Passenger conveyor inspection device and passenger conveyor inspection method

Abstract

To check dust, etc. without removing steps of a passenger conveyor.SOLUTION: A passenger conveyor inspection device has a connecting member 130 in which a plurality of members are connected and can be stretched and rotated at a connecting point of the plurality of members, a traveling body 110 connected to the tip of the extended connecting member 130 and having a plurality of wheels, a camera 114 disposed on the traveling body 110, and a communication unit for transmitting images taken by the camera disposed on the traveling body 110. The image transmitted from the communication unit is received and displayed by a terminal device 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a passenger conveyor inspection device and a passenger conveyor inspection method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, inspections of dust and fallen objects (hereinafter referred to as dust, etc.) inside the frame of passenger conveyors, such as escalators, have been carried out by workers visually. For this visual inspection of dust, etc., several steps on the outgoing side (the outward route side) and the return side (the return route side) inside the frame were removed each time an inspection was carried out. Removing several steps to carry out an inspection was extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a self-propelled inspection device for inside a pipe. That is, Patent Document 1 describes a self-propelled inspection device having a camera attached to the tip of a body part that connects a flexible joint with wheels and a hollow pipe with wiring inside. This self-propelled inspection device can inspect the inside of a narrow place such as a pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-272960 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The self-propelled inspection device described in Patent Document 1 is designed to inspect small spaces, but is not suitable for inspecting dust and the like within the framework of a passenger conveyor. In other words, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires a drive unit to rotate the wheels, which makes the structure complicated and increases the weight. Passenger conveyor workers must bring their own tools to the installation site of the passenger conveyor, such as inside a building, which places a heavy burden on the workers. In addition, because there is lubricating oil on the running surface inside the passenger conveyor frame, there is a high possibility that the wheels will spin and become unable to move on their own, even if they are driven. This makes it difficult to operate the vehicle to reach its destination, where dust and other debris must be checked.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a passenger conveyor inspection device and a passenger conveyor inspection method that can check for dust and the like without removing the steps. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, for example, the configurations described in the claims are adopted. The present application includes a number of means for solving the above problems. To give an example of such means, A passenger conveyor inspection device for inspecting the inside of a passenger conveyor frame, A connecting member in which a plurality of members are connected to each other and can be extended and can rotate at a connecting point of the plurality of members; A running body having a plurality of wheels connected to a tip of the extended connecting member; A camera disposed on the vehicle; A communication unit is provided on the vehicle and communicates images captured by the camera. The image transmitted from the communication unit is received by the terminal device and displayed. death, The connecting member is inserted into the frame of the passenger conveyor with an arbitrary connecting length adjusted by adjusting the number of connections of a plurality of members, and the inside of the frame is inspected. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, an operator can push the connecting member to which the running body is connected into the frame of the passenger conveyor, and check on a terminal device an image taken by a camera installed on the running body connected to the end of the connecting member, thereby inspecting the dust condition inside the frame. This inspection can be performed without removing the steps, and can be performed even in adverse conditions where the inside of the frame is slippery due to lubricating oil, etc. Problems, configurations and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a passenger conveyor to which a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] 1 is a configuration diagram of a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a running body of a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a transportation form of a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of an inspection process performed by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example (lower end side) of a running state during inspection by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example (upper end side) of a running state during inspection by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example (example 1) of an operation by an operator during inspection using the passenger conveyor inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example (example 2) of an operation by an operator during inspection using the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example (example 3) of an operation by an operator during inspection by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example (example 4) of an operation by an operator during inspection by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image taken during inspection by the passenger conveyor inspection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a passenger conveyor inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this example") will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] [Passenger conveyor configuration] FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a passenger conveyor to which the passenger conveyor inspection device of this embodiment is applied. 1 includes a moving handrail 2, steps 3, and a sprocket 4 for driving them. The moving handrail 2, steps 3, and sprocket 4 are housed in a frame 5 and installed in a building or the like.

