In a handrail including a carcass, a stretch inhibitor within the carcass, and a sliding layer bonded to the carcass, at least a portion of the carcass has a gas phase dispersed in a solid polymer matrix. The gas phase can reduce a density of the carcass by at least 5% or 10%, or about 15%, as compared to a density of the polymer matrix. The carcass can have a generally uniform distribution of gas bubbles in the polymer matrix, which can define a generally closed cell structure in the polymer matrix. The gas phase can be formed of particles of a syntactic foam dispersed in the polymer matrix. The handrail can further include a cover. The carcass and the cover can be formed of thermoplastic materials, and the cover can represent between 10 and 30% of the overall TPU required for the handrail.
Composite handrails with reduced density carcass
2024-05-07
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B66B Aufzüge , ELEVATORS / B29C Formen oder Verbinden von Kunststoffen , SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS / B29K Index-Schema für Formmassen oder Materialien für Verstärkungen, Füllstoffe oder vorgeformte Teile, z.B. Einlagen in Verbindung mit den Unterklassen B29B, B29C oder B29D , INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS / B32B LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM , Schichtkörper, d.h. aus Ebenen oder gewölbten Schichten, z.B. mit zell- oder wabenförmiger Form, aufgebaute Erzeugnisse |