Information acquisition device, information acquisition system and storage medium for chain track

Abstract

The present invention provides an information acquisition device capable of acquiring information related to a chain track. The information acquisition device acquires information related to the chain track, wherein the chain track is wound on a sprocket, and the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of a vehicle and is driven to rotate. The chain track has an engaging portion configured to mesh with the teeth or tooth bottom of the above-mentioned sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the above-mentioned sprocket. The information acquisition device comprises a storage unit, a rotation information acquisition unit, and a derivation unit. Before the above-mentioned vehicle travels, the storage unit stores the number of the above-mentioned engaging portions of the above-mentioned chain track and information for determining the above-mentioned engaging portions at specified positions as initial information. The rotation information acquisition unit acquires the rotation information of the above-mentioned sprocket. Based on the above-mentioned initial information and the above-mentioned rotation information, the derivation unit derives the information for determining the above-mentioned engaging portion at the above-mentioned specified position during the travel of the above-mentioned vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information acquisition device, a system and a storage medium for acquiring information related to a chain track. Background Art

[0002] As a vehicle used in an environment where tires cannot properly travel, such as uneven ground, deserts or snow, there is a known infinite track vehicle (tracked vehicle) equipped with an infinite track. The infinite track is also called a chain track, a crawler track, an endless belt, a track belt, and Caterpillar (registered trademark), but these are collectively referred to as "chain tracks" below. If the chain track is cut or components such as the core of the chain track fall off, the vehicle becomes unable to travel. The chain track is usually used in places where it is difficult to gain a foothold. If the chain track suddenly fails, it becomes an extremely troublesome situation. That is, the replacement operation of the chain track may require more manpower, and heavy equipment such as cranes may also be required. In addition, the interruption time of the operation caused by the failure of the chain track also becomes longer.

[0003] Patent document 1 discloses an endless track vehicle having a system capable of recording and reading data such as the travel distance, travel direction, and travel speed of the track in order to manage the quality of the track such as fatigue. The endless track vehicle comprises: a track having a transponder buried at a predetermined position which sends predetermined information as a response signal in response to an interrogation signal from the outside; and a transponder recognition system.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-119845

[0005] However, the link rails applicable to the infinite track vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 are limited to the link rails having a transponder embedded therein that can communicate with the transponder identification system installed on the vehicle side. That is, even if the link rail of the correct size is installed on the vehicle, there is a case where the above-mentioned system cannot function, which greatly limits the freedom of choice of the link rail. Summary of the invention

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an information acquisition device, a system, and a storage medium capable of acquiring information related to a link rail regardless of whether the link rail can communicate with a system installed in a vehicle.

[0007] The information acquisition device involved in the first technical solution acquires information related to a chain rail, the chain rail is wound around a sprocket, the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of a vehicle and is driven to rotate, the chain rail has an engagement portion configured to mesh with teeth or tooth bottoms of the sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket, and the information acquisition device includes: a storage unit, a rotation information acquisition unit, and a derivation unit. Before the vehicle travels, the storage unit stores the number of the engagement portions of the chain rail and information for specifying the engagement portions at a predetermined position as initial information, the rotation information acquisition unit acquires the rotation information of the sprocket, and the derivation unit derives the information for specifying the engagement portion at the predetermined position during the travel of the vehicle based on the initial information and the rotation information.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, the engagement portion of the link rail at a predetermined position can be identified during the travel of the vehicle by a simple structure, thereby being able to derive various information on the link rail.

[0009] The information acquisition device according to the second technical solution is the information acquisition device according to the first technical solution, and further comprises: one or more sensors configured to be mountable on the vehicle; a characteristic acquisition unit; and an abnormality detection unit. The characteristic acquisition unit acquires a detection value indicating a characteristic of at least one of the rotation sound and vibration of the link rail from the one or more sensors. The abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality of the link rail based on the detection value detected by the one or more sensors.

[0010] According to the above-described technical solution, an abnormality of the link rail can be detected during the operation of the link rail, and the link rail can be maintained in a timely manner.

[0011] The information acquisition device involved in the third technical solution is based on the information acquisition device involved in the second technical solution. The specified position is the position where the engaging part is configured to engage with the tooth or the tooth bottom, and the abnormality detection part establishes a correspondence between the detection value and the information of the engaging part at the specified position, thereby inferring the position where the abnormality occurs in the chain track.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, it is possible to efficiently perform the work of confirming the actual link rail when an abnormality is detected.

[0013] The information acquisition device according to a fourth aspect is the information acquisition device according to the second aspect or the third aspect, wherein the one or more sensors include a sensor for detecting characteristics of sound.

[0014] The information acquisition device according to a fifth aspect is the information acquisition device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the one or more sensors include a sensor that detects a characteristic of vibration.

[0015] The information acquisition device involved in the sixth technical solution is based on the information acquisition device involved in any one of the second to fifth technical solutions, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to be installed on the sprocket or near the sprocket, and the characteristic acquisition unit obtains the detection value representing the characteristic of at least one of the rotational sound and the vibration generated when the chain rail is wound onto the sprocket from the one or more sensors.

[0016] The information acquisition device according to a seventh aspect is the information acquisition device according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality of the link rail based on at least one of the magnitude and frequency characteristics of the detection value.

[0017] The information acquisition device according to an eighth aspect is the information acquisition device according to any one of the second to seventh aspects, wherein the abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the link rail based on a time-direction variation of the detection value.

[0018] The information acquisition device according to a ninth aspect is the information acquisition device according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, wherein the abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the link rail based on a variation in absolute values ​​of periodic peak values ​​of the detection values.

[0019] The information acquisition device involved in the tenth technical solution is based on the information acquisition device involved in any one of the first to ninth technical solutions, wherein the derivation unit further derives at least one of the number of cycles of the chain rail in the direction in which the vehicle moves forward and the number of cycles of the chain rail in the direction in which the vehicle moves backward based on the initial information and the rotation information.

[0020] According to the above technical solution, further information related to the chain rail, such as the travel distance of the chain rail, can be derived.

[0021] The information acquisition device according to the eleventh technical solution is the information acquisition device according to any one of the first technical solution to the tenth technical solution, wherein the information identifying the coupling unit at the predetermined position is an identifier assigned to each coupling unit.

[0022] The information acquisition device according to the twelfth aspect is the information acquisition device according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the identifier is allocated to each of the coupling parts starting from a reference position in the circumferential direction of the link rail.

[0023] The information acquisition device according to the 13th technical solution is the information acquisition device according to any one of the second to 12th technical solutions, and further comprises an alarm output unit. The alarm output unit generates and outputs an alarm reporting an abnormality of the link rail. The alarm includes information indicating a position where the abnormality is estimated to have occurred.

[0024] The information acquisition system involved in the 14th technical solution comprises: a chain rail, which is wound on a sprocket, and the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of the vehicle and is driven to rotate, and the chain rail has an engagement portion that meshes with the teeth or tooth bottom of the sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket; and a control unit, which acquires information related to the chain rail. The control unit includes a storage unit, a rotation information acquisition unit, and a derivation unit. Before the vehicle travels, the storage unit stores the number of the engagement portions of the chain rail and the information that determines the engagement portions at a specified position as initial information. The rotation information acquisition unit acquires the rotation information of the sprocket. Based on the initial information and the rotation information, the derivation unit derives the information that determines the engagement portion at the specified position during the travel of the vehicle.

