JP2002039838A - Powder and grain material level sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder and grain material level sensor capable of continuously detecting remaining quantity of a powder and grain material and constructible of simple components. SOLUTION: This powder and grain level sensor 1 comprises a light source 3 arranged above seeds stored in a sowing hopper 21, a light guiding body 5 arranged so that received light quantity of light radiated from the light source 3 is varied according to a change in remaining quantity of the seeds, an optical detection element 6 detecting light quantity of the light transmitted by the light guiding body and outputting a detection signal based on this light quantity, and a display means 9 displaying the remaining quantity of the seeds on the basis of the detection signal outputted from the optical detection element 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a granular material level sensor for detecting the remaining amount of a granular material contained in a granular material container, and more particularly, to continuously detecting the residual amount of a granular material. The present invention relates to a powder and granular material level sensor that can be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional granular material level sensor, for example, there is a granular material level detecting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-248515. As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional granular material level detecting device includes a capacitance-type level meter 51 provided with a rod-shaped ground electrode 55 and a detecting electrode 57 on a side wall 53 of a container 54 for containing a granular material. , 52 are attached to a plurality of containers, thereby detecting the remaining amount of the granular material.

[0003]

However, the conventional granular material level detecting device can only detect the presence or absence of the granular material at the position where the level meters 51 and 52 are installed. There was a problem that the level of the granular material in between could not be detected continuously.

In order to solve this problem, in order to increase the resolution of the level detection of the granular material, there has been no other way but to increase the number of level meters in the conventional granular material level detecting device.

[0005] Further, in the conventional granular material level detecting device, there is a problem that the structure of the level meter itself is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a powder and granule level which can continuously detect the remaining amount of powder and granules and can be constituted by simple parts. It is to provide a sensor.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a granular material level sensor for detecting a remaining amount of a granular material contained in a granular material container. A light-grain level sensor, wherein a light source installed above the granules contained in the granule container and an amount of light received from the light source are changed by a change in the remaining amount of the granules. A light guide installed so as to change in accordance with the above, a light detection element for detecting a light amount of light transmitted by the light guide, and outputting a detection signal based on the light amount, and an output from the light detection element. Display means for displaying the remaining amount of the granular material based on the detected detection signal.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to continuously detect the remaining amount of the granular material, and it is possible to configure the apparatus with simple components.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration of a granular material level sensor according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0010] As shown in FIG.
Is a power supply circuit 2 for supplying power for driving the light source.
A light source driving circuit 4 for driving the light source 3, a light guide 5 for receiving light from the light source 3 and transmitting the light, and a light detection element for detecting the amount of light transmitted by the light guide 6
A detection circuit 7 for detecting a signal output from the light detection element 6; an amplification circuit 8 for amplifying the signal output from the detection circuit 7; And display means 9 for displaying the remaining amount of the body.

Next, an example of installation of each component of the granular material level sensor 1 thus configured is shown in FIGS.
The operation of the granular material level sensor will be described with reference to FIGS. However, here, a description will be given by taking a seeding machine hopper as an example of a powder and granular material container.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light source 3 is installed above the seeds (granules) contained in the seeder hopper (granule container) 21, and the light guide 5 is placed on the side wall of the seeder hopper 21. It is installed in. The light guide 5 transmits the light from the light source 3 when it receives the light from the light source 3. Therefore, the light guide 5 is preferably made of a colorless and transparent substance such as glass or acrylic. Anything that can be done is acceptable.
Further, the light guide 5 may be made of a material such as an infrared transmitting resin which is black and transmits only infrared light. In this case, the light source 3 is capable of irradiating infrared light and the light detecting element 6
Must be able to detect infrared light.

Further, the light guide 5 is provided with a seeding machine hopper 21.
Is formed in such a shape that the area of the light receiving area 22 for receiving the light from the light source 3 changes in proportion to the increase and decrease of the seeds from the state where the seeds are filled to the empty state. It is installed at a position where the area of the light receiving area 22 changes in proportion to the increase or decrease. As an example, in FIG.
The light guide 5 is formed in a rod shape, and is installed vertically on the side wall of the seeder hopper 21.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3, the area of the light receiving area 22 increases in proportion to the decrease in the remaining amount of seeds, and the amount of light received by the light guide 5 continuously increases.

As described above, by installing the light guide 5 so that the amount of light received by the light guide 5 changes in proportion to the increase or decrease in the remaining amount of seeds, the remaining amount of seeds can be continuously reduced. Can be detected.

The light received in the light receiving area 22 is transmitted through the light guide 5 and irradiates the light detecting element 6. The light detecting element 6 is formed of a light receiving element such as a photodiode or a phototransistor, and continuously detects the amount of irradiated light to generate a current and a photoelectromotive force.

The current and photovoltaic power output from the light detecting element 6 are processed by a detecting circuit 7 and an amplifying circuit 8, and the remaining amount of the seed is linearly displayed on a display means 9 installed at a position with high visibility. Is displayed so that it can be understood. Here, an example of the display by the display means 9 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the display means 9 continuously displays the remaining amount of seeds from a state in which the seeder hopper is filled with seeds to an empty state. However, FIG. 4 is an example, and other display methods may be used as long as the remaining amount of seeds can be displayed continuously.

[0018]

As described above, according to the granular material level sensor of the present invention, it is possible to continuously detect the remaining amount of the granular material contained in the granular material container.

Further, it can be constituted by inexpensive and simple parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a granular material level sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an installation example of a granular material level sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an installation example of a granular material level sensor according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an example of a display by a display means 9 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional granular material level detecting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 powder level sensor 2 power supply circuit 3 light source 4 light source drive circuit 5 light guide 6 light detection element 7 detection circuit 8 amplification circuit 9 display means 21 seeder hopper 22 light receiving area 51, 52 level meter 53 side wall 54 container 55 ground Electrode 57 Detection electrode

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A granular material level sensor for detecting a remaining amount of a granular material stored in a granular material container, comprising: a light source installed above the granular material stored in the granular material container; A light guide installed so that the amount of light received from the light source changes according to a change in the remaining amount of the powder and granules; and detecting a light amount of light transmitted by the light guide. A light detection element that outputs a detection signal based on the light amount; and a display unit that displays a remaining amount of the granular material based on the detection signal output from the light detection element. Powder level sensor.