JP7472371B1 - Passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a passenger conveyor that reduces the resistance to holding onto handrails and makes it easier for passengers to hold onto them. [Solution] The passenger conveyor of the present invention comprises a plurality of steps 30 that move cyclically within a truss 2, a pair of balustrades 13 provided on both sides of the steps 30, a handrail belt 15 that moves around the balustrades 13 in synchronization with the cyclical movement of the steps 30, a heating device 52 that heats the handrail belt 15 that moves on the return path, and a sterilization device 53 that sterilizes the handrail belt that moves on the return path. [Selected Figure] Figure 2

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a passenger conveyor.

In passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways, when the temperature in the surrounding environment drops in winter, the handrails also become cold, so many passengers are seen reluctant to hold onto the handrails and instead putting their hands in their pockets to keep warm. Also, with the recent increase in interest in preventing infectious diseases, there is a growing tendency to avoid holding onto handrails that are touched by an unspecified number of passengers.

JP 2010-215383 A

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a passenger conveyor that reduces the resistance felt when holding onto a handrail, making it easier for passengers to hold onto the handrail.

The passenger conveyor according to the embodiment comprises a plurality of steps that circulate within a truss, a pair of balustrades provided on both sides of the steps, a handrail belt that circulates over the top of the balustrades on its outbound journey and below the balustrades on its return journey in synchronization with the circulating movement of the steps, a cover that covers the underside, sides and top of the handrail belt as it travels on its return journey, a heating device provided inside the cover that heats the handrail belt as it travels on the return journey, a sterilization device provided inside the cover that sterilizes the handrail belt as it travels on the return journey, a first temperature detection unit that detects the temperature inside the cover, and a second temperature detection unit that detects the temperature outside the cover, and if the temperature outside the cover detected by the second temperature detection unit is below a predetermined temperature, the heating device and the sterilization device are operated to heat and sterilize the handrail belt passing inside the cover, and the output of the heating device is adjusted so that the temperature inside the cover detected by the first temperature detection unit becomes the predetermined temperature.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention; A cross-sectional view of line A-A in FIG. A longitudinal section view of the processing device mounted on the passenger conveyor from the right side. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a passenger conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, a passenger conveyor 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the passenger conveyor 1 is described as an escalator in which a number of steps 30 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "steps 30") move in a circular manner between an upper level boarding/alighting entrance 17 and a lower level boarding/alighting entrance 18, but the present invention can also be applied to a moving walkway in which the steps move horizontally.

In the following explanation, the longitudinal direction of the truss 2 is sometimes referred to as the front-to-rear direction, and the width direction of the truss 2 is sometimes referred to as the left-to-right direction. Additionally, the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions refer to the direction when looking at the upper floor from the lower floor, with the upper floor being the front side and the lower floor being the rear side.

(1) Passenger conveyor 1
As shown in Fig. 1, a truss 2 extending in the front-rear direction (the direction in which steps 30 move) that is the framework of the passenger conveyor 1 is supported by a support angle (not shown) across the upper and lower floors of a building. Note that the members on the right side of the passenger conveyor 1 are omitted in Fig. 1.

The passenger conveyor 1 is located near the boarding and alighting entrances 17, 18 of the upper and lower floors, and is composed of horizontal sections 25a, 25e along which the steps 30 move horizontally, an intermediate inclined section 25c along which the steps 30 move linearly at a predetermined inclination angle, and a pair of upper and lower curved sections 25b, 25d that gently connect the horizontal section and the intermediate inclined section and along which the steps 30 move in a curved line.

The steps 30 are connected by endless step chains 11 arranged on both sides and are placed inside a truss 2 installed under the floor of the building.

The step 30 comprises a pair of step frames 31, one on each side, each of which has a roughly triangular side shape, a cleat surface 32 formed on the top surface of the step frame 31, and a riser surface 33 formed on the rear surface of the step frame 31. The step frame 31, the cleat surface 32, and the riser surface 33 are integrally formed by aluminum die casting.

On the surface of the cleat surface 32, i.e., the surface on which passengers board the step 30, multiple cleat ridges are provided parallel to each other at a specified interval along the movement direction (front-to-back direction) of the step 30, and cleat grooves are formed between adjacent cleat ridges.

A pair of left and right front wheels 35 are attached to the front ends of the pair of left and right step frames 31 via bearings on a support shaft that protrudes outward in the width direction of the step 30. In addition, a pair of left and right rear wheels 37 are attached to the rear lower ends of the pair of left and right step frames 31 via bearings on the outside of the tip of the mounting part formed integrally with the step frames 31.

A pair of left and right front guide rails (not shown) and rear guide rails (not shown) fixed to the truss 2 are arranged on both sides of the width of the step 30 along the travel direction of the step 30. The front wheels 35 are guided along the travel direction of the step 30 by the front guide rails, and the rear wheels 37 are guided along the travel direction of the step 30 by the rear guide rails, so that the step 30 moves in a circular motion along a predetermined track within the truss.

