JP2003201084A - Passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a passenger conveyor driven at its intermediate portion, offering inexpensive construction without greatly changing a conventional structure and giving no unpleasant feeling to passengers. <P>SOLUTION: The passenger conveyor comprises a footstep chain 2 set in an endless manner, first rollers 5 having riding planes 3 and pivotally mounted on connections between each footstep 8 and the footstep chain 2, second rollers 6 pivotally mounted at positions different from those of the first rollers, a rail 10 provided along a travelling track of the second rollers, and at least one driving device 9 arranged inside the footstep chain 2 to be circulated. The driving device 9 has an upper sprocket 11, a lower sprocket 12, a driving chain lapped and set between both sprockets and a travel driving source for driving the driving chain 13 to be circulated. In using a roller chain as the footstep chain 2, the driving chain 2 has a toothed link meshing with a roller portion of the roller chain. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor, and more particularly to a passenger conveyor provided with a drive device inside a step conveying path.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As this type of passenger conveyor, there is JP-A-11-106170 as a prior art. The technique described in this publication relates to a passenger conveyor that can drive a pallet with a small amount of power and that can set a transport path arbitrarily. In order to solve the problems such as the efficiency of the drive system as well as the degree of freedom of the transport path, the connecting rod is provided with an engaging metal fitting, and the engaging metal fitting engages with the drive chain to drive the pallet. A structure is disclosed. Specifically, it discloses a case where an endless drive chain is driven by a chain wheel to which a driving force is applied, and a projection of the drive chain is engaged with a recess of an engaging fitting of a pallet to be driven.

Further, there is JP-A-54-132991. The technique described here is to circulate the steps by connecting adjacent steps with a special toothed link and engaging with the roller portion of the drive chain of the drive device provided in the step conveyance path. It has a roller portion on the driving side. This prior art is expensive because it requires the processing of large special links.

Further, there is JP-A-11-222374. The passenger conveyor can be driven smoothly and excessive tension is not applied to the chain, etc.There is a drive claw provided below the pallet and a drive roller provided at equal intervals along the rotation direction of the endless chain. It is a mechanism that drives them together. The roller is made of a non-metallic material such as plastic. Further, a structure is disclosed in which the drive claw is movable in the forward and backward directions along the guide surface and an elastic body is provided between the drive claw and the stopper.

Further, there is JP-A-53-71488. The toothed step link has an attached structure similar to the above-mentioned prior art. In addition, JP-A-6-56
There is a publication No. 243. The technology disclosed herein includes a pulley or sproget fixedly provided in contact with a belt or a chain, a belt having a protrusion protruding outward to surround the pulley or the sproget, or a motor for driving the chain or the chain. It consists of In any case,
It has a convex portion on the driving side and is engaged with a belt having a continuous through hole.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned conventional technique, a rod is provided on the driving side. Therefore, in order to receive this rod, it is, of course, necessary to provide an engaging portion having a concave portion that engages with this rod over the entire circumference. Therefore, the number of parts increases. Moreover, since many points are required for maintenance and inspection, much time is required.

Therefore, if a rod having a simple shape is provided on the entire circumference of the step chain and a toothed link mechanism is provided on the drive chain that meshes with the rod, the number of parts is reduced, and maintenance is reduced. The time required for inspection can be greatly reduced, and the driving force can also be transmitted to the step chain side.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned actual situation in the prior art, and an object thereof is to use a roller chain which has conventionally been used to connect steps without making a large structural change. Another object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor that is inexpensive and that reduces vibration and noise generated on the steps so as not to make passengers (users) feel uncomfortable.

[0009]

The above-mentioned problems can be solved by the following means. An endlessly stretched step chain and a plurality of steps that are connected to the step chain and have a riding surface on which passengers are mounted and that are cyclically driven, and that rotate to the connecting portion between the step and the step chain. A first roller freely rotatably mounted, a second roller rotatably rotatably mounted at a position different from the first roller of the step, and a rail provided along a traveling locus of the second roller A passenger conveyor constituted by a drive device arranged inside the step chain in a circulating manner, the drive device being wound and stretched between an upper sprocket, a lower sprocket, and the upper sprocket and the lower sprocket. Toothed link that meshes with the chain roller of the step chain in the drive chain, the drive chain circulatingly driving the drive chain. It is characterized by having.

