JP2012250840A - Device for cleaning footstep of escalator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for cleaning an escalator which has high ability of cleaning foreign matters in grooves of an escalator and includes a safety mechanism that prevents the escalator from being damaged when foreign matters are firmly fixed to the grooves.SOLUTION: The device for cleaning an escalator includes: a housing 10; a plurality of scraping members 21 for scraping foreign matters in a plurality of grooves; a pressing member for exerting the force of pressing the scraping member 21 on the bottom of the groove, on each of the plurality of scraping members 21; a foreign matter path 32 including an intake hole 31 for taking the scraped foreign matters thereinto; a discharging hole 33 for discharging the foreign matters taken thereinto; and a rotation member 51 whose rotary shaft 52 is supported to the housing 10, and which is rotated while coming into contact with footsteps.

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning a groove provided on a step surface of an escalator step.

  In general, dust, cotton dust from a passenger's clothing, sand or soil attached to the back of a shoe, and the like may be accumulated in a groove provided on a tread surface of an escalator step. Particularly in snowy and cold regions, snow melting agents and sand for preventing toppling are often deposited inside the grooves. Furthermore, the lubricating oil used in the escalator may permeate the dust accumulated in the groove and solidify the dirt, and as a result, the solidified dirt may adhere to the inside of the groove. Such dirt on the groove (hereinafter referred to as “foreign matter”) can cause damage to the comb plate at the entrance and exit, as well as an emergency stop of the elevator, a passenger slip or fall accident, reduced visibility of the demarcation line, It is a cause of problems such as fouling.

  The cleaning of the groove of the step is generally performed manually by an operator, but there is a problem that much time and labor are required. For the purpose of solving these problems, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 have been proposed. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 relates to an apparatus that cleans dust inside a groove with a brush that is rotated by power. In this apparatus, the dust scraped from the groove by the brush is sucked by a vacuum cleaner connected to the apparatus. Such brush cleaning devices are disclosed in many other patent documents. Although such a cleaning device using a brush can be cleaned in a short time, it is difficult to remove solid foreign matters fixed in the grooves of the step, and it is particularly difficult to remove foreign matters from the grooves at both ends of the step. There is also concern about peeling of the coating on the step surface.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 relates to an apparatus that cleans the inside of a groove with a plurality of endless string-like cleaning tools that are circulated and moved over a plurality of rollers. In this apparatus, the dust inside the groove is removed by inserting the string-like cleaning tool that circulates and moves into the groove. A string-like cleaning tool having a width equal to or slightly larger than the width of the groove is made of flexible fiber such as cotton, and is pressed against the bottom surface of the groove by a pressing device. This technique also has a problem that it is difficult to remove the solid foreign matter fixed in the groove, like the technique using the brush.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 3 relates to an apparatus that performs cleaning by fitting a comb-like cleaning body, which is an elastic body, into a groove of an escalator. Since the comb-like cleaning body is longer than the depth of the groove, the comb-like cleaning body can be cleaned without leaving the tip of the comb-like cleaning body from the bottom of the groove. This technique also has a problem that it is difficult to remove the solid foreign matter fixed in the groove, like the technique using the brush.

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 4, the contact portion (comb portion) that fits into the step groove slides with the bottom and wall of the groove as the step moves, and scrapes off foreign matter in the groove. Device. With this technology, when there is solid foreign matter that cannot be scraped in the groove, if the cleaning is continued as it is, the contact portion and the foreign matter will be engaged and the operation of the escalator will be restricted. There is a problem that a heavy load is applied and there is a risk of escalator damage, emergency stop, and the like.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-276943 JP 2007-55790 A JP 2000-44158 A JP 2000-318965 A

  Techniques aimed only at cleaning foreign matter in the groove of the escalator have already been proposed as in Patent Documents 1 to 4. However, among these conventional techniques, the technique using a flexible scraping member may not sufficiently scrape foreign matter in the groove, while the technique using a rigid body may not be able to scrape into the groove. There has been a problem that there is a risk of escalator damage, emergency stop, etc., when there is foreign matter in the groove that cannot be easily scraped off.

  The present invention is equipped with a safety mechanism that has a high ability to clean foreign matter in the groove of the escalator and does not cause damage to the escalator, emergency stop, etc. even when a fixed foreign matter that cannot be scraped is present in the groove. An object of the present invention is to provide an escalator cleaning device.

  The present inventor configures the apparatus so that a plurality of scraping members inserted into the grooves corresponding to the plurality of grooves existing on the tread surface of the escalator can operate independently from each other in a direction away from the bottom surface of the groove. In this way, it is possible to effectively scrape foreign matter in the groove, and even when foreign matter that cannot be scraped exists in the groove, a plurality of scraping members can escape from the foreign matter independently. The invention has been completed.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for cleaning a plurality of grooves provided in a step of an escalator is provided. The apparatus includes a housing, a plurality of scraping members for scraping off foreign matters in the plurality of grooves, and a pressure member that applies a force to the scraping members to press the scraping member against the bottom surface of the grooves. And a foreign substance passage having an intake port for taking in the scraped foreign substance, a discharge port for discharging the taken foreign substance, and a rotating member that is supported by the housing and rotates in contact with the step. It is characterized by that.

