Escalator steps and an escalator equipped with said escalator steps

Abstract

To provide an escalator footstep in which a screen protrudes from the footstep and that it has an unconventional configuration without having a new power source.SOLUTION: A tip of a screen 44 attached to an L-shaped bar 40 of a rotating member provided rotatably around the axial center of a driving shaft 28 is located below the upper edge of a slit 26A installed on at least footstep 26 in a horizontal section where a first guide rail 36 and a second guide rail 38 are laid horizontally. A swinging roller 42 guided by the second guide rail 38 provided on the L-shaped bar 40 swings in the direction of the footstep 26 and around the axial center of the driving shaft 28, and the screen 44 protrudes upward from the slit 26A as the first guide rail 36 and the second guide rail 38 move from the horizontal section to the slope section laid diagonally.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an escalator step and an escalator equipped with the escalator step, and more particularly to an escalator step that can effectively prevent walking on the step. [Background technology]

[0002] The current rule on escalators is that people should stand still instead of walking, and some local governments have enacted this rule into law. Despite this, it is common to see people leaving one side open on escalators with two rows of passengers, for example, to leave one side open for people who are in a hurry.

[0003] Accidents have been occurring due to "improper riding habits," such as passengers who are walking and passing by passengers who have stopped to use the train causing the standing passenger to fall when their luggage or body comes into contact with the train, or passengers who are walking and using the train themselves tripping over steps and falling.

[0004] To address this problem, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe escalator steps invented to prevent people from walking on the steps.

[0005] The steps described in Patent Document 1 have a movable partition 33 with a "blowback" structure (Figs. 4, 5, and 6 of Patent Document 1). The movable partition 33 is stored in a chamber 35 (Figs. 3 and 4 of Patent Document 1) provided at the tip of the step 21. The lower end of the movable partition 33 protruding from the chamber 35 serves as an air inlet / outlet 37 (Fig. 5 of Patent Document 1). An air blower 39 is provided below the multiple steps 5 that run obliquely like a staircase, along the path of the steps 5 (Fig. 1 of Patent Document 1).

[0006] Furthermore, paragraph

[0025] of Patent Document 1 states that, as the air blowing section 39, "when the movable partition 33 is on the forward path side of the circular route, an upward-facing jet nozzle that sends air upward toward the downward-facing air inlet / outlet 37, and a blower that sends air to the jet nozzle can be used," and that "as a result, when the step 5 with movable partition moves along the circular route, the movable partition 33 rises up like a curtain only while it moves above the air blowing section 39 on the forward path side."

[0007] In the steps described in Patent Document 1, the movable partition 33 protrudes from the tip of the steps, which becomes an obstacle, and it is described that the purpose of suppressing walking on the steps is achieved (paragraph

[0026] of Patent Document 1). However, since there is a considerable distance between the air blowing section 39 and the air inlet / outlet 37 of the movable partition 33 (see Figures 1 and 5 of Patent Document 1), it is doubtful whether air sufficient to raise the movable partition 33 can be blown into the air inlet / outlet 37, and doubts arise as to the feasibility.

[0008] Furthermore, in the method of Patent Document 1, a device that requires a new power source, such as a blower, is required to project the movable partition 33, which is not preferable from the viewpoint of energy conservation.

[0009] In response to this, steps that do not require a new power source have been disclosed. The steps described in Patent Document 2 have a configuration in which a movable roller 42 is added that is guided by a guide rail 3 that guides the follower roller 14 of the step 100, and a protruding member 20 is connected to the movable roller 42 (Fig. 2 of Patent Document 2). The protruding member 20 can move in and out in the vertical direction from a through hole 11b opened at the tip of the step 11.

[0010] The step bracket 13 of the step body 10 has a triangular shape in side view, and the roller bracket 41 having an elongated roller hole 41a is provided in a position protruding outward from the triangle. The movable roller 42 moves in the longitudinal direction of the roller bracket 41 while being guided by the roller hole 41a.