Further, the shape of the toothed link is determined from the locus of meshing with the roller. In addition, the meshing between the step chain and the drive chain is divided into a forward path section on which passengers are carried and a return path section in which the steps after transporting the user are cyclically restored, and meshing is performed only on the return path section or only on the forward path section. It is characterized by meshing. The drive device includes a traveling drive source that rotationally drives the lower sprocket, a sliding member that allows the upper sprocket to move in the drive chain tension direction, and a spring that is indirectly attached to the upper sprocket and applies tension to the drive chain. It has a member and a drive chain guide for guiding the drive chain on the return path side.

Further, a traveling drive source for rotationally driving the upper sprocket, a sliding member for moving the lower sprocket in the drive chain tension direction, and a spring indirectly attached to the upper sprocket to apply tension to the drive chain. It must have a member and a drive chain guide that guides the drive chain on the outward path. Further, the drive device is provided with a belt-shaped cushioning member which is wound around the drive chain in a circulating manner and whose outer peripheral surface is located above the root of the toothed link, or the root of the toothed link of the drive chain or It is characterized in that it has a columnar cushioning member arranged on the side surface of the recess so that the tip projects from the tooth bottom or the side surface of the recess.

[0012]

1 is a side view of a drive unit and an escalator according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration in which two drive devices 9 (9A, 9B) are arranged. Step chain 2 and drive chain 13 (13A, 13B, A indicates the drive unit 9A side, B indicates the drive unit 9B side; the same applies hereinafter), which is a return route in which the step is circulated and returned after the passenger (user) is transported. This is an example of meshing in sections.

In the passenger conveyor of the present invention, the upper end sprocket 1A, the lower end sprocket 1B, the upper end sprocket 1A, the endless step chain 2 wound around the lower end sprocket 1B and stretched, and the step chain 2 are predetermined. Steps 8 connected at a pitch of 1 and drive devices 9 (9A, 9B) installed inside the step conveyance path. The step 8 has a loading surface 3 on which passengers (users) are loaded, and the loading surface 3
It is composed of a reinforcing member 7 for reinforcing the.

Further, the step 8 has a driving roller 5 and a driving roller 5 which are rotatably mounted on a connecting portion with the step chain 2.
The driven roller 6 is rotatably and rotatably mounted on a part of the step 8 at a different position, and the riser plate 4 is fixed at a closed position to close a gap between the riding surface 3 of the adjacent step 8. Further, the driven roller 6 is guided by a driven roller traveling rail 10 provided along a traveling locus of the driven roller 6. Figure 1
Although not shown in this embodiment, the driving roller 5 is guided by a traveling rail provided along the traveling locus of the driving roller 5, like the driven roller 6.

The drive devices 9A and 9B are composed of upper sprocket 11A and 11B and lower sprocket 12 respectively.
A and 12B, drive chains 13A and 13B wound around and stretched between these drive sprockets, and a traveling drive source 14 that circulates the drive chains 13A and 13B.
A, 14B, drive chain guides 16A, 16B for guiding the drive chains 13A, 13B, and drive chain 1
Spring members 15A and 15B for applying tension to 3A and 13B
It consists of

FIG. 2 shows a driving device 9 (9A, 9B,
Since both are the same, reference numeral 9 is used here. Hereinafter, the same applies to other symbols) and a partially enlarged side view of the escalator. With reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the detailed configuration of the driving device and the operation of each member of the present invention will be described. The traveling drive source 14 drives the lower sprocket 12 to circularly drive the drive chain 13. Also,
The upper sprocket 11 is arranged above a beam 17 which constitutes an escalator via a sliding member 18. Therefore, the upper sprocket 11 is configured to be movable in the direction in which the drive chain 13 is stretched.

It should be noted that instead of the sliding member 18 here, other parallel moving means using rollers or the like may be used. Further, the spring member 15 exerts a force in the direction of pulling up the upper drive sprocket 11, and therefore always applies tension to the drive chain 13. Therefore, the drive chain 13 can always engage with the step chain 2 without loosening.

The drive chain guide 16 has an arc having large radii at both ends and a linear shape at the center. The toothed link 19 of the drive chain 13 guided by the drive chain guide 16 gently meshes with the roller of the step chain 2 that is linearly circulated, and the toothed link 19 in the linear portion is the roller of the step chain 2. Fully engage with. Here, it is possible to obtain an effective meshing ratio by lengthening the straight portion of the drive chain guide 16.

