JPH1136255A - Snow melting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically and surely drive a heating means provided on a snow melting tube. SOLUTION: A snow melting tube having a heating means and a drain pump forcedly draining the snow melted water to the outside of a snow melting tank 1 are arranged in the snow melting tank 1 buried in the ground. A snow sensor S detecting that snow is inserted into the snow melting tank 1 and a controller C communicating with the snow sensor S are provided. The heating means can be driven based on the detection signal from the snow sensor S, and the snow sensor S is constituted of a reed switch operated in no contact.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a buried snow melting apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a snow melting tank provided with an openable and closable lid at an upper opening is buried in the ground, and a snow melting cylinder provided with a burner device and an operation unit in the tank, and a pump for draining snow melting water. There is a buried-type snow melting device that houses and arranges.

Some of such snow melting devices are provided with a limit switch type snow sensor, and when snow is applied, the limit switch is turned on to ignite the burner device.

With this configuration, when snow is thrown into the snow melting tank, the burner device ignites and heats the snow melting cylinder, the snow melts due to the heat of the snow melting cylinder, and the melted snow-melting water is drained out of the tank by a drain pump. The water is forcibly drained.

[0005]

However, the following problems still remain in the conventional snow melting apparatus having the above configuration.

That is, the snow melting apparatus is naturally used in a cold region, and when a limit switch is used as a snow sensor, dew condensation or the like attached to the switch may freeze and cause malfunction.

In some cases, the burner device must be ignited once and then urgently stopped. In this case, however, it is difficult to operate the conventional snow melting device immediately since the operating unit is provided in the snow melting tank. Was.

An object of the present invention is to provide a snow melting apparatus which can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a snow melting tank buried under the ground, a snow melting cylinder provided with a heating means, and a snow melting water provided outside the tank. A snow pump that is provided with a drain pump for forcibly draining the snow, wherein a snow sensor for detecting that snow has been introduced and a control unit for communicating with the snow sensor are provided in the snow melting tank, And the snow sensor is constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner.

[0010] Therefore, the heating means can be automatically activated by the introduction of snow, so that usability is improved,
Moreover, since the snow sensor operates in a non-contact manner, there is no possibility that the switch freezes and malfunctions.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the base end of the lid is pivotally attached to the longitudinal side edge of the upper opening of the snow melting tank so that the lid can be opened and closed, and the standing posture is maintained when the lid is opened. In addition, an emergency stop switch is mounted on the front side of the rear surface of the lid, so that the emergency stop switch faces the snow entrance when the lid is opened.

Therefore, the emergency stop switch is located within a range that can be easily reached by the operator, and the operation of the snow melting device can be stopped quickly even in an emergency, thereby improving safety.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A snow melting apparatus according to the present invention includes, in a snow melting tank buried underground, a snow melting cylinder provided with a heating means and a drain pump for forcibly draining snow melting water outside the tank. A snow sensor for detecting that snow has been thrown, and a control unit communicating with the snow sensor, wherein the heating unit is driven based on a detection signal from the snow sensor. In addition, the snow sensor is constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner.

That is, the snowmelt tank can be buried in the ground, and is formed in a box shape with an upper opening defined by a snowmelt chamber accommodating the snowmelt cylinder and a pump chamber accommodating the drainage pump. The snow melting room and the pump room are communicated with each other, and the snow melting water from the snow melting room can be stored in the pump room.

[0015] Further, a burner device having a sufficient thermal power for rapidly melting the snow put into the snow melting chamber is provided as a heating means to the snow melting cylinder disposed in the snow melting chamber.

Further, a snow sensor constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner is provided in the snow melting chamber, and the sensor is connected to the control section to detect that snow has entered the snow melting chamber. Is detected, the burner device is driven based on the detection signal.

As described above, since the snow sensor operates in a non-contact manner, there is no possibility that the switch freezes and malfunctions.

It is desirable that the control unit that communicates with the snow sensor is disposed so as not to come in contact with snow or water during the snow melting operation performed with the lid open. For example, a control room is defined in a snow melting tank. It is preferable to form, house and dispose it, and close it so that snow and water do not enter the control room.

