JP7097158B2 - Closure, cable laying structure and inundation detection method inside closure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a closure or the like used for a cable connection portion.

Conventionally, closures have been used to protect connections such as optical fiber cables and metal communication cables. Such closures are usually kept watertight and designed to keep water out of the interior.

However, water may infiltrate into the closure after installation due to deterioration of the packing, variation in the installation work, and the like. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the intrusion of water into the closure.

As a method of detecting such inundation inside the closure, for example, a pair of metal alarm wires is used, a part of the covering portion of the alarm wire is removed inside the closure to expose the conductor wire, and the conductor wire is exposed between the pair of conductor wires. There is a method of detecting the continuity between the alarm lines when water is present.

In addition, a method of arranging a water expansion member that expands due to water using an alarm line consisting of an optical fiber cable, bending the optical fiber when the water expansion member expands, and detecting the ingress of water from the transmission loss. (For example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

There is also a method of arranging water detection conductors at different heights on the side surface of the closure, exposing terminals conducting with the conductors on the outer surface of the closure, and detecting inundation inside the closure by electrical conduction between the terminals (for example). Patent Document 3).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-19814 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-136109 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-75348

However, the method of detecting inundation by the alarm line as in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is to detect that some closures are inundated in the base station. For this reason, it is not easy to identify which closure is flooded at the site. For example, an inundation detector can grasp a rough inundation location, but if a large number of closures are installed within a relatively narrow range, it will surely identify one closure with inundation. It's difficult to do.

Further, in the method of inspecting the continuity between terminals for each closure as in Patent Document 3, it takes time to inspect the inundation of many closures. Further, since the terminals are exposed, accurate inspection may be difficult due to corrosion or dirt on the terminals.

Further, the shape of the closure used also differs depending on the manufacturer and the like. Therefore, a special method such as providing a terminal on the side surface of the closure cannot be applied to the existing closure.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a closure or the like having a simple structure and capable of easily detecting the intrusion of water into the closure. ..

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first invention is a closure used for a cable connection portion, which is arranged inside the sleeve and the sleeve, and generates an electromotive force by water that has entered the inside of the sleeve. A water battery and a notification device connected to the water battery and activated by the electromotive force of the water battery are provided. The water battery is installed under the cable connection portion, and when the notification device is activated, the closure is provided. It is a radio wave transmitter that transmits radio waves to the outside of the above, and the water battery has a configuration in which thin sheet-shaped members are laminated, and ID information that can identify the closure in the radio waves transmitted from the radio wave transmitter. It is a closure characterized by superimposing .

The notification device may include an IC writer and an IC chip, the IC writer may be activated by the electromotive force of the water battery, and the activation history may be recorded in the IC chip.

According to the first invention, since the notification device is activated by using the flooded water as an electromotive force, the intrusion of water can be easily detected. Further, since the water battery and the notification device may be housed inside the closure, it is not necessary to use a special closure, and it can be applied to the existing closure.

Further, if the notification device is a radio wave transmitter, it is not necessary to measure the continuity of the terminal for each closure, and the operator can easily identify the inundated closure while moving along the cable line. Can be done.

Further, by leaving a history of inundation in the IC chip, it is possible to easily confirm the presence or absence of inundation even from outside the closure by the IC reader. Further, for example, even after the water battery is exhausted, it is possible to grasp after the fact when the water was flooded.

The second invention comprises the closure according to the first invention and a cable partially inserted into the sleeve, wherein the cable comprises an alarm line, and the alarm line provides the inside of the sleeve. It is a cable laying structure characterized in that information infiltrated into the base station can be transmitted to the base station.

According to the second invention, an inundation detecting means for detecting inundation at a base station and an inundation detecting means for identifying which closure is inundated at the site are used in combination with respect to the entire length of the cable line. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the inundation more efficiently and deal with it.

