JP7465189B2 - Method and system for inspecting air outlets - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an inspection method and inspection system for measuring the air volume of each air outlet when performing a trial run or adjustment of the air conditioning after construction of the air conditioning equipment.

In buildings that primarily contain rooms, such as office buildings, commercial facilities, and hospitals, or in industrial buildings such as factories, and in various other types of buildings, air conditioning vents (air outlets or intakes) may be installed on the ceiling. When air conditioning equipment construction (new construction or renovation) is carried out in such buildings and new air vents are installed on the ceiling, a performance test must be carried out before the building is handed over to the client to check whether each vent is blowing a sufficient amount of air and whether the air being blown out is at an appropriate temperature.

Traditionally, much of this inspection work has been done manually. That is, with the air conditioner running, a stepladder or similar would be set up below the air vents in the ceiling, and an operator would climb up onto it and place a measuring hood over the vents, measuring and recording the air volume and other data below the vents. This work would be done for each vent in turn.

This type of work is tedious, requiring repeated movement and climbing up and down ladders, attaching and detaching hoods, and operating sensors for each air vent. In particular, in high-rise buildings and other buildings where the area in which air vents are installed is large, the amount of work required for inspections is enormous, which can be extremely time-consuming and prolong the construction period. Furthermore, inspections are often performed in pairs, with one person operating the hoods and sensors and taking measurements, and the other person recording the reported values, which increases labor costs, and the more work that must be done by hand, the greater the possibility of human error.

In recent years, various technologies have been proposed to mechanically substitute for or assist in the measurement and recording of air volume, etc., as in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below. Patent Document 1 describes a technology that uses image processing to detect the presence of an air outlet, and automatically moves a robot to the location of the outlet to measure the air volume and temperature. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that uses an aircraft (a so-called drone) to transport a wind-collecting hood to a ceiling air outlet and measure the air volume and temperature.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-149363 JP 2018-91684 A

However, the method using image processing as described in Patent Document 1 above recognizes the air outlet based on its shape pattern, so there is a lack of reliability in identifying the air outlet. Typically, a single room or floor has multiple air outlets with the same shape, so there is a possibility of malfunction, such as measuring an air outlet that has already been measured once again.

In addition, in the method using flying means as described in Patent Document 2, a guidance camera must be installed for each air outlet to be measured, and the installation of the camera requires a great deal of effort and cost, as well as the effort and cost of securing workers skilled in operating the flying means. Furthermore, when measuring with a drone, hovering using propellers is necessary to keep the drone near the measurement target, but this creates a strong air current near the measurement target, attracting the surrounding air, making it difficult to measure the air volume accurately.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide an inspection method and system for air vents that can easily and efficiently inspect air conditioner vents.

The present invention relates to an inspection method for an air vent, which uses an inspection device equipped with a measurement unit including a hood that is placed under the air vent during measurement and collects air blown out from above or sucked in from below, a sensor that is attached inside the hood and performs measurements related to the air vent, a lifting unit that is equipped with a lifter and supports the measurement unit so that it can be raised and lowered, and a lifting detection unit that detects the degree of lifting and lowering of the lifting unit, and during measurement, the lifter of the inspection device located under the air vent is raised, the hood is stopped below the air vent for a predetermined time, and then the lifter is lowered, and the sensor continues measurement at least from before the hood stops below the air vent due to the lifting operation of the lifter until the hood leaves the air vent due to the lowering operation of the lifter, and measurement data obtained by the sensor while the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range is extracted, and this is used as measurement data for the relevant air vent.

In the air vent inspection method of the present invention, the measurement data obtained while the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range, excluding the data at the first and last points in time, can be treated as the measurement value for the corresponding air vent.

In the air vent inspection method of the present invention, the inspection device is equipped with a light irradiation device that irradiates light toward the ceiling as an alignment unit, and during measurement, the hood can be positioned directly below the air vent using the irradiation position of the light on the ceiling as a guide, and then the lifter can be raised.

In the air intake inspection method of the present invention, at least the air volume can be measured using the sensor.

The present invention also relates to an inspection system for air vents that is configured to be able to execute the above-mentioned inspection method for air vents.

The air vent inspection system of the present invention is configured to transmit the measurement data acquired by the sensor to the outside, and can include an analysis unit that extracts measurement data for the period when the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range from the measurement data acquired by the sensor and transmitted to the outside, and sets the measurement data as measurement data related to the corresponding air vent.

In the air vent inspection system of the present invention, the inspection device is configured to transmit measurement data to a network connected via a communication unit, the analysis unit is provided within the network, and external hardware that can access the analysis unit is connected to the network, the external hardware uploads templates to the analysis unit, the analysis unit writes data into the templates, and the external hardware can be configured to download the form data in which the data has been written into the templates by the analysis unit.

In the air vent inspection system of the present invention, the lifting detection unit includes at least one of a limit switch and an optical range finder height sensor, and can be configured to use the lifter height detected by the lifting detection unit to identify measurement data while the lifter height is within a specified range.