[0011] In the step described in Patent Document 2, paragraph

[0027] states that in an inclined section where the guide rail 3 is inclined, the movable roller 42, which is guided by the guide rail 3 and displaces vertically relative to the step 11, is positioned above the following roller 14, so that the protruding member 20 is pushed up and protrudes upward from the tip of the step 11. Because the movable roller 42 is guided by the guide rail 3 and is connected to the movable roller 42, and is configured to push up the protruding member 20 guided by the roller bracket 41, no additional power source is required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-154855 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 003375 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0013] However, in the step 100 described in Patent Document 2, in the inclined section where the guide rail 3 is inclined with respect to the step 11, as shown in FIG. 4, the roller bracket 41 moves in a state of protruding below the guide rail 3, and in reality, there is a risk of interference with other elements constituting the escalator 1. In addition, although not shown, in the turn-around section of the step 11 where the guide rail 3 curves in an arc, the roller bracket 41 also protrudes toward the inner circumference side of the guide rail 3, and there is also a risk of interference with other components. In other words, like the escalator described in Patent Document 1, there are doubts about the feasibility of an escalator using the step 100 described in Patent Document 2.

[0014] In view of the above situation, from the viewpoint of enriching the technology, the first object of the present invention is to provide an escalator step having a configuration different from the escalator steps described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, in which a partition protrudes from the step board.

[0015] A second object of the present invention is to provide an escalator equipped with such steps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to achieve the first object, the present invention provides an escalator step for transporting passengers, which is pulled by a pair of drive chains that run in a circulating manner and guided by a pair of first guide rails and a pair of second guide rails that are laid at a distance from each other in the vertical direction, and which comprises a frame that is triangular in side view, a riser attached to a first side of the triangle in the frame, a step that is attached to a second side of the triangle in the frame and has a slit opened along an end side of the riser at an end portion on the riser side, a drive shaft that is attached to an end of a third side of the triangle in the frame on the step side and has each of the pair of drive chains connected to each of both ends, a pair of drive rollers that are rotatably provided on each of both ends of the drive shaft and guided by each of the pair of first guide rails, and a rotatable roller that is rotatably attached to an end of the third side on the riser side. the drive shaft; a pair of driven rollers attached so as to be freely rotatable about the axis of the drive shaft; a pair of oscillating rollers attached to the swivel member and guided by each of the pair of second guide rails; and a partition between the pair of oscillating rollers, the base end of which is attached to the swivel member and the tip end portion of which is arranged so as to be able to enter and leave the slit; wherein the section for transporting passengers includes a horizontal section in which the first guide rail and the second guide rail are laid horizontally, the tip of the partition is located at least below the upper edge of the slit, and when moving from the horizontal section to an inclined section in which the first guide rail and the second guide rail are laid diagonally, the oscillating rollers guided by the second guide rail sway around the axis toward the step, and the partition protrudes upward from the slit.

[0017] The partition is also characterized in that it is flexible.

[0018] The present invention is also characterized in that at least the portion of the partition that enters and leaves the slit is formed in an arc shape in side view.

[0019] The present invention is also characterized by including a biasing member that biases the rotating member in a direction away from the footboard.

[0020] The diameter of the rocking roller is smaller than the diameter of the driven roller.

[0021] In order to achieve the second object, the escalator of the present invention is an escalator having a plurality of steps that are endlessly connected and run in a circular manner, and is characterized in that the above-mentioned escalator step is used for each of the plurality of steps. Effect of the Invention

[0022] The escalator step having the above configuration comprises a step having the slit, a rotating member attached to be rotatable around the axis of the drive shaft, a pair of oscillating rollers attached to the rotating member and guided by each of the pair of second guide rails, and a partition between the pair of oscillating rollers, the base end of which is attached to the rotating member and the tip end portion of which is arranged so as to be movable in and out of the slit, thereby making it possible to cause the partition to protrude from the step by a configuration different from that described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In other words, this will lead to an abundance of technology related to escalator steps.

