Concrete pump and concrete placement system equipped with the same

Abstract

To provide a concrete pump capable of improving efficiency of concrete placing work and achieving manpower saving, and a concrete placement system equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A concrete pump 12 for press-feeding fresh concrete to a concrete placing site 20 through a press-feeding pipe 60 includes: a data collection part 36 for collecting data indicating an operational state of the concrete pump 12 in real time; a placing quantity calculation part 38 for calculating a placing quantity in a predetermined period in the concrete placing site 20 on the basis of the data; and a recording part 40 for recording the calculated placing quantity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a concrete pump and a concrete pouring system including the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, concrete pouring work is carried out when constructing concrete structures such as buildings and bridge piers. In concrete pouring work, a mixer truck that transports ready mixed concrete produced in a plant to a construction site, a concrete pump (see, for example, Patent Document 1) that sends the ready mixed concrete from the mixer truck to a concrete pouring location such as a high place through a pressure pipe, a distributor that supports the pressure pipe and moves the nozzle of the pressure pipe to a desired position by rotating and raising and lowering a boom, and many workers (for example, mixer truck operators, receiving inspectors, pump operators, nozzle operators, etc.) are engaged in these operations.

[0003] In addition, many documents are prepared at each stage of the concrete pouring work, such as concrete order forms, pouring plans (reports), ready-mix concrete delivery slips, and settlement slips. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-206343 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the number of construction workers in Japan is on the decline, and there is a demand for more efficient construction and labor saving. However, conventional concrete pouring work has the following problems:

[0006] First, the problem is that the concrete pouring progress is recorded in analog. For example, the concrete pouring progress (how many meters at what time) 3The construction supervisor would handwrite notes in a field notebook, such as the date of pouring, where the concrete was poured, etc., and then create a pouring report based on the notes after pouring. This method is time-consuming and can lead to recording errors such as omissions and misprinting.

[0007] Another problem is the waste of personnel allocation. For example, pump operators are stationed near the pumps all day to stop the pumps or adjust the discharge flow rate when a problem occurs, but the actual operation is not performed frequently and there is a lot of down time, so there is a risk that personnel allocation is wasted.

[0008] In addition, there is a problem of inefficiency in concrete pouring adjustment communication. As an example of concrete pouring management, a concrete pourer at the pouring site makes adjustments such as reducing the pump discharge flow rate while watching the concrete pouring status. If the concrete pourer checks the pump's operating status and gives operation instructions to the pump operator via radio, there is a risk that the efficiency of concrete pouring adjustment communication will decrease.

[0009] Another problem is that documents and other information are basically paper-based and not digitized.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a concrete pump that can improve the efficiency of concrete pouring work and reduce the number of workers required, and a concrete pouring system equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the concrete pump of the present invention is a concrete pump that pressure-feeds fresh concrete to a concrete pouring location through a pressure pipe, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a data collection unit that collects data indicating the operating status of the concrete pump in real time, a pouring quantity calculation unit that calculates the pouring quantity at the concrete pouring location for a specified period based on the data, and a recording unit that records the calculated pouring quantity.

[0012] In addition, another concrete pump according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, it further includes a control unit for controlling the concrete pump, and the control unit can be remotely operated from a terminal at the concrete pouring site.

[0013] In addition, another concrete pump according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, it further comprises a failure detection unit that detects or predicts a failure of the concrete pump, a failure notification unit that notifies a user when the failure is detected or predicted, a position detection unit that detects the position of the concrete pump, an anti-theft unit that notifies the user when the position exceeds a predetermined range and locks the control unit to make it unusable, and a drive stop unit that performs idling stop control to automatically stop the drive source of the concrete pump when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met.

[0014] In addition, the concrete pouring system of the present invention is a system for pouring concrete, and is characterized by comprising the above-mentioned concrete pump and a concrete distributor having an IoT function. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the concrete pump of the present invention, the pump pumps ready mixed concrete through a pressure pipe to a concrete pouring location, and includes a data collection unit that collects data showing the operating status of the concrete pump in real time, a pouring quantity calculation unit that calculates the pouring quantity for a predetermined period at the concrete pouring location based on the data, and a recording unit that records the calculated pouring quantity, so that the concrete pouring progress can be checked in real time. Also, the number of personnel required for calculating the pouring quantity can be reduced. Therefore, the concrete pouring work can be made more efficient and manpower can be saved.

