JP5546566B2 - Passenger conveyor and method for stopping steps of passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to control of passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways.

  Passenger conveyors generally have a function of stopping the movement of a step when an abnormality is detected. As techniques relating to this type of function, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 are known.

  The passenger conveyor described in Patent Literature 1 includes a sensor that monitors the state of the step, and a control unit that determines whether the step is normal or abnormal based on an output signal from the sensor. This passenger conveyor can determine whether the path and posture of the step are normal or abnormal according to the pattern of the output signal from the sensor. If it is determined that the route or posture of the step is abnormal, The movement can be stopped. At this time, this passenger conveyor can alleviate the impact on the passengers by gradually stopping the steps.

  When an abnormality occurs, the passenger conveyor described in Patent Literature 2 can calculate a deceleration so as to be a constant braking distance regardless of the driving speed, and can be stopped at a predetermined braking distance.

  The passenger conveyor described in Patent Document 3 includes an electric motor that applies driving force to the passenger conveyor, a control device that applies braking force to the electric motor to stop the movement of the steps, and detects an abnormality in the passenger conveyor that is detected by the control device. A safety device that outputs a signal, and load detection means that outputs a load detection value of the passenger conveyor. This passenger conveyor stops the movement of the step at a constant deceleration regardless of the detected load value of the passenger conveyor, so that the step can be performed at an appropriate deceleration during the operation of the safety device and within a specified stop distance. Can be stopped.

JP 2001-89059 A JP 2008-7245 A JP 2004-43136 A

  Patent Document 1 discloses that the movement of the step is gradually stopped, Patent Document 2 discloses that the movement of the step is stopped at a predetermined braking distance, and Patent Document 3 discloses that the movement of the step is performed at a constant deceleration. Although it discloses disclosing within a specified stopping distance, none of them considers the position of the exit part (typically, the comb part) of the step. From the viewpoint of the reliability of the passenger conveyor, control is performed so that the step where the abnormality has occurred (for example, the step having an abnormal inclination) does not come out of the exit, and the slowest using the entire process of the maximum allowable stop distance It is preferable to stop.

  The distance from the abnormality detection position of the abnormal step to the position of the exit of the step when an abnormal step that is abnormal is detected, and the distance along the step movement trajectory is defined as the stop margin distance The The passenger conveyor stops the steps using all the processes of the shorter distance among the stop margin distance and the maximum stop distance specified by law.

  By using all the steps of the maximum allowable stop distance (the shorter of the stop margin distance and the maximum stop distance specified by laws and regulations), the step where the abnormality has occurred is prevented from appearing at the exit. And, the steps can be stopped most gently.

It is a block diagram of the escalator which concerns on embodiment. The flow of the operation control of the escalator which concerns on embodiment is shown. The inside of the upper horizontal frame of the escalator which concerns on embodiment is shown. The modification of the flow of the operation control of the escalator which concerns on embodiment is shown.

  Hereinafter, an escalator will be described as an example of a passenger conveyor according to the embodiment with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an escalator according to an embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the escalator 1 includes the following components:
(*) An upper horizontal frame 2a, a lower horizontal frame 2c, and an intermediate frame 2b connecting them, and a frame 2 installed across the upper and lower floors,
(*) Drive sprocket 3 installed in the upper horizontal frame 2a,
(*) A driven sprocket 4 installed in the lower horizontal frame 2c,
(*) Step chain 5 wound endlessly on drive sprockets 3 and 4;
(*) A step 6 that is coupled to the step chain 5 and has a step plate that is held horizontally on the outward path side (the side on which passengers get on and off).
(*) A balustrade panel 7 erected on both sides of the step 6 in the width direction,
(*) A moving handrail 8 that is guided and moved by the periphery of the balustrade panel 7;
(*) A driving device 9 for driving the step chain 5 and the moving handrail 8, and
(*) An abnormality detection device (not shown in FIG. 1) for detecting the step 6 where the abnormality has occurred,
It has. Under this configuration, the step 6 circulates (reciprocates). The drive sprocket 3 may be set in the lower horizontal frame 2c and the driven sprocket 4 may be installed in the upper horizontal frame 2a.

  The drive device 9 includes a drive unit (for example, a motor 11 and a brake 12) that drives the steps 6 and the like, and an operation control device 14 that controls the drive unit, and receives supply of electric power from the commercial power supply 13. Driven. The operation control device 14 controls the output of the inverter 15 that receives power from the commercial power supply 13 and controls the rotational force of the motor 11 that receives power from the inverter 15. The rotational force of the motor 11 is transmitted to the step chain 5 and the moving handrail 8 through the power transmission chain 10. The operation control device 14 also controls the operation of the brake 12.