[0025] The storage medium involved in the 15th technical solution stores an information acquisition program, which acquires information related to a chain track, wherein the chain track is wound on a sprocket, and the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of a vehicle and is driven to rotate. The chain track has an engaging portion that meshes with the teeth or tooth bottom of the sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket. The information acquisition program enables a computer to execute the following content.

[0026] Before the vehicle travels, the number of the engaging portions of the link rail and information identifying the engaging portions at predetermined positions are stored as initial information.

[0027] Obtaining the rotation information of the sprocket.

[0028] Based on the initial information and the rotation information, information for identifying the coupling portion at the predetermined position during travel of the vehicle is derived.

[0029] According to the above technical solution, the engagement portion of the link rail at a predetermined position can be determined during vehicle travel without depending on whether the link rail mounted on the vehicle can communicate with an external device. Thus, information such as the number of cycles and travel distance of the link rail can be obtained. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle on which a control unit as an information acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted, as viewed from the front side.

[0031] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vehicle viewed from the left side.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a control unit of an information acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining identifiers assigned to tooth bottoms of sprockets.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing a portion of the chain rail as viewed from the outer peripheral side.

[0035] Figure 6 Figure 5 VI-VI line cross-sectional view.

[0036] Fig. 7A This is a diagram showing an example of a part of the chain rail viewed from the inner peripheral side.

[0037] Figure 7B This is a diagram showing another example of a part of the link rail viewed from the inner peripheral side.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a portion of the chain track as viewed from the side.

[0039] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing the flow of information acquisition processing according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Description of Reference Numerals

[0041] 1…vehicle; 2, 2L, 2R…chain track; 3…sprocket; 4…idler; 5…control unit (information acquisition device, computer); 52…CPU; 52a…rotation information acquisition unit; 52b…abnormality detection unit; 61…sound sensor; 62…vibration sensor; 63…rotation sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, an information acquisition device, a program, and a system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The information acquisition device according to this embodiment is used to detect an abnormality occurring in a link rail in a vehicle equipped with a link rail. The following is a detailed description.

[0043] <1. Structure of information acquisition device and vehicle equipped with the same>

[0044] Figure 1 and Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a state where the control unit 5 as the information acquisition device according to the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle 1 . Figure 1 This is a diagram of the vehicle 1 as viewed from the front side. Figure 2 The diagrams are viewed from the left side. In these diagrams, a portion of the structure that is not visible from the outside is appropriately indicated by a dotted line for reference. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the description herein is based on Figure 1 The up and down and left and right are defined based on the direction of Figure 2 The front and rear are defined with reference to the direction of . Hereinafter, before describing the control unit 5 according to the present embodiment, the structure of the vehicle 1 equipped with the control unit 5 will be described. Then, the structure of the control unit 5 will be described.

[0045] [Overall structure of the vehicle]

[0046] The vehicle 1 is an endless track vehicle, and is mainly used in environments where tires cannot properly travel. Examples of such environments include fields, forest roads, forests, snow, gravel, deserts, and other uneven surfaces, and examples of the vehicle 1 include vehicles such as combine harvesters, construction machinery vehicles such as excavators, snowmobiles, and large transport vehicles.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, a pair of left and right link rails 2L and 2R are mounted on the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 has a vehicle body 10, a driver's seat 11 is provided on the vehicle body 10, and the link rails 2L and 2R are arranged below the vehicle body 10 in a manner of being separated from each other and extending in the front-rear direction.

[0048] like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 1 includes: a pair of left and right sprockets 3, which are connected to a pair of left and right shafts 3a, respectively; a pair of left and right idler wheels 4, which are connected to a pair of left and right shafts 4a, respectively; and a plurality of left and right pairs of wheels 6, which are connected to a plurality of left and right pairs of shafts 6a, respectively. A chain track 2L on the left side is wound around a sprocket 3 on the left side, a plurality of wheels 6 on the left side, and a single idler wheel 4 on the left side. Similarly, a chain track 2R on the right side is wound around a sprocket 3 on the right side, a plurality of wheels 6 on the right side, and a single idler wheel 4 on the right side. The chain tracks 2L and 2R are each in the form of an endless belt, and are formed into a ring shape when viewed from the side. The chain tracks 2L and 2R have the same structure, and therefore, in the following, there is a case where the two are not particularly distinguished and are simply referred to as the chain track 2. In the following, the chain track 2 on one side and the equipment (sprocket 3, idler wheel 4, wheel 6, first sensor 61, second sensor 62, and rotation sensor 63) around it are described, but the same description applies to both the left and right chain tracks 2L and 2R.

[0049] The sprocket 3 and the idler wheel 4 are arranged in a manner of being separated front and rear. Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , the sprocket 3 is arranged on the front side and the idler 4 is arranged on the rear side, but the sprocket 3 may be arranged on the rear side and the idler 4 may be arranged on the front side. The runner 6 is arranged in the front-rear direction between the sprocket 3 and the idler 4. The sprocket 3, the idler 4 and the runner 6 are supported so as to be rotatable around the axes 3a, 4a and 6a, respectively.

[0050] [Sprocket]

[0051] exist Figure 4 An example of the structure of a sprocket is shown in FIG. The sprocket 3 is a driving wheel, which is connected to a power device such as an engine (not shown) via a shaft 3a, and is driven to rotate around the shaft 3a with the shaft 3a as the rotation axis. In addition, the left and right pair of shafts 3a are independent of each other, and the left and right pair of sprockets 3 are independently driven to rotate. On the outer periphery of the sprocket 3, M teeth 31 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction based on the shaft 3a, and chain rails 2 are wound on these teeth 31. As a result, the chain rails 2 follow the rotation of the sprocket 3 and are driven to circulate when viewed from the side. In addition, Figure 4 In the example shown, M=12, but M is not limited to this.

[0052] The tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3 is a surface located at the root of the tooth 31. The number of tooth bottoms 32 is the same as that of the teeth 31, and like the teeth 31, they are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction with the axis 3a as the reference. An identifier is assigned to the tooth bottom 32 to distinguish each tooth bottom, and each tooth bottom 32 can be identified by the identifier. The identifier can be, for example, a serial number assigned by counting the tooth bottoms 32 along a specified rotation direction, or a sequence of characters, symbols, etc. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown, serial numbers from 1 to M are assigned to the respective tooth bottoms 32 as identifiers in descending order along the direction of arrow A1.

[0053] When the sprocket 3 rotates in the direction of arrow A1 with respect to the shaft 3a, the chain rail 2 wound on the sprocket 3 rotates in the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward. Conversely, when the sprocket 3 rotates in the direction opposite to arrow A1 with respect to the shaft 3a, the chain rail 2 wound on the sprocket 3 rotates in the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves backward. Hereinafter, the tooth bottom 32 to which the identifier m (1≤m≤M) is assigned may be referred to as a tooth bottom 32-m.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the user of the vehicle 1 is configured to be able to check the identifier assigned to each tooth bottom 32 from outside the vehicle 1. The identifier may be displayed on the corresponding tooth bottom 32 or in the vicinity of the tooth bottom 32 in the sprocket 3, for example. Alternatively, the user may be able to check the identifier of each tooth bottom 32 by presetting a reference tooth bottom 32a that can be checked from outside the vehicle 1 and counting the tooth bottoms 32 in a predetermined rotation direction with the reference tooth bottom 32a as the starting point and the shaft 3a as the reference. Figure 4 As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , the reference tooth bottom 32a may be set by adding a stamp 320 that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle 1 to one of the tooth bottoms 32. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 As shown in the example, as long as the feature 321 is a feature that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle 1 and is fixed to the shaft 3a, sprocket 3, etc., the reference tooth bottom 32a can be set using the positional relationship with the feature 321.