  The plurality of scraping members are arranged in the lateral direction with respect to the step traveling direction inside the housing. Each of the plurality of scraping members is located on the downstream side in the traveling direction with respect to the base, which is rotatably supported around a support shaft extending in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction inside the housing. And a scraping portion in contact with the bottom surface of the groove, and the scraping portion is configured to operate in a direction away from the bottom surface as the base portion rotates around the support shaft. Further, the scraping portion has a scraping surface formed so that an angle formed with the bottom surface becomes an acute angle when contacting with the bottom surface.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is used in an apparatus for cleaning a plurality of grooves provided in a step of an escalator, and is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the groove provided in the step of the escalator when the apparatus is used. A plate-shaped scraping member having two main surfaces facing each other is provided. The scraping member is a bottom surface contact portion that is a portion in contact with the bottom surface of the groove, a first edge portion extending from the bottom surface contact portion in an angle direction that forms an acute angle with the bottom surface when the bottom surface contact portion contacts the bottom surface, A second edge portion extending from the bottom surface contact portion in a direction smaller than an angle formed by the first edge portion and the bottom surface, a portion that is rotatably supported around a support shaft provided inside the housing of the apparatus A third edge part connecting the base part and the end part opposite to the bottom surface contact part of the first edge part from the base part extending in the direction in which the second edge part extends, And a fourth edge portion connecting the end portion on the opposite side to the base portion of the upper edge portion and the end portion on the opposite side of the bottom surface contact portion of the second edge portion.

  According to the 3rd aspect of this invention, the foreign material scraping unit used for the apparatus for cleaning the some groove | channel provided in the step of the escalator is provided. The foreign object scraping unit includes a unit housing and a plurality of scrapers for scraping foreign matter inside a plurality of grooves in the step arranged in a direction transverse to the advancing direction of the escalator step inside the unit housing. A take-off member, and a pressurizing member that applies a force for pressing the plurality of scraping members against the bottom surface of the groove to each of the plurality of scraping members. Each of the scraping members has a scraping portion including a scraping surface formed so that an angle formed between the bottom surface and the bottom surface becomes an acute angle, and the scraping portion operates in a direction away from the bottom surface. Configured as follows.

  The cleaning device according to the present invention is supported on the step on the entrance side, and by operating the escalator in that state, the main body of the device is scraped off with a suitable shape without providing a power source. The member scrapes off foreign matter from the inside of the groove, and the inside of the escalator step groove can be efficiently cleaned. In this device, a plurality of scraping members are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of grooves, and each scraping portion of the plurality of scraping members can be independently operated upward with an axis as a fulcrum. Thus, even when there is a foreign matter fixed inside the groove, damage to the escalator and unexpected emergency stop can be prevented.

It is the schematic at the time of seeing the internal structure of the escalator step cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention from the side. It is the schematic of the apparatus which removed the part of the housing | casing and made the internal structure visible for demonstrating a state when the escalator step cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention was installed in the step of the escalator. . It is the schematic for demonstrating a state when the escalator step cleaning apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is installed in an escalator. It is a schematic sectional side view for demonstrating the foreign material scraping unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional side view for demonstrating the foreign material scraping unit which concerns on another embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the pressurization member concerning another embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic sectional side view for demonstrating the foreign material scraping unit which concerns on embodiment using the pressurization member shown by FIG. It is a schematic sectional side view for demonstrating the displacement state of the foreign material scraping unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention when a fixed foreign material exists. It is a schematic side sectional view for explaining a foreign matter collecting unit and a power transmission unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the case where the foreign material channel | path and intake port of a foreign material collection unit are divided | segmented into the some channel | path in the horizontal direction. It is a schematic side sectional view for explaining a foreign material receiving unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
Drawing 1 is a schematic diagram at the time of seeing the internal structure of escalator step cleaning device 1 concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus 1 in which the escalator step cleaning device 1 is installed on the escalator step 102 and a part of the housing 10 is removed so that the inside can be seen. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a state when the escalator step cleaning device 1 is installed on the escalator. In this specification, in all drawings including FIGS. 1 to 3, the right side of the drawing is the traveling direction of the escalator step, the right direction in the drawing is the downstream side of the traveling direction, and the left direction is the upstream side of the traveling direction. . Moreover, the escalator step cleaning apparatus 1 makes the downstream side of the advancing direction of an escalator a front part, and makes an upstream side a rear part.

1. Outline of Apparatus As shown in FIG. 1, the escalator step cleaning apparatus 1 includes a foreign substance scraping unit 20, a foreign substance collecting unit 30, a foreign substance receiving unit 40, a power transmission unit 50, and a rotating member 51 inside a housing 10. Is provided.

  The housing 10 only needs to have a shape that can house the foreign material scraping unit 20, the foreign material collecting unit 30, the foreign material receiving unit 40, the power transmission unit 50, and the rotating member 51 described above. Although the material of the housing | casing 10 is not specifically limited, For example, what is necessary is just a strong and lightweight material like a polycarbonate resin, an ABS resin, etc., for example. As shown in FIG. 1, the front portion of the housing 10 preferably has a shape that is obliquely chamfered from the bottom surface to the front surface, for example, so as not to contact the rising step 102 </ b> B.

  The foreign matter scraping unit 20 includes a plurality of scraping members 21. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the scraping members 21 is arranged laterally with respect to the traveling direction of the escalator step 102. The foreign matter inside the groove 103 that moves in the traveling direction as the step 102 moves is scraped from the inside of the groove 103 by the scraping portion 22 provided in each of the plurality of scraping members 21.

  The foreign matter collecting unit 30 is for collecting foreign matter scraped from the inside of the groove 103. The foreign matter collection unit 30 includes a foreign matter passage 32 having an intake port 31 for taking in foreign matter, and a discharge port 33 for discharging the taken foreign matter. As shown in FIG. 3, the discharge port 33 is connected to a suction device 106 such as a vacuum cleaner, for example, via a hose 36 or the like.

  The foreign matter receiving unit 40 prevents the foreign matter scraped from the groove 103 by the foreign matter scraping unit 20 from being discharged to the downstream side in the traveling direction with the progress of the step 102 until it is taken in by the foreign matter collecting unit 30. belongs to.

  The power transmission unit 50 includes a plurality of power transmission members 54 to 58 (which will be described later with reference to FIG. 9). In the case of the embodiment in which the foreign matter collecting unit 30 is provided with a passage switching member 34 (which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10), the power transmission unit 50 rotates in contact with the upper surface of the step 102. The rotational force is transmitted to the passage switching member 34.

