WO2003097507A1

WO2003097507A1 - Automatic operating unit of man conveyor

Info

Publication number: WO2003097507A1
Application number: PCT/JP2002/004781
Authority: WO
Inventors: Koji Yoshida
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2002-05-17
Filing date: 2002-05-17
Publication date: 2003-11-27
Also published as: AU2002308995A1; EP1508547B1; EP1508547A4; CN1533358A; JP4173859B2; EP1508547A1; ATE527202T1; EP1508547B8; CN1308219C; JPWO2003097507A1

Abstract

An automatic operating unit of man conveyor comprising a first detector (6) for detecting a passenger approaching the entrance/exit of a man conveyor, and a second detector (7) for detecting a passenger passing just in front of a footboard. When the first detector (6) does not detect a passenger but the second detector (7) detects a passenger, a man conveyor stopping on stand-by blocks the starting of the footboard. A man conveyor operating at a low speed at the time of stand-by makes a transition to continuous operation of the footboard at a rated speed and resets to automatic operation when the first detector (6) detects a passenger.

Description

Technical field

The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically operating a man conveyor having a first detector for detecting the approach of a passenger and a second detector for detecting the passage of a passenger according to the detection state of the detector. is there. Akira Background technology

book

Conventionally, it has been known that a man conveyor, such as an escalator or a moving walkway, automatically detects and activates a passenger approaching the entrance, and automatically stops the above operation when there are no more passengers. I have. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-87592 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-180520 disclose those using a reflective passenger detector.

However, the reflection type passenger detector that uses the reflection of energy waves tends to fluctuate in detection distance depending on the detection target and environmental conditions, and the following problems occur due to the occurrence of a failure.

(1) When the detector fails at one of the entrances and the detection function is lost

In the type in which the steps are stopped during standby, if the detector at the entrance / exit in the direction opposite to the direction of travel is faulty, passengers may enter from the entrance / exit in the opposite direction. In this case, if a passenger who gets in from the entrance in the normal direction is detected, the passenger may start from the opposite direction while walking on the steps, and the passenger may fall over. In addition, even if the detector cannot detect a passenger who got in from a regular direction due to a failure of the detector, there is a problem that the passenger detects a passenger from the opposite direction while walking on the steps and suddenly starts the steps.

In the type where the steps are driven at low speed during standby, it is considered that passengers will not enter from the opposite direction, but since passengers can not be detected at the entrance, continue driving at low speed Therefore, there is a problem that convenience is reduced. Ma Also, in this state, if a person approaches the entrance in the opposite direction or a passenger who got in from the normal direction is detected at the exit, acceleration starts with the passenger on the steps.

In particular, the reflection-type passenger detector does not always detect only the passengers of the conveyor, but also detects persons passing around, and thus easily causes the above-described problem.

(2) When the detection distance of the detector fluctuates at one of the entrances and the detection becomes unstable Factors that make the detection unstable include the clothes and movement of passengers and the life of the detector .

In this case, in the type where the steps are stopped during standby, the detection is delayed, so that sufficient acceleration is not possible until the passenger gets on the steps, and the convenience is reduced. In addition, if detection is extremely delayed, the step may be activated at the same time as stepping into the step, and the passenger may fall.

In the type where the steps are driven at low speed during standby, if the detection is delayed, the acceleration from low speed will be slowed down, which also has the problem of reduced convenience.

On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-92-24447 discloses that a reflection type passenger detector using energy wave reflection is used as a first detector for detecting the approach of a passenger. It is described that a transmissive passenger detector that projects a light beam is used as a second detector that detects a passenger passing immediately before a step. However, this publication does not consider the problem in the case where the reflective passenger detector breaks down or the detection becomes unstable.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. Even if a failure occurs in a detector, a man conveyor that can improve convenience and maintainability without hindering passengers from getting on the vehicle. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic driving device of the present invention.

