JP7448078B1 - escalator - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an escalator that is not affected by air blowing from an air conditioner and can effectively sterilize bacteria adhering to the clothes of passengers being transported. The vehicle is equipped with a plurality of steps 12 that are connected in an endless manner and travel in circulation, and an ultraviolet ray irradiation device 68 that irradiates ultraviolet rays from the side to a passenger P who is transported by the steps 12. [Selection diagram] Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to an escalator, and particularly to an escalator that can sterilize the clothes of passengers being transported.

For example, in commercial facilities such as department stores and large shopping malls, multiple escalators are installed at appropriate locations for transportation efficiency, and customers transfer from the entrance floor to the escalator to reach their destination floor. .

By the way, one possible measure against infectious diseases that have become widespread in recent years is to sterilize the clothes of customers, thereby suppressing the spread of infection within commercial facilities and the like. To this end, it is thought to be effective to intensively disinfect escalators, where many passengers pass, to prevent infection at the destination floor.

Patent Document 1 describes an escalator that can sterilize the clothes of passengers being transported on the escalator. The escalator described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as "conventional escalator") has a plurality of electrostatic atomizers 11 provided in the ceiling section 53 above the escalator main body (paragraph of Patent Document 1). [0033], Figure 3).

The electrostatic atomizer 11 releases charged fine particle water M that is effective in deodorizing, sterilizing, and inactivating allergen substances (paragraph [0039] of Patent Document 1, FIG. 2). Paragraph [0039] of Patent Document 1 states, ``Furthermore, the charged fine particle water M can be emitted to the people riding the escalator 50, and the hair or clothes of the people riding the escalator 50 can be discharged. By attaching charged fine particle water M, it is possible to deodorize and sterilize or inactivate allergen substances.''

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-66925

However, since conventional escalators emit charged particulate water M from above the passengers (in the vertical direction with respect to the passengers), even if it adheres to the head (human hair), the amount that adheres to the clothes is small. It seems that there are few. Furthermore, the charged particulate water M discharged from the ceiling is easily diffused, and is also affected by the air blowing from the air conditioner in the facility, so there is a possibility that it will not reach the passengers sufficiently. As a result, it is considered that the sterilizing effect of the electrostatic atomizer 11 is not sufficiently exerted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an escalator that is not affected by air blowing from an air conditioner and can effectively sterilize bacteria adhering to the clothes of passengers being transported.

In order to achieve the above object, an escalator according to the present invention includes a plurality of steps that are connected in an endless manner and run in a circular manner, and an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays from the side to the passengers carried by the steps. It is characterized by having the following.

The invention also includes a height measurement device that measures the height of the passenger, and a control device that controls lighting of the ultraviolet irradiation device, and the control device determines the height of the passenger based on the height measured by the height measurement device. The lighting of the ultraviolet irradiation device is controlled so that the ultraviolet rays are irradiated below the face of the user.

Furthermore, the ultraviolet irradiation device includes a plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units provided at intervals in parallel with the running direction of the steps, and the control device controls on/off of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units. , the escalator is an escalator for ascending, and further includes a transfer detection means for detecting a passenger getting on one of the plurality of steps, and the control device is configured such that the height measurement device Based on the passenger's height, an ultraviolet light emitting unit located above the first step detected by the transfer detection means in the traveling direction and below the passenger's face is turned on.

Further, it may have the following characteristics (1) to (5).

(1) The control device further controls the light emission intensity of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units, and among the ultraviolet light emitting units to be turned on, the further the ultraviolet light emitting unit is from the first step in the horizontal direction, the higher the light emission intensity. It is characterized by:

(2) The control device further controls the emission intensity of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units, so that the one step detected by the transfer detection means and the other step detected after the first step are If the steps are close to each other, the control device reduces the light emission intensity of the ultraviolet light emitting unit that emits light corresponding to the first step.

(3) A light emission intensity proportional to the running speed of the step is determined, and the control device causes the ultraviolet light emitting unit to emit light at the light emission intensity proportional to the running speed.

(4) The plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units are arranged along the travel path of the plurality of steps, and the control device is configured to control the movement of the passenger according to the progress of the one step detected by the transfer detection means. It is characterized by turning on the ultraviolet light emitting unit below the face.

(5) Each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units is an ultraviolet light emitting unit that is provided inside each step and emits ultraviolet light through a window provided in the riser, and the control device is configured to control the transfer detection means. The present invention is characterized in that an ultraviolet light emitting unit provided on a step above the first step detected by the passenger and below the passenger's face is turned on.

In the cases (1) to (5) above, the following characteristics may be further provided.

The control device has a congestion degree index acquisition means for acquiring a congestion degree index that indicates the degree of crowding of passengers on the plurality of steps, and the control device is configured such that the congestion degree index acquired by the congestion degree index acquisition means is a predetermined congestion degree. The light emitting intensity of the ultraviolet light emitting unit to be turned on is set to be lower when the congestion degree index is higher than the predetermined congestion index than when the congestion index is lower than the predetermined congestion index.

Alternatively, a visible light emitting unit that is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units and turns on and off in synchronization with turning on and off of the corresponding ultraviolet light emitting unit, and a visible light emitting unit that is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units, and a visible light emitting unit that is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units, and a visible light emitting unit that is turned on and off in synchronization with the on and off of the corresponding ultraviolet light emitting unit, and and a walking detecting means for detecting walking, and when the walking detecting means detects walking, the control device turns off the visible light emitting unit.