[0023] Furthermore, the escalator according to the present invention uses the above-mentioned escalator steps for each of a plurality of steps that are endlessly connected and run in a circular manner, and therefore has the same effects as the above-mentioned escalator steps. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an escalator according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the steps that constitute the escalator. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a side view of the steps when they are moving horizontally, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the steps when they are moving obliquely. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the characteristic elements of the steps. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of the entrance and its vicinity at the lower floor of the escalator that spans the upper and lower floors of a building. [Figure 6] FIG. 13A is a side view of a step with a different protruding height of the partition when it is running horizontally, and FIG. 13B is a side view of the step when it is running at an angle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an embodiment with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an escalator 10 according to an embodiment. The escalator 10 has a plurality of steps 12 that are endlessly connected and run in a circular manner, and a pair of balustrades 14 erected on both sides of the running path of the steps 12 along the running path. A skirt guard 16 made of a panel such as a stainless steel plate is provided on the side of the lower end of each of the pair of balustrades 14, which is arranged along the running path with a small gap between each of the steps 12.

[0026] The multiple steps 12 are driven by a motor (not shown) as a power source via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). The escalator 10, which spans the upper US and lower DS of a building, can be used for both ascending and descending by switching the rotation direction of the motor between forward and reverse. In other words, the lower DS side can be either the boarding entrance or the exit entrance (hereinafter, both are collectively referred to as the "boarding entrance").

[0027] At the entrance and exit of the escalator 10, a comb plate 18 and a floor plate 20 adjacent to the comb plate 18 are provided. When the escalator 10 is for ascending, the multiple steps 12 that travel in a circular motion are fed out one after another from the comb plate 18, travel horizontally, then tilt upward, travel horizontally again, and then sneak under the floor plate (not shown) from the comb plate (not shown) of the upper floor US. In contrast, when the escalator 10 is for descending, the steps 12 are fed out one after another from the comb plate of the upper floor US, travel horizontally, then tilt downward, travel horizontally again, and then sneak under the floor plate 20 from the comb plate 18 of the lower floor US.

[0028] Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the step 12, and Fig. 3 shows a right side view of the step 12. Fig. 3(a) shows the step 12 traveling in the horizontal direction, and Fig. 3(b) shows the step 12 traveling in the oblique direction.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 3, the step 12 has a frame 22 that is triangular in side view. A riser 24 is attached to a first side 22A of the triangle. A step plate 26 that is rectangular in plan view as shown in Fig. 2 is attached to a second side 22B. Here, the direction along the long side of the rectangle is the length direction of the step 12, and the direction along the short side of the rectangle is the width direction of the step 12.

[0030] A drive shaft 28 is provided at the end of the third side 22C on the tread 26 side in parallel with the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about its axis. A pair of drive chains 30 is connected to each of the two end portions of the drive shaft 28 (for convenience, the drive chains 30 are not shown in Figs. 2 and 3(b)). The pair of drive chains 30 connect the multiple steps 12 in a circular shape (Fig. 5).

[0031] A pair of drive rollers 32 are coaxially provided on the drive shaft 28 at an end side closer to the drive chain 30. The drive rollers 32 are attached to the drive shaft 28 so as to be rotatable about its axis.

[0032] A pair of driven rollers 34 are provided rotatably about their axes on the end portion of the third side portion 22C on the riser 24 side.

[0033] The pair of drive rollers 32 are guided by a pair of first guide rails 36 laid inside a truss (not shown). The pair of driven rollers 34 are guided by a pair of second guide rails 38 also laid inside the truss. The first guide rails 36 and the second guide rails 38 will be described later.

[0034] The above is the basic configuration of a typical escalator. Next, the characteristic configuration of the escalator 10 according to the embodiment will be mainly explained. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the step 12, which mainly extracts the characteristic configuration. In Fig. 4, the step 26 and the riser 24 are represented by an imaginary dashed line.

