JP2002156253A - Sensor connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sensor connection device enabling the simultaneous connection of a plurality of sensors and capable of processing the outputs of the sensors parallelly or selectively to output them. SOLUTION: The sensor connection device 20 comprises connection units 20a, 20b and 20c. Sensor parts 11, 12 and 13 equipped with sensors different or same in operation theory for detecting the generation of the fluctuations, degradation, outflow or the like of the ground or topography to output the same as voltage values are connected to the input parts of the connection units. A power supply/warning part 30 equipped with a horn 32a or a red rotary lamp 32b is connected to the output parts of the connection units. The respective connection units 20a-20c are equipped with a control unit 21 for forming an output signal V0 and a contact signal VR when the voltage values outputted from the sensor parts 11-13 exceed a set level and a power supply part 25 for applying zero point adjusting voltage Vn1 (Vn2, Vn3) to the sensor part 11 (12, 13).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sensor connection device, and more particularly, to a plurality of sensors (sensor units) for detecting an abnormal situation such as a debris flow, a mud flow, and a falling rock in a dangerous area, which are connected to an alarm device or a recording device. The present invention relates to a sensor connection device for performing

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art If it is unavoidable to work below (downstream) areas where landslides, debris flows, mud flows, rockfalls, etc. are unavoidable, the occurrence of landslides, etc. is detected in advance and dangerous sounds such as sounding sirens. It is important to notify workers in the area and to urge them to evacuate, in order to eliminate human damage caused by natural disasters. Various methods have been proposed for an alarm device and an alarm system corresponding to such a purpose.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional alarm system. The alarm system includes a sensor unit 200 installed on or near the ground where debris flow, mud flow, falling rocks, etc. are expected, and a power / alarm unit 3 installed near an operator.
00 and are connected by a cable 400. The sensor unit 200 includes a casing 200a and the casing 2
00a. The sensor unit 200 includes a sensor (not shown) and a signal processing circuit that processes the output of the sensor. This sensor unit 200
Is installed on the ground (the above ground or in the vicinity) via the supports 201 and 202. The power supply / alarm unit 300 is a housing 3
01 with a built-in battery 301 and a housing 30
A horn 303 and a red rotating light 304 are provided on the upper surface of the device 1. The voltage of the battery 301 is
0 is supplied to the sensor and the signal processing circuit of the sensor unit 200.

[0004] By providing the heavy battery 302 in the power supply / alarm unit 300, even when the battery 302 needs to be replaced, it is not necessary to enter an area where there is a danger of debris flow or the like, and safety is ensured. Can be increased. Further, since the battery 302 is used as a substitute for the weight, the power supply / alarm unit 300 can hardly fall down even if touched or vibrated.

In FIG. 6, when a debris flow, a mud flow, a falling rock, etc. are generated and detected by the sensor unit 200, a voltage or a signal from the sensor is processed, and when the sensor output exceeds a certain value, the sensor unit 200 Generates an output signal. This output signal is supplied to the power supply / alarm unit 300 via the cable 400.
Is applied to The power / alarm unit 300 includes a horn 303
And the red rotating light 304 is driven to generate a siren sound or the like from the horn 303, and the red rotating light 304 rotates while flashing red light. The warning by the red rotating light 304 can be notified of the danger even if the warning sound is not heard due to the noise of the heavy equipment. Further, the siren sound or the like by the horn 303 can be heard even when the red rotating light 304 is not visible because it is far from the place where the power supply / alarm unit 300 is installed. Thus, the horn 303
And the worker who knows the warning by the red rotating light 304,
Recognize that danger is imminent and can evacuate from the site to a safe place.

[0006]

However, according to the conventional configuration shown in FIG. 6, the sensor system 200 is composed of a pair of the sensor unit 200 and the power supply / alarm unit 300. When the type of the sensor of the sensor unit 200 is changed, the whole system is changed. Will be replaced. Sensors that detect debris flow, mud flow, rock fall, etc. are acceleration sensors,
There are a strain sensor, a tilt sensor, and the like, and it is desirable to use them properly according to the situation at the site. However, providing an alarm system and an alarm device for each sensor requires a large economic burden and also requires consideration of a storage space. In addition, installing a plurality of alarm systems and alarm devices and performing adjustment work at different locations for each sensor requires time and is inconvenient to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and enables simultaneous connection of a plurality of sensors, and outputs the outputs in parallel or selectively. The present invention provides a sensor connection device capable of performing the above.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a sensor connection device according to the present invention detects an occurrence of ground, terrain change, collapse, runoff, etc. at an installation location, and outputs a voltage value. A control unit that is provided corresponding to each of a plurality of sensors having different principles or the same kind of sensors, and that generates an output signal or a contact signal when the voltage value exceeds a set level and sends it to an alarm device or a recording device; A plurality of connection units having a power supply unit for applying a zero-point adjustment voltage to the sensor are provided.

