JP3825618B2 - Optical sensor device and garbage processing device using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an optical sensor device for measuring light reflectance, moisture content, and the like of a measurement object, and a garbage disposal device equipped with the optical sensor device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, by putting raw garbage into a treatment tank filled with porous wood chips (hole chips) as a raw garbage treatment material, stirring and mixing the raw garbage and whole chips, There is known a garbage disposal apparatus that decomposes garbage into water, carbon dioxide gas, and the like by microorganisms that inhabit the mixture.
In such a garbage disposal apparatus, the treatment efficiency can be improved by adjusting the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture to a range suitable for the inhabiting of microorganisms.
Therefore, the garbage processing apparatus is equipped with a blower mechanism for sending air into the treatment tank, and a heater for heating and drying the garbage / chip mixture in the treatment tank, and if necessary, in the treatment tank. Equipped with a water supply device that supplies water to the garbage / chip mixture to adjust the water content.
[0003]
In order to automatically and optimally adjust the moisture content, it is necessary to measure the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture in the treatment tank.
Conventionally, as a method of measuring moisture content, a method of detecting moisture content by contacting a pair of electrodes with garbage / chip mixture and measuring the electrical resistance between both electrodes (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-33572) In addition, a method of detecting moisture content by bringing a heating resistor into contact with the garbage / chip mixture and measuring the temperature rise of the garbage / chip mixture (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-57458) has been proposed.
[0004]
However, in the moisture content measurement method using a pair of electrodes, when an electrolyte solution or substance is interposed between the pair of electrodes, this greatly changes the electrical resistance between the electrodes. There is a problem that causes an error.
In addition, the moisture content measuring method using the heating resistor has a problem that the measurement accuracy of the moisture content is lowered when the adhesion between the heating resistor and the garbage / chip mixture is poor.
[0005]
Therefore, the applicant has developed a moisture content measuring device that improves the measurement accuracy by optically measuring the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture, and has applied for a patent for a garbage treatment device equipped with the device. (Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-087235, etc.).
The moisture content measuring device comprises a tungsten lamp for irradiating light to the garbage / chip mixture, a silicon photodiode and a pyroelectric element for detecting light reflected from the garbage / chip mixture, The moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture is calculated based on the ratio of the reflected light amount detected using the pyroelectric element and the reflected light amount detected using the pyroelectric element.
[0006]
Silicon photodiodes have sensitivity in the first wavelength region (less than 1 μm) with a large transmittance for water, while pyroelectric elements have a second wavelength region (1 μm or more) with a small transmittance for water. It has sensitivity. Therefore, the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element varies greatly according to the difference in the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture, while the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode hardly changes. Therefore, if the ratio of the amount of light detected by the silicon photodiode and the amount of light detected by the pyroelectric element is taken, the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture can be calculated from the ratio of the light detected amount using a known Lambert-Veil equation. Can be calculated.
[0007]
According to the moisture content measuring apparatus, since the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture can be optically measured from the outside of the treatment tank, there is no problem in the conventional moisture content measuring method described above, which is higher than the conventional one. Measurement accuracy is obtained.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the garbage processing apparatus, the garbage / chip mixture in the treatment tank is heated by the heater, and the garbage in the treatment tank generates heat during fermentation. There is a risk that the photosensors, i.e., the silicon photodiodes and pyroelectric elements constituting the slab may be damaged by receiving heat directly from the garbage / chip mixture. In addition, when the silicon photodiode or pyroelectric element is damaged by heat, the situation cannot be immediately known, so the moisture content adjustment operation is continued based on the output signal of the damaged sensor. There was a problem that the processing efficiency was lowered.
In particular, in a garbage processing apparatus for business use, a large amount of garbage is put into the treatment tank, so that the amount of heat generated is large, and this is likely to damage the optical sensor.
[0009]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical sensor device that can effectively prevent damage to the optical sensor due to heat, and a garbage disposal device that includes such an optical sensor device.
