The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 07, 2002
Filed:
Oct. 25, 2000
Masaaki Hirai, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshio Ogimura, Saitama-ken, JP;
Kazuhisa Hara, Tokyo, JP;
Takayuki Kikuchi, Saitama-ken, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A passenger conveyer apparatus including a plurality of steps connected to each other in an endless loop, traveling on a forward path, a backward path and a pair of turning paths connecting between opposite ends of the forward path and the backward path. Each of the steps comprising a step tread and first and second guide rollers offset from each other in the traveling direction of the steps. The apparatus also includes a forward rail configured to guide the first and the second guide rollers in the forward path, a backward rail configured to guide the first and the second guide rollers in the backward path, and a pair of turning rails having a curving rail formed in an arc, configured to guide the second guide roller in the turning paths. At least one of the turning rails is formed in a manner such that a line segment drawn between an orbital center of a corresponding curving rail and a first center of the first guide roller makes an acute angle with a line segment drawn between the orbital center and a second center of the second guide roller, and a loci made by respective turning motions of front and rear edges of the step tread cross each other.