The plurality of connection units include a setter for setting the set level, and a control for outputting a detection signal when the detected voltage from the sensor exceeds the set level set by the setter, and for simultaneously lighting a lamp. A circuit, a relay drive circuit that excites a relay based on the detection signal, a zero-point adjuster that sets and outputs the zero-point adjustment voltage, and measures an output voltage of the zero-point adjuster, and displays the measured value on a display. And a power supply circuit for supplying power to the corresponding sensor unit in addition to the circuits in the connection unit and the zero point adjuster.

[0010] The plurality of connection units may include a changeover switch for selecting one of output voltages of the plurality of sensors or one of an output signal or a contact signal output from the control unit.

[0011] The alarm device may include an alarm device by sound and a light emitting device by lighting or blinking, and the recording device may be a data logger.

The power supply unit can receive power from the alarm device, the recording device, or a dedicated battery.

According to the present invention configured as described above,
A plurality of connection units provided corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors generate an output signal or a contact signal by a control unit when a detection voltage output from the sensor exceeds a set level and send the signal to an alarm device or a recording device. Send out,
The zero adjustment voltage generated by the power supply unit is applied to the sensor. Therefore, one alarm device or recording device can be shared by a plurality of sensors, and the zero adjustment for each sensor can be optimally performed at one location. For this reason, the working time is shortened, the usability is improved, the economic burden is reduced, and it is not necessary to consider the storage space.

[0014]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a sensor connection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The sensor connection device 20 is connected to the sensor units 11, 12, 13 and the power / alarm unit 30. The sensor units 11, 12, 13
Each of the sensors is provided with a sensor and a signal processing circuit, and each sensor has a different operation principle (here, a tilt sensor, a water level sensor, and a strain sensor), and each sensor is connected to a connection unit 20a, 20b, 20c in the sensor connection device 20. The zero point adjustment is performed by the zero point adjustment voltages V _{n1 to} V _n3 output from each of.

The sensor connection device 20 includes the sensor units 11 and 1
2 and 13 corresponding to these output voltages V _i1 .
Connection units 20a, 20b, 20c to which V _i3 is input
It has. The power / alarm unit 30 has the same configuration as the power / alarm unit 300 shown in FIG. 6 and includes a 12 V battery 31 and an alarm 32, and the alarm 32 has a horn 32.
a and the red rotating light 32b are connected.

The voltage of the battery 31 is
Power supply V for each of_BSupplied as a police
The output of the connection units 20a, 20b, 20c is
Force V _R1~ V_R3Is applied. Instead of power / alarm unit 30
Or data logger 40 together with power / alarm unit 30
(Output signals output from connection units 20a to 20c
V _o1~ V_o3Can be used). battery
31 is a secondary battery that can be operated and recharged for a long time
Are exchanged periodically or according to usage conditions.
You. To avoid the hassle of replacement, use solar cells and charging
A road may be provided.

The connection units 20a, 20b and 20c have the same configuration, and only the connection unit 20a will be described here. In the illustrated example, the connection units are 20a and 20a.
Although shown as three units b and 20c, this corresponds to the sensor units 11, 12, and 13, so that a number corresponding to the number of sensor units is prepared.

The connection unit 20a includes a control circuit 21 to which an output signal (output voltage) _Vi1 of the sensor unit 11 is input, and an alarm level setting device 2 for setting an alarm level.
2. a relay driving circuit 23 operated by the output signal V _O of the control circuit 21;
Relay 24 for closing relay contact 24a, battery 31
Based on the power supply V _B is more supply + 5V, + 9V, +
A power supply circuit 25 for generating a stabilized voltage such as 15 V or -15 V, a zero point adjuster 26 for generating a zero point adjustment voltage V _n1 using +5 V from the power supply circuit 25, and a zero point adjustment voltage V
A DVM (Digital Volt Meter) circuit unit 27 that measures the voltage value of _n1 and displays the value on a liquid crystal display 28, and an operation confirmation LED 29 that lights up when the sensor unit 11 operates.
a.

