JP2021052651A - Switchgear - Google Patents

Abstract

To smoothly transmit the rotational force from a motor.SOLUTION: A switchgear 40 comprises: a housing 44 in which a through hole in which a male threaded portion 74n is disposed is formed and is disposed on a discharge pipe 64; a fixing member 26 that is fitted into each of the male threaded portion 74n and the through hole and sandwiches the housing 44 with the discharge pipe 64; a motor 23 housed in the housing 44; a drive shaft 23c housed in the housing 44 and rotated by the motor 23; and a connecting member 24 that connects a spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an opening / closing device that opens and closes a pipe in a piping system such as an agricultural water supply pipe.

Conventionally, as this type of switchgear, for example, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 below is known. The piping device extends downward from the support member arranged above the pipe, the motor supported by the support member, and the support member, and rotates based on the rotational force of the motor to move the pipe up and down. It is equipped with a spindle that opens and closes.

JP-A-2017-193914

By the way, in this type of switchgear, if the alignment accuracy of the drive shaft of the motor and the spindle that opens and closes the pipe is low, the rotational force from the motor is not smoothly transmitted and friction increases when the pipe is opened and closed. There is.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to smoothly transmit a rotational force from a motor.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The opening / closing device according to the present invention penetrates the main body portion having an opening through which liquid flows and a male screw portion protruding upward, and the male screw portion in the vertical direction, and moves up and down with rotation, thereby moving up and down. An opening / closing device for opening / closing a valve including a spindle for opening / closing the opening, wherein a through hole in which the male screw portion is arranged is formed, and a housing arranged on the main body portion, the male screw portion, and the male screw portion. A fixing member fitted into each of the through holes and sandwiching the housing between the main body, a motor housed in the housing, a drive shaft housed in the housing and rotated by the motor, and the above. A connecting member for connecting the spindle and the drive shaft is provided.

In the present invention, the fixing member is fitted into each of the male screw portion and the through hole, and the housing is sandwiched between the fixing member and the main body portion. Therefore, the main body and the housing can be fixed in the vertical direction after the horizontal positions of the main body (male screw portion) and the housing (through hole) are aligned with high accuracy. Therefore, the spindle on the main body side and the drive shaft on the housing side can be accurately combined via the connecting member, and the rotational force can be transmitted with less loss. As a result, the rotational force from the motor can be smoothly transmitted.

Further, the housing may include a housing body having the bottom plate and a bottom member provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate.

In this case, the bottom plate of the housing body is reinforced by the bottom member. These bottom plates and bottom members are portions sandwiched between the fixing member and the main body portion. By increasing the strength of such a portion, the position accuracy can be maintained even if the spindle moves up and down with rotation during the opening / closing operation.

Further, the bottom plate may be formed with a bottom plate hole penetrating the bottom plate up and down, and the bottom member may be formed with a groove extending from a position below the bottom plate hole to the outer edge of the bottom member.

In this case, when water enters the housing body, the invading water is discharged from the bottom plate hole to the outside of the bottom member through the groove.

Further, a guide column housed in the housing and extending in the vertical direction and a support member provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the guide column and supporting the motor may be provided.

In this case, the motor moves up and down together with the spindle that moves up and down with rotation. The motor is supported by the spindle via a connecting member, and the motor is pushed up when the spindle is raised, and the motor follows the spindle by its own weight when the spindle is lowered.

Further, the connecting member is formed in a tubular shape in which the spindle is arranged at the lower end and the drive shaft is arranged at the upper end while extending in the vertical direction, and a detent piece is attached to the upper end of the connecting member. The drive shaft may be provided with the connecting member by abutting against the detent piece in a state of being arranged at the upper end of the connecting member.
Further, a part of the drive shaft may be cut out in a plane so as to form a D-shaped cross section, and the part of the drive shaft cut out in a plane may abut against the detent piece.

In these cases, the rotational force can be transmitted from the drive shaft to the spindle with a simple configuration in which a detent piece is attached to the connecting member. Further, for example, even if the length of the spindle is different, it can be dealt with by changing the length of the connecting member.

According to the present invention, the rotational force from the motor can be smoothly transmitted.

It is a figure which shows the overall configuration example of the water management system using the switchgear which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the water supply plug and drainage plug in the field shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the water faucet shown in FIG. 2, and is the vertical sectional view when the water faucet is at the time of opening. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a connection portion between the water faucet and the switchgear shown in FIG. It is a perspective development view which shows the structure of the housing of the switchgear shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the bottom member which constitutes the housing shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the opening / closing drive mechanism of the opening / closing device shown in FIG. It is a perspective development view which shows the guide support | movement member of the opening / closing drive mechanism shown in FIG. It is a plan sectional view which shows the connection structure of the drive shaft of the opening / closing drive mechanism of the switchgear shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of the connecting member shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detent piece provided in the connecting member shown in FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view when the water tap shown in FIG. 3 is at the time of closing. It is a block diagram which shows the water faucet shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the water management system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the irrigation management system of the present embodiment manages water supply and drainage in a plurality of fields. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the irrigation management system targets two fields FM-1 and FM-2. The fields FM-1 and FM-2 in this embodiment are, for example, paddy fields. In paddy fields, irrigation and drainage (water supply and drainage) are carried out so that the water level becomes appropriate according to the time of rice cultivation.

In the following description, when the fields FM-1 and FM-2 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as field FM. The number of field FMs managed by the water management system of the present embodiment is not particularly limited.

The field FM-1 is provided with a water tap 100-1. The water tap 100-1 supplies the irrigation water sent from the farm pond FP (water supply source) via the pipeline PL (closed channel) to the field FM-1. The water faucet 100-1 includes a faucet (valve) that opens and closes in a water flow path until the irrigation water sent from the farm pond FP is discharged to the field FM-1. The faucet 100-1 regulates the amount of water supplied from the farm pond FP to the field FM-1.

The field FM-1 is provided with a drain plug 200-1. The drain plug 200-1 drains the water stored in the field FM-1. The drain plug 200-1 includes a plug portion (valve) that opens and closes in a water flow path until the water drawn from the field FM-1 is discharged to, for example, a pipeline. The drain plug 200-1 regulates the amount of drainage.

The field FM-2 has a larger area than the field FM-1. In the field FM-2, two water taps 100-2A and 100-2B and two drain plugs 200-2A and 200-2B are provided.

In the following description, when the water faucets 100-2A and 100-2B of the field FM-2 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as water faucets 100-2. Further, when the water faucets 100-1, 100-2A, and 100-2B are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the water faucet 100.
Further, in the following description, when the drain plugs 200-2A and 200-2B of the field FM-2 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as drainage plugs 200-2. Further, when the drain plugs 200-1, 200-2A, and 200-2B are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the drain plug 200.

The water management system of the present embodiment further includes a gateway GW. The gateway GW is connected to the network NT, and the water management server 500 is connected to the network NT.

The water tap 100 and the drain plug 200 of each field FM in the present embodiment each have a network communication function corresponding to a wireless LAN. As a result, the water supply plug 100 and the drainage plug 200 of each field FM can communicate with the water management server 500 from the gateway GW via the network NT, respectively.

Water supply (irrigation) is performed in each of the field FMs as follows. The irrigation water supplied to the field FM is first drawn from, for example, a river RV to a farm pond FP via a pipeline PL and stored in the farm pond FP. Farm Pond FP is a pond that stores water for irrigation.
The irrigation water stored in the farm pond FP is pumped up by a pump (not shown) and supplied to the pipeline PL by applying pressure. In the case of the figure, the pipeline PL is branched into three paths and connected to the water faucets 100-1, 100-2A and 100-2B provided in the fields FM-1 and FM-2, respectively. As a result, the irrigation water sent from the farm pond FP via the pipeline PL reaches the faucets 100-1, 100-2A, and 100-2B. At this time, if the plugs of the water faucets 100-1, 100-2A and 1002B are in the open state, the water faucets 100-1, 100-2A and 100-2B are used for the fields FM-1 and FM-2, respectively. Water is supplied and irrigation is carried out.

The field main terminal 600-1 is a network terminal device used by the field owner (farmer) of the field FM-1. The field owner terminal 600-1 is, for example, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like owned by the farm owner of the field FM-1. Similarly, the field owner terminal 600-2 is a network terminal device used by the field owner of the field FM-2. In the following description, when the field main terminals 600-1 and 600-2 are not particularly distinguished, they are described as the field main terminal 600.
The farmer controls each water tap 100 and drain plug 200 by, for example, operating the farm master terminal 600-1.

As shown in FIG. 2, each water tap 100 and each drain plug 200 is provided with a switchgear 40. The switchgear 40 opens and closes each water tap 100 (valve) or each drain plug 200 (valve).
In the following, a water tap 100 provided with a switchgear 40 will be described as an example. Before the explanation of the switchgear 40, first, the water faucet 100 will be described.

FIG. 3 illustrates an on-off valve using a floating water stop valve ball as the water faucet 100. The water faucet 100 includes a water supply pipe 63, a discharge pipe 64 (main body) having a valve opening 75, a cover 65 that covers the upper part of the discharge pipe 64, and a water stop that is movably housed in the water supply pipe 63. It includes a plug ball 67 and a spindle 69 that communicates with the discharge pipe 64 in the vertical direction.

The water supply pipe 63 is a pipe material led from the pipeline PL to a predetermined position in the cultivated area. The water supply pipe 63 is raised substantially perpendicular to the ground.
The discharge pipe 64 has a topped cylinder shape. The discharge pipe 64 is attached to the upper end of the water supply pipe 63. The inside of the discharge pipe 64 and the inside of the water supply pipe 63 communicate with each other. In the present embodiment, the discharge pipe 64 has a smaller diameter than the water supply pipe 63, but is limited to this if it has a smaller diameter than the water stop valve ball 67 (if water can be stopped by the water stop valve ball 67). Absent.

The valve opening 75 is provided on the inner edge of the lower end of the side wall of the discharge pipe 64 over the entire circumference. The valve opening 75 forms a seating surface on which the outer peripheral surface of the water stop valve ball 67 can be brought into liquid-tight contact.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a hole 64h penetrating in the vertical direction is formed at the center of the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. A holding member 74 is provided inside the hole 64h. The holding member 74 has a tubular shape extending in the vertical direction, and a male screw portion 74n is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion thereof. An internal thread portion (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding member 74. The holding member 74 has a flange portion 74a protruding outward in the radial direction at the lower end thereof.

Such a holding member 74 is inserted into the hole 64h of the discharge pipe 64 from below, and its upper end portion protrudes upward from the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. As a result, the male screw portion 74n protrudes upward from the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. The holding member 74 is restricted from moving upward by fitting the flange portion 74a into the recess 64b formed on the lower surface of the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. For example, the flange portion 74a has a D-shape with a part cut out in the circumferential direction when viewed from below. When viewed from below, the recess 64b has a D shape similar to the flange portion 74a, and the flange portion 74a is fitted to restrain the holding member 74 from rotating around its central axis. A nut member 79 is attached to the male screw portion 74n of the holding member 74. The nut member 79 is fastened to the male threaded portion 74n so that it is in close contact with the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. The nut member 79 restricts the downward movement of the holding member 74.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of discharge holes 76 (openings) are provided on the top surface of the discharge pipe 64. When the valve opening 75 is opened, the water (liquid) of the water supply pipe 63 flows into the discharge pipe 64 and is discharged to the outside of the water supply plug 100 through the discharge hole 76.
The cover 65 is a raised bottomless tubular member that covers the upper part of the discharge pipe 64. The top surface of the cover 65 is fixed to the upper end of the discharge pipe 64. The diameter of the cover 65 is expanded from the top surface to the side wall so as to form an umbrella shape.

The stopcock ball 67 opens and closes the water supply pipe 63. The water stop valve ball 67 is a so-called ball valve. The water stop valve ball 67 is arranged on the upstream side of the valve opening 75 so as to be levitated and vertically movable in the water supply pipe 63 by the water pressure in the water supply pipe 63. A guide portion 77 projecting in the radial direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the water supply pipe 63. A plurality of guide portions 77 are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction. The water stopcock ball 67 moves in the vertical direction along the plurality of guide portions 77.

The diameter of the water stop valve ball 67 is larger than the inner diameter of the valve opening 75 and smaller than the inner diameter of the water supply pipe 63. The stopcock ball 67 has buoyancy with respect to water.
The water stop valve ball 67 does not necessarily have to be formed in a spherical shape as long as a spherical surface having a diameter larger than the diameter of the valve opening 75 is arranged on the upper side. For example, the water stop valve ball 67 may be provided with a leg portion that is tapered toward the lower side of the water stop valve ball 67. The water stop valve ball 67 may have other known configurations.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the spindle 69 penetrates the holding member 74 in which the male screw portion 74n is formed in the vertical direction. On the outer peripheral surface of the spindle 69, a male thread groove 69n screwed into the female thread portion 74p formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding member 74 is formed. As a result, the spindle 69 can move (moves up and down) along the vertical direction (that is, the extending direction of the water supply pipe 63 and the discharge pipe 64) while maintaining the engaged state with the holding member 74 and the discharge pipe 64. It is said that.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the switchgear 40 includes a device main body 41 and a control box 42. The device main body 41 is attached to the upper part of the water tap 100. The control box 42 is provided in the apparatus main body 41. The apparatus main body 41 mainly includes a housing 44, an opening / closing drive mechanism 20, and a fixing member 26.

The housing 44 is arranged on the discharge pipe 64. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the housing 44 includes a housing body 45, a bottom member 46, and an opening / closing door 47. The housing body 45 includes a bottom plate 45a, side plates 45b, 45c, 45d, and a top plate 45e. The bottom plate 45a has a rectangular shape in a plan view and is arranged above the discharge pipe 64. The side plates 45b and 45c extend parallel to each other upward from both ends in the width direction of the bottom plate 45a. The side plate 45d extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate 45a and closes between the side plates 45b and 45c. The top plate 45e has a rectangular shape in a plan view and is provided on the side plates 45b, 45c, and 45d. As a result, the housing body 45 has a box shape that opens toward the front.

As shown in FIG. 3, a solar panel 91 (solar cell) for generating solar power is provided on the top plate 45e of the housing body 45. The electricity generated by the solar panel 91 is stored in the battery 92, which will be described later, through wiring (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom plate 45a is, for example, a plate made of metal or resin, and a front end rib 45r extending downward is formed at the front end portion thereof. A communication hole 45h penetrating the bottom plate 45a is formed at the front end of the bottom plate 45a. The communication hole 45h has a U-shape in a plan view that opens toward the front of the bottom plate 45a. The inner peripheral surface of the communication hole 45h is formed by an inner peripheral wall portion 45w extending downward from the lower surface of the bottom plate 45a. The inner peripheral wall portion 45w is U-shaped in a plan view.
Further, the bottom plate 45a is formed with a pair of bottom plate holes 45g in the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction. The pair of bottom plate holes 45g are formed at positions symmetrical in the width direction with respect to the intermediate portion of the bottom plate 45a in the width direction (the left-right direction of the housing body 45, hereinafter may be simply referred to as the width direction). Each bottom plate hole 45g is circular in a plan view and is formed so as to vertically penetrate the bottom plate 45a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the bottom member 46 has a rectangular plate shape in a plan view and is provided along the lower surface of the bottom plate 45a. The bottom member 46 is preferably made of a resin such as vinyl chloride resin, but may be, for example, metal. The bottom member 46 is integrally fixed with the bottom plate 45a by a screw B (see FIG. 4).
The vertical thickness of the bottom member 46 is, for example, 5 mm or more, which is larger than the vertical dimension of the front end rib 45r of the bottom plate 45a. As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom member 46 projects downward from the front end rib 45r of the bottom plate 45a. As a result, the bottom member 46 secures a clearance between the opening / closing door 47 and the water tap 100, which will be described later.
A U-shaped accommodating groove 46a in a plan view is formed at the front end of the bottom member 46. As shown in FIG. 4, the accommodating groove 46a accommodates the inner peripheral wall portion 45w of the bottom plate 45a. As a result, the bottom member 46 and the bottom plate 45a (housing body 45) are positioned. Positioning by the accommodating groove 46a and the inner peripheral wall portion 45w is not essential, and these may not be necessary. Further, the housing body 45 and the bottom member 46 may be positioned by screws or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, a through hole 46h that penetrates the bottom member 46 and communicates with the communication hole 45h is formed at the front end portion of the bottom member 46. The through hole 46h has a C-shape in a plan view that opens toward the front side of the bottom member 46 (front of the housing body 45).

On the upper surface of the bottom member 46, a pair of grooves 46m extending continuously from the lower position of each bottom plate hole 45g to the outer edges 46e on both sides in the width direction of the bottom member 46 are formed. Each groove 46m has a water gradient formed from the starting end 46s, which is located below the bottom plate hole 45g, toward the opening end 46t, which opens laterally at the outer edge 46e of the bottom member 46.

As shown in FIG. 5, the opening / closing door 47 is provided so as to close the opening on the front surface of the housing body 45. The opening / closing door 47 is provided on one side plate 45b in the width direction so as to be openable / closable via a hinge or the like (not shown). The opening / closing door 47 is provided on the other side plate 45c in the width direction so as to be locked in a closed state by a lock fitting or the like (not shown). The lower end of the opening / closing door 47 abuts on the front end surface of the bottom member 46 under the bottom plate 45a in the closed state.
When the opening / closing door 47 is locked as described above, the inside of the housing body 45 can be accessed by releasing the lock, but the inside of the housing body 45 cannot be inadvertently accessed. As a result, for example, it is possible to prevent the parts inside the housing body 45 from being stolen while ensuring the implementation of maintenance.

As shown in FIG. 3, the opening / closing drive mechanism 20 is housed in the housing body 45 of the housing 44. The opening / closing drive mechanism 20 opens / closes the water tap 100 by moving the spindle 69 up and down. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the opening / closing drive mechanism 20 mainly includes a guide support column 21, a support member 22, a motor 23, and a connecting member 24.

The guide column 21 is provided on one side in the width direction in the housing body 45. The guide column 21 extends in the vertical direction. The guide column 21 is fixed to the housing body 45. In the illustrated example, the lower end of the guide support 21 is fixed to the bottom surface of the housing 44 via the first bracket 21c, and the upper end of the guide support 21 is fixed to the back surface of the housing 44 via the second bracket 21b. It is fixed to. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the guide column 21 has groove-shaped recesses 21a extending in the vertical direction at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. The lower end of the guide column 21, the housing body 45 and the bottom member 46 are firmly fixed. Here, when the spindle 69 is rotated to move up and down, an external force is generated that twists the guide column 21 starting from the spindle 69. The fixing strength of the lower end portion of the guide column 21, the housing body 45, and the bottom member 46 has a strength that can withstand the reaction force (twisting operation) with respect to the above-mentioned external force.

The support member 22 includes a moving member 22a that can move in the vertical direction along the guide column 21, and a motor support bracket 22b that supports the motor 23.

As shown in FIG. 8, the moving member 22a has a tubular shape extending in the vertical direction, and includes a metal outer member 22c such as an aluminum alloy and an inner member 22d provided inside the outer member 22c. .. The inner member 22d is made of a material having a coefficient of friction smaller than that of the outer member 22c, such as synthetic resin. On the inner peripheral surface of the inner member 22d, convex portions 22e that mesh with the concave portions 21a of the guide column 21 are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. The support member 22 can slide vertically along the guide column 21 in a state where the convex portion 22e meshes with the concave portion 21a to restrain the rotation of the guide column 21 in the circumferential direction around the central axis. It is provided. When the recess 21a has a dovetail groove shape extending in the vertical direction, the moving member 22a may not have a tubular shape but may be inserted into the recess 21a.

As shown in FIG. 7, the motor support bracket 22b is made of metal and is fixed to the outer member 22c of the moving member 22a. The motor support bracket 22b includes a bracket intermediate portion 22f extending downward along the moving member 22a and a motor support portion 22g extending downward from the lower end of the bracket intermediate portion 22f toward the central portion in the width direction in the housing body 45. Is integrally possessed. The motor 23 is fixed on the motor support portion 22g.

Further, the support member 22 is provided with a position detection piece 22h that projects toward one side plate 45c side in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of limit switches 28a and 28b are provided on the side plate 45c of the housing body 45 at positions spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The limit switches 28a and 28b are close to the guide column 21. The distance from the limit switches 28a and 28b to the guide column 21 is shorter than the distance from the limit switches 28a and 28b to the motor 23. The limit switches 28a and 28b set the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the movement range of the support member 22 that moves up and down along the guide support column 21. When the position detection piece 22h of the support member 22 comes into contact with the limit switches 28a and 28b, an electric signal is output to the control box 42 (control unit 80).

The limit switches 28a and 28b are detachably attached to the side plate 45c. A mounting member 45c1 is provided on the side plate 45c. The mounting member 45c1 extends in the vertical direction. The limit switches 28a and 28b can be detachably attached to an arbitrary height position of the attachment member 45c1. Thereby, the upper limit position and the lower limit position detected by the limit switches 28a and 28b can be arbitrarily changed.

The motor 23 (motor unit) is housed in the housing body 45. The motor 23 includes a motor body 23a, a gearbox 23b, and a drive shaft 23c (see FIG. 9). The motor body 23a rotates an operating shaft (not shown) by supplying power from the battery 92 housed in the housing body 45. The rotation of the operating shaft is transmitted to the drive shaft 23c via the gearbox 23b. That is, the drive shaft 23c is rotated by the motor body 23a of the motor 23.
The drive shaft 23c penetrates the motor support portion 22g of the motor support bracket 22b and extends downward. As shown in FIG. 9, the lower end portion 23d of the drive shaft 23c has a D-shaped cross section in which a part in the circumferential direction is cut into a plane.

As shown in FIG. 7, the connecting member 24 connects the spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the connecting member 24 has a rectangular shape (square) in a plan sectional view and has a rectangular tubular shape extending in the vertical direction. The lower end 23d of the drive shaft 23c is inserted into the upper end of the connecting member 24. The upper end portion 69a of the spindle 69 is inserted into the lower end portion of the connecting member 24.

A detent piece 25 can be attached to the upper end of the connecting member 24. As shown in FIG. 11, the detent piece 25 includes a strip-shaped outer piece 25a extending in the vertical direction, an inner piece 25b extending substantially parallel to the outer piece 25a at intervals, and the upper end and the inner side of the outer piece 25a. It integrally has a connecting portion 25c that connects to the upper end of the piece 25b. The vertical length of the inner piece 25b is longer than the vertical length of the outer piece 25a. The distance between the outer piece 25a and the inner piece 25b is set to be substantially the same as the plate thickness of one side surface portion 24a of the connecting member 24. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the detent piece 25 is attached to the upper end of the connecting member 24 by inserting the inner piece 25b inside the connecting member 24. In this state, the detent piece 25 sandwiches one side surface portion 24a of the connecting member 24 between the inner piece 25b and the outer piece 25a. The connection portion 25c of the detent piece 25 abuts on the upper end of the side surface portion 24a from above.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lower end portion 23d of the drive shaft 23c is inserted inside the upper end portion of the connecting member 24 to which the detent piece 25 is mounted. In the lower end portion 23d of the drive shaft 23c having a D-shaped cross section, a portion cut out in a plane abuts on the inner piece 25b of the detent piece 25. As a result, the drive shaft 23c and the connecting member 24 are non-rotatably connected around the central axis of the drive shaft 23c.

As shown in FIG. 7, the upper end portion 69a of the spindle 69 is formed with a detent portion (not shown) having a rectangular shape in a plan view, which can be attached to the lower end portion of the square tubular connecting member 24. By inserting the detent portion into the lower end portion of the connecting member 24 from below, the upper end portion 69a of the spindle 69 and the lower end portion of the connecting member 24 are non-rotatably connected around the central axis of the spindle 69.

The fixing member 26 positions the spindle 69 and the connecting member 24 to which the upper end portion 69a of the spindle 69 is connected in the horizontal direction with respect to the bottom plate 45a of the housing body 45 of the housing 44 and the bottom member 46. Position. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the fixing member 26 is made of metal and integrally includes a tubular portion 26a, an upper flange portion 26b, and a tool locking portion 26c.

The tubular portion 26a has a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction. On the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 26a, a female screw portion (not shown) into which the male screw portion 74n of the holding member 74 is screwed is formed. The upper flange portion 26b has an annular shape in a plan view, and is formed so as to project radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 26a. The upper flange portion 26b is formed above the vertical intermediate portion of the tubular portion 26a. The tool locking portion 26c is formed on the upper flange portion 26b. The tool locking portion 26c has, for example, a rectangular shape in a plan view, and has a plurality of flat portions 26d on which a tool such as a spanner can be hooked.

In such a fixing member 26, the tubular portion 26a is fitted into the communication hole 45h of the bottom plate 45a and the through hole 46h of the bottom member 46 from above the bottom plate 45a of the housing body 45. Here, the outer diameter of the tubular portion 26a is set to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 46h of the bottom member 46. As a result, the fixing member 26 can be substantially positioned in the horizontal direction with respect to the bottom member 46.

Then, in the present embodiment, with the fixing member 26 fitted in the through hole 46h, the male screw portion 74n of the holding member 74 is fitted (screwed) into the female screw portion (not shown) of the tubular portion 26a. There is. That is, the tubular portion 26a of the fixing member 26 is fitted into the male screw portion 74n and the communication hole 45h, respectively. Further, in this state, the upper flange portion 26b of the fixing member 26 abuts on the upper surface of the bottom plate 45a. As a result, the fixing member 26 sandwiches the housing 44 with the discharge pipe 64 (water faucet 100).

When the motor 23 is operated by the power supply from the battery 92 in the switchgear 40 as described above, the rotational force of the operating shaft (not shown) is transmitted to the drive shaft 23c via the gearbox 23b. The rotational force of the drive shaft 23c is transmitted to the spindle 69 via the connecting member 24 (rotation stop piece 25). The rotational movement applied to the spindle 69 in this way is converted into vertical movement of the spindle 69 according to the screwing of the male screw groove 69n of the spindle 69 and the female screw portion 74p of the holding member 74. At this time, the spindle 69 is pulled up or down along the vertical direction (that is, the extending direction of the water supply pipe 63 and the discharge pipe 64). At this time, the motor 23 is supported by the spindle 69 via the connecting member 24, and the motor 23 is pushed up when the spindle 69 is raised, and the motor 23 follows the spindle 69 due to the weight of the motor 23 when the spindle 69 is lowered. To do.

As shown in FIG. 12, the spindle 69 is pulled up when the water tap 100 is closed, that is, when water is not supplied from the water tap 100. At this time, the water stop valve ball 67 is brought into close contact with the valve opening 75 of the discharge pipe 64 by buoyancy, and closes between the valve opening 75 and the water stop valve ball 67.

When the water tap 100 is opened, that is, when water is supplied from the water tap 100, the spindle 69 is pulled down as shown in FIG. At this time, the stopcock ball 67 resists the buoyancy and is pushed down from the position of the valve opening 75 by the spindle 69. As a result, the close contact between the water stop valve ball 67 and the valve opening 75 is released. Water passes through the gap (so-called throat portion) between the stopcock ball 67 and the valve opening 75, passes through the valve opening 75 and the discharge pipe 64, and is ejected upward from the discharge hole 76. The cover 65 then turns the flow of water downwards, causing the water to be discharged toward the ground.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 13, the switchgear 40 includes a control unit 80 connected to the motor 23, a power supply unit 90 for supplying electric power to the control unit 80, and various modules 50 connected to the control unit 80. , Is further equipped.
The control unit 80 is connected to the motor 23 and controls the operation of the apparatus main body 41. The control unit 80 is housed in the control box 42. The control unit 80 includes a motor drive circuit 83 that controls the drive of the motor 23, a current detection circuit 84 that detects the current supplied to the motor 23, and a microcomputer 85 to which the motor drive circuit 83 and the current detection circuit 84 are connected. , An RTC 86 (real-time clock) connected to the microcomputer 85, and a low voltage detection circuit 87 that detects the voltage of the current supplied from the battery 92 to the microcomputer 85.

The power supply unit 90 includes a solar panel 91, a battery 92 (battery, storage battery, rechargeable battery) to which power is supplied from the solar panel 91, an overvoltage control circuit 93 arranged between the solar panel 91 and the battery 92, and an overvoltage control circuit 93. It has. The solar panel 91 is attached to the apparatus main body 41. The battery 92 (for example, a voltage of about 6 V) and the overvoltage control circuit 93 are housed in the apparatus main body 41 (inside the housing 44). The battery 92 supplies electric power to the microcomputer 85 via the DC / DC converter 94.

The various modules 50 include a wireless module 51, a display LED 52, an operation switch 53, a water level sensor 54, a pressure gauge 55, and a bulb position detection unit 56.
The wireless module 51 includes a long-range wireless module 51a (for example, a 920 MHz wireless module) and a short-range wireless module 51b (for example, a Bluetooth® wireless module). The long-distance wireless module 51a is connected to the network NT via, for example, the gateway GW.

The water level sensor 54 is installed in the field FM and controls a sensor module for measuring the water level of the field FM to measure the water level.
The pressure gauge 55 controls a sensor module that measures the water pressure of the pipeline PL and measures the pressure.
The valve position detection unit 56 is for positioning the position of the device main body 41 and the control box 42 by the GPS function provided in the operator's mobile terminal, the device main body 41, the control box 42, and the like.

Various sensors and various devices not described above may be electrically or physically connected to the control unit 80. For example, if a supply device for fertilizers, pesticides, etc. is connected to the control unit 80, these fertilizers, pesticides, etc. can be reliably supplied to the cultivated area at the same time as water supply by the switchgear 40 or before and after water supply. .. Further, the control unit 80 may be arranged only inside the housing 44 (device main body 41), or may be arranged only outside the housing 44.

As described above, according to the opening / closing device 40 according to the present embodiment, the communication hole 45h in which the male screw portion 74n is arranged is formed, and the housing 44 arranged on the discharge pipe 64 communicates with the male screw portion 74n. A fixing member 26 fitted into each of the holes 45h and sandwiching the housing 44 with the discharge pipe 64, a motor 23 housed in the housing 44, and a drive shaft 23c housed in the housing 44 and rotated by the motor 23. And a connecting member 24 that connects the spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c.
In such a configuration, the fixing member 26 is fitted into the male screw portion 74n and the communication hole 45h, respectively, and sandwiches the housing 44 with the discharge pipe 64. Therefore, the discharge pipe 64 and the housing 44 can be fixed in the vertical direction after the horizontal positions of the discharge pipe 64 (male screw portion 74n) and the housing 44 (communication hole 45h) are aligned with high accuracy. .. Therefore, the spindle 69 on the discharge pipe 64 side and the drive shaft 23c on the housing 44 side can be accurately combined, and the rotational force can be transmitted with less loss. As a result, the rotational force from the motor 23 can be smoothly transmitted.
Further, by connecting the spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c with the connecting member 24, the height of the motor 23 or the like can be easily changed by changing the length of the connecting member 24 as needed. .. For example, when the assumed water level is high, the connecting member 24 can be lengthened, and the electric components such as the motor 23 can be installed at a higher position. Further, when the assumed water level is sufficiently low, the connecting member 24 can be shortened and the housing 44 of the switchgear 40 can be miniaturized.

By the way, when the motor 23 is arranged so as to be shifted in the horizontal direction with respect to the spindle 69 as in the present embodiment, the motor 23 is located between the motor 23 and the spindle 69 (support member 22) when the motor 23 is operated. And a twisting force (twisting force) acts so that the spindle 69 is separated. Here, in the present embodiment, the spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c are not directly connected, but are connected via a connecting member 24. Therefore, the connecting member 24 can absorb the above-mentioned twisting force.

Further, the housing 44 includes a housing main body 45 having a bottom plate 45a and a bottom member 46 provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate 45a.
In such a configuration, the bottom plate 45a of the housing body 45 is reinforced by the bottom member 46. These bottom plate 45a and bottom member 46 are portions sandwiched between the fixing member 26 and the discharge pipe 64. By reinforcing such a portion, the position accuracy can be maintained even if the spindle 69 and the drive shaft 23c move up and down with rotation during the opening / closing operation.

Further, the bottom plate 45a is formed with a bottom plate hole 45g that penetrates the bottom plate 45a up and down, and the bottom member 46 is formed with a groove 46m that extends continuously from a position below the bottom plate hole 45g to the outer edge 46e of the bottom member 46. ..
In such a configuration, when water enters the housing body 45, the invading water is discharged from the bottom plate hole 45g to the outside of the bottom member 46 through the groove 46m. Water may, for example, enter the housing body 45 through the through hole 46h, or enter the housing body 45 through the opening on the front surface of the housing body 45.

Further, it includes a guide support column 21 housed in the housing 44 and extending in the vertical direction, and a support member 22 provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the guide support column 21 and supporting the motor 23.
In such a configuration, the motor 23 moves up and down together with the spindle 69 that moves up and down with rotation. As a result, the overall height of the housing 44 can be suppressed and the size of the device main body 41 can be reduced.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the bottom member 46 is provided under the bottom plate 45a of the housing body 45, but the bottom member 46 may not be provided.

Further, the bottom member 46 is not merely a plate shape, but may have a three-dimensional shape having a predetermined height in the vertical direction because the opening / closing device 40 is raised above the water faucet 100.

Further, in the above embodiment, the motor 23 is configured to move up and down together with the spindle 69 in the housing 44, but the present invention is not limited to this. The spindle 69 may be rotationally driven by a motor 23 fixedly provided in the housing 44.

Further, in the above embodiment, the water faucet 100 using the floating type water stop valve ball 67 has been described as an example for attaching the opening / closing device 40, but the water faucet 100 is not limited to the floating type. For example, the water faucet 100 may be a gate-type water supply device that opens and closes an irrigation canal by raising and lowering a plate-shaped member. The water faucet 100 may have other configurations.

In the above embodiment, the switchgear 40 is applied to an agricultural water supply pipe and an agricultural drainage pipe, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is not limited to agricultural use, and may be applied to other than water supply and drainage pipes.

In addition, it is possible to replace the constituent elements in the above-described embodiment with well-known constituent elements as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-mentioned modified examples may be appropriately combined.

21 Guide support 22 Support member 23 Motor 23c Drive shaft 24 Connecting member 26 Fixing member 40 Switchgear 44 Housing 45 Housing body 45a Bottom plate 45g Bottom plate hole 46 Bottom member 46e Outer edge 46h Through hole 46m Groove 64 Discharge pipe (main body)
64h hole 69 Spindle 74n Male thread 76 Discharge hole (opening)
100 water faucet (valve)

Claims (6)

A main body having an opening through which liquid flows and a male screw portion protruding upward,
An opening / closing device for opening / closing a valve including a spindle that penetrates the male screw portion in the vertical direction and moves up / down with rotation to open / close the opening by moving up / down.
A housing in which a through hole in which the male screw portion is arranged is formed and is arranged on the main body portion,
A fixing member that is fitted into each of the male screw portion and the through hole and sandwiches the housing between the main body portion and the fixing member.
The motor housed in the housing and
A drive shaft housed in the housing and rotated by the motor,
A switchgear including a connecting member that connects the spindle and the drive shaft. The housing is
The housing body with the bottom plate and
The switchgear according to claim 1, further comprising a bottom member provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate. A bottom plate hole that penetrates the bottom plate up and down is formed in the bottom plate.
The switchgear according to claim 2, wherein the bottom member is formed with a groove extending from a position below the bottom plate hole to the outer edge of the bottom member. A guide strut housed in the housing and extending in the vertical direction,
The switchgear according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a support member that is movable in the vertical direction along the guide column and supports the motor. The connecting member extends in the vertical direction and is formed in a tubular shape in which the spindle is arranged at the lower end and the drive shaft is arranged at the upper end.
A detent piece is attached to the upper end of the connecting member.
The switchgear according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the drive shaft abuts on the detent piece in a state of being arranged at the upper end of the connecting member to rotate with the connecting member. A part of the drive shaft is cut out in a plane so as to form a D-shaped cross section.
The switchgear according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the drive shaft notched in a plane abuts on the detent piece.

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