Handrail drying device

Abstract

To provide a handrail drying device capable of easily drying a handrail during restoration work.SOLUTION: A handrail drying device for drying handrails on passenger conveyors includes a blower that blows hot air, a bag-shaped contact body that can receive the hot air from the blower and store the hot air from the blower inside, and a pressure adjusting body that is provided on the contact body and can regulate the pressure of the gas stored inside the contact body. The pressure adjusting body adjusts the internal pressure of the contact body so that the contact body, which is placed inside the handrail at a part of the handrail, has an operating pressure at which the contact body expands with the hot air from the blower until it comes into contact with the inside of the handrail.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a handrail drying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a handrail drying device. The handrail drying device is installed in the middle of the area where the handrail of an escalator moves. The handrail can be dried while moving circulatingly by the handrail drying device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-100282 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, if the handrails become wet due to partial flooding of the escalator, the escalator will stop operating. Workers must dry the handrails before the escalator can resume operation. In this case, the handrail drying device described in Patent Document 1 cannot dry the wet parts of the handrails.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a handrail drying device that can easily dry handrails during restoration work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The handrail drying device according to the present disclosure is a device for drying handrails on a passenger conveyor, and comprises a blower that blows warm air, a bag-shaped contact body that can receive the warm air from the blower and store the warm air from the blower inside, and a pressure regulating body that is provided in the contact body and can adjust the pressure of the gas stored inside the contact body, and the pressure regulating body adjusts the pressure inside the contact body so that the operating pressure is such that the contact body, which is placed inside the handrail at a part of the handrail, will expand with the warm air from the blower until it comes into contact with the inside of the handrail. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the contact body expands with the warm air from the blower until it contacts the inside of the handrail, and moisture in the handrail penetrates the contact body, making it easy to dry the handrail during restoration work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an escalator to which a handrail drying device according to a first embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a handrail to which a handrail drying device according to a first embodiment is applied. [Figure 3] 1 is a top view showing the configuration of a handrail drying device in embodiment 1. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view of a contact body of the handrail drying device in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a diagram showing a main part of an escalator to which a handrail drying device according to a first embodiment is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of these parts will be appropriately simplified or omitted.

[0010] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an escalator to which a handrail drying device according to embodiment 1 is applied. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a handrail to which a handrail drying device according to embodiment 1 is applied.

[0011] FIG. 1 shows an escalator 1, which is an example of a passenger conveyor. The escalator 1 is installed between an upper floor and a lower floor of a building. A first entrance 2a is installed on the upper floor of the building. A second entrance 2b is installed on the lower floor of the building. For example, a user moves between the upper and lower floors from the first entrance 2a through the movement area 3 of the escalator 1 and the second entrance 2b. Hereinafter, the left-right direction refers to the horizontal direction among directions perpendicular to the direction along the movement area 3.

[0012] The balustrade 4 is provided on the side of the moving area 3 in the left-right direction. For example, the balustrade 4 is made up of members including supports. The handrail 5 is an endless belt. The handrail 5 is mainly made of resin. The handrail 5 is wound around the outer periphery of the balustrade 4 as a moving handrail for the escalator 1. The multiple steps 6 are each connected in an endless manner. The multiple steps 6 are provided below the moving area 3.

[0013] When the escalator 1 is in normal operation, the multiple steps 6 move in a circular motion between the upper and lower floors of the building. The handrail 5 moves in a circular motion around the balustrade 4 in synchronization with the multiple steps 6. In this case, the handrail 5 is divided into a portion that moves above the balustrade 4, a portion that moves below the balustrade 4, a portion that turns back from the top to the bottom of the balustrade 4 at the first entrance 2a, and a portion that turns back from the bottom to the top of the balustrade 4 at the second entrance 2b.

[0014] For example, due to events such as rainfall or flooding, the portion of the handrail 5 that turns from the bottom to the top of the balustrade 4 at the second entrance 2b and the portion that moves under the balustrade 4 may become wet. In this case, the friction between the handrail 5 and the balustrade 4 changes, which may cause the escalator 1 to make an emergency stop. In such cases, the wet portion of the handrail 5 is cleaned and dried as part of the recovery work.

[0015] 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the handrail 5 taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The handrail 5 has a similar cross section at any given portion.

[0016] The handrail 5 has a flat portion 5a and a pair of curved portions 5b. The flat portion 5a is a portion that has a flat shape in cross section. The pair of curved portions 5b extend from both ends of the flat portion 5a. The pair of curved portions 5b have shapes that are symmetrical to each other. The curved portions 5b have a U-shape in cross section. The pair of curved portions 5b are each located on one side of the balustrade 4. An end E is formed on the opposite side of the flat portion 5a in each of the pair of curved portions 5b. A gap S is formed between the ends E of the pair of curved portions 5b, through which the balustrade 4 passes.

