GB2255951A

GB2255951A - Passenger conveyor.

Info

Publication number: GB2255951A
Application number: GB9209826A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chuichi Saito; Tadao Kido; Go Hatano
Original assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Current assignee: Hitachi Ltd
Priority date: 1991-05-09
Filing date: 1992-05-07
Publication date: 1992-11-25
Anticipated expiration: 2012-05-07
Also published as: KR920021432A; GB9209826D0; HK53296A; KR100210877B1; TW203029B; GB2255951B

Abstract

In the present invention, in order to obtain a passenger conveyor of high security which is capable of, when foreign matters such as fingers are slipped into a gap (G') between a safety device at an inlet portion for a moving handrail (4) and the moving handrail (4), releasing the same quickly as well as stopping operation of the passenger conveyor and making the passenger perceive danger before the fingers are slipped in the gap (G'), a movable body (21) provided on the inlet portion through which the circulating moving handrail (4) enters into an inside of a balustrade (3) is supported to be displaceable in a direction opposite to a direction of movement of the moving handrail (4). <IMAGE>

Description

PASSENGER CONVEYOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a passenger conveyor such as an escalator or a motor-drive road, and more particularly, to a passenger conveyor which is equipped with a safety device at an inlet portion for a moving handrail.

In general, a passenger conveyor is constructed such that a circulating moving handrail is guided along a peripheral edge of a balustrade in its forward course while it is led into a lower part of the balustrade in its backward course. A safety device disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No.

51-42278, for example, is provided at an inlet for the moving handrail formed in the lower part of the balustrade. In case that fingers of an infant or the like are slipped in a gap between the moving handrail and the inlet therefor, the operation of the passenger conveyor is stopped and the fingers thus slipped in are released.

Further, as disclosed in USP No. 3,970,187, a barrier member which is made of polystyrene, for example, and easily broken with a very small force, is provided at the inlet for the moving handrail such as to be spread between a platform floor and the moving handrail. If fingers of a passenger are slipped in between the moving handrail and the barrier member, since the barrier member is broken easily, the passenger can move back his or her fingers. In this way, the fingers of the passenger can be prevented from being drawn into' the inlet for the moving handrail.

In the former conventional technique, since the safety device is partly supported through a spring so as to be partly sunk due to deformation of the spring, there is a problem that, once the fingers of an infant or the like are slipped in the gap between the moving handrail and the safety device, the spring is deformed easily so that the gap is further widened to permit the fingers to enter therein easily. For this reason, this technique is not applied to the actual passenger conveyor under the existing circumstances.

In the latter conventional technique, since the barrier member is placed on the platform floor, there is a problem that the barrier member is easily broken with a kick of the infant or with a light hit of dusting things at the time of cleaning the floor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor which is capable of, when fingers, foreign matters or the like are slipped into a gap between an inlet of a safety device and a moving handrail stopping the operation thereof at once so as to release the fingers, foreign matters or the like quickly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor which is capable of stopping the operation thereof before the fingers, foreign matters or the like are slipped in the gap between the inlet of the safety device and the moving handrail.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor which is capable of making the passenger perceive danger before the fingers, foreign matters or the like are slipped in the gap between the inlet of the safety device and the moving handrail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this end, there is provided according to the present invention a passenger conveyor which comprises a movable body provided on an inlet portion for a circulating moving handrail and is supported to be displaceable in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail and means for stopping the passenger conveyor when the movable body is displaced in the direction of movement of the moving handrail. A subsidiary member which is able to make a gap or to be broken when an external force is applied thereto may be provided on the inlet portion for the moving handrail apart from the platform floor.

