JP2016019653A - Pump control method and pump control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pump control method capable of accurately adjusting the air pressure of an air mat (air bag) by suppressing the error caused by pulsation of the flow rate of air sent from the pump.SOLUTION: A pump control system comprises a control unit for executing a control process to control a pump which performs such a periodic operation as periodically changing the amount of air fed to an air bag (an example of the pump of this type is a reciprocating compressor), the control operation being performed based on the measurement result of a pressure measurement device which measures the air pressure applied to the air bag. The control process includes the procedure of obtaining a measurement result of the pressure measurement device at a rise time of a drive waveform, which is a periodic rectangular waveform constituting the drive signal, the basis of the periodic operation of the pump, to thereby control the driving of the pump on the basis of the measurement result (S5-S8).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

   The present invention relates to a pump control method and a pump control system, and more particularly to a technique for adjusting the air pressure of an air mat by controlling a pump that supplies air to an air mat (air bag).

  Conventionally, in order to make the air mat to a set hardness, the air mat is filled with air in accordance with the result of comparison between the measurement result of the pressure of the air mat by the pressure sensor and the pressure value corresponding to the set hardness. A technique for controlling a pump is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-267013

  By the way, as a pump for filling the air mat with air, for example, a reciprocating compressor is used. In this case, since the pump (reciprocating compressor) sends (discharges) air by reciprocating the piston in the cylinder inside the reciprocating compressor, the air pressure pulsates while the pump is driven. The measurement result of air mat pressure pulsates. That is, the value obtained by sequentially measuring the pressure of the air mat at an arbitrary fixed time interval while the pressure is applied by the pump does not rise linearly. Therefore, the hardness of the air mat cannot be accurately adjusted by simply stopping the pump drive based on the comparison between the measured value and the target pressure value as in the prior art.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a pump control method and a pump control system capable of accurately adjusting the air pressure of an air mat (air bag).

  In order to achieve the above object, a pump control method according to an aspect of the present invention is based on a measurement result of a pressure measuring device that measures an air pressure related to an air bag. A pump control method for controlling a pump that performs a periodic operation that fluctuates, obtaining a measurement result by the pressure measuring device at a predetermined period synchronized with an operation period of the pump, and based on the measurement result, A pump control method for performing control related to driving of a pump.

  Thereby, since the pump is controlled based on the measurement result of the air pressure related to the air bag at the timing synchronized with the operation cycle of the pump, the air pressure of the air bag can be appropriately adjusted.

  For example, the pump control method includes: a setting step for setting a target value of air pressure related to the air bag; and a driving circuit that controls the pump to cause the pump to perform the periodic operation. A driving step of supplying a driving signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is the basis of the above, and an acquisition step of sequentially acquiring the measurement result by the pressure measuring device at the rising or falling timing of the rectangular wave included in the driving signal; And a determination step of determining whether or not to stop the supply of the drive signal to the drive circuit based on the measurement result acquired in the acquisition step and the target value.

  Thereby, the air pressure of the air bag can be adjusted with high accuracy so as to match the target value.

  In the determination step, the determination may be performed by comparing a result obtained by adding a predetermined value to the measurement result and the target value. The pump control method includes: a setting step for setting a target value of air pressure related to the air bag; and a driving circuit that controls the pump to cause the pump to perform the periodic operation. A drive step for supplying a drive signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is the basis of the signal, and a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the rising edge of the rectangular wave included in the driving signal or a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the falling edge of the rectangular wave Whether to stop the supply of the drive signal to the drive circuit by comparing the measurement result acquired in the acquisition step and the target value by sequentially acquiring the measurement result by the pressure measuring device. And a determination step for determination.

  Thus, the air pressure of the air bag can be adjusted with high accuracy by setting the air pressure target value in accordance with the peak of air pressure pulsation due to fluctuations in the amount of air supplied from the pump.

  In addition, the air bag is connected to an air chamber into which air sent from the pump flows, so that the air can circulate, and the pressure measuring device outputs a measurement result obtained by measuring the air pressure in the air chamber. The pump control method further performs exhaust by temporarily opening an electromagnetic valve provided in the air chamber when the measurement result measured by the pressure measuring device is larger than the target value. An exhaust step may be included.