[0035] The steps 12 have a pair of L-shaped bars 40. The L-shaped bars 40 are an L-shape formed by a first bar 40A and a second bar 40B. One end of the first bar 40A is joined to the drive shaft 28 by welding or the like in such a position that the first bar 40A is perpendicular to the drive shaft 28, the second bar 40B is parallel to the drive shaft 28, and the pair of second bars 40B are coaxial with each other. As a result, the pair of L-shaped bars 40 function as a rotating member attached to the drive shaft 28 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the drive shaft 28.

[0036] However, the manner in which the L-shaped bars 40 are attached to the drive shaft 28 is not limited to this, and may be as follows. A hollow cylindrical sleeve is fitted onto the drive shaft 28. The inner diameter of the sleeve is made slightly larger than the outer diameter of the drive shaft 28 so that it can rotate smoothly relative to the drive shaft. Then, one end of the first bar 40A is joined to the outer periphery of the sleeve. With this, even if the drive shaft 28 is fixed to the frame 22 so as not to rotate, it is possible to attach the pair of L-shaped bars 40 to the drive shaft 28 so as to be rotatable around its axis.

[0037] A swing roller 42 is provided at the tip of the second bar 40B so as to be rotatable around the axis of the second bar 40B. The swing roller 42 is guided by the second guide rail 38. The pair of swing rollers 42 provided on the pair of L-shaped bars 40, which are turning members, run according to (along) the track of the second guide rail 38, and swing around the axis of the drive shaft 28, as described below. The diameter of the swing roller 42 is set smaller than the diameter of the driven roller 34. The reason for this setting will be described later.

[0038] A rectangular sheet-like partition 44 is attached to the pair of second bars 40B. The partition 44 is made of, for example, rubber (natural rubber or synthetic rubber) or synthetic resin, and is flexible. The partition 44 is not limited to rubber or synthetic resin, and may be made of other materials as long as it exhibits flexibility in relation to its thickness. The partition 44 is attached to the second bar 40B, for example, as follows. A groove (not shown) is provided on the peripheral surface of each of the pair of second bars 40B in parallel with its axis. The long side of the partition 44 is inserted into the groove and fixed with adhesive or the like.

[0039] The partition 44 provided as described above has its base end fixed to the second bar 40B swing in accordance with the swinging of the swing roller 42, and is displaced generally in the up-down direction. A slit 26A is provided in the step 26 to allow the tip end portion of the displaceable partition 44 to protrude upward from the step 26. The slit 26A penetrates the step 26 in the thickness direction (up-down direction). The slit 26A is provided along the edge of the riser 24 at the end portion on the riser 24 side.

[0040] When the steps 12 are traveling horizontally as shown in Fig. 3(a), the tip (top) of the partition 44 is located below at least the upper edge of the slit 26A. In this example, the tip of the partition 44 is located inside the slit 26A. When the steps 12 are traveling obliquely as shown in Fig. 3(b), the tip side portion (top end portion) of the partition 44 protrudes upward from the slit 26A.

[0041] That is, the partition 44 moves in and out of the slit 26A depending on the traveling direction of the steps 12. At least the portion of the partition 44 that moves in and out of the slit 26A is formed in an arc shape in the side view shown in FIG.

[0042] The step 12 also has a pair of torsion coil springs 46 as urging members that urge the pair of L-shaped bars 40 in a direction away from the step board 26. A coil portion (not shown) of the torsion coil spring 46 is extrapolated onto the drive shaft 28. A hook portion formed at the tip of one arm 46A is hooked onto the first bar 40A, and the other arm 46B abuts against the lower surface (rear surface) of the step board 26.

[0043] The operation of the step 12 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a side view of the escalator 10 at the entrance to the lower DS and its vicinity. FIG. 5 mainly shows the step 12 in the section in which passengers are transported, and does not show the step 12 that moves back and forth within the truss (not shown) after being used to transport passengers. Note that FIG. 5 shows only the pair of drive chains 30, the pair of first guide rails 36, and the pair of second guide rails 38 on the near side in the direction perpendicular to the page. Also, FIG. 5 does not show the torsion coil spring 46.

