AU670179B2 - Escalator handrail cleaner and feed device - Google Patents

Description

ESCALATOR HANDRAIL CLEANER AND FEED DEVICE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the art of cleaning and/or polishing escalator handrails and, more particularly to the art of cleaning and/or polishing such handrails whilst the handrails are moving.

BACKGROUND ART

U.S. Patent 3,946,853 to Ishida outlines the history of the art of escalator handrail cleaning and provides

apparatus for cleaning a moving escalator handrail or belt which comprises a generally C-cross section housing adapted to enclose the handrail and to apply a cleaner member to the surfaces of a handrail of an escalator.

This prior art arrangement suffers from perceived drawbacks including a requirement that it snap-fit onto the escalator handrail which can be dangerous in that the person applying the pressure for the purposes of making the snap-fit connection may perform this task by way of

applying considerable body weight in the direction of the moving handrail.

A further perceived problem is that the likely

operational position of the cleaner of U.S. 3,946,853 is at a base end portion of the escalator where the moving handrail feeds into the escalator housing. At this

location the cleaner may be inadvertently dislodged by pedestrian traffic utilising the escalator.

The cleaner may also be entirely forgotten with the inherent danger that should the cleaner dry out then significant friction may occur between the cleaner and the surface of the escalator handrail which could lead to damage of either the cleaner or the handrail and, in the worst scenario, to a fire hazard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages.

Throughout this specification, reference to an

escalator handrail cleaner is to be taken to encompass a device which is adapted to clean, polish or buff an

exterior surface of an escalator handrail. As to whether the cleaner performs a cleaning, polishing or buffing operation will be determined by the nature and construction of the cleaner member and/or the substance with which the cleaner member may be impregnated. Similar import is to be given to the corresponding terms "clean" and "cleaning".

Accordingly, in one broad form of the invention there is provided an escalator handrail cleaner for cleaning an escalator handrail whilst it is in motion; said escalator handrail cleaner having a body portion and a support portion, the body portion having first and second handrail engagers located so as to be diagonally opposed with respect to the line of travel of said handrail to which said escalator handrail cleaner is to be applied.

Preferably said support portion is adapted to hold said escalator handrail cleaner with respect to the handrail.

Preferably the cleaner further includes a face adapted to receive a cleaner member. Preferably said first and second handrail engagers and said support portion act to engage said handrail and support said cleaner member for relative movement between- said handrail and said cleaner member.

Preferably the escalator handrail cleaner further includes attachment means for a feed device whereby liquid cleansing agent can be communicated from said feed device to said cleaner member.

In one particular form said stem is between 30 and 50 cm in length.

The cleaner may include a raised rib extending along a central portion of said face aligned with the direction of movement of said escalator handrail.

Also, said face may be concave in the direction of travel of said escalator handrail.

In a further broad form of the invention there is provided a feed device for an escalator handrail cleaner including a cleaner member; said feed device comprising a feed device engager adapted to receive a feed outlet of a container containing cleaning fluid or the like therein so as to place the interior of said container in fluid

communication with said cleaner member.

Preferably the interconnection between said feed device engager and said container permits flow of air from

atmosphere through said feed outlet to the interior of said container.

Preferably said feed device engager houses a resilient closure member therein, said closure member adapted to define a feed regulating aperture interposed between the interior of said container and a conduit leading from said feed device engager to said cleaner member.

Preferably the size of said feed regulating aperture is varied according to the degree of insertion of a neck portion of said container into said engager.

In a particular preferred form said feed device engager comprises a bayonet housing adapted to releasably receive a feed container adaptor therein; said feed container adaptor adapted to screwably receive a threaded neck portion of said container.

Preferably said resilient closure member is housed within a feed chamber which presents a head of fluid for fluid communication to said cleaner member separated from the head of fluid in said container.

Preferably said head of said feed chamber is defined between upper and lower feed regulating apertures.

Preferably, said escalator handrail cleaner includes attachment means for a feed device whereby liquid cleansing agent can be communicated from said feed device to said cleaner member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an escalator handrail cleaner according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is a partial side view of the cleaner of

Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a section view taken along lines EE of

Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an end view of the cleaner of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a front view of the face portion of the cleaner of Fig. 1 prior to folding of the first and second handrail engagers,

Fig. 6A is a sectional view taken at line GG of Fig.