The DVM circuit section 27 is provided with an A / D converter (not shown) and a liquid crystal display 28, and the adjustment operation is facilitated by performing the adjustment while watching the display value. In addition, it is possible to monitor a deviation of a set value and the like. Because these tasks can be performed for multiple sensors in one place,
It is not necessary to move the place for each sensor unit for the adjustment work as in the related art, and the work efficiency is improved.

The DVM circuit section 27 includes the connection unit 20
a, 20b, and 20c, respectively.
A configuration in which one DVM circuit unit 27 is switched and used by a changeover switch may be used. The control circuit 21 is implemented using a differential amplifier, by comparing the output voltage V _i1 set voltage VL (threshold) and the sensor unit 11 according to the alarm level setter 22, the warning level V _o is determined .

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing details of the sensor units 11, 12, and 13. The sensor unit 11 has a zero-point adjustment voltage V _n1.
Sensor 111 for which zero point adjustment is performed, an amplifier circuit 112 for amplifying an output voltage (output signal) V _S1 of the inclination sensor 111, and a half-wave rectifier circuit for rectifying the amplified output v _a1 of the amplifier circuit 112 to a DC voltage. 113. The half-wave rectifier circuit 113 is configured using a differential amplifier, and can change the amplitude value of the output voltage by appropriately setting the ratio between the input resistance and the output resistance (both are not shown). The output signal V _i1 of the half-wave rectifier circuit 113 is
This is applied to the control circuit 21 of the connection unit 20a.

An acceleration sensor is used as the tilt sensor 111. The acceleration sensor is based on Newton's principle expressed by [force = mass × acceleration], and can detect the inclination angle of the ground. When the two-axis type is used as the acceleration sensor, each acceleration output of the X axis and the Y axis is output as a voltage indicated by a duty cycle (a ratio of a pulse width to a cycle), and a generated pulse width T1 of the duty cycle and one cycle T2. From the relative change of (T1 / T2-0.5) /
The acceleration is obtained as 12.5 (%). When the duty cycle is 50%, acceleration = 0, and the voltage for performing this adjustment is provided from the zero point adjuster 26.

The configuration of the sensor unit 12 is the same as that of the sensor unit 11 except for a water level sensor 121 that performs zero adjustment by the zero adjustment voltage V _n2 . The amplifier circuit 122 corresponds to the amplifier circuit 112, and the half-wave rectifier circuit 123 corresponds to the half-wave rectifier circuit 113. Output signal V of half-wave rectifier circuit 123
_i2 is applied to the control circuit (21) of the connection unit 20b.

The configuration of the sensor section 13 is the same as that of the sensor section 11 except for a distortion sensor 131 whose zero point is adjusted by the zero point adjustment voltage V _n3 . The amplifier circuit 132 corresponds to the amplifier circuit 112, and the half-wave rectifier circuit 133 corresponds to the half-wave rectifier circuit 113. Output signal V of half-wave rectifier circuit 133
_i3 is applied to the control circuit (21) of the connection unit 20c.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a switching circuit for the sensor units 11, 12, 13 and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a switching circuit for the connection units 20a, 20b, 20c. In the circuit shown in FIG. 1, when one or more of the sensor units 11 to 13 operate, outputs V _{R1 to} V _R3 are generated from the corresponding connection units, and the alarm 32 operates. That is, the alarm 32 operates regardless of whether one or three of the sensor units 11 to 13 operate. However, depending on the situation at the site, even if all of the sensor units 11 to 13 are connected to the sensor connection device 20,
In some cases, it is better to select and operate one of them. In such a case, one of the circuits shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 may be added.

The changeover switch 51 shown in FIG.
1, 12, 13 and connection units 20a, 20b, 20c
Are connected so that they can be selectively grounded. For example, when the changeover switch 51 is selecting the sensor section 11, the output lines (output signals _Vi2 , _Vi3 ) of the sensor sections 12, 13 are grounded. The output line 13 is grounded, and when the sensor unit 13 is selected, the output lines of the sensor units 11 and 12 are grounded.

The changeover switch 52 of FIG. 4 is connected between the connection units 20a to 20c and the alarm 32, selects one of the connection units 20a to 20c, and outputs the corresponding output signal V _R1 , V _R2 ,. _VR3 is applied to the alarm 32.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the sensor connection device 20. In the housing 61, the connection units 20a, 20b, 2
0c is built in. Terminals 62 for connecting cables (not shown) from the sensor units 11 to 13, three alarm level setting units 22, three zero point adjusters 26, a liquid crystal display 28, and LEDs 29 a are provided on the surface of the housing 61. ~ 29
c and a changeover switch 51 are provided. Also,
A cable 63 for connecting to the power supply / alarm unit 30 is connected to a side surface of the housing 61. The liquid crystal display 28 is 1
DVM circuit unit 1
A switch circuit for two selections is added.