The air vent inspection method and system of the present invention can provide the excellent effect of easily and efficiently inspecting air conditioner air vents.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration of an air vent inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of an inspection device for an air vent used in implementing the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the inspection device in use. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an arrangement of air intakes. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing how an inspection device is aligned with an air vent. 10 is a graph showing an example of a change in air volume value acquired for each air intake port. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure on the measurement side of an air vent inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure on the recording side of an air vent inspection method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 shows an example of an inspection system for air vents according to the present invention. The inspection system of this embodiment uses an inspection device 1 equipped with the equipment necessary for inspecting air vents, such as a hood and a sensor, and is designed to be used, for example, after air conditioning installation work has been completed in a building, when test-running the air conditioning equipment and conducting performance inspections and adjustments.

The inspection device 1 is configured to be manually moved over the floor by a worker performing the measurement work, and is configured to perform measurement operations on the air vents in response to the worker's operation input. The worker moves the inspection device 1 to the position of each air vent in the area where the air vents are installed on the ceiling, and performs measurements for each air vent. The inspection device 1 also transmits the acquired measurement data to the outside, and an analysis unit 8a installed outside the inspection device 1 sequentially analyzes and records the measurement data transmitted from the inspection device 1. The specific procedures for measurement and data recording/analysis will be described in detail later.

An example of the configuration of the inspection device 1 is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The inspection device 1 is equipped with a cart unit 2 that is configured to be movable on a floor surface, a lifting unit 3 provided on the cart unit 2, a measuring unit 4 provided on the upper part of the lifting unit 3, and an operating unit 11 that controls the operation of each unit.

The cart section 2 is configured as a hand cart with wheels 2b on the bottom of the seat 2a and a handle 2c on one side of the seat 2a.

The lifting unit 3 is a mechanism that supports the measuring unit 4 on the cart unit 2 and raises and lowers the measuring unit 4, and is equipped with a lifter 3a that expands and contracts vertically, with the measuring unit 4 attached to the top of the lifter 3a. The mechanism of the lifter 3a can be a pantograph jack-like structure or a hydraulic lifting mechanism, but any mechanism can be used as long as it can support the measuring unit 4 so that it can be raised and lowered.

The lifting/lowering unit 3 is equipped with limit switches 3b, 3c and a height sensor 3d as a lifting/lowering detection unit that detects the degree of lifting/lowering of the lifting/lowering unit 3 (the degree of extension/contraction of the lifter 3a). Here, the lifting/lowering detection unit may use a sheet-type switch or a sheet-type pressure sensor instead of the limit switches 3b, 3c, or may use other detection means. The height sensor 3d is also not limited to the example, and other detection means may be used. Furthermore, the lifting/lowering detection unit is equipped with at least one of the limit switches 3b, 3c and the height sensor 3d, and may use either one alone, such as the limit switches 3b, 3c or the height sensor 3d, or may use a combination of them.

The upper limit switch 3b is attached to the upper end of the hood 4a of the measuring unit 4, which will be described later, and is designed to detect that the hood 4a has come into contact with an object (in this case, the ceiling or an air vent) when the hood 4a is raised (when the lifter 3a extends) by inputting a signal to the limit switch 3b. In the case of an upper sheet-type switch or sheet-type pressure sensor, it is positioned and acts in the same way as the upper limit switch 3b, and is designed to detect that the hood 4a has come into contact with an object (in this case, the ceiling or an air vent).

The lower limit switch 3c is provided on one of the opposing upper and lower surfaces of the lifter 3a (on the upper side in the example shown here), and when the lifter 3a is lowered (when the lifter 3a is retracted), an input to the limit switch 3c is received to detect that the lifter 3a has fully retracted.

The height sensor 3d is, for example, an optical distance meter attached to the upper end side of the lifter 3a, and is configured to irradiate detection waves such as infrared rays to a reflector attached to the upper surface of the seat 2a of the cart section 2 located below, detect the reflected waves, and determine the height of the sensor itself relative to the seat 2a. Although not shown in the figure, the height sensor 3d may be attached in a direction that irradiates detection waves upward, and measure the distance from the ceiling during measurements described below. In addition, various mechanisms other than the limit switches 3b, 3c and height sensor 3d described here can be used as the elevation detection section.

The measurement unit 4 is equipped with a duct-like hood 4a that narrows downward as shown in FIG. 2, and a sensor provided at an appropriate position within the hood 4a. During measurement, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 3, the hood 4a is placed below the air vent 10 so that the upper opening of the hood 4a faces the air vent 10 above. When the air vent 10 is an outlet, the conditioned air blown downward from the air vent 10 is collected within the hood 4a. When the air vent 10 is an intake, the indoor air sucked into the air vent 10 from below is collected within the hood 4a. Within the hood 4a, the collected air is measured by the sensor.

The items measured by the measuring unit 4 vary depending on the type of sensor, but in this embodiment, the sensors are a pressure sensor 4b and a temperature sensor 4c, and the pressure sensor 4b obtains the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the hood 4a, and the air volume can be measured by calculating this pressure difference value. The temperature sensor 4c can measure the temperature of the air collected by the hood 4a. Note that the items to be measured and the type of sensor used for this purpose can be changed depending on the conditions when implementing the present invention, but it is advisable to configure the inspection device 1 so that it can at least measure the air volume.

