JPS6326074B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention relates to an escalator that can serve not only general pedestrians but also wheelchair users, and in particular, an escalator that allows wheelchair users to ascend and descend safely. Regarding the steps.

[Background of the invention]

Escalators have traditionally been popular as service facilities for general pedestrians, but in recent years they have also become widely used in various public facilities such as urban transportation, and as a result There has been an increasing demand for facilities to be able to provide services not only to people who are physically disabled, but also to people who use wheelchairs.

However, conventional escalators have been made with pedestrians in mind, as mentioned above, and for this reason, the depth of the steps is approximately 400 mm.
mm, and this dimension is sufficient for pedestrians, but if a wheelchair user gets on it, it will be too small compared to the size of the wheelchair, and there is a risk of falling. This can lead to a big risk. Therefore, in the past, it was generally recognized that it was impossible for wheelchair users to use escalators.

This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, a general escalator 100 is equipped with a plurality of endlessly movable steps 1, and the depth dimension a of the tread surface 1a of these steps 1 is approximately 400 mm as described above. The steps 1 are arranged horizontally in the front and back near the entrance of the escalator 100, and their treads 1a are shown in FIG.
As shown by a', it forms a continuous horizontal plane, but it is well known that it operates in a step-like manner in the inclined running section.

Therefore, when the wheelchair 2 gets on the escalator 100 which is currently being operated with such a configuration, as shown in FIG. Escalator 1 because it is quite large.
00, the tread surface 1a of the step 1 shifts from a horizontal continuous surface 1a' to a step-like tread surface shown by a broken line in FIG. The wheelchair 2 rises while riding on the wheelchair 1a, and the wheelchair 2 rotates as shown by the broken arrow around the axis of the main wheels 3, and is in a greatly tilted state.

Therefore, with such an escalator 100, servicing wheelchair users is accompanied by great danger and becomes difficult.

However, in view of the recent rise in public opinion and the expansion of the range of activities of wheelchair users, the possibility of applying escalator services to wheelchair users has been positioned as one of the major issues, and accordingly, Various proposals have begun to be made.

For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 56-41555 discloses an invention in which escalator steps with a special large tread depth are provided in advance, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-12067 discloses for,
There are disclosures about escalators that have a mechanism that can expand the tread depth of certain steps only when necessary, and according to these disclosures, the use of escalators by wheelchair users is prohibited can be made possible.

However, as mentioned above, the tread depth of the steps in a typical escalator is approximately 400 mm, and even if the tread depth is increased using the method described above, the depth will be at most twice that of the entire escalator. However, even with these methods, it is not possible to sufficiently eliminate the risk of the wheelchair falling over.

To explain this with reference to Fig. 3, even if the step 1 is provided with an extension 6 and the tread depth is expanded to b, the length will be approximately 800 mm at most, and this dimension will cover the entire length of the wheelchair 2. As a result, the wheelchair cannot be placed on the escalator unless the footrest 5 of the wheelchair 2 protrudes above the steps in front of it. Therefore, when the escalator step 1 moves diagonally, the footrest 5 is interfered with by the rising step 1 in front, and is lifted by the dimension d, causing the wheelchair 2 to tilt backwards. This creates a risk of falling.

On the other hand, the above-mentioned difficulties can be solved by making it possible to double the tread depth of the steps, but this would require a complicated sliding mechanism, and it would be difficult to maintain the necessary strength. The disadvantage is that costs tend to increase.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, to sufficiently suppress the occurrence of interference with a wheelchair when traveling diagonally without increasing the tread depth of the stairs, and to facilitate use in a wheelchair. The purpose is to provide an escalator that is sufficiently safe to operate.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides at least one of the steps of an escalator that can be operated in conjunction with a vertical change in the height position of the tread and an enlarged change in the depth dimension of the tread. The present invention is characterized in that when a step is provided and a wheelchair is placed on it, the height of the tread of the step is increased and the depth dimension of the step is increased in conjunction with each other.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Below, regarding the escalator according to the present invention,
A detailed explanation will be given with reference to the illustrated embodiment.

First, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment for explaining the basic concept of the present invention, in which 9 is a vertical mechanism, 10 is a step main body, 11 and 12 are treadboards, and the others are as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. This is the same as the conventional example.

The vertical mechanism 9 has a tread plate 11,
12 between the normal tread position L and the raised position H,
It functions to change only the dimension h.

Therefore, even when the wheelchair 2 is placed on the treads 11 and 12 and the escalator starts running diagonally, the increase in the dimension h causes the footrest 5 of the wheelchair 2 and the front step to move as shown by the broken line. 1 interference does not occur and the escalator can be used safely. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the tread plate 11 is an extension of the tread plate 12, but the step 1 on which the lifting mechanism 9 is to be installed is manufactured from the beginning with a large tread depth dimension, and the top of the main body 10 is The main wheels 3 of the wheelchair 2 are sufficient only with the tread 12 of the
If the front wheel 4 can be placed on the vehicle, there is no particular need to provide the expansion footboard 11.

Next, a more specific embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In these figures 5 and 6, the first treadle 1
1 and the second step board 12 are connected by a connecting pin 16 at the end of the step body 10 on the riser 13 side,
As a result, these footboards 11 and 12 can be folded and placed on top of each other as shown in FIG. 5, and can be rotated and extended as shown in FIG. It's summery.