Next, FIG. 3 shows a traveling locus of the roller R of the step chain 2 when the toothed link 19 is used as a reference. Then, the shapes of the recesses 19a and 19b of the toothed link 19 are determined from these loci. Therefore, the toothed link 1 having the shape obtained from this locus
No. 9 has an optimum shape for meshing with the roller R of the step chain 2 because it has a shape along the actual meshing locus. The toothed link 19 starts when meshing with the roller R and when the roller leaves.
The shape thereof is determined so as to suppress the reaction force generated on the tooth flank of the tooth and enable a smooth meshing operation.
As a result, the toothed link 19 of the present invention can reduce vibration and noise that make passengers uncomfortable.

As described above, since the shape of the toothed link is determined from the locus shown in FIG. 3, the reduction of vibration or noise when the meshing and the roller R separate is greatly improved. Furthermore, an example of collision mitigation in meshing will be described.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show the step chain 2
An example is shown in which the collision force generated when the roller and the toothed link 19 are engaged with each other is relaxed. The purpose of these embodiments is to reduce the meshing reaction force generated between the roller of the step chain 2 and the toothed link 19 when the ideal meshing operation is impossible due to wear due to deterioration of the chain over time.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show an embodiment in which the columnar cushioning member 20 is embedded in the toothed link 19 at the tooth bottom 19a. The columnar cushioning member 20 of this embodiment is embedded with its upper end slightly protruding from the tooth surface of the toothed link 19. In this embodiment, since the roller of the step chain 2 collides with the columnar cushioning member before colliding with the bottom of the toothed link 19, the reaction force and collision noise at the time of collision can be reduced. FIG. 4B shows the columnar cushioning member 20.
It is a side view of the state where was embedded.

Here, the space formed between the columnar cushioning member 20 and the hole 21 provided in the toothed link 19 shown in FIG. 4C is the deformation of the columnar cushioning member that occurs when the step chain 2 collides with the roller. Constitutes a space that allows

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which the interlocking link 19 is provided with columnar cushioning members 20a and 20b on the inclined portions of the teeth.
In the case of the present embodiment, the roller of the step chain 2 hits the columnar cushioning members 20b and 20a at the beginning of meshing with the toothed link 19, so that the reaction force and the collision noise at the time of collision can be reduced. . Other installation states and modifications are the same as in the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of attaching the cushioning member. This is an example in which a belt-shaped cushioning member 22 that is wound around the drive chain 13 in a circulating manner is provided. The upper surface of the belt cushioning member 22 is installed above the tooth bottom of the toothed link 19. The operation is similar to that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. Although the upper surface of the belt cushioning member 22 is installed above the tooth bottom of the toothed link 19,
Depending on the height, there are cases where only the effect of FIG. 4 is provided, or where the effects of both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are provided together. This embodiment is characterized in that maintenance and replacement work is easier than the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Although not shown as an example,
The escalator can be driven in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment by a method in which the step chain 2 and the drive chain 13 are engaged with each other only in the forward path section where the user is mounted and on both the forward path and the return path.

The drive chain 13 is shown in FIGS. 7 (A) and 7 (B).
The relationship between the installation of the spring member and the meshing method under the tension of is shown. In FIG. 7A, when there is no passenger (carryer),
FIG. 7B shows the case where there is a passenger. It can be seen from FIG. 7A that when the upper sprocket 11 is pulled by the spring member 15 and tension is applied to the drive chain 13, the spring force requires a tension equal to or greater than the weight of the upper sprocket 11. Further, considering that the passenger load acts in the direction of relaxing the tension of the drive chain 13 according to FIG. 7 (B) (indicated as "-passenger load" in the table), the spring force needs to be at least the maximum passenger load or more. .

This maximizes the tension of the drive chain 13 without the rider, which imposes a heavy burden on the step chain 2 and the drive chain 13. From these results, it is effective to make the lower sprocket 12 movable and to install the spring member 15 on the lower sprocket 12 in the outward meshing method. Further, in the return path meshing method, the upper sprocket 12 is made movable and the spring member 1
It is effective to install 5 on the upper sprocket 12.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an escalator that does not give a passenger a discomfort.

