KR102602065B1 - Marking Cable and Distance Estimation System Using The Same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a marking cable and a distance measuring system using the same. The present invention provides a more accurate and convenient way to measure the distance to the end of the marking cable when sensing information about the surroundings by inserting the marking cable into the fluid. can do.

Description

Marking cable and distance measurement system equipped with the same {Marking Cable and Distance Estimation System Using The Same}

The present invention relates to a marking cable and a distance measuring system equipped with the same.

Recently, a lot of research has been done on long-distance sensing exploration and special applications using cables for unmanned robots, other industrial, research, or military purposes. In this case, a special-purpose unmanned robot or a specific sensor module is connected to the end of the cable, and the cable is used to transmit a control signal to the sensor module, etc., or to receive data generated from the sensor module, etc., as needed. Accordingly, power is supplied to sensors, unmanned robots, etc.

Since the cable is equipped with a sensor module at the end, it is operated by being wound around a reel or winch, and the reel or winch is wound or unwound according to the movement of the sensor module or to control the movement.

In this system, it is very important to determine the location of the sensor module in order to determine the point sensed by the sensor module, etc., and for this purpose, information on the unwind length of the cable becomes very important. In addition, only by accurately determining the currently unwound or coiled length of the cable can valid sensing information be obtained and safe recovery without damage to the sensor module be possible.

For example, in the case of detecting a submarine located underwater, a detector is lowered underwater from a ship or unmanned vessel and then the submarine is detected. At this time, information about the submarine's location consists of coordinate information including the current latitude/longitude of the submarine and depth information. If the current depth of the submarine is not known, the location information about the submarine cannot be accurately determined.

In relation to this, there is a rotary encoder method that measures the length of the cable that detects the rotation or speed of the motor shaft or auxiliary rotation shaft of the winch that is currently commercialized, but it is used when the cable is wound around the winch, that is, when it is initially wound around the drum. If it is wound on the outermost layer, there is a high possibility that errors will occur due to differences in the turning radius, and there will also be significant differences depending on the outer diameter of the cable.

Additionally, in the case of a rotating shaft, if slip occurs in the cable wound around the rotating shaft, the length error increases. In the case of long-distance systems, the cumulative error becomes a level that cannot be ignored. These errors can be resolved to some extent through software, but such software is generally very expensive and requires a fairly complex system.

In order to solve the above problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a distance measuring system that can measure the unwound length of a cable by a simple and simple method, and a cable used therein.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides an optical unit for data communication; a protective layer surrounding the outside of the optical unit to protect the optical unit; An outer jacket provided on the outside of the protective layer; and a plurality of marking units provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the outer jacket of the marking cable and capable of sensing by an external sensor unit.

Additionally, the marking portion may be provided by printing on the surface of the outer jacket using magnetic ink containing magnetic powder.

In this case, the marking part may be provided by attaching a magnetic tape containing magnetic powder to the surface of the outer jacket.

In addition, a protective coating layer that protects the marking portion may be further provided on the surface of the marking portion.

Here, the optical fiber included in the optical unit may be made of a single-mode optical fiber.

Additionally, a power unit for power supply may be further provided.

In this case, the conductor included in the power unit may have a diameter of 25 AWG to 20 AWG.

And, the protective layer may be composed of aramid fibers.

Here, an inner jacket provided on the outside of the protective layer and a ground wire provided on the outside of the inner jacket for grounding may be further included.

Additionally, at least one of the inner jacket and outer jacket may be composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin.

In this case, the ground wire may include a braided conductor.

Additionally, the marking portion may be provided in a dot shape.

Here, the marking portion may be provided in the form of a stripe line connected in the circumferential direction of the outer jacket.

In addition, in order to solve the above problem, the marking cable described above; A marking sensor unit provided at an end of the marking cable to collect data about the surrounding area and transmit the sensed data through the marking cable; A winch unit including a drum that rotates to wind or unwind the marking cable; A marking sensor unit that senses the marking unit when the marking cable is wound around the winch unit or unwound from the winch unit; And a control unit that calculates the length of the marking cable unwound from the winch unit according to the detection information of the marking sensor unit. It is possible to provide a distance measurement system using a marking cable including a.

In this case, the marking sensor unit may be provided in the winch unit.

And, the marking sensor unit may be made of at least one magnetic sensor capable of sensing the marking unit.

Here, it may further include an encoder unit for detecting the rotation direction, rotation speed, or rotation angle of the winch unit.

Additionally, the marking sensor unit may be provided with a power supply unit or may receive power through the marking cable.