Further, a water level detecting means is provided in the pump chamber,
By communicating this with the control unit, it is also possible to control the start / stop of driving of the drainage pump according to the water level.

A base end of a lid is pivotally attached to a longitudinal side edge of an upper opening of the snow melting tank so as to be openable and closable, and is held upright when the lid is opened. An emergency stop switch is mounted on the front side of the back of the body so that the emergency stop switch faces the snow entrance when the lid is opened.

In consideration of the fact that many workers are right-handed, such an emergency stop switch is desirably mounted on the right front side of the lid so that the switch can be operated quickly in an emergency. Is preferred.

By adopting such a configuration of the snow melting apparatus,
When snow is thrown into the snow melting chamber, the snow sensor detects this and the burner device is driven to melt the snow in contact with the snow melting cylinder, and the melted water flows into the pump chamber.

When the water level rises, based on the water level detected by the water level detecting means, the control unit first drives the shower pump to increase the snow melting efficiency, and when the amount of the snow melt water further increases and reaches the predetermined water level, the drainage is performed. The pump is driven to discharge the snowmelt water out of the tank. During this time, when the emergency stop switch is operated, for example, when a small animal falls in the snow melting tank, the burner device, the drain pump, and the like can be stopped urgently.

As described above, the present snow melting apparatus is easy to use because the snow sensor detects the introduction of snow and automatically ignites the burner apparatus, and the snow sensor uses a reed switch that operates in a non-contact manner. There is no risk of malfunction due to freezing.

Further, by providing the emergency stop switch, the operation of the snow melting device can be stopped quickly even in an emergency, thus improving safety.

[0026]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show a snow melting apparatus A according to this embodiment.
Is shown.

The snow melting apparatus A is a snow melting tank 1 buried underground.
Inside, a snow melting section 2 and a drain section 3 for draining the snow melted in the snow melting section 2 are housed and arranged, and buried in a garden or the like of a general house in a cold region or the like, and the accumulated snow is accumulated. Is poured into the snow melting tank 1 to forcibly melt it and drain it into the sewer so that snow can be removed.

First, the overall configuration of the snow melting tank 1 will be described.

The snow melting tank 1 according to the present embodiment is made of metal, and is formed in a substantially rectangular box with an upper opening as shown in FIG. The pump chamber 14 is formed by being dropped.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the snow melting tank 1 is formed such that the bottom surface 10 has a downward slope from one short side to the other short side. , The first partition wall 4 is erected at a fixed interval from one short side,
A second partition wall 5 is erected at the other end of the shorter side of the boundary with the pump chamber 14, and the inside of the snow melting tank 1 is firstly separated by the first and second partition walls 4,5. The chamber 11 is divided into a chamber 11, a second chamber 12, and a third chamber 13, and the pump chamber 14 is provided below the third chamber 13 so as to protrude downward. Reference numerals 11c and 13c denote inner lids provided above the first chamber 11 and the third chamber 13, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the third chamber 13 is divided into a front space 13a and a rear space 13b by a third partition wall 7, and the front space 13a and the pump chamber 14 are separated from each other. The rear space 13b and the pump chamber 14 communicate directly with each other by cutting off the bottom surface 10 of the snow melting tank 1 while communicating with each other through a communication hole provided in the bottom surface 10 of the snow melting tank 1. Reference numeral 6 denotes a strainer provided in the communication hole.

Further, a rectangular opening 50 and a rectangular opening 51 are provided in the second partition wall 5, a snow melting tube 20 described later is provided, and the second room 12 and a front space 13a forming a snow melting room are connected to each other. Square opening
The second room 12 (snow melting room) and the rear space 13
and b are communicated through the rectangular opening 51. Here, 50a is a lattice body attached to the square opening 50, and 51a is a punching metal attached to the rectangular opening 51.

Therefore, between the second chamber 12 as a snow melting chamber for generating snow melting water and the pump chamber 14, the second chamber 12 → the square opening 50 → the front space 13a → the communication hole (strainer 6) → the pump. A flow path R1 flowing with the chamber 14, a second chamber 12 → a rectangular opening 51 →
The rear space 13b → the sub flow path R2 flowing with the pump chamber 14 is formed.

