Conveyors: power-driven – Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people – By support means having a zone of varying speed
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-24
2004-09-28
Ridley, Richard (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: power-driven
Conveyor or accessory therefor specialized to convey people
By support means having a zone of varying speed
C198S321000, C198S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796416
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which steps move faster in an inclined section than in upper and lower horizontal sections.
BACKGROUND ART
Nowadays, a large number of escalators of great height are installed in subway stations or the like. In an escalator of this type, the passenger is obliged to stand on a step for a long period of time, which is often rather uncomfortable. In view of this, a high-speed escalator has been developed. However, in such a high-speed escalator, there is a limitation regarding the traveling speed from the viewpoint of allowing the passengers to get off and on safely.
In view of this, there has been proposed an escalator with a high speed inclined section in which the steps move faster in the intermediate inclined section than in the upper and lower horizontal sections, whereby it is possible to shorten the traveling time for the passenger.
FIG. 4
is a schematic side view showing a conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section described, for example, in JP 51-116586 A. In the figure, a plurality of steps
2
coupled in an endless manner are provided in a main frame
1
. The steps
2
are driven by a drive unit (step driving means)
3
and moved to circulate.
A forward path side section of a circulation path of the steps
2
has a forward path upper side horizontal section A to be an upper side platform portion, a forward path side upper curved section B, a forward path side constant inclination section C, a forward path side lower curved section D, and a forward path lower side horizontal section E to be a lower side platform portion.
Next,
FIG. 5
is a side view showing the vicinity of the forward path side upper curved section B of
FIG. 4
in an enlarged state. In the figure, a step
2
has a tread
4
for carrying a passenger; a riser
5
hinged at a front or rear end of the tread
4
; a driving roller shaft
6
; a pair of rotatable driving rollers
7
attached to the driving roller shaft
6
; a trailing roller shaft
8
; and a pair of rotatable trailing rollers
9
attached to the trailing roller shaft
8
.
Each driving roller
7
is guided by a driving rail
19
supported by a main frame
1
. Each trailing roller
9
is guided by a trailing rail
11
supported by the main frame
1
. Note that shapes of the forward path side driving rail
10
and the forward path side trailing rail
11
are formed such that the tread
4
of the step
2
always remains level in forward path side sections.
The driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
are coupled with each other by a link mechanism
13
. The link mechanism
13
has first to fifth links
14
to
18
.
One end portion of the first link
14
is pivotably coupled to the driving roller shaft
6
. The other end portion of the first link
14
is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the third link
16
via a shaft
20
. One end portion of the second link
15
is pivotably coupled to the driving roller shaft
6
of the step
2
adjacent to it. The other end portion of the second link
15
is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the third link
16
via the shaft
20
.
One end portion of the fourth link
17
is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the first link
14
. One end portion of the fifth link
18
is pivotably coupled to a middle portion of the second link
15
. The other end portions of the fourth and fifth links
17
and
19
are coupled to one end portion of the third link
16
via a sliding shaft
21
.
A guiding groove
16
a for guiding sliding of the sliding shaft
21
in a longitudinal direction of the third link
16
is provided at one end portion of the third link
16
. A rotatable auxiliary roller
19
is provided at the other end portion of the third link
16
. The auxiliary roller
19
is guided by an auxiliary rail
22
supported by the main frame
1
.
The auxiliary roller
19
is guided by the auxiliary rail
22
, whereby the link mechanism
13
is transformed and a gap between the adjacent steps
2
, that is, an interval between the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
is changed. In other words, a track of the auxiliary rail
22
is designed so that the gap between the adjacent steps
2
changes.
Next, operation thereof will be described. A The speed of the step
2
is changed by changing the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
. That is, in a forward path upper side horizontal section A and a forward path lower side horizontal section E where a passenger gets on and off the escalator, the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
becomes the smallest, and the step
2
moves at low speed. In addition, in a forward path side constant inclined section C, the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
becomes the largest, and the step
2
moves at high speed. Moreover, in a forward path side upper curved section B and a forward path side lower curved section D, the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
is changed, and the step
2
accelerates or decelerates to travel.
The first, second, fourth, and fifth links
14
,
15
,
17
, and
18
constitute a so-called pantograph type quadric link mechanism, and an angle defined by the first and second links
14
and
15
can be increased and reduced with the third link
16
as a symmetrical axis. Accordingly, an interval between the driving roller shafts
6
coupled to the first and second links
14
and
15
can be changed.
In the upper and lower horizontal sections A and E of FIG.
4
, the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
is the smallest. When an interval between the driving rail
10
and the auxiliary rail
22
is reduced from this state, the link mechanism
13
moves in the same manner as a movement of a frame of an umbrella at the time when it is opened, and the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
increases.
In the constant inclined section C of
FIG. 4
, the interval between the driving rail
10
and the auxiliary rail
22
is the smallest, and the interval between the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
is the largest. Therefore, a speed of the step
2
in this area reaches the maximum. In addition, in this state, the first and second links
14
and
15
are arranged substantially in a straight line.
However, in the conventional escalator with a high speed inclined section constituted as described above, the auxiliary rail
22
in each of the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D is formed substantially in a mere arc shape which smoothly joins the horizontal sections A and E and the constant inclined section C. Therefore, in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D, a track of relative movement of a step
2
adjacent to a certain step
2
(track of a relative change of positions of the driving roller shafts
6
of the adjacent steps
2
) is not in conformity with a shape of the riser
5
.
In addition, in
FIG. 5
, a length of the tread
4
is determined such that a gap is not generated between the riser
5
and a leading edge of the tread
4
of the step
2
adjacent to it in the horizontal sections A and E and the constant inclined section C. In the case in which the length of the tread
4
is determined as described above and the auxiliary rail
22
in each of the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D is formed substantially in a mere arc shape, interference occurs between the riser
5
and the leading edge of the tread
4
, and smooth movement of the step
2
becomes difficult to be realized in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curved section D.
Conversely, in the case in which the length of the tread
4
is determined such that the leading edge of the tread
4
does not interfere with the riser
5
in the forward path side upper curved section B and the forward path side lower curve
Nakamura Joichi
Ogura Manabu
Yumura Takashi
LandOfFree
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