JP2007186313A - Controller and control method for passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic operation type passenger conveyor which reduces occurrence of motor start delay when detecting a user to eliminate passenger's sense of incongruity and also reduces a burden of a motor and a brake, or a barden of an inverter to extend their service life. <P>SOLUTION: In this passenger conveyor being automatically started/stopped by a user detection device 16 for detecting user's getting-on and switch operation, the brake 12C is released during operation stand-by before detecting the user. Consequently, when detecting the user, the driving motor 12A is more speedily and smoothly started by inverter control to operate the passenger conveyor without causing passenger's sense of incongruity because the brake is not applied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to passenger conveyors such as escalators and walking walkways, and more particularly to a control device and a control method for an automatic driving passenger conveyor that automatically controls driving according to the presence or absence of passengers.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic driving device in which a user detection device or a switch that is operated by a user is arranged at an entrance of an escalator, and the escalator is started and stopped according to these operations. That is, the escalator is activated in response to the operation of the customer detection device or the switch, and on the other hand, the escalator is automatically stopped when the non-operation has continued for a predetermined time or more. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the operation standby state before detecting the passenger, the brake is always applied and the braking state is set. When the user is detected, the motor activation and the brake release are performed simultaneously. It is configured.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that an AC motor for driving a man conveyor is controlled at a variable speed by an inverter that outputs a three-phase AC having a variable voltage and a variable frequency.

JP-A-5-139679 (Overall) JP-A-10-279245 (Overall)

  According to the passenger conveyor having the above configuration, since the motor is activated and the brake opening electromagnetic coil is energized at the same time when a passenger is detected, the brake is dragged due to a mechanical operation delay (100 to 500 ms). In particular, in the inverter control system, since the motor rotation torque is smaller than the brake braking torque, a delay in starting the motor occurs, and there is a problem that the user feels uncomfortable when getting in.

  The objective of this invention is providing the control apparatus and control method of a passenger conveyor which do not make a passenger feel uncomfortable at the time of passenger boarding.

  Another object of the present invention is to reduce the burden on the motor, brake and / or inverter when detecting the user and start the passenger conveyor, and to reduce the life of these passenger conveyor control devices and controls. It is to provide a method.

  The main feature of the present invention is that the passenger conveyor is kept in an open state in a standby state.

  Another feature of the present invention is that when it is determined that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor, the passenger conveyor drive motor is decelerated and stopped, and the brake for stopping and holding the drive system is once operated, and then this To release the brake.

  Furthermore, another feature of the present invention is that when it is determined that there are no passengers on the passenger conveyor, an inverter that supplies power to the drive motor is controlled to decelerate and stop the drive motor and release the brake. Is to keep it.

  According to the desirable embodiment of the present invention, the start delay of the passenger conveyor due to the delay of the brake opening operation is eliminated, and the uncomfortable feeling when the passenger gets in can be improved.

  In particular, in the inverter control method in which the output torque is limited, the start delay can be remarkably improved.

  Moreover, according to the desirable embodiment of this invention, the burden of a motor, a brake, and / or an inverter at the time of starting a passenger conveyor can be eased, and these lifetimes can be extended.

  Other objects and features of the present invention will be clarified in the following description of embodiments.

  Hereinafter, a passenger conveyor control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a passenger conveyor control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The escalator 1 includes a frame 4 installed between the upper floor 2 and the lower floor 3, a step 5 having a step on the upper surface, a balustrade 6 erected on both sides in the moving direction of the step 5, It has a moving handrail 7 that is guided and moved by the periphery of the balustrade 6, and boarding / exiting floors 8 </ b> A and 8 </ b> B that get on and off the step 5.

  A number of the steps 5 are connected to the step chain 9 in an endless manner, and circulate in the frame 4. The step chain 9 is wound around a drive sprocket 10 pivotally supported on one side in the longitudinal direction of the frame body 4 and a driven sprocket 11 pivotally supported on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the frame body 4. ing. The drive sprocket 10 is driven by a drive device 12 installed in the vicinity, and the moving handrail 7 is also driven in synchronization with the step 5 by the power of the drive device 12.