  FIG. 2 shows a flow of operation control of the escalator 1.

  The abnormality detection device 16 described above monitors the step 6. The operation control device 14 controls the inverter 15 based on the monitoring result of the abnormality detection device 16. Thereby, the rotational force of the motor 11 is controlled, and as a result, the moving speed of the step 6 is controlled.

  When the abnormality detection device 16 detects an abnormality in the step 6, the abnormality detection device 16 notifies the operation control device 14 of the abnormality in the step 6. When the operation control device 14 receives the notification, the operation control device 14 controls the inverter 15 to reduce the rotational speed of the motor 11 based on the deceleration determined by a method to be described later, thereby moving the step 6. Then, decelerate at the deceleration and stop.

  Hereinafter, a method for stopping the step 6 will be described. In the present embodiment, the moving direction of the step 6 that moves on the forward path of the escalator 1 is the downward direction. Further, in the following description, the forward path of the step 6 is a portion that moves in a state where the step 6 is exposed so that passengers can ride on the movement trajectory of the step 6, and the comb portion 17 (described later) of the upper horizontal frame 2 a. It is a portion sandwiched between an outlet portion) and a not-shown comb portion (inlet portion) of the lower horizontal frame 2c. On the other hand, the return path of the step 6 is a portion in which the step 6 moves in the escalator 1 so that passengers cannot get on the trajectory of the step 6 and is reversed by a step reversing device (not shown) of the lower horizontal frame 2c. And a predetermined position before the step is reversed by the step reversing device 18 in the upper horizontal frame 2a (for example, in the moving track of the step 6). It is a part sandwiched between the end position of the inclined part).

  FIG. 3 shows the inside of the upper horizontal frame 2 a of the escalator 1.

  When an abnormality occurs in the step 6 (for example, an abnormality in the inclination of the step 6), an abnormal step 6b that is an abnormal step exists in the escalator 1 in addition to the normal step 6a that is a normal step. In the present embodiment, the abnormal step 6b is controlled so as not to appear from the comb portion 17 which is an exit portion. Here, “the abnormal step 6b does not appear from the comb portion 17 (exit portion)” means that the abnormal step 6b does not appear to the extent that it is not ridden by a passenger, and even if the abnormal step 6b is a part of the comb portion. In addition to not appearing from 17, a part of the abnormal step 6 b may exit from the comb portion 17.

  A stop margin distance A is defined. The stop margin distance A is a distance from the abnormality detection position 16a to the comb portion 17 that is an exit portion, and is a distance on the movement locus of the step 6 (a distance along the movement locus). The abnormality detection position 16a is the position of the abnormal step 6b when the abnormality step 6b is detected by the abnormality detection device 16. The stop margin distance A is determined by the installation position of the abnormality detection device 16, the installation position, size, and shape of the step reversing device 18 and the installation position of the comb portion 17. The step reversing device 18 is a device that reverses the vertical direction of the step 6 that has returned along the return path.

  In order to prevent the abnormal step 6b from exiting from the comb portion 17 that is the exit when the abnormal step 6b is detected and to stop the movement of the step 6 (operation of the escalator 1) as slowly as possible, a stop margin distance A is set. It is possible to make it as long as possible. In order to increase the stop margin distance A, it is conceivable that the abnormality detection position 16a is positioned as far as possible from the comb portion 17 that is the exit portion in the movement locus of the step 6. For example, it is conceivable that the abnormality detection position 16a is near the start position of the return path. For this purpose, for example, it is conceivable to install the abnormality detection device 16 itself at a position far from the comb portion 17 along the movement locus of the step 6.

  However, it is not preferable to simply set the abnormality detection position 16a far from the comb portion 17 (exit portion). This is because the abnormality of the step 6 may occur in the middle of the return path after the step is reversed by a step reversing device (not shown) in the lower horizontal frame 2c, and the abnormality detection position 16a is simply set to the comb portion 17. This is because the probability that the step 6 in which an abnormality has occurred cannot be detected after passing through the abnormality detection position 16a increases. For this reason, the abnormality detection position 16a is far from the comb portion 17 that is the exit portion, and a position after the probability that the abnormality of the step 6 occurs is higher than a predetermined value, for example, a step by the step reversing device 18. It is preferable that the position immediately before 6 is reversed, the end position of the return path of the step 6 (for example, the end position of the inclined portion in the movement path of the forward path of the step 6), or between these positions.

