JP2011016666A - Passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a passenger conveyor which prevents a user leaning out of a movable handrail 6 of the passenger conveyor 1 from colliding with an obstacle or from being caught into a narrow angle section, and secures safety.SOLUTION: The passenger conveyor 1 is obliquely arranged between upper and lower separated floors. An object sensor 7 for detecting an object protruded out of the movable handrail 6 by rotating a laser beam is disposed on an outer deck 5 covering an outer lower part of a balustrade 3, and it is detected that the object is protruded out of the movable handrail 6 by the object sensor 7, and safety operation such as attention call announcement, deceleration of operation speed or stop is started.

Description

  The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor for preventing a danger caused by a traveling from a moving handrail.

  As is well known, if an object or body gets too close to the entrance / exit of the moving handrail at the end of the passenger conveyor in the driving direction, there is a risk that the object or body is drawn into the entrance / exit of the handrail. In addition, when a user gets on a moving handrail of a passenger conveyor, there is a risk of hitting an obstacle or being caught in a narrow angle portion.

  In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in safety in public elevators such as passenger conveyors and elevators, and more effective safety measures are desired.

  As a countermeasure for avoiding the danger as described above, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, an object approaching an entrance / exit of a moving handrail is detected and a warning is issued. In addition, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a sensor having a plurality of optical axes is installed in a triangular narrow-angle portion to detect that an object has protruded outward from the moving handrail, and a caution warning is issued. There is something to do.

JP 2007-137675 (paragraph 0010, FIG. 2) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-169071 (paragraph numbers 0012 to 0015, FIG. 1)

  However, the above-described Patent Documents 1 and 2 separately provide a sensor for detecting an object approaching the entrance and exit of the moving handrail and a sensor for detecting that the object protrudes outward from the moving handrail. . For this reason, there was a problem that the number of parts related to the safety device for avoiding the emergency situation at the entrance and exit of the moving handrail and the emergency state at the triangular narrow angle portion increased, and the cost increased.

  It is an object of the present invention to reduce the number of parts, and to ensure the safety of a passenger conveyor that can ensure safety at the entrance and exit of a moving handrail and the outward protrusion of the moving handrail such as a triangular narrow angle portion. It is to provide an apparatus and a safety control method.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is installed on the outer deck in the vicinity of the entrance and exit, and one side extends below the entrance / exit of the moving handrail, and the other side extends to the outer lower part of the moving handrail along the moving direction of the step. An object sensor that covers a substantially fan-shaped upper detection area between two sides, and a first object detection signal that is output when the sensor detects an object approaching the entrance / exit of the moving handrail and an object that protrudes outward from the moving handrail And a safety means for activating two different types of safety operations in response to the second object detection signal outputted by detecting the above.

  Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in response to the first object detection signal, a warning broadcast is made to leave the vicinity of the entrance and exit of the moving handrail, and from the moving handrail in response to the second object detection signal. A warning broadcast is made so that it does not protrude outside.

  Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the object sensor outputs the second object detection signal continuously for a predetermined time, the object sensor includes emergency response means for reducing or stopping the operation speed.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided switching means for switching operation / non-operation of the safe operation by the first or second object detection signal of the sensor according to the operation direction of the passenger conveyor, for example, descent operation Then, at least the first object detection signal of the lower floor side sensor and the second object detection signal of the upper floor side sensor start a safe operation, and in the ascending operation, at least the first object detection of the upper floor side sensor. A safe operation is activated by the signal and the second object detection signal of the lower floor side sensor.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of parts can be reduced, and safety at the entrance / exit of the moving handrail and safety at the outside of the moving handrail, in particular, at a triangular narrow angle portion can be ensured. As a result, it is possible to achieve both cost reduction and ensuring the safety of the passenger conveyor.

It is a partial perspective view which shows the safety device of the passenger conveyor by one Example of this invention. It is a control system schematic block diagram of the passenger conveyor by one Example of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram of the object detection by one Example of this invention.

