JP4882936B2 - Data collection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a data collection device installed outdoors.

Conventionally, what is disclosed by patent document 1 is known as this kind of data collection device. In the data collection device disclosed in Patent Document 1, since a fan is provided in the housing to generate a ventilation flow, it is possible to suppress an increase in the temperature in the housing due to heat generation of the electrical components.
JP 2006-105745 A

  However, in the above prior art, since the ventilation flow passage is almost the entire interior of the housing formed as a relatively wide space, the size of the fan is increased to ensure the required air flow rate. As a result, energy consumption may increase or the weight of the data collection device may increase.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a data collection device that can adjust the temperature more effectively inside the housing.

In the invention of claim 1, in a data collection device comprising an external housing that is installed outdoors and accommodates electrical components, and a sensor that is housed in the external housing and acquires outdoor environmental information, An internal housing that houses a temperature adjustment mechanism together with at least one electrical component is housed in the external housing, and a sheet-like heater is provided as the temperature adjustment mechanism, and an electronic circuit board on which the electrical components are mounted is provided. In the inner casing, a fan is provided that is accommodated in a state of being substantially parallel to each other with a gap between the sheet-like heater and the electronic circuit board, and that circulates the airflow in the inner casing. An airflow that flows along the surface of the sheet-like heater is formed in the housing .

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that a drainage port capable of discharging condensed water is formed at the lower end of the internal housing.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that an inclined inner surface descending toward the drain outlet is formed in the lower wall portion of the inner casing.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the drainage port is used as an insertion port for wiring routed inside and outside the internal housing.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the electrical components are housed together with the temperature adjusting mechanism in the inner casing that is narrower than the outer casing, the temperature adjusting mechanism is smaller than the case where the temperature of the entire inside of the outer casing is adjusted. Energy consumption associated with temperature adjustment can be reduced.

Moreover, since the sheet-like heater is provided along the electronic circuit board , the electronic circuit board can be warmed more uniformly as a whole, and problems due to local heating can be suppressed.

Furthermore, the temperature distribution in the internal housing can be made more uniform by the airflow formed using the fan, and problems due to local temperature rise or fall can be suppressed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if water is generated due to condensation in the internal housing, the water is discharged from the drain port to suppress the influence of water on the electrical components in the internal housing. be able to.

According to invention of Claim 3 , the water in an internal housing | casing can be collected in a drain outlet along the inclined inner surface of a lower wall part, and drainage property can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the configuration can be simplified compared to the case where the drainage port is shared with the wiring insertion port, and this contributes to the reduction of the manufacturing cost.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a data collection system including a data collection device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the data collection device, and FIG. 3 is an external casing of the data collection device FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the data collection device by removing a part of the outer casing of the data collection device, and is a perspective view showing the upper part of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration inside the internal housing, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the internal housing viewed from a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the data collection system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a client terminal 2, a data collection device (field server) 3, and a server 4. These include a telecommunication line 5 such as the Internet. Are connected to each other through information communication.

  The client terminal 2 is configured by a general-purpose information processing device such as a personal computer, a mobile phone, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The client terminal 2 browses or downloads various information (for example, collected data) held by the data collection device 3 or the server 4 via the telecommunication line 5 or remotely transmits the data collection device 3 via the telecommunication line 5. Can be operated.

  The data collection device 3 is installed outdoors and collects various information (data). The data collection device 3 can perform information communication with the client terminal 2 and the server 4 via the telecommunication line 5 by performing wireless communication with an access point (not shown). Yes. Details of the data collection device 3 will be described later.

  The server 4 is configured by a general-purpose information processing device such as a workstation. This server 4 is necessary by receiving information detected by the data collection device 3, totaling the received information in a predetermined format, and analyzing the totaled information using an analysis technique such as statistical processing. Information can be extracted, and the extracted information can be transmitted to the client terminal 2.

  The data collection system 1 can be configured as a crop cultivation support system that supports the cultivation of crops. In this case, in the data collection device 3, various environmental information acquired by the sensor, such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, sunlight, etc. from the information collection range A (farmland), image information acquired by the imaging device, etc. Various types of information (data) are collected, and the information is transmitted to the client terminal 2 and the server 4 via the telecommunication line 5. At this time, various information (data) transmitted from the data collection device 3 may be directly handled by the client terminal 2 or may be handled after being processed once by the server 4. Good. According to this system, fertilization and irrigation can be performed more appropriately based on the acquired information, which is convenient for growing crops.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the data collection device 3 includes an external housing 7 installed on the legs 6, and various parts are housed inside the external housing 7 as shown in FIG. 3. Yes.

