JP3699957B2 - Passenger conveyor - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to passenger conveyors such as escalators and electric roads, and in particular, a step or a tread is rotated 180 degrees at a direction change portion between an outward path and a return path, and its tread is directed upward on the outward path side and downward on the return path side. It is related with the passenger conveyor which carries out circulation movement.
BACKGROUND ART An escalator, which is a type of conventional passenger conveyor, normally rotates a step that moves with the tread surface facing upward on the forward path side by 180 degrees at the direction change section, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-55195, for example. The tread surface is configured to be circulated and moved downward on the return path side.
The escalator with the above configuration does not give consideration to the direction change space of the step, and provides more direction change space, so the influence on the surroundings of the installation location is increased.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new passenger conveyor with a small installation space.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel passenger conveyor that can reduce the direction change space between the forward and backward steps.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel passenger conveyor that can smoothly perform a direction change operation between a step forward and return when the direction change space between the step forward and return is reduced. is there.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a passenger conveyor having front and rear wheels, and having a plurality of steps that circulate with the tread surface facing upward on the forward path side and the tread surface facing downward on the return path side. A wheel shaft that supports the front wheel is protruded from a step chain that connects the steps, a link shaft that is parallel to the wheel shaft is protruded from the step chain to the step side, and one end of the connection link is connected to the wheel shaft so as to be rotatable. The other end of the connection link extends toward the rear wheel, and the other end of the connection link is connected to the link shaft so that the other end of the connection link can be rotated on the extension side. Then, a guide means for moving the front wheel on the outside of the turning locus of the step chain is provided.
With the above-described configuration, the step that is changing direction at the direction change portion between the forward path and the return path can be displaced 180 degrees by moving the step outside the step chain rotation trajectory, so that the step chain is wound. Even when the diameters of the driving and driven pulleys are reduced, it is possible to ensure an interval when changing the direction between adjacent steps. As a result, it is possible to avoid interference between adjacent steps at the time of turning, so that the smoothness of the turning direction of the step is not impaired, the turning radius of the step can be minimized, and the turning space can be reduced. It can be reduced and the installation space can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a step main part of an escalator showing an embodiment of a passenger conveyor according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a direction changing portion of a step of the escalator of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the periphery along the line II-II in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing an entire escalator using the step direction changing mechanism of FIG.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view taken along line VV in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the connecting portion of the connecting link of FIG.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment of a passenger conveyor according to the present invention will be described based on an escalator shown in FIGS.
The escalator 1 according to the present invention is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the main frame 4 is suspended between the upper floor 2 and the lower floor 3 which are separated from each other in the vertical direction, and the main frame 4 extends in the main frame longitudinal direction. A plurality of moving steps 5 are guided. Front wheels 6 are pivotally supported on both sides in the width direction on the upper side of these steps 5, and rear wheels 7 are pivotally supported on both sides in the width direction on the lower side with a space narrower than the space between the front wheels 6. As shown in FIG. 1, the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 are rotatably supported by the step 5 via wheel shafts 8 and 9 protruding in the step width direction.
The front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 that are pivotally supported in this way are located above the pair of left and right front wheel guide rails 10 and 10 'and the rear wheel guide rails 11 and 11' (FIG. 5) laid in the main frame 4, respectively. Roll. The rolling of the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 causes the step 5 to circulate and move along the forward path and the return path between the upper machine room UM and the lower machine room LM provided at both longitudinal ends of the main frame 4.
By the way, in order to circulate and move the plurality of steps 5, each step 5 is connected by an endless step chain 12. A pair of step chains 12 are arranged on both sides in the width direction of each step 5 and are wound around a drive chain 13 supported on the upper machine room UM and a driven chain wheel 14 supported on the lower machine room LM. It has been.
As shown in FIG. 3, the drive chain 13 is provided in a pair on a rotating shaft 13 </ b> S, and the rotating shaft 13 </ b> S is pivotally supported on the left and right side frames 4 </ b> A and 4 </ b> B constituting the main frame 4. . A power transmission chain wheel 26 is provided coaxially with the pair of drive chain wheels 13 on the opposite side of the step, and the power of the motor 17 is transmitted to the power transmission chain wheel 26 via the power chain 15 and the speed reducer 16. ing.
On the other hand, on both sides of the step 5 connected endlessly by the step chain 12, a pair of balustrade panels 18 constituting a balustrade are supported by the left and right side frame bodies 4A and 4B of the main frame 4 and are erected. A moving handrail 19 is guided along the periphery of the balustrade panel 18. Although not shown in the figure, the moving handrail 19 is driven synchronously with the step 5 by obtaining power from the power transmission chain wheel 26.