[0030]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION A passenger conveyor in which steps are connected by a conventional step (roller) chain is cyclically driven by a drive device having a drive chain using a toothed link arranged in a step transport path, so that the cost is low. It is possible to provide a passenger conveyor with low vibration and low noise.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing the relationship between a driving device of the present invention and a passenger conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an enlarged relationship between the drive device and the passenger conveyor of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a shape creation diagram of the toothed link of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a meshing cushioning structure of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an embodiment of another meshing cushioning structure of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an embodiment of another meshing cushioning structure of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a case where a spring member is installed in a drive chain tension of the present invention and an occupant of a meshing method is used and a passenger is not.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A ... upper sprocket, 1B ... lower sprocket, 2
... step chain, 3 ... riding surface, 4 ... riser plate, 5 ... drive roller, 6 ... driven roller, 7 ... reinforcing member, 8 ... step, 9,
9A, 9B ... drive device, 10 ... driven roller traveling rail,
11, 11A ... upper sprocket, 12, 12B ... lower sprocket, 13, 13A, 13B ... drive chain,
14, 14A, 14B ... Traveling drive source, 15, 15A, 1
5B ... Spring member, 16, 16A, 16B ... Drive chain guide, 17 ... Beam, 18 ... Sliding member, 19 ... Toothed link, 20, 20a, 20b ... Column-shaped cushioning member, 21 ... Hole portion, 22 ... Belt-shaped cushioning Element.

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kahei Kojima             1070 Ichimo, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture Stock Association             Hitachi Building Co., Ltd. Mito Bi             Le System Headquarters (72) Inventor Yoshio Abe             1070 Ichimo, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture Stock Association             Hitachi Building Co., Ltd. Mito Bi             Le System Headquarters (72) Inventor Tomio Hayano             1070 Ichimo, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture Stock Association             Hitachi Building Co., Ltd. Mito Bi             Le System Headquarters (72) Inventor Yukihiro Yamaguchi             1070 Ichimo, Hitachinaka City, Ibaraki Prefecture Stock Association             Hitachi Building Co., Ltd. Mito Bi             Le System Headquarters F-term (reference) 3F321 AA08 CA04 CA06 CA22 CA26

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A step chain stretched endlessly, a plurality of steps which are connected to the step chain and have a riding surface on which passengers are placed, and which are cyclically driven, the step and the step chain. A first roller rotatably rotatably mounted on the coupling part of the step, a second roller rotatably rotatably mounted at a location different from the first roller of the step, and along a traveling locus of the second roller. In a passenger conveyor comprising a rail provided and a drive device arranged inside the circulating of the step chain, the drive device includes an upper sprocket, a lower sprocket, and a winding device between the upper sprocket and the lower sprocket. It is composed of a drive chain that is stretched and stretched, and a traveling drive source that circulates the drive chain, and engages the drive chain with a chain roller of the step chain. Passenger conveyer characterized by having a per link. 2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the toothed link is determined from a locus of meshing with the roller. 3. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the meshing between the step chain and the drive chain is divided into a forward section in which passengers are mounted and a return section in which the steps after transporting a user are cyclically returned. A passenger conveyor characterized by engaging only in a section or engaging only in an outward section. 4. The drive device according to claim 1 and claim 2, wherein a traveling drive source that rotationally drives the lower sprocket, a sliding member that allows the upper sprocket to move in the drive chain tension direction, and an upper sprocket. A passenger conveyor comprising a spring member that is indirectly attached to apply tension to the drive chain, and a drive chain guide that guides the drive chain on the return path side. 5. The drive device according to claim 1 and claim 4, wherein a traveling drive source that rotationally drives the upper sprocket, a sliding member that allows the lower sprocket to move in the drive chain tension direction, and an upper sprocket. A passenger conveyor comprising: a spring member that is indirectly attached to apply tension to the drive chain; and a drive chain guide that guides the drive chain on the outward path. 6. A drive device according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, wherein the drive device is wound around a drive chain in a circulating manner and an outer peripheral surface of which is located above a root of a toothed link. Or a columnar cushioning member arranged so that the tip of the toothed link of the drive chain protrudes from the bottom of the tooth bottom or the side of the recess. Conveyor.