Fire hydrant system

Abstract

To reliably prevent an erroneous operation that an opening operation of a fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation part is executed, and water discharge is started before a nozzle attached to a fire extinguishing hose is taken out.SOLUTION: A fire hydrant device 10 includes: a fire extinguishing hose 62 to which a nozzle 64 is attached; a nozzle holder 65 for detachably holding the nozzle 64; a fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 for executing an opening and closing operation of a fire hydrant valve 56; a nozzle detection switch 36 for detecting a nozzle holding state and a nozzle taking-out state; an electromagnetic solenoid 38 for locking the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60; and a control part 48 for fixing the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 by the electromagnetic solenoid 38 when the nozzle holding state is detected by the nozzle detection switch 36, and releasing the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 by the electromagnetic solenoid 38 when the nozzle taking-out state is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire hydrant device that discharges water from a nozzle of a fire hose by operating an operation part of a fire hydrant valve.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, inside tunnels such as highways and motorways that are fire protection target areas, fire hydrant devices are installed as emergency facilities in tunnels. The fire hydrant device includes, in a fire hydrant storage part inside a housing equipped with a fire hydrant door, a fire hose with a nozzle attached to its tip as a fire hydrant device, valves including a fire hydrant valve, a fire hydrant valve opening and closing lever as an operation part for operating the fire hydrant valve, etc. are stored and installed. Also, in a fire extinguisher storage part inside a housing equipped with a fire extinguisher door, for example, two fire extinguishers are stored. Further, the fire hydrant device is generally installed by cutting out the tunnel wall surface at intervals of, for example, 50 meters in the longitudinal direction of the tunnel.

[0003] Also, on the door opening at the front of the housing where the fire hydrant device of the fire hydrant device is stored, a maintenance door and a fire hydrant door are provided separately up and down. When a road user uses the fire hydrant device, by opening the fire hydrant door arranged on the lower side of the door opening downward with the lower end side as an axis, the nozzle held by the nozzle holder installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door is removably exposed, and at the same time, the fire hydrant valve opening and closing lever installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door is operably exposed (Patent Documents 1, 2). Note that there is also known a fire hydrant device in which the nozzle is held inside the housing and the fire hydrant valve opening and closing lever is installed, instead of installing it on the back side of the fire hydrant door to reduce the weight of the fire hydrant door (Patent Document 3).

[0004] Also, since road users are generally unfamiliar with operating the fire hydrant device, the fire hydrant device is configured such that an operation method nameplate that clearly shows the operation method of the fire hydrant device in graphics or the like can be confirmed when the fire hydrant door is opened.

[0005] Therefore, when handling the fire hydrant system, road users should follow the instructions on the operating plate, first remove the nozzle from the nozzle holder, then operate the fire hydrant valve lever to the open position, and then pull out the fire hose towards the fire source while water is being discharged from the nozzle to extinguish the fire. When the fire hydrant valve lever is operated to the open position, the pump interlocking start switch is turned on, and a pump start signal is transmitted to the disaster prevention receiving panel installed in the tunnel equipment's electrical room, etc. The fire pump equipment is started via the disaster prevention receiving panel, and fire extinguishing water is continuously supplied from the fire pump equipment to the fire hose. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-310785 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-145911 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-041635 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] However, when road users utilize fire hydrant systems, it is usually in an urgent situation such as a fire, and it is conceivable that some road users unfamiliar with operating fire hydrant systems might open the fire hydrant valve lever before removing the nozzle from the nozzle holder.

[0008] If the fire hydrant valve lever is accidentally opened before the nozzle is removed from the nozzle holder, fire extinguishing water will be discharged from the nozzle held in the nozzle holder. This discharged water will splash inside and around the casing, potentially causing unforeseen flooding damage. Furthermore, the difficulty in removing the nozzle once it has started discharging water could seriously hinder firefighting efforts.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a fire hydrant device that can reliably prevent erroneous operation in which the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is opened and water discharge is started before the nozzle attached to the fire hose is removed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] (Fire hydrant device 2) This invention relates to a fire extinguishing hose that is retractably stored inside and has a nozzle attached, A nozzle holder that detachably holds the nozzle, A fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit that operates the opening and closing of a fire hydrant valve installed in the piping that supplies fire extinguishing water to a fire hose, A fire hydrant system equipped with, A nozzle detection unit detects the nozzle holding state when the nozzle is held in the nozzle holding unit and the nozzle removal state when the nozzle is removed from the nozzle holding unit. An operating locking mechanism that disables the fire hydrant valve opening / closing mechanism, A control unit that, when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being held, fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit with the operation fixing unit, and when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being removed, releases the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit by the operation fixing unit, It is characterized by having the following features.