An L-shaped flange 15 is provided around the upper peripheral side of the snow melting tank 1 so that the lower part can be buried in the ground from the flange 15. An openable and closable lid 17 is attached to the longitudinal edge of 16. Reference numeral 17a denotes a hinge portion of the lid 17, which is attached to the flange 15. 17b is a handle provided on the front edge of the lid 17.

As shown in FIG. 5, between the lid 17 and the snow melting tank 1
As shown in FIG. 7, the lid 17 can be easily opened and closed by interposing the damper device 8, and the standing state of the lid 17 can be maintained when the lid is opened. Reference numeral 17d denotes a lid stopper that restricts the standing posture position of the lid 17 so as not to fall backward from the vertical position.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the damper device 8 is disposed in a damper cover 17c connected to the end of the lid 17 on the side of the first chamber 11, so that the snow thrown in when the lid is opened can be removed. It does not contact the damper device 8.

Next, the snow melting section 2 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the snow-melting section 2 includes a snow-melting cylinder 20 having a rectangular body 20a and a roof 20b having a substantially triangular shape in a side view. And a burner device 21 is connected to one end face of the snow melting cylinder 20 via the first partition wall 4. That is,
A burner device 21 is provided in the first chamber 11 of the snow melting tank 1 described above. F is a burner fan attached to the burner device 21.

Next, the drain section 3 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
A drain pump 30 is disposed in the pump chamber 14, a drain pipe 31 is extended upward from the pump 30, and the tip 31a is exposed to the outside through the side wall of the snow melting tank 1 from the middle, and the snow melts into sewage or the like. Can be forcibly drained.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a natural drainage port 32 is continuously provided on the front space 13a side of the third chamber of the snow melting tank 1 so as to have a rectangular shape from the second chamber 12 serving as the snow melting chamber. Part of the snowmelt flowing into the front space 13a through the opening 50 is a natural drain.
It will be drained outside from 32. On the other hand, the front space 13
Most of the snowmelt water in a is filtered through the above-described strainer 6 and accumulated in the pump chamber 14, and is forcibly drained by the drain pump 30.

The configuration of the snow melting apparatus A having the above-described configuration, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described below.

The gist of the snow melting apparatus A according to the present invention is that the snow melting tank 1 is provided with a snow sensor S for detecting that snow has been thrown, and a control unit C for communicating with the snow sensor S. The burner device 21 serving as the heating means can be driven based on a detection signal from the snow sensor S, and the snow sensor S is constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner.

An emergency stop switch ES is mounted on the front side of the back surface of the lid 17 so that the emergency stop switch ES is opened when the lid is opened.
Another feature is that the ES faces the snow inlet side.

That is, this configuration relates to the operation control of the snow melting device A, particularly to the control of driving / stopping the burner device 21, and will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a control panel as a control unit C is provided in the first chamber 11 of the snow melting tank 1.
As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit C includes a snow sensor S for detecting the entry of snow, and a limit switch LS for detecting the opening and closing of the lid 17 to drive and stop the burner fan F of the burner device 21. , And also communicates with the emergency stop switch ES.

As shown in FIG. 3, the snow sensor S is attached to the first chamber 11 and the second chamber 12 of the snow melting tank 1,
As shown in FIG. 9, the stay 18 a
A lead portion S1 made of a magnetic material and a pedal portion S2 having a base portion rotatably supported on the rear side surface 18 of the snow melting tank 1 are coaxially supported and integrally rotated. Contact part S3, and the tip end side of the pedal part S2 is provided with a spring body S4.
Urges to the pull side. S5 is a stopper for holding the pedal portion S2 at a predetermined angle, and S6 is a stopper for preventing the pedal portion S2 from colliding with the rear side surface 18 of the snow melting tank 1 when receiving snow.

With this configuration, when snow is received by the pedal portion S2, the pedal portion S2 rotates downward by its weight, and is turned on when the lead portion S1 and the contact portion S3 are overlapped. The burner device 21 is ignited by the control unit C receiving the ON signal in the state described above, and combustion is continued unless the ON signal is extinguished. The spring constant of the spring body S4 is determined by the amount of snow (weight) received by the pedal section S2.
It is appropriately determined in consideration of the above.

