JP2004115171A - Control method of escalator and its guiding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To resolve congestion near the inlet and outlet and allow a user to smoothly get on and off. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of light sources 15a to 15e are provided between boarding plates 10a of the getting on/of part 14 of the escalator at an interval along the moving direction of a footstep 8. The plurality of light sources 15a to 15e compose the guiding device, and these light sources 15a to 15e blink according to the timing of getting on and off the footstep 8 with a control device 16. The timing of getting on and off is suggested for the user according to the timing of blinking of the guiding device before going near the com 11a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an escalator in which a user such as an elderly person or a child can easily get on the escalator, and a control method of a guide device therefor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the escalator, a large number of steps connected endlessly are guided by guide rails provided between the upper and lower floors and circulate, and the passengers on the steps move. ing.
[0003]
Guide rails for guiding the steps are provided on the main frame, and a pair of balustrades are erected on both sides of the main steps in the width direction of the steps, and each of the pair of balustrades moves in the same direction at the same speed as the steps. A handrail belt is provided. Further, skirt guards are provided on both sides in the width direction of the step with a small interval between the step and the step so as not to hinder the movement of the step. A board is provided at the entrance to the steps on the upper and lower floors, and a comb is provided at the boundary between the board and the steps.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, conventionally, in order to use an escalator, it is necessary for a user to get on or off with good timing according to the moving speed of a step. In general, a demarcation line (a line surrounded by yellow) is provided on the tread surface of a step, so that the user measures the timing of getting into the mark of the line. In this case, it is difficult for the user to check the tread surface or the demarcation line unless he / she goes to the vicinity of the comb provided at the tip of the boarding board. For this reason, the passenger is forced to make an instant decision about getting on and off near the comb, and may stop without getting the right timing to get on and off. Then, there was a problem that the vicinity of the entrance was crowded due to this.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an escalator capable of eliminating congestion near an entrance and exit and allowing a passenger to smoothly enter and exit, and a method of controlling a guide device therefor. With the goal.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention provides a plurality of escalators that are provided at intervals on at least one of a boarding / alighting section and a balustrade section along a moving direction of a step, and that blink at the timing of getting on and off the step. And a guide device having the above light source.
[0007]
With this configuration, the passenger can get on and off at the same time as the blinking of the guidance device before going to the vicinity of the com, so that the passenger can get on and off without stopping near the entrance and exit, and congestion can occur. The solution can be achieved.
[0008]
In this case, the flickering timing of the guide device can be changed according to a change in the operating speed of the escalator by configuring the timing at which the guide device blinks.
[0009]
Further, if the blinking of the guide device is performed by repeatedly turning on and off the light source of all or a plurality of light sources, the visibility for a low vision person can be improved.
[0010]
Furthermore, if the blinking of the guidance device is performed by turning on or off one by one or a plurality of them in order along the moving direction of the steps, the passenger can be guided in the getting on and off direction.
[0011]
The blinking of the guide device provided on the balustrade is divided into a plurality of sets with a plurality of adjacent light sources as one set, and each set is turned on or off one by one or more along the moving direction of the steps. By doing so, the timing of getting on and off the vehicle can be measured even during the ascent and descent of the steps.
[0012]
Further, by detecting a change in the speed of the driving device and controlling the timing at which the guide device blinks by the control device based on the signal, it is possible to control the timing at which the guide device blinks in response to a change in load.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an escalator according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of FIG. 1 having a configuration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, a driving device 3 is provided at one longitudinal end of a main frame 2 provided over an upper floor 1 a and a lower floor 1 b, and the driving device 3 is driven via a power drive chain 4. A drive sprocket 5 is provided coaxially with the drive wheels. A driven sprocket 6 is provided at the other end of the main frame 2 in the longitudinal direction. An endless step chain 7 is wound around the drive sprocket 5 and the driven sprocket 6, and a number of steps 8 are connected to the step chain 7 at a constant pitch. A front wheel 8a and a rear wheel 8b are attached to the front and rear of the step 8, and a forward guide rail 9a, a return guide rail 9b, and a reverse guide rail 9c provided in the main frame 2 via the front wheel 8a and the rear wheel 8b. As a result, the large number of steps 8 circulate in conjunction with the movement of the step chain 7. The vicinity of the position where the step 8 is reversed is a passenger entrance and exit, and the entrance and exit boards 10a and 10b are provided on the main frame 2 of the entrance and exit. 11a and 11b are provided.
[0015]
A pair of balustrades 12 are erected on both sides in the width direction of the main frame 2, and a handrail belt 13 that runs in synchronization with a number of steps 8 is provided above the balustrade 12.