[0016] In addition, another concrete pump of the present invention further includes a control unit for controlling the concrete pump, and the control unit can be remotely operated from a terminal at the concrete pouring site, thereby eliminating the communication effort required to check and adjust the pump discharge volume, and achieving the effect of reducing the number of pump operator personnel stationed near the concrete pump.

[0017] In addition, another concrete pump of the present invention further includes a failure detection unit that detects or predicts a failure of the concrete pump, a failure notification unit that notifies the user when the failure is detected or predicted, a position detection unit that detects the position of the concrete pump, an anti-theft unit that notifies the user when the position exceeds a predetermined range and locks the control unit to make it unusable, and a drive stop unit that performs idling stop control to automatically stop the drive source of the concrete pump when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, thereby enabling a quick response to a failure as well as preventing theft and saving energy.

[0018] In addition, according to the concrete pouring system of the present invention, which is a system for pouring concrete, it is equipped with the above-mentioned concrete pump and a concrete distributor having an IoT function, and therefore by linking the data obtained from the concrete pump and the data regarding the pouring position obtained from the concrete distributor, it is possible to correlate and record the pouring position and the pouring quantity at the concrete pouring location. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a concrete pump and a concrete pouring system including the concrete pump according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of output of the concrete pouring quantity. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an output of the state of a concrete pump. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of output of the state of the mixer vehicle. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of output of a pouring position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the concrete pump and the concrete pouring system including the concrete pump according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a concrete pump and a concrete pouring system including the concrete pump according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, a concrete pouring system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a concrete pump 12 having an IoT (Internet of things) function, a concrete distributor 14 having an IoT function, a mixer truck 16 having an IoT function, an information management server 18, and a terminal 22 (e.g., a mobile terminal) carried by a user P (a concrete pourer) at a concrete pouring site 20.

[0022] (Concrete Pump) The concrete pump 12 includes a hopper 24 for storing ready-mixed concrete, a pump body 26 connected to the hopper 24, a pressure pipe 28 connected to the pump body 26, legs 30 for supporting the hopper 24 and the pump body 26, and wheels 32. The legs 30 are extendable, and the concrete pump 12 can be moved by connecting a towing vehicle (not shown), but may also be a self-propelled four-wheeled structure. A cylinder piston device (not shown) is provided inside the pump body 26, and the operation of this device discharges the ready-mixed concrete in the hopper 24 into the pressure pipe 28. The ready-mixed concrete can be pressure-fed to a remote concrete casting location 20 through the pressure pipe 28 and the concrete distributor 14. The concrete pump 12 is operated unmanned, and the work of pouring ready-mixed concrete into the hopper 24 is performed by a mixer truck operator Q.

[0023] This concrete pump 12 is equipped with a control unit 34 that controls the concrete pump 12, a data collection unit 36 ​​that collects data indicating the operating status of the concrete pump 12 (discharge volume, pumping pressure, fault signals, etc.) in real time, a pouring quantity calculation unit 38 that calculates the pouring quantity based on the data, a recording unit 40 that records the calculated pouring quantity, a fault detection unit 42, a fault notification unit 44, a position detection unit 46, an anti-theft unit 48, a drive stop unit 50, and an AI (Artificial Intelligence) camera 52.

[0024] The control unit 34 can check the control and perform predetermined remote operations on the user's terminal 22 at the concrete pouring site 20. For example, it is possible to perform operations such as stopping and restarting the pump function and adjusting the discharge volume. This eliminates the need for communication to check and adjust the pump discharge volume, and can reduce the number of pump operator personnel conventionally stationed near the concrete pump 12.

[0025] The data collection unit 36 ​​is connected to the information management server 18 via a communication line 54. The data collection unit 36 ​​is a so-called IoT device, and transmits measurement data (discharge amount, pumping pressure, fault signal, etc.) output from various sensors to the information management server 18 in association with the measurement time. The communication line 54 can use, for example, a short-range wireless communication method such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The data transmitted to the information management server 18 can be checked in real time from the user's terminal 22.