[0012] (Nozzle detection switch) The nozzle detection unit is a nozzle detection switch that operates either on or off when the nozzle is held, and operates either on or off when the nozzle is removed, which is different from the state when the nozzle is held.

[0013] (Operating fixing part that is driven by the power supply and power supply deactivation) The operating locking part is driven to either a fixed position that locks the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operating part when energized, or a release position that releases the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operating part, and is driven to either a fixed position or a release position different from the energized state when the energization is stopped.

[0014] (Instructions prompting removal of the nozzle) Furthermore, A contact detection unit that detects human contact with the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, An operation guidance output unit that outputs operation guidance, Equipped with, When the control unit detects human contact with the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit while it is fixed by the operation fixing unit, the operation guidance output unit outputs an operation guidance prompting the user to remove the nozzle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] (Effectiveness of fire hydrant systems) The present invention relates to a fire hydrant device in which the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, which operates the opening and closing of a fire hydrant valve provided in the piping that supplies fire extinguishing water to the fire hose, is made inoperable when the nozzle attached to the fire extinguishing hose housed inside the fire hydrant device is being held, and the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is made operable when the nozzle is removed. More specifically, the fire hydrant device comprises a fire extinguishing hose housed inside that can be retracted and has a nozzle attached, a nozzle holding unit that detachably holds the nozzle, a fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit that operates the opening and closing of a fire hydrant valve provided in the piping that supplies fire extinguishing water to the fire hose, a nozzle detection unit that detects the state in which the nozzle is held in the nozzle holding unit and the state in which the nozzle is removed from the nozzle holding unit, and the operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit. The system includes an operating locking unit that fixes the unit in an inoperable state, and a control unit that locks the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit with the operating locking unit when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being held, and releases the locking of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit by the operating locking unit when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being removed. As a result, even if a road user attempts to operate the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit without removing the nozzle attached to the fire hose, the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit cannot be opened, reliably preventing erroneous operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit that would cause water discharge to start with the nozzle being held. This ensures that users follow the correct procedure of opening the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit after removing the nozzle, enabling appropriate and rapid firefighting activities.

[0016] (Effect of nozzle detection switch) In addition, since the nozzle detection unit is a nozzle detection switch that operates the switch contact to either on or off in the nozzle holding state and operates the switch contact to either on or off, different from the nozzle holding state, in the nozzle removal state, it is possible to reliably detect the holding state and removal state of the nozzle with a simple configuration in which the nozzle detection switch is provided in the nozzle holding unit.

[0017] (Effect of the operation fixing unit that is driven by energization and power-off) In addition, the operation fixing unit is driven to either a fixing position that fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit by energization or a fixing release position that releases the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, and is driven to either a fixing position or a fixing release position different from the energized state by power-off. Therefore, it is possible to perform the fixing and fixing release of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit with a simple configuration and control.

[0018] (Effect of the operation guide that prompts the nozzle removal operation) Furthermore, it includes a contact detection unit that detects a person's contact with the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit and an operation guide output unit that outputs an operation guide. When a person's contact is detected by the contact detection unit while the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is fixed by the operation fixing unit, the control unit causes the operation guide output unit to output an operation guide that prompts the nozzle removal operation. Therefore, when a road user notices that they are operating in an incorrect procedure of attempting to operate the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit without removing the nozzle, it is possible to perform an operation according to the correct procedure of opening the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit after removing the nozzle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing a fire hydrant device. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of the fire hydrant device from the front with each door in the open state. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the internal structure of the fire hydrant device from the side with each door in the open state. [Figure 4]This is an explanatory diagram showing the operating box side of the fire hydrant valve's operating structure. [Figure 5] This is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit installed in a fire hydrant system. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating the water discharge control operation by the control unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Embodiments of the fire hydrant device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0021] [Basic Concepts of the Embodiment] First, the basic concept of the embodiment will be explained. The embodiment generally relates to a fire hydrant system that discharges water from the nozzle of a fire hose by operating a fire hydrant valve opening and closing control unit.

[0022] Here, "fire hydrant system" refers to a type of emergency equipment installed in areas that are subject to fire extinguishing, such as tunnels on expressways and motorways. It houses and installs fire hydrant equipment such as fire hoses, and may also include emergency notification devices such as red indicator lights and transmitters, or house fire extinguishers.

[0023] Furthermore, "fire hydrant equipment" includes a fire hose that is retractable and stored inside with a nozzle attached, a nozzle holder that detachably holds the nozzle, valves including a fire hydrant valve, and a fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit that opens and closes the fire hydrant valve.