5,

Fig. 6B is a sectional view taken at line HH of Fig.

5,

Fig. 6C is a sectional view taken at line JJ of Fig.

5,

Fig. 7 is a side view of an escalator handrail

cleaner according to a second embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 8A is a sectional view taken at line AA of Fig.

7,

Fig. 8B is a sectional view taken at line BB of Fig.

7,

Fig. 8C is a sectional view taken at line CC of Fig.

7,

Fig. 9 is a feed device engager which can be

incorporated in the cleaner of Fig. 1 according to the second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 10 is a section view of the feed device engager of Fig. 7 in a closed position and

Fig. 11A is a top view of a closure member

incorporated in the feed device engager of Fig. 8 and

Fig. 11B is a side view of a closure member

incorporated in the feed device engager of Fig. 8.

The escalator handrail cleaner according to a first embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1 has a body portion 10 having a generally planar, rectangular face portion 11 adapted to receive a cleaner member 12

thereover.

Integral with the body portion 10 there is a support 13 which extends from a lower portion of face portion 11 and is generally in the shape of an elongate stem.

The body portion 10 has a first handrail engager 14 comprising a stub 15 extending from a top left portion of face portion 11 in an arc as illustrated so as to define a first handrail engagement space 16 between portions of the face portion 11 and the stub 15.

The body portion 10 has a second handrail engager 17 comprising a corresponding stub 18 extending from a lower right portion of face portion 11 formed in an arc so as to define second handrail engagement space 19 as illustrated in Fig. 1.

The escalator handrail cleaner is adapted to be placed with its face portion 11 urging cleaner member 12 against the outer surface of escalator handrail 20 with free end 21 of support 13 resting on surface 22 immediately in front of handrail 20.

The manner of engagement of the handrail cleaner 10 with handrail 20 takes advantage of the relationship between first handrail engager 14 and second handrail engager 17. The relationship is such that the engagers 14, 17 and more particularly respective engagement spaces 16, 19 are diagonally opposed with respect to the line of travel of handrail 20. This relationship and arrangement allows handrail cleaner 10 to be attached to handrail 20 by firstly twisting the cleaner 10 so that the handrail 20 is aligned along its line of travel with an engagement zone 23 defined between lines X, Y in Fig. 1 which is of a width approximately the same or slightly larger than the width W of handrail 20.

It will be appreciated that with this alignment, the support 13 of cleaner 10 will define an acute angle with respect to support 22 and/or with respect to the line of travel of handrail 20. Once the cleaner 10 in this

orientation has been brought sufficiently close to the surface of handrail 20 that engagement spaces 16, 19 align with the rounded edges 24 of handrail 20, the cleaner 10 can be twisted so that engagement zone 23 aligns with the line of travel of handrail 20 and support 13 also aligns with the line of travel of the handrail and would thus typically lie normal to the plane of support 22 with free end 21 resting on support 22. In this engaged position, face portion 11 of cleaner 10 urges cleaner member 12 against the outer surface of handrail 20 as the handrail passes in the direction of arrow Z in Fig. 1. Any friction between the two causes cleaner 10 to be urged in the direction of surface 22, which force is resisted by support 13.

Should cleaner 10 be or become misaligned in its operational position with respect to the line of travel of handrail 20, the movement will be an untwisting operation whereby cleaner 10 will adopt the alignment of engagement zone 23 with respect to the line of travel of the handrail 20 at which point engagement spaces 16, 19 will become disengaged from edges 24 of handrail 20 and cleaner 10 will become at least partially disengaged from handrail 20 whereby cleaner 10 will not be applied with working

pressure by face portion 11 against handrail 20.

Whilst in the case of the first embodiment the support 13 acts by resistance to compression it is possible for the support to act in other ways so as to achieve its function of maintaining the position of cleaner member 12 at a fixed reference relative to moving handrail 20. For example, free end 21 of support 13 can be anchored to the escalator structure itself and so as to resist tension rather than compression. In one particular alternative form free end 21 can be slidably attached to handrail 20 at a point arcuately separated from the point of attachment of face portion 11. This form of arrangement relies for its resistance to movement on resistance to deformation of support 13 about its longitudinal axis.

Cleaner member 12 can comprise cloth, sponge or any other known cleaning or buffing material. The cleaner member could include one or more layers of one or more of such materials.

