US 7,614,490 B2
Passenger conveyor handrail having a gripping surface with a generally circular cross-section
John M. Milton-Benoit, West Suffield, Conn. (US); Mary Ann T. Valk, Glastonbury, Conn. (US); Bryan R. Siewert, Westbrook, Conn. (US); Andre Picker, Stadthagen (Germany); Matthias Steffen, Kirchbrak (Germany); Andreas Stuffel, Bueckeburg (Germany); Klaus Seehausen, Niedernwoehren (Germany); and Knuth Wallbaum, Bochum (Germany)
Assigned to Otis Elevator Company, Farmington, Conn. (US)
Appl. No. 12/90,489
PCT Filed Nov. 14, 2005, PCT No. PCT/US2005/040797
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Apr. 17, 2008,
PCT Pub. No. WO2007/055693, PCT Pub. Date May 18, 2007.
Prior Publication US 2008/0202890 A1, Aug. 28, 2008
Int. Cl. B66B 23/24 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 198—337  [198/335] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A passenger conveyor handrail, comprising:
a gripping surface having a generally circular cross section that is curvilinear along the entire gripping surface wherein the gripping surface is undulating along a length of the handrail such that the circular cross section has a first dimension at a first location along the length and a second, larger dimension at a second location along the length; and
a driven surface having a plurality of teeth adapted to be engaged by a driving member to propel the handrail in a selected direction.