[0024] Furthermore, the "fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit" can be any structure that allows the fire hydrant valve to be opened and closed in order to discharge water from the nozzle of the fire hose and to stop the discharge of water. For example, this includes a fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever that can be used to open and close the fire hydrant valve. The position of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit when the fire hydrant valve is closed and water discharge is stopped is defined as the "closed position," and the position of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit when the fire hydrant valve is open and water discharge is being discharged is defined as the "open position."

[0025] Furthermore, the "fire hydrant device" of the embodiment is characterized in that the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, which operates the opening and closing of a fire hydrant valve provided in the piping that supplies fire extinguishing water to the fire hose, is made inoperable when the nozzle attached to the fire extinguishing hose stored inside is being held, and the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is made operable when the nozzle is removed. More specifically, it comprises a nozzle detection unit that detects the state in which the nozzle is held in the nozzle holding unit and the state in which the nozzle is removed from the nozzle holding unit; an operation fixing unit that fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit inoperable mode; and a control unit that fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit with the operation fixing unit when the nozzle detection unit detects the state in which the nozzle is being held, and releases the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever by the operation fixing unit when the nozzle detection unit detects the state in which the nozzle is removed.

[0026] Here, "disabling the fire hydrant valve opening / closing mechanism" means that, although it is necessary to open the fire hydrant valve in order to discharge water from the nozzle of the fire hose, it is impossible to open the fire hydrant valve opening / closing mechanism, which is necessary to open that fire hydrant valve. "Making the fire hydrant valve opening / closing mechanism operable" means that all operations, including the opening operation of the disabled fire hydrant valve opening / closing mechanism, are possible. of The goal is to enable this function. The structure for achieving this function is arbitrary, but includes a system that uses an operating locking unit to fix the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operating unit in an inoperable state, and a control unit that controls the locking and release of the operating locking unit. Note that "locking" by the operating locking unit includes concepts such as lock, latch, locking, restraint, or stop.

[0027] Furthermore, although the structure and mechanism of the operating and fixing part are arbitrary, it includes, for example, an electromagnetic solenoid equipped with a plunger member that fits, engages with, or abuts against the fire hydrant valve opening and closing operating part to fix the fire hydrant valve opening and closing operating part so that it does not move, and in which case the plunger member is driven to either a fixed position that fixes the fire hydrant valve opening and closing operating part or a release position that releases the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening and closing operating part when energized, and when the energization is stopped the plunger member is driven to either a fixed position or a release position different from the energized state.

[0028] Furthermore, the "nozzle holding state," which renders the fire hydrant valve opening / closing control unit inoperable, refers to the state in which the nozzle has not been removed by a road user, while the "nozzle removal state," which enables the operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing control unit, refers to the state in which the nozzle has been removed by a road user. How the "nozzle holding state" or "nozzle removal state" is detected is arbitrary, and includes, for example, a system in which a nozzle holding unit is provided in the fire hydrant device, a nozzle detection unit is provided in the nozzle holding unit, and the state in which the nozzle is held in the nozzle holding unit is defined as the "nozzle holding state," and the state in which the nozzle has been removed from the nozzle holding unit is defined as the "nozzle removal state" and detected by the nozzle detection unit.

[0029] Furthermore, the structure, function, and type of the nozzle detection unit are arbitrary, but include, for example, a nozzle detection switch such as a limit switch. The nozzle detection switch operates by turning the switch contacts off (or on) when the nozzle is held, and by turning the switch contacts on (or off) in a different state than when the nozzle is removed.

[0030] Furthermore, the fire hydrant device of this embodiment is further characterized by a contact detection unit that detects human contact with the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, and an operation guidance output unit that outputs operation guidance. The control unit, when human contact is detected by the contact detection unit while the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is fixed by the operation fixing unit, causes the operation guidance output unit to output operation guidance prompting the removal of the nozzle.

[0031] Here, the structure and type of the contact detection unit are arbitrary, but include, for example, a touch switch that detects changes in pressure or capacitance caused by hand contact when attempting to operate a fire hydrant valve opening / closing control unit and outputs a contact detection signal.

[0032] Furthermore, the method and type of operation guidance provided by the operation guidance output unit to prompt the removal of the nozzle are arbitrary, but examples include operation guidance by voice or display. If operation guidance is by voice, an audio message such as "Beep beep beep, the lever is locked. Please remove the nozzle. The lock will be released." is output, and if operation guidance is by display, the nozzle holder that holds the nozzle that needs to be removed is flashed in a predetermined color, such as red, to draw attention to the nozzle.

