Racetrack style passenger conveyor
AssigneeOtis Elevator Company
InventorsRichard Fargo, Frank Sansevero, Rob Hammell, David Jarvis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A passenger conveyor system is arranged along a path in a racetrack fashion. Drive members associated with lateral edges of each pallet step surface move with the pallets through straight sections of the path to avoid relative movement between the pallets and adjacent structure. During turnaround sections, where the pallets are beneath a floor surface, the drive members move relative to each other, with one set of drive members becoming temporarily disconnected from each other, to permit the pallets to make a transition and a turnaround. In the illustrated example, a drive mechanism cooperates with at least one set of the drive members to transmit a motive force to propel the pallets along the path.
Claims19
A passenger conveyor system, comprising:
- a plurality of pallets each having a step surface that is adapted to support at least one foot of at least one passenger with a first lateral edge on one side of the step surface and a second lateral edge on an opposite side of the step surface, the pallets traveling along a continuous path that includes two parallel, passenger supporting, straight sections moving in different directions and a turnaround section at each end of the straight sections;
- a plurality of first drive members associated with the first lateral edges of the pallets, the first drive members being connected together and movable relative to each other as the pallets travel along the turnaround sections;
- and
- a plurality of second drive members associated with the second lateral edges of the pallets, the second drive members including a releasable connection between adjacent second drive members that is operative to maintain adjacent second drive members together as the corresponding pallets travel along the straight sections and to release adjacent second drive members from each other when the corresponding pallets travel along the turnaround sections.
A passenger conveyor system, comprising:
- a plurality of pallets each having a step surface that is adapted to support at least one foot of at least one person;
- a guide structure that guides the pallets along a selected path including two passenger supporting straight sections moving in different directions and turnaround sections connecting the ends of the straight sections;
- a plurality of first drive members associated with one side of the pallet step surfaces such that the first drive members move with the pallets along the path;
- a plurality of second drive members associated with an opposite side of the pallet step surfaces such that the second drive members move with the pallets along the path;
- and
- a drive mechanism that engages at least the plurality of first drive members to provide a motive force to propel the pallets in both directions along the path, including a guide track that guides the pallets, the track having a first straight section along which the pallets travel in a first direction and a second straight section parallel to the first straight section along which the pallets travel in a second, opposite direction, the track having a turnaround section at each end of the straight sections which completes the path along which the pallets travel, the first drive members remaining connected together along the entire path, the second drive members being connected together along the straight sections and disconnected along the turnaround sections.
A passenger conveyor system, comprising,
- a plurality of pallets each having a step surface that is adapted to support at least one foot of at least one person;
- a guide structure that guides the pallets along a selected path including two passenger supporting straight sections moving in different directions and turnaround sections connecting the ends of the straight sections;
- a plurality of first drive members associated with one side of the pallet step surfaces such that the first drive members move with the pallets along the path;
- a plurality of second drive members associated with an opposite side of the pallet step surfaces such that the second drive members move with the pallets along the path;
- and
- a drive mechanism that engages at least the plurality of first drive members to provide a motive force to propel the pallets in both directions along the path wherein the plurality of first drive members move relative to the pallets along the turnaround sections and remain stationary relative to the pallets along the straight sections and wherein the plurality of second drive members are disconnected from each other along the turnaround sections.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.