According to the automatic conveyor device of the present invention, when the first detector does not detect a passenger and the second detector detects a passenger while the conveyor is on standby (stopped), the activation of the tread is prevented. Things. In addition, the automatic conveyor device for a conveyor according to the present invention, when the first conveyor does not detect a passenger and the second detector detects a passenger while the conveyor is on standby (slow operation), the tread plate is moved at the rated speed. It is designed to operate continuously.

The first detector uses a detector that detects passengers by reflected energy waves, and the second detector uses a detector that detects passengers by blocking energy rays. is there.

In addition, if the state in which the second detector detects passengers continues for a specified number of times or more before the movement speed of the treads activated by the first detector detecting a passenger reaches the specified speed, the treads are continuously driven at the rated speed. It is intended to drive.

Also, after the treadle shifts to continuous operation, when the first detector detects a passenger, the operation returns to automatic operation again.

Also, if the first detector does not detect the passenger and the second detector detects the passenger, or the second detector detects the passenger before the tread reaches the specified speed after the first detector detects the passenger. When the detected state continues for a predetermined number of times or more, an abnormal signal is output to the outside, and a history of abnormality judgment is recorded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an upper entrance portion of a man conveyor with an automatic operation function. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the man conveyor shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram showing the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the standby conveyor with the automatic operation function of the standby mode according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation flowchart of the standby conveyor with the low-speed operation type automatic operation function according to the embodiment of the present invention. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In order to explain this invention in more detail, it will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings at the upper entrance. (The description is omitted because the same applies to the lower entrance / exit.) Embodiment 1 (Claims 1, 3, 4, 6, FIGS. 1-4) In Figs. 1 and 2, 1 is the main body of a man conveyor such as an escalator, 2 is a moving handrail that moves in synchronization with a treadle (not shown), 3 is a floor plate laid at the escalator entrance and exit, 4 Is a control panel installed in the truss, 5 is a floor at the entrance and exit, 6 is installed below the entrance, radiates energy rays such as near infrared rays and ultrasonic waves, and detects the approach of passengers by reflected waves. The upper first detector, consisting of a reflective passenger detector with a detection area 6a, emits a light beam 7a across the passenger passage at the lower part of the entrance / exit, and the passenger passes the light beam 7a by blocking it. This is the upper second detector consisting of a transmissive passenger detector that detects the traffic.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 8 denotes a lower first detector having the same function as the upper first detector 6 at the lower entrance, and reference numeral 9 denotes a lower detector having the same function as the second detector 7 at the lower entrance. The second detector on the lower side has 10; the start determination means for instructing the start and stop of the man conveyor according to the presence or absence of passenger detection from each of the detectors 6 to 9; Driving means for controlling the operation and stopping of the conveyor, 12 is a passenger detection failure judging means for judging the failure of each detector 6-9, 13 is an alarm which notifies the failure of detectors 6-9, 1 4 is a history memory that stores the history of the failures of the detectors 6 to 9, 15 is a speed detector that detects the speed of the driving device (not shown) of the conveyor, that is, a speed detector that moves the treadle, and 16 is the speed detector. At the time of boarding to determine whether the moving speed of the tread while passing the second detectors 7 and 9 is lower than a predetermined value Degree determining means, 1 7 is slow boarding counter for counting the number of times a boarded passenger when the moving speed is low speed step board. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

This conveyor has a standby-stop automatic operation function. That is, when there are no passengers, the treads are stopped and the vehicle stands by, and when a passenger is detected, operation is started, thereby achieving quietness and energy saving.

In step S1, the count N of the low-speed entry counter 17 is set to zero. In step S2, the conveyor is set to the standby (stop) state. In step S3, the passenger detection failure determination means 12 determines whether or not the upper first detector 6 has detected a passenger, and if not, proceeds to step S4, where the upper second detector 7 detects the passenger. Determine whether it has been detected. If not detected, it is determined that there are no passengers, and the process returns to step 2. When the upper second detector 7 detects a passenger, the process proceeds to step S5, and the activation determination means 10 A start prevention command is output, and the start of the tread is prevented via the driving means 11. Then, in step S6, the passenger detector failure determination means 12 outputs an abnormality signal to the monitor 13 such as a monitoring panel, a remote monitoring center, and a failure display device, and records the abnormality determination in the history memory 14. Here, steps S2 to S5 constitute the activation determination means 10.

