JP3245363U - automatic water supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic water supply device that automatically supplies water to objects to be watered, such as potted plants, while suppressing the number of unnecessary wiring and the like, without installing a dedicated control device or the like. [Solution] The automatic water supply device is provided with a hose 16 serving as a water conduit pipe from a tank section 14 disposed at the upper part of the water supply device main body and storing water for water supply, and adjusts the amount of water placed in the middle of the hose 16. The valve 18 as a water amount regulator is controlled by an actuator 24, and the controller that controls the amount of water supplied to the water supply object wirelessly controls the actuator in response to a signal from a sensor 32 that measures the environment surrounding the water supply object. send a signal. [Selection diagram] Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic water supply device that automatically supplies water to objects to be watered, such as potted plants, without relying on human hands.

When growing potted plants indoors or on a balcony, in addition to the environment for growing plants such as sunlight and temperature, regular watering of the soil part of the potted plant is also essential, and in order to have the pleasure of watching the plant grow. This involves daily work such as watering. However, although this watering work is required on a regular basis, if you rely on manual labor, you may forget to do it, or if you are away from home for a long time due to travel etc., and you are unable to water. There is. Therefore, devices that automate water supply to plants and the like have been known (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP2002-300817 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-141531

These automatic water supply devices that automate water supply have a moisture sensor attached to the part that stores soil, such as a pot, and are even combined with a brightness sensor to manage water supply, but they do not require a dedicated CPU. and control devices are required, and their development is time-consuming and costly. Furthermore, even when controlling indoors, placing a lot of control wiring around a potted plant spoils the aesthetic appearance of the plant because the wiring looks unsightly. Furthermore, if there are a lot of wires, there is a risk that the wires may get caught during cleaning, etc., and damage the automatic water supply device itself.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic water supply device that automatically supplies water to objects such as potted plants without installing a dedicated control device while reducing the number of wiring etc. .

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problem, the automatic water supply device of the present invention includes a tank section for storing water for water supply, a water conduit pipe for guiding the water in the tank section to the object to be watered, and the water conduit pipe. a water flow regulator disposed in the middle of the pipe to regulate the volume of water flowing through the water pipe; a sensor that measures data about the environment surrounding the water supply object; and a sensor that controls the volume of water regulated by the water flow regulator. It is characterized by comprising an actuator and a controller that sends a wireless control signal to the actuator based on information measured by the sensor to control the amount of water supplied to the water supply target.

In this automatic water supply device, the water volume regulator may be, for example, a valve, and the controller may be an electronic terminal using a control application.

In addition, another automatic water supply device of the present invention includes a tank section that stores water for water supply;
The pump part has a pump part that pumps water in the tank part, and a shaped object that has a conduit inside for guiding the water output from the pump part to the object to be watered, and the pump part receives a wireless control signal from a controller. It is characterized by operating according to the following.

In this automatic water supply device, the shaped object may be an image, and the controller may be an electronic terminal using a control application.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic water supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the automatic water supply device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the main body of the water supply device according to the first embodiment. It is a top view of the water supply device main body before bending formation concerning the said 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the automatic water supply device according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the automatic water supply device according to the first embodiment, and is a flowchart of the reception operation of environmental data. It is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the automatic water supply device according to the first embodiment, and is a flowchart regarding the operation of the actuator. It is a typical perspective view showing an automatic water supply device concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the image part of the automatic water supply apparatus concerning the said 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the automatic water supply device according to the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the automatic water supply device of this embodiment is an automatic water supply device 10 that uses a valve as a water volume regulator to adjust the amount of flowing water. A hose 16 serving as a water conduit is connected to a tank portion 14 disposed on the upper part of the tank portion 12 . A valve 18 is interposed in the middle of the hose 16 as a water amount regulator for adjusting the amount of water flowing, and the amount of water flowing out from the drain hole 20 at the lower end of the hose 16 can be adjusted.

The rectangular tank portion 14 disposed on the top of the water supply device main body 12 is a liquid tank configured to be placed on the top surface of the water supply device main body 12, and is made of metal, plastic, glass, or other water-resistant material. Various materials can be used as long as they can be held. It is also possible to remove it from the upper surface of the water supply device main body 12 and replenish water from a tap or the like, or it is also possible to provide a water supply port (not shown) in the upper part of the tank section 14 and replenish water from there. It is also possible to use a commercially available plastic container as the tank section 14, which can be stably placed on the top of the tank section 14. In addition, the shape may be any other columnar or cylindrical shape as long as it can be placed on the upper surface of the water supply device main body 12. Since the stored water flows from the tank part 14 by gravity, a hole or the like may be provided in the upper part of the tank part 14 to allow air to enter the tank part 14 as the liquid level decreases.