With the above construction, according to the present invention, in case that the fingers or the like are caught in the gap between the movable body of the safety device and the moving handrail so as to be pressed hard, only by grasping the movable body and pulling it back (in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail), the movable body is displaced in the direction of releasing the pressure so that the fingers can be drawn out easily. Further, since the subsidiary member provided at the inlet portion for the moving handrail is broken or serves to make a gap when it is applied with an external force by the fingers which are about to enter into the gap, the infant perceives danger and moves back his or her fingers, thereby making it possible to prevent the fingers from entering further.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partly broken-away side view of an embodiment of a passenger conveyor safety device according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a partly broken-away front view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partly broken-away side view of an escalator to which the embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device shown in Figure 1 is attached; Figure 4 is a partly broken-away perspective view of the embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing support bodies of the embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a movable body taken along line VI - VI of Figure 2; Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the movement of the movable body;; Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a modification of the movable body of the present invention; Figure 9 is a partly broken-away side view of an escalator to which another embodiment of a passenger conveyor safety device according to the present invention is attached; Figure 10 is a partly broken-away perspective view of the embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device shown in Figure 9; Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XI - XI of Figure 9 and showing protective members on an enlarged scale; Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 but showing a modification of the protective members of the present invention; Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 11 but showing another modification of the protective members of the present invention;; Figure 14 is a view similar to Figure 11 but showing still another modification of the protective members of the present invention; Figure 15 is a partly broken-away side view of still another embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device according to the present invention; and Figure 16 is a side view of a different embodiment of the passenger conveyor safety device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figs. 1 to 7, an embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, a passenger conveyor such as an escalator comprises treadboards 1 connected endlessly so as to be rotated, platforms 2 provided at opposite end portions of the rotating treadboards 1, balustrades 3 installed upright on and along both sides of the rotating tread boards 1, moving handrails 4 each guided along a peripheral edge of the balustrade 3 so as to be moved synchronously with the treadboards 1, and a frame structure (not shown) built to support these members.

Each balustrade 3 comprises a balustrade panel 5 supported by the frame structure so as to be installed upright, a handrail frame 6 attached along the peripheral edge of the balustrade panel 5 for serving to guide the moving handrail 4, and an inside deck cover 7, an outside deck cover 8 and a skirt guard 9 which serve to cover the portions where the balustrade panel 5 is supported by the frame structure.

The skirt guard 9 is provided with a safety device 10 at an inlet portion for the moving handrail 4.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 to 6, the safety device 10 roughly comprises a fixed support body 13 disposed in a space enclosed by the inside deck cover 7, the outside deck cover 8 and the skirt guard 9, a movable support body 14 a lower end of which is rotatably supported on the fixed support body 13 through a shaft, a detector switch 18 provided between the fixed support body 13 and the movable support body 14, a first coil spring 20 provided between the fixed support body 13 and the movable support body 14 so as to be located around the detector switch 18, and a movable body 21 supported by the movable support body 14. The fixed support body 13 is secured to a support member 11 supported by the frame structure by means of fastening members 12 such as bolts.

The fixed support body 13 is formed by stamping out a plate material such as a steel plate, for example, into the shape of a letter T,.the projecting end portion of the T-shaped body serving as a switch supporting portion 13A. The movable support body 14 is formed in an upper part and on both sides thereof with movable body supporting portions 15A and 15B for serving to support the movable body 21, while the upper central portion thereof is bent against the direction of movement of the moving handrail 4 with the tip end thereof raised so as to form a switch operating portion 16 serving to operate the detector switch 18.The movable support body 14 is formed by a sheet material such as a steel plate as well, with a notched portion 17A being formed in the lower central portion thereof so as not to hinder the fixed support body 13 from being secured to the support member 11 as well as with a through hole 17B being formed in the horizontal portion leading to the switch operating portion 16 so as to allow the switch supporting portion 13A of the fixed support body 13 to extend therethrough.

Between the switch supporting portion 13A and the switch operating portion 16 formed in the abovedescribed manner is located the first coil spring 20, and a movable contact 19 of the detector switch 19 is disposed to face on the switch operating portion 16 leaving a little gap therebetween.