[0055] If the tooth bottom 32 can be identified by the identifier, each tooth 31 can also be identified. That is, assigning an identifier to each tooth bottom 32 is equivalent to assigning an identifier to each tooth 31. The identifiers assigned to the tooth 31 and the tooth bottom 32 are used in the processing described below.

[0056] [Idler]

[0057] The idler wheel 4 is a rotating wheel, and the shaft 4a is not connected to a power device. However, the idler wheel 4 follows the rotation of the sprocket wheel 3, and is driven to rotate around the shaft 4a by receiving power from the chain rail 2 that is driven and circulated when viewed from the side. The rotating wheel 6 is the same, and is not connected to a power device on the shaft 6a. However, the rotating wheel 6 also follows the rotation of the sprocket wheel 3, and is driven to rotate around the shaft 6a by receiving power from the chain rail 2 that is driven and circulated when viewed from the side. The chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket wheel 3 and the idler wheel 4 in a manner that is folded back in the front-to-back direction. The rotating wheel 6 is arranged on the side opposite to the road surface across the chain rail 2, and presses the chain rail 2 against the road surface.

[0058] [Chain track]

[0059] The link rail 2 has a link rail body 20 made of an elastic body such as rubber. The link rail body 20 is an endless belt and is configured in an annular shape when viewed from the side. Figure 5 This is a diagram of a portion of the chain rail 2 viewed from the outer circumference. In the description herein, unless otherwise specified, the outer and inner respectively mean the outer side and inner side of the loop of the chain rail 2 wound around the sprocket 3, the idler 4, and the runner 6. In addition, unless otherwise specified, the circumferential direction means the direction in which the chain rail 2 is driven and circulated. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 VI-VI line cross-sectional view.

[0060] In the chain rail 2, N core members 21 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. Figure 2For simplicity, only three of these core members 21 are shown in the figure, but in reality, they are arranged at equal intervals throughout the entire circumference of the chain track 2. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , these core members 21 are at least partially buried in the link rail body 20. Typically, the core member 21 is made of cast iron, wrought iron, or resin. The core member 21 has a central portion 211 extending left and right, a pair of left and right wing portions 212 extending left and right from both left and right ends of the central portion 211, and a pair of left and right protrusions 213 extending inward from both left and right ends of the central portion 211. The central portion 211 and the pair of left and right wing portions 212 are buried in the link rail body 20. The protrusion 213 protrudes toward the inner side of the ring of the link rail body 20.

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, N openings 23 are formed in the rail body 20 that penetrate the rail body 20. The openings 23 are respectively located at the approximate center of the rail body 20 in the left-right direction, and are arranged in the gap between two core pieces 21 that are adjacent in the circumferential direction. These openings 23 are configured to receive the teeth 31 arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the sprocket 3. On the other hand, the core piece 21 is configured to receive the tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3 on the inner side surface of the gap between the pair of left and right protrusions 213. That is, the opening 23 is equivalent to the engagement portion that meshes with the teeth 31 of the sprocket 3, and the core piece 21 is equivalent to the engagement portion that meshes with the tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3. The teeth 31 and the opening 23, and the tooth bottom 32 and the core piece 21 are respectively engaged, whereby the rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3, and the rail 2 follows the rotation of the sprocket 3, and the power for circulation is given from the sprocket 3.

[0062] When the chain rail 2 is normally driven and circulated in a constant direction by the sprocket 3, the position where the chain rail 2 starts to be wound around the sprocket 3 and the position where the chain rail 2 starts to leave the sprocket 3 are substantially constant relative to the shaft 3a. That is, the position where the core 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are re-engaged, the position where the opening 23 and the tooth 31 are re-engaged, the position where the meshed core 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are separated, and the position where the meshed opening 23 and the tooth 31 are separated are substantially constant with respect to the shaft 3a. In the present embodiment, when the chain rail 2 is normally driven and circulated in the direction of the arrow A1, Figure 2 At the position P1 or the vicinity of the position P1 shown, the core piece 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are re-engaged, and at the position P2 or the vicinity of the position P2, the core piece 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are separated. In addition, in the present embodiment, when the chain rail 2 is normally driven and circulated in the direction opposite to the arrow A1, the core piece 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are re-engaged at the position P2 or the vicinity of the position P2, and the core piece 21 and the tooth bottom 32 are separated at the position P1 or the vicinity of the position P1.

[0063] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B It is a partial top view of the inner side of the chain track 2. Figure 8This is a partial side view of the chain rail 2 with the vicinity of the core 21 magnified. Each core 21 is assigned an identifier to distinguish between the cores, and each core 21 can be identified by the identifier. The identifier may be, for example, a serial number assigned by counting the cores 21 along a predetermined rotation direction, or may be a character symbol or the like. In addition, the serial number assigned to the core 21 is generally also referred to as the chain number. In the present embodiment, the core 21 is counted along the axis 3a as a reference. Figure 2 and Figure 8 Serial numbers 1 to N are assigned as identifiers in descending order in the direction of arrow A1. Hereinafter, a core member 21 to which an identifier n (1≤n≤N) is assigned may be referred to as a core member 21-n.

[0064] The chain rail 2 is configured to be able to obtain the identifier assigned to the core member 21 from the outside of the vehicle 1. Fig. 7A As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , the identifier of the corresponding core member 21 is displayed by the engraving 200 formed on the link rail 2. The engraving 200 may be formed at any position of the link rail 2 as long as the user of the vehicle 1 can confirm it from the outside of the vehicle 1.

[0065] In addition, the chain rail 2 may also be configured to include a reference core 21a that can be identified from the outside of the vehicle 1, and the cores 21 are counted along a predetermined rotation direction starting from the reference core 21a, so that the user can identify the identifier of each core 21. Figure 7B As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , the reference core member 21a can be set by adding a mark 210 that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle 1 to one of the core members 21, or can be set by using the positional relationship with a feature 201 that can be visually confirmed from the outside of the vehicle 1. The feature 201 can be, for example, a scratch on the rubber of the link rail body 20, a mark indicating a size, etc. Figure 7B As shown in the example of , the feature 201 may also be a seam of the rubber constituting the main body of the track 20. Usually, the track main body 20 made of rubber is manufactured through multiple vulcanization steps. Therefore, one or more rubber seams appear in the track main body 20. The seam is formed in a ring shape in a plane perpendicular to the long side direction of the track main body 20, and it is easy to visually confirm that it moves in a cyclic linkage with the track 2, so it can be used to set the reference core 21a.