The base of the balustrade panel 18 is covered by an inner deck 20 and an outer deck 21, and both sides in the width direction of the step 5 and the balustrade are partitioned by a skirt guard 22 arranged vertically. Further, the outer side of the main frame 4 is covered with an exterior plate 23 of a decorative plate.
In the above configuration, the most important configuration is a connection mechanism between the front wheel 6 and the step chain 12. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a front wheel 6 is pivotally supported on a wheel shaft 8, which is a step shaft protruding in the width direction of the step 5, and this wheel shaft 8 is outside the front wheel 6. The step chain 12 is connected at the position.
The connecting structure between the wheel shaft 8 and the step chain 12 will be described in detail. The connecting link 24 is connected to the shaft end of the wheel shaft 8 that supports the front wheel 6 so that one end of the connecting link 24 can be rotated around the shaft. The other end of the connecting link 24 is extended toward the rear wheel 7 side, and the other end of the connecting link 24 is connected to the step chain 12 corresponding to the extending end via the link shaft 25 so as to be rotatable. The link shaft 25 is provided in parallel with the wheel shaft 8, and the shafts 8 and 25 that connect the connection link 24 are arranged orthogonal to the step chain 12. With such a configuration, the step 5 and the step chain 12 have a crank mechanism having a wheel shaft 8, a connecting link 24, and a link shaft 25, that is, an axis orthogonal to the step chain 12, and are connected to the shaft. They are connected via a crank mechanism having the connecting link 24. In addition, you may provide the axis | shaft only for connection in the step 5 as a step axis | shaft instead of the wheel shaft 8.
A normal chain link 12A and a specific chain link 12B having the same shape as the chain link 12A are connected to the step chain 12, and the link shaft 25 is attached to the specific chain link 12B. The other end of the connecting link 24 is connected to the other. The chain link 12A and the specific chain link 12B have the same shape, but this is to make the chain pitch the same. Therefore, if the chain pitch is the same, the shape need not necessarily be the same shape. Absent. Furthermore, you may make it connect the other end of the said connection link 24 to the link pin 12P which connects between adjacent normal chain links 12A, without using the specific chain link 12B.
In the above configuration, when the step 5 approaches the drive chain 13 (FIG. 2), the front wheel 6 is a double rail portion of the semicircular guide rail 10 installed at the direction changing portion (the front wheel has an opening width m). 6 to roll within a width dimension slightly larger than the diameter of 6). At this time, the front wheel 6 is moved such that the wheel shaft 8 side of the connecting link 24 swings with respect to the step chain 12 and swells outward in the moving direction with respect to the turning locus of the step chain 12 along the outer periphery of the drive chain 13. A semicircular guide rail 10 is installed, and the center of the front wheel 6 is semicircular so that the center misalignment dimension W becomes the maximum misalignment dimension W from the turning locus of the step chain 12 at the extreme end of the direction changing portion. A guide rail 10 is formed. The distance between the adjacent steps 5 is increased by the eccentricity of the guide rail 10 that reaches the swelled maximum misalignment dimension W, thereby avoiding interference (collision) between adjacent steps when changing directions.
Here, if the length of the pivot support pitch P of the connecting link 24 is shorter than the maximum misalignment dimension W, it is impossible to move the front wheel 6 by inflating outward in the moving direction from the turning locus of the step chain 12. In addition, when the length of the pivot support pitch P is the same as the maximum misalignment dimension W, the connecting link 24 becomes horizontal at the maximum misalignment dimension W, and therefore the step chain 12 in the vicinity thereof. Therefore, the front wheel 6 falls within the semicircular guide rail 10 due to its own weight and narrows the distance from the preceding step, or stays on the spot and continues. A smooth direction change operation of the step 5 is obstructed by narrowing an interval with the step 5 or the like. Therefore, the length of the pivot pitch P of the connecting link 24 needs to be longer than the maximum misalignment dimension W.
Thus, by increasing the length dimension of the pivot support pitch P of the connecting link 24 relative to the maximum misalignment dimension W, the front wheel 6 that moves along the trajectory swollen outward from the turning trajectory of the step chain is The direction changing portion can be moved smoothly, and the above-mentioned inconvenience is avoided. The connecting link 24 returns to the original position parallel to the step chain 12 at the point where the front wheel 6 reaches the horizontal portion of the guide rail 10 ′ on the return path side.
At this time, the rear wheel 7 is guided by a guide rail 11 ′ having a different locus from the guide rail 10 ′ for the front wheel 6.
Next, the movement state of the step 5 from the forward path to the return path in the upper machine room UM will be described in detail with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in the step 5 (a) in which the guide rails 10 and 11 are moved from the left to the right with the tread surface 5F facing upward, the connecting link 24 connected to the wheel shaft 8 of the front wheel 6 is a step. The link shaft 25, which is parallel to the chain 12 and is a connecting portion of the connecting link 24 to the step chain 12, is located closer to the rear side in the traveling direction of the step 5.