A drain port 22 of the tank portion 14 is provided at the bottom or bottom side of the tank portion 14, and the upper end of the hose 16 can be inserted and attached to the drain port 22. The size of the hose 16 is not particularly limited as long as it can flow water, and flexible commercially available hoses 16 made of plastic such as polypropylene, vinyl chloride, ABS resin, etc. can also be used.

A valve 18 as a water volume regulator is provided in the middle of the hose 16 to adjust the volume of flowing water. do. The actuator 24 is, for example, an electromagnetic drive type, capable of forward and reverse rotation, and can adjust the amount of water flowing at a required time and a required degree of opening in accordance with a signal from the controller 30. Note that the valve 18 can also be driven by pneumatic pressure.

A plurality of drainage holes 20 are formed in the hose 16 at the lower end side of the valve 18 of the hose 16, and a plant planted in a pot 26 can receive water dripping from these drainage holes 20. 28 is placed and set to receive the necessary watering. The watering required varies depending on the plant being grown, and in the case of indoors, it depends on temperature conditions such as room temperature, humidity conditions, sunlight, which is one of the growing environments, and other growing conditions. It is affected by the intensity and time of lighting, and especially regarding watering, the state of the soil held in the pot 26 is held as data by the sensor 32 and transmitted to the controller 30.

The sensor 32 can be set to measure the moisture content of the soil inside the pot 26 using, for example, a soil moisture sensor or a soil humidity sensor, and to perform watering if the soil is dry. Transmission and reception of power and signals to the sensor 32 and signal transmission to the actuator 24 that operates the valve 18 can be performed via a signal line from the signal power supply section 34 disposed at the bottom of the water supply device main body 12. can. The signal power supply unit 34 has a built-in device for wireless connection in a general-purpose format such as Wi-Fi, and as described later, when the user uses a mobile phone as the controller 30, The controller 30 can be connected to the signal power supply section 34 so as to be able to transmit and receive data.

The signal power supply section 34 is arranged at the bottom of the water supply device main body 12, and can be connected to a power line, or can be a type of power supply section with a built-in rechargeable battery, and can be operated by installing one or more dry batteries. It may also be something that allows you to do so. An environmental data transmitting section is provided within the signal power supply section 34 for receiving the signal from the sensor 32, temporarily storing the data, and transmitting the data to the controller 30. Also provided within the signal power supply unit 34 is a control signal unit that sends a signal to the actuator 24 in response to a signal from the controller 30. Therefore, a predetermined signal is sent from the controller 30, and in response, a signal is sent from the control signal section in the signal power supply section 34 to the actuator 24, and the valve 18 is operated to open or close. Note that the data storage may be configured to be performed on the controller 30 side.

The automatic water supply device 10 using a valve having such a structure has a water supply device main body 12 in which each member of the device can be arranged, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in particular one It can be constructed by bending a metal plate, and stainless steel plates (SUS304, SUS316), aluminum plates, etc. can be used as the metal plates. In addition, wood or cardboard may also be selected from the viewpoint of ease of processing and cost of the material. In a preferred example of the water supply device main body 12, three sides of a rectangle are cut in multiple places at the end of the top surface of the water supply device main body 12, and the remaining one side is bent to stand up to form a locking piece, and the locking piece is placed on the top surface. The tank portion 14 can be locked. An intermediate shelf 38 that holds the valve 18 and the actuator 24 can be formed on one side of the water supply device main body 12, and this intermediate shelf 38 can also be constructed by bending a part of the metal plate that constitutes the main body. can. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a preferred example of the water supply device main body 12 before the bending process, and the water supply device main body 12 is formed by bending such a metal plate 40 at necessary locations.

Although FIGS. 3 and 4 show the water supply device body 12 formed by processing a metal plate, a valve 18 and an actuator 24 that can adjust the amount of water are interposed in the middle of the hose 16 led out from the tank part 14. It is also possible to construct a portion that is separate from the main body 12 of the water supply device, and to assemble the portion that includes the separate valve 18 and actuator 24. Four fixed feet 42 are provided on the bottom surface of the water supply device main body 12. It is also possible to provide casters or the like for convenient movement in place of these feet 40. Further, the foot portion 40 may have a structure that includes a mechanism for adjusting the height.