  The rotating member 51 is a cylindrical member having a rotating shaft 52 whose end is supported by the side wall of the housing 10. The rotating member 51 is for contacting the upper surface of the step 102 and rotating as the step 102 advances, thereby supporting the device 1 and stabilizing the posture when the device 1 is in operation. In one embodiment, the rotating member 51 preferably has a flange 53 that is inserted into the recess of the groove 103 at one or both ends. In this embodiment, the running stability is further improved by fitting the flange 53 of the rotating member 51 with the groove 103 of the step 102. The flange 53 can also be used as a reference position when the apparatus 1 is placed on the step 102 (this will be described later in the description of the foreign object scraping unit 20).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the escalator step cleaning device 1 is disposed on the downstream side of the comb plate 104 on the entrance side of the escalator. The apparatus 1 has a rotating member from the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 between the tip of the comb plate 104 and a point where a step is generated between the steps 102A and 102B, that is, during a distance a in FIG. 51 is preferably accommodated, and the front portion of the casing 10 of the device 1 is preferably configured not to contact the rising step 102B.

  When the apparatus 1 is installed on the escalator, the rotating member 51 is lowered onto the step 102 while preferably supporting the handle 2 provided at an appropriate position in front of the apparatus 1, and then the plurality of grooves 103. Each of the plurality of scraping members 21 is inserted into each of the above. Next, the rear portion of the device 1 is placed on the landing plate 101 of the escalator, preferably through a rubber foot 4 provided on the rear bottom surface of the device 1. Finally, for example, a support member 108 such as a support bar passed between the lowermost portions of the two handrail belt mounts 105 and a support member 60 passed between the rear side surfaces of the housing 10 of the apparatus 1 are, for example, flat. It connects with connecting members 5, such as a belt. By operating the escalator in this state, the apparatus 1 is supported in a state where it is suspended in the traveling direction of the step 102 of the escalator, and the foreign matter in the groove 103 is scraped off by the scraping member 21 as the step 102 moves. It will be scraped off. In the present embodiment, the apparatus 1 is supported with the lowermost part of the handrail belt mount as a fixed point. However, an escalator passenger guide fence, a vacuum pad, an inspection port frame, and the like may be used as fixed points.

2. Foreign object scraping unit FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the foreign object scraping unit 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the foreign matter scraping unit 20 has a plurality of scraping members 21 for scraping foreign matter inside each of the plurality of grooves 103, and a traveling direction as shown in FIG. In order to support the plurality of scraping members 21 arranged in the horizontal direction, a support shaft 23 having both ends fixed to the side wall of the housing 10, a pressure member 24, and a positioning guide for the plurality of scraping members 21. 26. In another embodiment of the present invention, a set of these members may be installed in the unit casing 10 ′ so that the unit casing 10 ′ is incorporated in the casing 10. In this case, both ends of the support shaft 23 are fixed to the side wall of the unit housing 10 ′. By configuring in this way, for example, according to the number of grooves 103 of the escalator step to be cleaned, it is possible to replace the unit casing 10 ′ equipped with the number of scraping members 21 corresponding to the number of the grooves 103. .

  The number of the plurality of scraping members 21 is an arbitrary number such as the same as the number of grooves 103 of the step 102, half of the number of grooves 103, or one-fourth of the number of grooves 103. Can do. The material of the plurality of scraping members 21 is not limited. For example, in consideration of prevention of damage to the steps 102 and the grooves 103 and damage of the scraping member 21 itself, for example, polycarbonate resin, ABS, etc. A material that is strong, lightweight, and highly flexible, such as a resin, is preferable.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of scraping members 21 is a plate-like member having a main surface perpendicular to the support shaft 23 as shown in FIG. A base portion 25 to be connected, a scraping portion 22 having a shape suitable for scraping foreign matter from the inside of the groove 104, and a plurality of edges for connecting them. The scraping portions 22 of the plurality of scraping members 21 can be inserted into the plurality of grooves 103 to scrape foreign matter inside the grooves 103.

  Each of the plurality of scraping members 21 is independently connected to the support shaft 23 so as to be rotatable, so that even in the case where there is a non-scrapable foreign matter fixed inside any one of the grooves 103, Only the corresponding scraping member 21 rotates around the support shaft 23 and the scraping portion 22 moves upward.

  The shape and structure of the base portion 25 are not particularly limited as long as the base portion 25 is connected so as to be able to rotate around the support shaft 23 and is not damaged by the force acting on the scraping member 21. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the base 25 includes an arcuate edge 25a, two linear edges 25b and 25c extending from both ends thereof, the arcuate edge 25a, and An opening 25d provided in a plate-like portion surrounded by straight edges 25b and c, and the base 25 rotates around the support shaft 23 by passing the shaft 23 through the opening 25d. Connected in a possible manner (that is, the inner periphery of the opening 25d slides around the shaft 23).

  The thickness of the scraping member 21 is preferably slightly smaller than the width of the groove 103. With such a thickness, for example, when there is a foreign object fixed to the side surface of the groove 103, there is a margin for the scraping member 21 to bend sideways. Damage can be prevented and an excessive load can be prevented from being applied to the apparatus 1.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the scraping portion 22 includes a bottom surface contact portion 22 a that contacts the bottom surface of the groove 103, and an end portion on the upstream side in the traveling direction of the bottom surface contact portion 22 a. A first edge 22b extending upward from 22a1 toward the downstream side in the traveling direction, and a second edge extending upward from the end 22a2 at the downstream side in the traveling direction of the bottom surface contact portion 22a toward the downstream side in the traveling direction. Edge portion 22c. The first edge portion 22 b of the scraping portion 22 constitutes a scraping surface for foreign matter inside the groove 103. As shown in FIG. 4, the first edge 22b and the second edge 22c are arcuate in one embodiment of the present invention, but are not limited to this, and are linear. May be.