  The stop margin distance A differs depending on the configuration of the abnormality detection position 16a and the escalator 1 defined from this viewpoint. For this reason, if there is an escalator with a stop margin distance A shorter than the specified stop distance, which is the maximum stop distance (maximum distance from when the abnormality of the step 6 is detected until the step 6 stops) specified by laws and regulations, Some escalators have a stop margin distance A longer than the maximum stop distance.

  In this embodiment, the stop position differs depending on whether the stop margin distance A is shorter or longer than the specified stop distance. In addition, the calculation method of the deceleration differs accordingly. When the stop margin distance A is shorter than the specified stop distance, the shorter one is the maximum allowable stop distance, and therefore the step 6 is stopped using all the steps of the stop margin distance A (the abnormal step 6b is combed 17). Stop at the last minute position). Thereby, the step 6 can be stopped most slowly. In this case, the deceleration is determined based on the stop margin distance A and the moving speed of the step 6. On the contrary, when the stop margin distance A is longer than the specified stop distance, it is necessary to stop at the specified stop distance. Therefore, the step 6 is stopped using all the steps of the specified stop distance (the abnormal step 6b is more than the comb portion 17). Stop at the front position and the longest process allowed). Thereby, the step 6 can be stopped most slowly. In this case, the deceleration is determined based on the specified stop distance and the moving speed of the step 6.

Specifically, when the stop margin distance A is shorter than the specified stop distance B (in other words, when the specified stop distance B is longer than the stop margin distance A), the step 6 is stopped using all the steps of the stop margin distance A. Thus, the step 6 can be stopped most slowly. Therefore, the stop distance is made equal to the stop margin distance A, and the abnormal step 6b is stopped at the last position of the comb portion 17. When the step 6 is stopped at the stop margin distance A at a constant and minimum deceleration C, the operation control device 14 is based on the stop margin distance A and the moving speed of the step 6 (operation speed of the escalator 1) D as follows. (Equation 1)
C = D ² / (2 × A) (Formula 1)
Deceleration C is calculated. That is, when the abnormality detection device 16 detects an abnormality in the step 6, the abnormality detection device 16 outputs a detection signal to the operation control device 14, and when the operation control device 14 receives the detection signal, the above ( The deceleration C is calculated according to the equation (1), and a control signal is output to the inverter 15 so as to control the inverter 15 so that the motor 11 generates a braking torque that causes the deceleration C. As a result, the step 6 is stopped at the last position where the abnormal step 6b does not appear from the comb portion 17, so that the step can be performed with the minimum deceleration C, so that the stop is the gradual stop. The moving speed D may be the moving speed of the step 6 when an abnormality of the step 6 is detected (strictly, for example, the moving speed of the step 6 when an abnormality detection signal is input to the operation control device 14). .

On the other hand, when the stop margin distance A is longer than the specified stop distance B ′ (in other words, when the specified stop distance B ′ is shorter than the stop margin distance A), the step 6 must be stopped at a stop distance equal to or less than the specified stop distance B ′. I must. Therefore, the step 6 can be stopped most slowly by stopping the step 6 using all the steps of the specified stop distance B ′. Therefore, the stop distance is made equal to the specified stop distance B ′, and the abnormal step 6b is stopped at a position in front of the comb portion 17 and the longest allowable process. When stopping the step 6 at a constant and minimum deceleration C, the operation control device 14 is based on the specified stop distance B ′ and the moving speed of the step 6 (operating speed of the escalator 1) D (Equation 2) below. so,
C = D ² / (2 × B ′) (Formula 2)
Deceleration C is calculated. That is, when the abnormality detection device 16 detects an abnormality in the step 6, the abnormality detection device 16 outputs a detection signal to the operation control device 14, and when the operation control device 14 receives the detection signal, the above ( The deceleration C is calculated according to the equation 2), and a control signal for controlling the inverter 15 so as to generate the braking torque at which the motor 11 becomes the deceleration C is output to the inverter 15. As a result, the step 6 can be stopped at the minimum deceleration C so that the abnormal step 6b does not appear from the comb portion 17 that is the exit portion, so that the stop is the gradual stop. According to FIG. 3, the distance B and the distance B ′ appear to be different, but the actual difference is the stop margin distance A whose length varies depending on at least one of the configuration of the elevator 1 and the abnormality detection position 16a. If the laws are the same, the distances B and B ′ are equal.

  Needless to say, if the distances B and B ′ are the same, the value of the variable in the denominator of the expression is larger in the case where (Expression 2) is adopted than in the case where (Expression 1) is adopted. For this reason, the deceleration C is smaller in the case where (Equation 2) is adopted.

