Integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter

Abstract

The utility model belongs to hydrological monitoring equipment technical field, specifically disclose integrated multi -sensor cable way stopper, include: mounting bracket, it includes the extension plate and fixed plate, the fixed plate extends along one extension direction, the extension plate extends along perpendicular to the extension direction, the extension plate one end is linked with the end of fixed plate, laser radar and millimeter wave radar, install in fixed plate along extension direction in proper order, laser radar includes first detection end, and millimeter wave radar includes second detection end, and first detection end and second detection end are used to obtain the operation information of cable way crane, limit switch, fixed in the extension plate far from the one end of fixed plate, limit switch has third detection end for physical limit, and third detection end and first detection end and second detection end between form have parking interval in the operation direction of cable way crane, have the following advantages: construct multistage limit and information fusion decision mechanism, realize accurate parking and anti -collision control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of hydrological monitoring equipment technology, and more specifically, to an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter. Background Technology

[0002] As a vital sector of infrastructure for people's livelihood, the hydrology and water conservancy industry has long undertaken core tasks such as river flow monitoring, water resource allocation, and flood warning. Among these, cableway flow measurement systems, as key equipment for fixed-point river flow monitoring, are widely deployed in various river networks, reservoirs, and hydrological stations, characterized by their flexible structure, strong adaptability, and convenient deployment. In actual operation, the cableway drives a trolley across the river surface to perform flow measurement, relying on sensors suspended on the trolley to acquire hydrological parameters such as cross-sectional flow velocity and water depth, providing data support for flow calculation and hydrological monitoring.

[0003] However, during cableway operation, factors such as environmental changes, control errors, or extreme weather can cause the trolley to deviate from its trajectory, potentially colliding with limit barriers or structural components on the shore, resulting in equipment damage or even safety accidents. Although some existing cableway equipment is equipped with basic anti-collision mechanisms, such as mechanical limiters or buffer springs, which can prevent the trolley from hitting the boundary to some extent, these protective devices generally have the following problems: Most of them are passive protection implemented by a single structure, lacking intelligent detection and feedback capabilities, and unable to actively intervene before an accident occurs; As the equipment operates for a long time, the anti-collision components are prone to fatigue wear and decreased sensitivity, resulting in a degradation of the protective effect. It cannot automatically adjust the limit strategy according to the specific operating environment and the dynamic status of the vehicle, resulting in poor adaptability and safety blind spots.

[0004] To address these issues, an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter is proposed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter to solve or improve the problems of slow response, single passive protection, and poor adaptability in the limit protection structure of existing cableway flow measurement equipment mentioned above.

[0006] In view of this, the first aspect of the present invention is to provide an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter.

[0007] The first aspect of this utility model provides an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter, comprising: a mounting frame including an extension plate and a fixed plate; the fixed plate extends along an extension direction, the extension plate extends perpendicular to the extension direction, and one end of the extension plate is connected to the end of the fixed plate; a lidar and a millimeter-wave radar are sequentially mounted on the fixed plate along the extension direction; the lidar includes a first detection end, and the millimeter-wave radar includes a second detection end, wherein the first detection end and the second detection end are used to acquire operating information of the cableway crane; a limit switch is fixed to the end of the extension plate away from the fixed plate; the limit switch has a third detection end for physical limiting, and a stopping distance is formed between the third detection end and the first and second detection ends in the running direction of the cableway crane.

[0008] The beneficial effects of this utility model compared with the prior art are as follows: By sequentially installing lidar and millimeter-wave radar on the fixed plate, and setting limit switches at the end of the extension plate, and reserving a parking distance along the running direction between the first, second, and third detection ends, a three-level limit system is achieved, consisting of early warning detection, dynamic judgment, and physical stopping, from far to near. Compared with existing technologies that rely solely on a single mechanical limit switch, this combination can decelerate in advance during the approach phase, stop in advance when the trend is abnormal, and provide hardware backup in case of failure, significantly reducing response lag and the probability of end-point collision.

[0009] A joint judgment strategy is adopted, which combines distance information from the first detection end, motion information from the second detection end, and preset parking distance. Compared with schemes that rely solely on distance thresholds or single speed thresholds, this approach can promptly upgrade the control strategy when there is insufficient deceleration margin, directional deviation, or abnormal acceleration, thereby reducing misjudgments and missed judgments and improving parking reliability.