  Thereby, even when the air pressure of the air bag is higher than the target value, the air can be exhausted and lowered from the target value, and it is possible to shift to pressurization with an accurate pump, so that the air pressure of the air bag can be adjusted with high accuracy.

  The pump control system according to one aspect of the present invention is a pump control system for adjusting the air pressure of an air bag, and performs a periodic operation such that the amount of air supplied to the air bag fluctuates periodically. A pump to be performed, a pressure measuring device for measuring the air pressure related to the air bag, a measurement result obtained by the pressure measuring device at a predetermined cycle synchronized with an operation cycle of the pump, and based on the measurement result, It is a pump control system provided with the control apparatus which performs the control which concerns on a drive.

  Thereby, since the pump is controlled based on the measurement result by the pressure measuring device at the timing synchronized with the operation cycle of the pump, the air pressure of the air bag can be adjusted appropriately.

  Note that the present invention can be realized not only as a pump control system including such a characteristic processing unit, but also as a pump control method including steps executed by the characteristic processing unit included in the pump control system. Can be realized. It can also be realized as a program for causing a computer to function as a characteristic processing unit included in the pump control system or a program for causing a computer to execute characteristic steps included in a pump control method. Further, it goes without saying that such a program can be distributed via a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) or a communication network such as the Internet. .

  According to the pump control method of one embodiment of the present invention, the air pressure of the air mat (air bag) can be adjusted with high accuracy.

It is a schematic block diagram of a pump control system. It is a block diagram of the control mechanism of a pump control system. It is a graph which shows the time change of the air pressure of the air mat during pump drive. It is a figure which shows the control signal (drive signal) of a pump. It is a figure which shows the local time change of the output signal of a pressure measuring device. 3 is a flowchart showing a control process according to the first embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing a control process according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing a control process according to the third embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below shows a comprehensive or specific example. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement positions and connecting forms of the constituent elements, steps, order of steps, and the like shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims are described as arbitrary constituent elements.

  In this embodiment, a pump control system that executes a pump control method for accurately adjusting the air pressure of an air mat by controlling a pump that supplies air to an air mat (air bag) will be described.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the pump control system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, the configuration of the pump control system 100 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a pump control system 100. The figure also shows air mats 201 and 202 that are targets for adjusting air pressure by a pump or the like controlled by the pump control system 100. The air mat 201 and the air mat 202 are air bags each having an air chamber and can be filled with air independently. For example, as a part of an air bed (air mattress), a human body such as a head, a waist, or the like is different. Used to support the site. The air chamber is made of an airtight material, such as rubber or a synthetic resin sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pump control system 100 mainly includes a pump 110, an air chamber 120, and a control device 130. The pump control system 100 further includes a pressure measuring device 131 in the air chamber 120 and the control device 130, a tube 110 that serves as an air flow path between the pump 110, the air mat 201 and the air mat 202, and a plurality of electromagnetic waves. Valves (valves 121a, 121b and 122) are provided.

  The pump 110 is a reciprocating compressor. When driven by the control device 130, the pump 110 reciprocates a piston in an internal cylinder to compress air and send it to the air chamber 120. The amount (flow rate) of air delivered from the pump 110 is not constant but varies with time according to the movement of the piston.

  The air chamber 120 is an air chamber that stores air sent from the pump 110 via the pipe 129, and is made of an airtight material. This air chamber 120 allows air to flow with the air mat 201 via the pipe 129 when the valve 121a is open, and allows air to flow between the air mat 202 and the air via the pipe 129 when the valve 121b is open. Distribution becomes possible. The valve 121a and the valve 121b are controlled by the control device 130, and are selectively opened depending on which air mat the control device 130 adjusts the air pressure to.

  The control device 130 is a device that performs control for adjusting the air pressure of the air mats 201 and 202, and includes a pressure measuring device 131, a drive circuit 132, and the like.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control mechanism centering on the control device 130 of the pump control system 100. In the figure, a control mechanism related to adjustment of the air pressure of the air mat 201 is shown, and the air mat 202 is omitted because it is the same. Further, in the drawing, the air chamber 120 is omitted and the pipe 129 is included.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 130 specifically includes a control unit 133, a valve control circuit 134, a valve control circuit 135, and a power supply unit 139 in addition to the pressure measuring device 131 and the drive circuit 132. And the control apparatus 130 receives the electric power from AC power supply (for example, commercial power supply) of 60 Hz, for example by the power supply part 139, and adjusts the air pressure of an air mat according to the instruction | indication from the remote control (remote controller) 140 which receives an operator's operation. It is a device having a function to perform.