According to the escalator according to the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, since ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the side to the passengers being transported, bacteria adhering to the clothes etc. of the passengers are effectively sterilized. In addition, since bacteria are sterilized using ultraviolet rays, there is no influence from air blowing from an air conditioner.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an escalator according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the escalator seen from a different direction from FIG. 1; (a) is a side view of the escalator showing the drive mechanism of the steps, and (b) is an enlarged view of the steps. (a) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3(a), and (b) is a part of a plan view of the escalator. (a) is a front view of the escalator, and (b) is a plan view of the downstairs entrance and its vicinity. 2 is a block diagram of a control device in Embodiment 1. FIG. (a) is a side view of the escalator according to Embodiment 2, showing the drive mechanism of the steps at the entrance/exit on the downstairs side and in the vicinity thereof, (b) is an enlarged side view of the steps, and (c) ) is an enlarged side view of the standard step. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an escalator according to a second embodiment. (a) is a part of a cross-sectional view of an escalator according to Embodiment 2 taken at the center in the width direction of the passage, and (b) is a part of a plan view of the escalator. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device in a second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an escalator according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
<Embodiment 1>
〔overall structure〕
1 and 2 are perspective views showing a schematic configuration of an escalator 10 according to the first embodiment, viewed from different directions. Note that FIG. 1 shows a part of a balustrade 16, which will be described later, and FIG. 2 shows a part of a balustrade 14, which will be described later. FIG. 3(a) is a side view of the escalator 10 showing a drive mechanism for the steps 12, which will be described later, and FIG. 3(b) is an enlarged view of the steps 12. In addition, in FIG. 3A, illustration of the steps 12 at the top of the escalator 10 and illustrations of a first height measuring device 76 and a second height measuring device 78, which will be described later, are omitted.

The escalator 10 has a plurality of steps 12 that are an endless conveyor that is connected in an annular manner and travels in circulation. The escalator 10 includes a section where a plurality of steps 12 run in a stair-like manner, and transports passengers from the entrance side to the exit side. A handrail 14 and a handrail 16 are installed on both sides of the passenger path PW including the running path of the steps 12 and the upper and lower entrances.

On the side of the lower end of each of the handrails 14, 16, there is a panel made of stainless steel plate or the like arranged along the running path with a slight gap between the endless conveyor (a plurality of connected steps 12). Skirt guards 18 and 20 are provided, respectively. Further, inner decks 22 and 24 made of panels such as stainless steel plates are provided between the lower ends of each of the balustrades 14 and 16 and the skirt guards 18 and 20, respectively.

The escalator 10 is installed, for example, to span between a lower floor DS and an upper floor US in a building. The escalator 10 is used for going up or down by changing the running direction of the steps 12, so that passengers riding on the steps 12 can move from the lower floor DS to the upper floor US, or from the upper floor US to the upper floor US. Transported to floor DS downstairs. That is, the downstairs DS side may be the entrance or the exit (hereinafter, both will be collectively referred to as the "boarding/exit").

At the entrance of the escalator 10, a comb board 26 and a floor plate 28 adjacent to the comb board 26 are provided. When the escalator 10 is for going up, the plurality of circulating steps 12 are rolled out one after another in the horizontal direction from the comb plate 26. The escalator 10 is used by a passenger who has entered the entrance and is drawn out from the comb plate 26 and transfers (transfers) onto the horizontally running steps 12. As mentioned above, the escalator 10 is used for both going up and going down, but below, the case where it is used for going up will be explained as an example.

[Drive mechanism]
Next, the drive mechanism of the steps 12 will be explained with reference to FIG. The escalator 10 has a drive device 32 installed in an upper machine room 30.

The drive device 32 has an electric motor 34 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and the power of the electric motor 34 is transmitted to an output shaft (both not shown) via a reduction gear. Then, the drive sprocket 36 pivotally supported by the output shaft is rotationally driven. The drive device 32 also has a driven sprocket 38 having a larger pitch circle than the driving sprocket 36, and the driven sprocket 38 is rotatably supported by a shaft 40. A roller chain 42, which is an endless chain, is wound around the driving sprocket 36 and the driven sprocket 38. A main step sprocket 44 is coaxially fixed to the shaft 40.

On the other hand, the lower machine room 46 is provided with a follower sprocket 50 that is pivotally supported by the shaft 48 . A step chain 52 is wound between the main step sprocket 44 and the secondary step sprocket 50. A plurality of steps 12, which are endless conveyors connected in an annular manner, are attached to the step chain 52. The step chain 52 is guided between the main step sprocket 44 and the subordinate step sprocket 50 by a first guide rail (not shown), which will be described later.

In the escalator 10 having the above configuration, when the electric motor 34 is started, its rotational power is transmitted via the reduction gear (not shown) and the output shaft (not shown), and the drive sprocket 36 is rotationally driven. Ru. When the driving sprocket 36 is rotated, the roller chain 42 wound around the driving sprocket 36 and the driven sprocket 38 rotates, and the rotational power from the driving sprocket 36 is transmitted to the driven sprocket 38.

