Diagnostic device for passenger conveyor

Abstract

The present invention provides a diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor, which can efficiently perform diagnosis while ensuring the accuracy of the diagnosis of the brake performance. The diagnostic device for the passenger conveyor diagnoses the brake performance of the passenger conveyor, and has an operation control unit (18) that controls a brake (17) provided in a speed reducer (10) and an electric motor (9) that supplies power to the speed reducer (10). Through the operation control unit (18), while maintaining the braking state of the brake (17), a torque corresponding to a value of a braking distance that is a reference for the brake performance is generated in the electric motor (9), and then, based on the presence or absence of rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer (10), the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is determined.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor that diagnoses the performance of brakes provided in passenger conveyors such as escalators and moving walks. Background Art

[0002] As prior art for diagnosing the performance of brakes of passenger conveyors, the techniques described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known.

[0003] In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the passenger conveyor is started for measurement operation, and when the running speed of the steps reaches the rated speed, the braking of the passenger conveyor is started. When the running of the steps stops, the braking distance is measured based on the output pulses of a rotation detector installed on the rotating shaft of the speed reducer.

[0004] In the technique described in Patent Document 2, dedicated operations for diagnosis are performed after the passenger conveyor is started for the first time on the day and before entering the normal acceleration operation, and immediately after the passenger conveyor is normally stopped for the first time on the day. Then, after giving a dedicated operation command, the time when the steps start to move is measured, and the operating stroke of the movable piece of the braking device is diagnosed.

[0005] Prior Art Documents

[0006] Patent Documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: JP-A-2008-214012

[0008] Patent Document 2: JP-A-2009-155050 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] In a passenger conveyor driven and controlled by an inverter device or the like, although it has braking performance such as stopping at a given deceleration, etc., correspondingly, it is necessary to always ensure a given performance in the brake. Therefore, for brake performance, high-precision diagnosis in a short time is required. However, in the above prior art, it is difficult to efficiently perform diagnosis in order to make the steps of the passenger conveyor run.

[0011] Therefore, the present invention provides a diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor that can efficiently perform diagnosis while ensuring the accuracy of diagnosing the performance of the brake.

[0012] Means for Solving the Problems

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, the diagnostic device of the passenger conveyor of the present invention diagnoses the brake performance of the passenger conveyor, and has an operation control unit that controls the brake provided in the speed reducer and the operation of the motor that supplies power to the speed reducer. Through the operation control unit, while maintaining the braking state of the brake, the motor generates a torque set corresponding to the value of the braking distance that is the reference of the brake performance. Then, based on the presence or absence of rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is determined.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, while ensuring the accuracy of the diagnosis of the brake performance, the efficiency of the diagnosis is improved.

[0016] The problems, structures, and effects other than the above are clarified by the following description of the embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of an escalator according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram showing the structures of a control system and a drive system in the escalator according to the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The flowchart of the brake performance diagnosis operation of the control device 13 in DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, elements with the same reference numerals represent components having the same constituent elements or similar functions.

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the overall structure of an escalator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] As Figure 1 shown, the escalator of the present embodiment includes: a plurality of steps 1 connected by an endless step chain (not shown); a moving handrail 2 disposed on the left and right sides of each step 1 and moving synchronously with each step 1; and balustrades 3 erected on the left and right sides of each step 1 to support the moving handrail 2. Each step 1 is arranged to be movable as a moving path connecting an upper boarding and alighting plate 4 that will be an upper boarding and alighting opening and a lower boarding and alighting plate 5 that will be a lower boarding and alighting opening.

[0023] In the machine room below the upper landing plate 4, a drive sprocket 8 and a drive device (motor 9, speed reducer 10) for rotationally driving the drive sprocket 8 are arranged. An endless step chain (not shown) that connects the steps 1 in an endless manner is wound around the drive sprocket 8.

[0024] The motor 9 and the speed reducer 10 are arranged near the drive sprocket 8. The drive sprocket 8 is connected to the rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10 via a drive chain 12 which is an endless cable-like body. In addition, a control device 13 for controlling the drive device (motor 9, speed reducer 10) is arranged in the machine room below the upper landing plate 4.

[0025] In addition, the control device 13 has a function of diagnosing the brake performance as described later.