  In FIG. 4, the bottom surface contact portion 22a of the scraping portion 22 has a predetermined length extending in the traveling direction. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the bottom surface contact portion 22a is The shape may not have a length in the traveling direction, that is, a shape that contacts the bottom surface of the groove 103 at one point when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. At this time, the bottom surface contact portion 22 a has a contact portion with the bottom surface of the groove 103 having a length corresponding to the thickness of the scraping member 21 in the width direction of the groove 103. In this embodiment, both the first edge portion 22b and the second edge portion 22c extend upward from one point in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 103 when viewed from the side as shown in FIG.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of scraping members 21 further extends upward from the end of the linear edge 25c of the base 25 toward the downstream side in the traveling direction, as shown in FIG. The edge 21a, the third edge 21b connecting the end of the linear edge 25b of the base 25 and the end of the first edge 22b opposite to the bottom contact portion 22 side, and the upper edge And a fourth edge portion 21c that connects an end portion of the portion 21a opposite to the base portion 25 side and an end portion of the second edge portion 22c opposite to the bottom surface contact portion 22 side. The upper edge portion 21a preferably extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the groove 103 in consideration of the positional relationship with the pressure member 23 described later.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of scraping members 21 may have a shape as shown in FIG. In the scraping member 21 shown in FIG. 5, the upper edge portion 21a and the edge portion 21c of the scraping member 21 shown in FIG. 4 are configured as one edge portion, thereby forming an edge portion 21d.

  It is preferable that each of the plurality of scraping members 21 has the same shape, but is not limited to this, and as long as the function of the present invention can be exhibited, each of the plurality of scraping members 21 or Some of them may have different shapes.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure member 24 is preferably an elastic body such as foamed rubber. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure member 24 is a column having a rectangular cross section as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and one side surface preferably has a spacer 27 on the upper surface of the housing 10. Attached through. In another embodiment in which the unit housing 10 ′ is provided, the pressure member 24 can be attached to the upper surface of the unit housing 10 ′ of the foreign matter scraping unit 20. In one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pressure member 24 has a plurality of side surfaces opposite to the side attached to the upper surface of the housing 10 or the foreign substance scraping unit 20. The scraping member 21 comes into contact with the upper edge portion 21a of the scraping member 21 and presses the scraping member 21 downward by the restoring force of the pressing member 24. Thereby, the bottom surface contact portion 22 a of the scraping portion 22 is pressed against the bottom surface of the groove 103 with a constant force. In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressing member 24 has a side surface opposite to the side attached to the upper surface of the foreign material scraping unit 20 at the edge of the plurality of scraping members 21. The scraping member 21 is pressed downward by the restoring force of the pressing member 24 in contact with the portion 21d.

  The shape of the pressure member 24 is not limited to a columnar shape with a rectangular cross section, and may be an arbitrary shape such as a columnar shape or a polygonal column shape. The pressure member 24 pressurizes the plurality of scraping members 21 as one member, but the pressure member 24 is divided into two or more members and provided with a plurality of pressure members, and each pressure member has a plurality of scrapes. You may make it pressurize several of the members 21 one by one.

  By using an elastic body such as foamed rubber as the pressing member 24, the upper edge portion 21a (or the edge portion 21d) of the scraping member 21 bites into the pressing member 24, and the scraping member 21 is shifted to the left and right by foreign matter. However, since the restoration to the original position is easy, the scraping member 21 is stabilized. Further, even when the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 is worn due to use and the pressing pressure is reduced, the pressing pressure can be corrected to an appropriate value by changing the thickness of an elastic body such as foam rubber. . When the scraping part 22 of the scraping member 21 is worn by use, the spacer 27 is provided between the pressure member 24 and the casing 10 (or the upper wall of the unit casing 10 ′ of the foreign substance scraping unit 20). By inserting, you may make it maintain a fixed pressing pressure.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective view of a pressure member 240 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure member 240 can be an elastic plate-like body having a base 241 and a plurality of comb teeth 242 protruding from the base 241. The material of the pressurizing member 240 is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, a steel plate, a copper plate, a stainless steel plate, or the like. As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the pressing member 240 is fixed to any part of the housing 10 or the unit housing 10 ′ with a fixture, for example, through a hole 245. The tip of each of the plurality of comb teeth 242 is placed on the upper edge portion 21a of each scraping member 21 in one embodiment (FIG. 7A), or in each scraping member 21 in another embodiment. By contacting the edge 21d (FIG. 7B), the scraping member 21 is pressed downward by the restoring force of the pressure member 240. Thereby, the bottom surface contact portion 22 a of the scraping portion 22 is pressed against the bottom surface of the groove 103 with a constant force.

  As shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable to provide two protrusions 243 from both ends of the tip at the tip of the comb tooth 242 of the pressure member 240. The upper edge portion 21a (or the edge portion 21d) of the scraping member 21 is accommodated in a space formed by the protruding portion 243 and the comb teeth 242. Thus, even when the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 is moved upward by the foreign matter fixed in the groove 103, the comb teeth 242 of the pressing member 240 are not removed from the upper edge portion 21 a (or edge portion) of the scraping member 21. 21d) can be prevented from coming off.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the foreign object scraping unit 20 further includes a plurality of comb teeth 26a positioned between each of the plurality of scraping members 21, and a base portion 26b that supports the plurality of comb teeth 26a. A scraping member positioning guide 26 is provided. In the scraping member positioning guide 26, for example, the base 26b is fixed to the housing 10 or the unit housing 10 '. In the plurality of comb teeth 26 a, the interval between the respective comb teeth 26 a is approximately equal to the width of the convex portion of the groove 103, and the width of each comb tooth 26 a (that is, the length in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction) is It is approximately equal to the width of the recess (that is, the length in the lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction of the bottom surface of the groove 103). Accordingly, when the apparatus 1 is installed on the step 102, the scraping member 21 positioned by the scraping member positioning guide 26 is moved to the groove 103 by lowering the side face of the apparatus 1 in parallel with the groove 103. It becomes easy to insert into the recesses in a lump.