  The pressure measuring device 131 is configured to include a pressure sensor having a function of measuring the air pressure of the air mat. For example, the pressure measuring device 131 converts the detection result of the pressure sensor into a digital value and outputs the pressure value as a digital value. Specifically, the pressure measuring device 131 is connected to the air chamber 120 by a pipe 129. By measuring the air pressure through the pipe 129, the air can be freely circulated through the air chamber 120 by opening the valve. Measure the air pressure of an air mat indirectly. FIG. 3 is a graph showing temporal changes in the output signal (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 when the pump 110 is driven to pressurize the air mat. As shown in the drawing, the air pressure of the air mat gradually increases while the pump 110 is driven, but with the fluctuation of the amount of air sent according to the reciprocation of the piston inside the pump 110. Pulsates in local time. The air chamber 120 reduces fluctuations (pulsations) in the flow rate of the air sent out by the pump 110, and the degree of reduction depends on the capacity. Here, it is assumed that a certain pulsation remains.

  The drive circuit 132 has a function of receiving control signals from the control unit 133 and performing control related to driving of the pump 110, that is, control of operation and stop of the pump 110. The piston of the pump 110 is controlled by, for example, a motor drive using a crank. When the control signal is a drive signal composed of a rectangular wave (pulse wave) that is periodic over time, the piston of the pump 110 reciprocates once in that cycle under the control of the drive circuit 132. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control signal (drive signal). The time intervals at times t1, t2, t3, t4 and t5 shown in FIG. The waveform of the drive signal is a periodic (period is, for example, 60 Hz) rectangular wave. For example, the rectangular wave rises from a predetermined low voltage value at time t1 to a predetermined high voltage value, falls at time t2, again becomes a predetermined low voltage value, rises at time t3, and rises again. It becomes a predetermined High voltage value. Note that the rectangular wave that is the drive signal (drive waveform) does not have to be an accurate rectangular shape, and may be dull as long as the rising edge or the falling edge can be extracted. When the pump 110 is stopped, the control signal is a continuous stop signal with a fixed low voltage value. Thus, either the drive signal or the stop signal is selectively used as the control signal depending on whether the pump 110 is driven or stopped. FIG. 5 is a graph showing local temporal changes in the output signal (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 shown in FIG. Times t1, t2, t3, t4, and t5 shown in FIG. 5 are the same as the times shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 5, the pressure value fluctuates so as to draw a waveform having two peaks while the piston of the pump 110 makes one reciprocation.

  The control unit 133 is configured by an MCU (Micro Control Unit) including a processor, a memory, an input / output interface, and the like. The control unit 133 implements a function (pump control function) for adjusting the air pressure of the air mat according to an instruction from the remote controller 140 by executing a control program stored in the memory by a processor. For this purpose, the control unit 133 controls the valve control circuit 134 by executing a control process described later, and based on the air mat air pressure sequentially measured by the pressure measuring device 131, the drive circuit 132 and the valve control circuit 135 is controlled. The valve control circuit 134 is a circuit that controls the opening and closing of the valve 121a on the air flow path to the air mat whose air pressure is to be adjusted. The valve control circuit 135 is a circuit that controls opening and closing of the exhaust valve 122 in the air chamber 120.

  The remote controller 140 has a user interface such as various buttons, and is a remote controller that transmits a remote control signal based on the operation of the operator. The remote control signal may be a radio signal or an infrared ray as long as the control unit 133 is configured to be receivable. Further, the remote controller 140 and the control device 130 may be connected by wire. The remote controller 140 has a function of accepting, from the operator, designation of which air mat such as the head or waist and designation of hardness to be set for the air mat. The designation of hardness is, for example, selection of one of a plurality of levels of hardness such as hardest, hard, normal, soft, softest, and the like.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the pump control system 100 having the above-described configuration will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control process of the control unit 133 in the first embodiment.

