Temperature measuring device

Abstract

To provide a temperature measuring device that can accurately measure the temperature of piled-up objects to be processed, even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. [Solution] The temperature measuring device 100 comprises a long sensor rod 1 with a first temperature sensor 3 attached to its first end 11, and a main body box 2 attached to the second end 12 of the sensor rod 1, which is located on the opposite side of the first end 11. Inside the main body box 2 is a control unit 6 that receives first temperature information related to the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 3 from the first temperature sensor 3 and transmits the received first temperature information to the outside by wireless communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature measurement device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, composting projects for food waste and plant waste have been promoted against the backdrop of insufficient capacity for incinerating waste and insufficient space for landfill disposal of waste. As one method for composting organic waste such as food waste and plant waste, a method is known in which the waste is crushed and mixed, water is sprinkled on it in a state where it is piled up high in a mountain shape, and it is fermented to make compost. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a manufacturing apparatus for managing the fermentation state of organic waste to make compost.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In order to produce high-quality compost, not only sprinkling water and leaving it alone is required, but also an operation called "turning over" is necessary to stir the piled-up objects to be processed at an appropriate timing. Temperature control of the objects to be processed is extremely important for the timing of turning over. However, it is difficult to appropriately grasp the temperature of the piled-up objects to be processed. For example, currently, a skilled operator measures the surface temperature of the objects to be processed and determines the timing of turning over based on experience and intuition. In addition, there is also a problem that the inside of a compost factory is in an environment where high-temperature and high-humidity corrosion easily progresses, and there is no temperature measurement device that can cope with such an environment.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a temperature measurement device that can appropriately measure the temperature of piled-up objects to be processed even in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a temperature measuring device comprising: a long sensor rod with a first temperature sensor attached to its first end; and a main body box attached to the second end of the sensor rod opposite to the first end, wherein a control unit is housed inside the main body box to receive first temperature information relating to the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor from the first temperature sensor and to transmit the received first temperature information to the outside by wireless communication (Invention 1).

[0007] According to this invention (Invention 1), since the first temperature sensor is provided at the tip of a long sensor rod, the temperature of the objects to be processed can be measured by inserting the tip of the sensor rod into a pile of objects to be processed and installing the temperature measuring device. The first temperature information regarding the measured temperature is transmitted to the outside by wireless communication from a control unit housed in the main box, so that the temperature of the pile of objects to be processed can be appropriately measured even in a hot and humid environment.

[0008] In the above invention (Invention 1), a second temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the main body box may be housed inside the main body box (Invention 2).

[0009] According to this invention (Invention 2), the temperature inside the main body box, which may affect the operation of the control unit, can be monitored.

[0010] In the above inventions (Inventions 1 and 2), an acceleration sensor may be housed inside the main body box (Invention 3).

[0011] According to this invention (Invention 3), the movement of the main box can be detected by an acceleration sensor, so it is possible to detect the occurrence of an abnormal situation, such as the temperature measuring device inserted into a pile of objects to be processed falling over.

[0012] In the above inventions (Inventions 1-3), the communication cable connecting the first temperature sensor to the control unit may be embedded inside the sensor rod (Invention 4).

[0013] According to this invention (Invention 4), it is possible to suppress the effects of the communication cable on a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, and to prevent malfunctions of the temperature measuring device due to disconnection or other reasons by physically protecting the communication cable.

[0014] In the above inventions (inventions 1-4), the control unit may determine the timing of the switchover based on the first temperature information and transmit a signal to the outside indicating the determined timing of the switchover (invention 5).

[0015] According to this invention (Invention 5), the switching can be performed at the appropriate timing simply by monitoring whether the temperature measuring device transmits a signal indicating the timing of the switching.

[0016] In the above inventions (Inventions 1-5), the main body box may be a casing made of a highly weather-resistant resin (Invention 6).

[0017] According to this invention (Invention 6), it is possible to prevent problems from occurring in the operation of the control unit inside the main box, even in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The temperature measuring device of the present invention can appropriately measure the temperature of piled-up objects to be processed even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of a temperature measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the internal configuration of the main box of the temperature measuring device. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit inside the main box. [Figure 4] It is a functional block diagram for explaining the functions that play a major role in the thermometer measuring device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. The present invention is not limited only to the embodiments described below, and the described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the technical features of the present invention. The shapes and dimensions shown in each drawing are merely shown to facilitate understanding of the content of the present invention, and do not correctly reflect the actual shapes and dimensions.