Inside the machine room 5 on the upper floor side at the top end of the truss 2, there are a drive unit 6 for running the steps 30, a pair of left and right drive sprockets 7, a pair of left and right handrail belt sprockets 12, and a control unit 16.

The drive device 6 has a motor consisting of an induction motor, a reduction gear, an output sprocket attached to the output shaft of the reduction gear, a step chain 11 driven by the output sprocket, and a disk brake that stops the rotation of the motor and keeps it stopped. The drive sprocket 7 is rotated by a drive chain 8. The pair of left and right drive sprockets 7 and the pair of left and right handrail belt sprockets 12 are connected by a connecting belt (not shown) and rotate synchronously.

A driven sprocket 10 is provided inside the lower floor machine room 9 at the lower end of the truss 2. A pair of endless step chains 11 are hung between the driving sprocket 7 on the upper floor and the driven sprocket 10 on the lower floor. The front wheels 35 of multiple steps 30 are attached at equal intervals to the pair of step chains 11 on the left and right.

A pair of left and right balustrades 13 are erected on the left and right sides of the truss 2. A handrail rail 14A for the outbound journey is provided above the balustrade 13, and a handrail rail 14B for the return journey is provided below the balustrade 13 (see Figure 2). An endless handrail belt 15 is attached to the handrail rails 14A and 14B. The handrail rails 14A and 14B guide the handrail belt 15 as it moves around the balustrade 13. The handrail belt 15 is made of a material such as rubber or urethane.

As shown in FIG. 2, the handrail belt 15 has a gripping portion 15a that faces upward and is touched by the passenger's hands when moving along the handrail rail 14A on the outbound route, side portions 15b provided at both left and right ends of the gripping portion 15a, and a folded portion 15c that extends inward from the side portions 15b so as to wrap around the handrail rails 14A and 14B. As shown in FIG. 1, the handrail belt 15 is wound around the periphery of the handrail belt sprocket 12 and is pressed against the periphery of the handrail belt sprocket 12 by a pressure roller 29. When the handrail belt sprocket 12 rotates, the handrail belt 15 is driven by the frictional force generated between the gripping portion 15a and the handrail belt sprocket 12, and is guided by the handrail rails 14A and 14B to move in a circular motion around the balustrade 13.

An upper floor front skirt guard 21 is provided at the lower front of the upper floor side of the balustrade 13, and a lower floor front skirt guard 22 is provided at the lower front of the lower floor side. Inlets 23, 24, which are the entrances and exits for the handrail belt 15, protrude from the upper floor and lower floor front skirt guards 21, 22, respectively.

A skirt portion 25 is provided along the front-to-rear direction on the lower side of each of the pair of left and right balustrades 13 extending from the boarding/alighting entrance 17 to the boarding/alighting entrance 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the skirt portion 25 includes a plate-shaped inner ledge 26 that covers the step 30 side (inner side in the width direction) of the lower part of the balustrade 13, an outer ledge 27 that covers the outside of the lower part of the balustrade 13, and a plate-shaped skirt guard 28 that is arranged in the vertical direction facing the side of the step 30. The step 30 runs between the pair of left and right skirt guards 28. The inner ledge 26, together with the skirt guard 28, protects the feet of passengers and is attached at an angle between the upper end of the skirt guard 28 and the step 30 side of the lower part of the balustrade 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, the skirt portion 25 is composed of, in order from the upper floor side to the lower floor side, an upper floor horizontal portion 25a, an upper floor curved portion 25b, an intermediate inclined portion 25c, a lower floor curved portion 25d, and a lower floor horizontal portion 25e.

The upper floor horizontal section 25a is the upper floor end of the skirt section 25, and is the portion where the upper end of the skirt section 25 (i.e., the inner ledge 26 and the outer ledge 27) extends horizontally. The lower floor horizontal section 25e is the lower floor end of the skirt section 25, and is the portion where the upper end of the skirt section 25 extends horizontally. The intermediate inclined section 25c is the portion provided in the center of the skirt section 25 in the front-to-rear direction, and is the portion where the upper end of the skirt section 25 inclines along the moving direction of the step 30. The upper floor curved section 25b is the portion that gently connects between the upper floor horizontal section 25a and the intermediate inclined section 25c, and is the portion where the upper end of the skirt section 25 curves to bulge upward. The lower floor curved section 25d is a section that gently connects the lower floor horizontal section 25e and the intermediate inclined section 25c, and is a section where the upper end of the skirt section 25 curves so that it bulges downward.