When the driven sprocket 38 is rotated, the main step sprocket 44, which is provided coaxially with the driven sprocket 38 (on the shaft 40), is rotated. As a result, the step chain 52 wound around the main step sprocket 44 and the secondary step sprocket 50 is guided by the first guide rail (not shown) and travels around, and along with this, the step chain 52 that is wound around the main step sprocket 44 and the subordinate step sprocket 50 runs around the first guide rail (not shown), and along with this, the Like the step chain 52, the steps 12 are circulated along a route as shown in FIG. 3(a). In other words, the steps 12 travel horizontally in the area where passengers are transported, then linearly diagonally travel, and then travel horizontally again.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the step 12 has a configuration in which a rectangular step board 56 and a riser 58 are attached to a frame 54 serving as a main frame. The frame 54 also pivotally supports a step shaft 60 and a step shaft 62.

The step shaft 60 is attached to the step chain 52. Drive rollers 64 are rotatably provided at both ends of the step shaft 60 (only one drive roller 64 is shown in the figure), and each of the pair of drive rollers 64 corresponds to the It is guided by a first guide rail (not shown) laid down.

The step shaft 62 is shorter than the step shaft 60, and driven rollers 66 are rotatably provided at both ends thereof (only one driven roller 66 is shown in the figure). Each of the pair of driven rollers 66 is guided by a corresponding second guide rail (not shown).

[Ultraviolet irradiation device]
The escalator 10 has a first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 and a second ultraviolet irradiation device 72. The first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 includes a plurality of ultraviolet LED units 70 that are ultraviolet light emitting units. The plurality of ultraviolet LED units 70 are provided at intervals in parallel to the running direction of the steps 12. Specifically, each of the ultraviolet LED units 70 is provided inside the skirt guard 18 (on the side opposite to the steps 12 with the skirt guard 18 in between).

The skirt guard 18 has windows corresponding to each of the ultraviolet LED units 70 through which ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet LED units 70 can pass. For convenience, the ultraviolet LED unit 70 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A at the position of the window. FIG. 4(a) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3(a). FIG. 4(b) shows a part of a plan view of the escalator 10.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ultraviolet rays are projected horizontally toward the downstairs DS side. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the direction of the light projection in plan view is, for example, when the optical axis UVx of the ultraviolet rays UV is located on the downstairs DS side, at a distance of several steps of the steps 12 (in this example, seven steps). , the direction intersects with the longitudinal center line C of the steps 12. With the above configuration, the first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 can irradiate ultraviolet rays UV from the side to the passenger P riding on the left side of the step 12 in the direction of travel. Here, "horizontal direction" has a meaning opposite to "vertical direction" and does not mean only "rightward direction" and "leftward direction" for passengers. The installation interval of the ultraviolet LED units 70 is, for example, the same as the interval between the steps 12.

The second ultraviolet irradiation device 72 includes a plurality of ultraviolet LED units 74. In the second ultraviolet irradiation device 72, the ultraviolet LED unit 70 of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 is provided inside the skirt guard 18, whereas the ultraviolet LED unit 74 is provided inside the other skirt guard 20. The configuration is the same as that of the first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 except that it emits light. That is, the second ultraviolet irradiation device 72 is arranged symmetrically with the first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 with respect to the center line C in plan view, and mainly irradiates ultraviolet rays to passengers riding on the right side of the step 12 in the direction of travel. It basically has the same configuration as the first ultraviolet irradiation device 68 except for the following points. Therefore, detailed description of the second ultraviolet irradiation device 72 will be omitted. In addition, regarding the second ultraviolet irradiation device 72, an ultraviolet LED unit 74 is also shown in the position of the window opened in the skirt guard 20 (FIG. 2).

[Height measurement device]
The escalator 10 includes a first height measuring device 76 and a second height measuring device 78 that measure the height of a passenger in a non-contact manner. FIG. 5(a) shows a front view of the escalator 10, and FIG. 5(b) shows a plan view of the escalator 10 at the entrance and exit of the downstairs DS and its vicinity.

The first height measurement device 76 is a known ultrasonic height meter. A pillar 76A is erected in the downstairs DS, and a cylindrical arm 76B is attached to the upper end of the pillar 76A. The first height measuring device 76 has an ultrasonic sensor (not shown) built into a hollow portion at the tip of the arm 76B. The ultrasonic sensor is installed directly above the standing position of a passenger riding on the left side of the step 12 when the step 12 is completely extended from the comb board 26.

In the first height measuring device 76, the ultrasonic sensor emits ultrasonic waves directly below from a window (not shown) provided in the arm 76B, captures the reflected sound, and measures the distance to the reflecting object. Measure. As an initial setting, the first height measurement device 76 measures the distance from the ultrasonic sensor to the footboard 56, and stores the measurement result as a "reference distance." After that, distance measurement will continue in real time. When a passenger enters directly under the ultrasonic sensor, that is, when a passenger rides on the left side of the steps 12, the distance changes, so the first height measuring device 76 stores it as "distance to the top of the head." Then, the passenger's height is calculated using the calculation formula: "height" = "reference distance" - "distance to the top of the head", and the calculation result (passenger's height) is output to (the CPU 82 of) the control device 80, which will be described later.

As described above, the first height measurement device 76 measures the height of the passenger riding on the left side of the step 12 (that is, the passenger transported by the step 12). The first height measuring device 76 outputs the height each time the measured distance changes, that is, each time a passenger steps on the step 12 that is drawn out from the comb board 26. It also functions as a transfer detection device that detects when a passenger gets on one of the 12 steps 12.