[0010]
[Means for solving the problems]
An optical sensor device according to the present invention includes a sensor unit (6) for irradiating a measurement object with light and receiving reflected light from the measurement object, a calibration plate (7) having a predetermined light reflectance, and a sensor. In order to switch between the measurement mode in which the unit (6) is opposed to the measurement object and the calibration mode in which the sensor unit (6) is opposed to the calibration plate (7), the sensor unit (6) or calibration plate ( 7) and a reciprocating drive mechanism for reciprocally driving the sensor unit (6). The calibration plate (7) is arranged at a position facing the sensor unit (6) in the calibration mode position.
[0011]
In the above-described optical sensor device of the present invention, in the measurement mode, the sensor unit (6) faces the measurement object, the light emitted from the sensor unit (6) is irradiated on the measurement object, and the reflected light is emitted. Light is received by the sensor unit (6). As a result, an output signal corresponding to the reflectance, moisture content, etc. of the measurement object is obtained from the sensor unit (6).
In the calibration mode, since the sensor unit (6) changes from the state facing the measurement object to the state facing the calibration plate (7), the heat generated from the measurement object is not directly received. Therefore, damage to the sensor unit (6) due to heat is prevented. The light emitted from the sensor unit (6) is applied to the surface of the calibration plate (7), and the reflected light is received by the sensor unit (6). As a result, an output signal of a predetermined level corresponding to the reflectance of the calibration plate (7) is obtained from the sensor unit (6). Here, when the sensor unit (6) is damaged, an output signal of a predetermined level corresponding to the reflectance of the calibration plate (7) cannot be obtained. Therefore, based on the output signal of the sensor unit (6), Damage to the sensor unit (6) can be detected.
When the sensor unit (6) is set at the measurement mode position, the sensor unit (6) faces the measurement object, and the light emitted from the sensor unit (6) is irradiated onto the measurement object. The sensor unit (6) faces the calibration plate (7) by being set at the calibration mode position, and the light emitted from the sensor unit (6) is applied to the calibration plate (7). Here, since the sensor unit (6) is separated from the measurement object and displaced in a direction deviated from the measurement object, the sensor unit (6) does not receive heat directly from the measurement object.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the optical sensor device and the garbage processing apparatus including the optical sensor device according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the optical sensor due to heat, and even if the optical sensor is damaged, the situation can be quickly performed. Can know.
[0018]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the garbage processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a casing (1) whose upper side is open, and a lid (11) pivotally supported by the opening of the casing (1) so as to be opened and closed. Inside (1), there is a treatment tank (12) that should contain the garbage / chip mixture (10). The bottom wall of the treatment tank (12) is provided with a light transmission part (13) capable of transmitting light having a wide wavelength range including a visible light region and a near infrared light region.
[0019]
Inside the treatment tank (12), a stirring device having a plurality of stirring rods (2) extending radially is provided. The stirrer is connected to a motor (not shown). By driving the motor, the stirrer (2) is rotated to stir the garbage / chip mixture (10).
[0020]
A planar heater (3) is attached to the bottom of the treatment tank (12), and the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12) can be heated. In addition, an exhaust fan (not shown) is provided above the processing tank (12), and the inside of the processing tank (12) can be ventilated by driving the exhaust fan. Furthermore, the treatment tank (12) is connected to a water supply mechanism (not shown) as necessary, so that water can be supplied into the treatment tank (12).
[0021]
In the garbage treatment apparatus according to the present invention, in order to optically measure the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12), a light transmitting portion is provided outside the treatment tank (12). Corresponding to (13), a sensor unit (6) is provided. The sensor unit (6) is attached to the tip of an arm (82) that is driven to swing by a motor (8). The sensor unit (6) is in contact with the light transmission part (13), and is positioned below the measurement position. It is driven back and forth between calibration mode positions rotated approximately 90 °.