[0012] When the passenger conveyor 1 is in operation, debris from the steps 3 moving in any direction gradually accumulates on the floor 8 of the frame 5 near the upper machine room 6 and the lower machine room 7. Due to the structure of the passenger conveyor 1, these debris accumulates on the horizontal parts 9 and the inclined parts 10 of the upper machine room 6 and the lower machine room 7. The deposits accumulate in large quantities near the bending points 11 of the floor 8, mix with the lubricant of the sprockets 4, and become dust and other particles 12, which accumulate over a wide area. If this is left unattended, the deposits will come into contact with the steps 3 and cause breakdowns, so cleaning is required.

[0013] For this reason, in the conventional inspection method, a worker 13 checks for the presence or absence of dust, etc. 12 around the bending point 11. Here, when the passenger conveyor 1 is in an assembled state, the worker 13 cannot visually check 14, so it was necessary to remove multiple steps 3. For this reason, in the conventional inspection method, the work of checking for the presence of dust, etc. 12 was very time-consuming and laborious. In this example, a passenger conveyor inspection device is provided that can check for dust, etc. 12 without removing such steps 3.

[0014] [Configuration of passenger conveyor inspection device] FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the passenger conveyor inspection device 100. The passenger conveyor inspection device 100 includes running bodies 110 and 120 and a connecting member 130. The detailed configuration of the running bodies 110, 120 and the connecting member 130 will be described later in FIG. 3 etc., but to briefly explain, the running bodies 110, 120 are connected together and can run on a plurality of wheels 141, 142, 143. Of the three sets of wheels 141, 142, 143, the wheel 142 is disposed at the connecting point between the two running bodies 110, 120. The wheel 143 is disposed at the connecting point between the running body 120 and the connecting member 130.

[0015] A camera 114 is disposed on the moving body 110, and a control device 122 is disposed on the moving body 120. The camera 114 performs an image capturing process for capturing an image of the area in front of the moving body 110 (the right side in FIG. 2). The control device 122 controls the image capturing by the camera 114, and also performs a transmission process for wirelessly transmitting the image (video) captured by the camera 114 to a terminal device 28 carried by an operator via wireless communication 25 using a communication unit 122e (FIG. 6) in the control device 122. The terminal device 28 is configured as an electronic device having a communication function, such as a smartphone, and displays an image 26 captured by the camera 114 on a display unit 27 .

[0016] In addition, a non-volatile storage 29 configured with a memory card or the like is attached to the control device 122, and the captured image 26 obtained by the camera 114 is stored in the non-volatile storage 29. The connecting member (chain-like operating part) 130 connected to the rear (left side in FIG. 2) of the traveling body 120 is composed of a member called a plastic chain or the like in which multiple resin members are connected. In the following description, the connecting member is also called a chain-like operating part. In this example, during inspection work, an operator holds the rear end 130a side of the connecting member 130 (the left end in FIG. 2) and pushes the running bodies 110, 120 into the floor surface of the frame 5. During storage, the connecting member 130 can be rolled up to be stored compactly as shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later. In the following description, when the term "front" of the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 is used, it refers to the side where the camera 114 is located (the right side in Figure 2), and when the term "rear" is used, it refers to the rear end 130a side of the connecting member 130 (the left side in Figure 2).

[0017] A power cable 17 is disposed inside the connecting member 130. A terminal 17a of the power cable 17 is drawn out from a rear end 130a of the connecting member 130 and connected to the battery 24. This power cable 17 is connected to the control device 122 and the camera 114, and the control device 122 and the camera 114 are operated by power from the battery 24.

[0018] [Configuration of the vehicle] 3 and 4 are diagrams showing detailed configurations of the running bodies 110, 120 and the connecting member 130. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled state, and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view. 4, in the running body 110, a front bearing portion 110a holds the axle of the wheel 141, and a rear bearing portion 110b holds the axle of the wheel 142. A camera mounting portion 111 is formed in the running body 110, and a camera 114 held by a holding member 112 and a front member 113 is disposed in the camera mounting portion 111. Camera 114 arranged in camera arrangement section 111 has lens 114a arranged facing forward, and camera 114 takes pictures of what is ahead. Camera 114 is also fitted with lighting device 114b, which illuminates the area that camera 114 takes pictures of.