[0017] A cloth 5c is stretched over the entire inner surface 5s. The handrail 5 contacts the balustrade 4 at the inner surface 5s. Here, the inside of the handrail 5 is the area surrounded by the flat portion 5a, the pair of curved portions 5b, and the gap S. The cloth 5c is stretched over the inside of the handrail 5, and part of the balustrade 4 passes through it.

[0018] Next, a device for drying a wet handrail 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 3 is a top view showing the configuration of the handrail drying device in embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a top view of a contact body of the handrail drying device in embodiment 1.

[0019] The handrail drying device 20 is used after a portion of the handrail 5 has been removed from the balustrade 4. As shown in FIG. 3 , the handrail drying device 20 includes a blower 21, a contact body 22, an air duct body 23, a pressure adjusting body 24, a temperature sensor 24a, a humidity sensor 24b, a plurality of retaining plates 25, and a signal line 26.

[0020] The blower 21 generates hot air and blows it from an air outlet. For example, the hot air generated by the blower 21 reaches a temperature of about 100°C when being blown. The temperature of the hot air may be higher or lower than 100°C. The blower 21 has a controller 21a. The controller 21a has a processing circuit including a processor and a memory. The controller 21a controls the blowing operation of the blower 21.

[0021] The contact body 22 is bag-shaped. The contact body 22 is also cylindrical with a hollow space formed inside. For example, the longitudinal length of the contact body 22 is about 1 m. In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the contact body 22, the circumferential length of the contact body 22 is longer than the circumferential length of the inner side of the handrail 5. For example, the material of most of the contact body 22 is a cloth such as canvas or a blend of synthetic and natural fibers. The surface of the contact body 22 does not allow much wind to pass through.

[0022] The air passage body 23 has a cylindrical shape. One end of the air passage body 23 is attached to the air outlet of the blower 21. The other end of the air passage body 23 is attached to one end of the contact body 22. An air passage leading from the blower 21 to the inside of the contact body 22 is formed inside the air passage body 23. That is, the air passage body 23 guides the hot air blown from the blower 21 into the inside of the contact body 22.

[0023] The pressure regulating body 24 is a valve that allows gas exceeding a specified pressure to pass through, i.e., a pressure regulating valve that regulates the pressure of the gas. The pressure regulating body 24 is attached to the other end opposite to the one end of the contact body 22. The pressure regulating body 24 closes the other end of the contact body 22.

[0024] The pressure regulating body 24 is provided with a temperature sensor 24a and a humidity sensor 24b. The temperature sensor 24a detects the temperature of the gas passing through the pressure regulating body 24 or the temperature of the gas present inside the contact body 22 near the pressure regulating body 24. The humidity sensor 24b detects the humidity of the gas passing through the pressure regulating body 24 or the humidity of the gas present inside the contact body 22 near the pressure regulating body 24.

[0025] For example, each of the multiple retaining plates 25 has a plate shape. The length of one side of the multiple retaining plates 25 is longer than the distance between the ends E of the pair of curved portions 5b in the handrail 5. Each of the multiple retaining plates 25 is provided with an intermediate temperature sensor 25a.

[0026] The signal line 26 is a conductor capable of transmitting signals. The signal line 26 electrically connects the controller 21a of the blower 21 and the temperature sensor 24a. The signal line 26 electrically connects the controller 21a of the blower 21 and the humidity sensor 24b. The signal line 26 electrically connects the controller 21a of the blower 21 and each of the intermediate temperature sensors 25a of the multiple retaining plates 25.

[0027] The controller 21a acquires a signal indicating the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 24a, a signal indicating the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 24b, and a signal indicating the temperature detected by the intermediate temperature sensors 25a of the multiple retaining plates 25 at any timing.

[0028] When the handrail drying device 20 is in use, the contact body 22 is stored inside the handrail 5. That is, the contact body 22 is arranged in an area inside the handrail 5. Each of the multiple retaining plates 25 is connected from one of the pair of curved portions 5b to the other inside the handrail 5. One end of the contact body 22 is blocked by the blower 21 via the air passage body 23. The other end of the contact body 22 is blocked by the pressure adjusting body 24.

[0029] After that, the blower 21 blows hot air into the contact body 22. The contact body 22 expands as the hot air is stored inside. Due to the circumferential length of the contact body 22, the surface of the contact body 22 comes into contact with the cloth 5c, which is the inner surface of the handrail 5. At this time, it is preferable that the contact body 22 comes into contact with the cloth 5c without any gaps.