In addition, the four corners of the upper end of the lifter 3a to which the base side of the hood 4a is attached are provided with light irradiation devices 3e as alignment units that detect the position of the hood 4a relative to the air intake. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, four light irradiation devices 3e are provided in positions surrounding the hood 4a in a plan view, and each of them is designed to irradiate laser light upward. By visually observing this irradiated light, the position of the hood 4a relative to the ceiling in a plan view can be detected. The procedure for alignment using the alignment units (light irradiation devices 3e) will be described later.

The operation unit 11 is a part that inputs operation commands to each part of the inspection device 1, and is configured, for example, as a touch panel display. The operation commands input to the operation unit 11 are input as command signals to the control unit 5, which will be described next, and the control unit 5 executes the operation of each part based on these command signals. Note that while FIG. 2 illustrates a form in which the operation unit 11 is attached to the handle 2c of the cart unit 2, the attachment position of the operation unit 11 is not limited to this, and the operation unit 11 may be provided anywhere as long as the inspection device 1 can be operated appropriately. Alternatively, the operation unit 11 may be carried by the worker performing the measurement work.

The control unit 5 is a control device (PLC) that controls the operation of each component of the inspection device 1, and for example, inputs an operation signal to the drive motor of the lifter 3a in response to a command signal input from the operation unit 11, thereby raising and lowering the lifter 3a.

The control unit 5 receives detection signals from the limit switches 3b and 3c attached to the lifter 3a and a value related to the height of the lifter 3a detected by the height sensor 3d as elevation degree data, and the control unit 5 raises and lowers the lifter 3a according to this elevation degree data. The procedure for the elevation operation during measurement will be explained later.

The light irradiation device 3e can also be switched on and off by the control unit 5 in response to an operation signal input from the operation unit 11. In addition, the control unit 5 can be configured to perform various operations of each part of the inspection device 1 as necessary.

The control unit 5 is also connected to external devices via the communication unit 6, and converts signals input from sensors such as the pressure sensor 4b, temperature sensor 4c, limit switches 3b and 3c, and height sensor 3d as appropriate, and outputs the signals to the outside as analog or digital measurement data suitable for external output. In this embodiment, the communication unit 6 is configured to be able to communicate with the network 8 via the gateway device 7.

The cloud in the network 8 is provided with an analysis unit 8a that analyzes the measurement data acquired from the inspection device 1. The analysis unit 8a has a function for calculating various measurement data, and can calculate an air volume value based on, for example, the differential pressure value sequentially input from the pressure sensor 4b, a correction value according to the air temperature measured by the temperature sensor 4c, and the cross-sectional area of the hood 4a that has been input in advance. The acquired measurement data and the data calculated from it are recorded in a memory unit 8b in the analysis unit 8a as a database organized in chronological order.

Also connected to the network 8 is a terminal device 9, which is an information processing device such as a personal computer or a touch panel tablet. The terminal device 9 is external hardware provided separately from the inspection device 1. The terminal device 9 can access the analysis unit 8a in the network 8 and the control unit 5 of the inspection device 1, and can refer to data acquired by the pressure sensor 4b and temperature sensor 4c and data analyzed and recorded by the analysis unit 8a as necessary, and can exchange data with the control unit 5. It is preferable that there are multiple terminal devices 9, one of which is a tablet or smartphone that can be installed in the upper part of the handle 2c in FIG. 2.

Various templates are stored in advance in the terminal device 9. When at least some of these templates are uploaded to the network 8 so that they can be accessed by the analysis unit 8a, the analysis unit 8a automatically writes data acquired from the inspection device 1 and data obtained by analyzing the data to the uploaded templates. The terminal device 9 can download the data written by the analysis unit 8a and use it as form data. The division of functions related to the creation of form data is not limited to the above example. For example, a part or all of the database recorded in the analysis unit 8a may be downloaded to the terminal device 9, and the data may be written to a template in the terminal device 9 to create a form. Alternatively, the template may be stored in advance on the analysis unit 8a side, and the analysis unit 8a may be configured to automatically write the acquired data to the template, and the terminal device 9 may simply download the template with the data written therein as a form. Alternatively, the terminal device 9 may have the entire functions of the analysis unit 8a, such as data acquisition, analysis, and recording (the analysis unit may be provided in the terminal device 9, or the terminal device 9 may be configured as the analysis unit). Furthermore, the configuration of the inspection device 1 and other parts of the inspection system are not limited to the examples shown here. For example, the communication unit 6 may be configured as part of the inspection device 1, or conversely, the control unit 5 may be installed physically separate from the inspection device 1 and connected wirelessly to the cart unit 2 and the lifting unit 3. Alternatively, the terminal device 9 may be directly connected to the communication unit 6 and the control unit 5 without going through the network 8. In addition, the configuration of the inspection device and the inspection system may be changed as appropriate as long as the necessary functions of each unit can be realized.

Note that relays, indicators, indicating regulators, etc. can be incorporated into each part of the system shown in Figure 1 as necessary, but they are not shown here.

Next, we will explain the operation of this embodiment.

In the area to be measured, multiple air intakes 10 are installed on the ceiling (see FIG. 4; four air intakes 10A-10D are shown here). Once the inspection device 1 is placed in this target area, the control unit 5 of the inspection device 1 is temporarily connected to the operation unit 11 or the terminal device 9, which is external hardware, and various settings related to the target area are made through input from there. Items to be set include, for example, the ceiling height of the target area, the number of measurement targets (air intakes 10) in the target area, the name of the measurement area, the waiting time (t) required for measurement, the initial value of the measurement number (a number that is counted up for each measurement and assigned to each air intake 10 to identify the air intake 10), the air volume setting value linked to the measurement number, etc.