  In this regard, any one of the flange 53 of the rotating member 51, the comb teeth 26a of the scraping member positioning guide 26, and the comb teeth 41a of the foreign material receiving member 41 of the foreign material receiving unit 40 to be described later, with reference to the side surface of the apparatus 1 By arranging the heel on the same straight line, the flange 53 is inserted into the groove 103, the side surface of the device 1 is parallel to the groove 103, and then the device 1 is lowered onto the step 102. Each of the members 21 can be collectively inserted into the plurality of grooves 103.

  Further, by providing the scraping member positioning guide 26, it is possible to prevent dust or dirt from entering the support shaft 23 of the scraping member 21. The shape of the comb teeth 26a is preferably rectangular in cross section, but is not limited thereto, and for example, the cross section may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal.

  As for the position where the comb teeth 26a of the scraping member positioning guide 26 are arranged, as the distance from the support shaft 23 increases, the lateral shaking of the scraping member 21 is reduced, and stable foreign matter scraping is possible. Become. In one embodiment of the present invention, the position of the comb teeth 26a of the scraping member positioning guide 26 is preferably set so that the lower surface of the comb teeth 26a and the lower surface of the housing 10 are located on the same plane.

  Here, regarding the scraping member 21 according to the embodiment of the present invention, how the scraping member 21 operates when there is a fixed foreign matter that cannot be easily removed inside the groove 103 is determined. It demonstrates using FIG. 8, clarifying the preferable form of the shape of the member 21, and the angle of each part. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the foreign object scraping unit 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention as seen from the side, similarly to FIG. When there is a fixed foreign substance 111 that cannot be scraped inside the groove 103 (that is, when there is a foreign substance 111 that cannot be scraped off by the pressing pressure of the pressure member 24), the scraping unit 22 can remove the foreign substance 111. The scraping member 21 rotates about the support shaft 23 as a fulcrum, the scraping portion 22 moves upward, and the bottom contact portion 22 a is separated from the bottom surface of the groove 103. The position of the scraping member 21 after the movement is indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG.

  When the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 103, the upstream end 22a1 of the scraping portion 22 (that is, the bottom contact portion 22a and the first edge portion 22b The angle A (the angle indicated by “A” in FIG. 8) formed by the straight line connecting the intersection point) and the axis center of the support shaft 23 with the bottom surface of the groove 103 is approximately 40 ° to About 50 ° is preferable, and about 45 ° is more preferable. The smaller this angle A is, the more the removal effect of the foreign matter 111 can be improved while the pressing pressure by the pressing member 24 is reduced. However, if this angle is too small, there may be a case where a sufficient space for moving upward by the foreign material 111 that the scraping member 21 cannot scrape cannot be secured. This is because, as described above, the device 1 according to the present invention is preferably configured to be compact so that the front portion of the housing 10 of the device 1 does not come into contact with the rising step 102B. Further, in order to make the device 1 compact in this way, it is preferable to provide the support shaft 23 above the inside of the device 1, and for that purpose, it is difficult to reduce the angle A. On the other hand, if the angle A is too large, the horizontal movement distance of the scraping member 21 increases, which is not preferable. Therefore, as a result of research conducted by the inventor in consideration of the above, it has been found that the angle A is preferably about 40 ° to about 50 °, more preferably about 45 °, as described above.

  When the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 103, the straight line connecting the end 22 a 1 and the shaft center of the support shaft 23 and the scraping surface of the scraping portion 22, that is, the end portion The angle between the tangent line of the first edge 22b at 22a1 (the angle indicated by “B” in FIG. 8) is preferably about 60 ° to about 70 ° in one embodiment of the present invention, and about 65 ° is more preferred. The smaller this angle B, the easier it is for the scraping part 22 of the scraping member 21 to move away from the foreign object when it comes into contact with the scraping member 21, but when the angle B is too small, There is a possibility that the effect of removing foreign substances may be reduced. On the other hand, the larger the angle B, the higher the foreign matter removal effect. However, when the angle B is too large, the scraping portion 22 escapes and it is difficult to move, so that the scraping member 21 is more likely to be damaged. Therefore, as a result of research conducted by the inventor in consideration of these matters, it was found that the angle B is preferably about 60 ° to about 70 °, and more preferably about 65 °, as described above.

  When the scraping portion 22 of the scraping member 21 is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove 103, the scraping surface of the scraping portion 22, that is, the tangent line of the first edge 22 b at the end 22 a 1 is in contact with the bottom surface of the groove. The angle C (the angle indicated by “C” in FIG. 8) is preferably about 65 to about 75 °, more preferably about 70 ° in one embodiment of the present invention. The smaller the angle C is, the higher the effect of removing foreign matter is. However, when the angle C is too small, the scraping member 21 escapes upward when foreign matter that cannot be scraped is present in the groove 103. Therefore, the possibility that the scraping portion 21 is damaged increases. On the other hand, if the angle C is too large, the effect of removing foreign matter is reduced. Therefore, as a result of research conducted by the inventors in consideration of the above, it has been found that the angle C is preferably about 65 ° to about 75 °, and more preferably about 70 °, as described above.

3. Foreign Object Collection Unit and Power Transmission Unit FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the foreign material collection unit 30 and the power transmission unit 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The foreign material collecting unit 30 is located downstream of the foreign material scraping unit 20 in the traveling direction. The foreign matter collecting unit 30 has a foreign matter passage 32 having an intake port 31 for taking in the foreign matter scraped off by the scraping member 21 and a discharge port 33 for discharging the taken in foreign matter. As shown in FIG. 3, the foreign matter discharged from the discharge port 33 is sucked by a suction device 106 such as a vacuum cleaner via a hose 36 or the like. In the embodiment of the present invention, the size of the opening of the intake port 31 is preferably a distance slightly larger than the width of the concave portion of the groove 103 in order to facilitate the intake of foreign matter. Further, the horizontal size of the opening of the intake port 31 is such that the foreign matter scraped by the plurality of scraping members 21 can be all taken in. Preferably it is approximately equal to the length across the direction.