  The control unit 133 of the control device 130 in the pump control system 100 starts this control process when receiving a remote control signal including information related to air mat designation and hardness designation from the remote control 140. Here, an example will be described in which the operator designates the air mat 201 to be the hardest and the control unit 133 receives a remote control signal to that effect.

  First, the control unit 133 sets a target value of air pressure based on the received designation (step S1). This setting is made by referring to a table (target value table) in which target values (pressure values) of air mat air pressures are previously associated with each other for each of the multiple hardness levels such as the hardest, hard, normal, soft, and softest. It is done. Here, a description will be given assuming that the target value corresponding to the hardest hardness is the value P1.

  After setting the target value, the control unit 133 causes the valve control circuit 134 to open the valve 121a and obtain the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 in order to measure the air pressure of the air mat 201 (step S2). . When adjusting the air pressure of the air mat 201, the valve 121b on the air mat 202 side is closed.

  The control unit 133 determines whether or not the measurement result acquired in step S2 is larger than the target value (value P1) (step S3). It is opened (for example, 0.5 seconds) and then closed (step S4). And it returns to step S2 again, and the control part 133 acquires the pressure value which is a measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 newly, and repeats step S3, S4, and S2 while a measurement result is larger than a target value. As a result, exhaust from the air chamber 120 is performed by opening the valve 122, and it is assumed that the measurement result (air pressure of the air mat 201) will eventually become smaller than the target value. In the exhaust by the control of the valve 122, the air pressure is not adjusted finely to the target value, but is roughly adjusted until the air pressure becomes smaller than the target value in steps S2 to S4. Then, in steps S5 to S7, fine adjustment is performed so that the air pressure of the air mat 201 is accurately adjusted to the target value by applying pressure by driving the pump 110.

  That is, if the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 does not coincide with the target value (value P1) (step S5), the control unit 133 sends the drive signal to the drive circuit 132 to drive the pump 110 (step S6). . When the pump 110 is driven, the air sent from the pump 110 flows into the air mat 201 through the air chamber 120 and the pipe 129. During the driving of the pump 110, at the rising timing (rising edge) of the driving signal (driving waveform), the control unit 133 acquires the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 (step S7), and the measurement result again. Is equal to the target value (step S5). While the measurement result does not match the target value, the control unit 133 repeatedly performs steps S6, S7, and S5.

  Then, when the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 coincides with the target value, the control unit 133 causes the drive circuit 132 to send a stop signal to stop driving of the pump 110 (step S8). Note that the controller 133 closes the valve 121 a by the valve control circuit 134 when the driving of the pump 110 is stopped. As a result, the air mat 201 is adjusted to a target hardness (hardest hardness).

  As described above, the control process is provided in the air chamber 120 when the measurement result measured by the setting step (step S1) for setting the air pressure target value related to the air mat and the pressure measuring device 131 is larger than the target value. The pump 110 is operated by an exhaust step (step S4) for exhausting by temporarily opening the solenoid valve 122, and a drive circuit 132 for controlling the pump 110 to cause the pump 110 to perform a periodic operation. A drive step (step S6) for supplying a drive signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is the basis of the cycle, and an acquisition step for sequentially acquiring measurement results by the pressure measuring device 131 at the rising timing of the rectangular wave included in the drive signal. (Step S7) and the drive circuit 132 based on the measurement result and the target value acquired in the acquisition step. Determination step and a (step S5) determines whether to stop the supply of the drive signal. While the pump 110 is being driven, the air pressure pulsates. However, in the acquisition step (step S7), the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 for comparison with the target value is acquired at a timing (drive waveform rising timing) synchronized with the drive signal. Stable comparison can be performed while suppressing errors due to pulsation. The measurement result acquired at the rising timing of the drive waveform is the measurement result measured at the acquisition time. The rising timing of the drive waveform is time t1, time t3, or time t5 in the example of FIG. In the table referred to in the setting of the target value in the setting step (step S1), a predetermined target value is determined based on the rise timing of the drive waveform. Therefore, according to the pump control system 100 including the control unit 133 that performs such control processing, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the air mat with high accuracy.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, the pump control system 100 according to Embodiment 2 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The pump control system 100 according to the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the pump control system 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, each component will be described using the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. Here, detailed description of the same points as in the first embodiment is omitted. However, the content of the control process by the control program executed by the control unit 133 in the pump control system 100 according to the second embodiment is different from the control process by the control program according to the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the target value indicated by the target value table is a value for comparison with the peak value of the pulsating pressure value measured by the pressure measuring device 131.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the pump control system 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a control process of the control unit 133 according to the second embodiment.

