottom side adapted to be fixed on a fixed surface, the bottom side comprising said channel for electric wiring. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein said guide element is at most 10 cm in height, preferably at most 5 cm in height, most preferably at most 35 mm in height, and it comprises a guide surface which is elongated in lateral direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation is configured to radiate visible light, preferably red, green, or blue. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation forms a part of a proximity sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation is configured to radiate electromagnetic waves which have a wave length between 1 mm-1 m, the waves preferably being microwaves, preferably in the range 24.05 GHz-24.25 GHz, most preferably 24.125 GHz. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein it comprises a body of polymer material, preferably elastomer material. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein said source of electromagnetic radiation is adapted to radiate electromagnetic waves through a member of the guide element that is opaque to visible light, preferably through the body or a window formed in the body, which body or window is opaque to visible light, and the electromagnetic waves have a wave length between 1 mm-1 m, the waves preferably being microwaves, preferably in the range 24.05 GHz-24.25 GHz, most preferably 24.125 GHz. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) A guide element according to claim 12, wherein the guide element has a first, second and third guide surfaces which form together a sequence of guiding surfaces, and the first and third guide surface face away from each other symmetrically relative to the second guide surface.