According to the marking cable of the present invention having the above-described configuration and the distance measuring system equipped with the same, the unwound length of the marking cable can be more accurately measured by detecting the marking portion provided on the marking cable.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a distance measuring system using a marking cable according to the present invention installed on a ship.
Figure 2 shows a partially enlarged view of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows the marking cable.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the marking cable;
5 is a cross-sectional view of the marking cable according to another embodiment;
Figure 6 shows a marking cable according to another embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosure will be thorough and complete, and so that the spirit of the invention can be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a case where the distance measuring system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a ship 10, and Figure 2 is a partial perspective view showing the distance measuring system 1000 in detail.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the distance measuring system 1000 transmits data and includes a marking cable 200 having a plurality of marking parts 270 (see Figure 3) spaced apart at predetermined intervals along the length direction. ), an external sensor 30 provided at the end of the marking cable 200 to collect data about the surrounding environment and communicate data through the marking cable 200, so that the marking cable 200 is wound or unwound. A winch unit 120 including a rotating drum, and a marking sensor that senses the marking portion 270 when the marking cable 200 is wound around the winch unit 120 or unwound from the winch unit 120. It may be provided with a control unit 140 that calculates the length of the marking cable 200 unwound from the winch unit 120 according to the detection information of the unit 150 and the marking sensor unit 150.

In this case, while collecting underwater detection target data by the external sensor 30 installed at the end of the marking cable 200, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a submarine 50 in the sea water, etc. is detected. In this case, in order to know the depth of the submarine 50, a plurality of information is synthesized to determine the depth.

In order to know the depth of the submarine 50, for example, tidal current information in the relevant water area, water pressure information according to the water depth, and the distance (D) at which the marking cable 200 is released from the winch unit 120 are required. . Here, the tidal current information and water pressure information can be measured by the external sensor 30, and the distance D at which the marking cable 200 is released can be obtained through the distance measurement system 1000 according to the present invention. do.

Ultimately, the distance measuring system 1000 according to the present invention can measure the length of the marking cable 200 when the marking cable 200 is unwound from the winch unit 120, thereby measuring the external sensor 30. It is possible to obtain location information about objects detected by .

Hereinafter, the configuration of the distance measurement system 1000 will be examined in detail with reference to the drawings.

As an example of the range of use of the distance measuring system 1000 described above, it can be applied when the marking cable 200 flows into a fluid such as water or air. Hereinafter, the description will be made assuming that the marking cable 200 flows into seawater (seawater) as shown in the drawing. However, the fluid into which the marking cable 200 flows is not limited to seawater or water, and as described above, it can be applied to all cases where length information of the marking cable released from the winch unit is required.

In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distance measuring system 1000 may be mounted on a ship 10 or an unmanned small hull (not shown) as shown in the drawings. Meanwhile, the distance measuring system 1000 may be provided with a winch unit 120 in which the marking cable 200 is repeatedly wound and unwound. The winch unit 120 is provided with a rotatable drum 130, and the marking cable 200 is wound around or unwound from the drum 130 by rotation of the drum 130. This winch unit 120 may be composed of a so-called ‘winch’ or ‘reel’, and may collectively refer to a structure including a drum around which the marking cable 200 is wound.

The winch unit 120 may be installed on the deck of the ship 10, etc. The winch unit 120 includes a drum 130 that rotates to wind or unwind the marking cable 200, a base 132 that rotatably supports the drum 130, and a base that rotates the drum 130. A driving unit 134 may be provided.

The drum 130 is rotatably installed on the base 132. The drum 130 may have a cylindrical shape, and the marking cable 200 is wound or unwound along the outer circumference of the cylindrical shape.

Meanwhile, the drum 130 rotates in one direction or the opposite direction by being driven by a driving unit 134 such as a motor so that the marking cable 200 is wound around the drum 130 or the marking cable 200 is wound around the drum 130. It is released from the drum 130.

In addition, the winch unit 120 includes a marking sensor unit 150 that senses the marking unit 270 when the marking cable 200 is wound around the winch unit 120 or unwound from the winch unit 120. will be provided. At this time, the marking sensor unit 150 may be installed on the ship 10, etc., but for more accurate sensing, it is preferable that the marking sensor unit 150 be installed on the winch unit 120.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the marking cable 200 is unwound or wound in the winch unit 120, a guide hole 160 is provided to guide the movement of the marking cable 200. It can be done, and the marking sensor unit 150 can be provided on the upper part of the guide hole 160.

Therefore, when the marking cable 200 is unwound or wound through the guide hole 160, the marking sensor unit 150 can sense the marking unit 270 of the marking cable 200.