Once the setup is complete, place the inspection device 1 under the air vent 10 to be measured, and then align the inspection device 1 with the air vent 10.

As described above, the light irradiation device 3e is attached to an appropriate position of the inspection device 1 (in the example shown here, around the hood 4a on the lifter 3a of the lifting unit 3) so as to irradiate laser light vertically upward. When the light irradiation device 3e is turned on, the laser light emitted from the light irradiation device 3e is irradiated to the ceiling, for example, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5. Since the hood 4a is located below the center of the area surrounded by these irradiation lights, the worker moves the cart unit 2 using the irradiation position of the irradiation light on the ceiling as a guide, and aligns the position of the hood 4a directly below the target air vent 10. In other words, the position of the cart unit 2 is adjusted so that the air vent 10 is located in the center of the area surrounded by the irradiation light. Note that here, the case is illustrated in which laser light is irradiated in a dot shape from each of the four light irradiation devices 3e arranged to surround the hood 4a, but as long as the hood 4a can be appropriately aligned with the air vent 10, the number and arrangement of the light irradiation devices 3e, the shape of the irradiation light, etc. may be any number or arrangement.

After the alignment is completed, a command to start measurement is input to the operation unit 11. When the control unit 5 receives the measurement start signal, it operates the drive motor of the lifter 3a in the upward direction (upward) and stops it when the hood 4a reaches a position suitable for measurement below the air intake 10. Whether the hood 4a is at an appropriate height or the lifter 3a has been extended to an appropriate height may be visually determined by an operator, for example, and an operation to stop the lifter 3a may be input to the operation unit 11 at an appropriate timing, but it is convenient to configure the control unit 5 to grasp this using the limit switch 3b or height sensor 3d, which are the lifting and lowering detection units, and to automatically operate the degree of lifting and lowering of the lifter 3a accordingly. In other words, when the height of the lifter 3a acquired as the detection value of the height sensor 3d reaches a set threshold value or when the upper limit switch 3b detects contact, the control unit 5 may automatically stop the lifting operation of the lifter 3a. At this time, the threshold value may be a value calculated based on the ceiling height input in step S1.

When a command to start measurement is input, the control unit 5 outputs the measurement values acquired from various sensors, such as the pressure sensor 4b, temperature sensor 4c, and height sensor 3d, to the communication unit 6. This signal output continues until measurement for at least one air vent 10 is completed. The output data is sent from the communication unit 6 to the network 8 and recorded sequentially in the analysis unit 8a.

Here, if the height sensor 3d is configured to irradiate the irradiation wave upward, opposite to that in Fig. 2, the height sensor 3d detects the distance from the ceiling located above, rather than the height from the cart section 2 below. In this case, for example, if the height sensor 3d is attached at the height of the base end of the hood 4a, the drive motor of the lifter 3a can be stopped when the distance to the object (i.e., the ceiling) detected by the height sensor 3d matches the height of the hood 4a, or when the limit switch 3b detects contact.

After the lifter 3a stops ascending, the hood 4a is stopped below the air vent 10 for a predetermined time, and measurements are continued by the sensors 4b and 4c. The control unit 5 then operates the drive motor of the lifter 3a in the descending direction (downward) to retract the lifter 3a. The time for which the lifter 3a is stopped with the hood 4a supported below the air vent 10 is the standby time t that was input to the control unit 5 during the previous settings.

As described later, the analysis unit 8a obtains the airflow value of the air vent 10 from the time series data of the measured values of the pressure sensor 4b obtained at each logging cycle, or/and from the average value of the measured value data of the points extracted as the measurement data of the corresponding air vent. After the lifter 3a is retracted, the measured values obtained for the current air vent 10 are checked to determine whether the obtained measured airflow value is within the suitable range by comparing it with the set airflow value associated with the measurement number. For example, when inspecting the airflow, if an airflow above a certain threshold is detected, it is normal, and if the airflow is below the threshold, re-inspection or maintenance is required. Therefore, after one measurement for one air vent 10 is completed, the obtained measured value is checked, and if the value is within the normal range, the measurement for that air vent 10 is terminated, and if an abnormal value is detected, measurement is performed again. For this purpose, the analysis unit 8a compares the obtained measured airflow value with the set airflow value associated with the measurement number to determine whether it is within the suitable range, and if it is outside the set suitable range, an alarm is output to the terminal device 9. If, as a result of performing multiple measurements, no alarm is output to the terminal device 9 and a normal measurement value is detected, then that value is deemed to be the correct measurement value, and the system moves on to the next air vent 10 to be measured. If, even after performing multiple measurements, an abnormal measurement value is detected, then that value is deemed to be the correct measurement value, and the air vent 10 in question requires adjustment or repair, and the system moves on to the next air vent 10. This process is repeated for all air vents 10 to be measured. When measurements have been completed for all air vents 10, transmission of measurement data from the control unit 5 to the communication unit 6 is terminated, and acquisition of the measurement data by the analysis unit 8a is also terminated.

Next, we will explain how the measurement values are determined by each sensor at each air outlet 10.

