Drive belt montoring for passenger conveyors

1. A drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) for a passenger conveyor ( 10 ) having a drive belt ( 30 ) having at least one cord ( 36 ) extending longitudinally within the drive belt ( 30 ),

wherein the monitoring system ( 50 ) comprises:

a first sensor ( 52 ) configured to measure the pretension of the drive belt ( 30 );

a second sensor ( 54 ) configured to determine a passenger load on the drive belt ( 30 );

a third sensor ( 56 ) configured to determine the resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 ); and

a controller ( 60 ) configured to evaluate a condition of the drive belt ( 30 ) based on: the measured pretension of the drive belt ( 30 ), the determined passenger load of the drive belt ( 30 ), and the determined resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 ).

2. The drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor ( 52 ) is a force sensor.

3. The drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensor ( 54 ) is a torque sensor.

4. The drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the third sensor ( 56 ) is configured to measure disturbances in the air surrounding the drive belt ( 30 ) due to vibration of the drive belt ( 30 ).

5. The drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a control station ( 62 ) and/or at least one user device ( 64 ), and

wherein the controller ( 60 ) is configured to transmit the condition of the drive belt ( 30 ) to the control station ( 62 ) and/or the at least one user device ( 64 ).

6. A passenger conveyor ( 10 ) comprising:

a transportation band ( 12 ) for conveying passengers between a first landing region ( 2 ) and a second landing region ( 4 ),

at least one drive belt ( 30 ) on which the transportation band ( 12 ) is mounted, the drive belt ( 30 ) being driven by at least one drive motor ( 46 ); and

a drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ) according to claim 1 .

7. The passenger conveyor ( 10 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the first sensor ( 52 ) is provided at a tension carriage ( 40 ) of the drive belt ( 30 ).

8. The passenger conveyor ( 10 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the second sensor ( 54 ) is provided:

at a main drive shaft ( 44 ) of the passenger conveyor ( 10 ) for measuring the torque on the main drive shaft ( 44 ), or

at the at least one drive motor ( 46 ) of the passenger conveyor ( 10 ) for measuring the power consumption of the at least one drive motor ( 46 ).

9. The passenger conveyor ( 10 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the third sensor ( 56 ) is provided adjacent to the drive belt ( 30 ) along a conveyance path ( 8 ) of the drive belt ( 30 ).

10. The passenger conveyor ( 10 ) according to claim 6 , comprising a plurality of drive belts ( 30 ), wherein each drive belt ( 30 ) is provided with a respective drive belt monitoring system ( 50 ).

11. A method ( 100 ) for monitoring a drive belt ( 30 ) of a passenger conveyor ( 10 ), the method comprising:

measuring a pretension of the drive belt ( 30 );

determining a passenger load on the drive belt ( 30 );

determining a resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 );

evaluating a condition of the drive belt ( 30 ) based on: the measured pretension of the drive belt ( 30 ), the determined passenger load, and the determined resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 ).

12. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 11 , wherein determining the resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 ) comprises measuring disturbances in the air surrounding the drive belt ( 30 ) due to vibration of the drive belt ( 30 ).

13. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 11 , wherein determining the passenger load on the drive belt ( 30 ) comprises:

determining the torque in a main drive shaft ( 44 ) of the passenger conveyor, or

measuring the power consumption of at least one drive motor ( 46 ) of the passenger conveyor.

14. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 11 , wherein determining the resonance frequency of the drive belt ( 30 ) comprises comparing a current resonance frequency with historical resonance frequency data.

15. The method ( 100 ) according to claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting the evaluated condition of the drive belt ( 30 ) to a control station ( 62 ) and/or a user device ( 64 ).

16. The drive belt monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of conveyance elements are directly mounted on the drive belt.