Meanwhile, the marking cable 200 is configured to be put into the water through a roller 12 installed on the ship 10, so that it is not damaged by friction with the ship 10 while the marking cable 200 is moving. can be prevented.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the marking cable 200 equipped with the above-described marking portion 270 will be examined with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of the marking cable 200 described above, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of an embodiment of the marking cable 200.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the marking cable 200 includes an optical unit 210 for data communication, and a protective layer 230 surrounding the optical unit 210 on the outside of the optical unit 210 to protect the optical unit 210. , an inner jacket 240 provided outside the protective layer 230, a ground wire 250 serving as a ground, an outer jacket 260 provided outside the ground wire 250, and at least the outer jacket 260. It may be provided on a portion of the marking cable 200, and may be provided with a plurality of marking units 270 that are spaced apart by a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction of the marking cable 200 and can be sensed by an external sensor unit.

The optical unit 210 is provided with an optical fiber 212 inside the tube 214, and transmits data through the optical fiber 212. Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawing, the optical unit 210 may be configured in an optical fiber ribbon type.

Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the optical fiber may be composed of a single mode optical fiber (SMF). In the case of the single-mode optical fiber, there is only one propagation mode capable of data transmission, but its loss and dispersion characteristics are excellent, making it advantageous for broadband and long-distance communication.

As described above, when an external sensor 30 (see FIG. 1) is provided at the end of the marking cable 200, data collected by the external sensor 30 is transmitted through the optical unit 210. . Additionally, driving commands for the external sensor 30 may be transmitted to the external sensor 30 through the optical unit 210 in the form of data.

Meanwhile, the protective layer 230 surrounds the outside of the optical unit 210 to protect the optical unit 210. The protective layer 230 prevents the external force or bending force from being transmitted to the internal optical unit 210 when an external force or bending force acts on the marking cable 200, thereby preventing the optical unit 210 from being transmitted. ) is protected.

In the case of this embodiment, the protective layer 230 may be made of heat-resistant and strong aromatic polyamide fibers, for example, aramid fibers (Aramid yarn). The aramid fiber has excellent tensile strength and flexible properties, allowing the cable to be installed stably. In addition, since the aramid fiber has excellent tensile strength, it absorbs external forces or bending forces acting from the outside and protects the optical unit 120 by preventing the external forces or bending forces from being transmitted to the internal optical unit 120.

Meanwhile, an outer jacket 260 is provided outside the protective layer 230. The outer jacket 260 is the outermost layer of the marking cable 200 and protects the internal components of the marking cable 200, and further serves to prevent seawater, etc. from penetrating into the interior of the cable.

In this embodiment, the outer jacket 260 is made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin, polyethylene resin, especially medium density polyethylene resin, which has excellent water resistance, electrical insulation, acid resistance, alkali resistance, and thermal stability. MDPE), or fluorine-containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), etc., or combinations thereof. It can be done with

The outer diameter of the outer jacket 260 can be appropriately selected depending on the overall outer diameter of the cable, required flexibility, bending characteristics, etc.

Meanwhile, the marking cable 200 may further include an inner jacket 240 provided on the outside of the protective layer 230, and a ground wire 250 provided on the outside of the inner jacket 240 for grounding. there is.

The inner jacket 240 plays an insulating role on the outside of the aforementioned protective layer 230, protects the optical unit 120 inside, and prevents seawater, etc. from penetrating into the interior. In this case, the inner jacket 240 may be made of polyolefin resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene. Additionally, at least one of the outer jacket 260 and the inner jacket 240 may be made of the aforementioned thermoplastic polyurethane resin (TPU).

Meanwhile, the ground wire 250 serves to ground the marking cable 200 and is composed of a plurality on the outside of the inner jacket 240. Although not shown in the drawing, the ground wire 250 may be composed of a conductive wire made of a conductive material such as copper or aluminum and an insulating layer surrounding it. One or both ends of the ground wire 250 are grounded in seawater, and thus perform the function of sending current to seawater in the event of a lightning strike or the like.

Meanwhile, the outer jacket 260 may be provided with a marking part 270, and the marking part 270 is provided to be spaced apart by a predetermined length L along the longitudinal direction of the marking cable 200.

The marking portion 270 may be provided on the surface of the outer jacket 260 in the form of a dot or a stripe along the circumference, as shown in FIG. 3.