  The control unit 133 of the control device 130 in the pump control system 100 starts this control process when receiving a remote control signal including information related to air mat designation and hardness designation from the remote control 140. Here, a case where the operator designates the air mat 201 to be the softest hardness will be described as an example.

  First, the control unit 133 sets a target value of air pressure based on the received designation (step S1). This setting is a table (target value table) in which target values for comparison with the peak value of the pressure value to be measured are associated in advance for each of a plurality of hardness levels such as the hardest, hardest, normal, soft, and softest. ). Here, the target value corresponding to the softest hardness will be described as the value P2.

  After setting the target value, the control unit 133 causes the valve control circuit 134 to open the valve 121a and obtain the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 in order to measure the air pressure of the air mat 201 (step S2). .

  Subsequently, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the addition result obtained by adding a predetermined value to the measurement result acquired in step S2 is larger than the target value (value P2) (step S3a). This predetermined value is a difference value for adjusting the measured value of the pulsating pressure when the pump 110 is driven to the peak value, and is a value at the timing of acquiring the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 while the pump 110 is driven. And a difference between the peak value and the value calculated in advance. That is, the predetermined value is, for example, a value obtained by subtracting the output value at time t1 from the peak value (maximum value) of the output value (pressure measurement value) of the pressure measuring device between times t1 and t2 in FIG.

  As a result of the determination in step S3a, when it is determined that the addition result obtained by adding the predetermined value to the measurement result is larger than the target value, the control unit 133 causes the valve control circuit 135 to keep the valve 122 for a certain time (for example, 0.5 (Seconds) is opened and then closed (step S4). Then, the process again returns to step S2, and the control unit 133 newly acquires a pressure value that is a measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131, and steps S3a and S4 while the addition result of the measurement result and the predetermined value is larger than the target value. And S2 are repeated. As a result, exhaust from the air chamber 120 is performed by opening the valve 122, and it is assumed that the measurement result (air pressure of the air mat 201) will eventually become smaller than the target value. In the exhaust by the control of the valve 122, it is difficult to accurately adjust the air pressure to the target value. Therefore, the air pressure is roughly adjusted until the air pressure becomes smaller than the target value in steps S2 to S4. Then, in steps S5a to S7, fine adjustment is performed by pressurizing the pump 110 to adjust the air pressure of the air mat 201 to the target value with high accuracy.

  That is, if the addition result of the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 and the predetermined value does not coincide with the target value (value P2) (step S5a), the control unit 133 sends the drive signal to the drive circuit 132 to send the pump 110. Is driven (step S6). When the pump 110 is driven, the air sent from the pump 110 flows into the air mat 201 through the air chamber 120 and the pipe 129. While the pump 110 is being driven, at the rising timing of the drive signal (drive waveform), the control unit 133 acquires the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 (step S7), and the measurement result and the predetermined value are again obtained. It is determined whether or not the addition result matches the target value (step S5a). While the addition result of the measurement result and the predetermined value does not match the target value, the control unit 133 repeatedly performs steps S6, S7, and S5a.

  When the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 and the addition result of the predetermined value coincide with the target value, the control unit 133 causes the drive circuit 132 to send a stop signal to stop driving of the pump 110 (step S8). . As a result, the air mat 201 is adjusted to a target hardness (softest hardness).