[0010] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of embodiments of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a bottom view of the mounting bracket of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the process of this utility model.

[0012] in, Figure 1-3 The correspondence between the reference numerals and component names in the attached drawings is as follows: 1 Mounting bracket, 101 Extension plate, 102 Fixing plate, 103 Pitch plate, 104 Limiting plate, 105 Side plate, 2 LiDAR, 201 First detection end, 3 Millimeter wave radar, 301 Second detection end, 4 Limit switch, 401 Third detection end. Detailed Implementation

[0013] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0014] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0015] Please see Figure 1-3 The following describes an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] An embodiment of the first aspect of this utility model proposes an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter. In some embodiments of this utility model, such as... Figure 1-2 As shown, the limiter includes: Mounting bracket 1 includes an extension plate 101 and a fixing plate 102; the fixing plate 102 extends along an extension direction, the extension plate 101 extends perpendicular to the extension direction, and one end of the extension plate 101 is connected to the end of the fixing plate 102.

[0017] The lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 are sequentially mounted on the fixed plate 102 along the extension direction; the lidar 2 includes a first detection end 201 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 includes a second detection end 301, and the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 are used to acquire the operation information of the cableway crane.

[0018] Limit switch 4 is fixed to one end of extension plate 101 away from fixed plate 102; limit switch 4 has a third detection end 401 for physical limiting, and a parking gap is formed between the third detection end 401, the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 in the running direction of the cableway crane.

[0019] This utility model provides an integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter specifically designed for limit control scenarios at the end of a trolley in a hydrological cableway flow measurement system. Structurally, this limiter integrates multiple sensing and triggering devices, constructing a multi-level limit logic based on prediction, identification, and termination through a hierarchical arrangement along the crane's operating direction. This achieves full-process monitoring and layered response of the crane's operating status. The limiter includes a mounting frame 1, which serves as the structural carrier for each functional component. The mounting frame 1 includes an extension plate 101 and a fixed plate 102. The fixed plate 102 is a long strip extending perpendicular to the cableway crane's operating direction, supporting the installation of the lidar 2 and millimeter-wave radar 3. The extension plate 101 is arranged perpendicular to the fixed plate 102, with one end connected to the end face of the fixed plate 102, forming a spatial protrusion. This protrusion provides space for installing the limit switch 4 and a safety buffer section, ensuring the cableway crane has a necessary stopping transition area.

[0020] The lidar 2 and millimeter-wave radar 3 are sequentially mounted on the fixed plate 102, arranged from near to far according to the crane's running direction. Both are non-contact sensors, each equipped with a first detection end 201 and a second detection end 301, respectively, for real-time sensing of the crane's operating status, collectively referred to as operational information. The first detection end 201 primarily detects the real-time distance between the crane and the limit device, forming a threshold for triggering deceleration or issuing a proximity warning signal. The second detection end 301 possesses velocity vector measurement capabilities, acquiring multi-dimensional dynamic information such as the crane's speed, running direction, and acceleration within the detection area, thereby enabling advance assessment and dynamic verification of the crane's inertial trend and stopping capability.

[0021] The data provided by the two types of detection terminals can be accessed by external systems or used as preliminary criteria in the MCU control logic. By comparing the response relationship between real-time distance and speed changes and the set parking distance, it is possible to dynamically determine whether the critical braking zone has been entered. Once trends such as deceleration lag or inertial overshoot are detected, a forced stop command is immediately issued. Compared to a single proximity judgment mechanism, this dual-radar configuration introduces a dynamic fusion mechanism of quantitative and directional approaches, giving the overall prediction capability higher robustness and environmental adaptability, especially maintaining prediction stability under complex operating conditions such as rain and fog interference, unstable electromagnetic waves, or large load fluctuations.

[0022] In the final protective layer, limit switch 4 is installed at the end of extension plate 101 away from fixed plate 102. Its body is fixed to extension plate by screws or welding, and its third detection end 401 protrudes towards the trolley's direction of travel, forming a physical contact surface. When the crane fails to complete the pre-stage braking as preset and continues to move to the terminal area due to inertia, the third detection end 401 will be triggered first, and then the trolley drive circuit will be immediately interrupted through a power-off mechanism or bypass control, achieving an unavoidable physical stop control. This limit switch, as a pure hardware redundancy measure, is designed not to rely on data communication or algorithm judgment. It is the final and most reliable safety stop device of this system, constituting the system's mandatory insurance level protection.