[0066] In addition, the chain rail 2 may be configured to obtain the identifier assigned to the core member 21 by an external device using an RFID system. Specifically, an IC tag storing the identifier of the core member 21 may be buried in the chain rail body 20 near each core member 21, and the identifier of each core member 21 may be obtained through a reading device capable of reading the information of the IC tag. The reading device may also be a portable device configured to be connected to the control unit 5 for communication and read the information of the approaching IC tag. In this case, the user of the vehicle 1 may also bring the reading device close to the core member 21 located at a predetermined position, and cause the reading device to read the identifier stored in the IC tag corresponding to the core member 21. In addition, the reading device may also be a device configured to be fixed at a predetermined position of the vehicle 1, read the identifier stored in the IC tag located closest, and send the read identifier to the control unit 5. In this case, the reading device may also be configured to automatically read the identifier of the IC tag located closest when the power is turned on to the electrical system of the vehicle 1, etc.

[0067] If the core 21 can be identified by the identifier, each opening 23 can also be identified. That is, assigning an identifier to each core 21 is equivalent to assigning an identifier to each opening 23. The identifiers assigned to the core 21 and the opening 23 are used in the processing described below.

[0068] like Figure 2 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , a plurality of protrusions 22 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction on the chain rail 2. These protrusions 22 stand outward from the outer peripheral surface of the chain rail body 20. Figure 2 In the figure, for simplicity, only three protrusions 22 are shown, but the protrusions 22 are actually arranged at equal intervals throughout the entire circumference of the chain rail 2.

[0069] The projection 22 is made of an elastic body such as rubber, similar to the link rail body 20, and in this embodiment, is integrally formed with the link rail body 20. The projection 22 is a component that contacts the road surface. Figure 5 As shown, the projections 22 include projections extending from the left end of the track body 20 toward the right direction but not reaching the right end, and projections extending from the right end toward the left direction but not reaching the left end, and these projections are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0070] In the rail body 20, a plurality of tensile cords 24 extending over the entire circumference are embedded together with the central portion 211 and the wing portions 212 of the core 21. A plurality of these tensile cords 24 are arranged on the outer peripheral side of the pair of left and right wing portions 212, respectively, separated on the left and right sides of the opening 23. These tensile cords 24 are components for imparting tensile force to the rail body 20 or restricting the elongation of the rail body 20. The tensile cords 24 are composed of, for example, steel cords, piano wires, and the like.

[0071] [Rotation sensor]

[0072] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a pair of left and right rotation sensors 63 are installed on the vehicle 1. The rotation sensor 63 is a sensor for detecting the rotation information of the sprocket 3, and outputs a rotation pulse signal corresponding to the teeth 31 and the tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3 passing through a specified position. The rotation sensor 63 is connected to the control unit 5 in a wired or wireless manner so that the rotation information detected by each rotation sensor 63 is connected to the control unit 5 in real time. The rotation sensor 63 is not particularly limited as long as it is a structure that outputs a rotation pulse signal corresponding to the teeth 31 or the tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3, and a known structure can be adopted. More specifically, a gear-type rotary encoder having a gear that rotates in conjunction with the shaft 3a, an optical encoder, a magnetic encoder, and an electromagnetic selection encoder can be adopted. The rotation sensor 63 can also be a sensor that can detect not only the teeth 31 and the tooth bottom 32 of the sprocket 3, but also the rotation direction of the sprocket 3 and the number of rotations of the sprocket 3.

[0073] [Sound Sensor]

[0074] In addition, a pair of left and right first sensors 61 are installed on the vehicle 1. The first sensor 61 is a sensor for detecting the characteristics of the rotational sound of the running chain rail 2, but is not limited to this. In the present embodiment, it is a microphone that detects sound waves. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first sensor 61 is installed near the sprocket 3, and in particular, is fixed to a bearing near the sprocket 3. Thus, the first sensor 61 can detect the characteristics of the rotational sound generated when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3. The rotational sound includes, for example, the contact sound between the sprocket 3 and the chain rail 2. The first sensor 61 is connected to the control unit 5 in a manner that enables communication by wire or wireless, and sends the detected value representing the characteristics of the rotational sound to the control unit 5.

[0075] [Vibration sensor]

[0076] In addition, a pair of left and right second sensors 62 are also installed on the vehicle 1. The second sensor 62 is a sensor for detecting the characteristics of the vibration of the chain rail 2 during travel, but is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, it is an acceleration sensor. In the present embodiment, the second sensor 62 is also installed near the sprocket 3, and in particular, is fixed to a bearing near the sprocket 3. Thus, the second sensor 62 can detect the characteristics of the vibration generated when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3. This vibration includes, for example, vibration generated by the contact between the sprocket 3 and the chain rail 2. The second sensor 62 is also connected to the control unit 5 in a manner that enables communication by wire or wireless, and sends the detected value representing the characteristics of the vibration to the control unit 5.

[0077] [Control Unit]

[0078] A control unit 5 for controlling the travel of the vehicle 1 is mounted in the vehicle body 10 . Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the control unit 5. The control unit 5 is a general-purpose computer as hardware, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the vehicle 1 includes an I / O interface 51, a CPU 52, a ROM 53, a RAM 54, and a storage unit 55. The I / O interface 51 is a communication device for communicating with external devices such as a first sensor 61, a second sensor 62, and a rotation sensor 63, and a display 7, a speaker 8, and an input unit 12 described later. The ROM 53 stores a program 9 for controlling the operation of each part of the vehicle 1. The program 9 includes an information acquisition program according to the present embodiment.

[0079] The CPU 52 operates virtually as a rotation information acquisition unit 52a, a derivation unit 52b, a characteristic acquisition unit 52c, an abnormality detection unit 52d, and an alarm output unit 52e by reading and executing the program 9 from the ROM 53. The operation of each unit 52a to 52e will be described in detail later. The storage unit 55 is composed of a rewritable non-volatile memory such as a hard disk and a flash memory, and has an area for storing initial information 55a described later. In addition, the storage location of the program 9 may not be the ROM 53 but the storage unit 55. The RAM 54 and the storage unit 55 are appropriately used in the calculation of the CPU 52.

[0080] Furthermore, when the control unit 5 is communicatively connected to a network such as the Internet, the information acquisition program involved in the present embodiment may also be implemented as software provided via a cloud service. In addition, when the control unit 5 is communicatively connected to a network such as the Internet, the information acquired by the control unit 5 may also be stored in an online storage device provided via the network. In this case, the information stored in the online storage device may also be appropriately acquired by a terminal device other than the control unit 5 that is communicatively connected to the network, in addition to the control unit 5.

[0081] [Other structures]

[0082] The display 7 can output various information including alarms to the user (mainly the driver), and can be implemented in any form, such as a liquid crystal display element, a liquid crystal monitor, a plasma display, an organic EL display, etc. The installation position of the display 7 can be appropriately selected, for example, it is preferably set in a position that is easy for the driver to see, such as in front of the driver's seat 11. When a monitor screen is used as the display 7, the alarm can be set as an icon, a graphic, or a text message displayed on the monitor screen.

[0083] Speaker 8 can output various information including alarms to the user, similar to display 7. The installation position of speaker 8 can be selected appropriately, and is preferably installed above driver's seat 11, for example, where the user sitting in the driver's seat can easily hear the output sound.