When the driving sprocket 7 rotates upon receiving a rotational force from the driving device 6, the step chain 11 moves in a circular motion between the driving sprocket 7 and the driven sprocket 10. In response to this, the front and rear wheels 35 and 37 on the steps 30 run on the front and rear guide rails, and engage with the recesses on the outer periphery of the driving sprocket 7 and the recesses on the outer periphery of the driven sprocket 10, causing the steps 30 to turn upside down. As a result, the steps 30 move in a circular motion between the upper boarding/alighting entrance 17 (or 18) and the lower boarding/alighting entrance 18 (or 17), alternately passing through an outward route in which the steps move from one boarding/alighting entrance (boarding entrance) 17 (or 18) to the other boarding/alighting entrance (alight) 18 (or 17) to transport passengers, and a return route in which the steps move from the alighting entrance to the boarding entrance below the outward route.

When the handrail belt sprocket 12 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive sprocket 7, the handrail belt 15 is driven by the frictional force with the handrail belt sprocket 12. As a result, the handrail belt 15 circulates in sync with the steps 30 between the upper boarding/alighting entrance 17 and the lower boarding/alighting entrance 18, alternating between an outward path in which the handrail rail 14A on the outward path moves from the boarding entrance to the alighting entrance with the gripping portion 15a facing upward, and a return path in which the handrail rail 14B on the return path moves from the alighting entrance to the boarding entrance with the gripping portion 15a facing downward.

Inside the pair of left and right skirt portions 25, a treatment device 50 is provided to heat and sterilize the handrail belt 15 running on the return handrail rail 14B.

(2) Processing device 50
Next, the processing device 50 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The processing device 50 provided on the left skirt portion 25 and the processing device 50 provided on the right skirt portion 25 have the same configuration.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the processing device 50 includes a cover 51 that covers the gripping portion 15a, side portion 15b, and folded portion 15c of the handrail belt 15 moving on the return path, a heating device 52 and a sterilization device 53 provided inside the cover 51, a first temperature detection unit 57 that detects the temperature inside the cover 51, and a second temperature detection unit 58 that detects the temperature outside the cover 51.

The cover 51 is fixed to the truss 2 via the mounting member 54 and is provided on the intermediate inclined portion 25c of the skirt portion 25. The cover 51 has a bottom portion 51a provided along the handrail rail 14B on the return route side, a pair of left and right side walls 51b extending upward from both left and right ends of the bottom portion 51a, and a pair of left and right upper walls 51c extending inward from the upper ends of the pair of left and right side walls 51b. The cover 51 is cylindrical with a slit-shaped opening 51d that opens upward between the pair of left and right upper walls 51c.

The return handrail rail 14B is provided inside the cylindrical cover 51. The handrail rail 14B is connected to the rail support part 55 by a connecting bolt 56 that extends upward through the opening 51d of the cover 51, and the rail support part 55 is fixed to the truss 2. The handrail belt 15, which moves on the return route along the return handrail rail 14B, passes inside the cover 51. The cover 51 covers the grip part 15a, which forms the underside, the side part 15b, and the folded part 15c, which forms the upper surface, of the handrail belt 15 that passes inside it.

One or more heating devices 52 are provided on the bottom 51a of the cover 51 so as to face the gripping portion 15a of the handrail belt 15 passing inside the cover 51 at a distance in the vertical direction. The heating device 52 is composed of an infrared heater or resistor, and heats the handrail belt 15 passing inside the cover 51.

One or more sterilization devices 53 are provided on the bottom 51a of the cover 51 so as to face the gripping portion 15a of the handrail belt 15 passing through the inside of the cover 51 with a gap in the vertical direction. The heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 are provided side by side in the left-right direction below the gripping portion 15a (see Figure 2), and are provided alternately in the front-to-back direction (see Figure 3), so that both the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 are provided in a staggered pattern when viewed from above. The sterilization device 53 sterilizes the gripping portion 15a of the handrail belt 15 by irradiating it with ultraviolet light.

(3) Electrical Configuration of Passenger Conveyor 1 The electrical configuration of the passenger conveyor 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

The motor of the drive device 6 is connected to the control unit 16, and the heating device 52, sterilization device 53, first temperature detection unit 57, and second temperature detection unit 58 provided in the processing device 50 are also connected.

The control unit 16 controls the operation of the passenger conveyor 1 by controlling the rotation/stop, direction of rotation, and rotation speed of the motor of the drive unit 6. The control unit 16 also receives input of a signal related to the internal temperature of the cover 51 detected by the first temperature detection unit 57 and a signal related to the external temperature of the cover 51 (the temperature of the atmosphere in which the passenger conveyor 1 is installed) detected by the second temperature detection unit 58, and controls the operation of the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 based on the input signal and the operating state of the drive unit 6.

(4) Operations of the Heating Device 52 and the Sterilization Device 53 Next, the operations of the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 will be described.