[0019] In the running body 120, the front bearing portion 120a holds the axle of the wheel 142, and the rear bearing portion 120b holds the axle of the wheel 143. Therefore, the running body 110 and the running body 120 are connected by the axle of the wheel 142, and the two running bodies 110, 120 are connected in a state in which they can swing along the axle. A control device arrangement space 121 is formed in the center of the traveling body 120. This control device arrangement space 121 is closed by a lid 123 with a circuit board constituting a control device 122 being arranged therein.

[0020] 3, the connecting member 130 is composed of a pair of left and right oval shaped members 131 and an axis member 132 that connects the pair of left and right oval shaped members 131. The axis member 132 connects the front and rear oval shaped members 131. By connecting a large number of these oval shaped members 131, the connecting member 130 can be made to any length. Then, the connecting member 130 is connected to the running body 120 by passing the axle of the wheel 143 through the axle hole 133 of the oval-shaped member 131 at the very front. Each of the running bodies 110, 120 is constructed small and has a height of about a few centimeters, and the connecting member 130, which is a chain-like member, is also constructed small and has a height of a few centimeters.

[0021] By configuring and connecting the running bodies 110, 120 and the connecting member 130 in this manner, the connecting points of the two running bodies 110, 120, the connecting point of the running body 120 and the connecting member 130, and the connecting point of the oval-shaped member 131 in the connecting member 130 can be bent appropriately. In other words, the running bodies 110, 120 are connected in a state in which they can rotate around the longitudinal direction of the axles of the connected wheels 142, 143 and the shaft members 132, and when the running direction of the running bodies 110, 120 is set to the horizontal direction, they are connected so as to be swingable in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. It should be noted that the chain-like configuration of the connecting member 130 shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and members of other shapes may be used to enable similar operation.

[0022] [Disassembled passenger conveyor inspection device] Fig. 5 shows the state in which each member constituting the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment is disassembled for transportation. When an operator transports the passenger conveyor to the installation location of the work site, the individual members are disassembled as shown in Fig. 5, and are assembled at the work site as shown in Fig. 3. In the disassembled state, the two running bodies 110 and 120 and the connecting member 130 can be separated by removing the wheels 141, 142, and 143. Similarly, the camera 114 can be removed from the running body 110 by removing the wheels 141, 142, and 143.

[0023] The connecting member 130 can be stored by being wound up in a spiral shape, for example, as shown in Fig. 5. However, it is preferable that the power cable 17 is disposed on the connecting member 130. The battery 24 can be removed from the terminal 17 a of the power cable 17 . The terminal device 28 is a terminal that is always held by the worker during work. When the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this example is used, the terminal device 28 displays the captured image, but an application program that supports the inspection work of the passenger conveyor performed by the worker may be installed in the terminal device 28.

[0024] [Internal configuration of passenger conveyor inspection device and terminal device] FIG. 6 shows the internal configuration of the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment. The passenger conveyor inspection device 100 includes a control device 122, and a camera 114 and a lighting device 114b connected to the control device 122. The control device 122 includes a control unit 122a, a power supply unit 122b, an image processing unit 122c, an analysis unit 122d, a communication unit 122e, and a non-volatile storage 29.

[0025] The control unit 122a is a control unit composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, etc., and controls operations such as shooting with the camera 114 and communication with the communication unit 122e. The control unit 122a executes shooting with the camera 114 upon receiving an on / off command for shooting from the terminal device 28. The control unit 122a also controls the on / off of the lighting in the lighting device 114b in conjunction with shooting with the camera 114. The power supply unit 122b converts the power obtained via the power cable 17 into a power supply voltage to be supplied to each unit in the control device 122, and supplies it to the camera 114 and the lighting device 114b. The image processor 122c acquires the image captured by the camera 114 and performs image processing to convert it into image data that the control device 122 handles.