[0084] The input unit 12 is used by the user to input information to the control unit 5, and can be implemented in any form, such as a keyboard, a button, an input board, a touch panel display integrated with the display 7, etc. The installation position of the input unit 12 can be appropriately selected, and is preferably located above the driver's seat 11, for example, at a position that is easy for the user sitting in the driver's seat to operate.

[0085] <2. Flow of information acquisition processing including abnormality detection processing>

[0086] The following is a description of the processing performed by the control unit 5. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a function of executing information acquisition processing for identifying the identifier of the core member 21 of the link rail 2 at a predetermined position based on the shaft 3a while the vehicle 1 is traveling. The information acquisition processing of this embodiment includes an abnormality detection processing for detecting an abnormality of the link rail 2, and the abnormality of the link rail 2 detected by the abnormality detection processing can be associated with the core member 21.

[0087] [premise]

[0088] As an abnormality of the track 2, for example, the adhesion between the track body 20 and the core 21 made of an elastic body such as rubber by an adhesive or the like is reduced due to rust of the core 21, aging of the track body 20, etc., resulting in a reduction in the holding force of the track body 20 on the core 21. In addition, for example, at least a portion of the plurality of tension cords 24 is cut, resulting in a failure of the appropriate tension force to act on the track body 20. If such an abnormality occurs inside the track 2, the track 2 will fail soon. Specifically, for example, the core 21 and other components fall off from the track body 20, the track body 20 is cut, and the vehicle 1 will soon become unable to travel. In addition, for example, even if the track 2 is not aged, due to foreign matter such as mud, earth and sand clogging the opening 23 of the track body 20, abnormal tension is generated in the track body 20 and the tension cord 24, resulting in the breakage of the core 21 and the cutting of the tension cord 24. The chain rail 2 is usually used in places where it is difficult to stand, and if the chain rail 2 suddenly fails, it becomes a very troublesome situation. That is, the replacement operation of the chain rail 2 may require a large number of people, and may also require heavy equipment such as a crane. In addition, the interruption time of the operation caused by the failure of the chain rail 2 also becomes longer.

[0089] Therefore, from the perspective of operability, it is important to properly detect the abnormality of the link rail 2, but even when the abnormality of the link rail 2 is detected, it is necessary for a person to conduct an investigation by visual observation to determine the position where the abnormality of the link rail 2 has occurred. However, the interruption time of the operation for this investigation may be further prolonged, and depending on the type of abnormality, there are cases where it is difficult to find the abnormal position by visual observation. In this regard, in the vehicle 1 of the present embodiment, by establishing a function of associating the information acquisition processing and the abnormality detection processing while executing them, it is possible to detect the abnormality of the link rail 2 in a form associated with the circumferential position of the link rail 2. That is, in the vehicle 1, not only the abnormality of the link rail 2 is detected, but also the position where the abnormality of the link rail 2 has occurred can be inferred.

[0090] The information acquisition process is performed by the control unit 5, the initial information stored in the control unit 5, and the rotation sensor 63 connected to the control unit 5. Specifically, the control unit 5 determines the core member 21 that has passed through the predetermined position based on the information of the core member 21 located at the predetermined position before the vehicle 1 travels and the detection value of the rotation sensor 63 obtained during the travel of the vehicle 1. In addition, according to the information acquisition process, not only can the abnormal part of the chain track 2 be estimated, but also information related to the travel of the chain track 2, such as the cumulative number of cycles of the chain track 2 and the cumulative travel distance of the chain track 2, can be obtained. The information related to the travel of the chain track 2 obtained can be used, for example, to predict the life of the chain track 2.

[0091] The abnormality detection process is performed by the control unit 5, and the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 connected to the control unit 5. Specifically, if the above-mentioned abnormality occurs in the chain rail 2, the rotation sound and vibration of the chain rail 2 in motion change compared to normal. Therefore, the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 are used to detect the characteristics of the rotation sound and vibration of the chain rail 2 in motion, respectively, and the control unit 5 detects the abnormality based on the detection values ​​at this time. In addition, it can be considered that the detection values ​​of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 mainly correspond to the rotation sound and vibration that occur at the position where the chain rail 2 begins to be wound on the sprocket 3. Therefore, the control unit 5 of this embodiment performs information acquisition processing to determine the core member 21 and the tooth bottom 32 meshing at the position P1 or the position P2 in parallel with the abnormality detection process.

[0092] [Processing flow]

[0093] Fig. 91 is a flowchart showing the flow of information acquisition processing involved in the present embodiment. Step S0 included in the processing is performed before the vehicle 1 travels, and steps S1 to S8 are continuously and repeatedly executed while the vehicle 1 travels. However, steps S1 to S8 may be executed periodically (once a day, etc.) while the vehicle 1 travels after step S0 is performed, or may be executed once each time the electrical system of the vehicle 1 is powered on.

[0094] In step S0, the control unit 5 obtains and stores initial information. In the present embodiment, the user inputs the initial information to the control unit 5 via the input unit 12. The information input as the initial information is information for determining the core member 21 that is engaged at position P1 or P2 before the vehicle 1 travels, and in the present embodiment, is an identifier assigned to the core member 21. The user can thereby select either position P1 or position P2 according to the direction in which the vehicle 1 is traveling. Specifically, the user selects position P1 when the vehicle 1 is moving forward, and selects position P2 when the vehicle 1 is moving backward. The user can confirm the identifier of the core member 21 by observing the stationary chain rail 2 and sprocket 3, and input it to the control unit 5. For example, if the core member 21-47 and the tooth bottom 32-4 are engaged at position P1 or P2, the core member 21 identifier input as the initial information is "47".

[0095] In the case where the identifier of the core member 21 is stored in an IC tag embedded in the link rail body 20 and can be read by a reading device connected to the control unit 5 for communication, the control unit 5 can also obtain the identifier assigned to the core member 21 through the reading device. For example, in the case where the reading device is a portable device, the user uses the reading device to read the identifier of the core member 21 located at the position P1 or the position P2 and sends it to the control unit 5, so that the control unit 5 can obtain the initial information. In addition, in the case where the reading device is configured to automatically read the identifier of the core member 21 located closest to the control unit 5 and send it to the control unit 5, the control unit 5 can also be configured to calculate the identifier of the core member 21 located at the position P1 or P2 as the initial information based on the identifier of the sent core member 21. The number of core members 21 existing between the specified position where the reader reads the identifier and the position P1 or P2 is stored in advance in the storage unit 55, and the number is counted based on the identifier of the read core member 21, thereby calculating the identifier of the core member 21 located at the position P1 or P2.

[0096] The user also inputs the number of cores (N) of the chain rail 2 and the number of teeth (M) of the sprocket 3 into the control unit 5 as other initial information. The control unit 5 stores the input initial information as initial information 55a in the storage unit 55. In addition, the control unit 5 may be configured to obtain and store the identifier of the tooth bottom 32 meshing with the core 21 at the position P1 or P2 as other initial information. In this case, in the above example, the user can input "4" into the control unit 5 as the identifier of the tooth bottom 32.

[0097] After step S0, step S1 starts simultaneously with the start of the vehicle 1's travel. In step S1, the rotation information acquisition unit 52a acquires the rotation pulse and rotation direction output by the rotation sensor 63 via the I / O interface 51. Figure 2 The rotation information acquisition unit 52a temporarily stores the acquired rotation pulse and rotation direction in the RAM 54 or in the storage unit 55.