When the motor of the drive unit 6 rotates and the passenger conveyor 1 performs an ascending or descending operation, the control unit 16 acquires the temperature of the atmosphere in which the passenger conveyor 1 is installed, detected by the second temperature detection unit 58.

If the acquired temperature is above a predetermined temperature (for example, above 10°C), the control unit 16 stops the heating device 52 and operates the sterilization device 53 to sterilize the handrail belt 15 passing inside the cover 51.
If the acquired temperature is less than a predetermined temperature (for example, less than 10°C), the control unit 16 operates the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 to heat and sterilize the handrail belt 15 passing through the inside of the cover 51. At that time, the control unit 16 adjusts the output of the heating device 52 so that the internal temperature of the cover 51 detected by the first temperature detection unit 57 becomes a predetermined temperature. The internal temperature of the cover 51 when the heating device 52 is operating can be set to any temperature. The number of heating devices 52 arranged in the front-rear direction is determined so that the handrail belt 15 made of rubber or urethane can be heated to the above temperature when the handrail belt 15 runs at a normal speed (20 to 30 m/min). In addition, the heated handrail belt 15 needs to have a temperature that is lowered to a level that passengers do not feel is too hot when they grab it immediately after it exits the inlets 23 and 24. If the handrail belt 15 is heated to 120°C or higher under the condition that the temperature is lowered to such a level immediately after it exits the inlets 23 and 24, a sterilization effect by heating can also be obtained. The ultraviolet light output from the sterilization device 53 is irradiated directly onto the gripping portion 15a of the traveling handrail belt 15, and is also reflected by the inner surface of the cover 51 and irradiated onto the side portion 15b and the folded portion 15c of the handrail belt 15, sterilizing bacteria and viruses adhering to the surface of the handrail belt 15 passing through the inside of the cover 51. In other words, the handrail belt 15 traveling on the return journey is alternately heated by the heating device 52 and sterilized by the sterilization device 53 inside the cover 51.

(5) Effects In the passenger conveyor 1 of this embodiment, the handrail belt 15 moving on the return journey can be heated and sterilized by the heating device 52 and sterilization device 53 provided in the processing device 50, so when the temperature of the atmosphere in which the passenger conveyor 1 is installed is low, such as in winter, the handrail belt 15 can be heated to an appropriate temperature that makes it easy for passengers to grasp while suppressing the proliferation of bacteria and viruses. This reduces the resistance felt by passengers when holding onto the handrail, making it easier for passengers to grasp the handrail.

In the passenger conveyor 1 of this embodiment, a cover 51 is provided to cover the gripping portion 15a, side portion 15b, and folded portion 15c of the handrail belt 15 moving on the return path, so that the handrail belt 15 heated by the heating device 52 does not cool down easily.

In this embodiment, when the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 are provided on the cover 51, the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 can be attached to the desired position by fixing the cover 51 to the truss 2 via the mounting member 54, making the installation work easy. Furthermore, since the heating device 52 and the sterilization device 53 heat and sterilize the handrail belt 15 inside the cover 51, infrared rays emitted from the heating device 52 and ultraviolet rays emitted from the sterilization device 53 are less likely to leak outside the cover 51, and the handrail belt 15 can be heated and sterilized efficiently.

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 modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and essence of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

Reference Signs List 1: Passenger conveyor, 2: Truss, 12: Handrail belt sprocket, 13: Parapet, 14A: Handrail rail on outbound side, 14B: Handrail rail on return side, 15: Belt, 15a: Gripping portion, 15b: Side portion, 15c: Turn-up portion, 16: Control portion, 25: Skirt portion, 30: Step, 50: Processing device, 51: Cover, 52: Heating device, 53: Sterilization device, 54: Mounting member, 57: First temperature detection portion, 58: Second temperature detection portion

Claims (2)

The apparatus comprises a plurality of steps which move cyclically within a truss, a pair of balustrades provided on both sides of the steps, a handrail belt which moves cyclically above the balustrades on an outward route and below the balustrades on a return route in synchronization with the cyclic movement of the steps, a cover which covers the underside, sides and top of the handrail belt which moves on the return route, a heating device which is provided within the cover and which heats the handrail belt which moves on the return route, a sterilization device which is provided within the cover and which sterilizes the handrail belt which moves on the return route, a first temperature detection unit which detects the temperature inside the cover, and a second temperature detection unit which detects the temperature outside the cover,
When the temperature outside the cover detected by the second temperature detection unit is lower than a predetermined temperature, the heating device and the sterilization device are operated to heat and sterilize the handrail belt passing through the inside of the cover,
A passenger conveyor that adjusts the output of a heating device so that the temperature inside the cover detected by the first temperature detection unit becomes a predetermined temperature. a horizontal section in which the step moves horizontally, and an intermediate inclined section in which the step moves linearly at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction;
2. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is provided at the intermediate inclined portion and heats the handrail belt that moves linearly at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction.

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