[0033] The following describes a specific embodiment. In this embodiment, the "nozzle holding part" is a "nozzle holder installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door," the "fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation part" is a "fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door," the "nozzle detection part" is a "nozzle detection switch provided on the nozzle holder," the "operation fixing part" is an "electromagnetic solenoid that locks the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever with a plunger member that protrudes when the power is turned off, and pulls in the plunger member when power is turned on to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever," the "contact detection part" is a "touch switch provided on the operating handle of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever," and the "operation guidance output part" is a "speaker part provided on the electrical door and a guidance display part provided on the nozzle holder."

[0034] [Specific details of the embodiment] The fire hydrant system of this embodiment will be described in detail as follows: a. Fire hydrant system a1. Structure of a fire hydrant system a2. Internal structure of a fire hydrant system a3. Operating structure of a fire hydrant valve b. Control Unit b1. Functional configuration of the control unit b2. Water discharge control operation c. Modified form of the present invention

[0035] [a. Fire hydrant system] The fire hydrant device of the embodiment will now be described. In this description, refer to Figure 1 showing the fire hydrant device, Figure 2 showing the internal structure of the fire hydrant device from the front with each door open, Figure 3 showing the internal structure of the fire hydrant device from the side with each door open, and Figure 4 showing the operating box side of the fire hydrant valve operating structure. Figure 4(A) shows the front (top) view of the operating box, and Figure 4(B) shows a cross-section viewed from the side (right side).

[0036] In the explanation of Figures 1 to 3, the X, Y, and Z directions are mutually orthogonal. Specifically, when viewing the front of the fire hydrant device with various doors, the X direction is the left-right direction, the Y direction is the up-down direction, and the Z direction is the front-back direction. Furthermore, in the X direction, the +X side is the right side and the -X side is the left side; in the Y direction, the +Y side is the upper side and the -Y side is the lower side; and in the Z direction, the +Z side is the front side and the -Z side is the rear side. In Figure 4, the fire hydrant door where the operation box is installed is considered the lower side, and the X, Y, and Z directions are defined so that the direction of operation of the fire hydrant release lever is the front-back direction.

[0037] (a1. Structure of fire hydrant system) First, let's explain the structure of the fire hydrant system. As shown in Figure 1, the fire hydrant system 10 has a structure divided into a housing 10a which houses the fire hydrant and a housing 10b which houses the fire extinguisher, and decorative frames 11a and 11b are attached to the front of the housings 10a and 10b.

[0038] The door opening of the decorative frame 11a of the housing 10a is divided into upper and lower sections. A forward-tilting fire hydrant door 12 that opens downward by hinge is provided on the lower side of the door opening, and a maintenance door 14 that opens upward by hinge is provided on the upper side of the door opening. Inside the maintenance door 14, which is the fire hydrant storage section, fire hydrant equipment including a fire hose and valves including a fire hydrant valve is stored. The fire hydrant door 12 is provided with a door handle 1210, and when a road user puts their hand into the door handle 1210 and pulls it towards them, the lock is released and the fire hydrant door 12 can be opened.

[0039] On the left side of the door opening of the decorative frame 11b of the housing 10b, there is a fire extinguisher door 18 that opens horizontally to the left by a hinge, and the fire extinguisher storage area inside can accommodate, for example, two fire extinguishers. The fire extinguisher door 18 is equipped with a door handle 1810, and when a road user puts their hand into the door handle 1810 and pulls it towards them, the lock is released and the fire extinguisher door 18 can be opened. In addition, a viewing window 1820 is provided on the lower side of the fire extinguisher door 18, allowing the presence or absence of fire extinguishers to be checked from the outside.

[0040] An electrical door 20 is provided on the right side of the door opening of the decorative frame 11b, which opens horizontally to the right by a hinge. The electrical door 20 is equipped with electrical equipment such as a red indicator light 22, a transmitter 24, and a response lamp 26, and a telephone jack is provided inside the housing 10b of the electrical door 20. Thus, the red indicator light 22, transmitter 24, response lamp 26, and telephone jack provided on the electrical door 20 constitute an emergency notification device.

[0041] The red indicator light 22 is always illuminated so that the location of the fire hydrant device 10 can be seen from a distance. In the event of a fire, when the transmitter 24 is pressed and the push button switch on the transmitter 24 is turned on, a fire alarm signal (transmission signal) is sent to the fire prevention receiving panel in the electrical room, and a fire alarm is output from the fire prevention receiving panel, and in conjunction with this, the fire prevention receiving panel Board or A response signal is then sent to the fire hydrant device 10, causing the red indicator light 22 to flash and the response lamp 26 to light up.

[0042] Furthermore, a speaker unit 44 is provided on the lower side of the electrical door 20. The speaker unit 44 outputs a predetermined voice message prompting road users using the fire hydrant system 10 to remove the nozzle if they attempt to open the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever without opening the fire hydrant door 12 and removing the nozzle.