As described above, since the snow sensor S is constituted by a reed switch that functions in a non-contact manner, it is possible to prevent a contact failure due to freezing even in a low-temperature atmosphere, and to function reliably.

A limit switch LS for detecting the opening and closing of the lid 17 to drive and stop the burner fan F is rotatable about a base on one inner side of the snow melting tank 1 as shown in FIG. The switch body LS1 is mounted on the cover 17 and, as shown in FIG. 5, a claw piece LS2 provided at the tip of a damper cover 17c provided on the lid 17, and when the cover 17 is opened, the claw piece is opened. LS2 flips up the switch body LS1 to switch on and drives the burner fan F, while closing the lid 17, the claw piece LS2 pushes down the switch body LS1 to turn off the switch. Part C
Is the burner fan F and the burner device 21 itself,
The shower pump 23 and the drain pump 30 are turned off.

That is, the snow melting apparatus A according to the present embodiment
In a normal snow melting operation, the lid 17 is opened, the limit switch LS is turned on, the burner fan F is driven to be in a standby state, and when the snow sensor S detects the introduction of snow, the burner device 21 is ignited to melt the snow. Start the limit switch
When the limit switch LS is turned off due to the absence of snow in the pedal section S2 of the LS, the combustion is stopped, the lid 17 is closed, and the drive of the entire apparatus is stopped.

An emergency stop switch ES provided for emergency use
In view of the fact that many workers are right-handed, as shown in FIG. 4, it is a push button type and is mounted on the front right side of the lid 17 so that the switch can be quickly operated in an emergency.

That is, the emergency stop switch ES is mounted on the front right side of the rear surface of the lid 17 so that the switch ES faces the snow inlet when the lid is opened (see FIG. 1).

The emergency stop switch ES has a lid
This corresponds to a state in which the limit switch LS is turned off by closing the switch 17. By operating the switch ES, all functions of the snow melting apparatus A can be stopped.

Therefore, by operating the switch ES, even if a pet or other small animal falls into the snow melting tank 1 during the snow melting work, it can be rescued quickly and the safety is enhanced.

By the way, the snow melting apparatus A according to the present embodiment
In the pump chamber 14 described above, in addition to the drainage pump 30,
A water level detecting means B for snowmelt water and a shower pump 23 for pumping up the snowmelt water and spouting it from the upper part of the snowmelt tank 1 to promote the snowmelt are provided.

Further, the water level detecting means B is constituted by a float B1 attached to each of the shower pump 23 and the drain pump 30, and the drain pump 30 is installed above the shower pump 23 by a certain height H. When the water level reaches a predetermined pump driving height, the shower pump 23
, The drain pump 30 is driven when the water level further rises to the predetermined height H, and the drain pump 30 is further driven by driving the drain pump 30 so that the drain pump 30 is stopped when the water level falls to a predetermined pump stop height. doing.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a central pipe 22a is provided in the vicinity of the lower side of the upper opening 16 of the snow melting tank 1 so as to extend through the upper opening 16, and is arranged along the periphery of the opening. A shower pipe 22 including a peripheral pipe 22b is provided, and a base end of the shower pipe 22 is connected to a shower pump 23 dedicated to a shower juxtaposed in front of a drainage pump 30 in the pump chamber 14. , To improve snow melting efficiency. Reference numeral 22c denotes a large number of ejection holes provided at a predetermined pitch in the shower pipe 22.

In this embodiment, since the central pipe 22a is provided, water can be sprayed on the entire snow melting tank 1, so that the snow melting efficiency is improved, and the cooling effect of the snow melting cylinder 20 is also improved, so that the combustion efficiency is improved. Improved snowmelt efficiency.