[0044] As described above, the escalator 10 can be used for both ascending and descending purposes, but here, an example will be described in which the escalator is used for ascending purposes, that is, the steps 12 are pulled by a pair of drive chains 30 that circulate in the direction of the arrow U and guided by a pair of first guide rails 36 and a pair of second guide rails 38 that are laid at a distance in the vertical direction. To distinguish each of the multiple steps 12 in Fig. 5, an alphabet is added to the reference number "12".

[0045] In the horizontal section where the first guide rail 36 and the second guide rail 38 are laid horizontally, the tips of the partitions 44 of the steps 12B, 12C are located inside the slit 26A. Passengers board the steps 12 as they travel across this horizontal section. When the train moves from the horizontal section to the inclined section where the first guide rail 36 and the second guide rail 38 are laid at an angle, the rocking roller 42 guided by the second guide rail 38 rocks around the axis of the drive shaft 28 toward the step 26, causing the partition 44 to protrude upward from the slit 26A.

[0046] At this time, because the partition 44 has flexibility, it bends appropriately while sliding against the side wall of the slit 26A, so that the partition 44 protrudes smoothly. Even if a passenger bumps into it, the partition 44 deforms appropriately, so that the occurrence of injury can be suppressed.

[0047] The portion of the area extending in and out of the slit 26A is formed in an arc shape, which also allows the partition 44 to protrude smoothly.

[0048] As described above, passengers who wish to walk on escalator 10 on which screen 44 appears must step over screen 44 protruding upward from step 26, and screen 44 becomes an obstacle to walking. Screen 44 that appears as shown in Fig. 1 has the effect of discouraging passengers from walking, thereby suppressing walking on the steps. In addition, even if some passengers start to walk because screen 44 makes it difficult to walk, they will give up and stop trying to walk thereafter, thereby suppressing walking on the steps.

[0049] When moving from the inclined section to the horizontal section (not shown) on the upper US side, the oscillating roller 42 oscillates around the axis of the drive shaft 28 in a direction away from the tread 26, and the tip of the partition 12 is stored in the slit 26A, similar to the steps 12B and 12C in Fig. 5. In this case, since the biasing force (restoring force) of the torsion coil spring 46 is also applied in addition to the weight of the pair of L-shaped bars 40 and the pair of oscillating rollers 42, the pair of L-shaped bars 40 can be rotated with a large force, so that the partition 12 can be stored reliably.

[0050] At the lower floor DS and the upper floor US, the steps 12 are guided by the first guide rail 36 and the second guide rail 38 laid in an arc shape to make a turnaround run. At that time, the adjacent steps 12A and 12B are in the posture shown in FIG. 5. When adding the configuration specific to this embodiment (the configuration in which the partition 44 is extended and retracted above the step 26) to an existing escalator, it is preferable to make the diameter of the oscillating roller 42 smaller than that of the driven roller 34. FIG. 5 shows an example in which such a case is made. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the distance between the oscillating roller 42 of the step 12A and the driven roller 34 of the step 12B is very short. Therefore, if the oscillating roller 42 is made the same diameter as the driven roller 34, there is a risk that the two will interfere with each other and smooth turnaround operation cannot be ensured.

[0051] The above describes the operation of the steps 12 on the lower floor DS, taking the example of the escalator 10 being used for going up, but the operation on the upper floor US is similar, so illustrations and explanations thereof will be omitted. Also, the operation when used for going down is similar to that when used for going up, so explanations thereof will also be omitted.

[0052] As described above, the escalator 10 according to the embodiment does not require any new power source to be added to the existing escalator configuration, unlike Patent Document 1. In addition, the partition 44 can be protruded from the tread 26 by a configuration different from that described in Patent Document 2.