The second height measurement device 78 measures the height of a passenger riding on the right side of the steps 12 (that is, a passenger transported by the steps 12). A support column 78A and an arm 78B are installed symmetrically with respect to the center line C. The second height measuring device 78 has the same configuration as the first height measuring device 76 except that its ultrasonic sensor is housed in a cylindrical arm 78B. Therefore, a detailed description of the second height measuring device 78 will be omitted.

[Control device]
As shown in FIG. 3, a control device 80 is installed in the upper machine room 30. A block diagram of the control device 80 is shown in FIG. The control device 80 has a configuration in which a ROM 84, a RAM 86, an operation control section 88, a load detection section 90, a first height measurement device 76, and a second height measurement device 78 are connected to a CPU 82. . Furthermore, a control line for controlling each of the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 70 and each of the plurality of second ultraviolet LED units 74 to emit light is connected to the CPU 82 .

The control device 80 (its CPU 82) performs lighting control to individually turn on and off each of the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 70 and each of the plurality of second ultraviolet LED units 74, and controls the lighting of the first ultraviolet LED unit 70, The light emission intensity of the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 is controlled.

Here, the plurality of (n units: n is a positive integer) first ultraviolet LED units 70 and second ultraviolet LED units 74 are each distinguished by their installation positions. When distinguishing each of the first ultraviolet LED units 70 by the installation position, from the one installed at the bottom, L(1), L(2), ..., L(x), ..., L(n) shall be. Similarly, each of the second ultraviolet LED units 74 is designated as R(1), R(2), . . . , R(x), .

The operation control unit 88 controls the running speed of the steps 12, that is, the operating speed, by controlling the rotational speed of the electric motor 34 according to instructions from the CPU 82. The ROM 84 stores, for example, three levels of running speed: a first speed, a second speed, and a third speed. The first speed, second speed, and third speed are fast in this order (first speed>second speed>third speed).
The escalator 10 has a changeover switch (not shown) for manually changing the speed, and the CPU 82 detects the state of the changeover switch and controls the operating speed at the corresponding speed in the ROM 84.

The load detection unit 90 detects the magnitude of the load applied to the electric motor 34 by detecting the magnitude of the drive current flowing through the electric motor 34. The detection result is used as an index of the degree of passenger congestion on the plurality of steps 12.

In order to run the steps 12 at a constant running speed, it is necessary to flow a current (drive current) to the electric motor 34 depending on the size of the load, that is, the number of passengers on the steps 12. This is because by detecting the size, it is possible to know the load applied to the electric motor 34 and, by extension, the number of passengers (ie, the degree of congestion).

Let the magnitude of the drive current flowing through the electric motor 34 be "In", and "In" be a "crowding degree index" that indicates the degree of crowding of passengers on the plurality of steps 12. For example, let Is1 be the magnitude of the drive current flowing through the electric motor 34 when ten adults of average weight are being carried on the steps 12 over the entire length of the carrying area of a plurality of steps 12. If the drive current In is greater than or equal to Is1 (In≧Is1), it can be estimated that at least 10 passengers are being carried on the plurality of steps 12. On the other hand, if the drive current In is less than Is1, it is estimated that there are fewer than 10 passengers on the plurality of steps 12. In this example, "Is1" is used as a threshold (predetermined congestion degree index) for determining the degree of congestion on the plurality of steps 12. The specific use of the magnitude In of the drive current flowing through the electric motor 34 (the magnitude of the load applied to the electric motor 34) will be described later.

The ROM 84 stores programs executed by the CPU 82. The RAM 86 serves as a work area when the CPU 82 executes the program.

Next, lighting control of the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 executed by (the CPU 82 of) the control device 80 will be described. The first ultraviolet LED unit 70 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 irradiate passengers with ultraviolet rays to sterilize bacteria adhering to their clothes. The lighting control for both is basically the same, except that the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 mainly targets passengers riding on the right side, while the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 mainly targets passengers riding on the right side.

Therefore, below, the lighting control of the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 will be explained as a representative, and the explanation of the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 will be omitted.

[Basic control]
(a) When a passenger is detected by the first height measuring device 76 and his/her height is measured, based on the measurement result, the CPU 82 selects a first ultraviolet LED unit that simultaneously turns on one of the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 70. 70 is determined. Specifically, the "irradiation height" is calculated by subtracting the average head length (vertical length) for the height from the measured height. Note that the relationship between the height and the average head length is stored in the ROM 84 in advance.

The CPU 82 starts from the step 12 immediately after being pulled out from the comb board 26, that is, from the first step 12 when the first height measuring device 76 detects that a passenger boarded (hereinafter referred to as "the first boarding step 12"). , all the first ultraviolet LED units 70 located within the irradiation height range are turned on. As a result, the area below the passenger's head is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. In other words, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated below the passenger's face.

(b) In order to continue irradiating the above-mentioned range of the passenger being transported with ultraviolet rays, the CPU 82 controls the number of lights to be turned on depending on the running speed of the steps 12 (one of the first speed, second speed, and third speed). 1. The ultraviolet LED units 70 are sequentially switched. That is, depending on the traveling speed, the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 70 are arranged so that the first ultraviolet LED units 70 in a height range above one boarding step 12 and below the passenger's face are lit. Performs on/off control. As a result, ultraviolet rays continue to be irradiated below the passenger's face except for the section approaching the exit, effectively disinfecting clothes and the like.

