JP2013159466A - Passenger conveyer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a passenger conveyer which has a function of identifying which step is missing and moving a step chain to which the missing step is attached to a position appropriate for work.SOLUTION: At a front wheel shaft of a step chain 4, an RF tag 10 which transmits a signal only when a step 5 is missing, a tag reader 20 and a tag reader 40 which read a signal of the RF tag 10, and a control device 30 which controls drive of a passenger conveyer 1 are provided. The tag reader 20 reads the signal of the RF tag and transmits a passenger conveyer stop signal to the control device to stop the passenger conveyer 1. During maintenance work, stop of the passenger conveyer 1 is released and the tag reader 20 and tag reader 40 are switched to drive the passenger conveyer 1. When the front wheel shaft lacking the step 5 reaches a lower floor machine room 3a, the tag reader 40 which reads the signal of the RF tag 10 transmits the passenger conveyer stop signal to the control device 30 to stop the passenger conveyer 1.

Description

  Embodiments of the present invention relate to a passenger conveyor.

  Passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways are widely used, but if an escalator step is abnormal, that is, if a step is missing, there is a risk of personal injury. In order to cause a major disaster, such as a collision with other goods, a device that immediately detects an abnormality and activates a safety device is provided. There are various methods for detecting missing steps. For example, a wireless IC tag that records step-specific data is attached to each step, and a monitoring device that identifies the step by reading this unique data with a card reader and stops the passenger conveyor when an abnormality is detected in the step Passenger conveyors are known.

JP 2009-29524 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor having a function of identifying which step is missing and moving the step chain to which the missing step is attached at a position suitable for work. .

  A passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an active wireless IC tag (active type RF tag) that transmits a signal to a front wheel shaft of a step chain to which a step is attached only when a step is missing from the step chain, and an active type First signal reading means (tag reader) for reading a signal transmitted by the type wireless IC tag, second signal reading means for reading a signal transmitted by the active type wireless IC tag, and a control device for controlling driving of the passenger conveyor, It has. The first signal reading means (tag reader) that has read the signal transmitted by the active wireless IC tag transmits a passenger conveyor drive stop signal to the control device, and the control device stops the passenger conveyor. At the time of maintenance work, the driving stop of the passenger conveyor is released, the first signal reading means and the second signal reading means are switched to drive the passenger conveyor, and the front wheel shaft with missing steps has reached the lower floor machine room Sometimes, the second signal reading means that has read the signal transmitted from the active wireless IC tag transmits a passenger conveyor drive stop signal to the control device, and the control device stops the passenger conveyor.

It is a general view which shows the outline | summary of an escalator. It is a side view of a step. It is a perspective view which shows the state which tries to attach a step to the front-wheel axis | shaft of a step chain. It is a side view which shows the state which attaches a step to the front-wheel axis | shaft of a step chain. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the step to the front-wheel axis | shaft of a step chain. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the state which attached the RF tag to the front-wheel axis | shaft which attached the step. It is a front view which shows arrangement | positioning structure of RF tag and a microswitch in the state in which the step was attached to the front-wheel axle. It is a side view which shows the arrangement configuration of RF tag and microswitch in the state where the step is attached to the front wheel axle. It is the A section enlarged view of FIG. It is a circuit diagram of RF tag and a micro switch in the state where a step is attached to a front wheel axle. It is a partial enlarged front view of a microswitch in a state where a step is missing from a front wheel axle. It is a circuit diagram of RF tag and a microswitch in the state where a step was missing from the front wheel axle. It is the schematic which shows the structure of the RF tag in a truss of an escalator, a 1st tag reader, and a control apparatus. It is the schematic of the escalator which shows the structure of the lower floor machine room of an escalator, RF tag, a 2nd tag reader, and a control apparatus.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition, although this embodiment employ | adopts an escalator as an example of a passenger conveyor, it is applicable also about passenger conveyors, such as a moving sidewalk.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an upper floor machine room 2 a is provided below an upper boarding board 2 on the upper floor side of the passenger conveyor 1, and a lower floor machine room is provided below the lower boarding board 3. 3a is provided. A drive device including a motor, a transmission mechanism, a speed reduction mechanism, and the like is provided in the upper floor machine room 2a, and the drive device drives a drive sprocket via a drive chain. A driven sprocket is provided in the lower floor machine room 3a, and an endless step chain 4 is wound around the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket, and a number of steps 5 are connected to the step chain 4 at equal intervals. A large number of steps 5 circulate on the guide rail in conjunction with the movement of the step chain 4 caused by the rotation of the motor.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the step 5 has a tread surface 5a, a rear wheel 5b, and a bearing 5c for a front wheel shaft. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the step 5 is fixed to the step chain 4 as shown in FIG. 5 by fitting the bearing 5 c of the step 5 to the front wheel shaft 4 a of the step chain 4.