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

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a safety device for a passenger conveyor according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the passenger conveyor.

  The escalator 1 that is arranged to be inclined between passenger conveyors, for example, floors that are separated from each other up and down, and that can be switched to ascending or descending operation, generally has the following main components. A plurality of steps 2 connected endlessly and circulated, a balustrade 3 erected on both sides of these steps 2, an inner deck 4 covering the lower inner side of the balustrade 3, and a lower outer side of the balustrade 3 An outer deck 5 and a moving handrail 6 supported by the balustrade 3 and moving in synchronization with the steps 2 are provided.

  Here, for example, an object sensor 7 using a laser beam is provided as one component of the safety device of the escalator 1 in order to detect the approach of the user to the dangerous area. That is, the outer deck 5 in the vicinity of the entrance / exit is substantially fan-shaped with one side 71 extending below the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 and the other side 72 extending to the outer lower portion of the moving handrail 6 along the moving direction of the step 2. This is an object sensor 7 having a detection area 73. In FIG. 1, for convenience, the sensor 7 is illustrated only on one side of the escalator 1, but actually, the sensor on the other side, that is, the sensor on the other side is installed on the outer deck 5 so as to face the illustrated sensor 7. Yes. Furthermore, in the figure, only the lower floor side is shown, but it is desirable to install a pair of sensors on the left and right outer decks 5 of the upper floor entrance.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control system of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the escalator 1 connects the sensor 7 to the signal processing means 10, receives data from the sensor 7 at the serial communication transmission / reception unit 12 inside the signal processing means 10, and The data is processed and the processing result is output from the interface unit 14. The output of the signal processing means 10 is sent to the control means 20, and the control means 20 starts a safe operation according to the state. The sensor 7 detects the object approaching the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 and outputs the first object detection signal and the second object detection signal output by detecting the object protruding outward from the moving handrail 6. In response, safety means for starting two or more different safe operations are provided. The safe operation is to first broadcast a warning to the user through the speakers 251 and 252 installed near the entrance through the speech synthesizer 24, and to reduce the output frequency of the inverter unit 21. Let Thereby, the rotational speed of the induction motor 22 is reduced, and the operating speed of the escalator is reduced to a safe speed. Furthermore, the management device of the maintenance management company is notified via the remote monitoring unit 23 that an emergency has occurred, and confirmation of the safety management state of the escalator is prompted.

  Further, the sensor 7 rotates, for example, a laser light projecting unit and a laser light receiving unit, and outputs a target distance from an obstacle and a rotation angle of the laser light receiving unit. This data is received by the CPU 11 via the serial communication transmitting / receiving unit 12 provided in the signal processing means 10. Since this data is data in a circular coordinate system, when the detection distance is r and the rotation angle is θ, it is applied to the equation (1), converted into XY plane coordinate data, and the coordinates with the object centered on the sensor 7. Create a data map.

x = r · cos θ, y = r · sin θ (1)
This coordinate map is superimposed on the coordinate data map of the fixed object including the escalator main body in the state where there are no objects such as passengers and luggage that have been measured in advance. Then, by removing the coordinate data of the fixed object, it is possible to calculate a plane coordinate data map representing only object data other than the fixed object, that is, an object such as an escalator customer or luggage. Based on this planar coordinate data map, the center point of the object is calculated and recorded in the memory 13 of the signal processing means 10. The recorded data is stored in the memory 13 for a short time interval, for example, every 100 ms, for a certain period of time before, for example, for 1 second, and the movement amount of the object center point is monitored for each object, The amount of movement is calculated.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of object detection according to an embodiment of the present invention. The concept of an object detection area and safety means will be described with reference to this figure.