  If the stop margin distance A is equal to the specified stop distance B (B ′), and if the moving speed D of the step 6 is the same, the deceleration C calculated by (Expression 1) and (Expression 2) are calculated. The deceleration is the same.

  As described above, the step 6 is stopped most gently by stopping the step 6 using all of the shorter distances between the stop margin distance and the maximum stop distance (specified stop distance) defined by laws and regulations. 6 can be stopped.

  In the present embodiment, the operation control device 14 detects a load applied to the escalator 1 (for example, at least one of a load due to the weight of the passenger, a running resistance of the step 6, and a running resistance of the moving handrail 8). Then, by adjusting the torque of the motor 11 according to the load amount, the difference between the stop distance G when the escalator 1 is not loaded and the actual stop distance H can be corrected. Specifically, as described in Patent Document 3, it can be realized by calculating the torque in consideration of the load so that the deceleration is constant, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The above description has been made by taking an example in which the moving direction of the step 6 on the outward path of the escalator 1 is the downward direction, but the same applies even if the moving direction of the step 6 on the outward path of the escalator 1 is the upward direction.

  According to the present embodiment, the stopping distance for preventing the abnormal step 6 from appearing from the comb portion 17 that is the exit portion can be maximized. For this reason, stopping the step 6 so that the abnormal step 6 does not appear from the comb portion 17 can be performed with as small a deceleration as possible.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, since it controls so that the abnormal step 6b does not appear from the comb part 17 which is an exit part, it can anticipate that a passenger does not get on the abnormal step 6 accidentally.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, when the abnormality of the step 6 is a missing or dropped tread, the missing portion does not appear from the comb portion 17, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering the escalator 1 from the missing portion. be able to.

  Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to that embodiment. The present invention can also be applied to a moving sidewalk that is a passenger conveyor other than the escalator 1. In this specification, a step is defined as a concept that includes a step of a moving sidewalk.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a brake 12 that generates a constant braking torque Y3 may be added as a braking torque generation source that stops the step 6 (escalator 1). By adding the brake 12, the braking torque Y3 can be added to the braking torque of the motor 11, and the total braking torque in the escalator 1 can be increased. Therefore, even when the load amount of the escalator 1 is large, the braking torque corresponding to the target stop distance (stop margin distance A or specified stop distance B ′) can be controlled.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Escalator, 2 ... Frame body, 2a ... Upper horizontal frame, 2b ... Intermediate frame, 2c ... Lower horizontal frame, 3 ... Drive sprocket, 4 ... Follower sprocket, 5 ... Step chain, 6 ... Step, 7 ... Parapet panel, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 ... Moving handrail, 9 ... Drive apparatus, 10 ... Power transmission chain, 11 ... Motor, 12 ... Brake, 14 ... Operation control apparatus, 13 ... Commercial power supply, 15 ... Inverter, 16 ... Abnormality detection apparatus, 17 ... Comb part, 18 ... Step reversing device, A ... Stop margin distance, B, B '... Specified stop distance

Claims (8)

A passenger conveyor for circulating and moving a plurality of steps connected endlessly,
An exit to the outward path of the step;
A drive unit for driving the steps;
An anomaly detection unit that detects an anomalous step that is an abnormal step;
The distance from the abnormality detection position of the abnormal step to the position of the exit when the abnormal step is detected, the stop margin distance along the movement trajectory of the step, and the maximum stop distance specified by law A passenger conveyor comprising: an operation control unit that controls the drive unit to stop the step using all steps of a shorter distance. The operation control unit calculates a deceleration of the step based on the shorter distance and the moving speed of the step when the abnormal step is detected, and stops the step according to the calculated deceleration. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1. A step reversing unit for reversing the step toward the exit,
3. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detection position is a position immediately before the step is reversed by the step reversing unit, an end position of a return path of the step, or a position between these positions. The said operation control part adjusts the torque of the said drive part according to the load amount of a passenger conveyor, The passenger conveyor of any one of the Claims 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A brake,
5. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit stops the step by controlling the brake in addition to the control of the driving unit. The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stop margin distance is set shorter than a maximum stop distance defined by the law. The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stop margin distance is set longer than a maximum stop distance defined by the law. A method for stopping steps of a passenger conveyor for stopping a plurality of steps connected in an endless manner that circulates in the passenger conveyor,
The distance from the abnormality detection position of the abnormal step to the position of the exit part of the step when the abnormal step that is the step where the abnormality has occurred is detected, and the stop margin distance along the movement trajectory of the step, A step of stopping a step of a passenger conveyor, wherein the step is stopped using all steps of a shorter one of the specified maximum stop distances.

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