  As shown in FIG. 6, an active type RF tag 10 as an active wireless IC tag, that is, an RF tag that transmits radio waves with its own power, is attached to all the front wheel shafts 4a of the step chain 4. Since the RF tag 10 is an active type, the piezoelectric element 11 and the capacitor 12 are incorporated in the RF tag 10, and as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. A microswitch 13 for controlling cutting is attached. The microswitch 13 includes an actuator, that is, a telescopic shaft 13a biased toward the back surface of the tread surface 5a. The telescopic shaft is not limited to being installed toward the rear surface of the tread surface, and may be installed, for example, toward the bearing of the front wheel shaft.

  As shown in FIG. 9, when the telescopic shaft 13a of the micro switch 13 is pushed and contracted by the back surface of the tread surface 5a, that is, when the step 5 is attached to the step chain 4 without any abnormality. 10, the capacitor 12 is charged by the piezoelectric element 11 by closing the contact a of the microswitch 11 so as to connect the energization between the piezoelectric element 11 and the capacitor 12, and between the RF tag 10 and the capacitor 12. When the contact b of the microswitch 13 is opened so as to cut off the energization, no electricity flows through the RF tag 10, and therefore the RF tag 10 is configured not to transmit a signal.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the telescopic shaft 13a of the microswitch 13 is piezoelectric when it extends upward without the tread surface 5a, that is, when the step 5 is missing from the step chain 4, as shown in FIG. The contact a of the micro switch 13 is opened so as to cut off the energization between the element 11 and the capacitor 12, the charging of the piezoelectric element 11 to the capacitor 12 is stopped, and the energization between the RF tag 10 and the capacitor 12 is connected. When the contact b of the switch 13 is closed, electricity flows through the RF tag 10, and thus the RF tag 10 is configured to transmit a signal.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the passenger conveyor 1 has three tag readers 20 as the first signal reading means (not limited to three in particular), that is, the tag reader 20a is installed in the upper floor machine room 2a. The tag reader 20b is installed below the middle part of the inclined truss, and the tag reader 20c is installed in the lower floor machine room 3a (the tag reader 20 is collectively referred to as the tag readers 20a, 20b, 20c). The tag reader 20 has directivity, and when the step 5 is missing, the nearest tag reader 20 immediately detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 and controls the driving of the passenger conveyor 1. It transmits to the apparatus 30, and the passenger conveyor 1 is stopped. For example, when the step 5 ′ on the lower floor side shown in FIG. 13 is missing, the RF tag 10 of the front wheel shaft 4a to which the step 5 ′ is attached transmits a signal as described above, and this signal is sent to the nearest The tag reader 20c on the lower floor side detects it.

  When the tag reader 20a on the upper floor side detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 during the ascending operation, that is, when the step 5 is reversed on the upper floor side, the RF tag 10 on the front wheel shaft 4a of the step 5 transmits a signal. When the tag reader 20a detects this transmission signal, the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 is missing is then lowered in the truss. Therefore, a signal is transmitted from the tag reader 20a to the control device 30 so that the passenger conveyor 1 stops gently in order to reduce the impact caused by the passenger conveyor stop.

  Further, when the tag reader 20c on the lower floor side detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 during the ascending operation, that is, when the step 5 is reversed on the lower floor side, the RF tag 10 on the front wheel shaft 4a of the step 5 outputs a signal. When the tag reader 20c detects this transmission signal, the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 is missing will then exit the boarding / exiting plate 3. Therefore, in order to prevent an accident, a signal is transmitted from the tag reader 20c to the control device 30 so that the portion where the step 5 is missing is driven at a limit stop speed at which the step 5 does not come out of the lower floor boarding board 3.

  Further, when the tag reader 20a on the upper floor side detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 during the descent operation, that is, when the step 5 is reversed on the upper floor side, the RF tag 10 on the front wheel shaft 4a of the step 5 transmits a signal. When this transmission signal is detected by the tag reader 20a, the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 is missing will then exit the boarding / exiting plate 2. Therefore, in order to prevent an accident, a signal is transmitted from the tag reader 20a to the control device 30 so that the portion where the step 5 is missing is driven at a limit stop speed at which the step 5 does not come out of the boarding board 2 on the upper floor side.