[0026] The analysis unit 122d performs an analysis process of the image converted by the image processing unit 122c. For example, the analysis unit 122d performs an analysis process of detecting a marker in the image and adding a reference line required for judging the accumulation of dust, etc., to the image. The analysis unit 122d may also analyze the situation such as the amount of accumulation of dust, etc., by analyzing the image. The image that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 122c and analysis processing by the analysis unit 122d is stored in the non-volatile storage 29. All captured images may be stored in this non-volatile storage 29, but images captured at, for example, 30 frames per second may be thinned out to about a few frames per second and stored.

[0027] The communication unit 122e acquires image data that has been subjected to analysis processing by the analysis unit 122d and transmits it wirelessly. This communication unit 122e transmits and receives data to and from the terminal device 28 via wireless communication 25 based on a short-range wireless transmission standard such as a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 122e also receives an instruction from the terminal device 28 to turn on / off image capture by the camera 114.

[0028] The terminal device 28 includes a communication unit 28a, a control unit 28b, a power supply unit 28c, a storage unit 28d, a display unit 27, and an input unit 27a. The communication unit 28a performs wireless communication with the passenger conveyor inspection device 100. The control unit 28b is a control unit composed of a CPU, a memory, etc., and controls each part in the terminal device 28. For example, it controls the reception of image data in the communication unit 28a and the display of the received image on the display unit 27. This communication with the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 and the display are performed by executing an application program that controls the passenger conveyor inspection device 100. The power supply unit 28c supplies power to each unit within the terminal device 28. The storage unit 28d stores the programs installed in the terminal device 28, and also stores image data received by the communication unit 28a.

[0029] The display unit 27 displays an execution screen of an application program implemented in the terminal device 28. For example, when an application program for controlling the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 is executed, the display unit 27 displays an image transmitted from the passenger conveyor inspection device 100. The input unit 27a performs a process of receiving an input operation and sends data of the received input operation to the control unit 28b. For example, when the input unit 27a detects a touch on the camera on / off button displayed on the display unit 27, the input unit 27a sends camera on / off operation data to the control unit 28b.

[0030] [Inspection process flow using passenger conveyor inspection device] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the inspection process by the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment. First, an operator installs the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 on a horizontal portion (upper horizontal portion or lower horizontal portion) of the passenger conveyor (step S11). At this time, the operator assembles and installs the passenger conveyor inspection device 100, which is in a disassembled state as shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.

[0031] Then, the worker starts, by the terminal device 28, an application program for controlling the passenger conveyor inspection device 100. By starting this application program, the communication unit 122e of the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 and the communication unit 28a of the terminal device 28 are wirelessly connected, and shooting by the camera 114 starts (step S12). In this state, the worker holds the chain-like operating part (connecting member) 130 and inserts the running bodies 110, 120 into the gap between the passenger conveyor floor 8 and the steps 3 above it, while photographing the horizontal part 9 and the inclined part 10 with the camera 114 (step S13). When photographing with the camera 114, the lighting device 114b arranged on the camera 114 is turned on to illuminate the photographing range.

[0032] Then, the worker visually checks the image displayed on the display unit 27 of the terminal device 28, and judges whether or not the amount of dust, etc., accumulated on the floor 8 exceeds a target amount of accumulation (step S14). For this judgment, for example, a marker placed on the floor 8 of the passenger conveyor is used. Details of the marker will be described later. Also, while an example in which the worker visually checks has been described here, for example, the analysis unit 122d may perform an analysis process to judge whether or not the target amount of accumulation has been exceeded by image recognition, thereby judging the amount of accumulated dust, etc.

[0033] If the worker determines in step S14 that the target amount of accumulated dirt has been exceeded (Yes in step S14), the worker sets the passenger conveyor under inspection as "required" for cleaning (step S15). If the worker determines in step S14 that the target amount of accumulated dirt has not been exceeded (No in step S14), the worker sets the passenger conveyor under inspection as "not required" for cleaning (step S16).