The following control may be added to the above basic control.
[Light emission control according to distance from passenger]
In the above basic control, the farther the ultraviolet light from the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 is from the passenger, the weaker the ultraviolet light that reaches the passenger. In other words, the sterilizing effect on the upper part of clothing or the like is lower than that on the lower part. Therefore, among the first ultraviolet LED units 70 that are turned on (turned on) at the same time, the control device 80 (its CPU 82) determines that the farther the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 is from the first boarding step 12 in the horizontal direction, the higher the light emission intensity. to control lighting. By doing so, passengers' clothes, etc. can be sterilized uniformly in the vertical direction.

[Light emission control according to driving speed]
According to the basic control described above, the amount of ultraviolet irradiation that a passenger receives while riding the vehicle is calculated by multiplying the emission intensity of the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 by the irradiation time. Regardless of the first speed, second speed, and third speed, the travel distance (passenger transportation distance) is the same, so the slower the travel speed of the steps 12 is, the longer the irradiation time is, and the faster the travel speed is, the shorter the irradiation time is. . Therefore, the light emission may be controlled so that the amount of ultraviolet irradiation is constant regardless of the traveling speed. Specifically, the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 is controlled to emit light with a light emission intensity proportional to the traveling speed. Note that the light emission intensities corresponding to the first speed, second speed, and third speed are stored in the ROM 84 in advance, and the CPU 82 detects the state of the changeover switch and adjusts the light emission intensity corresponding to the detected set speed. The first ultraviolet LED unit 70 is controlled to emit light based on the emitted light intensity.

[Light emission control when riding on different steps at different times]
After the first height measurement device 76 detects that one passenger gets on the steps 12, it may detect that another passenger gets on the stairs within a short time. That is, the distance between the step 12 on which the one passenger got on and the step 12 on which the other passenger got on may be, for example, only about 1 to 3 steps.

The distance between the first passenger and the other passenger based on the number of steps 12 is determined by the distance between the first passenger and the other passenger from the time when the first height measurement device 76 detects that the first passenger gets on the step 12. This can be determined by measuring the time until the step 12 is detected and dividing the measured time by the width of the step 12. An internal timer (not shown) of the control device 80 (CPU 82) is used to measure the time. Further, the width of the step 12 is stored in the ROM 84 in advance.

In the above case, there is a possibility that ultraviolet light from one of the first ultraviolet LED units 70 that is turned on for the one passenger, and which is located relatively above, may hit the other passenger's face. Therefore, the control device 80 detects that the one step on which the one passenger, detected by the first height measuring device 76, got on is close to the other step on which the other passenger, which was detected after the detection of the first passenger, got on. If so, the control device 80 (its CPU 82) performs control to reduce the light emission intensity of the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 that emits light corresponding to the one step.

In addition, in the said embodiment, although the 1st ultraviolet LED unit 70 was provided inside the skirt guard 18, and the 2nd ultraviolet LED unit 74 was provided inside the skirt guard 20, respectively, the position to provide is not limited to this. For example, the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 may be provided on the balustrade 14 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 74 may be provided on the balustrade 16, respectively. In short, it is sufficient to provide the steps 12 at intervals parallel to the traveling direction of the steps 12.

<Embodiment 2>
In the escalator 10 according to the first embodiment, the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 70 were provided inside the skirt guard 18, and the plurality of second ultraviolet LED units 74 were provided inside the skirt guard 20, but in the second embodiment In such an escalator 110, ultraviolet LED units are provided inside the steps 112 at intervals parallel to the running direction of the steps 12.

The escalator 110 has the same configuration as the escalator 10, except that the position of the ultraviolet LED unit and the lighting control thereof are different. Therefore, the constituent elements of the escalator 110 are given 100 numbers, and the last two digits are given the codes of the corresponding constituent elements in the escalator 10, and the explanation thereof will only be mentioned as appropriate. I will mainly explain the parts.

FIG. 7(a) is a side view showing the drive mechanism of the steps in and around the downstairs entrance/exit, FIG. 7(b) is an enlarged side view of the steps, and FIG. 7(c) is an enlarged side view of the steps. , respectively show enlarged side views of the reference steps. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the escalator 110. FIG. 9(a) shows a part of a cross-sectional view of the escalator 110 taken at the center of the passageway in the width direction, and FIG. 9(b) shows a part of a plan view of the escalator 110. Note that in FIGS. 7 to 9, illustrations of the first height measuring device 176 and the second height measuring device 178 are omitted. Further, in FIG. 7A, illustration of a first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and a second ultraviolet LED unit 174, which will be described later, is omitted.

Inside each step 112, a first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and a second ultraviolet LED unit 174 are provided, respectively, attached to a frame 154 (in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c), the front Only the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 is visible.). The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 emit ultraviolet light in the horizontal direction toward the downstairs DS side.

Each of the risers 158 is provided with windows 158A and 158B for passing the ultraviolet rays emitted from the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174, respectively. In FIG. 8, when facing the front, a window 158A on the left side is a window for passing ultraviolet rays from the first ultraviolet LED unit 170, and a window 158B on the right side is a window for passing ultraviolet rays from the second ultraviolet LED unit 174. be.