The distance L between the marking portions 270 may be appropriately selected. For example, when searching a relatively wide area, the marking units 270 may be provided at intervals of approximately 5 m to 10 m. On the other hand, when a more precise search is required, the marking parts 270 may be provided at intervals of approximately 0.5 m to 2 m. The distance between the marking parts 270 can be appropriately modified as needed, and as the distance between the marking parts 270 becomes smaller, a relatively precise search becomes possible. In this embodiment, the marking parts 270 are provided at intervals of approximately 0.5 m for precise search, but the marking is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a marking cable 200 according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the marking cable 200 according to this embodiment may further include a power unit 220 for supplying power.

That is, in the case of the marking cable 200 shown in FIG. 4, the power unit 220 is omitted, so in this case, the external sensor 30 described above may be provided with its own power supply unit (not shown) such as a battery. You can.

However, the external sensor 30 may not have its own power supply unit depending on the type, so in this case, it may be provided with a power unit 220 for supplying power to the marking cable 200.

The power unit 220 may be disposed inside the protective layer 230 together with the optical unit 210, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this case, the power unit 220 may be configured to transmit power by being made of a conductive wire, for example, a bare copper wire, or an aluminum wire. In this embodiment, a plurality of bare copper wires without an insulator are used, for example, two bare copper wires are used.

In this case, by using a bare copper wire with a smaller outer diameter than when using a single bare copper wire, the balance between the optical unit and the three-phase structure is improved to increase mechanical stability, and because the cross-sectional area of the conductor is the same as when using a single bare copper wire, there is no additional voltage drop. No problem arises. In addition, since it is surrounded by the protective layer 230 and the inner jacket 240, it is completely isolated from the ground wire 250 that serves as ground.

Meanwhile, the bare copper wire constituting the power unit 220 may have a diameter of 25 AWG to 20 AWG. Although not shown in the drawing, if necessary, the power unit 220 may be configured to include a conductor that transmits power and an insulating layer surrounding the conductor.

The power transmitted through the power unit 220 is transmitted to the external sensor 30 described above so that the external sensor 30 can be driven.

Meanwhile, the marking part 270 is provided on the surface of the marking cable 200, that is, the surface of the outer jacket 260, so that when the marking cable 200 is unwound or wound in the winch unit 120, The marking unit 270 is detected by the marking sensor unit 150 described above.

In addition, the marking cable according to the present invention and the distance measuring system equipped with the same may further include an encoder unit 170 for detecting the rotation direction, rotation speed, or rotation angle of the drum constituting the winch unit 120. .

In this case, the number of marking units 270 detected by the marking sensor unit 150 may be transmitted to the control unit 140 described above. The control unit 140 sends information about the number of sensed marking units 270 transmitted from the marking sensor unit 150 and information about the rotation direction of the drum 130 in the winch unit 120 to the encoder unit. Measure the distance at which the marking cable 200 is unwound from the winch unit 120, that is, the distance from the winch unit 120 to the external sensor 30 located at the end of the marking cable 200. I do it.

For example, the control unit 140 determines whether the marking cable 200 is released from the winch unit 120 or whether the marking cable 200 is in a state based on information about the rotation direction of the winch unit 120. It can be determined whether it is wound around the winch unit 120.

In addition, the control unit 140 stores information about the distance (L) between the marking parts 270 of the marking cable 200 in advance. Therefore, the distance at which the marking cable 200 is unwound or wound can be calculated from the winch unit 120 based on information about the number of sensed marking units 270 transmitted from the marking sensor unit 150. there is.

The marking unit 270 can be sensed by the above-described marking sensor unit 150, and is preferably provided in a way that can withstand the underwater environment when the marking cable 200 flows into seawater, etc. .

In this embodiment, the marking portion 270 may be provided by printing on the outer jacket 260 using magnetic ink mixed with magnetic powder.

Here, magnetic ink can be defined as ink that has magnetic properties due to magnetic powder.

In this case, the magnetic powder must be able to be dispersed at a high concentration in the magnetic ink, and the intensity of magnetization must be stable against changes in external temperature and pressure. For example, the magnetic powder may be iron oxide, Fe3O3, R·Fe2O3, etc.

The magnetic ink is made by mixing and dispersing the above-described magnetic powder in a binder. At this time, the magnetic powder can be uniformly dispersed by the binder, thereby making the magnetic properties of the magnetic ink uniform.

At this time, since the marking cable 200 is used in an environment where external friction or external force acts, such as under the sea, the magnetic ink can be manufactured into an ink with excellent abrasion resistance and friction resistance.

The marking sensor unit 150 described above senses the magnetic powder, and the marking sensor unit 150 may be comprised of at least one magnetic sensor capable of sensing the magnetic powder of the marking unit 270.

In this case, magnetic powder can be mixed with ink to produce magnetic ink and printed on the surface of the outer jacket 260 using marking equipment.