[0016]
FIG. 2 shows the entry / exit portion 14 on the upper floor 1a side, which is illustrated as a side that gets on the step 8. The getting on / off section 14 includes a getting on / off board 10a and a comb 11a provided at the getting on / off port. The user can get on the steps 8 over the getting-on / off section 14 and safely descend while grasping the handrail belt. The board 10a that constitutes the boarding section 14 is usually divided into a plurality (five in the present embodiment), and the board located between the boarding boards 10a and on the outermost side (board side). A plurality of light sources 15a to 15e having substantially the same width as the boarding board 10a are arranged outside the board 10a to constitute a guide device. In this case, the depth dimension of the four boarding / exiting boards 10a excluding the boarding / leaving board on the side of the comb 11a is configured to be equal to the depth dimension (for example, 40 cm) of the step 8, whereby the light sources 15a to 15e of the guide device are It is provided in the getting on / off section 14 with the same interval dimension as that in the case of being located between the steps 8.
[0017]
The light sources 15a to 15e of the guide device are configured to emit light in a substantially band shape by a light-emitting element such as an LED, and are installed in the main frame or separately provided in, for example, a monitoring room, and control the escalator driving device 3. The control device 16 can set the timing of turning on and off the light, and further adjust and change the timing. For example, when the moving speed of the step 8 is 30 m / min, the blinking speed of the light sources 15a to 15e of the guide device is set to 0.8 seconds.
[0018]
FIGS. 3A to 3D are pattern diagrams showing examples of patterns in which the light sources 15a to 15e of the guide device blink. □ indicates light-off, Δ indicates light-on, and indicates a case of blinking in the order of (1) to (4) or (1) to (6).
[0019]
FIG. 3A shows a pattern in which all five light sources 15a to 15e blink at the same time, and a pattern in which all the light sources 15a to 15e blink at the same time is repeated every 0.8 seconds, so that the timing of entering the step is obtained. Is indicated to the user, and the plurality of light sources 15a to 15e are provided over the entire area in the width direction, and blink at the same time to display a large blinking state, so that visibility for a low-vision person can be improved.
[0020]
In FIG. 3B, five light sources 15a to 15e are divided into every other two sets, and the light sources 15a, 15c, 15e and 15b, 15d of each set alternately blink at intervals of 0.8 seconds. A case where a pattern is repeated is shown. In this case as well, it is possible to suggest the timing of getting into the steps to the user and improve the visibility.
[0021]
FIG. 3 (c) shows a pattern in which five light sources 15a to 15e are blinked one by one from the outside in the direction in which the steps move, and the light source to be turned on changes according to the moving speed of the steps. By repeating the steps (0.8 seconds) from (6) to (6) in sequence, it is possible to suggest the timing of getting into the steps to the user and guide the user toward the entrance.
[0022]
FIG. 3D shows that the number of light sources to be turned on is changed by changing the blinking time of the five light sources 15a to 15e so that the outermost light source 15a is the longest and the step side light source 15e is turned on the shortest. A pattern that gradually increases to the step side is shown, and by repeating the steps (1) to (6) (0.8 seconds), the passenger is suggested to enter the step and the passenger is directed to the entrance. Can be guided to.
[0023]
In this manner, the plurality of light sources 15a to 15e of the guide device make it easy for the user to get on and off the timing, so that the user can get on and off smoothly without stopping near the com, eliminating congestion and using safely. It can also be barrier-free.
[0024]
Also, when the guide device is provided in the existing escalator, it can be dealt with by replacing the boarding board.
[0025]
In addition, by similarly configuring the getting-on / off section of the exit, it is possible to suggest the timing of getting off to the user.
[0026]
FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main part having a configuration according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[0027]
This embodiment is different from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that a plurality of light sources 25a to 25e in the getting on / off section 24 are embedded in a plurality of getting on / off boards 20a, respectively. By embedding the respective light sources 25a to 25e in the respective boarding / alighting boards 20a, the work of aligning each part is reduced, and the installation work on site can be simplified. Note that, as a matter of course, each pattern shown in FIG. 3 can be applied as the blinking pattern of the light sources 25a to 25e of the guide device in the present embodiment.
[0028]
5 and 6 are a sectional front view and a sectional side view of a main part having a configuration according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the plurality of light sources 35 constituting the guide device are moved on the inner deck 17 provided below the balustrade 12 at intervals of, for example, 10 cm (1/4 of the distance H between step ends) of the step 8. It is buried along the direction.
[0029]
The patterns (a) to (e) shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are pattern diagrams showing an example of a pattern in which the light source 35 of the guide device blinks. ○ indicates light-off, ● indicates light-on, and indicates a case of blinking in the order of (1) to (4) or (1) to (9).
[0030]
The pattern (a) in FIG. 7 shows a pattern in which all of the light sources 35 blink at the same time, and the pattern in which all the light sources 35 blink at the same time is repeated every 0.8 seconds, so that the passenger can get into the steps at the same time. As described above, the plurality of light sources 35 are provided over substantially the entire area in the moving direction of the steps, and are turned on at the same time, so that the visibility for a low-vision person can be improved.
[0031]
The pattern (b) in FIG. 7 shows a case where a large number of light sources 35 are divided into two sets every other, and a pattern in which each set of light sources 35 alternately flashes at intervals of 0.8 seconds is repeated. Also, it is possible to suggest the timing of getting into the steps to the user and improve the visibility.