Further, the central pipe 22a prevents a human or an animal from falling into the snow melting tank 1 in cooperation with a protective fence 42 described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the water level detecting means B is provided with a float B1 for each of the drain pump 30 and the shower pump 23.
The height of the float B1 is detected, the detected value is converted into an electric signal, and as shown in FIG. 8, it can be input to a control unit C having a CPU, a memory, and the like. 30 is installed at a fixed height H above the shower pump 23. 23a and 30a are the handles of both pumps 23 and 30, 34
Is a platform of the drain pump 30, B2 is a cylinder housing the float B1, and B3 is a signal line communicating with the control unit C.

Therefore, when the snow melting water stored in the pump chamber 14 reaches a predetermined water level, a part thereof
It is sent to the shower pipe 22 by 23 and is blown out toward the snow thrown into the snow melting tank 1 to promote snow melting,
Further, when the water level rises to a certain height H, the drain pump 30 is driven to perform forced drainage.

As described above, in this embodiment, both pumps 23, 3
The difference in installation height between 0 (constant height H) is the same for each pump.
The difference between the drive timings of the pumps 23 and 30 makes it possible to easily detect the water level with a simple configuration and to control the drive of both pumps 23 and 30.

Next, the characteristic configuration of the snow melting tank 20 will be described.

A large number of high-temperature gas outflow holes 24 are provided in the snow melting cylinder 20 according to the present embodiment, and a large number of louvers 25 are covered so as to cover the outflow holes 24 as shown in FIGS. And a hot gas outlet hole provided at the top of the roof 20b
24 is provided with a cover 26.

That is, a large number of high-temperature gas outflow holes 24 are provided in the snow melting cylinder 20 in the same manner as the above-mentioned tank side flue 19a, and further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the outflow holes 24 are covered. As described above, a large number of louvers 25 are provided, and a cover body 26 is provided in the high-temperature gas outflow hole 24 provided at the top of the roof 20b.

The louver 25 of the roof portion 20b excluding the top portion is
As shown in FIG. 6, it is formed so as to face downward outside the high-temperature gas outflow hole 24, and prevents the outflow hole 24 from being blocked by the snow thrown into the snow melting chamber (the second chamber 12). At the same time, hot gas is directly applied to the snow to melt efficiently, and
The molten snowmelt water is prevented from entering the snowmelt cylinder 20, so that the combustion efficiency in the snowmelt cylinder 20 is not deteriorated.

On the other hand, a cover body provided on the top of the roof 20b
As shown in FIG. 2, 26 is disposed immediately above the high-temperature gas outflow hole 24, and is formed in a hat shape in a side view. As a result, even if snow accumulates on the roof 20b of the
The high-temperature gas can directly hit the snow that has directly accumulated, without melting, and efficiently melt the snow. In addition, the melted snow can be prevented from entering the snow-melting cylinder 20.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
The left and right side surfaces of the trunk 20b of the snow melting cylinder 20 are divided into a plurality of outflow hole arrangement sections 29a, 29b, and 29c according to the distance from the burner device 21, and the high-temperature gas outflow holes 24 are provided in the sections 29a, 29b, and 29c. Are provided, and the direction and the number of the high-temperature gas outlet holes 24 are set as follows for each of the sections 29a, 29b, and 29c.

That is, the plurality of high-temperature gas outlet holes 24
Outflow hole arrangement section 29c far from the burner device 21
Is smaller than the number provided in the near outflow hole arrangement section 29a.

Further, the direction of the effluent gas jet from the high-temperature gas outflow hole 24 provided in the outflow hole arrangement section 29c far from the burner device 21 is directed to the burner device 21 side, and is close to the burner device 21. The number of high-temperature gas outlet holes 24 provided in the outlet hole arrangement section 29a is increased at least from the outlet hole arrangement section 29b located at the central portion, and the direction of jetting outflow gas is directed downward. I have.

With this configuration, the outflow of the combustion gas is prevented from concentrating on the tip side of the snow melting cylinder 20, and the snow melting ability on the side of the burner device 21 is improved by increasing the number of the high temperature gas outflow holes 24 to reduce the blowing resistance. Further, since the outflow direction from the front end side can be changed to the center side, snow can be uniformly melted on the entire side surface of the combustion tube 20, and the snow melting efficiency is improved.