The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 are composed of a plurality of LED elements (not shown) arranged in a row in the horizontal direction, and as shown in FIG. 9(b), when viewed from above, It has a substantially band-shaped light distribution characteristic.

The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 mainly irradiates ultraviolet rays from the side to a passenger riding on the left side of the steps 112, and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 mainly irradiates ultraviolet rays from the side to a passenger riding on the right side of the steps 112. irradiate. The meaning of "horizontal direction" is the same as in the first embodiment described above.

Power is supplied to the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174, for example, using the following known technique. (i) Power is supplied from a storage battery provided for each step 112. The storage battery is charged periodically, for example, during maintenance of the escalator 110. (ii) Power is supplied using a sliding contact method. That is, two band-shaped fixed contacts are provided along the orbit of the plurality of steps 112, one of which is a positive fixed contact and the other is a negative fixed contact. A frame 154 of the step 112 is provided with a positive movable contact corresponding to the positive fixed contact, and a negative movable contact corresponding to the negative fixed contact. Then, power is supplied from the external power supply to the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174, which are respectively connected to the movable contacts by electric wires, through the two fixed contacts and the two movable contacts that are in sliding contact with the two fixed contacts. conduct.

The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 are remote controlled by (the CPU 182 of) the control device 180 by wireless communication (FIG. 10). The control contents are on/off control and light emission intensity control as in the first embodiment. The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 built in each of the plurality of steps 112 are associated with each other, and this will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 7, a reflective plate 191 is attached to the side surface of the frame 154 of each step 112. As shown in FIG. A reflective photoelectric sensor 192 that detects a reflective plate 191 is provided on the side of the step 112 that circulates. The photoelectric sensor 192 is installed at a position that detects that the circulating steps 112 are extended from the comb plate 126 and are at a position where a passenger can transfer from the floor plate 128.

Another reflective plate 193 (hereinafter referred to as "reference reflector 193") is attached to the side surface of the frame 154 of one of the plurality of steps 112 (hereinafter referred to as "reference step 112"). ing. Further, a reflective photoelectric sensor 194 for detecting the reference reflector 193 is provided. The photoelectric sensor 194 is provided at a position where it detects the reference reflective plate 193 at the same time as the photoelectric sensor 192 detects the reflective plate 191 attached to the reference step 112 . That is, on the reference step 112, the photoelectric sensor 192 detects the reflecting plate 191 and the photoelectric sensor 194 detects the reference reflecting plate 193 at the same time.

The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 built into each step 112 are identified for each step 112. In the annularly connected steps 112, the first ultraviolet LED units 170 are arranged counterclockwise in the right side view (direction shown in FIG. 7(a)) in order from those built in the reference step 112. Let L(1), L(2), ..., L(x), ..., L(n) (FIG. 10).

Similarly, each of the second ultraviolet LED units 174 is arranged in the order of R(1), R(2), ..., R(x) counterclockwise in the right side view from the one built in the reference step 112. , ..., R(n) (Fig. 10).

Next, lighting control of the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 executed by (the CPU 182 of) the control device 180 will be described. The first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 irradiate passengers with ultraviolet rays to sterilize bacteria adhering to their clothes. The lighting control for both is basically the same, except that the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 mainly targets passengers riding on the right side, whereas the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 targets passengers riding on the right side.

Therefore, below, the lighting control of the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 will be explained as a representative, and the explanation of the second ultraviolet LED unit 174 will be omitted. FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of the control device 180 in the second embodiment.

[Basic control]
(a) During operation of the escalator 110, when the photoelectric sensor 194 detects the reference reflector 193, the CPU 182 sets an internal counter (not shown) to "1". Thereafter, the CPU 182 increments the count value of the internal counter by one each time the photoelectric sensor 192 detects the reflective plate 191. As a result, the CPU 182 determines that the first ultraviolet LED units 170 built in the steps 112 immediately after being drawn out from the comb board 126 are L(1), L(2), ..., L(x), ..., L (n) can be recognized.

(b) When a passenger is detected by the first height measuring device 176 and his/her height is measured, the CPU 182 selects a first ultraviolet LED unit to light up simultaneously among the plurality of first ultraviolet LED units 170 based on the measurement result. 170 is determined. Specifically, the "irradiation height" is calculated by subtracting the average head length (length in the vertical direction) for the height from the measured height. Note that the relationship between the height and the average head length is stored in the ROM 184 in advance.

The CPU 182 selects the first step 112 immediately after it is pulled out from the comb board 126, that is, the first step 112 when the first height measuring device 176 detects that a passenger gets on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "the first boarding step 112"). The built-in first ultraviolet LED unit 170 is identified from the count value of the internal counter. For example, if the count value is "5", the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 built in the first boarding step 112 is identified as "L(5)".

Based on the irradiation height and the height of the riser of the step 112, the CPU 182 determines the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 that irradiates ultraviolet light to a range below the head of the passenger riding on the first boarding step 112. . For example, if the number of steps 112 corresponding to the above-mentioned irradiation height is 6 and the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 built in one boarding step 112 is L(x), then FIG. 9(a) As shown in FIG. Turn on the unit.

As a result, the area below the passenger's head is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. In other words, the ultraviolet rays are irradiated below the passenger's face. The lighting is continued until the step 112 shifts to horizontal running on the US side of the stairs, and is turned off at the time of shifting to horizontal running.