[0026] The pouring quantity calculation unit 38 calculates the quantity of concrete poured in a predetermined period at the concrete pouring site 20 based on the data collected by the data collection unit 36. For example, 3 You can calculate how many meters of concrete were poured by using the number of cylinder pistons, or by the time. 3 It is also possible to calculate whether the concrete has been poured.

[0027] The recording unit 40 records the concrete pouring quantity calculated by the concrete pouring quantity calculation unit 38. The recorded concrete pouring quantity is transmitted to the information management server 18 and can be checked in real time from the user's terminal. Figure 2 shows an example of the concrete pouring quantity output on the user's terminal.

[0028] The failure detection unit 42 detects or predicts a failure of the concrete pump 12. The failure detection unit 42 includes various sensors that detect the wear state, vibration, pressure, sound, etc. of piping such as the pressure pipe 28, and a memory that records the output signal of the sensor, and detects or predicts a failure when the output signal of the sensor is an abnormal signal. The failure detection unit 42 can also detect a failure based on the failure signal collected by the data collection unit 36.

[0029] The failure notification unit 44 notifies the user by outputting a warning light or a warning alarm when the failure detection unit 42 detects or predicts a failure. The warning light or warning alarm may be output directly from the concrete pump 12, or may be notified by outputting the status of the concrete pump 12 to the information management server 18 or the user's terminal 22. Fig. 3 shows an example of output of the status of the concrete pump 12 on the user's terminal 22.

[0030] The position detection unit 46 detects the position of the concrete pump 12. To detect the position of the concrete pump 12, for example, a GPS function can be used.

[0031] The anti-theft unit 48 notifies the user when the position detected by the position detection unit 46 exceeds a predetermined range, and locks the control unit 34 to disable the concrete pump 12. This makes it possible to detect unplanned movement of the concrete pump 12 and prevent theft.

[0032] The drive stop unit 50 performs idling stop control to automatically stop the drive source (e.g., engine) of the concrete pump 12 when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met. For example, the data collection unit 36 ​​may record the amount of CO2 emissions and power consumption from the concrete pump, and when the recorded values ​​fall below a predetermined threshold, it may be determined that the automatic stop condition is met and the drive source may be stopped. This allows consideration to be given to the surrounding environment.

[0033] The AI ​​camera 52 is a camera equipped with an AI algorithm, which captures images of the hopper 24 and mixer truck 16 and outputs signals to the information management server 18 and the user's terminal 22. The captured images include the flow status of the ready mixed concrete into the hopper 24, the license plate of the mixer truck 16, the working status of the mixer truck 16, etc. Therefore, the situation near the hopper 24 can be confirmed on the user's terminal 22 at the concrete pouring location 20. Note that while the area around the concrete pump 12 is unmanned, a microphone for communication may be provided near the hopper 24 and used for conversation between the mixer truck operator Q and the concrete pourer (user P).

[0034] The information management server 18 performs image recognition processing on the signal output from the AI ​​camera 52 to determine and record data such as the vehicle number written on the license plate of the mixer truck 16, the work status of the mixer truck 16 (for example, no mixer truck / arrival / waiting / start pouring / pouring / end of pouring), the cumulative number of mixer trucks 16 since the start of pouring, and the cumulative input quantity. The recorded data can be checked in real time from the user's terminal 22. FIG. 4 shows an example of the output of the status of the mixer truck 16 on the user's terminal 22. The information management server 18 may also record the mix information of the ready-mixed concrete loaded on the mixer truck 16, the in-plant test results, the mixing time of the ready-mixed concrete, the shipping time, the vehicle number of the mixer truck 16, and slip information (delivery information) by information linkage with a ready-mixed concrete plant. The slump value of the ready-mixed concrete may also be estimated based on environmental information such as humidity and temperature and an image of the flow status of the ready-mixed concrete into the hopper 24.

[0035] According to the concrete pump 12 of this embodiment, the user can check the data on the information management server 18 from the terminal 22 on the user side, thereby checking the concrete pouring progress in real time. In addition, the number of personnel required for calculating the concrete pouring quantity can be reduced. It is also possible to output a concrete pouring report based on the concrete pouring performance data recorded in the information management server 18. In this way, the document can be digitized, and the effort required for creating the document can be reduced.