In one particular form of the invention the cleaner member 12 is adapted to receive and become impregnated with a cleaning fluid for graduated and progressive application to the surface of handrail 20. The manner of provision of a feed device is described further in this specification in relation to a second embodiment of the cleaner.

The partial side view of Fig. 2 shows that face portion 11 is concave along the line of travel of handrail 20.

This shape maintains the efficiency of application of cleaner member 12 to the handrail 20 over a range of arcs followed by escalator handrails which may be encountered for cleaning of the type of handrail 20.

As can be seen in Fig. 3, the engager 14 extending from face portion 11 has a raised rib 25 running down the centre of face portion 11 in alignment with the line of travel of handrail 20. The central location of raised rib 25 is best seen in Fig. 4.

The relative lengths of stubs 15, 18 (in "unfolded" condition) relative to the width of face portion 11 is shown in Fig. 5.

Figs. 6A, 6B, 6C show sections as indicated through the face portion 11 of the escalator handrail cleaner.

The cleaner 30 of the second embodiment as shown in Fig. 7 includes components numbered in respect of the first embodiment cleaner of Fig. 1 where these components are the same. The cleaner 30 additionally includes a feed device engager 31 attached to a top centre portion of face portion 11.

Figs. 8A to 8C show cross sections as indicated through the feed device engager 31 of Fig. 7.

With reference to Figs. 7 and 9 in particular, the feed device engager 31 of cleaner 30 comprises a bayonet housing 32 comprising an arcuate wall and defining a cylindrical cavity 33 therein. At least one portion of the wall includes an L-shaped cut out 34 as best seen in Fig. 8C.

The feed device engager 31 additionally includes a feed container adapter 35 (as seen in Figs. 9 and 10) which includes an internal thread adapted to rotatably receive and engage the threaded neck portion of a feed container 36 containing cleaning fluid. The feed container adaptor 35 includes a spigot 37 extending from a lower portion. The spigot 37 is adapted to slide within the L-shaped cut-out 34 as and when adaptor 35 is inserted into cylindrical cavity 33 of bayonet housing 32. It will be observed that adaptor 35 is locked against axial withdrawal from housing 32 when adaptor 35 is rotated so that spigot 37 is engaged in the foot of L-shaped cut-out 34. It will be further observed that anticlockwise rotation (viewed from the top) is required of adaptor 35 to cause this engagement.

The thread within adaptor 35 and on the neck of feed container 36 is such that anticlockwise rotation (viewed from above) of container 36 with respect to adaptor 35 causes container 36 to move axially away from closure member 38 located between the neck of container 36 and an inside base portion of adaptor 35.

Closure member 38 is made from a resilient elastomeric material and is shaped as illustrated in Figs. 11A and 11B.

The closure member 38 includes an arcuate top surface 41 and an arcuate bottom surface 42 which define

respectively feed regulating apertures 43, 44 between the lip of feed container 36 and the inside base portion of feed container adaptor 35 as best seen in Fig. 9.

The apertures 43, 44 are caused to close as container 36 is rotated in a clockwise direction whereby the flow of fluid from within feed chamber 45 through to conduit 39 is progressively reduced. In the limit, the apertures 43, 44 are entirely closed as illustrated in Fig. 10.

As fluid is taken from the interior of container 36 air from atmosphere is permitted to flow through the screwed connection between container 36 and feed container adaptor 35 along interface 46.

This arrangement permits flow of cleaning and/or buffing fluid from container 36 through conduit 39 to cleaning member 12 to be regulated by a user by relative graduated rotation of container 36 with respect to feed container adaptor 35.

It will be observed that feed chamber 45 effectively defines a chamber of height equal to the distance between the lip of feed container 36 and the inside base portion of feed container adaptor 35. The connection to atmosphere of interface 46 renders the head of fluid within feed chamber 45 independent from the head of fluid within container 36. This characteristic is relied upon by feed device engager 31 to reduce the sensitivity of fluid flow through conduit 39 to variations in the head of fluid within container 36.