On the other hand, the movable body 21 is made of a synthetic resin material which is softer than the material of the fixed support body 13 and the movable support body 14 and which is of the same group as the material of the moving handrail 4. The movable body 21 has a through groove 22 (Figure 2) through which the moving handrail 4 and the balustrade panel 3 are made to pass and supported portions 23 (Figures 6, 7) by means of which the movable body 21 is supported by the supporting portions 15A and 15B. Gaps G1, G2 and G3 (Figure 2) formed between the through hole 22 and the moving handrail 4 as well as the balustrade panel 3 are made as small as possible in order to prevent fingers and foreign matters from entering thereinto.Further; the supported portions 23 are each formed with a receiving hole 24 in which a guide pin 25 and a second coil spring 26 to be described later are to be received at right angles with respect to the movable support body 14. The receiving hole 24 is formed in the bottom portion thereof adjacent to the movable support body 14 with a small hole 24H through which the guide pin 25 is made to pass. The guide pin 25 is formed with a head portion 25H at one end thereof and with a screw portion 25S at the other end thereof. The screw portion 25S is passed through the small hole 24H and the movable body supporting portion 15A, 15B so as to be fastened with a nut 25N.The second coil spring 26 is disposed between the head portion 25H of the guide pin 25 and the bottom portion of the receiving hole 24, as a result of which the movable body 21 is supported as being pressed against the movable body supporting portions 15A, 15B.

However, the same function can be obtained even when the guide pin 25 and the second coil spring 26 are disposed inwardly (on the right, in the drawing) of the movable support body 14 as shown in Figure 6. Incidentally, reference numeral 27 of Figure 1 denotes a stopper which serves to adjust the distance between the tip end of the movable contact 19 of the detector switch 18 and the operating portion 16, the stopper 27 being screwed into the movable support body 14 with the tip end thereof kept in contact with the fixed support body 13.

Further, reference numeral 21S of Figure 1 denotes a partition member which serves to protect the detector switch 18 from the foreign matter entered into the movable body 21, the partition member 21S being formed integrally with the movable body 21.

During an operation of the escalator equipped with the safety device constructed as described hereinbefore, in case that an infant playing around the platform 2 puts his or her fingers into the gap G1 under the lower surface of the moving handrail 4 by accident, the movable body 21 is displaced in the direction of movement of the handrail around the lower end 14S of the movable supporting body 14 as shown by the two-dot chain line A of Figure 1. As a result, the movable body 21 causes the movable support body 14 to be displaced in the same direction while compressing the first coil spring 20 between the switch supporting portion 13A and the switch operating portion 16, resulting in that the movable contact 19 of the detector switch 18 is pushed by the switch operating portion 16.In consequence, the detector switch 18 is operated to send a detection signal to a control unit provided separately, thereby stopping the operation of the escalator. In this case, although the movable body 21 is displaced around the lower end 14S, an amount of displacement thereof is very small. For this reason, the gap G1 is substantially the same as that obtained when the movable body 21 is in its regular position, thereby making it possible to prevent the fingers from further entering into the gap.

When the operation of the escalator is stopped by the above-described operation, if the fingers which have been caught in the gap are moved back, the movable body 21 is restored to its regular position. Further, by compressing the second coil springs 26 serving to press the movable body 21 against the movable body supporting portions 15A, 15B, the movable body 21 is displaced in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail 4 as shown by the twodot chain lines B and C of Figure 1 until the outer end portion of the movable body 21 is inclined downwards (Figure 7). If the movable body 21 is displaced as shown by the two-dot chain line C of Figure 1 and as shown in Figure 7, the gap G1 under the moving handrail 4 is widened as indicated by G4, thereby making it easy to draw out the fingers. Further, in case that there is no composure to move back the fingers, if the movable body 21 is grasped and pulled in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail 4 by people therearound or a person in charge, it is displaced easily in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the handrail, thereby making it possible to draw out the fingers likewise.

As described above, even if the fingers are caught, it is possible not only to draw out the fingers easily but also to keep the damage of the caught fingers at a minimum because the moving handrail 4 and the movable body 21 are made of the softer material than the support bodies 13 and 14.

By the way, the gaps G1, G2 and G3 between the through groove 22 and the moving handrail 4 as well as the balustrade panel 3, particularly the gaps G1 and G2, can be made substantially equal to each other if the moving handrail 4 is designed to enter into the inlet portion substantially horizontally, but, if inclinedly, when the movable body 21 is pulled outwardly, the movable body 21 is obstructed by the moving handrail 4 at once to hinder the further displacement, thereby making it difficult to draw out the fingers. To cope with this, the upper gap G2 can be made larger than the lower gap G1. Even if the upper gap G2 is made larger, since the inside deck cover 7 and the outside deck cover 8 are provided just thereabove as shown in Figures 3 and 4, there is little chance for the fingers and the foreign matters to enter it.