In the analysis unit 8a, measurement data while the lifter 3a is extended and the hood 4a is in contact with the air outlet 10, as well as measurement data while the lifter 3a is moving up and down, are acquired every moment for each logging period. That is, in this embodiment, measurements by the sensors 4b and 4c are continued at least from before the hood 4a stops below the air outlet 10 due to the lifting operation of the lifter 3a until the hood 4a stops below the air outlet 10 for a predetermined time and then the hood 4a leaves the air outlet 10 due to the lowering operation of the lifter 3a, and the measurement data acquired during that time is transmitted from the inspection device 1 to the analysis unit 8a. The air volume value before and after the measurement of a certain air outlet 10 is calculated based on the measurement value of the pressure sensor 4b, which is a differential pressure sensor, and is acquired as time-series data such as that shown in the graph in FIG. 7, for example.

From these measurement data, first, the measurement data corresponding to the time when the lifter 3a was stopped in a state where it was extended within a predetermined height range is extracted. The "predetermined height range" refers to the height of the lifter 3a at which the hood 4a is in an appropriate position below the air intake 10. For example, if the target height H of the lifter 3a is H = X [mm], the air volume data for the period when X-a ≦ H ≦ X + a is extracted. The time when the lifter 3a was within the predetermined height range (the time when X-a ≦ H ≦ X + a) can be identified by referring to the measurement log of the height sensor 3d and the command log for the extension/retraction operation of the lifter 3a. When the measurement log of the height sensor 3d is used as the basis, it can be specified, for example, as "the time when X-a ≦ (measurement value of the height sensor 3d) + (height of the cart unit 2) ≦ X + a" (when the height sensor 3d is installed to measure the height from the top surface of the cart unit 2), or "the time when (height of the hood 4a) - a ≦ measurement value of the height sensor 3d ≦ (height of the hood 4a) + a" (when the height sensor 3d is installed to measure the distance from the base end of the hood 4a to the ceiling). Here, the height of the lifter 3a is set to a "predetermined range" (X-a ≦ H ≦ X + a) rather than a "predetermined value" (H = X) in order to prevent measurement omissions by allowing a certain degree of swing range for the height of the lifter 3a.

In the example shown in Fig. 6, six points _Q1 to _Q6 are extracted as air volume data for "the time when the lifter 3a was in a predetermined height range". For example, if the logging period for air volume measurement is 5 seconds, the standby time t is 30 seconds, and a normal air volume is being output from the air vent 10 to be measured, then about six points of air volume data are extracted in this manner. The extracted air volume data is the air volume data for the air vent 10 to be measured, and in this manner, the measurement data for the relevant air vent 10 can be easily extracted from the measurement data acquired by the pressure sensor 4b.

Furthermore, in order to ensure accuracy, it is advisable to exclude the data of the first measured point _Q1 and the last measured point _Q6 from the extracted air volume data. These data are data immediately after the lifter 3a is fully extended and immediately before the lifter 3a begins to retract, and the position of the hood 4a is unstable, so there is a possibility that the correct air volume is not reflected. The analysis unit 8a records the data of four points _Q2 to _Q5 , excluding the first and last points, as the air volume data of the air intake 10 to be measured. When recording, the average value of the four points _Q2 to _Q5 may be recorded, or the air volume values of the four points may be recorded as they are. Alternatively, some of the multiple (four) air volume values may be recorded as representative values, or the average value of some values may be recorded. The recorded air volume values of each air intake 10 can be referenced from the terminal device 9 after the measurement is completed or during the measurement.

The calculation and recording of these air volume values can be performed in parallel while measurements are being taken of each air intake vent 10, or a series of data can be stored in the analysis unit 8a and then performed separately after the measurements are completed.

Here, the setting of the waiting time t will be explained. In order to obtain accurate measurements of air volume, etc., it is necessary to perform measurements with the hood 4a in contact with the air outlet 10 for a certain period of time. The waiting time t is the time set for this purpose, and the lifter 3a stops in an extended state for the time set as the waiting time t after the carriage unit 2 stops at the position of the target air outlet 10 and the lifter 3a finishes extending. In particular, when extracting measurement data using the procedure described above, this waiting time t should be at least three times the logging period. If the waiting time t is three times the logging period or more, it is possible to obtain and record data from the measurement data while the lifter 3a is stopped in an extended state, excluding the first and last measurement data.

Note that, although the explanation here has been given using the air volume value as an example, it goes without saying that measurement items other than the air volume value, such as air temperature, can also be recorded in a similar manner (extracting measurement data while the lifter 3a is stopped in the extended position, and recording the measurement data excluding the first and last data as the measurement value for the relevant air vent 10).

The recorded measurement values and other data can be written into various templates as necessary and used as reports on the terminal device 9.

The procedure for inspecting air vents as described above can be organized into a flowchart as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

The inspection work is roughly divided into measurement and recording, and the procedure in the inspection device 1 that performs the measurement is as shown in FIG. 7, for example. First, various settings related to the target area are made to the control unit 5 of the inspection device 1 (step S1). The items to be set are the ceiling height of the target area, the number of air intakes 10 to be measured, the name of the target area, the waiting time t, the measurement number, the air volume setting value linked to the measurement number, the conformity range setting value, etc. Next, the light irradiation device 3e, which is the positioning unit, is turned on (step S2), and the inspection device 1 is moved under the first air intake 10 to perform positioning (step S3). After positioning is completed, the worker inputs a command to start measurement to the operation unit 11 (step S4). The control unit 5 starts outputting the measurement data acquired from each sensor to the communication unit 6 (step S5). When the measurement data is output, it is linked to the currently set measurement number. At the same time, the drive motor of the lifter 3a is operated in the upward direction (step S6).