A calibration plate (7) having a predetermined reflectance is disposed outside the processing tank (12) at a position facing the sensor unit (6) set at the calibration mode position.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor unit (6) has a tungsten lamp (61), a silicon photodiode (62), and a pyroelectric element (in a direction facing the light transmitting portion (13) of the processing tank at the measurement mode position). 63). The tungsten lamp (61) emits light having a wide band extending between the visible light region and the near-infrared light region, and the silicon photodiode (62) is a comparatively 0.5 μm to 1.0 μm. It has sensitivity in a narrow wavelength range, and the pyroelectric element (63) has a flat sensitivity characteristic in a wide wavelength range exceeding 1.0 μm.
[0023]
As described above, the light transmissive part (13) of the treatment tank can transmit light having a wide wavelength range including the visible light region and the near infrared light region, so that the light emitted from the tungsten lamp (61) Passes through the light transmission part (13), is irradiated onto the garbage / chip mixture (10), and the light reflected by the garbage / chip mixture (10) passes through the light transmission part (13) again. Then, the light enters the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63).
[0024]
The sensor unit (6) detects the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) and is connected to a control device (5) for adjusting the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) based on the result. Has been. The control device (5) includes a control circuit (51) composed of a microcomputer, and output signals of the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63) pass through amplifiers (52) and (53), respectively. It is supplied to the control circuit (51).
The control circuit (51) calculates the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) based on the output signals of the silicon photodiode (62) and the pyroelectric element (63), and according to the result, the above-mentioned result is obtained. The operation of the heater (3), the exhaust fan (4), and the stirring rod drive motor (23) is controlled to optimally adjust the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture (10) in the treatment tank (12). .
[0025]
FIG. 3 shows the procedure of the moisture content measurement operation in the above garbage disposal apparatus. In this embodiment, a moisture content measurement start request is issued at a constant cycle (for example, every several minutes), and after a certain measurement period (for example, several tens of seconds) has elapsed since the measurement start request was generated, A measurement end request is issued.
First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not a moisture content measurement start request has been issued. If the determination is YES, the sensor unit (6) is moved to the measurement mode position in step S2. In step S3, the moisture content of the garbage / chip mixture is measured based on the output signal of the sensor unit (6).
Then, after moving the sensor unit (6) to the calibration mode position in step S4, it is determined whether or not a moisture content measurement end request has been issued in step S5. If NO, the process proceeds to step S1. Go back and wait for the moisture content measurement start request.
On the other hand, when it is determined NO in step S1, the process proceeds to step S6, and the reflectance of the calibration plate (7) is measured based on the output signal of the sensor unit (6). In step S7, it is determined whether or not the reflectance of the calibration plate (7) is out of the reference range. If NO, the process returns to step S1 and waits for a measurement request.
On the other hand, if it is determined as YES in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8, a warning that an abnormality has occurred in the sensor unit (6) is displayed, and the procedure is terminated.
[0026]
According to the above procedure, a warning is displayed when the sensor unit (6) is damaged at an early stage, so that the sensor unit (6) can be repaired or replaced at an early stage.
[0027]
In the above garbage processing apparatus of the present invention, the sensor unit (6) moves to the measurement mode position facing the light transmission part (13) as shown in FIG. During this period, it is installed at the calibration mode position that is retracted from the position facing the light transmission part (13), so the influence of heat generated by the garbage / chip mixture (10) can be minimized, and the sensor unit ( The damage of 6) is prevented.
In the calibration mode position, the sensor unit (6) faces the calibration plate (7), and the abnormality of the sensor unit (6) is detected early based on the measurement result of the reflectance of the calibration plate (7). Therefore, by repairing or replacing the sensor unit (6) according to this, it is possible to always realize the moisture content adjustment operation based on the normal moisture content measurement data, and as a result, high processing efficiency can be obtained. .
[0028]
FIG. 4 shows another configuration example of the garbage disposal apparatus according to the present invention.
As shown in the figure, a measurement box (14) is provided at the bottom of the processing tank (12) so as to face the light transmission part (13), and inside the measurement box (14), the light transmission part (13 ), A sensor unit (6) is installed.