As the sensor 32, a soil moisture sensor or a soil humidity sensor can be used, and a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a light intensity sensor can also be installed.By acquiring environmental data with such multiple sensors, comprehensive It is possible to grasp environmental information around plants.

In the automatic water supply device 10 of this embodiment, water supply can be remotely controlled according to the plant environment, and a home Wi-Fi connection can be used using the UDP protocol. In the example shown in FIG. 5, a mobile phone, which is a mobile terminal, is used as the controller 30, but the controller 30 can also be installed on a desktop or a tablet terminal. The controller 30 is connected via home Wi-Fi using the UDP protocol, and information and commands can be sent and received in real time between the automatic water supply device 10 and the controller 30 using UDP packets.

One of the transmission and reception of signals between the controller 30 and the signal power supply unit 34 of the automatic water supply device 10 is the acquisition of environmental data around the pot 26, and as shown in FIG. After the application is started, the controller 30 transmits a status command, and the signal power supply unit 34 that receives the status command takes in measurement data from the sensor 32 and sends the measurement data to the controller 30. The controller 30 analyzes the received environmental data and determines whether or not there is a water shortage based on the current temperature, humidity conditions, and light intensity conditions. This measurement data and analysis results are stored in the memory of the controller 30 as a LOG file. Note that this LOG file can be referenced by the user.

Another operation of the automatic water supply device 10 is to supply water while analyzing the plant growing environment using the sensor 32. First, the automatic water supply device 10 is powered on, and then the controller is connected via Wi-Fi. Transmission and reception of signals between the automatic water supply device 30 and the signal power supply section 34 in the main body of the automatic water supply device 10 starts. From the analysis of the acquired plant environment data in the controller 30 or manually, the status command is sent again, and the signal power supply unit 34 that receives the status command takes in the measurement data from the sensor 32 and sends the measurement data to the controller. Send it to 30. At this time, data regarding the battery level of the signal power supply section 34 in the main body (when using batteries) and the amount of water stored in the tank section 14 can also be sent to the controller 30. If there is an abnormality in the battery level of the signal power supply unit 34 (when using batteries) and the water storage capacity of the tank unit 14, such as a decrease in the amount of charge or a shortage of water, the controller 30 will display it in real time, or the user at a remote location will be notified. can be notified of abnormalities by e-mail, etc.

In the case of a command for the valve 18, a distinction is made between "open" and "close", the appropriate valve operation is realized, and the state returns to the command standby state. For example, if a command to open a valve is received, valve 18 is opened to allow water to flow through hose 16. Since the valve remains open and receives the next command, it is possible to acquire data with the sensor 32 while water is flowing, or to keep the valve 18 open or change it to the closed state. It is also possible to perform the following operations.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control of the valve 18 is configured to control opening and closing, but the control method is not only controlled to open or close, but also to open a little or about half open. It may also be configured to make fine adjustments such as whether it is open or not.

According to the automatic water supply device 10 of the present embodiment, tasks such as watering potted plants can be carried out in accordance with the wireless signal from the controller 30, and there are many control systems around the device. Since there is no need to install any wiring, you can enjoy beautiful viewing and avoid forgetting to water. If the wireless connection point is a wireless device that connects to the router, it can be controlled not only from a controller such as a mobile phone, but also from a PC in a remote location, making it possible to grow plants remotely.

Note that in this embodiment, plants are watered from the drain hole 20 provided in the hose 16, but a branch is provided at the drain hole 20 to water even more plants. It is also possible to provide a water spray nozzle or the like in the drainage hole 20.

Second Embodiment FIGS. 8 to 10 show an automatic water supply device 50 of a second embodiment. The automatic water supply device 50 of this embodiment is a device that uses a submersible pump 54 disposed within the tank portion 52 to pump up water from the tank portion 52 and supply water to a plant pot. When supplying water to plant pots, a Christ statue 56 is used as a shaped object that has a conduit inside to guide the water output from the submersible pump 54 to the object to be watered. A conduit 58 is configured to communicate from the pedestal part to the inside of the legs, torso, and arms, and the end of the conduit 58 opens at the palm of the Christ statue 56, and from this opening 60 to the plants. water can be supplied.