While continuing the lifting operation of the lifter 3a, the control unit 5 repeatedly determines whether the height of the lifter 3a obtained as the detection value of the height sensor 3d has reached a set threshold value or whether there is an input to the upper limit switch 3b (step S7). Here, the threshold value can be a value calculated based on the ceiling height input in step S1. When the height of the lifter 3a has reached the threshold value or the limit switch 3b has detected contact, the drive motor is stopped (step S8).

With the lifter 3a stopped, the control unit 5 repeatedly determines whether or not the waiting time t has elapsed since the lifting operation was stopped (step S9). When the waiting time t has elapsed, the control unit 5 operates the drive motor of the lifter 3a in the downward direction to retract the lifter 3a (step S10). While continuing the downward operation of the lifter 3a, the control unit 5 repeatedly determines whether or not there is an input to the lower limit switch 3c (step S11). When the limit switch 3c detects contact, the drive motor is stopped (step S12). Since one measurement for one air vent 10 has been completed in steps S6 to S12, the measurement number (a number assigned to each air vent 10 to identify each air vent 10) is counted up (step S13).

At this point, a determination is made as to whether or not to measure the air vent 10 that was previously measured in steps S6 to S12 (step S14). The measurement values obtained in steps S6 to S12 are checked, and if a normal value is detected, the measurement for that air vent 10 is deemed complete, and the process proceeds to step S16. If the measurement value is not within the normal range, the measurement number is counted down (step S15), and steps S6 to S12 are repeated for the same air vent 10.

If a normal measurement value is detected after repeating the measurement multiple times, the process proceeds from step S14 to step S16. If an abnormal measurement value is detected even after a predetermined number of measurements, it can be determined that an abnormal value has been measured for that air vent 10 (the abnormal value is a correct measurement value for that air vent 10, and that air vent 10 requires adjustment or repair), and the process also proceeds to step S16.

In step S16, the control unit 5 stops sending data to the communication unit 6. Next, it is determined whether or not there are any unmeasured air vents 10 among the air vents 10 to be measured in the target area (step S17). If there are no unmeasured air vents 10, the inspection device 1 is turned off (step S18) and the measurement is terminated. If there are unmeasured air vents 10, the inspection device 1 moves to the next air vent 10 and repeats the process from step S3 for that air vent 10.

The procedure for the system that records data during the inspection process is, for example, as shown in Figure 8.

Various settings for data calculation and recording are input in advance to the analysis unit 8a (step S20). What is input here is, for example, which value is to be used among the time series data shown in Fig. 6 in the above-mentioned method of acquiring measured values (which range of data for the time period in which the height of the lifter 3a is in is to be extracted as measured values; that is, the setting of the values of X and a when data is extracted as measured values while the height H of the lifter 3a is X-a≦H≦X+a), how many consecutive pieces of data while the lifter 3a is at a predetermined height are to be extracted as measured values (this is set to N pieces), and further, the threshold value for determining whether the measured value is normal or abnormal (for example, if the threshold value for the air volume value is _Qs , if the measured value is _Qs or more, it is determined to be a normal value, and if it is less than _Qs , it is determined to be an abnormal value), etc.

After the settings of the analysis unit 8a are complete, when the inspection device 1 starts measuring, various measurement data (measurements from the pressure sensor 4b, temperature sensor 4c, height sensor 3d, etc.) are transferred from the control unit 5 to the analysis unit 8a on the network 8 together with the measurement number (step S21; see also FIG. 7, step S5), and the analysis unit 8a acquires this data by linking it to the time (step S22). Here, in the case of this embodiment, the pressure sensor 4b measures the differential pressure value, which is calculated together with the cross-sectional area of the hood 4a in the analysis unit 8a and recorded as an air volume value.

The analysis unit 8a further determines whether the height of the lifter 3a was equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (X-a) when the measurement data acquired in a certain logging cycle was measured (step S23). If it was less than the threshold, the analysis unit 8a acquires the measurement data measured in the next logging cycle (step S22) and performs the same determination on this data (step S23). This is repeated until measurement data is acquired at a time when the height of the lifter 3a is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold (X-a).

When measurement data is first acquired at a time when the height of the lifter 3a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (X-a), that time ( _t1 ) is recorded together with the measurement value (step S24). After time _t1 , while continuing to acquire measurement data (step S25), it is determined whether the height of the lifter 3a was equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value (X-a) at the measurement time of the measurement data (step S26). If it was equal to or greater than the threshold value, measurement data measured in the next logging period is acquired (step S25), and the same determination is made for this (step S26). This is repeated until measurement data is acquired at a time when the height of the lifter 3a is less than the predetermined threshold value (X-a).

After time _t1 , when measurement data is acquired for the first time at a time when the height of the lifter 3a is less than a predetermined threshold value (X-a), the measurement data acquired in the immediately preceding logging period is recorded together with the time ( _t2 ) (step S27). The measurement data between time _t1 and time _t2 is, in other words, the measurement data acquired when the lifter 3a was at a predetermined height or higher below the air vent 10.

