JP7351880B2 - passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor that transports passengers using an endless transport body that is driven in circulation.

Passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walkways are facilities used by an unspecified number of people, and concerns about the transmission of bacteria and viruses cannot be denied. Particularly recently, there has been a lot of interest in how to prevent infection with the new coronavirus.

As one of the countermeasures, a passenger conveyor equipped with an air purifying device near the entrance/exit has been proposed (Patent Document 1). This is done by inhaling air, sterilizing the inhaled air with the light of an ultraviolet lamp, and passing the sterilized air through a filter to purify the air near the entrance and exit, and to manage the area around the entrance in a sanitary manner. That is what it is.

Special Publication No. 2007-520402

However, although this type of air purifying device can clean the air near the entrance/exit, it cannot remove deposits such as dust and pollen from passengers. If even a portion of this deposit can be removed, it is possible to reduce the amount of deposits carried into areas beyond the passenger conveyor (for example, other floors of the building where the passenger conveyor is installed).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor capable of removing deposits such as dust and pollen from passengers.

The passenger conveyor according to the present invention includes:
A passenger conveyor comprising a balustrade panel facing a passageway, an exterior material disposed at a predetermined interval outside the balustrade panel, and an internal space between the balustrade panel and the exterior material,
As an air shower device to remove deposits from passengers' clothes,
an air supply path from an air compressor, the air supply path being arranged in an internal space;
The passenger conveyor is connected to an air supply path in the interior space, and includes an air blowing section that expands air from an air blowing hole provided in a handrail panel and blows it out over a wide range from the shoulders to the feet of passengers on the aisle. .

Here, as one aspect of the passenger conveyor according to the present invention,
The air shower device may be installed at a plurality of locations at predetermined intervals in the passenger transport direction.

Further, as another aspect of the passenger conveyor according to the present invention,
The air shower device may include a plurality of air blowing portions arranged at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the parapet panel.

Moreover, as another aspect of the passenger conveyor according to the present invention,
Air shower equipment is installed at least at each entrance and exit,
A configuration may be adopted in which the air shower device installed at the entrance and the air shower device installed at the exit are set to have different air blowing conditions.

Further, as yet another aspect of the passenger conveyor according to the present invention,
The passenger conveyor is an escalator,
Air shower equipment is installed at least at the entrance,
The air shower device installed at the entrance can be configured such that the air blowing conditions are set to be different depending on whether the escalator is going up or down.

Further, as the air blowing condition, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which any one of the air intensity or air volume, the air blowing direction, or the air temperature is used.

According to the present invention, passengers on the passenger conveyor automatically pass through the air shower blowing area as they move. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to remove dirt, pollen, and other substances adhering to passengers simply by riding on the passenger conveyor.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an escalator according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of the escalator. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of section B in FIG. 3. FIG. 5(a) is a vertical sectional view or a horizontal sectional view of the air blowing section of the air shower device. FIGS. 5(b) and 5(c) are vertical sectional views and horizontal sectional views of the air blowing section of the air shower device, and are explanatory diagrams showing that the air blowing direction can be changed. FIG. 6(a) is an explanatory diagram regarding one usage example of an air shower device installed in an area on the entrance side of an escalator. FIG. 6(b) is an explanatory diagram regarding another usage example. FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the escalator according to the second embodiment, taken along line AA in FIG. FIGS. 8A to 8D are vertical sectional views and horizontal sectional views of the air blowing section of the air shower device, and are explanatory diagrams showing that the air blowing direction can be changed. FIG. 9(a) is an explanatory diagram regarding one usage example of an air shower device installed in an area on the entrance side of an escalator. FIG. 9(b) is an explanatory diagram regarding another usage example. FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of an escalator according to Embodiment 3, which corresponds to the one taken along line AA in FIG. FIGS. 11A to 11D are horizontal sectional views of the air blowing section of the air shower device, and are explanatory diagrams showing that the air blowing direction can be changed. FIG. 12(a) is an explanatory diagram regarding one usage example of an air shower device installed in an area on the entrance side of an escalator. FIG. 12(b) is an explanatory diagram regarding another usage example.