[0098] In addition, after step S0, if the vehicle 1 starts to travel, step S2 is started. In step S2, the characteristic acquisition unit 53c acquires the detection value representing the characteristic of the rotation sound of the chain rail 2 from the first sensor 61 via the I / O interface 51. In addition, the characteristic acquisition unit 53c simultaneously acquires the detection value representing the characteristic of the vibration of the chain rail 2 from the second sensor 62 via the I / O interface 51. Here, time series data of the detection value corresponding to the prescribed time length is acquired. The characteristic acquisition unit 53c temporarily stores the acquired time series data in the RAM 54 or in the storage unit 55. The first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 can respectively detect the sound and vibration generated by the meshing of the sprocket 3 and the chain rail 2. Therefore, in normal times, the peak value of the wave of the detection value is repeatedly detected at substantially constant time intervals corresponding to the intervals of the rotation of the core members 21 arranged at equal intervals.

[0099] In step S3, the deriving unit 52b derives the identifier of the core member 21 at position P1 or position P2 and the number of cycles C1 of the link rail 2 based on the rotation information and initial information 55a obtained in step S1. First, the deriving unit 52b calculates the number D of tooth bottoms 32 passing through position P1 or position P2 based on the rotation pulses obtained in step S1.

[0100] Assuming that the chain track 2 is driven and circulated normally, the number D is consistent with the number of core pieces 21 passing through the position P1 or the position P2. The derivation unit 52b divides the number N of core pieces 21 by D to obtain a quotient C1 and a remainder R1. The derivation unit 52b uses C1 as the number of cycles of the chain track 2 and temporarily stores it in the RAM 54 or in the storage unit 55. In addition, the derivation unit 52b uses the core piece 21 determined by the initial information 55a as the starting point, counts the core piece 21 in the rotation direction by R1, and thereby derives the identifier of the core piece 21 at the position P1 or P2. The derivation unit 52b temporarily stores the identifier of the core piece 21 determined at the position P1 or P2 in the RAM 54 or in the storage unit 55.

[0101] For example, if D=64 and the number N of core pieces 21 is 50, then C1=1 and R1=14. Therefore, the number of cycles C1 of the derived chain track 2 is 1. When the chain track 2 circulates in the direction of arrow A1, the core pieces 21 pass through the position P1 in order with the identifiers in ascending order. The derivation unit 52b uses the core piece 21-47 identified as the initial information 55a as the starting point, counts 14 core pieces 21 in ascending order, and identifies the core piece 21-11. That is, the core piece 21-11 is currently engaged with the tooth bottom 32 at the position P1, and the derived identifier is 11. Similarly, when the chain track 2 circulates in the opposite direction of arrow A1, the core pieces 21 pass through the position P2 in order with the identifiers in descending order. The derivation unit 52b uses the core piece 21-47 identified as the initial information 55a as the starting point, counts 14 core pieces 21 in descending order, and identifies the core piece 21-33. That is, the core piece 21 - 33 is currently engaged with the tooth bottom 32 at the position P2 , and the identifier is derived as 33 .

[0102] In step S4, the abnormality detection unit 52d establishes a correspondence between the time series data of the detection values ​​of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 obtained in step S2 and the identifier of the core member 21 derived in step S3. That is, the abnormality detection unit 52d synchronizes the peak value of the wave of the detection values ​​of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 and the derived identifier of the core member 21 on the same time series. This synchronization can be performed based on the time when the vehicle 1 starts to travel, or based on a trigger signal that is periodically output. The trigger signal can be, for example, a signal output every time the shaft 3a rotates one circle. Such a trigger signal can be, for example, a detection signal of a beacon output by a detector not shown in the figure that is provided on the shaft 3a, mounted on the vehicle 1 and connected to the control unit 5. However, there is no particular limitation on the method for establishing a correspondence between the time series data of the detection values ​​of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 and the identifier of the core member 21, and any method can be used.

[0103] In the following step S5, the abnormality detection unit 52d determines whether the current vehicle 1 is in a constant speed driving state. Specifically, the abnormality detection unit 52d obtains the acceleration α of the current traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and when its magnitude is below a predetermined value, determines that it is in a constant speed driving state, and proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S7 that it is not in a constant speed driving state, the process returns to step S1. In addition, as a method for obtaining the acceleration α of the vehicle 1, various methods are known, for example, it can be obtained from an acceleration sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 1 and connected to the control unit 5. However, the method for obtaining the acceleration α of the vehicle 1 is not particularly limited, and any method can be used.

[0104] In step S6, the abnormality detection unit 52d calculates an index value E for abnormality detection based on the detection value acquired in step S1. In the present embodiment, various index values ​​E described below are calculated.

[0105] First, as an index value E, an index value indicating the magnitude of the detection value is calculated. Such an index value E can indicate the magnitude of the rotational sound when based on the detection value from the first sensor 61, and can indicate the magnitude of the vibration when based on the detection value from the second sensor 62. In either case, each index value E is associated with the identifier of the core member 21 derived in step S3. For example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling at a constant speed, the abnormality detection unit 52d can also calculate the average value of the detection values ​​obtained during the predetermined number of cycles of the chain rail 2 as the index value E for each core member 21.

[0106] In addition, as the index value E, an index value indicating the unevenness of the detection value in the time direction is calculated. As described above, in normal conditions, the peak value of the wave of the detection value is repeatedly detected at a substantially constant time interval corresponding to the interval of rotation of the teeth 31 and the core member 21 arranged at equal intervals, but in abnormal conditions, the rhythm is disrupted. Thus, in the case of the detection value based on the first sensor 61, the index value E indicating the unevenness of the detection value in the time direction can indicate whether the constant rhythm of the rotation sound is disrupted, and in the case of the detection value based on the second sensor 62, it can indicate whether the constant rhythm of the vibration is disrupted. At this time, for example, the time intervals t1, t2, ..., tN of the peak values ​​of the detection value that appear in the time series data of the detection value corresponding to a specified time length such as one rotation of the chain track 2 can be made to correspond to each core member 21, and all of them can be calculated. Then, t1 is subtracted from each time interval t2, t3, ..., tN, and the ratios of the differences with respect to the reference value t1 (t2-t1) / t1, (t3-t1) / t1, ..., (tN-t1) / t1) are all calculated and stored in the storage unit 55 or temporarily stored in the RAM 54. Then, the value sequence of these ratios in the previous time can be subtracted from the value sequence of these ratios in the current time, and the absolute value thereof can be used as the index value E corresponding to each core member 21.

[0107] In addition, as the index value E, an index value indicating the unevenness of the absolute value of the detection value is calculated. Under normal circumstances, the absolute value of the peak value of the wave of the detection value repeatedly detected at a substantially constant time interval converges to a substantially constant range. However, if the adhesion of the core 21 to the link rail body 20 decreases, the force acting on the core 21 escapes, and the absolute value of the detection value of the sound and vibration becomes smaller than the value under normal conditions. At this time, for example, the absolute values ​​b1, b2, ... bN of the peak values ​​of the detection values ​​that appear in the time series data of the detection values ​​corresponding to a predetermined time length such as one rotation of the link rail 2 can be made to correspond to each core 21, and all of them can be calculated. Then, b1 is subtracted from each absolute value b1, b2, ... bN, and the ratios of the differences relative to the reference value b1 are all calculated (b2-b1) / b1, (b3-b1) / b1, ..., (bN-b1) / b1, and are stored in the storage unit 55 or temporarily stored in the RAM 54. Then, the previous value sequence of these ratios can be subtracted from the current value sequence of these ratios, and the absolute value thereof can be used as the index value E corresponding to each core member 21 .