  When installing the data collection device 3, a plurality of types of leg portions 6 having different lengths are prepared and an appropriate leg portion 6 is selected, or a length adjustment mechanism is provided on the leg portion 6 itself. The length of the portion 6 is adjusted, and the height from the ground contact surface (the surface on which the leg portion 6 is fixed, the ground, etc.) of the external housing 7 is adjusted.

  The outer casing 7 is formed in a substantially rectangular tube shape, and an upper end portion thereof is covered with a cover body 8, and a lower end opening portion is closed with a leg portion mounting bracket 9.

  In addition, the rectangular cylindrical internal space 10 of the outer casing 7 is partitioned into a front and back by a rectangular elongated substrate 11. The substrate 11 is configured to be slidable along the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 7, and is opened from the opening at the upper end or the lower end of the outer casing 7 with the cover body 8 or the leg mounting bracket 9 removed. It can be taken in and out.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply unit 12, the filter 13, the sensor box 14, the fan 15, the display unit 16, and the like are mounted on one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate 11. On the other side of the front and back surfaces of the substrate 11, an internal housing 23 for housing the electronic circuit board 24 (see FIG. 5), a data collection board (not shown), an interface unit (not shown), and the like are mounted. ing. Among these, the power supply unit 12, the filter 13, the display unit 16, the electronic circuit board 24, the data collection board, and the interface unit correspond to the electrical component of the present invention or a component including the electrical component. An antenna used for wireless communication or the like is housed inside the cover body 8.

  The internal space 10 is provided with a duct 17 extending vertically along the side wall of the external housing 7, and the outside of the external housing (external air) is provided inside the sensor box 14 via the duct 17. ) Has been introduced. That is, the upper end portion of the duct 17 is connected to the lower end portion of the suction port forming portion 18, and the inside of the duct 17 communicates with the inside of the cylinder (not shown) of the suction port forming portion 18. On the other hand, the lower end portion of the duct 17 is connected to the upper wall portion of the sensor box 14, and the inside of the duct 17 communicates with the internal space Sb of the sensor box 14.

  Further, a fan (for example, an electric axial flow fan) 15 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the sensor box 14, and the air in the sensor box 14 is discharged to the outside of the external housing 7 by the fan 15. It is. That is, the lower wall portion of the sensor box 14 and the upper wall portion of the fan 15 are brought into close contact with each other, and the opening portion 14b formed in the lower wall portion of the sensor box 14 and the suction port formed in the upper wall portion of the fan 15 ( (Not shown). Further, the lower wall portion of the fan 15 and the bottom wall portion 9a of the leg mounting bracket 9 are in close contact with each other, and an exhaust port (not shown) formed in the lower wall portion of the fan 15 and the leg mounting bracket 9 are formed. The opening 20 is overlapped.

  That is, in this data collection device 3, from the opening (intake opening) 19 of the suction port forming portion 18 to the inside of the cylinder of the suction port forming portion 18, the duct 17, the internal space Sb of the sensor box 14, and the fan 15, an air passage Sa reaching the opening (exhaust opening) 20 of the leg mounting bracket 9 is formed. The air passage Sa is isolated from the internal space 10 of the outer casing 7 with a seal (airtight and liquid-tight) secured throughout the entire section, and avoids the influence of various electric parts and the like, and the sensor box 14 The air quality outside the external housing 7 can be detected by a sensor 14a such as an outside air temperature sensor or a humidity sensor installed inside.

  Further, the outer periphery of the duct 17 is covered with a heat insulating material 22, and heat exchange between the inside of the duct 17 and the internal space 10 of the external housing 7 is suppressed. You may form duct 17 itself with the raw material which has heat insulation, such as a synthetic resin.

  Although not shown in the drawing, the inlet forming portion 18 is preferably provided with a waterproof barrier or the like that suppresses the entry of water such as rainwater from the opening 19.