[0026] If the motor 9 rotates through the control of the control device 13, the rotational speed of the motor 9 is reduced by the speed reducer 10, and the rotational output of the speed reducer 10 is transmitted to the drive sprocket 8 via the drive chain 12. Thereby, the steps 1 move in the upward or downward direction. In addition, if a driving force is transmitted from the drive sprocket 8 to the handrail drive device 16 via a handrail drive chain 15 which is an endless cable-like body, the handrail 2 moves in the upward or downward direction synchronously with the movement of the steps 1. Through the synchronous movement of the steps 1 and the handrail 2, when running upward, passengers are transported from the lower landing plate 5 to the upper landing plate 4, and when running downward, passengers are transported from the upper landing plate 4 to the lower landing plate 5.

[0027] Figure 2 It is a structural diagram showing the structures of the control system and the drive system in the escalator of the embodiment. In addition, in Figure 2 the control system is composed of a control device 13, a speed reducer brake 17, and a display 50.

[0028] In the present embodiment, the control device 13 is composed of a computer having information processing devices such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and an input / output interface (all are omitted from illustration). The control device 13 controls the operation of the escalator by the CPU executing a control program stored in the memory.

[0029] In addition, the control program includes a normal operation control program and a diagnostic operation control program. When diagnosing the brake performance, the control device 13 functions as an operation control unit 18 for controlling the diagnostic operation and a brake holding force determination unit 19 by the CPU executing the diagnostic operation control program, thereby diagnosing the brake performance.

[0030] The operation control unit 18 performs overall control over the entire operation of the control device 13, and controls the deceleration mechanism brake 17 and the inverter device 40 of the drive motor 9. The operation control unit 18 outputs a brake application / release command to the deceleration mechanism brake 17, and outputs an operation / stop command to the inverter device 40 that outputs drive power to the motor 9.

[0031] In addition, the inverter device 40 has a main circuit unit including a plurality of switching elements (such as IGBTs, power transistors) and a plurality of rectifying elements (such as transistors). Through this main circuit, AC power from the building three-phase power supply 30 is converted into DC power, and further, this DC power is converted into AC power having a desired voltage and frequency. Thus, the inverter device 40 performs variable-speed drive on the motor 9.

[0032] In addition, when diagnosing the brake performance, the operation control unit 18 gives a brake application command to the deceleration mechanism brake 17, and sets the deceleration mechanism brake 17 to the braking state. Further, if the operation control unit 18 gives an operation command to the inverter device 40, the inverter device 40 outputs AC power for generating a given torque to the motor 9 whose rotation is restricted because the deceleration mechanism brake 17 is in the braking state.

[0033] The brake holding force determination unit 19 inputs a rotation signal from the rotation detector 22 that detects the rotation of the input-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10, determines whether the speed reducer 10 has rotated based on the input rotation signal, and outputs the determination result to the operation control unit 18. As the rotation detector 22, for example, a rotary encoder is used. The operation control unit 18 diagnoses the brake performance based on the determination result from the brake holding force determination unit 19.

[0034] The rotating shaft of the motor 9 is connected to the input-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10 via a drive belt 21 which is an endless cable-like body. The output-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10 is connected to the drive sprocket 8 via a drive chain 12. Therefore, the driving force from the speed reducer 10 is transmitted to the step 1 via the output-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10, the drive chain 12, and the drive sprocket 8.

[0035] In addition, the driving force from the speed reducer 10 drives the moving handrail driving device ( Figure 1 in “15”) through the output-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10, the drive chain 12, the drive sprocket 8, and the moving handrail drive chain ( Figure 1 in “16”), and is transmitted to the moving handrail 2. The deceleration mechanism brake 17 rotates and stops and rotates the speed reducer 10 in response to the brake application / release command from the operation control unit 18.

[0036] Figure 3 represents Figure 2Flowchart of the brake performance diagnosis operation of the control device 13 in

[0037] In step S1, the control device 13 receives an escalator stop command. In addition, in this embodiment, the escalator stop command is created by a stop operation of a key switch at the end of a day's work.

[0038] Next, in step S2, the control device 13 causes the escalator to stop using the operation control unit 18 in response to the escalator stop command. At this time, the operation control unit 18 gives a stop command to the inverter device 40 to set the rotational speed of the motor 9 to 0, and gives a brake command to the speed reducer brake 17 to put the speed reducer brake 17 in a braking state, and maintains this braking state.