[0023] In addition, the third detection terminal 401 maintains a set parking distance with the first detection terminal 201 and the second detection terminal 301 in the direction of crane operation. The parking distance is designed based on the crane's inertial characteristics, load changes and on-site control lag conditions to ensure that there is still a reliable buffer in the case of radar judgment failure or system false triggering, so as to realize the functional transition from the predictive perception layer to the forced physical layer.

[0024] In summary, by sequentially deploying lidar and millimeter-wave radar on the fixed plate, setting limit switches at the ends of the extension plate, and reserving parking distances between the three according to the running direction, a multi-level redundant closed loop is constructed, consisting of early warning detection, dynamic judgment, and physical stopping from far to near. This allows the cableway crane to decelerate in advance based on distance information from the first detection end when approaching the end, then perform trend verification based on operational information such as speed and direction from the second detection end, and finally complete the unavoidable hardware stop by the third detection end, reducing the risk of response lag and overshoot collisions from the source. The integrated design reduces the probability of single-point failure, simplifies installation and maintenance, allows direct interface with existing control systems, and balances anti-interference under harsh working conditions with long-term operational reliability, thereby significantly improving the safety, availability, and life-cycle economy of cableway flow measurement operations.

[0025] In any of the above embodiments, the mounting bracket 1 further includes a pitch plate 103, which is welded to the lower surface of the fixing plate 102.

[0026] The lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 are respectively inserted into the elevation plate 103 through the grooves on them, so that the orientation angle of the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 can be adjusted by adjusting the included angle between the elevation plate 103 and the fixed plate 102.

[0027] In this embodiment, the pitch plate 103 serves as an adjustable mounting reference for the lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3. By adjusting the angle between the pitch plate 103 and the fixed plate 102, the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 can obtain an orientation and field of view that matches the cableway crane's running direction, the river surface cross-section, and the installation height during the assembly stage. This ensures that the first detection end 201 forms a stable distance measurement window, reduces near-shore reflection and water surface multipath effects, and makes the main sensitive axis of the second detection end 301 point towards the radial movement direction of the crane to improve the accuracy of speed and acceleration calculation. After the two sensors are pitched and adjusted together, their effective coverage areas overlap in the running direction, which expands the warning distance and reduces the probability of blind spots, making it easier to match the distance threshold, speed threshold, and the limited parking distance.

[0028] In any of the above embodiments, the fixing plate 102 has a strip-shaped hole, which is fixedly assembled with the lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 by screws.

[0029] In this embodiment, the strip-shaped hole provides adjustable mounting on the fixing plate 102. The lidar 2 and millimeter-wave radar 3 have pre-set screw holes on them. These screw holes are positioned and locked under the strip-shaped hole by screws, allowing for fine-tuning of the relative positions of the two sensors. On one hand, this precisely sets the structural reference distances from the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 to the third detection end 401, ensuring a consistent trigger sequence between the operation information and the parking distance on the time axis, avoiding timing deviations in deceleration and stopping decisions. On the other hand, based on the field-of-view projection offset caused by adjustments to the river width, cable spacing, installation height, or the angle of the elevation plate 103, the overlapping coverage area of ​​the two sensors is corrected, expanding the warning window and reducing blind spots and edge echo interference. After the screws are tightened, sufficient clamping preload is provided to the sensors, enhancing their vibration and displacement resistance, suppressing micro-drift during long-term operation, and ensuring consistent repositioning after multiple maintenance or replacements.

[0030] Specifically, the nut portion of the screw abuts against the upper surface of the fixing plate 102 in an oblique state, and the shank portion of the screw passes through the strip hole and is screwed into the screw hole on the lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3.

[0031] In any of the above embodiments, the mounting bracket 1 further includes a limiting plate 104, which is installed on both sides of the lower surface of the fixing plate 102.

[0032] The lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 are located between the two limiting plates 104.

[0033] The limit plate 104 protrudes from the lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 along the running direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, the limiting plates 104 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the lower surface of the fixed plate 102, enclosing the lidar 2 and the millimeter-wave radar 3 between the two plates and extending forward in the running direction, making the two limiting plates the first force-bearing and protective front line facing the cableway crane; when the crane approaches or experiences slight yaw or swaying, it will preferentially contact or rub against the limiting plates 104, avoiding direct impact on the sensor body and mounting surface, reducing the risk of shell damage and installation displacement. At the same time, the narrow channel formed by the two side plates plays a geometric constraint and shielding filtering role on the sensor's field of view boundary, suppressing the entry of lateral targets and stray reflections into the measurement window, stabilizing the distance measurement of the first detection end 201 and the velocity direction calculation of the second detection end 301; the forward protrusion of the limiting plates 104 also provides a hard boundary reference for the radar detection and the stopping distance of the limit switch, making the timing between early deceleration and terminal stop more predictable.