  In the sensor box 14, an opening 14 b that opens at the lowermost end of the internal space Sb is formed, and from the internal space Sb, the opening 14 b of the sensor box 14, the fan 15, and the opening 20 of the leg mounting bracket 9. Can be drained. Note that a mesh filter 21 is provided in the opening 20 to prevent water such as rainwater from entering the internal space Sb from the opening 20. Note that a waterproof barrier (not shown) or the like may be provided on the leg mounting bracket 9 to further improve waterproofness.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, in the present embodiment, a box-shaped internal housing 23 that incorporates a temperature adjustment mechanism is provided in the external housing 7, and components and devices that are desirably temperature-controlled are provided. By accommodating it in the internal housing 23, the temperature can be adjusted more efficiently.

  In the present embodiment, the internal housing 23 is constructed by a part (upper part) of the substrate 11 and a cover 23a with a flange having a substantially bottomed rectangular tube covering the same, and a component on the surface of the substrate 11. The region where the is mounted is covered with a cover 23 a so that the region is surrounded by the cover 23 a and the substrate 11.

  The internal housing 23 accommodates an electronic circuit board (for example, a CPU board) 24 on which components are mounted and a heater 28 as a temperature adjustment mechanism.

  The electronic circuit board 24 is obtained by mounting various electrical components (for example, ICs, circuit elements, etc.) 26 on a printed board 25 on which a wiring pattern is formed. The electronic circuit board 24 is supplied with power from the power supply unit 12 (see FIG. 3) or the like via a cable 30 with a connector, and various calculation signals are input and output.

  The heater 28 can be configured, for example, as a sheet-like heater 28 in which a heating wire is stretched, and based on the detection result of a temperature sensor (not shown) provided in the internal housing 23, The CPU constructed as the circuit board 24 is controlled to switch ON / OFF of the energization of the heater 28. Thereby, the temperature in the internal housing 23 is adjusted. As such temperature adjustment, for example, the temperature may be maintained within a certain temperature range, or it may be heated when the temperature falls below a limit temperature. As the temperature adjustment mechanism, for example, a cooling mechanism such as a Peltier element may be provided, or both a heating mechanism and a cooling mechanism may be provided.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet-like heater 28 and the electronic circuit board 24 are arranged in a state of being substantially parallel to each other with a gap. Specifically, by using four mounting legs 29 projecting on the substrate 11, a sheet-like heater 28 is attached substantially parallel to the surface with a gap from the surface of the substrate 11, and this An electronic circuit board 24 is attached substantially parallel to the heater 28 with a gap from the sheet-like heater 28.

  Furthermore, an electric fan 27 that circulates the airflow in the internal housing 23 is provided in the internal housing 23. In this embodiment, the electric fan 27 is arranged at the center in the left-right direction above the electronic circuit board 24 and blows air downward toward the lower electronic circuit board 24. In the housing 23, as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 6, an air flow is formed which flows downward at the center portion, turns back at the lower end portion, and blows up and circulates on both the left and right sides. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the blowing direction of the electric fan 27 is set to a direction along the surfaces of the substrate 11, the sheet-like heater 28, and the electronic circuit board 24, and the blowing from the electric fan 27 is passed through these gaps. It is like that. Specifically, the substrate 11, the sheet-like heater 28, and the electronic circuit board 24 are disposed substantially parallel to each other, and the direction along the surfaces of the board 11, the heater 28, and the electronic circuit board 24, and the electric fan 27. The axial direction may be set substantially parallel.