When feed container 36 is caused to rotate clockwise (when viewed from the top) axiallγ compressive force is applied to closure member 38 so that it adopts a sealing position as shown in Fig. 10 whereby fluid within container 36 is sealed by closure member 38 against entry into conduit 39 within spigot 37. Conversely anticlockwise rotation relieves axial pressure on closure member 38 allowing it to take the shape illustrated in Fig. 9 whereby cleaning fluid can communicate with conduit 39 from the interior of container 36.

Because rotation is required of container 36 engaged in adaptor 35 in order to disengage spigot 37 of adaptor 35 from the foot of L-shaped cut-out 34 and hence permit axial withdrawal of container 36 and feed container adaptor 35 from bayonet housing 32 of the feed device engager 31 it follows that the clockwise urging of that container 36 also forces closure member 38 to a closed condition such that spigot 39 will be sealed prior to withdrawal of the

container and adaptor combination thereby reducing the possibility of leakage of cleaning fluid during such a withdrawal operation.

In use conduit 39 of spigot 37 is placed in fluid engagement with cleaner member 12 with the rate of fluid flow being adjustable by incremental rotational movement of container 36 within feed container adaptor 35.

The handrail cleaner 10 of the first embodiment and also the handrail cleaner 30 according to the second embodiment of the invention can be manufactured from a suitably resilient and stiff material such as plastics, wood, metal or fibreglass. A particularly preferred method of manufacture where plastics materials are used is

injection moulding.

The bayonet housing 32 includes interference lugs 40 which allowed customised fitting of feed container adaptor 35 if the injection moulding process causes the bayonet housing 32 to be out of round.

In the case where the cleaner is moulded for example from aluminium it is possible to incorporate the structure of feed container adaptor 35 into the feed device engager 31 thereby reducing the number of separate components comprising the cleaner.

The above describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The escalator handrail cleaner can be applied to the cleaning, polishing or buffing of escalator handrails as typically to be found in shopping centres and the like.

Claims (17)

1. An escalator handrail cleaner for cleaning an escalator handrail whilst it is in motion; said escalator handrail cleaner having a body portion and a support portion, the body portion having first and second handrail engagers located so as to be diagonally opposed with respect to the line of travel of said handrail to which said escalator handrail cleaner is to be applied.

2 . The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said support portion being adapted to hold said escalator handrail cleaner with respect to the handrail.

3. The cleaner of claim 1 further including a face adapted to receive a cleaner member.

4. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said first and second handrail engagers and said support portion act to engage said handrail and support said cleaner member for relative movement between said handrail and said cleaner member.

5. An escalator handrail cleaner according to claim 1 and further including attachment means for a feed device whereby liquid cleansing agent can be communicated from said feed device to said cleaner member.

6. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said first and second handrail engagers comprise arcuate stubs extending from diagonally opposed edge portions of said face so as to define handrail engagement spaces therebetween.

7. The cleaner of claim 1 wherein said support portion comprises an elongate stem extending from a base edge portion of said body portion.

8. The cleaner of claim 7 wherein said stem is between 30 and 50 cm in length.

9. The cleaner of claim 3 further including a raised rib extending along a central portion of said face aligned with the direction of movement of said escalator handrail.

10. The cleaner of claim 3 wherein said face is concave in the direction of travel of said escalator handrail.

11. A feed device for an escalator handrail cleaner

including a cleaner member; said feed device comprising a feed device engager adapted to receive a feed outlet of a container containing cleaning fluid or the like therein so as to place the interior of said container in fluid

communication with said cleaner member.

12. The feed device of claim 11 wherein the interconnection between said feed device engager and said container permits flow of air from atmosphere through said feed outlet to the interior of said container.

13. The feed device of claim 11 wherein said feed device engager houses a resilient closure member therein, said closure member adapted to define a feed regulating aperture interposed between the interior of said container and a conduit leading from said feed device engager to said cleaner member.

14. The feed device of claim 13 wherein the size of said feed regulating aperture is varied according to the degree of insertion of a neck portion of said container into said engager.

15. The feed device of claim 11 wherein said feed device engager comprises a bayonet housing adapted to releasably receive a feed container adaptor therein; said feed container adaptor adapted to screwably receive the threaded neck portion of said container.

16. The feed device of claim 13 wherein said resilient closure member is housed within a feed chamber which presents a head of fluid for fluid communication to said cleaner member separated from the head of fluid in said container.

17. The feed device of claim 16 wherein said head of said feed chamber is defined between upper and lower feed regulating apertures.