  However, if the horizontal size of the intake port 31 is set in this way, the opening area of the intake port 31 is too large, so that a sufficient intake effect may not be obtained depending on the ability of the suction device 106. Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to divide the foreign substance passage 32 and the intake port 31 into a plurality of passages in the lateral direction. FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram of a cross section when the foreign substance passage 32 and the intake port 31 of this embodiment are viewed in the traveling direction. In FIG. 10, the intake port 31 is divided into four intake ports 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d in the lateral direction. Similarly, the foreign matter passage 32 is also divided into four foreign matter passages 32a, 32b in the lateral direction. , 32c, and 32d. The number of divisions of the intake port 31 and the foreign substance passage 32 is not limited to four.

  In this embodiment, a passage switching member 34 is provided between the passages 32 a to 32 d and the discharge port 33. The passage switching member 34 is a member for sequentially switching the communication between the foreign matter passages 32a to 32d and the discharge port 33 from 32a to 32d. That is, the foreign matter passage 32a and the discharge port 33 are communicated with each other by the passage switching member 34, so that the foreign matter taken in from the intake port 31a is discharged from the discharge port 33 through the foreign matter passage 32a. By connecting the foreign matter passage 32b and the discharge port 33 by the switching member 34, the foreign matter taken in from the intake port 31b is discharged from the discharge port 33 through the foreign matter passage 32b. Similarly, the foreign matter scraped out by the scraping member 21 by sequentially switching the foreign matter passage communicating with the discharge port 33 to 31c, 31d, 31a, 31b. Part of the foreign matter corresponding to the intake ports 31a to 31d is sequentially taken from each of the intake ports 31a to 31d and discharged from the discharge port 33 through the foreign matter passages 32a to 32d.

  In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the passage switching member 34 is a cylindrical member that rotates around an axis passing through the shaft 34 c. An opening 34 a that communicates with one or more of the plurality of foreign substance passages 32 a to 32 d is provided on a side surface of the passage switching member 34. In addition, an opening 34 b communicating with the discharge port 33 is provided on one of the both end surfaces of the passage switching member 34 (upstream in the traveling direction in FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 10, the passage switching member 34 is rotated in the direction of the arrow AL around the axis passing through the shaft 34c, for example, so that the communication between the opening 34a and the foreign matter passages 32a to 32d is sequentially switched.

  In this embodiment, the rotational driving force of the passage switching member 34 is transmitted from the rotating member 51 by the power transmission unit 50. The power transmission unit 50 is preferably composed of a plurality of power transmission members. That is, the power transmission unit 50 is connected to the first pulley 54 by the first pulley 54 connected to the rotation shaft 52 of the rotating member 51, the belt 55 that transmits the rotational force of the first pulley 54, and the belt 55. The second pulley 56, the worm gear mechanism 57 that changes the direction of rotation of the second pulley, and the shaft 58 that transmits the rotation of the worm gear mechanism 57 to the passage switching member 34. With this power transmission unit 50, the rotational force of the rotating member 51 that rotates as the escalator steps progress can be transmitted to the passage switching member 34. The configuration of the power transmission unit 50 is not limited to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 9, and may be any configuration that can transmit the rotational force of the rotating member 51 to the passage switching member 34. Further, instead of the power transmission unit 50, a motor is connected to a mechanism for electrically rotating the passage switching member 34, for example, a shaft 58 connected to the shaft 34c, and the passage switching member 34 is rotated by the rotational force of the motor. You may let them.

  Thus, by dividing the intake port 31 and the foreign substance passage 32 into a plurality of parts and taking in the foreign substances for each passage by the passage switching member 34, it is possible to improve the intake efficiency of each intake port and the foreign substance passage. it can.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, a plate-like body having a length such that the lower end is in contact with the upper surface of the step 102 (that is, the upper surface of the convex portion of the groove 103) on the foreign matter scraping unit 20 side of the intake port 31. 35 is preferably provided. The material of the plate-like body 35 is not particularly limited. The plate-like body 35 and a foreign matter receiving member 41 and a foreign matter receiving brush 42 (described later) of the foreign matter receiving unit 40 provided on the downstream side of the intake port 31, provide a space between the foreign matter collecting unit 30 and the step 102. The space is closed, and the efficiency of taking in foreign matter is improved.