Here, as the elevation degree data showing the elevation degree of the lifter 3a, not only the height acquired by the height sensor 3d but also the contact signal detected by the limit switch 3b can be used. In this case, for example, the time when the measurement data of the pressure sensor 4b or the temperature sensor 4c is acquired for the first time after the contact is detected by the limit switch 3b can be set as _t1 , and the time when the measurement data is acquired immediately before the contact is no longer detected can be set as _t2 .

Next, the measurement data acquired between time _t1 and time _t2 are referred to again (step S28), and it is checked whether the height of the lifter 3a was within a predetermined range (X-a≦H≦X+a) at the measurement time of each of these measurement data. The number of measurement data in which the height of the lifter 3a was within the predetermined range is counted, and it is determined whether the number is equal to or greater than a threshold value (N) (step S29). If the number is less than the threshold, the measurement data acquired in steps S22 to S27 up to that point cannot be determined, and is therefore deemed unmeasurable (step S30) and recorded in the database (step S36).

In step S29, if the number of measurement data in which the height of the lifter 3a was within a predetermined range is equal to or greater than the threshold value, N or more measurement data are extracted (step S31), the measurement data at the first and last time points are excluded, and the average value of the measurement values for the remaining measurement data is calculated (step S32). The calculated average value is judged to be normal or not (step S33). In the case of the air volume value, if the calculated average air volume is equal to or greater than the predetermined air volume _Qs , it is normal, and if it is less than _Qs , it is abnormal. The judgment result is output (steps S34, S35), linked to the measurement number, and recorded in the database (step S36). What is recorded here is whether or not the measurement value of the air volume value, etc., for the target air intake 10 is normal, but other data, such as the measured value itself, its average value, the measurement time, etc., may also be recorded. The analysis unit 8a compares the measured value of the obtained air volume value, etc. with the air volume setting value linked to the measurement number to determine whether it is within the suitable range, and compares and calculates the set suitable range to determine whether it is normal, and if it is not, outputs an alarm to the terminal device 9.

After the data has been recorded, it is determined whether the data output from the inspection device 1 is continuing, or whether there is any data output from the inspection device 1 that has not yet been acquired by the analysis unit 8a (step S37). If there is new data or unacquired data, the process returns to step S22 to continue data acquisition and analysis. If there is no new data or unacquired data, data acquisition by the analysis unit 8a is terminated. The data recorded in step S36 can be written into a specified template as necessary and used as a form by the terminal device 9 (step S38). Here, the terminal device 9 may upload an appropriate template to the analysis unit 8a, have the data written therein, and download the template data as form data, or the data downloaded from the analysis unit 8a may be written into a template by the terminal device 9 to use it as form data. In addition, the analysis unit 8a may write data into a template previously stored in the analysis unit 8a, and the data written by the analysis unit 8a may be downloaded to the terminal device 9 as form data.

According to the inspection method or inspection system using the inspection device as described above, the worker only needs to repeat the operation of positioning the inspection device 1 under the air vent 10 and inputting a command to start measurement into the operation unit 11, and the system automatically performs operations such as placing the hood 4a against the air vent 10, measuring with the sensors 4b and 4c, and recording the measured values. The worker performing the inspection does not need to go up and down a stepladder or the like for each air vent 10, or measure and record the results for each air vent 10, which significantly reduces the effort and time required for the inspection. In addition, the number of personnel required for the inspection is at least one person who moves the inspection device 1 and inputs commands into the operation unit 11, which reduces labor costs compared to the conventional method in which one worker was required for each measurement and recording work.

In addition, accurate values can be obtained for the measurement data recorded by the system by referencing the height of the lifter 3a at the time of measurement to extract the data. Linking of each air vent 10 to the measurement data is also performed automatically, which reduces human errors such as mistakes in filling out data. In addition, reports with the measurement results written in them can also be created automatically, which significantly reduces the effort required for data management.

In addition, since the position of the air vent 10 is confirmed by an operator and the inspection device 1 is moved below the air vent 10 each time, there is no risk of measuring an air vent that has already been measured again, unlike the method described in Patent Document 1 above. Also, compared to the method described in Patent Document 2 above, there is no need to install a guidance camera, which reduces costs, and there is no need for operators with special skills such as operating an aerial vehicle.

As described above, in the method for inspecting an air vent in this embodiment, a hood 4a is placed below the air vent 10 during measurement and collects air blown out from above or sucked in from below, a measurement unit 4 equipped with sensors 4b, 4c attached within the hood 4a and performing measurements related to the air vent 10, an elevation unit 3 equipped with a lifter 3a and supporting the measurement unit 4 so that it can be raised and lowered vertically, and an inspection device 1 equipped with elevation detection units 3b to 3d that detect the degree of elevation of the elevation unit 3, and a measurement device 1 is used. The lifter 3a in step 1 is raised, the hood 4a is stopped below the air vent 10 for a predetermined time, and then the lifter 3a is lowered. The sensors 4b and 4c continue measuring at least from before the hood 4a stops below the air vent 10 due to the lifting of the lifter 3a until the hood 4a leaves the air vent 10 due to the lowering of the lifter 3a. From the measurement data acquired by the sensors 4b and 4c, measurement data while the height of the lifter 3a is within a predetermined range is extracted and used as the measurement data for the corresponding air vent 10. In this way, the measurement data for the corresponding air vent 10 can be easily obtained from the measurement data of the sensors 4b and 4c.