[0030] The pressure regulator 24 releases gas from inside the contact body 22 at a pressure that keeps the contact body 22 in contact with the fabric 5c. At this time, the pressure inside the contact body 22 is maintained at the operating pressure. That is, the pressure regulator 24 adjusts the pressure of the gas inside the contact body 22 to the operating pressure. At the operating pressure, the contact body 22 expands to the extent that its surface comes into close contact with the inside surface of the handrail 5.

[0031] The retaining plate 25 is sandwiched between the end E of the curved portion 5b of the handrail 5 and the contact body 22. The retaining plate 25 holds the contact body 22 inside the handrail 5 so that the expanded contact body 22 does not slip out of the gap between the pair of curved portions 5b. Note that the multiple retaining plates 25 may be attached between the handrail 5 and the contact body 22 after the blower 21 starts blowing air and the contact body 22 expands to a certain extent.

[0032] Moisture from the wetted fabric 5c penetrates into the contact body 22 at the contact portion with the fabric 5c. The penetrated moisture is diffused to the inner surface of the contact body 22 facing inward. On the inner surface of the contact body 22, the moisture evaporates due to the hot air. As a result, the temperature of the gas inside the contact body 22 drops and the humidity of the gas increases. The gas with changed temperature and humidity is released from the pressure regulator 24. In this way, the moisture from the fabric 5c continuously penetrates into the contact body 22, causing the fabric 5c to dry.

[0033] The contact body 22 may have sufficient air permeability to maintain the operating pressure, that is, it may allow gas to pass through in an amount sufficient to maintain the operating pressure of the gas inside.

[0034] When there is no more moisture permeating from the fabric 5c into the contact body 22, that is, when the drying of the handrail 5 is complete, the temperature of the gas inside the contact body 22 stops decreasing and the humidity of the gas stops increasing. Therefore, the warm air from the blower 21 increases the temperature of the gas inside the contact body 22 and decreases the humidity. The controller 21a detects that the drying is complete based on at least one of the temperature and humidity of the internal gas and stops the blowing of air by the blower 21. Specifically, if the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 24a is higher than the threshold temperature, the controller 21a detects that the drying is complete and stops the blowing of air by the blower 21. Alternatively, if the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 24b is lower than the threshold humidity, the controller 21a detects that the drying is complete and stops the blowing of air by the blower 21. In addition, the controller 21a may detect that drying is complete and stop the blowing of air by the blower 21 when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 24a is higher than the threshold temperature and the humidity measured by the humidity sensor 24b is lower than the threshold humidity.

[0035] When the temperature of the intermediate temperature sensors 25a of the multiple retaining plates 25 is higher than the warning temperature while the blower 21 is operating, the controller 21a detects that the temperature of the contact body 22 is abnormally high based on a signal from the intermediate temperature sensor 25a, and stops the blowing of air from the blower 21. This function is a safety function to prevent the contact body 22 and the like from becoming abnormally hot.

[0036] 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the contact body 22 taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. FIG. 4(b) is a top view of the contact body 22. Note that the handrail 5 is not shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the contact body 22 is divided into at least a contact portion 22a and a non-contact portion 22b. The cross-sectional view of a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is the same at any position on the contact body 22. That is, in any cross-section, the contact portion 22a and the non-contact portion 22b have the same positional relationship.

[0037] The contact portion 22a is the portion that comes into contact with the inner surface of the handrail 5 when the handrail 5 is drying. The contact portion 22a is made of a material with high moisture absorption. For example, the contact portion 22a is canvas, which has high moisture absorption. The contact portion 22a is preferably made of a material with relatively high breathability. Note that highly moisture-absorbent materials often have relatively high breathability. In cross section, the length of the contact portion 22a is longer than the length of the flat portion 5a in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handrail 5. For example, in cross section, the length of the contact portion 22a may be longer than the sum of the length of the flat portion 5a in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handrail 5 and the length of the inner portions of the pair of curved portions 5b. For example, in cross section, the length of the contact portion 22a may be equal to the length of the cloth 5c in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the handrail 5.

[0038] The non-contact portion 22b is a portion that does not come into contact with the inside of the handrail 5 when the handrail 5 is drying. In cross section, the non-contact portion 22b is a portion that is not the contact portion 22a. The non-contact portion 22b is made of a material that is less hygroscopic than the material of the contact portion 22a. Note that materials with low hygroscopicity often have relatively low breathability in proportion to their low hygroscopicity. The non-contact portion 22b is thicker than the contact portion 22a. The non-contact portion 22b is preferably made of a material that does not allow gas to pass through. For example, in cross section, the length of the non-contact portion 22b is equal to the distance between the ends E of the pair of curved portions 5b of the handrail 5.