  In this way, in step S7, the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 is acquired at the rising timing of the drive waveform, added with a predetermined value, converted into a peak value, and compared with the target value in step S5a. Stable comparison can be performed while suppressing errors due to fluctuations (pulsations). Further, since the target value is determined based on the peak value of the air pressure, the target value table can be easily created. According to the pump control system 100 including the control unit 133 that performs such control processing, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the air mat with high accuracy.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, the pump control system 100 according to Embodiment 3 will be described mainly with reference to FIG. The pump control system 100 according to the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as the pump control system 100 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, each component will be described using the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment. Here, detailed description of the same points as in the first embodiment is omitted. However, the content of the control process by the control program executed by the control unit 133 in the pump control system 100 according to the third embodiment is different from the control process by the control program according to the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, similarly to the second embodiment, the target value indicated by the target value table is a value for comparison with the peak value of the pulsating pressure value measured by the pressure measuring device 131. However, in the third embodiment, the control unit 133 does not add a predetermined value to the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 (conversion to a peak value), and directly calculates a value assumed to be a peak value of pulsating air pressure. As a measurement result.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the pump control system 100 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the control process of the control unit 133 according to the third embodiment.

  The control unit 133 of the control device 130 in the pump control system 100 starts this control process when receiving a remote control signal including information related to air mat designation and hardness designation from the remote control 140. Here, a case where the operator designates the air mat 201 to have a normal hardness will be described as an example.

  First, the control unit 133 sets a target value of air pressure based on the received designation (step S1). This setting is a table (target value table) in which target values for comparison with the peak value of the pressure value to be measured are associated in advance for each of a plurality of hardness levels such as the hardest, hardest, normal, soft, and softest. ). Here, a description will be given assuming that the target value corresponding to normal hardness is the value P3.

  After setting the target value, the control unit 133 causes the valve control circuit 134 to open the valve 121a and obtain the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 in order to measure the air pressure of the air mat 201 (step S2). .

  Subsequently, the control unit 133 determines whether or not the measurement result acquired in step S2 is larger than the target value (value P3) (step S3).

  As a result of the determination in step S3, when it is determined that the measurement result is larger than the target value, the control unit 133 opens the valve 122 for a certain time (for example, 0.5 seconds) by the valve control circuit 135 and then closes it. (Step S4). And it returns to step S2 again, and the control part 133 acquires the pressure value which is a measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 newly, and repeats step S3, S4, and S2 while a measurement result is larger than a target value. As a result, exhaust from the air chamber 120 is performed by opening the valve 122, and it is assumed that the measurement result (air pressure of the air mat 201) will eventually become smaller than the target value. In the exhaust by the control of the valve 122, it is difficult to accurately adjust the air pressure to the target value. Therefore, the air pressure is roughly adjusted until the air pressure becomes smaller than the target value in steps S2 to S4. Then, in steps S5 to S7a, fine adjustment is performed so that the air pressure of the air mat 201 is accurately adjusted to the target value by applying pressure by driving the pump 110.

  That is, if the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 does not coincide with the target value (value P3) (step S5), the control unit 133 sends the drive signal to the drive circuit 132 to drive the pump 110 (step S6). . When the pump 110 is driven, the air sent from the pump 110 flows into the air mat 201 through the air chamber 120 and the pipe 129. While the pump 110 is being driven, the control unit 133 acquires the measurement result (pressure value) of the pressure measuring device 131 at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rising edge of the drive signal (drive waveform) (step S7a), and the measurement result is again. Is equal to the target value (step S5). The timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the rising edge of the drive signal (drive waveform) is the timing at which the drive waveform is assumed to have a peak value. For example, the timing at which the output value (measured pressure value) of the pressure measuring device reaches a peak (maximum) between time t1 and time t2 in FIG. 5 is a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed, and the predetermined time is the piston of the pump 110. Is shorter than the reciprocating period and is preset. While the measurement result does not match the target value, the control unit 133 repeatedly performs steps S6, S7a, and S5.

  Then, when the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 at the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rise of the drive signal coincides with the target value, the control unit 133 causes the drive circuit 132 to send a stop signal to stop driving the pump 110. (Step S8). Thereby, the air mat 201 is adjusted to a target hardness (ordinary hardness).

  As described above, in step S7a, the peak value of the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 is acquired at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rise of the drive waveform, and compared with the target value in step S5. Stable comparison can be performed while suppressing errors due to fluctuations (pulsations). Further, since the target value is determined based on the peak value of the air pressure, the target value table can be easily created. According to the pump control system 100 including the control unit 133 that performs such control processing, it is possible to adjust the hardness of the air mat with high accuracy.

(Other embodiments, etc.)
As mentioned above, although the pump control system which concerns on embodiment of this invention was demonstrated, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above.