4). Foreign Object Receiving Unit FIG. 11 is a schematic side sectional view of the foreign object collecting unit 30 and the foreign object receiving unit 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The foreign matter receiving unit 40 is located downstream in the traveling direction with respect to the foreign matter collecting unit 30, and until the foreign matter scraped from the inside of the groove 103 by the foreign matter scraping unit 20 is taken in by the foreign matter collecting unit 30. It has a function to keep foreign matter near the inlet 31. In particular, in the case of the embodiment in which the intake port 31 and the foreign matter passage 32 are divided into a plurality of passages, while the communication between each passage and the exhaust port 33 is switched, the scraped foreign matter is removed from the exhaust port 33. Since the foreign matter receiving unit 40 needs to be kept near the intake port 31 that is not in communication with the foreign matter collecting unit 30, the advantage of disposing the foreign matter receiving unit 40 downstream of the foreign matter collecting unit 30 is great.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the foreign material receiving unit 40 includes a foreign material receiving member 41, a foreign material receiving brush 42, and a base 43, and the foreign material receiving member 41 and the foreign material receiving brush 42 are connected to the base 43. The foreign material receiving member 41 has a function of receiving a relatively large foreign material, and the foreign material receiving brush 42 has a function of receiving a fine foreign material such as dust that cannot be caught by the foreign material receiving member 41. The base 43 of the foreign material receiving unit 40 is connected to the wall surface 36 of the foreign material collection unit 30 by a connecting member 44 such as a hinge with a spring, for example. The foreign material receiving unit 40 is held so that the foreign material receiving member 41 is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the groove 103 by the spring force of the connection member 44. It is preferable that a cutout portion is formed in a part of the wall surface 36 so that the upper part of the foreign material receiving member 41 can be accommodated.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 11, the foreign material receiving member 41 has a comb-teeth shape corresponding to the unevenness of the groove 103. That is, in the foreign material receiving member 41, the comb teeth 41 a are inserted into the groove 103. It is preferable that an appropriate gap is provided between the comb teeth 41a and the bottom and side surfaces of the groove 103.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the foreign matter receiving brush 42 extends from the base portion 43 toward the bottom surface of the groove 103 in the direction transverse to the traveling direction. As shown in FIG. 11, the length of the foreign material receiving brush 42 is longer than the distance from the base 43 to the bottom surface of the groove 103. Therefore, among the foreign materials scraped by the scraping member 21, for example, comparison of dust or the like is performed. Fine foreign matter can be wiped from the groove 103.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the foreign material receiving unit 40 can be divided into a plurality of parts. That is, the base 43 of the foreign material receiving unit 40 is divided into a plurality of parts, each of which is provided with a foreign material receiving member 41 and a foreign material receiving brush 42 having a width corresponding to the width, and each base 43 is connected independently. The member 44 may be connected to the wall surface 36.

5. Fixed foreign matter detection mechanism In one embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus 1 detects the presence of a foreign matter when a fixed foreign matter that cannot be scraped off by the foreign matter scraping unit 20 is present in the groove 103. It is preferable that a fixed foreign matter detection mechanism 70 is provided. In one embodiment, the sticking foreign matter detection mechanism 70 includes a sticking foreign matter detection switch 71, a sticking foreign matter detection control unit 72, and an alarm device 73. If there is a fixed foreign matter 111 that cannot be scraped off by the scraping member 21 of the scraping unit 20 in the groove 103, the fixed foreign matter 111 becomes a foreign matter receiving member of the foreign matter receiving unit 40 as the step 102 advances. It hits 41. The fixed foreign material 111 hitting the foreign material receiving member 41 pushes the foreign material receiving member 41 upward in the downstream direction in the traveling direction with the hinge of the connecting member 44 as a fulcrum. The base 43 of the foreign material receiving unit 40 moves in accordance with the operation of the foreign material receiving member 41 and operates the fixed foreign material detection switch 71. When the sticking foreign matter detection switch 71 is activated, the sticking foreign matter detection control unit 72 determines that there is a sticking foreign matter 111 that cannot be scraped in the groove 103 and activates the alarm device 73. In FIG. 11, the fixed foreign matter detection switch 71 uses a limit switch, but is not limited to this, and any mechanism that can detect the movement of the foreign matter receiving unit 40 may be used.

  The alarm device 73 may emit an alarm by voice, or may issue an alarm by an indicator lamp. By providing the alarm device 73, a staff member who has confirmed the operation of the alarm device 73 can manually stop the escalator and remove the foreign material manually, and the preliminary foreign material confirmation can be omitted. It is also possible to automatically stop the escalator operation when the alarm device 73 is activated.

  In the embodiment in which the foreign object receiving unit 40 is divided into a plurality of parts, it is preferable to provide a plurality of solid foreign object detection switches 71 corresponding to each of the divided foreign object receiving units 40. In this embodiment, for example, when a fixed foreign material 111 that cannot be scraped off by the scraping member 21 hits one of the plurality of foreign material receiving units 40, the foreign material receiving unit that the foreign material 111 hits. Only 40 is pushed upward in the downstream direction toward the traveling direction. Next, the base 43 of the foreign object receiving unit 40 operates the fixed foreign object detection switch 71. The alarm device 73 is also configured as a plurality of alarm devices 73 corresponding to each of the plurality of foreign matter receiving units 40. According to this embodiment, the position of a foreign object when an alarm is generated can be specified in a narrower range.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Escalator step cleaning apparatus 5 Connecting member 10 Housing | casing 20 Foreign substance scraping unit 21 Scraping member 22 Scraping part 23 Support shaft 24 Pressurizing member 25 Base part 26 Positioning guide 30 Foreign substance collection unit 31 Intake port 32 Foreign substance path 33 Outlet port 34 Passage switching member 36 Hose 40 Foreign matter receiving unit 41 Foreign matter receiving member 42 Foreign matter receiving brush 43 Base 44 Connection member 50 Power transmission unit 51 Rotating member 52 Rotating shaft 53 Flange 54, 56 Pulley (Power transmitting member)
55 Belt (Power transmission member)
57 Worm gear mechanism (power transmission member)
58 shaft (power transmission member)
60 Support member 70 Sticking foreign matter detection mechanism 71 Sticking foreign matter detection switch 72 Sticking foreign matter detection control unit 73 Alarm device 101 Landing plate 102 Step 103 Groove 104 Comb plate 105 Handrail belt mount 106 Suction device 108 Support member 240 Pressure member 241 Base 242 Comb Teeth 243 Projection 245 Hole

Claims (17)