  First, the object detection area by the sensor 7 will be described. A first detection area 74 is set, which is set based on the distance from the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 and in which an alert broadcast is performed in response to detection of the presence of an object in this area. Next, a second detection area 75 that is set based on the distance from the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 and that performs a warning broadcast and an escalator stop process in response to the detection of the presence of an object in this area is provided. Is set. These detection outputs based on the detection of the moving handrail 6 approaching the entrance / exit 61 will be referred to as a first object detection signal. In this embodiment, the first object detection signal further includes the first object detection signal. The first detection area is divided and output.

  Furthermore, in order to detect the entry from the handrail 6, a second object detection signal is output in response to detecting that the same object is present in the third detection area 76 for a predetermined time, and an alert broadcast And the speed reduction process of an escalator is performed. Here, for example, the escalator stop process performed at the time of object detection in the second detection area 75 and the escalator speed reduction process performed at the time of object continuation detection in the third detection area 76 are referred to as an emergency mode. I will do it.

  Next, the operation of the passenger conveyor safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. For example, when a child approaches his / her hand to the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6, the sensor 7 detects that an object exists in the first detection region 74. In response to this, the control means 20 gives a notice such as “Do not approach the doorway of the handrail because the doorway of the handrail is very dangerous” to the users by the speakers 251 and 252 installed in the vicinity of the entrance through the speech synthesis means 24. Arouse broadcast. In spite of this alerting broadcast, when the child brings his / her hand closer to the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6, the sensor 7 detects the presence of an object in the preset second detection region 75. Then, the control means 20 performs an alert broadcast such as “Please note that the escalator will be stopped” to the user by the speakers 251 and 252 via the speech synthesis means 24. At the same time, a command to reduce the output frequency to 0 Hz is output to the inverter unit 21 to reduce the rotational speed of the induction motor 22, and then the escalator is operated by the brake device when the speed is reduced to a predetermined substantially zero speed. 1 is mechanically held stationary.

  In addition, when the child who has entered the escalator 1 gets out of the moving handrail 6 and rises while maintaining the state, the sensor 7 detects that the object is present in the entry detection area 76 and the object is detected. It is determined whether or not the detection area 76 exists continuously for a predetermined time. Further, it is determined whether or not the detected object has moved a certain amount or more for each scanning period of the sensor 7, and it is determined whether or not the detected object is on the handrail. When it is detected that the object is sandwiched and exists in the detection area 76 for a predetermined time and is moving in synchronization with the handrail, it can be determined that the object is leaning out of the handrail. Therefore, the control means 20 performs a warning broadcast such as “Please refrain from getting out of the handrail because it is very dangerous” to the users via the speech synthesis means 24 through the speakers 251 and 252. At the same time, a command to lower the output frequency is output to the inverter unit 21, and the operating speed of the escalator 1 is reduced by reducing the rotational speed of the induction motor 22. By this, before approaching the triangular narrow-angled part formed between the horizontal ceiling part of the building or the exterior part of the adjacent escalator and the moving handrail 6 that runs so as to intersect, from a dangerous posture You can usually give yourself time to get ready. On the other hand, when the user extends his / her hand from the moving handrail 6 momentarily for some reason, the sensor 7 once detects that an object is present in the predetermined projecting detection area 76. However, since the object does not exist in the run-out detection area 76 for a predetermined time, the control means 20 can continue the normal operation of the escalator 1 without erroneously determining an emergency.

  According to the present embodiment, both the detection of the object approaching the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 and the detection that the object protrudes outward from the moving handrail 6 can be performed by the single sensor 7. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and safety at the entrance / exit 61 of the movable handrail 6 and safety at the triangular narrow angle portion can be ensured, thereby reducing both cost and ensuring the safety of the escalator 1. Can be planned. In addition, it can be judged whether the object has temporarily protruded outward from the moving handrail 6 or whether it has a risk of being continuously protruded and caught in the narrow-angled portion of the triangle. Appropriate measures should be taken only in an emergency situation. Can do. It is also possible to determine whether the object is a fixed obstacle such as an advertisement provided on the outer deck portion or the like. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the escalator 1 from being operated unnecessarily in the emergency mode, to maintain the driving efficiency and to ensure high safety. Further, when an object approaching the entrance / exit 61 of the moving handrail 6 is detected, or when it is detected that the object protrudes outward from the moving handrail 6, a warning broadcast is performed by the voice synthesis means 24. So you can encourage customers to avoid emergency situations. Furthermore, when the escalator 1 is put into an emergency mode when the user approaches a dangerous place or starts out dangerously, it is possible to assist the user to surely take an emergency avoidance action. .