[0053] The amount (height) of protrusion of the partition 44 from the step board 26 can be changed (adjusted) as follows. For example, if the height of the partition 44 is to be made higher than that shown in Fig. 3, the length of the first bar 40A, i.e., the turning radius of the L-shaped bar 40, which is a turning member, is shortened.

[0054] Then, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the turning angle of the L-shaped bar 40 when moving from the horizontal section to the inclined section increases from α (Fig. 3(a)) to β (Fig. 6(a)) (β>α). As a result, the protruding height of the partition 44 from the tread 26 increases in proportion to the turning angle. In other words, the protruding height of the partition 44 can be adjusted by changing the turning radius of the L-shaped bar 40, which is a turning member.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and for example, the present invention can be made into the following embodiment. (1) In the above embodiment, a pair of L-shaped bars 40 are used as the rotating member, but this is not limited to the above. For example, a square plate can be used as the rotating member. A first side of the plate is fixed to the drive shaft 28. A bearing member or the like is fixed to both ends of a second side parallel to the first side, and a rocking roller 42 is attached to each of the bearing members. Then, a partition 44 is attached to the upper surface of the plate near the second side.

[0056] (2) In the above embodiment, the torsion coil spring 46 is used as the biasing member for biasing the L-shaped bar 40 in a direction away from the step board 26. However, the biasing member is not limited to this, and other elastic bodies may be used. For example, a urethane mat may be used, and the urethane mat is inserted between the pair of first bars 40A and the back surface of the step board 26.

[0057] (3) In the above embodiment, the escalator 10 is described as a two-row escalator, but the present invention can also be applied to a one-row escalator. This is because the "no walking" rule remains the same even in the case of a single row escalator. [Industrial Applicability]

[0058] The present invention can be suitably used, for example, in escalators on which it is necessary to prevent passengers from walking. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 12 Steps 22 Frames 22A 1st side 22B 2nd side 22C 3rd side 24 Riser 26 Treadboard 26A Slit 28 Drive shaft 32 Drive roller 34 Driven roller 40 L-shaped bar 42 Swing roller 44 Folding screen

Claims

1. An escalator step for transporting passengers, which is pulled by a pair of drive chains that travel in a circular manner and guided by a pair of first guide rails and a pair of second guide rails that are laid at an interval in the vertical direction, A triangular frame when viewed from the side, a riser attached to a first side of the triangle in the frame; a step plate attached to the second side of the triangle of the frame, the step plate having a slit at an end portion on the riser side along the edge of the riser; a drive shaft attached to an end of the third side of the triangle of the frame on the side of the footboard, the drive shaft having both ends connected to the pair of drive chains, respectively; a pair of drive rollers rotatably provided on both ends of the drive shaft and guided by the pair of first guide rails, respectively; a pair of driven rollers rotatably attached to the end of the third side portion on the riser side and guided by the pair of second guide rails, respectively; a rotating member attached to be rotatable about an axis of the drive shaft; a pair of oscillating rollers provided on the rotating member and guided by the pair of second guide rails, respectively; a partition having a base end attached to the rotating member and a tip end portion capable of moving in and out of the slit, the partition being disposed between the pair of oscillating rollers; Including, An escalator step characterized in that in a horizontal section for transporting passengers, where the first guide rail and the second guide rail are laid horizontally, the tip of the partition is located at least below the upper edge of the slit, and when moving from the horizontal section to an inclined section where the first guide rail and the second guide rail are laid diagonally, the oscillating roller guided by the second guide rail oscillates around the axis toward the step, and the partition protrudes upward from the slit.

2. 2. The escalator step according to claim 1, wherein the partition is flexible.

3. 2. The escalator step according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the partition that enters and leaves the slit is formed in an arc shape in a side view.

4. 2. The escalator step according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the rotating member in a direction away from the step plate.

5. 2. The escalator step according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the oscillating roller is smaller than the diameter of the driven roller.

6. An escalator having a plurality of steps that are endlessly connected and run in a circular motion, An escalator, characterized in that the escalator step according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is used for each of the plurality of steps.

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