  For example, although the pump 110 in the above-described embodiment is a reciprocating compressor, it may be a pump that periodically operates so that the flow rate of air to be discharged (discharged) periodically fluctuates (pulsates). For example, a compressor other than the reciprocating compressor (compressor of various types) may be used. The control device that controls such a pump obtains the air mat air pressure measurement result by the pressure sensor at a timing synchronized with the periodic operation of the pump that pulsates the flow rate of the air to be delivered, and compares it based on the target value. To properly control the operation of the pump. Here, the timing synchronized with the periodic operation of the pump is, for example, a periodic timing that is a natural number multiple of the operation cycle of the pump.

  In the above-described embodiment, the pump control system capable of individually adjusting the air pressure of each of the two air mats is shown. However, even if the number of air mats connected to the air chamber is one. It may be 3 or more.

  In the above-described embodiment, the pressure sensor in the pressure measuring device 131 measures the air pressure of the air mat via the pipe 129 and the air chamber 120. However, the pressure sensor may be installed at a position where the air pressure of the air mat can be measured without using the air chamber 120.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which exhaust by opening the electromagnetic valve 122 is not performed while the pump 110 is being driven is shown as a control process by the control unit 133 (see FIGS. 6 to 8). If the air pressure rises above the target value, exhaust may be performed. This can be realized, for example, by changing the control process to return to step S3 or S3a after step S7 or S7a.

  In the first and second embodiments, the control unit 133 acquires the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 at the rising timing of the drive waveform in step S7 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). However, it may be performed at the falling timing of the drive waveform (for example, time t2 and time t4 in FIG. 4). In the third embodiment, the control unit 133 acquires the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 at the timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rising edge of the drive waveform in step S7 (see FIG. 8). However, it may be acquired at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the fall of the drive waveform. Further, the control unit 133 may acquire the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 with a period N times (N is a natural number of 1 or more) the period of the drive waveform in the drive signal. In addition, by synchronizing the cycle of acquiring the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 with the cycle of the drive signal, the error due to the pulsation of the air pressure during the pump drive is eliminated by synchronizing with the cycle of the piston in the pump 110. Thus, the pump 110 can be appropriately controlled.

  Further, the predetermined value shown in the second embodiment is a difference value for adjusting the measured value of the pulsating pressure to the peak value when the pump 110 is driven. For example, the measured value of the pulsating pressure is It may be a difference value or the like for matching with the minimum value.

  In the above-described embodiment, the timing for sequentially acquiring the measurement results of the pressure measuring device 131 is synchronized with the drive signal. In addition to this, for example, a sensor for detecting the position of the piston of the pump 110 (reciprocating compressor) is provided and synchronized with a periodic signal output by the sensor (a signal corresponding to one reciprocation of the piston). You may determine the timing which acquires the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131. FIG. That is, the timing for obtaining the measurement result of the pressure measuring device 131 may be synchronized with the operation cycle of the pump 110.

  Moreover, the pressure measuring device 131 shown in the above-described embodiment may be an independent device outside the control device 130. In addition, the control unit 133 sets a target value of air pressure related to the air mat, and a drive unit that supplies a drive signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is a basis of the operation cycle of the pump 110 to the drive circuit 132. An acquisition unit that sequentially acquires the measurement result by the pressure measuring device 131 at the rising or falling timing of the rectangular wave included in the drive signal, and the drive circuit based on the measurement result and the target value acquired by the acquisition unit It is good also as including the determination part which determines whether supply of the drive signal to 132 is stopped. Further, the control unit 133 further causes the valve control circuit 135 to temporarily open the electromagnetic valve 122 provided in the air chamber 120 when the measurement result measured by the pressure measuring device 131 is larger than the target value. It is good also as including the exhaust part exhausted.

  In addition, a part of the pump control system may be specifically configured as a computer system including a microprocessor, a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk drive, a display unit, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. A computer program is stored in the RAM or hard disk drive. The pump control system achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program. Here, the computer program is configured by combining a plurality of instruction codes indicating instructions for the computer in order to achieve a predetermined function.

  Further, a part of the components constituting the pump control system may be configured by one system LSI (Large Scale Integration). The system LSI is a super multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating a plurality of components on one chip, and includes, for example, a computer system including a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and the like. In this case, a computer program is stored in the ROM. The system LSI achieves its functions by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program.