A third aspect of the present invention is a method for detecting inundation of water inside a closure used for a cable connection portion, wherein the closure is arranged inside the sleeve and the sleeve, and is generated by water that has entered the inside of the sleeve. The water battery is provided with a water battery that generates the water battery and a notification device that is connected to the water battery and is activated by the electromotive force of the water battery. The water battery is installed at the lower part of the cable connection portion, and the notification device is activated. Then, it is a radio wave transmitter that transmits radio waves to the outside of the closure, and the water battery has a configuration in which each thin sheet-shaped member is laminated, and the closure can be specified by the radio waves transmitted from the radio wave transmitter. It is a method for detecting inundation inside the closure, which comprises superimposing ID information and detecting the presence or absence of inundation inside the sleeve by grasping the activation of the notification device from the outside of the sleeve. be.

According to the third invention, since the notification device is activated by using the flooded water as an electromotive force, the intrusion of water can be easily detected.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a closure or the like having a simple structure and capable of easily detecting the intrusion of water into the closure.

The plan view of the closure 1 in the cable laying structure 10. The plan view which shows the state which the sleeve 5a was removed. It is sectional drawing of closure 1, and is the sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

Hereinafter, closure 1 and the like according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an external plan view showing the closure 1 in the cable laying structure 10, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a state in which the sleeve 5a is removed and opened. Further, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. Note that FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which water 17 has infiltrated into the closure 1.

In the cable laying structure 10, a plurality of cables 3 are connected, and a connecting portion 11 between the cables 3 is housed inside the closure 1. The cable 3 is housed and laid in, for example, a trough arranged along a railroad track, and is connected to a base station (not shown). The cable 3 may be an optical fiber cable or a metal communication cable. Further, the connection portion 11 of the cable 3 includes not only the connection between the cables 3 but also the branch portion.

As shown in FIG. 3, the closure 1 used for the connection portion 11 of the cable 3 is mainly composed of sleeves 5a and 5b, an end face plate 9, a connection portion 11, a water battery 13, a notification device 15, and the like.

The sleeves 5a and 5b are combined vertically to form a substantially cylindrical shape. Packing or the like (not shown) is provided on the mating surface with the sleeves 5a and 5b to prevent water and the like from entering through the gaps between the sleeves 5a and 5b. The sleeves 5a and 5b are made of known sleeve materials such as those made of resin or metal.

End face plates 9 are provided at both ends of a substantially cylindrical shape (direction in which the cable 3 is introduced / taken out) in which the sleeves 5a and 5b are combined. The end face plate 9 is, for example, a columnar rubber member, and a hole or a thin-walled portion through which the cable 3 is inserted is formed in the center thereof. The outer circumference of the end face plate 9 is in close contact with the mating surfaces of the sleeves 5a and 5b. Therefore, the end face plate 9 is sealed at the contact portion with the cable 3 and the contact portion with the sleeves 5a and 5b, and the closure 1 is kept watertight. A rubber blocking plug 7 is arranged inside the cable 3 to ensure watertightness.

A connection portion 11 is arranged inside the sleeves 5a and 5b (closure 1). Although not shown, the connection portion 11 is a portion where the core wires and the like constituting the cable 3 are electrically or optically connected and held, respectively. The number and arrangement of the cables 3 are not limited to the illustrated examples, and the sleeves 5a and 5b may accommodate at least the connection portions 11 between the pair of cables 3.

The cable 3 includes an alarm line 19. The alarm wire 19 is, for example, a pair of coated conductors, and the inundation detection unit 21 removes a part of the coating to expose the conductors. Therefore, when there is inundation inside the sleeves 5a and 5b, the conductors of the alarm wires 19 are electrically connected to each other, and the inundation can be detected.

The alarm line 19 may be an optical fiber cable. In this case, the inundation may be detected by arranging the water expansion member in the inundation detection unit 21, bending the optical fiber cable by the expansion of the water expansion member at the time of inundation, and detecting the transmission loss. Further, the dry air may be made to flow into the cable 3, a constant gas pressure may be supplied, and a signal indicating that the gas pressure has decreased may be transmitted by the gas pressure sensor.

