JP7443599B1 - Passenger conveyor long object monitoring device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor that can monitor whether a long object held by a passenger collides with the ceiling without installing a monitoring camera in a building. [Solution] A long object monitoring device for an escalator 10 which has a part between the entrance and the exit where the height from the steps to the ceiling narrows to a minimum height, An upper first sensor 70 provided at the entrance detects when a long object R enters from the entrance in a vertical direction An upper second sensor 72, which is provided on the inner ledge on the entrance side and detects the height of an object on the steps 30 moving from the entrance side, and an upper first sensor 70 detect a long object with a minimum height h or more. Control to decelerate and stop the steps 30 before the long object R reaches the minimum height point when the object R is detected and the upper second sensor 72 detects an object with a minimum height h or more It has a device 50. [Selection diagram] Figure 1

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor.

Conventionally, on passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways, when a passenger rides a passenger conveyor carrying a long object such as a fishing rod, musical instrument, or weapon that is long in the vertical direction (vertical direction), the upper end of the long object A monitoring device has been proposed that monitors to prevent objects from colliding with the ceiling.

Patent No. 7035139 WO2020/053004 publication

The above-mentioned monitoring device has a surveillance camera installed on the ceiling of the building, and uses this surveillance camera to monitor the top end of a long object. There was a problem in that it took time to install.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, an embodiment of the present invention provides a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor that can monitor whether a long object held by a passenger collides with the ceiling without installing a monitoring camera in the building. The purpose is to provide

An embodiment of the present invention is a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor that has a part between the boarding entrance and the exit where the height from the steps to the ceiling narrows to a minimum height. a first sensor provided at the entrance, which detects whether the height to the upper end of the elongated object is equal to or greater than the minimum height when the long object is boarded from the entrance; a second sensor that is provided on the inner ledge on the side of the entrance from the minimum height point at which the height is to be reached and detects the height of an object moving from the entrance; of the elongated object is detected and the second sensor detects the object having a height equal to or higher than the minimum height, the step is decelerated until the elongated object reaches the minimum height point. This is a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor, characterized in that it has a control device for stopping the passenger conveyor.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the escalator of Embodiment 1 seen from the left side. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a long object monitoring device. It is a flow chart of a long object monitoring device. FIG. 7 is a side view of the escalator of Embodiment 2, seen from the left side.

A passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1

Embodiment 1 will be described using an escalator 10 as a passenger conveyor with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The escalator 10 spans between the upper and lower floors inside the building 1. The ceiling 4 on the upper floor is horizontal, and the ceiling 5 above the upper half of the escalator 10 slopes from the horizontal ceiling 4 toward the lower floor, and has a step where it intersects with the horizontal ceiling 7 on the lower floor. A portion 6 is formed. The height at which the distance in the vertical direction between the ceiling 7 where the stepped portion 6 is provided and the steps 30 of the escalator 10 becomes the narrowest is hereinafter referred to as the "minimum height h". Note that the minimum height h is measured in advance.

The long object monitoring device of the present embodiment is configured to detect the long object R when the passenger P gets on the escalator 10 with a long object R such as a fishing rod, a musical instrument, or a weapon that is long in the vertical direction (vertical direction). This system detects whether or not the height h is higher than the minimum height h, and prevents the long object R from colliding with the stepped portion 6 between the ceiling 5 and the ceiling 7. In addition, the "height" of the long object R is, for example, when the passenger P carries the long object R on his back as shown in FIG. The distance between

(1) Escalator 10
The overall structure of the escalator 10 will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the escalator 10 viewed from the left side. However, in order to make the internal structure of the escalator 10 easier to understand, illustrations of members on one side (left side) of the escalator 10 are omitted. In this embodiment, the escalator 10 is operating downward, but regardless of the direction of its operation, when describing the front and back direction of the escalator 10, it is assumed that the upper floor is looking down on the lower floor, and that the upper floor is on the rear side. Assume that the lower floor is the front side.

A truss 12, which is the framework of the escalator 10, spans the upper and lower floors of the building 1 and is supported in the front-rear direction using support angles 2 and 3.