<Embodiment 1>
EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, as Embodiment 1 based on this invention, an escalator which is one of the passenger conveyors and is equipped with an air shower device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the escalator 1 includes an entrance 3, a conveyance section 4, and a handrail section 5. The entrance 3 consists of an entrance 3A and an exit 3B, and is provided at each end of the conveyance section 4. The conveyance part 4 is supported by a truss 2 which is a structure that supports the dead weight and load of the escalator 1, and the treads move along the passage to convey the passengers without having them walk while standing in that position. Handrail portions 5 are also supported by the truss 2 and are provided along the passage on the left and right sides of the passage. In this embodiment, the escalator 1 is configured to transport passengers from left to right (from the bottom floor to the top floor). For this reason, the escalator 1 includes, from left to right, an entrance 3A, a conveyance section 4, and an exit 3B. When the settings are reversed, the entrance 3A is switched to the exit, and the exit 3B is switched to the entrance, and the setting is such that passengers are transported from right to left (from the upper floor to the lower floor).

The transport unit 4 includes an endless transport body 40 . The endless conveyance body 40 includes a plurality of steps 41, . . . connected in an endless manner via a step chain 42, and is driven in circulation. The endless conveyor 40 is driven to circulate in one direction or the opposite direction by driving the step chain 42 in a circular manner as the drive motor 43 is driven.

The handrail section 5 includes a handrail 50 and a parapet 51. The handrail 50 is also called a moving handrail, has a flexible endless shape, and is driven in circulation in conjunction with the endless transport body 40. The lower side of the parapet 51 is supported by the truss 2, and supports the handrail 50 in a circularly movable manner. A pair of handrails 50 and handrails 51 are provided along the passage on the left and right sides of the passage.

As shown in FIG. 3, the balustrade 51 includes a balustrade panel 52, an exterior material 53, a skirt guard 54, an outer deck cover 55, an inner deck cover 56, and pillars 57. The balustrade panel 52 is arranged vertically between the upper side (outgoing portion) 50A and the lower side (returning portion) 50B of the handrail 50, and faces the passage. The exterior material 53 is vertically arranged outside the balustrade panel 52 with a predetermined distance therebetween. The skirt guard 54 is vertically disposed inside the balustrade panel 52 and downward from the height position of the lower part of the balustrade panel 52, and faces the passage. The outer deck cover 55 is removably attached so as to close the upper opening between the parapet panel 52 and the exterior material 53. The inner deck cover 56 is removably attached so as to close the upper opening between the parapet panel 52 and the skirt guard 54, and faces the passage. In this way, the balustrade 51 has an internal space 58, more specifically, a first internal space 58A surrounded by the balustrade panel 52, the exterior material 53, and the outer deck cover 55, the skirt guard 54, the exterior material 53, and the inner deck cover 56. It has a second internal space 58B surrounded by. The lower side portion (return portion) 50B of the handrail 50 is accommodated in the second internal space 58B and is shielded from the outside. The pillar 57 is a structural member of the parapet 51 that is arranged in the internal space 58 and has a lower end fixed to a frame such as the upper chord member 20 of the truss 2 .

The escalator 1 includes an air shower device 6. The air shower device 6 blows air from the balustrade panel 52 toward the passage, thereby forming an air shower blowing area within the passage. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the air shower device 6 is installed in each area on the entrance 3A side and the exit 3B side. The air shower device 6 installed in the area on the side of the entrance 3A is installed at three locations, for example, the entrance 3A, the transition part from the horizontal part to the inclined part of the conveying part 4, and the starting end of the inclined part of the conveying part 4. It consists of three air shower devices 6, 6, 6. The air shower device 6 installed in the area on the side of the exit 3B is installed at three locations, for example, the terminal end of the inclined part of the conveyance part 4, the transition part from the inclined part to the horizontal part of the transport part 4, and the exit 3B. It consists of three air shower devices 6, 6, 6. Each air shower device 6 is connected via an air hose 61 to an air supply source 60 such as an air compressor installed in the truss 2 , and receives air from the air supply source 60 .