[0043] (a2. Internal structure of a fire hydrant system) Next, the internal structure of the fire hydrant device 10 shown in Figure 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 2, the inside of the housing 10a, which serves as the fire hydrant storage section 17, is divided into a valve storage section 1710 and a hose storage section 1720.

[0044] In the valve housing section 1710, a water tap 55 is connected to a water supply pipe 54 that is drawn in from the outside, and the water supply pipe 54 is branched downward and connected to a fire hose 62 via a fire hydrant valve 56 and an automatic pressure regulating valve 58.

[0045] The hose storage section 1720 is equipped with a hose storage frame 66, which stores the fire extinguishing hose 62 that is pulled in from below by winding it inward clockwise or counterclockwise. A nozzle 64 is attached to the end of the fire extinguishing hose 62 that is pulled out through a hose guide 68 installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door 12, and the nozzle 64 is detachably held in a nozzle holder 65 installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door 12.

[0046] The fire hydrant valve 56 is opened and closed by a fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 provided in an operation box 70 installed on the back side of the fire hydrant door 12. The fire hydrant valve 56 is opened and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 by a known wire link mechanism provided between the operation box 70 and an interlocking box 72 provided on the fire hydrant valve 56, corresponding to the operation box 70.

[0047] In addition, a pump activation interlocking switch 34, which is turned on and off in response to the opening and closing of the fire hydrant valve 56, is provided in the interlocking box 72, and a pump activation switch 32 for use by the fire brigade is provided to the upper right of the water tap 55.

[0048] Furthermore, the control box 70 is equipped with an electromagnetic solenoid 38. Normally, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is de-energized and locks the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 in the closed position. When a road user removes the nozzle 64 from the nozzle holder 65, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is activated by the energization of the device, releasing the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 and allowing it to be operated to the open position.

[0049] Furthermore, a touch switch 40 is provided on the operating handle of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60. The touch switch 40 detects when a road user grips the operating handle to operate the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60. The structure, function, and type of the switch are arbitrary, but for example, a pressure-sensitive switch, a capacitive switch, or an optical switch may be used.

[0050] Furthermore, the nozzle holder 65 is provided with a nozzle detection switch 36. The nozzle detection switch 36 is a switch that operates when a road user removes the nozzle 64 from the nozzle holder 65. Its structure and type are arbitrary, but for example, a limit switch equipped with a switch knob or switch lever that extends and retracts in accordance with the attachment and detachment of the nozzle 64 to the nozzle holder 65 can be used. In this embodiment, the nozzle detection switch 36 is configured to turn off the switch contact when the nozzle 64 is held in the nozzle holder 65, and to turn on the switch contact when the nozzle 64 is removed from the nozzle holder 65.

[0051] Furthermore, the nozzle holder 65 is provided with a guide display section 42 that frames its perimeter. The structure and function of the guide display section 42 are arbitrary, but for example, it may be a light-emitting plate member with an LED as the light source, and the flashing of the light-emitting plate member will provide guidance to encourage the operation of removing the nozzle 64.

[0052] Furthermore, an operating instructions plate 74 is located behind the nozzle holder 65 (on the inside of the housing). The operating instructions plate 74 is divided into three sections and uses diagrams to show the procedures for removing the nozzle, opening the fire hydrant valve lever, and discharging water from the nozzle.

[0053] Furthermore, the interior of the housing 10b (the side with the fire extinguisher door 18) is a fire extinguisher storage section 19, which houses two fire extinguishers 33. Terminal boxes 30 and 31 are installed on the rear of the fire extinguisher storage section 19. A red indicator light 22, provided on the electrical door 20, is connected to terminal box 30 via a wiring cable, and a transmitter 24, response lamp 26, telephone jack 28, and speaker section 44, provided on the electrical door 20, as well as a pump start switch 32 and pump start interlocking switch 34, provided on the valve storage section 1710, are connected to terminal box 31 via wiring cables.

[0054] Furthermore, a cable rack 69 is installed above the valve storage section 1710 within the housing 10a, extending from near the center to the fire hydrant storage section 1720. The cable rack 69 is used to pass through high-voltage cables that are brought into the valve storage section 1710 from the outside to connect to the terminal box 30, low-voltage cables that are brought into the valve storage section 1710 from the outside to connect to the terminal box 31, and wiring cables from the pump start switch 32 and the pump start interlocking switch 34 to connect to the terminal box 31.