Inside the machine room 14 on the upper floor side at the upper end of the truss 12, a drive device 18 for driving the steps 30 and a pair of left and right step sprockets 24, 24 are provided. This drive device 18 includes a motor 20, a small drive sprocket 19 attached to the output shaft of the motor 20 via a speed reducer, and a disk-type electromagnetic brake that stops the rotation of the motor 20 and maintains the stopped state. It has 23. A large drive sprocket 17 is coaxially attached to the pair of left and right step sprockets 24, 24, and an endless drive chain 22 is spanned between the small drive sprocket 19 and the small drive sprocket 19. Further, inside the machine room 14 on the upper floor side, a control device 50 that controls the motor 20, the electromagnetic brake 23, etc. is provided.

Inside the machine room 16 on the lower floor side at the lower end of the truss 12, a pair of left and right driven sprockets 26, 26 are provided. A pair of left and right endless step chains 28, 28 are spanned between a pair of left and right step sprockets 24, 24 on the upper floor side and a pair of left and right driven sprockets 26, 26 on the lower floor side. Between the pair of left and right step chains 28, 28, a pair of left and right first wheels 301, 301 of a plurality of steps 30 are connected at regular intervals. When the motor 20 rotates, the first wheel 301 of the step 30 runs on a guide rail dedicated to the first wheel (not shown) fixed to the truss 12, and the second wheel 302 of the step 30 runs on the first wheel dedicated guide rail fixed to the truss 12. It runs on a guide rail 25 exclusively for two wheels.

A pair of left and right handrails 36, 36 are erected on both left and right sides of the upper part of the truss 12. A handrail rail 39 is provided above the balustrade 36, and an endless handrail belt 38 moves along this handrail rail 39. The handrail belt 38 moves in synchronization with the steps 30 as a belt sprocket (not shown) rotates together with the step sprocket 24 .

A front skirt guard 40 on the upper floor side is provided at the front lower part of the upper floor side of the pair of left and right handrails 36, and a front skirt guard 42 on the lower floor side is provided at the front lower part on the lower floor side. Inlet portions 46 and 48, which are entrances and exits for the handrail belt 38, protrude from the front skirt guards 40 and 42, respectively. Skirt guards (inner ledges) 44 are provided at the lower side surfaces of the pair of left and right handrails 36, respectively, and the step 30 runs between the pair of left and right skirt guards 44, 44. The upper part of the skirt guard 44 also serves as an inner ledge.

An upper floor board 32 is provided horizontally on the ceiling of the machine room 14, which is an entrance between the pair of left and right skirt guards 44, 44 on the upper floor. A lower floor board 34 is provided horizontally on the ceiling of the machine room 16, which is an entrance between the pair of left and right skirt guards 44, 44 on the lower floor. A comb-shaped comb 60 is provided at the tip of the boarding board 32 on the upper floor side, and the step 30 enters into or is pulled out of this comb 60. Further, a speaker 54 on the upper floor side is provided on the skirt guard 44 near the com 60. A comb-shaped comb 62 is also provided at the tip of the boarding board 34 on the lower floor side. Further, a speaker 56 on the lower floor side is provided on the skirt guard 44 near the com 62.

(2) Long object monitoring device Next, we will explain the long object monitoring device that prevents the long object R held vertically by the passenger P from hitting the stepped portion 6 between the ceiling 5 and the ceiling 7. do. The long object monitoring device includes a control device 50, an upper first sensor 70, an upper second sensor 72, a lower first sensor 74, and a lower second sensor 76 connected thereto. The first upper sensor 70 and the second upper sensor 72 are used when the escalator 10 descends from the upper floor side to the lower floor side, and at this time, the upper floor side is the entrance and the lower floor side is the exit exit. Further, the first lower sensor 74 and the second lower sensor 76 are used when the escalator 10 ascends from the lower floor side to the upper floor side, and at this time, the lower floor side is the entrance and the upper floor side is the exit. be.