The automatic water supply device 50 of this embodiment can store water in a rectangular tank portion 52 arranged like a pedestal for a statue of Christ 56 as a shaped object. This pedestal part has a partition between the tank part 52, which is located on the right side of the half when viewed from the front, and the signal power supply part 62, and the signal power supply part 62 supplies power to the submersible pump 54. , and is configured to transmit and receive signals from the controller 70. The submersible pump 54 has a water intake port and a drain port, and when in operation, takes in water from the water intake port and flows out the water from the drain port while applying water pressure. The drainage port of the submersible pump 54 is connected to the lower end of the conduit 58 on the bottom of the Christ statue 56, and the water sent to the conduit 58 of the Christ statue 56 with water pressure is delivered to the palm of the Christ statue 56. Water flows out from the opening 60 of the palm and is supplied to a pot 64 placed directly under the palm.

The automatic water supply device 50 of this embodiment is also configured so that the submersible pump 54 operates in response to a Wi-Fi-connected wireless signal from the controller 70, and the submersible pump 54 operates when water is supplied, and when the water supply is stopped, the submersible pump 54 operates. 54 is stopped. This automatic water supply device 50 can also be provided with a sensor 66, and as this sensor 66, a soil moisture sensor or a soil humidity sensor can be used, as in the first embodiment, and furthermore, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a light intensity sensor can be installed. The watering signal from the controller 70 can also be controlled based on data measured by the sensor 66.

In addition, although the Christ statue 56 has been described as the object with the water conduit 58 inside, it may be any other image, such as a religious image such as a St. Mary statue or an angel statue, a main character of a movie or manga, an animal, a toy, etc. It may be. Further, the material of the model can be plastic, glass, etc., but ceramic, metal, paper, cloth, wood, cardboard, etc. can also be used as the material of the model. Further, a shaped object may be formed with a configuration consisting of a combination of these. In this embodiment, the opening for discharging water from the statue is the palm, but the opening can also be formed in other parts or members. It is also possible to have a structure in which the image moves using water pressure or the like.

Since the automatic water supply device 50 of the second embodiment has a structure in which the tank portion is located at the bottom and pumps water, it has a structure that is resistant to shaking such as earthquakes. Furthermore, in the automatic water supply device 50 of the second embodiment, it is possible to water a single potted plant, but it is also possible to water a plurality of potted plants, and in that case, the number and types of objects can be increased, It is also possible to increase the number of pumps.

In the automatic water supply devices 10 and 50 of the first and second embodiments described above, the controllers 30 and 70 are operated using buttons, a touch panel, a mouse, etc., but the signal power supply unit that receives the status command It is also possible to have environmental information read out aloud. In this case, it is possible to read out the remaining amount of water, humidity, temperature, etc., for example. In addition, a manual watering button is added to a part of the automatic water supply device 10, 50, and when the button is pressed once, it goes into watering mode, and when the button is pressed again, watering is stopped. It is also possible to do so.

10, 50 Automatic water supply device 12 Water supply device body 14, 52 Tank section 16 Hose 18 Valve 20 Drain hole 22 Drain port 24 Actuator 26, 64 Pot 28 Plant 30, 70 Controller 32, 66 Sensor 34, 62 Signal power supply section 38 Intermediate shelf 40 Metal plate 42 Foot portion 54 Submersible pump 56 Christ statue 58 Water conduit 60 Opening

Claims (5)

a tank section arranged at the upper part of the water supply device body and storing water for water supply;
a water conduit pipe for guiding the water in the tank to the water supply target;
a water flow regulator disposed in the middle of the water pipe to adjust the amount of water flowing through the water pipe;
a sensor that measures data about the environment surrounding the water supply object;
an actuator that controls the amount of water adjusted by the water amount regulator;
An automatic water supply device comprising: a controller that sends a wireless control signal to the actuator based on information measured by the sensor to control the amount of water supplied to the water supply target. 2. The automatic water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the water amount regulator is a valve. A tank section that stores water for water supply;
a pump unit that pumps water in the tank unit;
a shaped object having a water conduit inside for guiding water output from the pump part to a water supply target;
a sensor that measures data about the environment surrounding the water supply object;
a controller that sends a wireless control signal based on information measured by the sensor to control the amount of water supplied to the water supply object;
The automatic water supply device, wherein the pump section operates according to the wireless control signal from the controller. 4. The automatic water supply device according to claim 3, wherein the shaped object is an image. 4. The automatic water supply device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is an electronic terminal using a control application.