[0108] If the index value E as described above is calculated, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the abnormality detection unit 52d compares the index value E with each threshold value E0, and when there is an index value E greater than the threshold value E0, it is determined that the chain track 2 has an abnormality around the core member 21 corresponding to the index value E. The abnormality detection unit 52d may also determine that the chain track 2 has an abnormality around the core member 21 when the index value E is greater than the threshold value E0 for a certain number of times for the same core member 21. In addition, the threshold value E0 may be set in advance, or the index value E may be calculated in the same way as steps S1 to S6 at the beginning of assembling the chain track 2 assumed to have no abnormality, and the index value E may be used as the threshold value E0. In the latter case, the index value E may be calculated multiple times, and the average of these may be used as the threshold value E0.

[0109] As described above, when an abnormality is detected in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8, and the alarm output unit 52e generates and outputs a signal to warn of the abnormality. In step S8, the alarm output unit 52e displays an alarm notifying that an abnormality has occurred in the chain rail 2 on the display 7, and outputs the same alarm from the speaker 8. The alarm output unit 52e displays the identifier of the core member 21 inferred to have an abnormality and information indicating the location around the core member 21 on the display 7 and outputs it to the speaker 8 simultaneously with the alarm.

[0110] After step S8, the process returns to step S1. In addition, when no abnormality is detected in step S7, the process also returns to step S1. Fig. 9 The illustrated process ends when the shaft 3a stops rotating.

[0111] The identifier of the core member 21 stored in the storage unit 55 as the initial information 55a may be overwritten and saved by the identifier of the core member 21 last derived in step S3 when the shaft 3a stops rotating. Thus, the operation of the user inputting the identifier of the core member 21 at the position P1 or the position P2 before the vehicle 1 travels can be omitted next time. In addition, when the shaft 3a starts rotating again, the rotation information acquisition unit 52a may determine whether the rotation direction this time is the same as the previous rotation direction, and the abnormality detection unit 52d may determine whether to count the core members 21 in ascending order or in descending order based on the determination. It may also be configured so that when it is determined that the rotation direction is different from the previous time, the abnormality detection unit 52d converts the identifier of the core member 21 located at one of the positions P1 or P2 last derived and stored to the identifier of the core member 21 located at the other position P1 or P2.

[0112] <3. Features>

[0113] According to the information acquisition device of this embodiment, not only can the abnormality generated in the link rail 2 be detected based on the detection values ​​of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62, but also the identifier that specifies the core member 21 can be associated with the abnormality for the detected abnormality. Thus, the user (driver) can not only timely know that the abnormality has occurred in the link rail 2, but also can efficiently confirm the part where the abnormality is considered to have occurred. Therefore, the user can perform maintenance such as replacement of the link rail 2 before the link rail 2 fails and the vehicle 1 becomes unable to travel.

[0114] <4. Modifications>

[0115] An embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following changes can be made. In addition, the main points of the following modified examples can be appropriately combined.

[0116] <4-1>

[0117] The installation position of the first sensor 61 is not limited to the above-mentioned position. As an example, the first sensor 61 may also be installed on the sprocket 3 itself, or a component other than the bearing arranged near the sprocket 3. In this case, the first sensor 61 can also detect the characteristics of the rotational sound (the contact sound between the sprocket 3 and the chain rail 2) generated when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3. As another example, the first sensor 61 may also be installed on the idler wheel 4 itself, or a component including the bearing arranged near the idler wheel 4. In this case, the first sensor 61 can also detect the characteristics of the rotational sound (the contact sound between the idler wheel 4 and the chain rail 2) generated when the chain rail 2 is wound around the idler wheel 4. In addition, from the viewpoint of detecting internal abnormalities of the chain rail 2, the first sensor 61 is preferably arranged at a position capable of detecting the characteristics of the rotational sound when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3 or the idler wheel 4.

[0118] Similarly, the installation position of the second sensor 62 is not limited to the above-mentioned position. As an example, the second sensor 62 can also be installed on the sprocket 3 itself, or a component other than the bearing arranged near the sprocket 3. In this case, the second sensor 62 can also detect the characteristics of the vibration generated by the contact between the sprocket 3 and the chain rail 2 when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3. As another example, the second sensor 62 can also be installed on the idler wheel 4 itself, or a component including the bearing arranged near the idler wheel 4. In this case, the second sensor 62 can also detect the characteristics of the vibration generated by the contact between the idler wheel 4 and the chain rail 2 when the chain rail 2 is wound around the idler wheel 4. In addition, from the viewpoint of detecting internal abnormalities of the chain rail 2, the second sensor 62 is preferably arranged at a position capable of detecting the characteristics of the vibration when the chain rail 2 is wound around the sprocket 3 or the idler wheel 4.

[0119] <4-2>

[0120] In the above embodiment, one first sensor 61 and one second sensor 62 are installed on one chain rail 2, respectively. However, a plurality of first sensors 61 may be installed at different positions on one chain rail 2 to detect the characteristics of rotational sound at a plurality of locations, and a plurality of second sensors 62 may be installed at different positions on one chain rail 2 to detect the characteristics of vibration at a plurality of locations. In addition, one of the first sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 may be omitted.

[0121] <4-3>

[0122] In the above embodiment, a microphone that detects sound waves is exemplified as the first sensor 61 , but, for example, a sound pressure sensor may be used.

[0123] <4-4>

[0124] The above-mentioned index value E is an example, and other types of index values ​​can be appropriately adopted. In addition, instead of using multiple types of index values ​​E, it is also possible to detect abnormalities based on only one index value E. In addition, it is also possible to calculate the index value E for each core member 21, but for a group of core members 21 of a predetermined number of consecutive core members 21. In this case, the index value E can also be a frequency characteristic calculated by frequency analysis of the time series data of the detection value corresponding to the group of core members 21 and corresponding to the predetermined time length. At this time, for example, the peak frequency can be used as the index value E, and the size of the frequency component of the peak frequency can be used as the index value E. Alternatively, the size of the frequency component of the predetermined frequency or the size (integrated value) of the frequency component of the predetermined frequency band can be used as the index value E. Alternatively, when the chain track 2 contains a periodic component of k cycles during a period corresponding to a predetermined time length such as n1 rotations of the core member 21 as the kth component, the effective value of the kth component can be used as the index value E. Various integer values ​​can be set as k at this time.

[0125] <4-5>

[0126] In the above embodiment, the rotation direction of the sprocket 3 is detected by the rotation sensor 63. However, in step S0, the rotation direction may be stored as the initial information 55a by the user inputting whether the vehicle 1 is traveling forward or backward.