  In the present embodiment, the escalator 1 stop process performed at the time of object detection in the second region 75 out of the first and second detection regions 74 and 75 that output the first object detection signal is an emergency situation. Mode. In addition, the speed reduction process of the escalator 1 that is performed at the time of object continuation detection in the entry detection area 76 is also in the emergency mode. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to this, and can be set as appropriate according to the usage environment of the passenger conveyor and the like.

  Here, the arrangement of the object sensor 7 and the diversity of its usage will be described.

  First, as already described, it is desirable to dispose the object sensor 7 on the left and right outer decks of the upper floor entrance (not shown) in FIG. At this time, it is not always necessary to use the full detection function of each object sensor. For example, when the escalator 1 is rising, the handrail doorway 61 functions only as a handrail outlet at the lower floor entrance and exit, so it can be said that there is little risk of being caught. In this case, the necessity of using the first object detection signal (both the first and second detection areas 74 and 75) of the object sensor 7 is small. Therefore, the first object detection signal may not be used, or the first object detection signal itself may not be generated. At this time, similarly, at the upper floor entrance / exit, the necessity of using the second object detection signal from the protrusion detection area 76 from the handrail is small. Therefore, the second object detection signal may not be used, or the second object detection signal itself may not be generated. For this reason, in the ascending driving escalator, at least, the second object detection signal of the lower floor side sensor and the first object detection signal of the upper floor side sensor can be used.

  Further, if the bidirectional escalator can be switched to ascending / descending operation, the usage form in the above ascending operation escalator, and at the time of descending operation, at least the first object detection signal of the lower floor sensor and the upper floor sensor Can be switched to use the second object detection signal.

  In this way, by installing sensors on the left and right outer decks near the upper and lower entrances and exits of the passenger conveyor, that is, by installing four sensors, it is possible to more reliably approach the entrance / exit of the moving handrail and protrude from the moving handrail to the outside. It can detect and perform safe operation.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Passenger conveyor (escalator), 2 ... Step, 3 ... Railing, 4 ... Inner deck, 5 ... Outer deck, 6 ... Moving handrail, 61 ... Handrail entrance / exit, 7 ... Object sensor, 71, 72 ... Fan scan of an object sensor 2 sides of the area, 73 to 76 ... detection area of the object sensor, 10 ... signal processing means, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... serial communication transmitting / receiving part, 14 ... interface part, 20 ... control means, 21 ... inverter part, 22 ... induction Electric motor, 23 ... remote monitoring unit, 24 ... voice synthesis means, 251, 252 ... speaker.

Claims (4)

A plurality of steps connected in an endless manner and circulated, a balustrade erected on both sides of the step, a moving handrail supported on an upper portion of the balustrade and moving in synchronization with the step, the step and the movement In the passenger conveyor provided with a control means for controlling the driving of the handrail and an outer deck covering the outer lower part of the balustrade,
An object sensor provided on the outer deck for detecting an object protruding outside the moving handrail by rotating a laser beam;
A passenger conveyor, wherein a safety operation is activated when a state where the object protrudes from the moving handrail continues for a predetermined time.   2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the safety operation is activated when the state where the object protrudes from the moving handrail continues for a predetermined time and the object has moved a predetermined distance or more. .   The passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a warning broadcast is performed as the safety operation.   The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the driving speed is reduced or stopped as the safety operation.

Images