Further, in the portion of the through groove 22 formed in the movable body 21 adjacent to the inlet for the handrail, a projecting peripheral edge 21P is formed as being projected toward the moving handrail 4 by a length L (Figure 1), thereby providing a safety function of obstructing the fingers which are about to enter the gap.

Moreover, for easy grasping, the movable body 21 may be formed with gripping portions 28A, 28B which are projected in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the handrail as shown in Figure 8, or may be formed with a concave portion.

In the embodiment described hereinbefore, the caught fingers or the like are drawn out by displacing the movable body 21 in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the handrail after the operation of the escalator is stopped. In addition, although not illustrated, it is also possible that, after the movable body 21 is displaced in the direction of movement of the handrail with the fingers or the foreign matters being caught until the operation of the escalator is stopped, the movable body 21 is displaced in the direction of widening the gap G1 in that position so as to allow the caught fingers or the like to be drawn out.

Besides, although the movable member 21 has been described as being held in its regular position by means of the first and second coil springs 20 and 26, it may be held in its regular position by a single holding member such as a single spring member, for example, so as to be displaceable in both directions when applied with a little force.

Further, the fingers or the like are drawn out due to displacement of the movable body 21 in the abovedescribed embodiment, but, by providing a projection wall 29 projecting from a peripheral edge of the through groove 22 of the movable body 21 in the direction of the handrail as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to perceive danger since the fingers or the like are brought inwto contact with the projection wall 29 before they are caught and, further, since this contact makes it possible to displace the movable body 21, it is possible to stop the operation of the escalator.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 9 to 11.

Since the same reference numerals as those of the above embodiment denote the same members, the explanation thereof will be omitted. In the present embodiment, the movable body 21 made of an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin is formed on a front surface 21F thereof with a projection wall 30 in the vicinity of the through groove 22, the projection wall 30 extending along the moving handrail 4 while being opposed to the moving handrail 4 with the gap G between them. The projection wall 30 is formed by a large number of cylindrical protective members 30R arranged close to each other.

With the construction described above, even if an infant tries to make his or her fingers slip along the outer periphery of the moving handrail 4 during the operation of the escalator, the fingers can be hindered from slipping due to the provision of the large number of protective members 30R. Further, even if the fingers slip into the gap G1 between the cylindrical members 30R and the moving handrail 4, it is possible to press the movable body 21 through the protective members 30R to displace the movable support body 14 supporting the movable body 21 so that the detector switch 18 (Figures 1 and 5) can be operated to thereby stop the operation of the escalator.In addition, since the large number of protective members 30R are made of the elastic material, even if the fingers slip into the gap G1, the pressure exerted by the slipped fingers causes the protective members 30R adjacent to each other to move in the directions of arrows S1 and S2, respectively, so as to widen the gap G5 between them, or if a passenger tries to move back the fingers slipped into the gap G1 away from the moving handrail 4, the adjacent protective members 30R are moved in the directions of arrows S1 and S2, respectively, so as to widen the gap G5 between them, with the result that the fingers can be drawn out easily before they are pressed hard.

By the way, in the embodiment described hereinbefore, since the projection wall 30 is formed by arranging the large number of cylindrical protective members 30R side by side, the moving handrail 4 can be seen through the gap G5 between each pair of adjacent protective members 30R. For this reason, there is a possibility that the infants try to put in the foreign matters through the gap G5. To cope with this, as shown in Figure 12, it is considered to use protective members 31 each having a main body portion 31A serving to give the stiffness, a notched groove 31B formed in one half thereof over the entire length, and a projection piece 31C formed on the other half thereof over the entire length, these protective members 31 being arranged around the through groove 22 with the notched grooves 31B and the projection pieces 31C overlapped each other.

Other constructions, functions and effects are the same as those of the embodiment shown in Figure 11. Due to the provision of such protective members 31, it becomes impossible to see the moving handrail 4 from the outside. In consequence, the infants have no chance to take an interest in the movement of the moving handrail 4, thereby bringing about a good result.