As described above, the alarm line 19 detects that water has infiltrated into the sleeves 5a and 5b, and the inundation information can be transmitted to a remote base station. In this case, the base station can identify, for example, the fact of inundation and a rough location. The alarm line 19 is not always necessary.

The water battery 13 is arranged on the bottom surface inside the sleeves 5a and 5b (the upper surface of the sleeve 5b). In the water battery 13, for example, activated carbon containing a salt is arranged between magnesium and carbon, and when water permeates the activated carbon, magnesium and carbon are ionized to obtain electromotive force. The configuration of the water battery 13 is not limited as long as it can generate an electromotive force by contact with water.

The water battery 13 is preferably in the form of a thin sheet so that even a slight inundation can be detected. That is, it is desirable that the water battery 13 is configured by laminating sheet-shaped members. By making the water battery 13 into a thin sheet, it is easy to arrange it in the gap even if it is an existing closure, and even when the water level is low, the water battery 13 can be submerged to generate an electromotive force.

A notification device 15 is connected to the water battery 13 via an electric wire. The notification device 15 is a device that is activated by the water battery 13 and notifies the outside of the sleeves 5a and 5b that there is water ingress. For example, the notification device 15 is a radio wave transmitter that starts when power is supplied and generates a predetermined radio wave. The notification device 15 is arranged, for example, on the upper portion (lower surface of the sleeve 5a) inside the sleeves 5a and 5b. If the notification device 15 is waterproof, it may be installed below the inside of the sleeves 5a and 5b.

Next, a method of detecting inundation into the closure using the closure 1 will be described. As described above, the notification device 15 is a radio wave transmitter. In this case, when water infiltrates into the sleeves 5a and 5b, the water battery 13 generates an electromotive force due to the infiltrated water, and the electromotive force of the water battery 13 activates the notification device 15. When the notification device 15 is activated, it transmits a predetermined radio wave to the outside of the closure 1. That is, when it is detected that water has entered the sleeves 5a and 5b, the notification device 15 can transmit a predetermined radio wave to the outside of the closure 1.

The operator can receive the radio wave which is the inundation information by using the receiver for receiving the radio wave. For example, by checking the presence or absence of radio waves, which are inundation information, while moving along the cable line of the cable 3, it is possible to grasp the presence or absence of inundation for each closure 1. That is, by grasping the activation of the notification device 15 from the outside of the sleeves 5a and 5b, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of water intrusion into the sleeves 5a and 5b.

The radio wave transmitted by the notification device 15 does not need to extend over a wide range, and may extend around the closure 1 to the extent that the adjacent closure 1 and the closure 1 can be discriminated from each other. If the radio waves are widespread, it will be difficult to identify the inundated closure 1. Further, when a strong radio wave is emitted, more electric power is consumed, so that the water battery 13 is consumed faster. ID information that can identify the closure 1 may be superimposed on the radio wave.

According to the present embodiment, since the water battery 13 is used for inundation detection, it is possible to activate the notification device 15 by exerting an electromotive force only when there is inundation. Therefore, as compared with the case of using a normal battery, for example, deterioration due to natural discharge is small, and inundation can be detected for a long period of time.

Further, by forming the water battery 13 into a sheet shape, it can be easily installed in the lower part of the connection portion 11 inside the closure 1 and does not take up space. Therefore, it can be easily applied to an existing closure without using a special closure.

Further, since the notification device 15 is a radio wave transmitter, it is possible to grasp the inundation inside the closure 1 from the outside without contact. Therefore, the workability is good, and the operator can grasp the presence or absence of inundation from the outside of the closure 1 only by moving along the cable line together with the receiver.

Further, when used in combination with the conventional alarm line, it is possible to detect inundation in a rough place by the alarm line and easily identify which closure 1 is inundated at the site.

Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment has a different configuration of the notification device 15 from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the notification device 15 has an IC writer and an IC chip.

When water comes into contact with the water battery 13 and an electromotive force is generated, the IC writer is activated. The IC writer records, for example, date and time information on an IC chip. That is, the activation history of the notification device 15 such as the date and time when the inundation was detected is recorded on the IC chip.

The IC chip is arranged on the inner surface of the sleeve 5a. The information recorded on the IC chip can be read by the IC writer from the outside of the sleeve 5a. Therefore, the operator can read the information of the IC chip by holding the IC writer over each closure 1 while moving along the cable 3. That is, the presence or absence of inundation can be grasped by checking the information recorded on the IC chip and checking whether or not the inundation information is added.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, even after the water battery 13 generates an electromotive force after detecting the inundation and the battery is exhausted, it is possible to grasp the presence or absence of the inundation after the fact.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, the technical scope of the present invention does not depend on the above-described embodiments. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified examples or amended examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and naturally, they are also within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs to.

For example, the notification device 15 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The notification device 15 may be another embodiment as long as it is possible to notify the outside of the presence or absence of inundation inside without opening the closure 1. For example, as the notification device 15, a light source may be used to notify the inundation by light, or a vibrator or a sound source may be used to notify the inundation by sound.

Further, it may be possible to detect not only the presence or absence of inundation but also the inundation level. For example, the water batteries 13 may be stacked in a plurality of layers, and each water battery 13 may be connected to a separate notification device 15 to change the notification content. Alternatively, the notification content (inundation information) by the notification device 15 may be changed depending on the magnitude of the electromotive force of the water battery 13.

Further, the water battery 13 does not have to be arranged on the bottom surface of the closure 1. For example, they may be arranged in the vicinity of the water infiltration portion such as the mating portion of the sleeves 5a and 5b and the inside of the end face plate 9.

1 ………… Closure 3 ………… Cable 5a, 5b ………… Sleeve 7 ………… Blocking plug 9 ………… End face plate 10 ………… Cable laying structure 11 ………… Connection 13 ………… Water battery 15 …… …… Notification device 17 ………… Water 19 ………… Alarm line 21 ………… Inundation detector

Claims (4)

A closure used for cable connections
With a sleeve
A water battery that is arranged inside the sleeve and generates an electromotive force by the water that has entered the inside of the sleeve.
A notification device connected to the water battery and activated by the electromotive force of the water battery,
Equipped with
The water battery is installed at the bottom of the cable connection portion, and the notification device is a radio wave transmitter that emits radio waves to the outside of the closure when activated .
The water battery has a structure in which thin sheet-shaped members are laminated.
A closure characterized by superimposing ID information that can identify the closure on a radio wave transmitted from the radio wave transmitter . The notification device further includes an IC writer and an IC chip, and the IC writer is activated by the electromotive force of the water battery, and the activation history is recorded in the IC chip. The closure described in . The closure according to claim 1 or 2 ,
A cable that is partly inserted into the sleeve,
Equipped with
The cable is provided with an alarm line, and the cable laying structure is characterized in that information that water has entered the inside of the sleeve can be transmitted to the base station by the alarm line. It is a method of detecting inundation inside the closure used for the cable connection.
The closure is
With a sleeve
A water battery that is arranged inside the sleeve and generates an electromotive force by the water that has entered the inside of the sleeve.
A notification device connected to the water battery and activated by the electromotive force of the water battery,
Equipped with
The water battery is installed at the bottom of the cable connection portion, and the notification device is a radio wave transmitter that emits radio waves to the outside of the closure when activated.
The water battery has a structure in which thin sheet-shaped members are laminated.
ID information that can identify the closure is superimposed on the radio wave transmitted from the radio wave transmitter.
A method for detecting inundation inside a closure, which comprises detecting the presence or absence of inundation inside the sleeve by grasping the activation of the notification device from the outside of the sleeve.

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