The following control may be added to the above basic control.
[Light emission control according to distance from passenger]
In the above basic control, the farther the ultraviolet light from the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 is from the passenger, the weaker the ultraviolet light that reaches the passenger. In other words, the sterilizing effect on the upper part of clothing or the like is lower than that on the lower part. Therefore, among the first ultraviolet LED units 170 that are turned on (turned on) at the same time, the control device 180 (its CPU 182) determines that the farther the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 is from the first boarding step 112 in the horizontal direction, the higher the emission intensity. to control lighting.

For example, to explain using the illustrated example of FIG. , and controls the emission intensity of each of the first ultraviolet LED units 170. By doing so, passengers' clothes, etc. can be sterilized uniformly in the vertical direction.

[Light emission control when riding on different steps at different times]
After the first height measurement device 176 detects that one passenger gets on the steps 112, it may detect that another passenger gets on the stairs within a short time. That is, the distance between the step 112 on which the one passenger got on and the step 112 on which the other passenger got on may be, for example, only about 1 to 3 steps.

Note that the distance between the one passenger and the other passenger in terms of the number of steps 112 can be determined from the count value of the counter (not shown) when each passenger gets on the train.

In the above case, among the first ultraviolet LED units 170 that are turned on for the one passenger, there is a possibility that the ultraviolet rays from the one located relatively above may hit the face of the other passenger. Therefore, the control device 180 detects that the one step on which the one passenger, detected by the first height measurement device 176, got on is close to the other step on which another passenger, which was detected after the detection of the first passenger, got on. If so, the control device 180 (the CPU 182) performs control to reduce the light emission intensity of the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 that emits light corresponding to the one step.

[Light emission control according to driving speed]
As in Embodiment 1, the light emission of the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 may be controlled so that the amount of ultraviolet rays that the passenger's clothes, etc. receive per ride remains constant regardless of the running speed of the steps 112. . That is, the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 is controlled to emit light with a light emission intensity proportional to the traveling speed.

Although the escalator according to the present invention has been described above based on Embodiments 1 and 2, the following modifications may also be made. Note that the following modified example is applicable to Embodiment 2 as well as Embodiment 1, so Embodiment 1 will be described, and description of Embodiment 2 will be omitted.

(Modification 1)
If the drive current In (i.e., the magnitude of the load applied to the electric motor 30) is equal to or greater than the threshold value Is1 (predetermined magnitude), it is estimated that at least 10 passengers are being transported by a plurality of steps 12, as described above. Therefore, it is considered that the tops of the plurality of steps 12 are relatively crowded.

When the plurality of steps 12 are crowded, the distance between the passengers to be transported is relatively short. In this case, there is a possibility that the face of the passenger on the lower berth will be irradiated with ultraviolet rays from the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 that is turned on for the passenger on the upper berth.

Therefore, when the congestion degree is high, such as when the congestion degree index "In" is equal to or higher than the predetermined congestion degree index "Is1", the emission intensity of the first ultraviolet LED unit that is turned on is higher than when the congestion degree index is less than "Is1". It is also possible to make it smaller.

(Modification 2)
The current rule is ``no walking'' on escalators, which requires you to stand and use the escalators without walking. Despite this, there is no shortage of passengers walking. If the passenger walks on the steps 12, the time that the passenger (his/her clothes, etc.) is exposed to ultraviolet rays will be extremely shortened, and the sterilization effect will be impaired.

Therefore, a walking detection means (not shown) is provided to detect that a passenger is walking on the steps 12, and when the walking detection means detects that a passenger is walking on the steps 12, sterilization is performed. The passenger will be made aware that this will not be done, and will be asked to stop walking from the next time they use the escalator.

In order to make passengers aware that sterilization is not being performed, a visible light LED unit (not shown), which is a visible light emitting unit, is provided for each first ultraviolet LED unit 70. For example, blue color is used as the visible light. That is, it is conceivable to provide a blue LED unit. The blue LED units are turned on and off in synchronization with the corresponding first ultraviolet LED units 70.

When a passenger walking on the plurality of steps 12 is detected by the walking detection means, the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 turned on corresponding to the passenger and the corresponding blue LED unit are turned off. As a result, the blue LED unit that was turned on when the passenger got on the escalator 10 will turn off when he walks on the steps 12, so the passenger will be aware that the bacteria will not be disinfected, and will be able to continue walking from the next time he or she uses the escalator. is expected to be suppressed.

As the walking detection means for detecting that a passenger is walking on the conveyor, a known technique described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-097457, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-113211, etc. can be used.

Although the escalator according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and other embodiments such as those described below may be adopted. Note that since the other embodiments are applicable to both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the first embodiment will basically be described below as a representative, and the second embodiment will only be mentioned as appropriate.

(1) In the above embodiment, an ultrasonic type is used for the first height measuring device 76 and second height measuring device 78, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, a laser distance measuring type may be used.

(2) In the above embodiment, the magnitude of the current flowing to the electric motor 34 (the load applied to the electric motor 34) is used as an index of the degree of congestion on the steps 12, but the index is not limited to this. For example, the following may be used.