[0039] Next, in step S3, the control device 13 gives a diagnostic operation command to the operation control unit 18. As a result, the operation control mode of the operation control unit 18 is switched from normal operation control to diagnostic operation control, and the operation control unit 18 executes diagnostic operation control with the brake performance as the diagnostic object.

[0040] Next, in step S4, while maintaining the braking state of the speed reducer brake 17, the control device 13 gives a given diagnostic operation command to the inverter device 40 using the operation control unit 18. As a result, the inverter device 40 outputs drive power to the motor 9 so as to generate a given torque set corresponding to the upper limit value of a given range of braking distances as the brake performance. Here, assuming that the brake performance is normal, the torque generated by the motor 9 is calculated in advance based on the upper limit value of the braking distance. The calculated value is set in advance in the control device 13 as the torque command value included in the diagnostic operation command to the inverter device 40.

[0041] Next, in step S5, the control device 13 gives a stop command to the inverter device 40 using the operation control unit 18 to stop the generation of the torque of the motor 9.

[0042] Next, in step S6, the control device 13 uses the brake holding force determination unit 19 to determine whether the speed reducer rotating shaft (in this embodiment, the input side rotating shaft) has rotated. In addition, as described above, the brake holding force determination unit 19 determines whether the speed reducer rotating shaft has rotated based on the presence or absence of a rotation signal output from the rotation detector 22 provided on the input side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10. When the control device 13 determines that the speed reducer rotating shaft has not rotated (step S6 “No”), it then executes step S7-1. In addition, when the control device 13 determines that the speed reducer rotating shaft has rotated (step S6 “Yes”), it then executes step S7-2.

[0043] In step S7-1, based on the determination result of the brake holding force determination unit 19 indicating that the reduction gear rotating shaft is not rotating, the control device 13 determines that the braking distance is normal, i.e., below the upper limit value, and then executes step S8. In addition, in step S7-2, based on the determination result of the brake holding force determination unit 19 indicating that the reduction gear rotating shaft is rotating, the control device 13 determines that the braking distance is abnormal, i.e., above the upper limit value, and then executes step S12 (described later).

[0044] In step S8, while maintaining the braking state of the reduction gear brake 17, the control device 13 uses the operation control unit 18 to give a given diagnostic operation command to the inverter device 40. As a result, the inverter device 40 outputs drive power to the motor 9 so as to generate a given torque set corresponding to the lower limit value of the given range of braking distance required as the brake performance. Here, assuming that the brake performance is normal, the torque generated by the motor 9 is calculated in advance based on the lower limit value of the braking distance. The calculated value is set in the control device 13 in advance as the torque command value included in the diagnostic operation command to the inverter device 40.

[0045] Next, in step S9, the control device 13 uses the operation control unit 18 to give a stop command to the inverter device 40 to stop the generation of the torque of the motor 9.

[0046] Next, in step S10, the control device 13 uses the brake holding force determination unit 19 in the same manner as in the aforementioned step S6 to determine whether the reduction gear rotating shaft (the input side rotating shaft in the present embodiment) has rotated. When the control device 13 determines that the reduction gear rotating shaft has rotated (step S6 "Yes"), it then executes step S11-1. In addition, when the control device 13 determines that the reduction gear rotating shaft has not rotated (step S10 "No"), it then executes step S11-2.

[0047] In step S11-1, based on the determination result of the brake holding force determination unit 19 indicating that the reduction gear rotating shaft is rotating, the control device 13 determines that the braking distance is normal, i.e., above the lower limit value, and ends a series of processes. In addition, in step S11-2, based on the determination result of the brake holding force determination unit 19 indicating that the reduction gear rotating shaft has not rotated, the control device 13 determines that the braking distance is abnormal, i.e., below the lower limit value, and then executes step S12 (described later).

[0048] As described above, after the control device 13 executes either of steps S7-2 and S11-2, that is, if it determines that the braking distance is abnormal, it then executes step S12.

[0049] In step S12, the control device 13 gives a no-restart instruction to the operation control unit 18. Thus, even if a start instruction is given to the control device 13 by operating a key switch or the like, the start instruction is invalidated in the operation control unit 18. Therefore, the escalator does not start. After executing step S12, the control device 13 then executes step S13.

[0050] In step S13, the control device 13 uses the operation control unit 18 to give an error display instruction indicating a brake abnormality to a display device such as a liquid crystal display device ( Figure 2 "display 50" in it) as a display instruction for whether it can operate. Thus, it is possible to easily grasp the abnormal braking distance of the deceleration mechanism brake 17 by visually recognizing the display device. After executing step S13, the control device 13 then executes step S14.