Further, since there is no visual deviation of the snow melting, the user can be provided with a sense of security. In addition, it is possible to prevent the snow melting cylinder 20 from overheating and to suppress the thermal deformation of the snow melting cylinder 20 as much as possible. The durability can be improved.

In FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, reference numeral 27 denotes an exhaust pipe, which protrudes from the rear side surface of the snow melting pipe 20, and
The tank is connected to a tank side flue 19a provided on the back side surface 18 of the tank.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the flue 19a is connected to a lid-side flue 19b provided substantially at the center of the lid 17 through a movable duct 9.

That is, both the flues 19a and 19b are formed in a rectangular shape in cross section, the lid side flue 19b is made slightly larger than the tank side flue 19a, and the base end is closed via the hinge 90. Side flue 19
A movable duct 9 rotatably connected to b is disposed so as to be slidable on the outside of the tank side flue 19a.

Therefore, when the lid 17 is opened, the tank side flue
The lid 19a communicates with the lid side flue 19b through the movable duct 9 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). When the lid 17 is closed, the movable duct 9 slides down the outer peripheral surface of the tank side flue 19a. The lid can be closed without any trouble because it moves.

As in the case of the snow melting tube 20, a hot gas outlet hole 24 is also provided in the tank side flue 19a, and the outlet hole 24 has a concave smoke inwardly of the flue as shown in FIG. Road concave louver 28
Is arranged. In the present embodiment, three rows of high-temperature gas outlet holes 24 are provided in the tank side flue 19a in the vertical direction.

The flue louver 28 allows the high-temperature exhaust gas from the snow-melting cylinder 20 to actively flow into the interior of the snow-melting chamber, thereby further improving the snow-melting efficiency. Reference numeral 27a denotes a gas outflow hole formed on the peripheral surface of the exhaust pipe 27, which also functions as a drain hole located on the lower surface side.

Next, another configuration of the snow melting apparatus A according to the present embodiment will be described.
Reference numeral denotes an oil pipe communicating and connecting a fuel tank (not shown) provided outside the snow melting tank 1 and a burner device 21. A cock D1 is provided in the middle of the oil pipe, and a snow melting device A is provided from spring to autumn.
When the is not used for a long time, the cock D1 can cut off the flow of fuel.

Reference numeral 40 denotes the cock D1 connected to the upper opening 16 of the snow melting tank 1.
The inner lid 11c provided in the first chamber 11 so that it can be operated from
And is usually closed by a lid that can be easily opened and closed.

Reference numeral 41 denotes an air intake formed on the side surface of the damper cover 17c. When the lid 17 is opened, the first chamber 11 communicates with the outside of the tank via the internal space of the damper cover 17c, and a burner Fresh air is introduced into the device 21 so that the combustion state can always be kept good.

Reference numeral 42 denotes a protective fence provided in the upper opening 16 of the snow-melting tank 1 at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction thereof, and is provided between the central pipe 22a and the peripheral pipe 22b of the shower pipe 22. ing. By arranging the central pipe 22a, the protective fence 42 can be provided securely, firmly and at low cost.

The snow melting apparatus A according to the present embodiment has the above-described configuration. First, when the lid 17 is opened, the limit switch LS is activated, and the burner fan F is driven.
When snow is thrown, the snow sensor S detects the snow being thrown, and the burner device 21 is driven to start melting snow. Such a snow sensor S
Is composed of a non-contact type reed switch, so there is no possibility of malfunction due to freezing or the like.

When the snow melting cylinder 20 is heated to melt the injected snow, the snow melting water flows into the pump chamber 14 through the flow path R1. That is, large objects such as stones are removed by the lattice body 50a of the square opening 50 provided in the second partition wall 5, and a large part passes through the strainer 6 while being partially discharged to the outside of the tank by the natural drainage port 32. Then, small impurities such as fallen leaves are removed and flow into the pump chamber 14.

When the float B1 attached to the shower pump 23 of the water level detecting means B detects that the snow melting water stored in the pump chamber 14 has reached a predetermined height, the control unit C sends a drive signal to the shower pump 23. When the shower pump 23 operates, the shower water is spouted from the upper part of the snow melting tank 1 to melt the snow with water to promote the snow melting.