[0034] The information on whether cleaning is "necessary" or "not required" in steps S15 and S16 is recorded, for example, by a worker in the corresponding column of the inspection report of the passenger conveyor being inspected. Thereafter, the worker holds the chain-like operating unit (connecting member) 130 to pull out the running bodies 110, 120, and retrieves the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 (step S17).

[0035] [Example of use during inspection] An example of how the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment is used will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 show the traveling states of the traveling bodies 110, 120 during the inspection. First, as shown in Fig. 8A, worker 13 sets up inspection device 100 on horizontal portion 9 of the passenger conveyor. In this state, worker 13 grasps chain-like operating unit 130 and sends it out toward bending point 11 as shown by arrow 39.

[0036] Here, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the front running body 110 passes the bending point 11, the running body 110 rotates (arrow 40) around the wheel 142 and bends, and the front running body 110 follows the inclined portion 10. If the chain-like operating unit 130 is further advanced (arrow 41) by the operator 13 from the state shown in Figure 8B, when the rear running body 120 passes through the bending point 11, the wheels 143 also rotate, causing the rear running body 120 to follow the inclined portion 10. Furthermore, by worker 13 sending out chain-like operating unit 130, it is possible to rotate chain-like operating unit 130 in shaft hole 133 and push traveling bodies 110, 120 deeper into inclined section 10 as shown in FIG. 8C.

[0037] Because the running bodies 110, 120 rotate at the connecting parts in this manner, the running bodies 110, 120 can easily pass through the bending point 11, and as long as the worker 13 sends out the operating unit 18 in the direction of the arrow 41, the running bodies 110, 120 can continue to move straight. When the work is finished, the worker 13 grasps the chain-like operating part 130 and pulls out the traveling bodies 110, 120 by performing the operations shown in Figs. 8A to 8C in reverse.

[0038] FIG. 8 shows an example of the upper horizontal section 9, but in the case of the lower horizontal section 9, as shown in FIG. 9, the chain-like operating unit 130 is similarly grasped and pushed out as indicated by arrow 43 to cause the running bodies 110, 120 to run on the horizontal section 9 and the inclined section 10.

[0039] Next, a specific example of inspecting the state of dust and the like 12 accumulated near a bending point 11 of a passenger conveyor will be described with reference to Figs. First, as shown in Fig. 10, the worker 13 who has installed the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 on the horizontal section 9 of the upper machine room 6 prepares it by folding the chain-shaped operation unit 130. After connecting the power cable 17 and the battery 24 shown in Fig. 2, wireless communication 25 is performed between the terminal device 28 and the passenger conveyor inspection device 100, and the image 26 captured by the camera 114 is displayed on the terminal device 28. Markers 45 are set in advance at a plurality of locations on the floor 8 of the passenger conveyor to be inspected by the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment. Then, on the markers 45, lines are drawn to serve as a guide for the amount of accumulation of dust and the like.

[0040] In this state, as shown in FIG. 11, the worker 13 sends out the chain-like operating unit 130 towards the bending point 11 while visually checking the terminal device 28 on which the image 26 captured by the camera 114 is displayed. When the tip of passenger conveyor inspection device 100 reaches the vicinity of bend point 11, worker 13 visually checks image 26 captured by camera 19 on terminal device 28. Then, as shown in Fig. 12, worker 13 sends out chain-like operation unit 130 while visually checking image 26 captured by camera 19 until the leading running body 110 passes bend point 11. Furthermore, worker 13 performs the task of sending out the tip of passenger conveyor inspection device 100 to the target location on floor 8, as shown in Fig. 13.

[0041] Incidentally, the dust, etc. 21 present on the floor 8 contains lubricating oil and is slippery, but in this example, the wheels 141-143 do not spin freely due to the drive system sent out by the chain-like operation unit 130. Furthermore, even if there is a step caused by the dust, etc. 21, the straight-line effect of the wheels 141-143 and the fact that the chain-like operation unit 130 itself does not have any movable parts in the left-right direction improve straight-line operability, allowing the target accumulation of the dust, etc. 21 to be reached, and the amount of accumulation can be known from the captured image.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 13, when the traveling bodies 110, 120 pass the bending point 11 and the captured image 26 of the dust, etc. 21 accumulating on the inclined section 10 can be confirmed on the terminal device 28, the worker 13 pulls back the chain-like operating unit 130 while folding it. Although Figs. 10 to 13 show the work in the upper machine room 6, the same procedure may be followed when the worker 13 inspects the dust, etc. 21 in the lower machine room 7.