[0032]
The pattern (c) in FIG. 8 is a pattern in which three adjacent light sources among a large number of light sources 35 are set as one set, and the light sources are sequentially turned on and off one by one from the riding side light source along the direction of movement of the steps. This indicates a pattern in which the moving light source moves in accordance with the moving speed of the steps, and the steps (2) to (4) are repeated in order of 0.8 seconds to indicate the timing of getting into the steps and get off the passenger. The driver can be guided in the direction of the mouth, and can suggest the timing of getting off to the passenger who is going up and down.
[0033]
The pattern (d) in FIG. 8 is a pattern in which four adjacent light sources among a large number of light sources 35 are set as one set, and the light sources are sequentially turned on and off one by one from the riding side light source along the moving direction of the steps. This shows a pattern in which the moving light source moves in accordance with the moving speed of the steps, and by repeating the steps (2) to (9) (0.8 seconds), suggests the timing of getting into the steps to the user and The passenger can be guided in the direction of the entrance, and the timing of getting off can be suggested to the passenger who is going up and down.
[0034]
The pattern (e) in FIG. 9 is a pattern in which four adjacent light sources among a large number of light sources 35 are set as one set, and the light sources are sequentially turned on and off one by one from the riding side light source in the moving direction of the steps. The pattern of the rising light source increases in accordance with the moving speed of the steps, and by repeating the steps (2) to (9) (0.8 seconds), it is suggested to the passengers the timing of getting into the steps. The passenger can be guided in the direction of the entrance, and the timing of getting off can be suggested to the passenger who is going up and down.
[0035]
Thus, even if a large number of light sources 35 are provided on the balustrade section 14 to constitute the guide device, the same effect as when the guide apparatus is provided on the boarding / alighting section can be obtained. can do.
[0036]
In the above embodiment, the case where the light source 35 is provided on the inner deck 17 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 6, the skirt guard panel 18, the inner panel 19, and the The handrail deck 20 can be provided with light sources 45, 55, and 65, respectively, and the installation position can be arbitrarily selected. In addition, a guide device may be provided in the boarding / unloading section as well as the balustrade section and used together.
[0037]
Further, when there are a plurality of blinking patterns, a changeover switch such as a key switch can be provided on the balustrade section 14 to freely select and switch.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the escalator and the control method of the guide device of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate congestion at the entrance and exit of the user and to improve safety, and to improve the entire width direction or the moving direction of the steps. The blinking of the guide device in a belt shape along the road can improve the visibility for the elderly and the visually impaired (such as people with low vision).
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an escalator according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of FIG. 1 having a configuration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 3A to 3D are pattern diagrams showing examples of patterns in which a light source of a guide device blinks in the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of FIG. 1 having a configuration according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a sectional front view of a main part having a configuration according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a sectional side view of a main part having a configuration according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are pattern diagrams showing a part of an example of a pattern in which a light source of a guide device blinks in a third embodiment.
FIGS. 8C and 8D are pattern diagrams each showing a part of an example of a pattern in which a light source of a guide device blinks in a third embodiment.
FIG. 9E is a pattern diagram showing a part of a pattern example in which the light source of the guidance device blinks in the third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1a Upper floor 1b Lower floor 2 Main frame 3 Drive unit 4 Power drive chain 5 Drive sprocket 6 Driven sprocket 7 Step chain 8 Step 8a Front wheel 8b Rear wheel 9a Outbound guide rail 9b Return guide rail 9c: reversing guide rails 10a, 10b: boarding / leaving boards 11a, 11b: com 12: balustrade 13: handrail belt 14: boarding / leaving sections 15a to 15e, 25a to 25e, 35, 45, 55, 65: light source (guide device) )
16 Control device 17 Inner deck 18 Skirt guard panel 19 Inner panel 20 Railing deck

Claims (6)

A number of steps connected endlessly and moved in a predetermined direction, a driving device for driving the steps, balustrades provided on both sides in the width direction of the steps, and provided before or after getting on and off the steps The vehicle includes a boarding / alighting section and a plurality of light sources provided on at least one of the boarding / alighting section and the balustrade at intervals along a moving direction of the step, and blinking in accordance with a timing at which a user gets on and off the step. An escalator comprising a guide device and a control device for controlling the guide device and the driving device. The escalator according to claim 1, wherein a timing at which the guide device blinks is configured to be switchable. The control method of the guide device in the escalator according to claim 1, wherein the blinking of the guide device is performed by repeatedly turning on and off the light source divided into all light sources or a plurality of light sources. The control method of the guide device in the escalator according to claim 1, wherein the blinking of the guide device is performed by turning on or off one by one or a plurality of them in order along the moving direction of the steps. The blinking of the guide device provided on the balustrade is divided into a plurality of sets, with a plurality of adjacent light sources as one set, and each set is turned on or off along the moving direction of the steps by one or more. The control method of the guide device in the escalator according to claim 1, wherein The method according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls a timing at which the guide device blinks based on a signal indicating a change in speed of the drive device.

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