As shown in FIG. 2, each air shower device 6 has a plurality of air outlets 62, . . . . The plurality of air outlets 62, . . . are arranged at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the balustrade panel 52. For example, the air shower device 6 installed at a location other than the entrance 3A and the exit 3B has three air outlets 62, 62, 62 at three locations at the top, middle, and bottom of the handrail panel 52. However, the air shower device 6 installed at the entrance 3A and the exit 3B has two air outlets 62, 62 at two locations on the upper side and the middle of the handrail panel 52.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each air shower device 6 includes a conduit 63, a branch pipe 64, an on-off valve 65, and an air blowing section 66. The conduit 63 is arranged vertically in the first internal space 58A of the balustrade 51 and is fixed to a frame such as the pillar 57. The conduit 63 has an air flow path inside, and the air hose 61 is connected thereto. Branch pipe 64 extends from the appropriate location of conduit 63. The branch pipe 64 is a pipe body, has an air flow path therein, and connects the air flow path of the conduit 63 and the air flow path of the air blowing portion 66 . The air flow path of the conduit 63 and the air flow path of the branch pipe 64 together with the air hose 61 constitute an air supply path from the air supply source 60 . The branch pipe 64 is a flexible pipe and has a certain amount of extra length. This enables rotational displacement of a nozzle 67 of the air blowing portion 66, which will be described later. The on-off valve 65 is provided on the pipe of the branch pipe 64. By individually opening and closing each on-off valve 65, the air blowing from each air blowing port 62 by each air blowing section 66 can be turned on and off individually.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air blowing section 66 includes a nozzle 67 and a nozzle holding member 68. The nozzle 67 is spherical, has an air passage hole 67a inside, and is connected to the branch pipe 64. The nozzle holding member 68 holds the nozzle 67 rotatably in all directions. That is, the nozzle 67 can be rotated in any direction around the center of the sphere within a range that does not interfere with the nozzle holding member 68. The nozzle holding member 68 has an air passage hole 68a that communicates with the air passage hole 67a of the nozzle 67. The nozzle holding member 68 is removably attached to the outer surface of the balustrade panel 52 on the opposite side to the passage so that the air passage hole 68a is aligned with the air outlet 62 formed in the balustrade panel 52. The air passage hole 67a of the nozzle 67 has a hole that expands in a tapered shape or a portion that expands in a tapered shape. The air passage hole 68a of the nozzle holding member 68 and the air outlet 62 of the balustrade panel 52 form one tapered hole by matching with each other. Therefore, the air blowing section 66 blows air in all directions (vertically, horizontally, and diagonally) within a conical range with a predetermined apex angle with respect to the direction T perpendicular to (the plate surface of) the parapet panel 52. The center C) of the air blowing direction can be set, and the air can be blown out so as to expand in a tapered shape at a predetermined opening angle.

By the way, there are two types of escalators: wide types that have passages wide enough for passengers to line up side by side, and narrow types that have passages wide enough for one passenger. Regardless of the type, a pair of balustrades 51 are provided along the passage on the left and right sides of the passage. Therefore, the air shower device 6 is provided on both the left and right sides. Alternatively, the air shower device 6 may be provided on either the left or right side. In any case, air is blown out from the parapet 51 toward the passage, forming an air shower blowing area within the passage.

The air blowing direction of each air blowing section 66 of the air shower device 6 can be changed as described above. For example, by inserting a rod-shaped tool such as a screwdriver into the air passage hole 67a of the nozzle 67 from the passage and changing the direction of the tool, the blowing direction of air can be changed to the intended direction. At this time, there is no need to remove a part of the parapet 51 (for example, the inner deck cover 56).

One usage example of the air shower device 6 is as shown in FIG. 6(a). That is, in this usage example, i) the air shower device (the first air shower device) 6 installed at the boarding entrance 3A blows air toward passengers who are about to board the escalator 1, and ii) The air shower device (second air shower device) 6 installed at the transition part from the horizontal part to the inclined part of the section 4 blows air toward the passengers riding on the steps 41, and iii) An air shower device (third air shower device) 6 installed at the starting end of the slope blows air toward passengers who have entered the slope. Here, regarding each of ii) and iii), the air blowing direction at the three locations of the upper, middle, and lower stages of each air shower device 6 is such that the center C of the air blowing direction expands in a tapered shape at a predetermined opening angle with respect to each other. It is set so that As a result, the range of the air blown from the air shower device 6 is expanded vertically as a whole, and the air is blown over a wide area from the shoulders to the feet of the passenger.

Another usage example of the air shower device 6 is as shown in FIG. 6(b). That is, in this usage example, the second air shower device 6 blows out air in the passenger transport direction (the moving direction of the endless transport body 40 of the transport unit 4), so as to protect the passenger who has entered the slope. In addition to blowing air from behind the passengers, the third air shower device 6 blows air in a direction opposite to the direction in which the passengers are transported, thereby blowing air from in front of the passengers who have entered the slope. Note that the former air blowing direction is referred to as "back to front," and the latter air blowing direction is referred to as "front to back."

These usage examples are not only performed in the area on the side of the entrance 3A, but may also be performed in the area on the exit side 3B using the air shower device 6 installed in the area on the side of the exit 3B. . Alternatively, these usage examples may not be performed in the area on the side of the entrance 3A, but only in the area on the side of the exit 3B.