The upper first sensor 70 is a TOF camera sensor, which is a type of image sensor, provided on either one of the left and right front skirt guards 40, 40, and its monitoring range is backward and diagonally upward. There is. The TOF camera, which is the upper first sensor 70, is a 3D-TOF, and is capable of photographing an image seen from the upper first sensor 70 and detecting the distance from the upper first sensor 70 to an object reflected in the image. . The upper first sensor 70 is connected to the control device 50.

Regarding the image including the distance parameter input from the upper first sensor 70, the control device 50 first performs an image analysis to determine whether the passenger P is included in the image. Next, if a passenger P is in the picture, the image is analyzed to determine whether or not the passenger P is holding the long object R vertically. Next, when the passenger P holds the long object R vertically, the height from the board 32 to the top of the long object R is determined based on the parameter of the distance to the top of the long object R. Detect L.

The control device 50 does not set a warning flag when the height L from the board 32 to the upper end of the long object R is smaller than the minimum height h, and sets a warning flag when it is larger. In addition, when the warning flag is raised due to the detection by the upper first sensor 70, the control device 50 sends a message to the speaker 54 on the upper floor, saying, ``There is a risk of the luggage hitting the ceiling, so please lower the luggage.'' The contents are voice announced to passengers P.

The upper second sensor 72 is provided at the upper part (inner ledge) of the skirt guard 44 on the upper floor side than the minimum height point. However, the "minimum height point" means a point on the escalator 10 where there is a stepped portion 6 and the distance between the steps 30 and the ceiling 7 is the minimum height h. The second upper sensor 72 is an ultrasonic sensor that emits ultrasonic waves toward the upper floor, and detects the length of the passenger P who is on the stairs 30 moving on the upper floor than the second upper sensor 72. Detect the height of the measuring object R. As this detection method, for example, the time from when the first upper sensor 70 detects the long object R until it enters the detection range of the second upper sensor 72 is calculated in advance from the moving speed of the step 30, and When the time calculated from the time when the first sensor 70 detects the vertically oriented long object R has elapsed, the upper second sensor 72 emits an ultrasonic wave diagonally upward and detects the object (long object R). Detects whether there is a reflection from the If there is no reflection, the above-mentioned warning flag is removed, and if there is reflection, the warning flag continues to be raised.

The control device 50 does not perform any operation when the warning flag is raised by the upper first sensor 70 and the warning flag is canceled by the upper second sensor 72. On the other hand, if the second upper sensor 72 continues to set the warning flag, the control device 50 determines that the passenger P is holding the long object R vertically, and issues a message saying, ``There is a risk that the luggage will hit the ceiling.'' The speaker 54 on the upper floor again makes a voice announcement saying, "Please lower your luggage as soon as possible," and the drive circuit 52 controls the moving speed of the steps 30 to reduce the speed so that the vertically oriented long object R The steps 30 are stopped until they reach the stepped portion 6 between the ceiling 5 and the ceiling 7. The control device 50 uses the electromagnetic brake 23 to bring the step 30 to a sudden stop, if necessary.

The lower first sensor 74 is provided on the front skirt guard 42 on the lower floor side of the escalator 10. The lower second sensor 76 is provided at the upper part (inner ledge) of the skirt guard 44 on the lower floor side than the minimum height point. The configuration and operation of the lower first sensor 74 and the lower second sensor 76 are the same as those of the upper first sensor 70 and the upper second sensor 72.

Note that the upper second sensor 72 and the lower second sensor 76 are windowless ultrasonic sensors, that is, sealed ultrasonic sensors, in order to prevent them from being exposed to the surface of the inner ledge. The second sensor 72 and the lower first sensor 74 are used to prevent suspicion that the camera is being secretly photographed from below.

(3) Electrical configuration of escalator 10 The electrical configuration of escalator 10 will be explained with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2.

The escalator 10 has a drive circuit 52 that performs inverter control of the motor 20 for moving the steps 30 at a predetermined speed. An electromagnetic brake 23 for stopping rotation of the motor 20 is connected to this drive circuit 52.