In addition, in the method for inspecting air vents in this embodiment, the measurement data obtained while the height of the lifter 3a is within a predetermined range, excluding the data at the first and last points in time, is treated as the measurement value for the corresponding air vent 10. In this way, more accurate measurement values can be easily obtained from the measurement data for the air vent 10.

In the method for inspecting air vents in this embodiment, the inspection device 1 is equipped with a light irradiation device 3e that irradiates light toward the ceiling as an alignment unit, and during measurement, the position of the hood 4a is aligned directly below the air vent 10 using the irradiation position of the light on the ceiling as a guide, and then the lifter 3a is raised. In this way, the inspection device 1 can be easily positioned in a position suitable for measuring the air vent 10.

In the method for inspecting an air intake in this embodiment, at least the air volume is measured using sensors 4b and 4c.

The air vent inspection system of this embodiment is also configured to be able to execute the air vent inspection method described above.

The air vent inspection system of this embodiment is configured to transmit the measurement data acquired by the sensors 4b and 4c to the outside when performing the above-mentioned inspection method, and includes an analysis unit 8a that extracts measurement data while the height of the lifter 3a is within a predetermined range from the measurement data acquired by the sensors 4b and 4c and transmitted to the outside, and sets it as measurement data related to the corresponding air vent 10.

In the air vent inspection system of this embodiment, the inspection device 1 is configured to transmit measurement data to a network 8 connected via a communication unit 6, an analysis unit 8a is provided within the network 8, and external hardware (terminal device) 9 that can access the analysis unit 8a is connected to the network 8, the external hardware 9 uploads templates to the analysis unit 8a, the analysis unit 8a writes data into the templates, and the external hardware 9 is configured to download form data in which the data has been written into the template by the analysis unit 8a. In this way, the measurement data for the corresponding air vent 10 can be easily obtained as a form.

In the air vent inspection system of this embodiment, the lifting detection unit is equipped with at least one of limit switches 3b, 3c and an optical range finder height sensor 3d, and is configured to use the height of the lifter 3a detected by the lifting detection unit to identify measurement data while the height of the lifter 3a is within a specified range.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, inspection of air conditioning vents can be carried out easily and efficiently.

The method and system for inspecting air vents of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Inspection device 3 Lifting unit 3a Lifter 3b Lifting detection unit (limit switch)
3c Lift/lower detector (limit switch)
3d Lifting detection unit (height sensor)
3e Alignment unit (light irradiation device)
4 Measuring unit 4a Hood 4b Sensor (pressure sensor)
4c Sensor (temperature sensor)
6 Communication unit 8 Network 8a Analysis unit 9 External hardware (terminal device)
10. Air outlet

Claims (8)

A measurement unit including a hood that is disposed below the air vent during measurement and collects air blown out from above or sucked in from below, and a sensor that is attached within the hood and performs measurements related to the air vent;
a lifting unit that has a lifter and supports the measurement unit so that the measurement unit can be raised and lowered;
and a lifting/lowering detector for detecting the degree of lifting/lowering of the lifting/lowering unit,
During measurement, the lifter of the inspection device located under the air vent is raised,
After the hood is stopped below the air outlet for a predetermined period of time,
The lifter is lowered,
The sensor continues measurement at least from before the hood stops below the air vent due to the lifting operation of the lifter until the hood leaves the air vent due to the lowering operation of the lifter,
An inspection method for air vents, characterized in that measurement data obtained by the sensor while the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range is extracted and used as measurement data for the corresponding air vent. The method for inspecting an air vent as described in claim 1, characterized in that the measurement data while the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range, excluding the data at the first and last points in time, is treated as the measurement data for the corresponding air vent. The method for inspecting an air vent as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the inspection device is provided with a light irradiation device that irradiates light toward a ceiling as an alignment unit, and during measurement, the position of the hood is aligned directly below the air vent using the irradiation position of the light on the ceiling as a guide, and then the lifter is raised. The method for inspecting an air vent according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least the air volume is measured using the sensor. An inspection system for an air vent configured to execute the inspection method for an air vent described in any one of claims 1 to 4. The measurement data acquired by the sensor is transmitted to an external device.
The air vent inspection system described in claim 5, characterized in that it is characterized by having an analysis unit that extracts measurement data while the height of the lifter is within a predetermined range from the measurement data acquired by the sensor and transmitted to the outside, and sets the measurement data as measurement data related to the corresponding air vent. The inspection device is configured to transmit measurement data to a network connected via a communication unit;
The analysis unit is provided within the network,
external hardware that can access the analysis unit is connected to the network;
The air vent inspection system of claim 6, characterized in that the external hardware is configured to upload a template to the analysis unit, the analysis unit writes data into the template, and the external hardware can download report data in which the data has been written into the template by the analysis unit. The elevation detection unit includes at least one of a limit switch and an optical range finder height sensor,
The air vent inspection system described in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that it is configured to use the lifter height detected by the lifting detection unit to identify measurement data while the lifter height is within a predetermined range.

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