In addition, in the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, when there are no passengers (passengers are not detected by the human detection sensor), the transport section 4 stops, and when there are passengers (passengers are detected by the human detection sensor), There is a so-called automatic escalator in which the operation of the transport section 4 is started. In this automatic escalator, the air shower device 6 starts when the transport section 4 starts operating (the air supply source 60 starts), and stops when the transport section 4 stops operating (the air supply source 60 stops). control). Alternatively, the air shower device 6 may be operated continuously while the escalator 1 is powered on.

As described above, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, passengers riding on the escalator 1 automatically pass through the air shower blowing area as they move. Therefore, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to remove deposits such as dust and pollen from the passengers (their clothes) by simply riding the escalator 1.

Moreover, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, the air shower device 6 is arranged outside the balustrade panel 52 and does not protrude from the balustrade panel 52 toward the passageway. Therefore, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent an event such as a passenger getting caught in the air shower device 6 from occurring.

Further, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, the blowing direction of air from the air shower device 6 can be changed by changing the direction of the nozzle 67 of the air blowing part 66 from the passage side. Therefore, according to the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment, the direction of air blowing from the air shower device 6 can be arbitrarily and easily changed over a wide range.

Note that the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment can be used in various ways by being provided with a plurality of air shower devices 6, . . . . One usage example is an air shower device 6 (hereinafter referred to as “A”) installed at the entrance 3A and an air shower device 6 (hereinafter referred to as “B”) installed at the exit 3B. The air blowing conditions are different. The blowing conditions include air intensity or air volume (including stopping air blowing), air blowing direction, air temperature, and the like. For example, the following patterns may be considered, and thereby the entrance 3A and the exit 3B can be identified. This identification feature is especially useful for visually impaired people. Note that in order to realize patterns v) and vi), it is necessary to install a temperature control device on the air supply path (for example, on the pipe path of the air hose 61).
i) One of A or B: Air ON, the other of A or B: Air OFF
ii) One of A or B: Large air volume, the other of A or B: Small air volume iii) One of A or B: Air blowing direction from front to back, the other of A or B: Air blowing direction Rear iv) One of A or B: Air blowing direction from top to bottom, the other of A or B: Air blowing direction from bottom to top v) One of A or B: Air temperature Room temperature, the other of A or B: Air temperature: coldvi) One of A or B: Air temperature: normal temperature, the other of A or B: air temperature: warm

Another usage example is when the escalator 1 is going up (hereinafter referred to as "C") and when it is going down (hereinafter referred to as "D") in the air shower device 6 installed at the entrance 3A. This allows the air blowing conditions to be different. For example, the following patterns can be considered, and it becomes possible to identify whether the escalator 1 is going up or down. This identification feature is especially useful for visually impaired people.
i) One of C or D: Air ON, the other of C or D: Air OFF
ii) One of C or D: Air volume is large; the other of C or D: Air volume is small; iii) One of C or D: Air blowing direction from front to rear; the other of C or D: Air blowing direction is rear. iv) One of C or D: Air blowing direction from top to bottom, the other of C or D: Air blowing direction from bottom to top v) One of C or D: Air temperature Room temperature, the other of C or D: Air temperature Cold vi) One of C or D: Air temperature Normal temperature, the other of C or D: Air temperature Warm

<Embodiment 2>
Next, an escalator equipped with an air shower device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. Note that the escalator according to this embodiment differs from the escalator according to Embodiment 1 in the structure of the air shower device. Specifically, in the first embodiment, the air supply source 60 is an air compressor, whereas in this embodiment, the air supply source 60 is a fan, and in the first embodiment, the nozzle 67 is a sphere. In contrast, in this embodiment, the nozzle 67 is a tubular body. Other than this point, both are the same. Therefore, in the following, different points will be described, and descriptions of the same points will be omitted as they are the same as those in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the air supply source 60 is arranged vertically in the first internal space 58A of the parapet 51 and is fixed to a frame such as a column 57. The housing of the air supply source 60 has an air outlet corresponding to the air outlet 62 . The air outlet is connected to a nozzle 67.

As shown in FIG. 8, the nozzle 67 is inserted into the insertion hole 52a formed in the balustrade panel 52. The nozzle 67 is a tubular body and has an air passage hole 67a inside. The air passage hole 67a is curved or bent such that the center C of the air blowing direction is inclined with respect to the direction T perpendicular to (the plate surface of) the parapet panel 52. However, in order to prevent passengers from getting caught in the air shower device 6, the nozzle 67 is formed to be short so that the amount of protrusion from the handrail panel 52 is minimized.