In this way, when the first conveyor 6 does not detect a passenger while the conveyor is stopped, and when the second detector 7 detects a passenger, the first conveyor 6 is prevented from starting, so that the first detector 6 In the event that a passenger cannot be detected due to a malfunction or the like, it is possible to prevent the passenger from starting up after getting on the stopped conveyor.

Next, when it is determined in step S3 that the first detector 6 has detected a passenger, an evening timer (not shown) is started in step S7, and a standby release command for the conveyor is output in step S8. In step S9, it is determined whether the second detector 7 has detected a passenger. If not, wait for the set time to elapse in step S10, and when the set time has elapsed, output a command to stop the conveyor in step S11 and return to step S2.

Next, if the second detector 7 detects a passenger in step S9, the process proceeds to step S12, and the boarding speed determining means 16 determines the speed of the tread plate from the output of the speed detector 15 as the specified speed. It is determined whether or not this is the case. If the speed is less than the specified speed, the process proceeds to step S13, and it is determined whether or not the count N of the low-speed entry counter 17 is 5 or more. If it is less than five times, 1 is added to the number N, and the operation shifts to the automatic operation in step S16 and returns to step S2. If the number of counts N is 5 or more, the conveyer is continuously operated at the rated speed in step S17, an abnormal signal is output in step S18, the alarm is notified from the alarm 13, and the abnormality is determined. Is recorded in the history memory 14. Here, steps S3, S7 to S9, SI2, and S13 constitute the passenger detector failure determination means 12, and step S17 constitutes the activation determination means 10.

In this way, if the number of times the second detector 7 has detected a passenger more than a predetermined number of times before the moving speed of the tread plate started in step S8 reaches the specified speed or more continues, the continuous operation is performed at the rated speed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a passenger from getting on the tread while the tread is not sufficiently accelerated due to a reduction in the detection distance of the first detector 6 or the like. If the first detector 6 does not detect a passenger and the second detector 7 detects a passenger, or after the first detector 6 detects a passenger and before the tread reaches the specified speed, the second detection is performed. When the condition that the device 7 detects a passenger continues for a predetermined number of times or more, an abnormal signal is output to, for example, a monitoring panel, a remote monitoring sensor, a failure display device, and the like, and a history of abnormality determination is left. It is possible to quickly detect a detector failure or a decrease in detection capability, improve maintainability, and even after returning to automatic operation, it is possible to check the above history during maintenance.

If it is determined in step S12 that the speed of the treadle is equal to or higher than the specified speed, the count N of the counter 17 is returned to zero in step S15, and the automatic operation is performed in step S16. .

Here, the condition is that the speed of the tread plate when the second detector 7 detects a passenger is equal to or higher than a specified speed, but this is from when the first detector 6 detects a passenger. However, it is also possible to use the elapsed time until the second detector 検出 detects a passenger.

Embodiment 2 (Claims 2 to 6, FIGS. 1 to 3, and FIG. 5)

The man conveyor according to the second embodiment has a standby low-speed operation type automatic operation function. That is, when there are no passengers, the treads are moved at a low speed to stand by, and when a passenger is detected, automatic operation is started, thereby achieving quietness and energy saving. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the basic operation is the same as in FIG. 4, and therefore, the points different from FIG. 4 will be mainly described.

In step S1, the count N of the low-speed entry counter 17 is set to zero. In step S21, the conveyor moves to the standby (low speed) state. In step S3, it is determined whether the first detector 6 has detected a passenger. If not, the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether the second detector 7 has detected a passenger. If a passenger is detected, proceed to step S22, operate the conveyor continuously at the rated speed, output an abnormal signal in step S23, notify the alarm 13 and record the abnormality judgment in the history memory. . Then, in step S24, the process waits for the first detector 6 to detect a passenger, and when a passenger is detected, returns to automatic operation in step S25 and returns to step S21. Here, steps S22, S24, and S25 constitute automatic operation return means. Note that In step S26, a standby command for the conveyor is output.