[0055] Furthermore, a control unit 48 is installed below the terminal boxes 30 and 31 on the rear of the fire extinguisher storage section 19. The control unit 48 controls the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 by stopping the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 38 when the nozzle detection switch 36 detects that the nozzle 64 is being held in the nozzle holder 65 (when the switch is off), and by supplying power to the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to activate it and release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 when the nozzle detection switch 36 detects that the nozzle 64 has been removed from the nozzle holder 65 (when the switch is on).

[0056] Furthermore, when the control unit 48 detects human contact by a road user gripping the operating handle of the fire hydrant valve lever 60 via the touch switch 40 while the fire hydrant valve lever 60 is locked, it performs control to output operational guidance prompting the user to remove the nozzle 64 via voice from the speaker unit 44 and a display on the guidance display unit 42 of the nozzle holder 65.

[0057] Furthermore, the wiring necessary for control by the control unit 48 may be routed through the cable rack 69.

[0058] (a3. Operating structure of fire hydrant valves) Next, the operating structure of the fire hydrant valve will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the fire hydrant door 12 stops in an open position with the front facing downwards and inclined diagonally downwards, exposing the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 of the operation box 70 installed on the back of the door in an operable state. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the shaft end of the drive shaft 6030, which is taken out from the left side of the operation box 70, is connected to one end of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, and an operating handle 6010 is provided on the other end of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, allowing road users to open and close the fire hydrant valve 56 by gripping the operating handle 6010 and rotating the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 back and forth.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to link the operation of the fire hydrant valve 56 to the operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, a wire linkage mechanism is provided between the operation box 70 and the interlocking box 72. To explain the wire linkage mechanism in detail, a pulley 6040 is connected inside the drive shaft 6030 provided in the operation box 70, as shown in Figure 4(B). One end of two wire cables 76 is fixed to radially opposing positions on the outer circumference of the pulley 6040 (the top and bottom of the outer circumference in Figure 4(B)). The two wire cables 76 are pulled out from the rear of the operation box 70 and then, as shown in Figure 3, are pulled into the interlocking box 72 provided on the fire hydrant valve 56 in the valve storage section 1710 inside the housing, and the other ends of the two wire cables 76 are fixed to radially opposing positions on the outer circumference of the pulley connected to the valve shaft of the fire hydrant valve 56. Therefore, when the pulley 6040 is rotated by operating the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, the pulley installed on the valve shaft of the interlocking box 72 rotates in conjunction via two wire cables 76, and the fire hydrant valve 56 can be opened and closed in conjunction with the operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60.

[0060] Furthermore, the control box 70 is equipped with an electromagnetic solenoid 38 corresponding to the closed position of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60. As shown in Figure 4, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is provided corresponding to the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 in the closed position, and a plunger 3810 is provided at its left end. When the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is de-energized, the plunger 3810 protrudes due to spring force as shown in Figure 4, and when the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is energized, it is retracted into the electromagnetic solenoid 38 by electromagnetic force. In addition, a through hole 6020 is formed on the lever surface of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 corresponding to the plunger 3810 of the electromagnetic solenoid 38.

[0061] Therefore, when the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is de-energized, the plunger 3810 fits into the through-hole 6020, causing the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to lock the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 in the closed position. When the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is energized, the plunger 3810 is retracted into the electromagnetic solenoid 38 and disengages from the through-hole 6020, causing the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60. The structure for locking the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 by the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is arbitrary, and any locking structure other than fitting the plunger 3810 into the through-hole 6020, such as engagement or contact, may be used.

[0062] Furthermore, a touch switch 40 is provided on the operating handle 6010 of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60. The touch switch 40 turns on when it detects contact with the operating handle 6010 by a road user. In addition, to ensure reliable detection of road users' contact with the operating handle 6010, the detection area of ​​the touch switch 40 is positioned to cover almost the entire surface of the operating handle 6010.

[0063] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(A), the outer surface (top surface) of the control box 70 is marked with an arrow indicating the direction of operation and the opening / closing position.

[0064] [b. Control Unit] Next, we will explain the control unit installed in the fire hydrant system. In this explanation, please refer to Figure 5, which is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit installed in the fire hydrant system, and Figure 6, which is a flowchart showing the water discharge control operation by the control unit.

[0065] (b1. Functional configuration of the control unit) The functional configuration of the control unit 48 will now be described. As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 48 is composed of a computer circuit equipped with a CPU, memory, and various input / output ports, and realizes predetermined control functions by executing a control program stored in memory. The control unit 48 may also be composed of a logic circuit or a relay circuit.

[0066] The fire hydrant device 10 is equipped with a nozzle detection switch 36 and a touch switch 40 as inputs to the control unit 48. The fire hydrant device 10 is also equipped with an electromagnetic solenoid 38, a guidance display unit 42, and a speaker unit 44 as outputs to the control unit 48.