14 and 15 are tread grooves formed on one surface of the first tread plate 11 and a part of the main body 10, and in the state shown in FIG. 5, these grooves 14 and 15 are aligned on the same surface,
It will be in the same condition as the treads of a normal escalator.

Reference numerals 18 and 19 designate links that support the footboards 11 and 12 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.The central portions of each link are connected by a connecting pin 24, and the upper end is connected to the connecting pin 20 of the member 17 attached to the lower surface of the footboard 12. , the footboard 12 is supported by the guide surface 23, and the lower end is attached to the main body 1.
0 guide surface 21 and connecting pin 22
It is designed to be held at 0.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a bell crank whose center of rotation is a coupling pin 26 provided on the member 17, and one end of which is coupled to the main body 10 via the coupling pin 27, link 28, and coupling pin 25. , the other end is connected to the first footboard 11 via a connecting pin 30, a link 32, and a connecting pin 31.

Note that 33 is a stopper, and 34 and 35 are running wheels.

At least one of the steps configured as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is incorporated into a plurality of steps included in a normal escalator to constitute the escalator of the present invention.

During normal operation, the first treadle 11 is folded and overlapped with the second treadle 12, as shown in FIG. 5.

Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 5, it has almost the same external shape as other ordinary steps, and the first step 1
The surface where the groove 14 of No. 1 is formed and the groove 1 of the main body 10
5 serves as a tread, allowing the escalator to serve pedestrians in the same way as a regular escalator.

Next, when service for the wheelchair becomes necessary, the operation of the escalator is stopped at a predetermined timing, and the steps shown in FIG. 5 are positioned at the entrance of the escalator.

Next, the front (right side in FIG. 5) end of the first treadle 11 is pulled upward by an appropriate means, such as by hand, and the treadle 11 is rotated around the coupling pin 16 as shown in FIG. Rotate it as shown by the broken line arrow A.

Then, the rotation of the footboard 11 causes the bell crank 29 to rotate via the link 32, and this rotation is transmitted to the main body 10 via the link 28, so that the reaction force causes the member 17 to rotate via the coupling pin 26. The force indicated by the broken line arrow B appears. Therefore, if the shape of the bell crank 29, the lengths of the links 28, 32, and the mounting positions of the coupling pins 25, 26, 31 are maintained in a predetermined relationship, the first tread plate 1
1, the second footboard 12 rises from the main body 10, and as shown in FIG.
When the bell crank 29 comes into contact with the stopper 33, these tread plates 11 and 12 are elevated from the main body 10 by a predetermined distance h.

Therefore, if the wheelchair is placed in this state, it will be in the same state as shown in FIG. 4, and the wheelchair can be carried safely without the risk of falling.

In addition, at this time, as is clear from Figure 6,
The reaction force due to the load L of the wheelchair is transmitted from the link 32 to the bell crank 29, and since the bell crank 29 is in contact with the stopper 33, it is applied to the main body 10, so that it is stably supported. .

In addition, this load LO causes an overhang moment to act on the step body 10, but this moment is transmitted from the running wheels 34 and 35 to the escalator's running guide track (not shown) and is supported there, so there is no particular problem. It won't happen.

Next, when you have finished using the wheelchair, rotate the first treadle 11 in the opposite direction, and turn the second treadle 12.
If the escalator is folded up, it returns to the state shown in Fig. 5 and can be returned to service as a general escalator for pedestrians.

In the above explanation, the first treadle 11 is rotated manually, but it may also be rotated by electric power, or by moving the links 18 and 19, or by using the bell crank 29. It goes without saying that the above-mentioned operation may be performed by rotating the .

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tread depth dimension is expanded by rotating and folding the first tread plate 11 relative to the second tread plate 12. It goes without saying that this may be carried out by a method in which the depth of the tread surface is expanded by the sliding operation of the tread plate 11 of No. 1.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to ensure sufficient safety even when the expansion dimension of the step tread is kept to the minimum when using the wheelchair. To easily provide an escalator that can be safely used by a wheelchair.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the concept of an escalator.
Figures 2 and 3 are explanatory diagrams showing problems in conventional escalators, Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the basic configuration of an escalator according to the present invention, and Figures 5 and 6 are one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1... Step, 10... Step body, 11... First
treadboard, 12... second treadboard, 13... riser,
14, 15...Tread groove, 16, 20, 22, 2
4, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31... Connection pin, 17... Member, 18, 19, 28, 32...
Link, 29... bell crank, 33... stopper, 34, 35... running wheel.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an escalator in which at least one of a plurality of steps connected in an endless manner has a step for mounting a wheelchair, the step for mounting a wheelchair is lower than the tread of the front step when the escalator is in an ascending state. A tread position changing mechanism that changes the tread position upward to a lower predetermined position, a tread expansion mechanism that expands the tread depth dimension, and a mechanism that links these tread position changing mechanism and tread expansion mechanism. Features an escalator. 2. Claim 1 is characterized in that the predetermined position is determined by an interference condition between the footrest of the wheelchair and the tread of the front step when the wheelchair is mounted. escalator.