[0127] <4-6>

[0128] In the above embodiment, the position P1 and the position P2 are distinguished by the rotation direction of the sprocket 3, but the position P1 and the position P2 may not be distinguished by the rotation direction. For example, the intermediate point between the position P1 and the position P2 in the above embodiment may be used as the specified position. In addition, as in the above embodiment, the position P1 and the position P2 are not limited to the positions where the core 21 and the tooth bottom 32 start to mesh, and can be appropriately selected as positions that reflect the characteristics of the rotation sound and vibration in the detection value of the sensor.

[0129] <4-7>

[0130] The rotation sensor 63 may be configured not to output a rotation pulse signal corresponding to the teeth 31 and the tooth bottoms 32 of the sprocket 3, but to detect the rotation angle of the shaft 3a. In this case, the control unit 5 may be configured to convert the number D of tooth bottoms 32 passing through the position P1 or the position P2 based on the detected rotation angle and the number M of teeth of the sprocket 3. In addition, the sprocket 3 may not be given an identifier for identifying the tooth bottoms 32 and the teeth 31.

[0131] <4-8>

[0132] The control unit 5 may be configured to calculate and store the travel distance of the link rail 2 based on the number of cycles C1 of the link rail 2 derived in step S3 , the identifier of the core member 21 at the position P1 or the position P2 , and the interval between the core members 21 .

[0133] <4-9>

[0134] The identifier of the core member 21 stored as the raw information 55a may be the identifier of a plurality of continuous core members 21. Alternatively, the deriving unit 52b may derive the identifier of a plurality of continuous core members 21 that exist in a predetermined area while the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0135] <4-10>

[0136] In the rail body 20 of the above embodiment, the opening 23 as the through hole is formed, but instead of the opening 23, a recessed portion configured not to penetrate the rail body 20 and to receive the teeth 31 of the sprocket 3 may be formed. That is, the engaging portion that meshes with the teeth 31 of the sprocket 3 may be a recessed portion instead of a through hole.

[0137] <4-11>

[0138] In the above embodiment, the number (N) of the core members of the chain rail 2 and the number (M) of the teeth of the sprocket 3 are inputted by the user to the control unit 5 as the initial information 55a. However, the number (M) of the teeth of the sprocket 3 may be stored in the storage unit 55 or the ROM 53 before the user starts to use the control unit 5. In addition, the number (N) of the core members of the chain rail 2 may be inputted to the control unit 5 only once after the chain rail 2 is replaced, instead of being inputted as the initial information 55a each time the information acquisition process is performed.

Claims

1. An information acquisition device for acquiring information related to a chain rail, wherein the chain rail is wound around a sprocket, the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of a vehicle and is driven to rotate, the chain rail having an engaging portion configured to engage with teeth or tooth bottoms of the sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket, The information acquisition device is characterized by comprising: a storage unit that stores, before the vehicle travels, the number of the meshing portions of the link rail and information identifying the meshing portions at predetermined positions as initial information; a rotation information acquisition unit that acquires the rotation information of the sprocket; a deriving unit configured to derive information for identifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position during travel of the vehicle based on the initial information and the rotation information; one or more sensors configured to be mounted on the vehicle; a characteristic acquisition unit that acquires, from the one or more sensors, a detection value indicating a characteristic of at least one of a rotational sound and a vibration of the link rail; as well as an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the chain rail based on the detection values ​​detected by the one or more sensors, The predetermined position is a position where the meshing portion is configured to mesh with the tooth or the tooth bottom. The information for specifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position is an identifier assigned to each meshing portion, and the identifier is assigned to each meshing portion starting from a reference position in the circumferential direction of the link rail. The abnormality detection unit associates the detection value with the identifier of the meshing portion at the predetermined position, thereby estimating the position where the abnormality has occurred in the link rail.

2. The information acquisition device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one or more sensors include a sensor that detects a characteristic of sound.

3. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The one or more sensors include a sensor that detects a characteristic of vibration.

4. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The one or more sensors are configured to be mounted on or near the sprocket. The characteristic acquisition unit acquires the detection value indicating the characteristic of at least one of the rotation sound and the vibration generated when the chain rail is wound around the sprocket from the one or more sensors.

5. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the link rail based on at least one of a magnitude and a frequency characteristic of the detection value.

6. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the link rail based on the variation in the detection value in the time direction.

7. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The abnormality detection unit detects abnormality of the link rail based on a variation in absolute values ​​of periodic peak values ​​of the detection values.

8. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The derivation unit further derives at least one of a number of cycles of the link rail in a direction in which the vehicle moves forward and a number of cycles of the link rail in a direction in which the vehicle moves backward, based on the initial information and the rotation information.

9. The information acquisition device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: Also available: an alarm output unit that generates and outputs an alarm reporting an abnormality of the chain rail, The alarm includes information indicating a location where an abnormality is presumed to have occurred.

10. An information acquisition system, characterized in that: have: A chain rail is wound around a sprocket, the sprocket is connected to a rotating shaft of the vehicle and is driven to rotate, the chain rail has an engaging portion that engages with teeth or tooth bottoms of the sprocket, and is driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket; A control unit, which obtains information related to the chain track; as well as one or more sensors configured to be mounted on the vehicle, The control unit comprises: a storage unit that stores, before the vehicle travels, the number of the meshing portions of the link rail and information identifying the meshing portions at predetermined positions as initial information; a rotation information acquisition unit that acquires the rotation information of the sprocket; a deriving unit configured to derive information for identifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position during travel of the vehicle based on the initial information and the rotation information; a characteristic acquisition unit that acquires a detection value indicating a characteristic of at least one of a rotational sound and a vibration of the link rail from the one or more sensors; and an abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the chain rail based on the detection values ​​detected by the one or more sensors, The predetermined position is a position where the meshing portion is configured to mesh with the tooth or the tooth bottom. The information for specifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position is an identifier assigned to each meshing portion, and the identifier is assigned to each meshing portion starting from a reference position in the circumferential direction of the link rail. The abnormality detection unit associates the detection value with the identifier of the meshing portion at the predetermined position, thereby estimating the position where the abnormality has occurred in the link rail.

11. A storage medium storing an information acquisition program, the information acquisition program acquiring information related to a chain rail, the chain rail being wound around a sprocket, the sprocket being connected to a rotating shaft of a vehicle and being driven to rotate, the chain rail having a meshing portion meshing with teeth or tooth bottoms of the sprocket, and being driven to circulate in conjunction with the rotation of the sprocket, The storage medium is characterized in that the information acquisition program causes a computer connected to one or more sensors configured to be mountable on the vehicle to execute the following processing, namely: Before the vehicle travels, the number of the meshing parts of the link rail and information identifying the meshing parts at predetermined positions are stored as initial information; Obtaining rotation information of the sprocket; deriving information for identifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position during travel of the vehicle based on the initial information and the rotation information; acquiring, from the one or more sensors, a detection value representing a characteristic of at least one of a rotational sound and a vibration of the chain rail; as well as Based on the detection values ​​detected by the one or more sensors, abnormality of the chain track is detected, wherein: The predetermined position is a position where the meshing portion is configured to mesh with the tooth or the tooth bottom. The information for specifying the meshing portion at the predetermined position is an identifier assigned to each meshing portion, and the identifier is assigned to each meshing portion starting from a reference position in the circumferential direction of the link rail. The process of detecting the abnormality of the link rail includes associating the detection value with the identifier of the meshing portion at the predetermined position, thereby estimating the position where the abnormality occurred in the link rail.

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