[0035] In any of the above embodiments, the mounting bracket 1 further includes a side plate 105, which is mounted on the lower surface edge of the extension plate 101.

[0036] In this embodiment, the side plate 105 is arranged along the lower surface edge of the extension plate 101 as a stiffening member for the extension plate 101, so that the extension plate transitions from a thin plate to a cross-sectional shape with lateral folds, significantly improving its bending stiffness and torsional stiffness in the running direction and lateral direction; when the cableway crane triggers the third detection end 401 of the limit switch 4 to generate an impact load, the side plate 105 and the extension plate 101 together form a stable force channel, which transmits the impact force to the mounting frame 1 more evenly, avoiding cumulative deflection or local buckling of the extension plate 101, ensuring that the spatial position of the third detection end 401 does not drift, thereby maintaining the preset parking distance accuracy between the first detection end 201 and the second detection end 301 for a long time, and preventing premature or delayed triggering due to structural deformation.

[0037] In any of the above embodiments, the operation information includes the distance information of the cableway crane relative to the mounting frame 1 detected by the first detection end 201.

[0038] In this embodiment, the first detection end 201 is used to perform non-contact measurement of the real-time distance between the cableway crane and the mounting frame 1. Structurally, it relies on the reference of the fixed plate 102, the angle of the pitch plate 103, and the front and rear fine adjustment of the strip hole of the fixed plate 102 to establish a measurement window and a stable optical path consistent with the crane's running direction, thereby continuously outputting distance information throughout the entire process of the trolley approaching the end. The control system compares this distance information with the multi-level distance threshold preset by the device to form segmented judgment criteria for the warning zone, deceleration zone, and critical parking zone in sequence: when the measured distance enters the warning zone, an approach prompt is issued and the speed direction data of the second detection end 301 is verified; when entering the deceleration zone, a deceleration command is triggered first and the braking margin is dynamically corrected; when approaching the critical parking zone and consistent with the parking distance defined in the claims, the termination strategy is locked and the hardware limit switch 4 is used as a fallback.

[0039] To suppress echo disturbances caused by water surface reflection, multipath propagation from the shoreline, rain and fog aerosols, and vibration, the distance data from the first detection end 201 is processed using time continuity verification, window averaging, and suppression of anomalous abrupt changes. Geometric correction is also performed using calibration parameters of pitch angle and installation displacement to ensure that the threshold judgment matches the actual physical distance. In long-term operation and multiple impact scenarios, the limiting plate 104 acts as a shielding filter for the field of view boundary, and the side plate 105 enhances the deformation resistance of the extension plate 101. Structurally, this stabilizes the relative positional relationship between the first detection end 201 and the third detection end 401, ensuring that the matching between distance information and parking distance does not drift.

[0040] In any of the above embodiments, the operation information also includes motion information of the cableway crane detected by the second detection end 301.

[0041] Motion information includes the speed, direction of travel, and acceleration of the cable car.

[0042] In this embodiment, the second detection end 301 is used to continuously acquire and determine the speed, direction of travel, and acceleration of the cableway crane. With the reference of the fixed plate 102 and the orientation adjustment of the pitch plate 103, the main sensitive axis of the millimeter-wave radar 3 is aligned with the crane's travel channel, thereby stably acquiring echo sequences and outputting real-time motion information throughout the entire approach process. The speed is obtained by time-series analysis of the frequency shift and time difference of adjacent sampled echoes, the direction of travel is obtained by mapping the speed sign and the target trajectory in the installation reference coordinates, and the acceleration is obtained by continuous estimation of the rate of change of speed. The three together form a motion information flow that can characterize the inertial trend. Based on this, the control system makes an early judgment on whether the crane has deceleration lag or overshoot risk, and performs consistency verification between the motion information and the distance information of the first detection end 201 and the parking distance set by the structure.