In this way, after the treadle shifts to continuous operation, when the first detector 6 detects a passenger, it automatically returns to automatic operation again. Even if the detection capability of the detector 6 is reduced, it is possible to return to the automatic operation, and the convenience can be improved.

In addition, when the first detector 6 does not detect a passenger and the second detector 7 detects a passenger, an abnormal signal is output to notify the user and a history of the abnormality determination is left. (1) It is possible to quickly know the failure of the detector (6) or a decrease in detection capability, improve maintainability, and check the history of transition to continuous operation even after returning to automatic operation at the time of maintenance, etc. It becomes possible.

In each of the above embodiments, the first detector 6 is a reflection-type passenger detector, because the approach of the passenger can be detected from a position away from the entrance. However, the first detector 6 is not limited to the reflection type passenger detector, but only needs to be able to detect that the passenger is approaching the entrance, and other types of detectors are sufficiently useful. Industrial applicability

As described above, the automatic conveyor device for a conveyor according to the present invention includes a first detector for detecting a passenger approaching the entrance / exit of the conveyor and a second detector for detecting a passenger passing immediately before the tread. This is useful as a countermeasure in the event that the detection of the first detector has been hindered. In particular, it is suitable for the case where the first detector uses a reflection-type passenger detector whose detection distance may vary depending on the conditions of the environment and the target object.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A first detector having a detection area for detecting a passenger approaching the entrance of the man conveyor, and a second detector provided at a position closer to the entrance than the detection area and for detecting the passage of the passenger. A device that switches the treadle to automatic operation when the first detector operates while the treadle of the man conveyor is stopped and in a standby state, wherein the first detector does not detect the passenger, When the second detector detects the passenger, the automatic operation device of the man conveyor includes an activation determining unit that outputs a command to prevent activation of the tread.

2. A first detector having a detection area for detecting a passenger approaching the entrance / exit of the man conveyor, and a second detector provided at a position closer to the entrance / exit than the detection area and for detecting the passage of the passenger. A device for switching the tread plate to automatic operation when the first detector operates while the tread plate of the man conveyor is in a standby state in a low-speed operation state,

When the first detector does not detect the passenger and the second detector detects the passenger, the vehicle further includes a start determination unit that outputs a command to continuously operate the tread plate at a rated speed. Automatic driving device for the conveyor.

3. The first detector is a reflective detector that emits energy waves and detects the approach of passengers by reflected waves, and the second detector projects energy rays that cross the entrance and exit, and this energy rays are blocked 3. The automatic driving device for a man conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission device detects a passage of the passenger when the transmission is performed.

4. A speed detector for detecting the moving speed of the tread,

Based on the detection of the passenger by the first detector, it is determined whether or not the state where the second detector has detected the passenger has continued for a predetermined number of times or more before the moving speed of the activated tread reaches the prescribed speed. Passenger detector failure determination means,

When the passenger detector failure determination means determines that the state where the passenger has been detected by the second detector has continued for a predetermined number of times or more, start determination means for outputting a command to continuously operate the treads at a rated speed, The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising:

5. The conveyer according to claim 2, further comprising automatic operation return means for returning to automatic operation again when the first detector detects a passenger after the treadle shifts to continuous operation. Automatic driving equipment.

6. History memory,

If the first detector does not detect a passenger and the second detector detects a passenger, or after the first detector detects the passenger and before the tread reaches the specified speed, the second detector A passenger detector failure judging means for outputting an abnormal signal to the outside and recording a history of the abnormality judgment in the history memory when the state of detecting the passenger has continued for a predetermined number of times or more. The mask according to any one of claims 1 to 3