Figure 13 and 14 illustrate other modifications of the protective member. In the modification of Figure 13, protective members 32 each having a trapezoid form cross-section are arranged side by side such as to be inverted every other member, while in the modification of Figure 14, protective members 33 each having a parallelogram form cross-section are arranged side by side such as to be overlapped between each pair of adjacent members. According to these modifications as well, the same functions and effects as those of the embodiment of Figure 10 can be obtained.

As described hereinbefore, according to another embodiment (Figures 9 to 14) of the present invention, even if the foreign matters such as the fingers are slipped in the gap between the protective members and the moving handrail, they can be drawn out quickly without being pressed hard, thereby making it possible to improve the security of the escalator.

Incidentally, the protective members have been described as being formed integrally with the movable body 21 in the above-described embodiment, but, the protective members and the movable body may be formed separately. Further, it is also possible to control the operation of the passenger conveyor by interlocking a detector switch which serves to detect the displacement of the protective members.

Next, description will be given of different embodiments shown in Figures 15 and 16.

The different embodiments shown in Figures 15 and 16 are intended to make a person perceive danger or to stop the escalator before the fingers or the like are caught in.

First, in the embodiment shown in Figure 15, a subsidiary member is provided in front of the movable body 21 of the aforesaid embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7. This subsidiary member is a structure body 34 which is made of a foamed plastic material, for example, so as to be broken when a little force or a force corresponding to about 3 kg/cm2, for example, is applied thereto with naked hands, and it is disposed such as to surround the moving handrail 4. Since the structure body 34 is supported directly or indirectly by the handrail frame 6, it is designed to be capable of being attached and detached easily so that it can be exchanged for a new one without difficulty when broken.With the above construction, if an infant continues to grasp the moving handrail 4 until his or her fingers reach the structure body 34, the structure body 34 made of the foamed plastic material will be easily broken with an external force. At that time, if the structure body 34 causes the movable body 21 to be displaced in the direction of movement of the handrail, the detector switch is operated to stop the operation of the escalator. Even in case that the operation of the escalator is not stopped, breakage of the structure body 34 makes the infant move back his or her hands by a reflex action, thereby preventing a serious accident.

If the fingers are slipped into the gap between the moving handrail 4 and the structure body 34 unfortunately, a force is exerted on the structure body 34 by the slipped fingers in the direction of widening the gap. This force serves to displace the structure body 34 made of the foamed plastic material toward the movable body 21 so that not only the movable body 21 is displaced but also the structure body 34 is broken easily. As a result, it is possible not only to stop the operation of the escalator but also to make the infant move back his or her fingers without difficulty.

For this reason, the frequency of occurrence of the accident that the fingers are even drawn into the inside of the movable body 21 can be reduced. In this case, if the relation between the breaking strength W of the structure body 34 and the displacement force F of the movable body 21 is determined as being W < F, it is possible that the structure body 34 is made to be broken before the movable body 21 is displaced and, thereafter, the movable body 21 is displaced. On the other hand, if W > F, it is possible to make the structure body 34 to be broken after or simultaneously with the displacement of the structure body 34 together with the movable body 21.

The relation between the breaking strength W of the structure body 34 and the displacement force F of the movable body 21 can be selected arbitrarily.

Next, in the embodiment shown in Figure 16, a structure body 35, which is made of a fragile material such as a foamed plastic like the subsidiary member of Figure 15, is directly supported by a fitting seat 21H formed on the movable body 21 around the portion thereof serving as a inlet for the moving handrail. The relation between the breaking strength W of the structure body 35 and the displacement force F of the movable body 21 in the same as that of the embodiment of Figure 15. Further, effects of this embodiment are substantially the same as those of the embodiment of Figure 15.

Incidentally, in the embodiments of Figures 15 and 16, a detector serving to detect the breakage of the structure body 34, 35 and the movable body 21 may be provided, by means of which the operation of the escalator is made to stop and, in addition, the stop of operation and the outbreak of an accident are informed to those around the escalator and the manager room.

Further, it is also possible to inform the stop of operation and the outbreak of an accident by constructing the structure body 34, 35 and the movable body 21 such as to be deformed with a little force instead of being broken.