  Furthermore, when the tag reader 20c on the lower floor side detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 during the descent operation, that is, when the step 5 is reversed on the lower floor side, the RF tag 10 on the front wheel shaft 4a of the step 5 receives the signal. When the tag reader 20c detects this transmission signal, the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 is missing will then rise in the truss. Therefore, a signal is transmitted from the tag reader 20c to the control device 30 so that the passenger conveyor 1 stops gently in order to reduce the impact caused by the passenger conveyor stop.

  When the intermediate tag reader 20b detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10, that is, the RF tag 10 of the front wheel shaft 4a of the step 5 transmits a signal in the intermediate portion in the truss, and this transmission signal is transmitted to the tag reader 20b. Is detected, the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 is missing is then raised or lowered in the truss. Therefore, a signal is transmitted from the tag reader 20b to the control device 30 so that the passenger conveyor 1 stops gently in order to reduce the impact caused by the passenger conveyor stop.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 14, a tag reader 40 is installed in the lower floor machine room 3a in the passenger conveyor 1 as second signal reading means. Similar to the tag reader 20, the tag reader 40 detects a transmission signal from the RF tag 10 of the front wheel shaft 4 a, transmits it to the control device 30 that controls the driving of the passenger conveyor 1, and stops the passenger conveyor 1. Yes. As described above, when the step 5 is missing, the tag reader 20 that detects the transmission signal from the RF tag 10 transmits a signal for stopping the driving of the passenger conveyor 1 to the control device 30, and the control device 30 causes the passenger conveyor 1 to Stop. Therefore, during maintenance work, the passenger conveyor 1 is manually stopped and the tag reader 20 that detects a signal transmitted from the RF tag 10 is switched to the tag reader 40 to cause the passenger conveyor 1 to perform an emergency operation. Then, the tag reader 40 detects a signal transmitted by the RF tag 10 when the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 'is missing enters the lower floor machine room 3a, and the tag reader 40 stops driving the passenger conveyor 1. A signal is transmitted to the control device 30, and as shown in FIG. 14, the passenger conveyor 1 is stopped when the front wheel shaft 4a from which the step 5 'is missing reaches the lower floor machine room 3a. Therefore, since the front wheel shaft 4a lacking the step 5 stops in the lower floor machine room, there is an advantage that maintenance work can be easily performed.

  As described above, the passenger conveyor 1 according to the embodiment has a function of identifying which step is missing and moving the step chain in which the missing step is attached at a position suitable for work, Maintenance work for missing steps and the like can be easily performed.

  In addition, although the present Example demonstrated the escalator as a passenger conveyor, it is applicable also to a moving sidewalk. Further, the embodiment is an exemplification, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiment.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

1 ………… Passenger conveyor 2 ………… Upper floor board 2a ……… Upper floor machine room 3 ………… Lower floor board 3a ……… Lower floor machine room 4 ………… Step chain 4a ......... Front wheel shaft 5 ......... Step 5 '......... Step 5a ......... Tread surface 5b ......... Rear wheel 5c ......... Bearing 10 ......... RF tag (active wireless IC tag)
11 ......... Piezoelectric element 12 ......... Capacitor 13 ......... Micro switch 13a ... Extensible shaft a ......... Micro switch contact b ......... Micro switch contact 20 ......... Tag reader (first signal) Reading means)
20a …… Upper floor tag reader 20b …… Intermediate tag reader 20c …… Lower floor tag reader 30 …… Control device 40 …… Tag reader (second signal reading means)

Claims (2)

A step chain connected endlessly,
A step that is attached to the step chain and circulates with the driving of the step chain; and
A front wheel shaft that forms part of the step chain and engages with the front wheel side bearing of each step;
An active wireless IC tag attached to the front wheel shaft and transmitting a signal only when a step is missing from the step chain;
First signal reading means for reading a signal transmitted from the active wireless IC tag;
A passenger conveyor comprising: a control device having a drive stopping means for stopping the step chain by a signal read by the first signal reading means. The control device includes switching means for releasing the stop of the step chain by a manual operation and bringing it into a driving state,
A second signal reading means for reading a signal transmitted from the active wireless IC tag when the front wheel shaft having a missing step reaches the lower floor machine room in the operating state;
The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes drive stop means for stopping the step chain based on a signal read by the second signal reading means.

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