The nozzle 67 includes a flange portion 67b. The flange portion 67b is an enlarged end portion of the tube, and is removably attached to the outer surface of the balustrade panel 52 on the opposite side to the passage. Then, by changing the angular position of the nozzle 67 with respect to the center of the insertion hole 52a of the balustrade panel 52 (FIGS. 8(a) and (b)), or by changing the angle of inclination of the center C of the air blowing direction to the nozzle 67. The air blowing direction can be changed by replacing it (FIG. 8(c)) or by replacing it with a straight nozzle 67 in which the center C of the air blowing direction is not inclined (FIG. 8(d)).

An example of how the air shower device 6 is used is the same as in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. In this way, the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment also provides the same effects as the escalator 1 according to the first embodiment.

<Embodiment 3>
Next, an escalator equipped with an air shower device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. Note that the escalator according to the present embodiment differs from the escalator according to the second embodiment in the structure of the nozzle of the air shower device. Specifically, in the first embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 67 are provided in the height direction, whereas in this embodiment, the nozzles 67 are connected into one and have a vertically elongated shape. Other than this point, both are the same. Therefore, in the following, different points will be described, and descriptions of the same points will be omitted since they are the same as those in Embodiments 1 and 2.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the nozzle 67 is formed vertically in the height direction of the balustrade panel 52. As shown in FIGS. In accordance with this, the air passage hole 67a and the insertion hole 52a of the balustrade panel 52 are also formed vertically. The air passage hole 67a is curved or bent so that the center C of the air blowing direction is inclined with respect to the direction T perpendicular to (the plate surface of) the parapet panel 52 in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the nozzle 67. .

An example of how the air shower device 6 is used is the same as in Embodiments 1 and 2, as shown in FIG. In this way, the escalator 1 according to the present embodiment also provides the same effects as the escalator 1 according to the first and second embodiments.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

In each of the embodiments described above, the air shower device 6 is installed in each area on the entrance 3A side and the exit 3B side. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the air shower device may also be installed in the intermediate region of the conveyance section. Alternatively, the air shower device may be installed over the entire length of the conveyance section. Alternatively, the air shower device may be installed only in any one of the entrance side area, the intermediate area of the transport section, or the exit side area.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the air shower device 6 maintains a predetermined interval in the passenger transport direction (the moving direction of the endless transport body 40 of the transport unit 4) in each area on the boarding entrance 3A side and the exit exit 3B side. It will be installed in three locations. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of installation locations may be two, four, or five or more.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the passenger conveyor is an escalator. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to moving walkways.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Escalator, 2... Truss, 20... Top chord, 3... Entrance/exit, 3A... Entrance, 3B... Exit, 4... Conveyance part, 40... Endless conveyance body, 41... Step, 42... Step chain, 43... Drive motor, 5... Handrail part, 50... Handrail, 50A... Upper side part (outgoing part), 50B... Lower part (returning part), 51... Balustrade, 52... Balustrade panel, 52a... Insertion hole, 53... Exterior material , 54...Skirt guard, 55...Outer deck cover, 56...Inner deck cover, 57...Column, 58...Interior space, 58A...First interior space, 58B...Second interior space, 6...Air shower device, 60...Air Supply source, 61... Air hose, 62... Air outlet, 63... Conduit, 64... Branch pipe, 65... On-off valve, 66... Air blowing part, 67... Nozzle, 67a... Air flow path hole, 67b... Flange part, 68 ...Nozzle holding member, 68a...Air flow path hole, C...Center of air blowing direction, T...Orthogonal direction of parapet panel

Claims (6)

A passenger conveyor comprising a balustrade panel facing a passageway, an exterior material disposed at a predetermined interval outside the balustrade panel, and an internal space between the balustrade panel and the exterior material,
As an air shower device to remove deposits from passengers' clothes,
an air supply path from an air compressor, the air supply path being arranged in an internal space;
A passenger conveyor, which is connected to an air supply path in an internal space, and includes an air blowing section that expands air from an air blowing port provided in a handrail panel and blows air out over a wide area from the shoulders to the feet of passengers on the aisle. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the air shower device is installed at a plurality of locations at predetermined intervals in the passenger transport direction. The passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air shower device includes a plurality of air blowing units arranged at predetermined intervals in the height direction of the parapet panel. Air shower equipment is installed at least at each entrance and exit,
The passenger conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air shower device installed at the entrance and the air shower device installed at the exit are set to have different air blowing conditions. . The passenger conveyor is an escalator,
Air shower equipment is installed at least at the entrance,
The air shower device installed at the entrance is set to have different air blowing conditions depending on whether the escalator is going up or down. passenger conveyor. The passenger conveyor according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the air blowing condition is any one of air intensity, air volume, air blowing direction, and air temperature.

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