  The airflow generated by the electric fan 27 (air blowing from the electric fan 27) also has an effect of cooling the electronic circuit board 24, but the airflow warmed by the heater 28 is circulated entirely inside the internal housing 23, As a result, the temperature is made uniform in the inner casing 23, and there is an effect of suppressing condensation or promoting evaporation of condensed water. That is, in this embodiment, the heater 28 and the electric fan 27 may be operated together (simultaneously). Specifically, when the temperature drops or condensation occurs in winter or at night (or when it is predicted that condensation will occur on the CPU or the like based on the detection results of the humidity sensor and temperature sensor) In addition, by operating the heater 28 and the electric fan 27 in parallel at the same time, it is possible to increase the temperature quickly or evaporate the condensed water in the internal housing 23. Further, in the present embodiment, the heater 28 has a sheet shape, and the air blown by the electric fan 27 is made to follow the front surface (both front and back surfaces in the present embodiment) of the sheet-shaped heater 28. Evaporation (or suppression of condensation) can be achieved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, an opening 23d directed downward is formed in the lower wall portion 23c of the cover 23a forming the internal housing 23, and an inclined inner surface 23e that is lowered toward the opening 23d is formed. Is formed. With this configuration, even when dew condensation occurs inside the internal housing 23, the dew condensation water can be discharged from the opening 23d to the outside of the internal housing 23. The opening 23 d is also used as an insertion port for a cable (wiring) 30 routed inside and outside the internal housing 23. In the present embodiment, the opening 23d is provided inside the cylinder of the semi-cylindrical part projecting downward from the lower wall part 23c, and the semi-cylindrical part functions as a drainage guide. A through hole formed in the lower wall portion 23c may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, the internal housing 23 that houses the heater 28 or the like as a temperature adjustment mechanism is housed in the external housing 7 together with at least one electrical component 26. For this reason, as compared with the case where the temperature of the entire inside of the external housing 7 is adjusted, the temperature adjustment mechanism can be made smaller and the consumption associated with the temperature adjustment can be reduced by adjusting the temperature inside the narrower internal housing 23. Energy can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the temperature adjusting mechanism includes a sheet-like heater 28 and an electronic circuit board 24 on which the electrical component 26 is mounted. The sheet-like heater 28 and the electronic circuit are provided in the internal housing 23. The board | substrate 24 was accommodated in the state in alignment with each other. For this reason, it becomes possible to warm the electronic circuit board 24 more uniformly as a whole, and it is possible to suppress problems due to local heating.

  In the present embodiment, an electric fan 27 that circulates the airflow in the internal housing 23 is provided, and the electric fan 27 forms an airflow that flows along the surface of the sheet-like heater 28 in the internal housing 23. I made it. For this reason, the temperature distribution in the internal housing 23 can be made more uniform by this air flow, and problems due to local temperature rise (for example, overheating) or reduction (for example, insufficient heating) in the internal housing 23 are suppressed. can do.

  In the present embodiment, the opening 23d is provided at the lower end portion of the internal housing 23 as a drain port through which condensed water can be discharged. For this reason, even if water is generated due to condensation in the internal housing 23, the water can be discharged to the outside from the opening 23d, and the electrical components 26 and the like in the internal housing 23 are affected by the water. Can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inclined inner surface 23e that goes down toward the opening 23d as a drain outlet is formed in the lower wall portion 23c of the internal housing 23. For this reason, the water in the internal housing | casing 23 can be collected in the opening part 23d as a drain outlet along the inclined inner surface 23e of the lower wall part 23c, and drainage property can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the opening 23d is used as a drainage port for condensed water and is also used as an insertion port for wirings routed inside and outside the internal housing 23. Compared with the case where each is provided separately, the configuration can be simplified, which contributes to a reduction in manufacturing cost.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a data collection system including a data collection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the data collection device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which removes a part of external housing | casing of the data collection device concerning one Embodiment of this invention, and shows an inside. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a top part of the data collection device according to the embodiment of the present invention with a part of the outer casing removed, and is a view seen from a different direction from FIG. 3. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure in the internal housing | casing of the data collection device concerning one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the internal housing | casing of the data collection device concerning one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

3 Data Collection Device 7 External Case 14a Sensor 23 Internal Case 23c Lower Wall 23d Opening (Drainage Port, Insertion Port)
23e Inclined inner surface 24 Electronic circuit board 26 Electrical component 27 Electric fan (fan)
28 Heater (Temperature adjustment mechanism)
30 Cable (wiring)

Claims (4)

In a data collection device comprising an external housing that is installed outdoors and accommodates electrical components, and a sensor that is housed in the external housing and acquires outdoor environmental information,
In the external housing, an internal housing that houses a temperature adjustment mechanism together with at least one electrical component is housed,
A sheet-like heater is provided as the temperature adjustment mechanism, and an electronic circuit board on which the electrical component is mounted is provided.
A fan is provided in the inner casing so as to accommodate the sheet-like heater and the electronic circuit board in a state of being substantially parallel to each other with a gap therebetween , and to circulate an air flow in the inner casing. A data collection device, characterized in that an airflow flowing along a surface of the sheet-like heater is formed in the body . The data collection device according to claim 1, wherein a drain port capable of discharging condensed water is formed at a lower end portion of the internal housing. The data collection device according to claim 2 , wherein an inclined inner surface that descends toward the drain outlet is formed on a lower wall portion of the inner casing. The data collection device according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the drain port is used as an insertion port for a wiring routed inside and outside the internal housing.

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