In this state, when the step 5 (a) reaches the outer periphery of the drive chain 13 with the movement of the step chain 12, the front wheel 6 and the rear wheel 7 first have the front wheel 6 along the semicircular portion of the guide rail 10. Next, the rear wheel 7 is guided along the semicircular portion of the guide rail 11. The step 5 (b) thus guided begins to incline at the outer peripheral portion of the drive train 13 with the front end of the tread surface in the traveling direction downward.
At this time, the step 5 (b) has the rotation radius and the rotation center of the guide rails 10 and 11 different from the rotation radius and the rotation center of the driving wheel 13 by the amount of depth, in other words, the step chain. Since the movement trajectory of the front wheel 6 is located on the outer side of the movement trajectory of the twelve rotation trajectories, the difference in dimension (center misalignment dimension), the connecting link 24 swings and is displaced. This displacement secures the distance between the adjacent steps 5 (b) -5 (a) and 5 (b) -5 (c) at the time of changing the direction, thereby eliminating interference between adjacent steps and smoothing the steps. A change of direction is realized.
With the movement from step 5 (b) to 5 (c), the inclination of the tread becomes further larger, and the tread becomes downward when it exceeds the middle of the direction changing portion. With such a change in the inclination of the step, the front wheel 6 moves around the outer periphery of the drive chain 13 like 6 (1) and 6 (2) and gradually leaves, and then the front wheel 6 moves to the outer periphery of the drive chain 13. 6 (3), 6 (4) and gradually approach, and when the step 5 (d) is guided by the guide rails 10 'and 11' on the return path, the tread becomes completely downward. The connecting link 24 is horizontal and parallel to the step chain 12.
As described above, even if the diameter of the drive train 13 is reduced, the movement trajectory of the front wheel 6 at the direction changing portion is outside the movement trajectory of the step chain 12, so Since there is no interference and the direction of the step can be smoothly changed, the direction change space of the step 5 can be minimized, and the height dimension H of the upper machine room UM can be reduced.
The above description is a step change operation of the step in the upper machine room UM, but in the lower machine room LM, the downward tread surface 5F is turned upward on the return path as it reaches the forward path. The direction changing operation is performed using the driven chain wheel 14. The mechanism and operation are the same as those in the upper machine room UM. That is, the step change operation from the return path to the forward path in the lower machine room LM of the step 5 is performed by a configuration similar to the configuration in which the configuration of FIG. 2 is rotated 180 degrees and turned upside down. Description is omitted.
By the way, although not shown, in order to realize further stable movement of the step drive system, a dedicated guide rail is provided in the step chain 12, in particular, it can rotate with respect to the step chain 12, and the front wheel 6 and the connecting link 24 can be rotated. The adoption or non-use of providing a dedicated rail for correctly following and moving can be determined as necessary.
Although the embodiment described above has been described by taking the escalator 1 as an example, the present invention can also be applied to electric roads that perform horizontal movement or gentle inclination movement without restriction. In that case, the step chain is used as a step plate. Should be read as tread chain.
On the other hand, in the escalator having the above-described configuration, the front wheel 6 is guided by the front wheel guide rails 10 and 10 ′ and is restricted from moving left and right (meandering) while the step 5 is moving, and the escalator device, for example, the skirt guard 22, etc. Is configured so as not to contact as much as possible (FIG. 3).
However, if the installation accuracy of the front wheel guide rails 10 and 10 'is poor, the step 5 meanders to the left and right while moving, and thus a force in the direction in which the distance between the step chain 12 and the step 5 changes is generated. Moment load is generated at both end portions of the connecting link 24 that is a connecting portion between the step chain 12 and the step chain 12. If this moment load is repeatedly generated at both ends of the connecting link 24, both ends may be damaged.
Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, bearings 30A and 30B are interposed between the connecting link 24 and the wheel shaft 8, and between the connecting link 24 and the link shaft 25, both. The bearings 30A and 30B are configured to be movable in the axial direction. That is, the step chain 12 and the link shaft 25 are connected to the link shaft 25 installed on the specific link 12B of the step chain 12 by inserting the inner ring 32 of the bearing 30B through the collar 31 and a plurality of outer rings on the outer periphery of the inner ring 32. The outer ring 34 is inserted through the roller 33, the housing 35 of the connection link 24 is provided on the outer periphery of the outer ring 34, the outer ring 34 is fixed to the housing 35 with the ring 36, and the bearing nut 37 is provided on the link shaft 25. It is said.
Similarly, for the connection between the wheel shaft 8 of the front wheel 6 and the connecting link 24, the inner ring 42 of the bearing 30 </ b> A is inserted into the wheel shaft 8 through the collar 41, and the outer ring 44 is inserted into the outer periphery of the inner ring 42 through the plurality of rollers 43. The housing 45 of the connecting link 24 is provided on the outer periphery of the outer ring 44, the outer ring 44 is fixed to the housing 45 with a ring 46, and a bearing nut 47 is provided at the tip of the wheel shaft 8.
By connecting the connecting link 24 to the wheel shaft 8 and the step chain 12 through the roller bearings in this way, the outer rings 34 and 44 can slide the inner rings 32 and 42 in the axial direction via the rollers 33 and 43, It can move until it touches 31, 41 or bearing nuts 36, 46.
Therefore, because of the poor installation accuracy of the front wheel guide rails 10 and 10 ′, even if the front wheel 6 meanders left and right during the step movement and a force in the direction in which the distance between the step chain 12 and the step 5 changes is generated, Since the link 24 moves in the axial direction, the moment load generated in the bearings 30A and 30B, which are the connecting portions of the connecting link 24, can be kept low, and the life of the connecting portions can be prevented from being reduced.
In the above embodiment, both bearings provided at both ends of the connecting link 24 are roller bearings. One of the bearings is a pole bearing and the other bearing is a roller bearing. Even if it can be displaced only in the axial direction, the moment load generated can be kept low.

Claims (8)

In the forward path, the step surface is circulated with the tread surface facing up, and on the return path, the step surface is circulated downward. In a passenger conveyor having a driving chainwheel and a driven chainwheel that are circulated and wound around a direction change portion between, a wheel shaft that supports a front wheel in the width direction protrudes from the step in the width direction, and from the step chain to the step side A link shaft that is parallel to the wheel shaft is protruded to be connected to the wheel shaft so that one end of the connecting link can be rotated, and the other end of the connecting link extends toward the rear wheel, The other end of the connecting link is connected to the link shaft so as to be rotatable, and a guide means for moving the front wheel to the outside of the step chain turning trajectory is provided at the step turning portion. Passenger conveyor according to claim. In the forward path, the step surface is circulated with the tread surface facing up, and on the return path, the step surface is circulated downward. In a passenger conveyor having a driving chainwheel and a driven chainwheel that are wound and circulated by a direction change portion between them, the link is connected to an axis orthogonal to the step chain and swings at the direction change portion And a guide means for guiding the step so that the step side of the connection link swings outside the rotation trajectory of the step chain. Passenger conveyor featuring. 4. The passenger conveyor according to claim 3, wherein the guide means is a guide rail for guiding the front wheels. The step chain is a pair of step chains that connect both sides in the width direction of the step, and the pair of step chains is disposed on the opposite side of the front wheel and the rear wheel. Item 3. A passenger conveyor according to item 3. A main frame installed between floors that are separated from each other up and down, a plurality of steps that circulate with the treads facing up on the forward path and the treads facing down on the return path, and the plurality of steps endlessly A pair of step chains to be coupled, front and rear wheels that are pivotally supported by the plurality of steps and run on guide rails laid on the forward path and the return path, and the pair of step chains at a direction change portion between the forward path and the return path In a passenger conveyor having a driving chainwheel and a driven chainwheel that are wound and circulated, the trajectory of the front wheel of the step that moves the direction changing portion is changed from the trajectory of the step chain to the trajectory of the step chain. A passenger conveyor characterized in that a means for moving more outwardly in the moving direction is provided between the step chain and the step. A main frame installed between floors that are separated from each other up and down, a plurality of steps that circulate with the treads facing up on the forward path and the treads facing down on the return path, and the plurality of steps endlessly A pair of step chains to be connected, a front wheel and a rear wheel that are pivotally supported by the plurality of steps and run on a guide rail laid on the forward path and the return path, and the pair of step chains are wound around a direction change portion between the forward path and the return path. In a passenger conveyor having a driving chainwheel and a driven chainwheel that are hung and circulated, the wheel shaft that supports the front wheel and the step chain can be swung via a connecting link that extends to the rear wheel side. A passenger conveyor that is connected and lays guide rails that guide the front wheels in the direction changing portion at a position that is on the outer side in the movement direction than the movement locus of the step chain. In the forward path, the step surface is circulated with the tread surface facing up, and on the return path, the step surface is circulated downward. In a passenger conveyor having a driving chainwheel and a driven chainwheel that are wound and circulated around a direction change portion, a connecting link that extends a wheel shaft that supports the front wheel and the step chain to the rear wheel side. And a guide rail that guides the front wheel in the direction changing portion is laid out at a position outside the moving direction of the step chain, and the connecting portion of the connecting link is pivoted. An escalator device configured to be movable in a direction. 9. The escalator device according to claim 8, wherein the connecting portion of the connecting link includes a bearing that can be displaced in an axial direction.

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