The control device 50 that controls the escalator 10 includes a drive circuit 52, a speaker 54 on the upper floor side, a speaker 56 on the lower floor side, an upper first sensor 70, an upper second sensor 72, a lower first sensor 74, and a lower floor speaker 56. Two sensors 76 are connected.

(4) Operating state of the long object monitoring device Next, the operating state of the long object monitoring device will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 3.

In step S1, operation of the escalator 10 is started, and the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, if the upper first sensor 70 detects a passenger P holding a long object R that is taller than the minimum height h in a vertical orientation, the process proceeds to step S3 (in the case of y); otherwise, the process proceeds to step S3. Continue the operation in S2 (in case of n).

In step S3, the control device 50 uses the speaker 54 on the upper floor to tell the passenger P who is holding a long object R in a vertical orientation, ``There is a risk that the luggage will hit the ceiling, so please lower the luggage. Please make a voice announcement. Then, the process advances to step S4.

In step S4, if the upper second sensor 72 detects the passenger P holding the long object R vertically again, the process proceeds to step S5 (in the case of y); if not, the process returns to step S2. (in case of n).

In step S5, since the passenger P descends while holding the long object R that collides with the ceiling, the control device 50 reduces the moving speed of the steps 30 and uses the speaker 54 on the upper floor to A voice announcement such as ``There is a danger of your luggage colliding with the ceiling, so please lower your luggage as soon as possible'' is sent to P again. Then, the process advances to step S6.

In step S6, the control device 50 stops the steps 30 before the vertically oriented elongated object R reaches the minimum height point, and proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the control device 50 stops the escalator 10 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 30 seconds) to give the passenger P time to lower the height by switching the vertically oriented long object R, and stops the escalator 10 for a predetermined period of time. After the elapse of time, the process returns to step S1, and in step S1, the operation of the escalator 10 is started again.

In addition, when the escalator 10 is operating upward, the long object R coming up from the lower floor side is carried by following steps S1 to S7 above except for using the lower first sensor 74 and the lower second sensor 76. The escalator 10 monitors the passengers P, and issues a warning by voice announcement and stops and restarts the escalator 10 as necessary.

(5) Effects According to the present embodiment, if the long object R held vertically by the passenger P is higher than the minimum height h, a warning is given by voice announcement at the entrance on the upper floor. If the passenger P steps on the steps 30 while holding the long object R vertically and the second upper sensor 72 detects the long object R again, the passenger P is warned again by a voice announcement and the step is removed. Since the step 30 is decelerated and the step 30 is stopped before reaching the minimum height point, the long object R does not collide with the step part 6 between the ceiling 5 and the ceiling 7.

Furthermore, since the upper first sensor 70, the upper second sensor 72, the lower first sensor 74, and the lower second sensor 76 are attached to the escalator 10, there is no need to attach cameras to the ceilings 4, 5, and 7 of the building 1. The long object R can be monitored.

Embodiment 2

Next, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a side view of the escalator 10 seen from the left side, but since the structure inside the truss 12 is the same as the escalator 10 of Embodiment 1, the description of the structure is omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a stepped portion 6 is formed at a portion where the horizontal ceiling 4 on the upper floor intersects with the horizontal ceiling 7 on the lower floor. The vertical distance between the ceiling 7 where the stepped portion 6 is provided and the steps 30 of the escalator 10 is the minimum height h, which is the narrowest height.

The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 lies in the positions where the upper first sensor 70 and the lower first sensor 74 are provided. In the first embodiment, the front skirt guard 40 on the upper floor side and the front skirt guard 42 on the lower floor side are provided, but in this embodiment, the upper first sensor 70 is installed at the upper end of the pole 78 at the entrance on the upper floor side. A lower first sensor 74 is provided on a pole 80 at the entrance on the lower floor side.

Also in this embodiment, when the escalator 10 descends, the upper first sensor 70 provided on the pole 78 detects whether the upper end of the long object R held vertically by the passenger P is higher than the minimum height h. Detect. When the escalator 10 is ascending, the lower first sensor 74 provided on the pole 80 detects whether the upper end of the long object R held by the passenger P is higher than the minimum height h.