[0043] FIG. 14 shows an example of a captured image 26 in the case where a marker 45 is placed on the floor 8 of the passenger conveyor. The marker 45 is actually placed on the floor 8 of the passenger conveyor, but is very small and is therefore not shown in the drawings. Fig. 14 shows a state in which the marker 45 is captured in the photographed images 26a to 26d. As shown in the photographed image 26d, the marker 45 has a boundary 45a set thereon, which serves as a guide for the amount of accumulated dust and the like 12.

[0044] Then, the worker visually checks the photographed images 26a to 26d of the location, compares the line 44 obtained by extending the boundary 45a of the marker 45 horizontally with the amount of accumulated dust and the like 12, and makes a judgment in step S14 in Fig. 7. When the amount of accumulated dust and the like 12 exceeds the line 44 obtained by extending the boundary 45a of the marker 45 horizontally, it is judged that cleaning is "necessary" in step S15 in Fig. 7. It is preferable to place the markers 45 in advance at various locations such as the horizontal portion 9, the bending points 11, and the inclined portion 10 where dust and the like 21 tend to accumulate.

[0045] Furthermore, the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this example may display the lines 44 in the captured image by the detection of the markers 45 by the analysis unit 122d. Alternatively, the lines 44 may be automatically displayed in the captured image based on the detection of the surface of the floor 8, without providing the markers 45. Alternatively, a scale showing the amount of accumulation or the like may be displayed at regular intervals in the captured image. By providing a guide such as the marker 45, the work quality is not influenced by the feeling of the worker 13, and the work quality is improved uniformly.

[0046] As described above, according to the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment, the worker 13 can easily and appropriately perform an inspection by pushing the connecting member (chain-like operating part) 130 to which the running bodies 110 and 120 are connected into the frame of the passenger conveyor. That is, the worker 13 can check the image taken by the camera 114 arranged on the running body 110 connected to the tip of the connecting member 130 on the terminal device 28 and inspect the dust condition inside the frame. This inspection can be performed without removing the steps, and can be performed even under adverse conditions where the inside of the frame is slippery due to lubricating oil, etc., and can be performed with simple operations in a short time.

[0047] In this case, a marker 45 is provided on the passenger conveyor in advance as a guide for the amount of pile-up, and the amount of pile-up can be compared with the marker 45 in the captured image, making it possible to determine a uniform amount of pile-up without being influenced by the perception of the worker 13. Furthermore, the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment can be easily disassembled as shown in FIG. 5, and can be easily transported to a work site, improving the workability of workers. Furthermore, the length of the connecting member (chain-like operating unit) 130 can be increased or decreased as desired, and can be adjusted according to the length to the location where the passenger conveyor is to be inspected, allowing inspection to be performed according to the installation conditions of the passenger conveyor. In addition, since the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 of this embodiment is configured to place the battery 24 externally, even if the battery level becomes low during work, for example, it is possible to deal with the problem by replacing only the battery 24 without pulling out the running bodies 110, 120, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0048] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiment examples described so far have been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easily understandable manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described.

[0049] For example, the camera 114 is arranged between the wheels 141 and 142 of the vehicle 110, but may be arranged in front of the wheels 141. In addition, the captured images obtained by the camera 114 are wirelessly transmitted from the passenger conveyor inspection device 100 to the terminal device 28, but a wired transmission cable may be arranged in the same manner as the power cable 17 so that the captured images are transmitted via a wire. Alternatively, the captured images may be stored in the non-volatile storage 29 in the passenger conveyor inspection device 100, and after the work is completed, the worker may perform the inspection using the images stored in the non-volatile storage 29.