[0021] The thermometer measuring device 100 is a device for measuring the temperature of piled-up objects to be processed. For example, in a compost factory, it is possible to measure the temperature of objects to be processed in a state where organic waste such as food waste and grass and tree waste is crushed and mixed and piled up high in a mountain shape, but the objects to be processed to be measured are not limited to this.

[0022] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of the thermometer measuring device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the thermometer measuring device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a long sensor rod 1 and a main body box 2. A first temperature sensor 3 is attached to the first end portion 11 (the end portion on the tip side) of the sensor rod 1, and the main body box 2 is attached to the second end portion 12 (the end portion on the base end side) located on the opposite side of the first end portion 11 of the sensor rod 1. Inside the main body box 2, as shown in FIG. 2, a control unit 6 that receives first temperature information regarding the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 3 from the first temperature sensor 3 and transmits the received first temperature information externally by wireless communication is housed.

[0023] The sensor rod 1 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is made of a metal material with excellent corrosion resistance, such as stainless steel. A first temperature sensor 3 is attached to the first end 11 of the sensor rod 1, and a communication cable 13 connecting the first temperature sensor 3 to the control unit 6 is embedded inside the sensor rod 1. By embedding the communication cable 13 inside the sensor rod 1 in this way, the effects of high temperature and high humidity on the communication cable 13 are suppressed, and the communication cable 13 is physically protected, thereby preventing failure of the temperature measuring device 100 due to breakage of the communication cable 13 or the like.

[0024] The length of the sensor rod 1 should be long enough to be inserted into the pile of objects to be processed and fixed in place so that it does not move; for example, it can be about 1000 mm long. The diameter of the sensor rod 1 should be wide enough to ensure sufficient strength to be inserted into the pile of objects to be processed; for example, it can be about 16 mm in diameter.

[0025] The main box 2 is a box-shaped structure with a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and an openable and closable lid 21. Designed with outdoor use in mind, it is a weather-resistant resin housing, such as polycarbonate. By configuring the main box 2 in this way, it is possible to prevent problems from occurring in the operation of the control unit 6 inside the main box 2, even in high temperature and high humidity environments. The lid 21 is fixed to the main body side of the main box 2 using a buckle member 22, and the lid 21 of the main box 2 can be opened by releasing the buckle member 22. The buckle member 22 may be provided on both sides of the lid 21, or one side may have a hinge structure. The user can open the lid 21 to replace parts inside the main box 2, etc.

[0026] The size of the main box 2 should be such that it can accommodate the control unit 6 and the like, and that when the sensor rod 1 is inserted into a pile of objects to be processed, it will not lose its balance and the temperature measuring device 100 will not tip over. For example, the bottom can be approximately 130 mm in length, 105 mm in width, and 70 mm in height.

[0027] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration inside the main box 2 of the temperature measuring device 100. As shown in Figure 2, inside the main box 2, in addition to the control unit 6, a second temperature sensor 4 for measuring the temperature inside the main box 2, an acceleration sensor 5, a battery 7, and an antenna 8 are housed. A communication cable 13 is connected to the control unit 6, and the second temperature sensor 4 and acceleration sensor 5, which are located inside the main box 2, are also wired to the control unit 6. Power for driving the control unit 6, the first temperature sensor 3, the second temperature sensor 4, and the acceleration sensor 5 is supplied from the battery 7. The control unit 6 is configured to transmit electrical signals from the main box 2 to the outside via wireless communication through the antenna 8.

[0028] The first temperature sensor 3 is attached near the first end 11, which is the tip of the sensor rod 1. By inserting the tip of the sensor rod 1 into the pile of objects to be processed, the temperature inside the pile of objects to be processed is measured. The first temperature sensor 3 can be, for example, a known contact-type digital temperature sensor that digitally outputs the measured temperature as first temperature information. The measurement range of the first temperature sensor 3 only needs to be sufficient to appropriately measure the heat generation state of the objects to be processed. For example, a temperature sensor capable of measuring in the range of -40°C to 110°C with a measurement accuracy of ±1°C can be used.

[0029] The second temperature sensor 4 is housed inside the main box 2 and measures the temperature inside the main box 2, which may affect the operation of the control unit 6. Since the main box 2 is placed in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment for a long period of time, it is important to manage the temperature of the temperature measuring device 100 itself while the temperature measuring device 100 is measuring the temperature of the object to be processed. The second temperature sensor 4 can be, for example, a known contact-type digital temperature sensor that digitally outputs the measured temperature as second temperature information. The measurement range of the second temperature sensor 4 only needs to be sufficient to adequately measure the temperature inside the main box 2; for example, a temperature sensor capable of measuring a range of approximately -25°C to 85°C with a measurement accuracy of ±2°C can be used.