  For example, taking ascending operation as an example, a passenger detection device 16 for detecting the passage of a passenger is installed in the vicinity of the boarding / exiting floor 8A of the lower floor 3. In the customer detection device 16, a detector 16A for detecting a customer is incorporated. Of course, a switch operated by the user can be arranged at the entrance, and the user can be detected by operating this switch.

  The drive device 12 incorporates a motor 12A, an encoder 12B for grasping the rotation state of the motor 12A, and a brake 12C. The motor 12A is supplied with electric power for driving from the commercial power source 20 via the inverter device 30. The inverter device 30 connected to the commercial power source 20 supplies AC power of variable voltage / variable frequency to the motor 12A based on the control signal of the escalator control device 40, and controls the motor 12A at variable speed. Thereby, the speed and acceleration / deceleration of the escalator can be changed.

  On the other hand, the encoder 12B always sends the rotation state of the motor 12A as data to the control device 40, and monitors whether the control content of the control device 40 is reliably reflected in the control of the motor 12A via the inverter device 30. It is what.

  In the configuration as described above, when a user passes through the detector 16A of the customer detection device 16 and tries to get into the escalator, a signal passed by the customer from the detector 16A is sent to the control device 40. The control device 40 immediately instructs the inverter device 30 to supply power, and the inverter device 30 performs control while supplying AC power to the motor 12A so as to obtain a speed curve as commanded. If the non-operating state of the detector 16A continues for a predetermined time, that is, if the user is not detected for a certain time after the last user is detected, the control device 40 issues a command to the inverter device 30. The motor 12A is decelerated and stopped. That is, it will be in a driving standby state until the next user is detected.

  FIG. 2 is an operation time chart of the passenger conveyor before application of the present invention, in which 201 indicates an escalator speed, 202 indicates a power supply state to a motor, and 203 indicates an operation state of a brake.

  Until now, as shown in the time chart of FIG. 2, the control device 40 has always been in a braking state in which the electromagnetic coil power supply of the brake 12 </ b> C is shut off and the escalator is braked in the operation standby state. When the user passes the detector 16A, the control device 40 issues a motor start command to the inverter device 30 and simultaneously energizes the coil of the brake 12C in order to release the brake. For this reason, a brake drag state has occurred as shown by the hatching portion 204 in FIG. 2 due to a mechanical operation delay (100 to 500 ms) of the brake 12C. When this dragging state occurs, a load is applied to the motor, the brake and the inverter, and the life of these is shortened. In particular, in the inverter control system as shown in FIG. 1, since the motor rotation torque is smaller than the brake braking torque, a start-up delay of the passenger conveyor occurs. As a result, when the user gets in, there is a problem that a smooth acceleration of the step 5 cannot be obtained or a sudden acceleration is caused in the middle.

  FIG. 3 is an operation time chart of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which 301 indicates an escalator speed, 302 indicates a power supply state to a motor, and 303 indicates an operation state of a brake.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, as an improvement measure, as shown in the time chart of FIG. 3, in the operation standby state before boarding the passenger, the coil of the brake 12C is always energized to keep the brake open. . Normally, when there are no users, the drive system does not rotate even if there is some unbalanced load on the escalator. When the detector 16A of the detection device 16 detects a user, the control device 40 issues a power supply command to the motor 12A to the inverter device 30. At this time, since the brake 12C is in an open state, the brake 12C can be activated immediately, and a feeling of strangeness when the passenger gets in can be eliminated. If the detector 16A does not detect a customer for a certain period of time from the last user detected, the control device 40 issues a command to the inverter device 30 to decelerate and stop the motor 12A. After the stop, the brake 12C once holds the stop and then releases the brake 12C again to prepare for the next start.

  If the step starts to move due to some unbalanced load, it is detected by the encoder 12B and the holding brake is operated again by the brake 12C.

  Although the above embodiment is an inverter-controlled escalator, it can also be applied to a direct entry drive system and a moving sidewalk passenger conveyor.

The whole schematic block diagram of the control apparatus of the passenger conveyor by one Example of this invention. The operation | movement time chart of the passenger conveyor before the improvement by this invention. The operation | movement time chart of the passenger conveyor after the improvement by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Escalator, 2 ... Upper floor, 3 ... Lower floor, 4 ... Frame body, 5 ... Step, 6 ... Railing, 7 ... Moving handrail, 8A, 8B ... Boarding / exiting floor, 9 ... Step chain, 10 ... Drive sprocket 11 ... driven sprocket, 12 ... drive device, 12A ... motor, 12B ... encoder, 12C ... brake, 16 ... customer detection device, 16A ... detector, 20 ... commercial power supply, 30 ... inverter device, 40 ... control device, 201, 301 ... escalator speed, 202, 302 ... motor drive state, 203, 303 ... brake braking state, 204 ... brake dragging state.

Claims (13)

  A plurality of steps connected endlessly and circulated, a moving handrail that moves in synchronization with the steps and guided by the balustrade component, a motor that drives the steps and the moving handrail, and stops these drive systems A brake for maintaining the state, a user detection device for detecting a customer, and when the user detection device detects the user and activates the motor and determines that the user is gone, the motor is In a passenger conveyor control device including a control device for stopping, a brake release holding for holding the brake in an open state during operation standby before the customer detection device detects a customer after stopping the motor A passenger conveyor control device comprising means.   2. The passenger conveyor control device according to claim 1, wherein the passenger detection device includes a switch disposed at a passenger entrance of the passenger conveyor, and a customer detection unit that responds to an operation of the switch.   3. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes a passenger presence / absence determining unit that determines that there are no passengers when the non-operating state of the user detection device continues for a predetermined time. Control device.   The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising means for decelerating and stopping the motor, operating the brake once, and then releasing the brake when it is determined that there are no customers. A control device for a passenger conveyor.   5. The passenger conveyor control device according to claim 1, further comprising an inverter that supplies three-phase alternating current of variable voltage and variable frequency to the motor.   6. The passenger according to claim 5, wherein the control device includes means for controlling the inverter to decelerate and stop the motor and to maintain the release of the brake when it is determined that there are no passengers. Conveyor control device.   7. The abnormality detection unit according to claim 1, wherein the brake is held in an open state and the operation detection unit detects that the drive system has started during operation standby, and the brake according to an output of the abnormality detection unit. An emergency stop means for operating the passenger conveyor is provided.   A plurality of steps connected endlessly and circulated, a moving handrail that moves in synchronization with the steps and guided by the balustrade component, a motor that drives the steps and the moving handrail, and stops these drive systems A brake for maintaining the state, a user detection device for detecting a customer, and when the user detection device detects the user and activates the motor and determines that the user is gone, the motor is In the control method of a passenger conveyor provided with a control device to be stopped, after the motor is stopped, the brake is held in an open state during operation standby before the customer detection device detects a customer. A method for controlling a passenger conveyor.   9. The passenger conveyor control method according to claim 8, wherein the passenger detection device detects a passenger in response to an operation of a switch arranged at a passenger entrance of the passenger conveyor.   10. The passenger conveyor control method according to claim 8, wherein the control device determines that there are no passengers when the non-operating state of the customer detection device continues for a predetermined time.   The passenger according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the control device decelerates and stops the motor when it is determined that there are no passengers, operates the brake once, and then releases the brake. Conveyor control method.   12. The inverter according to claim 8, further comprising an inverter that supplies a three-phase alternating current having a variable voltage and a variable frequency to the motor, wherein the control device controls the inverter when it is determined that there are no users. A method for controlling a passenger conveyor, wherein the brake is released and the brake is released.   13. The abnormality detection step for detecting that the drive system starts moving while the brake is held in an open state with the brake held in an open state, and the brake is operated in response to the abnormality detection. A passenger conveyor control method comprising an emergency stop step.

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