(a) Passengers being transported on a plurality of steps 12 are photographed with a camera. The images obtained by photography are subjected to known image processing to extract the number of passengers in the images taken at one time, and this is used as an index of the degree of congestion. As a result of the extraction, if there are 10 or more people, it is judged that the place is crowded (high degree of congestion), and if there are less than 10 people, it is judged that it is empty (the degree of congestion is low). Photographing is performed, for example, every second, and the number of passengers is extracted each time, and the result is reflected in the light emission intensity control of the control device 80 (the CPU 82).

In the above embodiment in which the magnitude of the load applied to the electric motor 34 is used as an index of the degree of congestion, the index may reflect the weight of luggage to some extent, but in the case of the above photograph, only the number of passengers is reflected in the index. Since this can be used as an index of the degree of congestion, it is possible to obtain a more accurate index of the degree of congestion. Furthermore, in the case of photography, the congestion degree index may be used as an index that takes into account not only the number of passengers but also the distance between passengers.

(3) In the above embodiment, the ultraviolet irradiation device is provided separately for the passenger riding on the left side of the step and the passenger riding on the right side (in the first embodiment, the first ultraviolet LED unit 70 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 74, In No. 2, the first ultraviolet LED unit 170 and the second ultraviolet LED unit 174) are provided, but the invention is not limited to this, and only one of the first ultraviolet LED unit and the second ultraviolet LED unit may be provided. That is, either the first ultraviolet LED unit or the second ultraviolet LED unit may constitute the ultraviolet irradiation device.

In this case, in Embodiment 1, the direction and/or light distribution characteristics of the ultraviolet LED unit are changed so that the passengers riding on the left side of the steps and the passengers riding on the right side are irradiated with ultraviolet rays as evenly as possible.

In the second embodiment, the ultraviolet LED unit is provided at the center of the step 112 in the length direction (width direction of the passageway PW) (of course, the window opened in the riser 158 is also aligned with the installation position of the ultraviolet LED unit), and a wider arrangement is possible. Use something that has optical properties.

When the ultraviolet LED unit is used for both the passenger riding on the left side and the passenger riding on the right side as described above, when two passengers get on the same step, the first height measuring device 76 (176) and the second height measuring device 76 (176) and the second height measuring device 76 (176) If there is a difference in the heights measured by the measuring device 78 (178), lighting control of the ultraviolet LED unit is performed according to the height of the shorter person.

(4) Although the above embodiment has been described using an example of an up escalator, the present invention may be applied to a down escalator to the extent possible.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The escalator according to the present invention can be suitably used as an escalator that sterilizes clothes etc. of passengers riding the escalator.

10, 110 Escalator 12, 112 Steps 68, 168 First ultraviolet irradiation device 72, 172 Second ultraviolet irradiation device

Claims (10)

A plurality of steps that are connected in an endless manner and run in circulation;
an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays from the side to passengers being transported on the steps;
An escalator characterized by having. a height measuring device that measures the height of the passenger;
a control device that controls lighting of the ultraviolet irradiation device;
has
2. The control device controls the lighting of the ultraviolet irradiation device based on the height measured by the height measurement device so that the ultraviolet rays are irradiated below the face of the passenger. Escalator mentioned. The ultraviolet irradiation device includes a plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units provided at intervals in parallel to the running direction of the steps,
The control device performs on/off control of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units,
The escalator is an ascending escalator, and further includes:
comprising a transfer detection means for detecting a passenger getting on one of the plurality of steps;
The control device includes:
Based on the height measured by the height measurement device, an ultraviolet light emitting unit located above the first step detected by the transfer detection means in the traveling direction and below the passenger's face is turned on. The escalator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The control device further controls the emission intensity of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units,
4. The escalator according to claim 3, wherein among the ultraviolet light emitting units that are turned on, the ultraviolet light emitting unit that is farther from the first step in the horizontal direction has a higher emission intensity. The control device further controls the emission intensity of each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units,
When the one step detected by the transfer detection means and another step detected after the first step are close to each other, the control device controls the ultraviolet light emitting unit that emits light corresponding to the one step. The escalator according to claim 3, characterized in that the emitted light intensity is reduced. A luminous intensity proportional to the running speed of the step is determined,
The escalator according to claim 3, wherein the control device causes the ultraviolet light emitting unit to emit light at the light emission intensity that is proportional to the traveling speed. The plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units are arranged along the running path of the plurality of steps,
The control device includes:
4. The escalator according to claim 3, wherein an ultraviolet light emitting unit located below the passenger's face is turned on in accordance with the progress of the first step detected by the transfer detection means. Each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units is an ultraviolet light emitting unit that is provided inside each step and emits ultraviolet light through a window provided in the riser,
The control device includes:
4. The step according to claim 3, wherein an ultraviolet light emitting unit provided on a step above the first step detected by the transfer detection means and below the passenger's face is turned on. escalator. comprising a congestion degree index acquisition means for acquiring a congestion degree index indicating the degree of crowding of passengers on the plurality of steps;
The control device controls the emission intensity of the ultraviolet light emitting unit to be turned on while the congestion index obtained by the congestion index acquisition means is higher than a predetermined congestion index than when the congestion index is lower than the predetermined congestion index. The escalator according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the escalator has a small size. a visible light emitting unit that is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of ultraviolet light emitting units and turns on and off in synchronization with turning on and off of the corresponding ultraviolet light emitting unit;
walking detection means for detecting a passenger walking on the plurality of steps;
has
The escalator according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein when the walking detection means detects walking, the control device turns off the visible light emitting unit.