[0050] 2 to 4 are also merely examples of the configurations of the running bodies 110, 120 and the connecting member 130, and are not limited to those shown in the drawings. For example, the running bodies 110, 120 are provided with three pairs of wheels 141, 142, 143, but the wheel 143 may be omitted. Although the battery 24 is arranged externally, the battery may be arranged on the traveling bodies 110, 120 side.

[0051] In addition, in the configuration diagram shown in Figure 6, only the control lines and information lines that are considered necessary for explanation are shown, and not all control lines and information lines in the product are necessarily shown. In reality, it can be considered that almost all components are connected to each other. Furthermore, the flow of processing shown in the flowchart in FIG. 7 is also one example, and as long as the processing results are the same, the order of some of the processing may be changed or multiple processing may be executed simultaneously. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 ... passenger conveyor, 3 ... step, 4 ... sprocket, 5 ... frame, 6 ... upper machine room, 7 ... lower machine room, 8 ... floor, 8 ... horizontal section, 10 ... inclined section, 11 ... bending point, 12 ... dust, etc., 13 ... worker, 17 ... power cable, 24 ... battery, 27 ... display unit, 27a ... input unit, 28 ... terminal device, 28a ... communication unit, 28b ... control unit, 28c ... power supply unit, 28d ... storage unit, 29 ... non-volatile storage, 100 ... passenger conveyor inspection device, 110, 120 ... running body, 110a, 110b, 120a, 120b ...bearing portion, 111...camera arrangement portion, 112...holding member, 113...front member, 114...camera, 114a...lens, 114b...illumination device, 121...control device arrangement space, 122...control device, 122a...control portion, 122b...power supply portion, 122c...image processing portion, 122d...analysis portion, 122e...communication portion, 123...lid, 130...connecting member (chain-like operation portion), 130a...rear end, 131...oval-shaped member, 132...shaft member, 133...shaft hole, 133...connecting portion, 141, 142, 143...wheels

Claims

1. A passenger conveyor inspection device for inspecting the inside of a passenger conveyor frame, A connecting member in which a plurality of members are connected to each other and can be extended in a horizontal direction and can rotate at a connecting point of the plurality of members; A running body having a plurality of wheels connected to a tip of the extended connecting member; A camera disposed on the moving body; a communication unit that is disposed on the traveling body and transmits images captured by the camera; The image transmitted from the communication unit is received by a terminal device and displayed. The connecting member is inserted into the frame of the passenger conveyor to inspect the inside of the frame by adjusting the number of connections of the multiple members to an arbitrary connecting length. Passenger conveyor inspection equipment.

2. A power cable is disposed inside the connecting member, The camera and the communication unit disposed on the traveling body are supplied with power from the outside via the power cable.

2. The passenger conveyor inspection device according to claim 1.

3. A lighting device is disposed on the moving body to illuminate an area photographed by the camera, Power is also supplied to the lighting device via the power cable.

3. The passenger conveyor inspection device according to claim 2.

4. The communication unit performs a process of wirelessly transmitting an image. The terminal receives and displays an image wirelessly transmitted from the communication unit.

2. The passenger conveyor inspection device according to claim 1.

5. A passenger conveyor inspection method for inspecting an inside of a frame of a passenger conveyor, comprising: A connecting member in which a plurality of members are connected and the number of connections of the plurality of members is adjusted to an arbitrary connection length is inserted into the frame, an imaging process of imaging the inside of the frame with a camera disposed on a vehicle having a plurality of wheels and connected to a tip of the connecting member; A transmission process of transmitting the image captured by the camera through a communication unit disposed in the moving body; A display process of receiving and displaying the image transmitted in the transmission process at a terminal device, The inside of the frame is inspected using the image displayed in the display processing. Passenger conveyor inspection method.

6. A marker indicating the height from the surface of the oil pan is provided within the frame of the passenger conveyor; The amount of deposits on the surface of the oil pan can be determined based on the marker photographed in the photographing process and displayed in the display process.

6. The passenger conveyor inspection method according to claim 5.

Images