As a result, if a long object R held vertically by a passenger P is higher than the minimum height h, a voice announcement will be made at the entrance on the upper floor, and if the passenger P is held for a long time despite the warning. If the long object R is held as it is, the warning is repeated to prevent the long object R from hitting the ceiling. In addition, if the second upper sensor 72 detects the long object R again, the passenger P is warned again with a voice announcement, the steps 30 are decelerated, and the steps 30 are stopped before reaching the minimum height point. Therefore, the long object R will not hit the ceiling 7.

Example of change

Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described.

(1) Example of change 1
In the first and second embodiments described above, TOF cameras are used for the upper first sensor 70 and the lower first sensor 74, but the following configuration may be used instead.

A left camera and a right camera are respectively provided on the left and right front skirt guards 40, 40 on the upper floor side, and these cameras are used as the upper first sensor 70. Using a stereo image consisting of the left image taken by the left camera and the right image taken by the right camera, and the parallax between the left and right cameras, the depth of the passenger P etc. is determined and the long object R held by the passenger P is determined. Detect the height of.

Further, a left camera and a right camera are provided on the pair of left and right front skirt guards 42, 42 on the lower floor side, and these cameras are used as the lower first sensor 74.

(2) Example of change 2
In the first embodiment, the steps 30 are stopped when the passenger P carrying the long object R reaches the minimum height point, and then the steps 30 are moved again after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S7). Alternatively, the steps 30 may remain stopped. Furthermore, after the step 30 is stopped when the passenger P carrying the long object R reaches the minimum height point, the upper second sensor 72 or the lower second sensor 76 detects the long object R at the minimum height point. The height of the object R may be detected, and the step 30 may be moved again when the height becomes lower than the minimum height h.

(3) Change example 3
Further, in the embodiment described above, the escalator 10 is used as a passenger conveyor, but the present invention may be applied to a moving sidewalk instead. This applies when the height of the ceiling above the moving walkway changes along the way.

(4) Change example 4
The structure of the ceiling of the building 1 in each of the above embodiments is an example, and if the structure of the ceiling is such that the height from the stairs 30 to the ceiling narrows to the minimum height h between the entrance and the exit, this embodiment can be applied.

(5) Others Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, this embodiment is presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and gist of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1... Building, 4... Ceiling on the upper floor side, 5... Ceiling on the lower floor side, 6... Step part, 10... Escalator, 30... Steps, 32... Getting on and off Board, 34... Getting on/off board, 36... Handrail, 38... Handrail belt, 40... Front skirt guard, 42... Front skirt guard, 50... Control device, 54... Speaker, 56...Speaker, 70...Upper first sensor, 72...Upper second sensor, 74...Lower first sensor, 76...Lower second sensor

Claims (7)

In a long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor that has a part between the entrance and the exit where the height from the steps to the ceiling narrows to the minimum height,
Provided at the entrance for detecting whether the height to the top of the long object is equal to or greater than the minimum height when a passenger boards the train from the entrance while holding a long object vertically. a first sensor,
a second sensor that is provided on the inner ledge on the side of the entrance from the minimum height point where the minimum height is reached, and detects the height of an object moving from the entrance;
When the first sensor detects the elongated object having a height greater than or equal to the minimum height, and the second sensor detects the object having a height greater than or equal to the minimum height, the elongated object is located at the minimum height point. a control device that decelerates and stops the step before reaching the step;
A long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor, comprising: The control device includes:
Warning the passenger with a voice announcement when the first sensor detects the long object having a height equal to or higher than the minimum height.
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1. The control device includes:
After the first sensor detects the elongated object having a height greater than or equal to the minimum height, when the second sensor detects the object having a height greater than or equal to the minimum height, a voice announcement is made to warn the passenger again.
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 2. The first sensor is provided on a front skirt guard at the entrance,
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1. The first sensor is provided on a pole at the entrance,
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1. the first sensor is an image sensor;
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1. the second sensor is an ultrasonic sensor;
The long object monitoring device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1.