  Furthermore, a part of the constituent parts constituting the pump control system may be constituted by an IC card that can be attached to and detached from each device or a single module. The IC card or module is a computer system that includes a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and the like. The IC card or the module may include the super multifunctional LSI described above. The IC card or the module achieves its function by the microprocessor operating according to the computer program. This IC card or this module may have tamper resistance.

  Further, the present invention may be a method (pump control method) for executing the steps (procedures) described above. Further, the present invention may be a computer program that realizes these methods by a computer, or may be a digital signal composed of this computer program.

  Furthermore, the present invention provides a non-transitory recording medium that can read the computer program or the digital signal, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, a DVD, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a BD ( It may be recorded on a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), a semiconductor memory, or the like. The digital signal may be recorded on these non-temporary recording media.

  In the present invention, the computer program or the digital signal may be transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network represented by the Internet, a data broadcast, or the like.

  The present invention may also be a computer system including a microprocessor and a memory. The memory may store the computer program, and the microprocessor may operate according to the computer program.

  Further, by recording and transferring the program or the digital signal on the non-temporary recording medium, or transferring the program or the digital signal via the network or the like, another independent computer It may be implemented by the system.

  Furthermore, the above embodiment and the above modification examples may be combined.

  The present invention can be used in a system for adjusting the air pressure of an air mat such as an air bed.

100 pump control system 110 pump 120 air chamber 121a, 121b, 122 valve (solenoid valve)
129 tube
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 130 Control apparatus 131 Pressure measuring device 132 Drive circuit 133 Control part 139 Power supply part 134,135 Valve control circuit 140 Remote control (remote controller)
201, 202 Air mat (air bag)

Claims (6)

A pump control method for controlling a pump that performs a periodic operation such that the amount of air supplied to the air bag varies periodically based on the measurement result of a pressure measuring device that measures the air pressure related to the air bag,
A pump control method for obtaining a measurement result by the pressure measuring device at a predetermined cycle synchronized with an operation cycle of the pump and performing control related to driving of the pump based on the measurement result. A setting step for setting a target value of air pressure related to the air bag;
A drive step of supplying a drive signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is a basis of an operation cycle of the pump to a drive circuit that controls the pump to cause the pump to perform the periodic operation;
An acquisition step of sequentially acquiring the measurement result by the pressure measuring device at the rising or falling timing of the rectangular wave included in the driving signal;
The pump control method according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination step of determining whether or not to stop the supply of the drive signal to the drive circuit based on the measurement result acquired in the acquisition step and the target value. The pump control method according to claim 2, wherein in the determination step, the determination is performed by comparing a result obtained by adding a predetermined value to the measurement result and the target value. A setting step for setting a target value of air pressure related to the air bag;
A drive step of supplying a drive signal including a periodic rectangular wave that is a basis of an operation cycle of the pump to a drive circuit that controls the pump to cause the pump to perform the periodic operation;
An acquisition step of sequentially acquiring measurement results by the pressure measuring device at a timing when a predetermined time has elapsed from the rising edge of the rectangular wave included in the drive signal or at a timing after a predetermined time has elapsed from the falling edge of the rectangular wave;
The pump control method according to claim 1, further comprising a determination step of determining whether or not to stop the supply of the drive signal to the drive circuit by comparing the measurement result acquired in the acquisition step with the target value. . The air bag is connected to an air chamber into which air sent from the pump flows, so that air can flow.
The pressure measuring device outputs a measurement result obtained by measuring the air pressure in the air chamber,
The pump control method further includes an exhaust step of exhausting by temporarily opening an electromagnetic valve provided in the air chamber when a measurement result measured by the pressure measuring instrument is larger than the target value. The pump control method according to claim 2 or 4. A pump control system for adjusting the air pressure of the air bag,
A pump that performs a periodic operation such that the amount of air supplied to the air bag fluctuates periodically;
A pressure measuring device for measuring the air pressure associated with the air bag;
A pump control system comprising: a control device that acquires a measurement result by the pressure measuring device at a predetermined cycle synchronized with an operation cycle of the pump and performs control related to driving of the pump based on the measurement result.

Images