[0051] In step S14, the control device 13 uses a communication unit (not shown) to send an external abnormality report. For example, an abnormality report signal is sent via a communication network to a terminal device possessed by an escalator manager, a monitoring server device possessed by a maintenance operator, a portable terminal device possessed by a maintenance technician, etc. In addition, the abnormality report signal may include a signal indicating instructions for maintenance operations (adjustment, repair, replacement, etc.) of the deceleration mechanism brake 17.

[0052] According to the above-described embodiment, through the operation control unit 18, while maintaining the braking state of the deceleration mechanism brake 17, the motor 9 generates a torque that is pre-calculated and set corresponding to a value of the braking distance that is a reference for the brake performance of the deceleration mechanism brake 17, and then, based on the presence or absence of rotation of the input-side rotating shaft of the speed reducer 10, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is determined. Thus, while ensuring the accuracy of the diagnosis of the brake performance, without measuring the braking distance, and furthermore, without causing the steps to travel, the brake performance can be efficiently diagnosed. Therefore, the brake performance can be diagnosed in a short cycle, for example, every day.

[0053] In addition, by setting the value of the braking distance that is a reference for the brake performance as an upper limit value or a lower limit value, or upper and lower limit values, the determination accuracy of the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is improved.

[0054] In addition, each of the upper limit value and the lower limit value may be composed of multi-stage values. For example, the multi-stage values are set corresponding to the degree of abnormality (needs adjustment, needs repair, needs component replacement, etc.).

[0055] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments and includes various modifications. For example, the foregoing embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, but are not necessarily limited to having all the structures described. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the structure of each embodiment with other structures.

[0056] For example, the abnormality detection unit of the drive system in the above-described embodiment is not limited to escalators and can also be applied to passenger conveyors including moving walks.

[0057] Explanation of reference numerals

[0058] 1: step, 2: moving handrail, 3: railing, 4: upper landing plate, 5: lower landing plate, 8: drive sprocket, 9: motor, 10: speed reducer, 12: drive chain, 13: control device, 15: moving handrail drive chain, 16: moving handrail drive device, 17: speed reducer brake, 18: operation control unit, 19: brake holding force determination unit, 21: drive belt, 22: rotation detector, 30: building three-phase power supply, 40: inverter device, 50: display.

Claims

1. A diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor, which diagnoses the performance of a brake of the passenger conveyor, characterized in that the diagnostic device for the passenger conveyor has: an operation control unit that controls a brake provided in a speed reducer and a motor that supplies power to the speed reducer, through the operation control unit, while maintaining the braking state of the brake, the motor is caused to generate a torque set corresponding to a value of a braking distance that is a reference for the brake performance, then, based on the presence or absence of rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is determined, the value of the braking distance is a lower limit value.

2. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that it is determined as normal when there is rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, and it is determined as abnormal when there is no rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer.

3. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower limit value is composed of multi-stage values.

4. A diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor, which diagnoses the performance of a brake of the passenger conveyor, characterized in that the diagnostic device for the passenger conveyor has: an operation control unit that controls a brake provided in a speed reducer and a motor that supplies power to the speed reducer, through the operation control unit, while maintaining the braking state of the brake, the motor is caused to generate a torque set corresponding to a value of a braking distance that is a reference for the brake performance, then, based on the presence or absence of rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, the presence or absence of an abnormality in the brake performance is determined, the value of the braking distance is composed of an upper limit value and a lower limit value, when causing the motor to generate a torque set corresponding to the upper limit value, it is determined as normal when there is no rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, and it is determined as abnormal when there is rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, when causing the motor to generate a torque set corresponding to the lower limit value, it is determined as normal when there is rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer, and it is determined as abnormal when there is no rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer.

5. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that the motor is driven by an inverter, the operation control unit gives the torque as a command value to the inverter.

6. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that based on a signal from a rotation detector provided in the speed reducer, the presence or absence of rotation of the rotating shaft of the speed reducer is determined.

7. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that if it is determined that the brake performance is abnormal, the passenger conveyor is set to be unable to start again.

8. The diagnostic device for a passenger conveyor according to claim 1 or 4, characterized in that if a stop operation is performed on an operation switch of the passenger conveyor, the brake performance is diagnosed.

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