As described above, the alarm level setter 22, the zero point adjuster 26, and the LED 29 corresponding to the number of sensor units are provided.
Since the switches a to 29c and the changeover switch 51 are provided on one sensor connection device 20, various adjustments and operation confirmations can be performed at one place, so that usability and work efficiency are improved.

Referring to FIG. 6, the overall connection will be described. The power supply / alarm unit 300 corresponds to the power supply / alarm unit 30, and the sensor unit 200 corresponds to the sensor unit 11 (12, 13). Three cables corresponding to the cable 400 are prepared, and these are connected between the sensor units 11, 12, and 13 and the terminal 62 of the sensor connection device 20. In addition, cable 6
3 is connected to a connection terminal (not shown) of the power supply / alarm unit 30, an alarm system is constructed.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. The following mainly describes the case where the sensor unit 11 operates.

The sensor units 11, 12, and 13 are installed at desired positions on the site according to their types and uses. The connections among the sensor units 11 to 13, the sensor connection device 20, and the power supply / horn unit 30 are as described above.

When used, a power switch (not shown) of the power / horn unit 30 is turned on. Thereby, power supply to the sensor connection device 20 and the sensor units 11 to 13 is started. Next, the sensor unit 11 is switched by the changeover switch 51.
Is selected, and DV is operated while operating the corresponding zero point adjuster 26.
The zero point adjustment of the sensor of the sensor unit 11 is performed by looking at the display value of the M circuit unit 12. Next, the sensor units 12 and 13 are sequentially selected by the changeover switch 51, and the corresponding zero-point adjuster 26 is similarly operated to perform the zero-point adjustment of the sensor of the sensor unit 11.

Next, the alarm level setting unit 22 is adjusted to set an alarm level. This setting is LED2
Perform while watching 9a-29c. In the case of the inclination sensor 111, for example, 1 ° of the inclination angle corresponds to about 3 mV of the sensor output (V _S1 ). Therefore, the voltage value of the output voltage V _S1 of the tilt sensor 111 after the zero adjustment indicates a change in the tilt angle after the installation of the apparatus main body 10. If the output voltage V _S1
Is 90 mV, it means that the ground has a 30 ° inclination. Since the inclination angle, the ground condition, the geology, and the like of the ground at the installation location of the sensor unit 11 can be grasped in advance, when a debris flow or the like occurs, it is also possible to estimate in advance how much the ground should be danger if it is dangerous. it can. Therefore, the setting by the alarm level setting unit 22 can be determined at the time of installation.

Next, the case where the tilt sensor 111 operates will be described. The sensor unit 11 is operated by the changeover switch 51.
Is selected. In this state, the output voltage V _i1 of the inclination sensor 111 is amplified by the amplifier circuit 112 and then rectified by the half-wave rectifier circuit 113, and only the + component of the input signal is output. This rectified output is compared with the set voltage VL of the alarm level setter 22 in the control circuit 21.
During normal times (when debris flow or the like occurs), the output voltage V _S1 of the inclination sensor 111 has a voltage value with a waveform having a duty of 50%, and a voltage V _i1 obtained by half-wave rectification of this voltage is applied to the control circuit 21. Have been. However, since the set value VL set by the control circuit 21 is higher than V _i1 , no output signal V _O1 is generated from the control circuit 21. Therefore, the relay drive circuit 23 and the relay 24 do not operate, and the alarm 3
2 is not driven and no warning is given.

Next, when a debris flow or the like is generated and an impact is applied to the inclination sensor 111 due to the movement of the debris, an output voltage V _S1 having a value corresponding to the impact force received by the inclination sensor 111 is generated. This is amplified by the amplifier circuit 112 and further rectified by the half-wave rectifier circuit 113 to obtain the output voltage _Vi1 . This output voltage _Vi1 is compared with the set voltage VL in the control circuit 21. V _i1 ≧ VL by the control circuit 21
Is determined, the control circuit 21 outputs the output signal V _O1 . The output signal V _O1 allows the relay drive circuit 23
Operates, the contact 24a of the relay 24 closes, and the output signal V
_R1 is output. The power of the battery 31 is supplied to the horn of the power supply / horn unit 30 and the red rotating light by the output signal V _R1 , the horn emits an alarm sound, and at the same time, the red rotating light rotates while blinking. This warning allows the worker or the like to know the occurrence of the abnormality and take measures such as evacuating from the site.