[0030] The acceleration sensor 5 is housed inside the main box 2 and is used to detect the movement of the main box 2. The pile of materials to be processed may collapse depending on the surrounding environment and weather conditions. In addition, the temperature measuring device 100 inserted into the pile of materials to be processed may unintentionally fall over due to its own weight. By placing the acceleration sensor 5 inside the main box 2, the movement of the main box 2 can be detected by the acceleration sensor 5, so the occurrence of abnormal situations such as the temperature measuring device 100 inserted into the pile of materials to be processed falling over can be detected. The acceleration sensor 5 can be, for example, a known piezoelectric acceleration sensor or a frequency-changing acceleration sensor, and can be an acceleration sensor that digitally outputs the measured acceleration as acceleration information.

[0031] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 6 inside the main box 2. As shown in Figure 3, the control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61, a storage device 62, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 63, a button switch 64, and a communication interface unit 65, and is provided with a bus 60 for transmitting control signals or data signals between each unit.

[0032] When power is supplied to the control unit 6, the CPU 61 loads various programs stored in the storage device 62 into the RAM 63 and executes them. In this embodiment, the CPU 61 reads and executes the programs stored in the storage device 62 to realize the functions of the first temperature information acquisition means 9a, the second temperature information acquisition means 9b, the acceleration information acquisition means 9c, the information transmission means 9d, and the timing determination means 9e, which will be described later.

[0033] The storage device 62 may be a non-volatile storage device such as flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), magnetic storage device (e.g., HDD (Hard Disk Drive), floppy disk (registered trademark), magnetic tape, etc.), or optical disk, or it may be a volatile storage device such as RAM, and it stores programs executed by the CPU 61 and data referenced by the CPU 61. The storage device 62 also stores first temperature information output by the first temperature sensor 3, second temperature information output by the second temperature sensor 4, and acceleration information output by the acceleration sensor 5.

[0034] The button switch 64 is used to transmit user operation instructions to the CPU 61 and is provided so as to protrude from the lid 21 of the main box 2.

[0035] The communication unit 65 includes an interface circuit for communicating with an external information processing device (not shown) via a communication network (not shown). The communication unit 65 is also connected to a first temperature sensor 3, a second temperature sensor 4, and an acceleration sensor 5 by wires, and is configured to receive first temperature information, second temperature information, and acceleration information.

[0036] The functions implemented by the control unit 6 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the functions that play a major role in the control unit 6 of the temperature measuring device 100 of this embodiment. In the functional block diagram of Figure 4, the first temperature information acquisition means 9a and the information transmission means 9d correspond to the main components of the temperature measuring device 100 of the present invention. The other means (second temperature information acquisition means 9b, acceleration information acquisition means 9c, timing determination means 9e) are not necessarily essential components, but they are components that further enhance the present invention.

[0037] The first temperature information acquisition means 9a has the function of acquiring first temperature information relating to the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 3. The function of the first temperature information acquisition means 9a is realized, for example, as follows: When power is supplied to the control unit 6, the CPU 61 instructs the first temperature sensor 3 to periodically measure the temperature at predetermined time intervals (for example, every hour). The instruction to start temperature measurement may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The first temperature sensor 3 transmits the first temperature information relating to the measured temperature to the control unit 6, and the first temperature information acquired by the first temperature information acquisition means 9a is stored in the storage device 62.

[0038] The information transmission means 9d has the function of transmitting the first temperature information acquired from the first temperature sensor 3 to the outside. The function of the information transmission means 9d is realized, for example, as follows: The CPU 61 instructs the communication unit 65 to transmit the first temperature information stored in the storage device 62 to the outside via the antenna 8 at a preset transmission interval. The instruction to transmit to the outside may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The user can receive the transmitted first temperature information with an external terminal device and determine the timing of the switchover based on the received first temperature information.

[0039] The second temperature information acquisition means 9b has the function of acquiring second temperature information relating to the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 4. The function of the second temperature information acquisition means 9b is realized, for example, as follows: When power is supplied to the control unit 6, the CPU 61 instructs the second temperature sensor 4 to periodically measure the temperature at predetermined time intervals (for example, every hour). The instruction to start temperature measurement may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The second temperature sensor 4 transmits the second temperature information relating to the measured temperature to the control unit 6, and the second temperature information acquired by the second temperature information acquisition means 9b is stored in the storage device 62.