[0067] Furthermore, when the nozzle detection switch 36 is off and the removal of the nozzle 64 is not detected (the state in which the nozzle 64 is being held in the nozzle holder 65 is detected), the control unit 48 stops the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 38. As shown in Figure 4, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 engages the plunger 3810 with the through hole 6020 of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, locking the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 in the closed position.

[0068] Furthermore, when the nozzle detection switch 36 is turned on and the removal of the nozzle 64 from the nozzle holder 65 is detected, the control unit 48 controls the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to energize it, pulling the plunger 3810 into the electromagnetic solenoid 38 and releasing the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60.

[0069] Furthermore, when the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 is locked in the closed position, that is, when the nozzle detection switch 36 is off and the removal of the nozzle 64 has not been detected, the control unit 48 operates the guidance display unit 42 and the speaker unit 44 to output operational guidance prompting the user to remove the nozzle 64 when a road user grips the operating handle 6010 and the touch switch 40 is turned on.

[0070] Furthermore, the operation of the guidance display unit 42 by the control unit 48 is optional, but for example, it can be controlled to make the guidance display unit 42 of the nozzle holder 65 flash red. Also, the operation guidance voice message output by the control unit 48 from the speaker unit 44 is optional, but for example, it can be controlled to output a voice message such as "Beep beep beep. The lever is locked. Please remove the nozzle. The lock will be released."

[0071] (b2. Water discharge control operation) Next, the water discharge control operation by the control unit 48 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 48 detects whether or not the nozzle is extended using the nozzle detection switch 36. If the nozzle extension is not detected, the power supply to the electromagnetic solenoid 38 is stopped, and the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 is locked in the closed position (steps S1, S3).

[0072] On the other hand, when the detection switch 36 detects that the nozzle has been removed, the control unit 48 energizes the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, enabling the opening operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 (steps S1, S2).

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 48 detects whether the fire hydrant valve lever 60 has been opened by the touch switch 40 on the operating handle 6010 while the nozzle 64 has not been detected being removed and the fire hydrant valve lever 60 is locked in the closed position. If a road user places their hand on the operating handle 6010 to open the fire hydrant valve lever 60 and the touch switch 40 detects human contact, the control unit 48 flashes the guidance display unit 42 on the nozzle holder 65 as a guidance display, for example, in red, and outputs an audio guidance message from the speaker unit 44 to provide guidance prompting the removal of the nozzle 64 (steps S4, S5).

[0074] Then, when a road user removes the nozzle 64 from the nozzle holder 65 after receiving an operation guidance prompting them to remove the nozzle 64, the control unit 48 detects the removal of the nozzle 64 using the nozzle detection switch 36, energizes the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, and enables the opening operation of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 (steps S6, S2).

[0075] Therefore, in the fire hydrant device 10 of this embodiment, even if a road user attempts to open the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 before taking out the nozzle 64, the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 will not move to the open position, and it is possible to reliably prevent erroneous operation in which water is started from the nozzle 64 while the nozzle 64 is being held in the nozzle holder 65.

[0076] Furthermore, if a road user attempts to operate the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 without removing the nozzle 64, an instruction prompting the user to remove the nozzle 64 will be output via display and voice, etc. This allows the road user to realize that the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 is not malfunctioning and is not stuck, but rather that the operating procedure was incorrect, enabling them to perform the water discharge operation using the correct procedure, such as removing the nozzle 64 and then opening the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60.

[0077] [c. Variations of the present invention] Modifications of the fire hydrant device according to the present invention will now be described. In addition to the embodiments described above, the fire hydrant device of the present invention includes the following modifications.

[0078] (Operating Instructions) In the above embodiment, a guide display unit 42 and a speaker unit 44 are provided to guide the user to remove the nozzle 64, but either one of them may be provided.

[0079] (Inspection work) Furthermore, while fire hydrant systems undergo periodic inspections, during these inspections, the inspector can check the locked state of the fire hydrant valve lever 60 and the output of the operation guidance prompting the removal of the nozzle 64 by gripping the operating handle 6010 of the fire hydrant valve lever 60 without removing the nozzle. In addition, if an inspection switch is provided on the back of the electrical door or elsewhere, and the inspection mode is set by operating the inspection switch, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 can be energized to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve lever 60, allowing the opening and closing of the fire hydrant valve lever 60 to be freely operated for inspection, regardless of the state in which the nozzle 64 is removed.