[0043] When there is insufficient speed decay, deviation from the limit corridor, or abnormal increase in acceleration, priority is given to issuing graded deceleration and pre-stop commands. If necessary, a forced stop is triggered to ensure safe stopping is completed before the third detection terminal 401 is triggered.

[0044] In any of the above embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, distance information, motion information, and parking distance are used together to determine whether to generate a parking command for the cable car.

[0045] In this embodiment, the control logic is executed according to the principle of parallel operation of the limit switch hardware channel and the radar sensing channel, with priority given to the hardware channel: After the system is powered on, the MCU loads the parking distance and graded thresholds and enters a cyclic monitoring. On the one hand, the third detection end 401 forms an independent limit switch hardware channel for continuous monitoring. Once triggered, it directly cuts off the drive circuit to execute an emergency stop. The MCU only records the status and prepares for reset. On the other hand, the radar sensing channel continuously outputs distance information from the first detection end 201 to determine whether it has entered the warning zone, deceleration zone, or critical parking zone. When entering the warning zone, the MCU issues an approach prompt and starts trend verification. When entering the deceleration zone, it issues deceleration commands according to distance grade and updates the braking margin in real time. At the same time, it receives motion information such as speed, running direction, and acceleration output from the second detection end 301 and sends it to the information processing unit. It compares the consistency with the distance information from the first detection end 201 and the parking distance set by the structure. When it is determined that it cannot stop before the parking distance under the current deceleration or there are signs of overshoot such as directional deviation or abnormal acceleration, it immediately upgrades to a pre-stop or forced stop command. After the shutdown is executed, the MCU verifies whether the stop is successful. The criteria are that the car speed is zero and the distance measured by the first detection terminal 201 is greater than or equal to the stopping distance. If successful, it resets to the initial state. If unsuccessful, it continues to decelerate and continues to cycle and verify. If the car enters the action area of ​​the third detection terminal 401 during this period, the limit switch completes the final physical stop. If at any time the distance data is detected to be distorted, motion information is lost or communication is abnormal, the control strategy immediately degenerates to the conservative mode, directly issues a forced stop command and prepares to be covered by the third detection terminal 401 to ensure that end overshoot and collision can still be avoided under the condition of multiple sensor failure or environmental interference.

[0046] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter, characterized in that, include: Mounting bracket (1) includes an extension plate (101) and a fixing plate (102); the fixing plate (102) extends along an extension direction, the extension plate (101) extends perpendicular to the extension direction, and one end of the extension plate (101) is connected to the end of the fixing plate (102). A lidar (2) and a millimeter-wave radar (3) are sequentially mounted on the fixed plate (102) along the extension direction; the lidar (2) includes a first detection end (201), and the millimeter-wave radar (3) includes a second detection end (301), and the first detection end (201) and the second detection end (301) are used to acquire the operation information of the cableway crane; A limit switch (4) is fixed to one end of the extension plate (101) away from the fixed plate (102); the limit switch (4) has a third detection end (401) for physical limiting, and a parking gap is formed between the third detection end (401) and the first detection end (201) and the second detection end (301) in the running direction of the cableway crane.

2. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (1) also includes a pitch plate (103), which is welded to the lower surface of the fixed plate (102); The lidar (2) and the millimeter-wave radar (3) are respectively inserted into the elevation plate (103) through grooves thereon, so that the orientation angle of the first detection end (201) and the second detection end (301) can be adjusted by adjusting the angle between the elevation plate (103) and the fixed plate (102).

3. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing plate (102) has a strip-shaped hole, which is fixedly assembled with the laser radar (2) and the millimeter-wave radar (3) by screws.

4. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (1) further includes a limiting plate (104), which is installed on both sides of the lower surface of the fixing plate (102); The lidar (2) and millimeter-wave radar (3) are located between the two limiting plates (104); The limiting plate (104) protrudes from the lidar (2) and the millimeter-wave radar (3) along the running direction.

5. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (1) also includes a side plate (105) which is mounted on the lower surface edge of the extension plate (101).

6. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The operation information includes the distance information of the cableway crane relative to the mounting frame (1) detected by the first detection end (201).

7. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 6, characterized in that, The operation information also includes motion information of the cableway crane detected by the second detection terminal (301); The motion information includes the speed, direction of travel, and acceleration of the cableway crane.

8. The integrated multi-sensor cableway limiter according to claim 7, characterized in that, The distance information, the motion information, and the parking distance are used together to determine whether to generate a parking command for the cableway crane.

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