An apparatus for cleaning a plurality of grooves provided on a step of an escalator,
A housing,
A plurality of scraping members for scraping foreign matter inside the plurality of grooves arranged in a direction transverse to the advancing direction of the steps inside the housing, each of the scraping members being And a scraping portion including a scraping surface formed so that an angle formed with the bottom surface becomes an acute angle when contacting the bottom surface of the groove, and the scraping portion is operable in a direction away from the bottom surface. A plurality of scraping members,
A pressure member that applies a force to the bottom surface of the plurality of scraping members to each of the plurality of scraping members;
A foreign substance passage having a foreign substance intake port scraped from the plurality of grooves;
A discharge port for discharging foreign matter from the foreign matter passage;
A rotating member that is supported by the housing and rotates in contact with the steps;
A device comprising:   Each of the plurality of scraping members includes a base portion rotatably supported around a support shaft extending in a direction transverse to the traveling direction inside the housing, and the traveling direction with respect to the base portion The scraping portion located on the downstream side of the base, and the scraping portion is configured to move in a direction away from the bottom surface as the base rotates around the support shaft. Device according to claim 1, characterized. Each of the plurality of scraping members is a plate-like member having a main surface perpendicular to the support shaft,
The scraper is
A bottom contact portion that is a portion in contact with the bottom surface;
A first edge extending upward from the bottom surface contact portion in the traveling direction to form the scraping surface; and
A second edge portion extending upward from the bottom surface contact portion toward the downstream side in the traveling direction from the first edge portion;
The device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the scraping members
An upper edge portion extending from the base portion toward the downstream side in the traveling direction;
A third edge connecting the base and the end of the first edge opposite to the bottom surface contact part; and
A fourth edge portion connecting an end portion of the upper edge portion opposite to the base portion and an end portion of the second edge portion opposite to the bottom surface contact portion;
The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:   The bottom surface contact portion has a predetermined length extending along the traveling direction, and the first edge portion extends upward from an end portion of the bottom surface contact portion on the upstream side in the traveling direction, The apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the second edge portion extends upward from an end portion of the bottom surface abutting portion on the downstream side in the traveling direction.   The angle formed by the straight line connecting the intersection between the first edge and the bottom surface contact portion and the axial center of the support shaft is the angle A, and the first edge and the bottom surface contact. An angle formed by a straight line connecting the intersection with the portion and the axis center of the support shaft with the tangent of the first edge at the intersection of the first edge and the bottom surface contact portion is an angle B, When the angle formed by the tangent line of the first edge at the intersection of the first edge and the bottom surface contact part with the bottom surface is an angle C, the angles A, B, and C are all acute angles. The device according to claim 3, wherein the device is a device. Each of the scraping members
A third edge connecting the base and the end of the first edge opposite to the bottom surface contact part; and
A fourth edge connecting the base and an end of the second edge opposite to the bottom surface contact part;
The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:   The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pressure member is an elastic body disposed so as to contact the upper edge portion of the plurality of scraping members.   The pressurizing member is an elastic plate-like body having a base and a plurality of comb teeth protruding from the base and abutting against an upper edge of each of the plurality of scraping members, and the plurality of comb teeth The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a force for pressing the plurality of scraping members against the bottom surface by each restoring force is applied to each of the plurality of scraping members.   The housing further includes a scraping member positioning guide having a plurality of comb teeth positioned between each of the plurality of scraping members, the spacing between the plurality of comb teeth being the same as the spacing of the grooves. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The intake port and the foreign substance passage are divided into a plurality of passages in a lateral direction with respect to the traveling direction, and each of the plurality of passages and the discharge outlet are provided between the foreign substance passage and the discharge port. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a passage switching member having a plurality of openings for sequentially switching communication with the device.   A foreign substance receiving member having a plurality of comb teeth whose tips are located inside the plurality of grooves and extending laterally with respect to the traveling direction on the downstream side of the traveling direction of the foreign substance passage; The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a brush having a length in contact with a bottom surface of the plurality of grooves and extending in a direction transverse to the traveling direction. The foreign matter receiving member is configured such that when a foreign matter that is not scraped from the inside of the groove hits the plurality of comb teeth, the plurality of comb teeth operate toward the downstream side in the traveling direction,
When the plurality of comb teeth are operated toward the downstream side in the traveling direction, a detection unit that detects the operation and outputs a signal, and a control unit that receives the output and outputs an alarm are further provided. The device according to claim 12, characterized in that: A plate-shaped scraping member having two main surfaces opposed to each other, which is a surface perpendicular to the bottom surface of a groove provided in a step of an escalator when the device is used. There,
A bottom contact portion that is a portion in contact with the bottom surface of the groove;
A first edge extending from the bottom surface contact portion in an angle direction that forms an acute angle with the bottom surface when the bottom surface contact portion is in contact with the bottom surface;
A second edge extending from the bottom surface abutting portion in a direction of an angle smaller than an angle formed by the first edge and the bottom surface;
An upper edge extending in a direction in which the second edge extends from a base which is a part rotatably supported around a support shaft provided inside the housing of the device;
A third edge connecting the base and the end of the first edge opposite to the bottom surface contact part; and
A fourth edge portion connecting an end portion of the upper edge portion opposite to the base portion and an end portion of the second edge portion opposite to the bottom surface contact portion;
A scraping member comprising:   The bottom contact portion has a predetermined length, the first edge extends from one end portion of the bottom contact portion, and the second end portion is the other end of the bottom contact portion. The scraping member according to claim 14, wherein the scraping member extends from an end of the scraping member. A foreign matter scraping unit used in the apparatus according to claim 1,
A unit housing;
A plurality of scraping members for scraping foreign matter inside the plurality of grooves of the step, arranged in a direction transverse to the advancing direction of the escalator step in the unit housing;
A pressure member that applies a force to the bottom surface of the groove to press the plurality of scraping members to each of the plurality of scraping members;
Each of the scraping members has a scraping portion including a scraping surface formed so that an angle formed between the scraping member and the bottom surface is an acute angle when the scraping member is in contact with the bottom surface, A foreign matter scraping unit configured to operate in a direction away from the bottom surface. Each of the plurality of scraping members is positioned on the downstream side of the traveling direction with respect to the base, and a base that is rotatably supported around a support shaft that extends in a direction transverse to the traveling direction. The scraper is configured to move in a direction away from the bottom surface as the base rotates around the support shaft. 16. A foreign matter scraping unit according to 16.

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