In addition, since the structure body 34, 35 is designed to be provided on the movable body 21 only in the vicinity of the inlet portion for the moving handrail, there is no possibility that the structure body 34, 35 is broken with a passenger's kick in ordinary circumstances or with a hit of dusting things at the time of cleaning the floor.

By the way, the foregoing description has been made on the escalator, but, it goes without saying that the present invention is applicable to the motor-drive road as well, the balustrades of which are almost the same as the escalator in construction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a passenger conveyor of high security which is capable of not only releasing the foreign matters such as the fingers quickly when they are slipped into the gap between the safety device provided at the inlet portion for the moving handrail and the moving handrail, but also stopping the operation of the passenger conveyor as well as making the passenger perceive danger before the fingers are slipped in.

Claims

CLAIzz

1. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body provided on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping the passenger conveyor when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail, wherein said movable body is supported to be displaceable in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail.

2. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body provided on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping operation when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail from a regular position thereof, wherein said movable body is supported so as to be displaceable in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail from said regular position, and a holder body is provided for serving to hold said movable body in said regular position in a steady state.

3. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said movable body is formed with a holding portion which serves as a grip for an operator.

4. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said movable body is formed in a position thereof opposed to said moving handrail with a projecting peripheral edge which is made to project in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail.

5. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said movable body is supported through a support body in such a manner that said movable body is displaced in the direction of movement of said moving handrail together with said support body while it is displaced in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail leaving said support body behind.

6. A passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said movable body is supported through a support member such as to be supported elastically with respect to said support body.

7. A passenger conveyor according to claim 6, wherein said elastic body includes a first elastic member and a second elastic member so that said movable body is displaced in the direction of movement of said moving handrail together with said support body while deforming said first elastic member, while it is displaced in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail leaving said support body behind while deforming said second elastic member.

8. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body supported through a support body on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping operation when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail from a regular position thereof, wherein said movable body is displaced in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the moving handrail with respect to said support body while being displaceable in a vertical direction.

9. A passenger conveyor comprising: an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade, wherein a plurality of protective members are provided on said inlet portion such as to be opposed to an outer periphery of said moving handrail and to project in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the same.

10. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body provided on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping the passenger conveyor when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail, wherein said movable body is supported to be displaceable in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail, and a plurality of protective members are provided on a front surface of said movable body such as to be opposed to an outer periphery of said moving handrail and to project in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the same.

11. A passenger conveyor according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said plurality of protective members are made of an elastic material.

12. A passenger conveyor according to claim 9, 10 or 11, wherein said plurality of protective members are arranged to be opposed to the outer periphery of said moving handrail while being overlapped each other.

13. A passenger conveyor according to claim 9, 10, 11 or 12, wherein said plurality of protective members are each formed by a bar member or a plate member.

14. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body provided on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping the passenger conveyor when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail, wherein said movable body is supported to be displaceable in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail, and a structure body which is to be broken when an external force is applied thereto is attached to said movable body such as to surround the periphery of said moving handrail.

15. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body provided on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and means for stopping the passenger conveyor when said movable body is displaced in a direction of movement of said moving handrail, wherein said movable body is supported to be displaceable in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail, and a structure body which is to be broken when an external force is applied thereto is attached to a member located in front of said movable body for serving to support said moving handrail such as to surround a periphery of said moving handrail.

16. A passenger conveyor comprising: a movable body supported through a support body on an inlet portion through which a circulating moving handrail enters into an inside of a balustrade; and a detector serving to stop operation on detecting a displacement of said movable body in a direction of movement of said moving handrail from its regular position, wherein said support body includes a first support body having a movable body supporting portion which serves to support said movable body and a second support body serving to support said first support body for free displacement in a direction of movement of said moving handrail, said detector serving to detect the displacement of said movable body is disposed between said first and second support bodies, and said second support body is formed with a restriction member which serves to restrict the displacement of said first support body in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of said moving handrail, a first elastic member which serves to return said first support body displaced in the direction of movement of said moving handrail to its regular position is provided, and a second elastic member which serves to press said movable body against said second support body is provided.

17. A passenger conveyor having a moving handrail safety device substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings or modified as shown in Fig. 8, Figs. 9 to 11 or any one of Figs. 12 to 16.