[0039] Next, the work of a worker drying the handrail 5 will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a main part of an escalator to which the handrail drying device according to Embodiment 1 is applied. Note that in Fig. 5, the handrail drying device 20 is not shown.

[0040] For example, the work of drying the handrail 5 is performed with the power of the escalator 1 stopped. With the handrail 5 attached to the balustrade 4, the worker moves the wet portion of the handrail 5 to the upper side of the balustrade 4. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 , the worker removes the wet portion of the handrail 5 from the balustrade 4.

[0041] After that, workers check for dirt on the inside surface of the handrail 5 and clean it. This is because the inside of the handrail 5 can be covered with dirt such as dust that has hardened with water, oil stains, etc. If the handrail 5 is dirty, it will not circulate normally. Therefore, when the handrail 5 gets wet, the restoration work requires a process to check for dirt on the inside of the handrail 5 and clean it.

[0042] Thereafter, the worker works to dry the handrail 5. The worker sets up each component of the handrail drying device 20 as shown in FIG. 3 and operates the blower 21. When the controller 21a detects that the drying is complete, the blower 21 stops blowing air. During this time, the worker can carry out recovery work on another location.

[0043] If any part of the handrail 5 is still wet, the worker moves the contact body 22 to that wet part and starts and completes drying in the same manner. The worker repeats this process until the entire handrail 5 is dry.

[0044] According to the first embodiment described above, handrail drying device 20 includes blower 21, contact body 22, and pressure adjusting body 24. During restoration work on escalator 1, which is a passenger conveyor, contact body 22 is placed inside handrail 5, which has been removed from balustrade 4. Pressure adjusting body 24 adjusts the internal pressure of contact body 22 to an operating pressure that causes contact body 22 to expand until it contacts the inside of handrail 5. As a result, moisture penetrates contact body 22 from the inside of handrail 5, drying handrail 5. At this time, contact body 22, into which moisture has penetrated, is dried by warm air from blower 21. As a result, during restoration work, handrail 5 can be dried without operating escalator 1. Furthermore, in conventional restoration work, workers often manually dried handrail 5, which had been removed from balustrade 4, using equipment such as a hair dryer. According to this embodiment, a worker can dry the handrail 5 simply by placing the contact body 22 inside the handrail 5 and operating the blower 21. As a result, the handrail 5 can be dried easily.

[0045] Furthermore, contact body 22 has contact portion 22a and non-contact portion 22b. Contact portion 22a has high moisture absorption, which allows moisture to penetrate from handrail 5 more effectively. On the other hand, materials with low moisture absorption have low breathability and do not easily allow air to pass through. Non-contact portion 22b does not require moisture to penetrate from handrail 5. By using a material with relatively low moisture absorption for non-contact portion 22b, the escape of internal air through non-contact portion 22b is suppressed. As a result, less warm air needs to be blown by blower 21, which reduces the energy required for drying.

[0046] The handrail drying device 20 also includes a temperature sensor 24a. The air blower 21 stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 24a becomes higher than the threshold temperature. While the air blower 21 is blowing air, the worker does not need to check every time whether the drying of the handrail 5 is complete. This reduces the effort required for the drying work. Furthermore, by having the air blower 21 continue to blow warm air even after drying is complete, there is no risk of the temperature of the handrail 5 or the like rising abnormally. This allows the worker to perform other recovery work in a location away from the handrail drying device 20. As a result, the efficiency of the recovery work can be improved.

[0047] The handrail drying device 20 further includes a humidity sensor 24b. The blower 21 stops blowing air when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor 24b falls below the threshold humidity. This reduces the effort required for drying work and improves the efficiency of recovery work.

[0048] The handrail drying device 20 further includes a retaining plate 25. The retaining plate 25 can prevent the expanded contact body 22 from jumping out of the opening of the handrail 5 between the pair of curved portions 5b.

[0049] Additionally, an intermediate temperature sensor 25a is provided on the retaining plate 25. The blower 21 stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the intermediate temperature sensor 25a is higher than the warning temperature. This allows the handrail 5 to be dried more safely.

[0050] It is sufficient that at least one of the temperature sensor 24a and the humidity sensor 24b is provided in the handrail drying device 20. The blower 21 may stop blowing air based on the detection result of the provided sensor.

[0051] To summarize the above explanation, possible configurations of the technology according to the present disclosure include the configurations listed below as appendices. (Appendix 1) 1. An apparatus for drying handrails of a passenger conveyor, comprising: A blower that blows hot air; a bag-shaped contact body that can receive and store the hot air from the blower; a pressure adjusting body provided on the contact body and capable of adjusting the pressure of the gas stored inside the contact body; Equipped with The pressure adjusting body is a handrail drying means that adjusts the pressure inside the contact body so that the contact body, which is housed inside the handrail in a part of the handrail, has an operating pressure that causes the contact body to expand with the warm air from the blower until it comes into contact with the inside of the handrail. (Appendix 2) The contact body is a contact portion made of a highly hygroscopic material and contacting the inner surface of the handrail when the handrail is placed inside the handrail; a non-contact portion made of a material that is less hygroscopic than the material that constitutes the contact portion, and that does not come into contact with the inner surface of the handrail when placed inside the handrail; Attachment 1. A handrail drying device having: (Appendix 3) a temperature sensor provided in the pressure adjusting body and detecting the temperature of the gas inside the contact body; Further provided with The contact body receives the hot air from the blower from one end thereof, the pressure adjusting body is provided at the other end of the contact body opposite to the one end, The handrail drying device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air blower stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes higher than a threshold temperature. (Appendix 4) a humidity sensor provided in the pressure adjusting body and detecting the humidity of the gas inside the contact body; Further provided with The contact body receives the hot air from the blower from one end thereof, the pressure adjusting body is provided at the other end of the contact body opposite to the one end, The handrail drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air blower stops blowing air when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor becomes lower than a threshold humidity. (Appendix 5) a plate-shaped retaining plate that is connected from one of the pair of curved portions of the handrail to the other when the contact body is housed inside the handrail, and that is located between the space between the ends of the pair of curved portions and the contact body; A handrail drying device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 4, further comprising: (Appendix 6) The retaining plate is provided with an intermediate temperature sensor for detecting a temperature, The handrail drying device according to claim 5, wherein the blower stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the intermediate temperature sensor is higher than an alert temperature. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 escalator, 2a first entrance / exit, 2b second entrance / exit, 3 moving area, 4 balustrade, 5 handrail, 5a flat portion, 5b curved portion, 5c cloth, 5s inner surface, 20 handrail drying device, 21 blower, 21a controller, 22 contact body, 22a contact portion, 22b non-contact portion, 23 air duct body, 24 pressure adjusting body, 24a temperature sensor, 24b humidity sensor, 25 retaining plate, 25a intermediate temperature sensor, 26 signal line, E end portion, S gap

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for drying handrails of a passenger conveyor, comprising: A blower that blows hot air; a bag-shaped contact body that can receive and store the hot air from the blower; a pressure adjusting body provided on the contact body and capable of adjusting the pressure of the gas stored inside the contact body; Equipped with The pressure adjusting body adjusts the internal pressure of the contact body, which is placed inside the handrail at a portion of the handrail, to an operating pressure at which the contact body expands with the warm air from the blower until it comes into contact with the inside of the handrail.

2. The contact body is a contact portion made of a highly hygroscopic material and contacting the inner surface of the handrail when the handrail is placed inside the handrail; a non-contact portion made of a material that is less hygroscopic than the material that constitutes the contact portion, and that does not come into contact with the inner surface of the handrail when placed inside the handrail; The handrail drying device according to claim 1, comprising:

3. a temperature sensor provided in the pressure adjusting body and detecting the temperature of the gas inside the contact body; Further provided with The contact body receives the hot air from the blower from one end thereof, the pressure adjusting body is provided at the other end of the contact body opposite to the one end, The handrail drying device according to claim 1 , wherein the air blower stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor becomes higher than a threshold temperature.

4. a humidity sensor provided in the pressure adjusting body and detecting the humidity of the gas inside the contact body; Further provided with The contact body receives the hot air from the blower from one end thereof, the pressure adjusting body is provided at the other end of the contact body opposite to the one end, The handrail drying device according to claim 1, wherein the air blower stops blowing air when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor becomes lower than a threshold humidity.

5. a plate-shaped retaining plate that is connected from one of the pair of curved portions of the handrail to the other when the contact body is housed inside the handrail, and that is located between the space between the ends of the pair of curved portions and the contact body; The handrail drying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:

6. The retaining plate is provided with an intermediate temperature sensor for detecting a temperature, The handrail drying device according to claim 5, wherein the air blower stops blowing air when the temperature detected by the intermediate temperature sensor is higher than an alert temperature.

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