[0040] The information transmission means 9d may also have a function to transmit the second temperature information acquired from the second temperature sensor 4 to an external device. Specifically, the CPU 61 may instruct the communication unit 65 to transmit the second temperature information stored in the storage device 62 to an external device via the antenna 8 at a preset transmission interval. The instruction to transmit to an external device may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The user can receive the transmitted second temperature information with an external terminal device and understand the internal state of the main unit box 2 based on the received second temperature information.

[0041] The acceleration information acquisition means 9c has the function of acquiring acceleration information related to the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 5. The function of the acceleration information acquisition means 9c is implemented, for example, as follows: When power is supplied to the control unit 6, the CPU 61 instructs the acceleration sensor 5 to continuously measure acceleration. The instruction to start acceleration measurement may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The acceleration sensor 5 transmits the acceleration information related to the measured acceleration to the control unit 6, and the acceleration information acquired by the acceleration information acquisition means 9c is stored in the storage device 62.

[0042] The information transmission means 9d may also have a function to transmit acceleration information acquired from the acceleration sensor 5 to an external device. Specifically, the CPU 61 may instruct the communication unit 65 to transmit the acceleration information stored in the storage device 62 to an external device via the antenna 8 at a preset transmission interval. The instruction to transmit to an external device may be configured to be issued in response to the user pressing the button switch 64. The user can receive the transmitted acceleration information with an external terminal device and, based on the received acceleration information, understand the movement of the main unit box 2. As a result, the user can detect the occurrence of an abnormal situation, such as the temperature measuring device 100 inserted into a pile of objects to be processed falling over.

[0043] The timing determination means 9e may have a function to determine the timing of the switchover based on the first temperature information acquired by the first temperature information acquisition means 9a, and to transmit a signal to the outside indicating the determined switchover timing. Specifically, the user first stores a timing determination program for determining the timing of the switchover from the temperature transition in the storage device 62. The CPU 61 reads the first temperature information stored in the storage device 62 and loads the timing determination program stored in the storage device 62 into the RAM 63 and executes it. When the executed timing determination program determines that the timing of the switchover has arrived based on the read first temperature information, the CPU 61 generates a signal to indicate the timing of the switchover. The CPU 61 may instruct the communication unit 65 to transmit the generated signal to the outside via the antenna 8. In this way, if the control unit 6 has a timing determination means 9e that determines the timing of the switchover based on the first temperature information acquired by the first temperature information acquisition means 9a and transmits a signal to the outside indicating the determined switchover timing, the user can perform the switchover at the appropriate timing simply by monitoring whether the temperature measuring device 100 transmits a signal indicating the switchover timing.

[0044] With the temperature measuring device 100 described above, the first temperature sensor 3 is provided at the tip (first end 11) of the long sensor rod 1. By inserting this tip into the pile of objects to be processed and installing the temperature measuring device 100, the temperature of the objects to be processed can be measured. The first temperature information regarding the measured temperature is transmitted externally by wireless communication from the control unit 6 housed in the main box 2. Therefore, the temperature of the pile of objects to be processed can be appropriately measured even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments.

[0045] Although the temperature measuring device according to the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. For example, the shape of the sensor rod does not necessarily have to be straight; the tip may be bifurcated or trifurcated to facilitate fixing when inserted into the object to be processed, or it may be partially curved. In addition, the battery housed inside the main body box and the sensor rod attached to the main body box may be configured to be replaceable when worn out. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 100 Temperature measuring device 1 Sensor Rod 11 First end 12 Second end 13 Communication Cable 2. Main unit box (casing) 21 Lid 22 Buckle component 3. First temperature sensor 4. Second temperature sensor 5. Accelerometer 6 Control Unit 7 Batteries 8 antennas

Claims

1. A long sensor rod with a first temperature sensor attached to its first end, The sensor rod comprises a main body box attached to the second end located opposite to the first end, A temperature measuring device comprising a control unit housed inside the main box that receives first temperature information related to the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor from the first temperature sensor and transmits the received first temperature information to the outside via wireless communication.

2. The temperature measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a second temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside the main body box is housed inside the main body box.

3. The temperature measuring device according to claim 1, wherein an acceleration sensor is housed inside the main body box.

4. The temperature measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a communication cable connecting the first temperature sensor to the control unit is embedded inside the sensor rod.

5. The temperature measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the timing of the switchover based on the first temperature information and transmits a signal to the outside indicating the determined timing of the switchover.

6. The temperature measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body box is a housing made of a highly weather-resistant resin.

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