When the float B1 attached to the drain pump 30 detects that the level of the snowmelt water in the pump chamber 14 has risen to a certain height H, the control unit C outputs a drive signal to the drain pump 30, By the operation of the pump 30, the water is forcibly drained out of the tank through the drain pipe 31.

Eventually, when the level of the snowmelt water falls and reaches the driving stop height of the drain pump 30, the driving of the drain pump 30 is stopped, but the water level starts to rise again, and
The operation that 30 drives automatically repeats itself.

If an accident such as falling of an animal or the like occurs in the snow melting tank 1 during the snow melting work, the worker stops the emergency stop which is disposed on the back of the lid 17 and faces the worker. By operating the switch ES, the snow melting device A can be stopped urgently.

If, for example, the strainer 6 is clogged during the above-mentioned snow melting operation, the snow melting water flows through the sub-flow path R2, that is, the rectangular opening 51 provided in the second partition wall 5 to remove the strainer 6. Since the gas flows directly into the pump chamber 14 by bypass, no trouble is caused in the snow melting work. In this case, the punching metal 51a attached to the rectangular opening 51 plays the role of the strainer 6.

[0092]

The present invention is embodied in the above-described embodiment, and has the following effects.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a snow melting tank provided with a heating means and a drain pump for forcibly draining snow melting water outside the tank are provided in a snow melting tank buried underground. In the apparatus, in the snowmelt tank, a snow sensor that detects that snow is thrown and a control unit that communicates with the snow sensor is provided, and the heating unit can be driven based on a detection signal from the snow sensor, In addition, since the snow sensor is constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner, the heating means can be automatically operated when snow is supplied, so that the usability is improved, and the snow sensor operates in a non-contact manner. Therefore, there is no possibility that the switch will freeze and malfunction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the base end of the lid is pivotally attached to the longitudinal side edge of the upper opening of the snow melting tank so that the lid can be opened and closed. In addition, the emergency stop switch is attached to the front side of the back surface of the lid body so that the emergency stop switch faces the snow entrance side when the lid is opened, so that the operator can easily reach it. Since the emergency stop switch is positioned, the operation of the snow melting device can be stopped quickly even in an emergency, thereby improving safety.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a snow melting tank of a snow melting apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the snow melting device in a front view.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the snow melting apparatus in plan view.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the snow melting apparatus as viewed from the right side.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the snow melting device as viewed from the left side.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a louver provided in a snow melting cylinder.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a concave louver provided in a flue of a snow melting apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a control block diagram of the snow melting apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a snow sensor of the snow melting apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Snow melting device C Control unit ES Emergency stop switch LS Limit switch S Snow sensor 1 Snow melting tank 2 Snow melting unit 3 Drainage unit 17 Lid 30 Drainage pump

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tsunetaka Imabayashi 3351-8 Utani, Umi-cho, Kashiya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture Inside the Umi Plant, Showa Iron Works Co., Ltd. 3351-8 Oya, Umi Plant, Showa Iron Works Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tadahisa Michibata 3351-8, Umi Town, Umi-cho, Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture 831 Umi Plant, Showa Iron Works Co., Ltd. 3351-8, Otani, Umi-cho, Gunami-gun, Showa Iron Works Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] A snow melting tank (20) provided with a heating means and a drain pump (30) for forcibly draining snow melting water outside the tank are provided in a snow melting tank (1) buried underground. A snow sensor (S) for detecting that snow has been thrown, and a control unit (C) communicating with the snow sensor (S) in the snow melting tank (1). A snow melting apparatus characterized in that the heating means can be driven based on the detection signal of (S), and the snow sensor (S) is constituted by a reed switch which operates in a non-contact manner. 2. A base end of a lid (17) is pivotally attached to a longitudinal side edge of an upper opening (16) of the snow melting tank (1) to be freely openable and closable, and maintains a standing posture when the lid is opened. And an emergency stop switch (ES) is attached to the rear side of the lid (17) so that the emergency stop switch (ES) faces the snow inlet side when the lid is opened. The snow melting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein