JP2010095361A - Handrail device for passenger conveyor and passenger conveyor using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To appropriately confirm the operation direction of a passenger conveyor even from a distant position. <P>SOLUTION: The handrail device includes a skirt guard 7 provided along the moving path of the footsteps of the passenger conveyor, a handrail panel 8 vertically provided on the upper part of the skirt guard 7, a handrail belt 9 circulation-movably mounted to the periphery of the handrail panel 8, an inlet guard 10 installed at an inlet port to the inner part of the skirt guard of the handrail belt 9, and a display device 12 incorporated in the handrail panel 8 and displays the operation direction of the passenger conveyor, and the operation direction of an escalator is displayed on the display device 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor that conveys passengers by circulating and moving a number of steps connected endlessly, and more particularly to a balustrade apparatus for a passenger conveyor.

Passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways circulate a number of steps connected endlessly between one boarding gate and the other boarding gate to move passengers on the steps from the boarding gate to the boarding gate. It is to be transported. In recent years, an attempt has been made to prevent a passenger from getting in from the entrance / exit on the exit side by installing a display device that displays the driving direction on such a passenger conveyor. This type of display device is often installed at the front end of the balustrade (in the vicinity of the inlet guard) so that it can be easily seen by passengers approaching the entrance / exit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-112619 A

  However, when a display device that displays the driving direction is installed at the balustrade tip of the passenger conveyor, there is a limit to increasing the display size because the installation space of the display device is small, and it is displayed that the entrance is not close enough There is a problem that it is difficult to determine the display contents of the device.

  The present invention was devised to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and used a passenger conveyor balustrade apparatus and a passenger conveyor that can confirm the operation direction of the passenger conveyor from a position away from the passenger conveyor. The purpose is to provide passenger conveyors.

  A balustrade apparatus according to the present invention is mounted on a skirt guard provided along a movement path of a step of a passenger conveyor, a balustrade panel erected on the top of the skirt guard, and circulated around the balustrade panel. A handrail belt, an inlet guard installed at an entrance of the handrail belt into the skirt guard, and a display device that is incorporated in the balustrade panel and displays the driving direction of the passenger conveyor.

  In addition, a passenger conveyor according to the present invention includes a number of steps connected endlessly, a driving device that drives the steps, a control device that controls the driving device, and a skirt guard provided along the movement path of the steps. A balustrade panel erected at the top of the skirt guard, a handrail belt mounted so as to be able to circulate around the balustrade panel, an inlet guard installed at the entrance of the handrail belt into the skirt guard, A display device that is incorporated in the balustrade panel and displays the driving direction of the passenger conveyor, and a display control device that controls the display device based on a driving direction instruction signal output from the control device.

  According to the present invention, since the driving direction of the passenger conveyor is displayed by the display device incorporated in the balustrade panel, the driving direction can be confirmed even from a position away from the passenger conveyor, and the passenger approaches the entrance / exit. It is possible to make the passengers recognize the driving direction of the passenger conveyor before.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, as an example of a passenger conveyor to which the present invention is applied, an escalator that conveys passengers across the upper and lower floors by moving a number of steps continuously up and down in a staircase shape will be described. In addition, the present invention can be effectively applied to a moving sidewalk (auto road) that conveys passengers by continuously moving a number of steps horizontally.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of an escalator to which the present invention is applied. This escalator circulates a number of steps 1 connected without gaps between the lower and upper floors of the building, so that passengers on the steps 1 can move from the lower floor to the upper floor or from the upper floor to the lower floor. Are to be conveyed. A number of steps 1 are connected by an endless step chain 2 and are arranged in a main frame 3 called a truss installed across the upper and lower floors of the building.

  A machine room is provided at the upper floor side end of the main frame 3, and a drive device 4 including a motor, a speed reducer, and the like connected to the drive device 4 is provided in the machine room inside the upper floor side. A sprocket 5a, a control panel 6 and the like are provided. A machine room is also provided at the lower floor side end of the main frame 3, and a driven sprocket 5b and the like that are paired with the drive sprocket 5a are disposed in the machine room inside the lower floor.

  An endless step chain 2 that connects a number of steps 1 is wound between a drive sprocket 5a and a driven sprocket 5b. Then, the drive device 4 operates under the control of the control device built in the control panel 6, and the drive sprocket 5 a connected to the drive device 4 rotates, so that the step chain 2 is driven by the drive sprocket 5 a and the driven sprocket 5 b. A number of steps 1 connected by the step chain 2 circulate between the lower floor and the upper floor while being guided by a guide rail (not shown). It has a structure to do.

  On the main frame 3, a pair of left and right skirt guards 7 are installed along the moving path of the step 1 that circulates and moves. A balustrade panel 8 is erected on the upper part of the pair of left and right skirt guards 7, respectively. The balustrade panel 8 is constituted by connecting a plurality of unit panels made of tempered glass, for example, along the moving direction of the step 1, and is supported by a balustrade support member (not shown) provided inside the skirt guard 7, Standing on the top of the skirt guard 7.

  Around the balustrade panel 8, a handrail belt 9 gripped by a passenger on the step 1 is attached so as to be able to circulate. The handrail belt 9 circulates around the balustrade panel 8 in synchronization with the movement of the step 1 by transmitting the driving force of the driving device 4 described above, for example. Further, an inlet guard 10 for preventing the handrail belt 9 from being caught by the handrail belt 9 is installed at an entrance where the handrail belt 9 enters the skirt guard 7. Note that the escalator includes, for example, an inlet switch that operates when the passenger's hand or clothes are sandwiched between the inlet guard 10 and causes the escalator to stop emergency, or between the moving step 1 and the skirt guard 7. Various safety switches for emergency stop of the escalator such as a skirt guard switch for emergency stop of the escalator by operating when a toe is caught are provided to ensure the safety of passengers.

  In addition, an operation panel 11 incorporating various operation switches (start switch, stop switch, UP / DOWN switch, etc.) operated by an escalator administrator or maintenance worker is installed near the entrance / exit of the skirt guard 7. ing. In particular, in the escalator to which the present invention is applied, the display device 12 is installed so as to be incorporated in the balustrade panel 8, and the operating direction of the escalator is displayed on the display device 12.

  2 is an enlarged side view showing the vicinity of the installation position of the display device 12, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

  The display device 12 is formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, and displays an arrow in a direction corresponding to the driving direction of the escalator as shown in FIG. 2 when the operation is controlled by a display control device described later. That is, when the escalator is in ascending operation, the display device 12 displays an arrow toward the upper floor, and when the escalator is in descending operation, the display device 12 displays an arrow toward the lower floor.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the display device 12 is embedded in a recess 8a formed in the balustrade panel 8, and is incorporated in the balustrade panel 8 so that the display screen faces outwardly opposite to the step 1 side. It is. That is, in the part where the display device 12 of the balustrade panel 8 is installed, a concave portion 8a having a size and shape corresponding to the outer shape of the display device 12 is formed on the outer surface opposite to the step 1 side. And the display apparatus 12 is accommodated in this recessed part 8a, and is fixedly supported by the balustrade panel 8 with a volt | bolt, an adhesive agent, etc.

  Further, the display device 12 may be fitted into an opening 8b formed through the balustrade panel 8 as shown in FIG. That is, an opening 8b having a size and a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the display device 12 is formed in a portion where the display device 12 of the balustrade panel 8 is installed, and the display device 12 is installed in such a manner as to close the opening 8b. And you may make it fix-support to the balustrade panel 8 with a volt | bolt, an adhesive agent, etc.

  In addition, although the disposition position of the display device 12 in the balustrade panel 8 is not particularly limited, the display device 12 may be disposed adjacent to the joint positions of a plurality of unit panels constituting the balustrade panel 8. desirable. As described above, when the display device 12 is arranged adjacent to the joint position of the unit panels constituting the balustrade panel 8, wiring such as the power supply line and the control line of the display device 12 is connected to the joint of the unit panels. The wiring can be made inconspicuous by being routed along, and the appearance can be prevented from deteriorating. Further, when filling the joint material between the unit panels, the wiring can be protected by embedding the wiring in the joint material.

  FIG. 5 is a simplified circuit diagram showing a control configuration for displaying the operating direction of the escalator.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the control panel 6 incorporates a control device 20 that controls the operation of the escalator by controlling the operation of the drive device 4. The control device 20 includes a U contactor 21 a for starting operation and The D contactor 21b and various safety switches 22a to 22c for emergency stop of the escalator in an emergency are connected. The control device 20 is also connected to a display control device 23 that controls the operation of the display device 12. In FIG. 5, the SU contact 24a connected to the U contactor 21a and the SD contact 24b connected to the D contactor 21b are switched ON / OFF according to the operation of the operation switch built in the operation panel 11. The virtual contact point is actually realized inside the control device 20.

  The U contactor 21a and the D contactor 21b are selectively turned on when one of the SU contact 24a and the SD contact 24b is turned on in accordance with the operation of the operation switch built in the operation panel 11. . In addition, the U contactor 21a and the D contactor 21b are both operated when one of the safety switches 22a to 22c is operated, and the ON contact of the SU contact 24a and the SD contact 24b is switched off by the control device 20. Is turned off. The states of the U contactor 21a and the D contactor 21b are always input to the control device 20. When the U contactor 21a is in the ON state, the control device 20 causes the escalator to move up, and when the D contactor 21b is in the ON state, the control device 20 causes the escalator to move down.

  The safety switches 22a to 22c are normally closed switches that are closed when not activated and opened when activated. The states of the safety switches 22a to 22c are always input to the control device 20. When any one of these safety switches 22a to 22c is activated, the control device 20 switches the contact that is turned on among the SU contact 24a and the SD contact 24b to OFF, and makes the escalator stop emergency.

  In addition, the control device 20 displays the information on the escalator operation control as described above, that is, the information on whether the escalator is in the ascending operation, the descent operation, or the stop as the operation direction instruction signal. Is output. The display control device 23 determines the driving direction of the escalator based on the driving direction instruction signal output from the control device 20, and causes the display device 12 to display an arrow having a direction corresponding to the driving direction of the escalator.

  For example, when the right side of FIG. 6 is the upper floor side and the left side is the lower floor side, the display control device 23 determines that the escalator is in the ascending operation based on the driving direction instruction signal from the control device 20. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), an arrow pointing to the right side is displayed on the display device 12, and when it is determined that the escalator is in a descending operation, an arrow pointing to the left side is displayed on the display device 12 as shown in FIG. 6 (b). Let

  Further, the display control device 23 may cause the display device 12 to intermittently display the arrow corresponding to the escalator operating direction as described above, that is, the arrow may blink. When an arrow corresponding to the escalator operating direction is displayed blinking, it is desirable that the blinking cycle correspond to the escalator operating speed. In this way, if a blinking arrow is displayed on the display device 12 in correspondence with the operating speed of the escalator, not only the driving direction of the escalator but also the operating speed is recognized before the passenger approaches the entrance / exit. Is possible, and convenience is improved.

  Further, when the display control device 23 determines that the escalator is stopped based on the driving direction instruction signal from the control device 20, a mark as shown in FIG. May be displayed on the display device 12. This makes it possible to reliably recognize that the escalator is not available before the passenger approaches the entrance / exit.

  Note that the display content of the display device 12 is not limited to the above example, and any display content may be used as long as the display can recognize the driving direction of the escalator. For example, the operating direction of the escalator may be displayed by characters such as “UP”, “DOWN”, “up”, “down”, or the operating direction of the escalator may be displayed by a mark other than an arrow.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7A to 7C, the escalator driving direction may be displayed in a display form in which new marks are sequentially displayed in addition to the escalator driving direction. It is valid. If the driving direction of the escalator is displayed in such a display form, it is possible to more intuitively recognize the driving direction of the escalator from the change in display even when it is difficult to distinguish individual marks.

  As described above in detail with specific examples, the escalator to which the present invention is applied incorporates the display device 12 into the balustrade panel 8 erected along the moving direction of the step 1, and this display device Since the operation direction of the escalator is displayed by 12, the installation space of the display device 12 can be widened compared to the configuration in which the display device 12 is installed at the balustrade tip near the inlet guard 10. The display contents can be easily identified by increasing the size, and the display contents of the display device 12 can be confirmed from the side of the escalator. Therefore, the passenger who is going to use the escalator can check the display content of the display device 12 from a position away from the escalator, and the passenger can recognize the driving direction of the escalator before the passenger approaches the entrance / exit. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent a passenger from entering the entrance / exit on the exit side by mistake.

  The display device 12 for displaying the escalator operating direction is fixed to the balustrade panel 8 while being embedded in a recess 8a formed in the balustrade panel 8 or fitted in an opening 8b formed through the balustrade panel 8. Since it is supported, the attachment state of the display device 12 to the balustrade panel 8 can be strengthened, and the disadvantage that the display device 12 falls off due to vibration during escalator operation or the like can be effectively prevented.

  In addition, by installing the display device 12 so as to be adjacent to the joint positions of the plurality of unit panels constituting the balustrade panel 8, the wiring connected to the display device 12 can be routed along the joints of the unit panels. It is possible to prevent the appearance from deteriorating by making the wiring inconspicuous.

  The embodiment described above is merely an example of application of the present invention, and various modifications, changes, and alternative techniques can be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, a liquid crystal display panel is used for the display device 12 that displays the escalator operating direction, but any display device 12 may be used as long as it can display the escalator operating direction. For example, a configuration in which the operating direction of the escalator is displayed by a light emitting diode (LED) that emits light when energized may be used. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a display segment 12a corresponding to the ascending operation and a display segment 12b corresponding to the descending operation are provided, and these display segments 12a and 12b are arranged according to the operating direction of the escalator. By selectively emitting light, the operating direction of the escalator can be displayed.

  Moreover, you may make it use the instantaneous light control glass comprised integrally with the balustrade panel 12 as the display apparatus 12 which displays the driving | running direction of an escalator. As shown in FIG. 9, the instantaneous light control glass has a configuration in which a liquid crystal sheet 123 is sandwiched between a pair of transparent glasses 121a and 121b via intermediate films 122a and 122b, and the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal sheet 123 is applied by applying a voltage. The state of the molecule changes and light transmission / blocking can be switched. When the display device 12 is configured using the instantaneous light control glass, for example, the display segments 12a and 12b as shown in FIG. 8 are formed by the liquid crystal sheet 123, and these display segments are formed according to the operating direction of the escalator. By setting either one of 12a and 12b to block light, it is possible to display the operating direction of the escalator. As the instantaneous light control glass, for example, an instantaneous light control glass “Um (trade name)” (registered trademark) manufactured by Nippon Sheet Glass Um Products Co., Ltd. can be used.

The schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the escalator to which this invention is applied. The side view which expands and shows the installation position vicinity of a display apparatus. AA sectional drawing in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the other example of the attachment structure of a display apparatus. The simple circuit diagram which shows the structure of the control which displays the driving | running direction of an escalator. The figure which shows the specific example of the driving | running direction display by a display apparatus. The figure which shows the other example of the driving | running direction display by a display apparatus. The figure explaining the display method of the driving | running direction in case LED is used for a display apparatus. Sectional drawing explaining the structure of instantaneous light control glass.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Step 4 Drive apparatus 7 Skirt guard 8 Railing panel 9 Handrail belt 10 Inlet guard 12 Display apparatus 20 Control apparatus 23 Display control apparatus

Claims (6)

A skirt guard provided along the movement path of the steps of the passenger conveyor,
A balustrade panel erected on top of the skirt guard;
A handrail belt mounted so as to be able to circulate around the balustrade panel;
An inlet guard installed at the entrance into the skirt guard of the handrail belt;
A balustrade apparatus for a passenger conveyor, comprising: a display device that is incorporated in the balustrade panel and displays a driving direction of the passenger conveyor. The balustrade panel is formed with a recess corresponding to the outer shape of the display device,
The said display apparatus is embed | buried in the recessed part of the said balustrade panel, The balustrade apparatus of the passenger conveyor of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The balustrade panel is formed with an opening corresponding to the outer shape of the display device,
The railing device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the display device is fitted in an opening of the railing panel.   The said display apparatus consists of the instantaneous light control glass comprised integrally with the said balustrade panel, The balustrade apparatus of the passenger conveyor of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. The balustrade panel is formed by connecting a plurality of unit panels,
The said display apparatus is arrange | positioned adjacent to the joint position of the said unit panel, The balustrade apparatus of the passenger conveyor as described in any one of the Claims 1 thru | or 4 characterized by the above-mentioned. Many steps connected endlessly,
A driving device for driving the steps;
A control device for controlling the driving device;
A skirt guard provided along the moving path of the steps;
A balustrade panel erected on top of the skirt guard;
A handrail belt mounted so as to be able to circulate around the balustrade panel;
An inlet guard installed at the entrance into the skirt guard of the handrail belt;
A display device incorporated in the balustrade panel and displaying the driving direction of the passenger conveyor;
A passenger conveyor, comprising: a display control device that controls the display device based on a driving direction instruction signal output from the control device.

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