[0080] (A fire hydrant device that holds the nozzle inside the housing and has a lever for opening and closing the fire hydrant valve.) Furthermore, although the above embodiment holds the nozzle 64 on the back side of the fire hydrant door 12 and installs the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60, the same can be applied to a fire hydrant system in which, for example, the nozzle 64 is held and the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 is installed inside the housing instead of on the back side of the fire hydrant door 12, regardless of the position of the nozzle 64 or the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60.

[0081] (Fail-safe mechanism for locking the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever) Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 is released by energizing the electromagnetic solenoid 38. However, considering the case where the electromagnetic solenoid 38 malfunctions or does not operate, it is desirable to provide a fail-safe lock release mechanism. The structure of the fail-safe lock release mechanism is arbitrary, but for example, the through hole 6020 of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 shown in Figure 4 can be made an open hole at the bottom, and a removable closing member can be provided to close the opening at the bottom of the through hole 6020. In this case, if the electromagnetic solenoid 38 malfunctions or does not operate, removing the closing member and attempting to move the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 to the open position will cause the plunger 3810 to slip out from the opening at the bottom of the through hole 6020, making it possible to move the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 to the open position.

[0082] Alternatively, as a fail-safe mechanism, the electromagnetic solenoid 38 may be configured to lock the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 to the closed position when energized, and to release the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 when the power is turned off. This allows the electromagnetic solenoid 38 to function as a fail-safe by releasing the lock on the fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 60 if it malfunctions or fails to operate, without requiring a separate release mechanism.

[0083] Furthermore, by incorporating a fail-safe mechanism for locking these fire hydrant valve opening and closing levers, the opening and closing operation of the fire hydrant valves will not be hindered even when power is not supplied to the fire hydrant system, such as during installation or trial operation and adjustment, thus facilitating installation and adjustment work.

[0084] (others) Furthermore, the present invention includes appropriate modifications that do not impair its purpose and advantages, and is not limited by the numerical values ​​shown in the above embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 10: Fire hydrant system 10a, 10b: Enclosure 11a, 11b: Decorative frame 12: Fire hydrant door 1210: Door handle 14: Maintenance Door 17: Fire hydrant storage area 1710: Valve storage compartment 1720: Hose storage compartment 18: Fire extinguisher door 1810: Door handle 1820: Peephole 19: Fire extinguisher storage compartment 20: Electric Door 22: Red indicator light 24: Transmitter 26: Response lamp 28: Phone hijacking 30,31:Terminal box 32: Pump start switch 33: Fire extinguisher 34: Pump start-linked switch 36: Nozzle detection switch 38: Electromagnetic solenoid 3810: Plunger 40: Touch switch 42: Information display section 44: Speaker section 48: Control Unit 54: Water supply piping 55: Water tap 56: Fire hydrant valve 58: Automatic pressure regulating valve 60: Fire hydrant valve opening / closing lever 6010: Operating handle 6020: Through hole 6030: Drive shaft 6040: Pulley 62: Fire hose 64: Nozzle 65: Nozzle holder 66: Hose storage frame 68: Hose Guide 69: Cable rack 70: Control Box 72: Interlocking Box 74: Operating Instructions Plate 76: Wire Cable

Claims

1. A fire extinguishing hose with a nozzle attached is stored inside and can be easily pulled out. A nozzle holding part that detachably holds the aforementioned nozzle, A fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit for operating a fire hydrant valve installed in a pipe that supplies fire extinguishing water to the aforementioned fire extinguishing hose, A fire hydrant system equipped with, The nozzle holding unit detects the holding state of the nozzle when the nozzle is held in the nozzle holding unit and the removal state of the nozzle when the nozzle is removed from the nozzle holding unit. An operating and fixing part for fixing the fire hydrant valve opening and closing operating part in an inoperable state, A control unit which, when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being held, fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit with the operation fixing unit, and when the nozzle detection unit detects that the nozzle is being removed, releases the fixing of the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit by the operation fixing unit, A fire hydrant device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. In the fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The nozzle detection unit is a nozzle detection switch that operates the switch contact to either the ON or OFF state when the nozzle is held, and operates the switch contact to either the ON or OFF state different from the state when the nozzle is removed.

3. In the fire hydrant device according to claim 1, The fire hydrant device is characterized in that the operating fixing part is driven to either a fixed position that fixes the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operating part or a release position that releases the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operating part when power is supplied, and is driven to either the fixed position or the release position that is different from the state when power is cut off.

4. In the fire hydrant device according to claim 1, further, A contact detection unit for detecting human contact with the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit, An operation guidance output unit that outputs operation guidance, Equipped with, The fire hydrant device is characterized in that, when the control unit detects human contact by the contact detection unit while the fire hydrant valve opening / closing operation unit is fixed by the operation fixing unit, the operation guidance output unit outputs operation guidance prompting the removal of the nozzle.

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