In the above embodiment, the number of sensor units and the number of connection units are three, but any number can be used. However, it is necessary that [the number of sensor units ≦ the number of connection units].

In FIG. 2, the half-wave rectifier circuit 113 is constituted by a differential amplifier (op-amp), but an absolute value circuit can be used instead. Furthermore, three types of sensors, a tilt sensor, a water level sensor, and a strain sensor, were shown.
It is not limited to these.

Further, the sensor connection device 20 is made into a single unit,
Although the sensor units 11 to 13 and the power supply / alarm unit 30 are connected, they may be built in the power supply / alarm unit 30.
In this case, the alarm level setter 22, the zero point adjuster 26, and the changeover switch 51 provided on the surface of the housing 61
Can be easily operated from the outside, and the liquid crystal display 28 and L
The ED 29 needs to have a structure such as providing a door in the power supply / alarm unit 30 so that the ED 29 can be easily seen from the outside.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the power supply to the power supply circuit 25 of the connection units 20a, 20b, and 20c is performed from the battery 31 in the power supply / horn unit 30. When the connection to 20b and 20c is only the data logger 40, the connection is made from the data logger 40 or from a separately prepared battery.

[0041]

As described above, according to the sensor connection device of the present invention, each of the plurality of connection units provided corresponding to each of the plurality of sensors can detect the detection output from the connected sensor. When the voltage exceeds the set level, the control unit generates an output signal or a contact signal and sends it to an alarm device or a recording device. Further, the zero point adjustment voltage generated by the power supply unit is applied to the connected sensor. Therefore, one alarm device and one recording device can be shared by a plurality of sensors. Further, since the zero adjustment for each sensor can be optimally performed at one place, the working time is shortened and the usability is improved. Further, since the number of alarm devices and the like can be reduced to one, the economic burden is reduced, and it is not necessary to consider the storage space.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a sensor connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing details of a sensor unit connected to the sensor connection device.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a switching circuit of a sensor unit in the sensor connection device.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a connection unit switching circuit in the sensor connection device.

FIG. 5 is an external view of the sensor connection device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional alarm system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11, 12, 13 Sensor unit 20 Sensor connection device 20a, 20b, 20c Connection unit 21 Control circuit 22 Alarm level setting unit 23 Relay drive circuit 24 Relay 24a Relay contact 25 Power supply circuit 26 Zero adjuster 27 DVM circuit unit 28 Liquid crystal display 29a-29c LED 30 Power / alarm unit 31 Battery 32 Alarm 32a Horn 32b Red rotating light 40 Data logger 51,52 Changeover switch 111 Inclination sensor 112,122,132 Amplification circuit 113,123,133 Half-wave rectification circuit

Claims (5)

[Claims] The present invention is provided in correspondence with a plurality of sensors having different operating principles or a plurality of sensors of the same type, which detect the occurrence of fluctuation, collapse, runoff, etc. of the ground or terrain at the installation location and output the detected voltage. A control unit that generates an output signal or a contact signal when the detected voltage exceeds a set level and sends it to an alarm device or a recording device; and a plurality of connection units having a power supply unit that applies a zero-point adjustment voltage to the sensor. A sensor connection device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The connection unit according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the set level, and outputs a detection signal when the detection voltage from the sensor exceeds the set level set by the set unit, and simultaneously turns on the lamp. A control circuit;
A relay drive circuit that excites a relay based on the detection signal, a zero-point adjuster that sets and outputs the zero-point adjustment voltage, and measures an output voltage of the zero-point adjuster, and displays the measured value on a display. The sensor connection device according to claim 1, further comprising: a digital multimeter circuit; and a power supply circuit that supplies power to a corresponding sensor unit, in addition to each circuit in the connection unit and the zero point adjuster. 3. The plurality of connection units include a changeover switch for selecting one of output voltages of the plurality of sensors or one of an output signal or a contact signal output from the control unit. The sensor connection device according to claim 1, wherein 4. The alarm device comprises an alarm device by sound and a light emitter by lighting or blinking, and the recording device comprises:
The sensor connection device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor connection device is a data logger. 5. The sensor connection device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit receives power supply from the alarm device, the recording device, or a dedicated battery.