Generally, in the case of cables, the model name or manufacturer is printed on the surface of the outer jacket, so the marking portion 270 can be printed by applying existing printing equipment. Alternatively, it is possible to work in-line during the cable manufacturing process using a dedicated magnetic marking printer that uses magnetic ink.

Meanwhile, in addition to the printing method, the marking unit 270 may be provided by permanently attaching a magnetic tape containing magnetic powder to the surface of the outer jacket 260 of the marking cable 2200, as shown in FIG. 6. . In this case, the magnetic tape can be attached to the surface of the outer jacket 260 at a predetermined distance.

In this case, although not shown in the drawing, a protective coating layer that protects the marking portion 270 may be further provided on the surface of the marking portion 270 . This protective coating layer can, of course, be applied to a marking portion provided by a printing method using the above-described magnetic ink.

The encoder unit 170 detects the rotation speed of the drum 130 when the drum 130 rotates and transmits information about the rotation speed to the control unit 140 described above.

In this case, the control unit 140 controls the rotation of the drum 130 detected by the encoder unit 170 along with information about the number of sensed marking units 270 transmitted from the marking sensor unit 150 described above. The length of the marking cable 200 unwound from the winch unit 120 is calculated based on the speed.

Compared to the case of measuring the distance of the marking cable 200 only with information about the number of sensed marking units 270 transmitted from the marking sensor unit 150 described above, the marking cable utilizes the encoder unit 170 Since information about the direction of rotation can be obtained, such as whether the device is in a released or wound state, more accurate distance measurement is possible.

For example, while the marking cable 200 is being unwound from the winch unit 120, the marking sensor unit 150 detects one marking unit 270 and the external sensor 30 before detecting the next marking unit. ) needs to measure the distance of the marking cable 200 by detecting an object, etc. In this case, since the marking sensor unit 150 is located between marking parts of the marking cable 200, it is difficult to calculate a distance more precise than the predetermined distance between the marking parts 270. Of course, precise calculation is possible if the distance between the marking parts 270 is finely narrowed, but reducing the distance between the marking parts 270 increases the number of the marking parts 270, so that the marking cable ( This can act as a factor in increasing the price of 200, so there is a limit to reducing the distance between the marking portions 270.

At this time, more precise distance calculation is possible by utilizing the rotational speed of the drum 130 detected by the encoder unit 170. That is, the control unit 140 detects the rotational speed of the drum 130 from the marking unit detected by the marking sensor unit 150 to the point at which distance calculation is required, and thereby the marking sensor unit 150 detects the rotational speed of the drum 130. The distance where the marquee cable 200 is unwound from one marking part can be calculated.

Therefore, when information on the rotation speed of the drum 130 sensed by the encoder unit 170 is used along with information on the number of sensed marking units 270 transmitted from the marking sensor unit 150, The control unit 140 can more accurately calculate the unwound length of the marking cable 200 in the winch unit 120.

Although this specification has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims described below. It will be possible to implement it. Therefore, if the modified implementation basically includes the elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

10: ship
120: Winch unit
200: marking cable

Claims (18)

A marking cable including a plurality of marking parts provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction and capable of external sensing;
An external sensor provided at the end of the marking cable to collect data about the surroundings and transmit the sensed data through the marking cable;
A winch unit including a drum that rotates to wind or unwind the marking cable, a base that rotatably supports the drum at a lower portion of the drum, and a drive unit connected to both rotation axes of the drum to provide rotational driving force to the drum;
An encoder connected to the driving unit of the winch unit to detect the rotation direction, rotation speed, or rotation angle of the winch unit;
A marking sensor unit that senses the marking unit when the marking cable is wound around the winch unit or unwound from the winch unit; and
It is fixed on a support vertically connected to the front of the base of the winch unit, and a control unit that calculates the length of the marking cable released from the winch unit according to the detection information of the marking sensor unit.
The marking cable is an optical cable, and the marking part of the marking cable is formed by printing magnetic ink in which magnetic powder is dispersed in a binder on the surface of the outer jacket of the cable,
The marking sensor unit consists of at least one magnetic sensor capable of sensing the marking unit,
The control unit calculates the length of the marking cable unwound from the winch unit using information on the number of marking parts transmitted from the marking sensor unit and the rotational speed of the drum detected by the encoder. Distance measurement using a marking cable. system. According to paragraph 1,
A distance measuring system using a marking cable, characterized in that the marking sensor unit is provided in the winch unit. delete delete According to paragraph 1,
A distance measurement system using a marking cable, wherein the marking sensor unit has a power supply unit or receives power through the marking cable. delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete delete

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