The measuring box (14) is a shielding member formed by joining a calibration plate (7) and a heat insulating plate (71) between the light transmitting portion (13) of the processing tank (12) and the sensor unit (6). (72) is attached. The shielding member (72) penetrates into the measurement box (14), and the calibration mode position interposed between the light transmission part (13) of the processing tank (12) and the sensor unit (6), and the measurement box ( Between the measurement mode positions escaped from 14), it is supported so as to be able to reciprocate, and one end thereof is connected to the output shaft of the solenoid (81). The shielding member (72) is arranged with the calibration plate (7) facing the sensor unit (6) and the heat insulating plate (71) facing the light transmission part (13).
[0029]
The light emitted from the sensor unit (6) with the shielding member (72) set to the measurement mode position by driving the solenoid (81) passes through the light transmitting portion (13) of the processing tank (12). Then, the garbage / chip mixture (10) is irradiated, and the reflected light again passes through the light transmission part (13) and enters the sensor unit (6), thereby the garbage / chip mixture (10). ) Is measured.
On the other hand, in a state where the shielding member (72) is set to the calibration mode position by driving the solenoid (81), the light emitted from the sensor unit (6) is corrected by the calibration plate (7) of the shielding member (72). The reflected light is incident on the sensor unit (6), whereby the reflectance of the calibration plate (7) is measured.
[0030]
Therefore, in a state where the shielding member (72) is set in the calibration mode position, the heat generated from the garbage / chip mixture (10) is blocked by the heat insulating plate (71) of the shielding member (72), and the sensor unit ( 6) There is no direct incidence.
As a result, the influence of heat generated by the garbage / chip mixture (10) is minimized, and damage to the sensor unit (6) is prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a garbage disposal apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a sensor unit and a control device.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a moisture content measurement operation in the garbage processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing another configuration example of the garbage disposal apparatus according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
(1) Casing
(11) Lid
(10) Garbage and chip mixture
(12) Treatment tank
(13) Light transmission part
(2) Stir bar
(3) Heater
(6) Sensor unit
(61) Tungsten lamp
(62) Silicon photodiode
(63) Pyroelectric element
(7) Calibration plate
(71) Insulation plate
(8) Motor
(81) Solenoid

Claims (3)

A sensor unit (6) for irradiating the measurement object with light and receiving reflected light from the measurement object, a calibration plate (7) having a predetermined light reflectance, and the sensor unit (6) as the measurement object. A reciprocating drive mechanism for reciprocatingly driving the sensor unit (6) or the calibration plate (7) in order to switch the mode between the opposed measurement mode and the calibration mode in which the sensor unit (6) is opposed to the calibration plate (7). And consists of
The sensor unit (6) is linked to a reciprocating drive mechanism and is reciprocated between a measurement mode position facing the measurement object and a calibration mode position retracted from the measurement mode position, and the calibration plate (7) is An optical sensor device disposed at a position facing the sensor unit (6) at the calibration mode position.   The optical sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit (6) changes its direction by approximately 90 ° in accordance with the movement from the measurement mode position to the calibration mode position. A sensor unit ( 6 ) that irradiates light to the measurement object and receives reflected light from the measurement object , a calibration plate ( 7 ) having a predetermined light reflectance, and the sensor unit ( 6 ) are used as the measurement object. in order to perform mode switching between a calibration mode in which to face the calibration plate measurement mode and the sensor unit is opposed (6) (7), a reciprocating drive mechanism for reciprocally driving the sensor unit (6) or calibration plate (7) And consists of
The sensor unit (6) is arranged toward the object to be measured, and the calibration plate (7) is connected to the reciprocating drive mechanism, and the calibration mode position interposed between the sensor unit (6) and the object to be measured, and the sensor It is driven back and forth between the unit (6) and the measurement mode position escaped from between the measurement objects,
An optical sensor device in which a heat insulating plate (71) is joined to the side surface of the calibration plate (7) on the measurement object side.

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