[0036] In addition, since the concrete pump 12 can be remotely operated from the user's terminal 22, the effort required to check and adjust the pump discharge volume is eliminated, and the number of pump operators stationed near the concrete pump 12 can be reduced. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of concrete pouring work and reduce the number of workers required. In addition, it is possible to quickly respond to breakdowns, prevent theft, and save energy.

[0037] (Concrete Distributor) The concrete distributor 14 comprises a boom 58 supported in a position changeable manner on the top of a columnar base 56 arranged around the concrete pouring location 20, and a pressure pipe 60 provided along the boom 58, and supplies ready mixed concrete pressure-fed from the pressure pipe 28 of the concrete pump 12 to the concrete pouring location 20. The boom 58 has a plurality of joints 62, an arm 64, and an actuator (not shown) for driving these, and is configured to be freely rotatable around a vertical axis relative to the base 56 and freely rotatable at the joints 62.

[0038] This concrete distributor 14 has an IoT function and is equipped with a control unit 66 that controls the posture of the boom 58, a data collection unit 70 that collects data in real time indicating the position of the discharge outlet 68 of the flexible hose at the end of the pressure pipe 60 or the position of the tip of the boom 58, a pouring position calculation unit 72, a recording unit 74 that records the calculated pouring position, and a user position detection unit 76.

[0039] The control unit 66 can check the control and perform predetermined remote operation on the user's terminal 22 at the concrete pouring location 20. For example, the control unit 66 can control the attitude of the boom 58. The control unit 66 can also control the boom 58 so that the outlet 68 of the flexible hose tracks the position of the user P detected by the user position detection unit 76. This allows the boom 58 to be moved so as to follow the vicinity of the user P and concrete to be poured.

[0040] The data collection unit 70 is connected to the information management server 18 via the communication line 54. The data collection unit 70 is an IoT device, and transmits measurement data output from various sensors to the information management server 18 by linking the measurement data with the measurement time. For example, the data collection unit 70 identifies the center position of the boom 58 using a GPS function, calculates data indicating the position of the discharge port 68 of the flexible hose or the tip position of the boom 58 based on the control information of the joint 62, and transmits this as measurement data.

[0041] The pouring position calculation unit 72 calculates the pouring position at the concrete pouring site 20 for a specified period of time based on the data collected by the data collection unit 70 (the position of the flexible hose outlet 68 or the tip position of the boom 58).

[0042] The recording unit 74 records the pouring position calculated by the pouring position calculation unit 72. The recorded pouring position is transmitted to the information management server 18 and can be confirmed in real time from the user's terminal 22. Figure 5 shows an example of the output of the pouring position on the user's terminal 22.

[0043] The user position detection unit 76 detects the position of the user P near the outlet 68 of the flexible hose at the tip of the pressure pipe 60. The position of the user P may be detected, for example, by a helmet 78 worn by the user P. This helmet 78 is an IoT device and is equipped with various sensors. The user position detection unit 76 identifies the position of the helmet 78 based on output values ​​of various sensors such as a beacon and GPS equipped in the helmet 78, and sets this position as the position of the user P. Note that the position may be detected based on GPS information of the terminal 22 carried by the user P without using the helmet 78, or the position of the user P may be detected using an image recognition function of a camera installed in the concrete distributor 14 or the like.

[0044] (Mixer truck) The mixer truck 16 transports ready mixed concrete loaded at the plant to the vicinity of the concrete pump 12 at a remote concrete pouring site 20. The mixer truck 16 has an IoT function, and transmits the current location detected by the GPS function, the mix information of the ready mixed concrete to be loaded, and the remaining amount of ready mixed concrete to the information management server 18 via the communication line 54.

[0045] In the above configuration, the data acquired from the concrete pump 12 and the data on the pouring position acquired from the concrete distributor 14 may be linked. In this way, the pouring position at the concrete pouring site 20 and the pouring quantity can be recorded and output in association with each other. In addition, data acquired from the plant and mixer truck 16 (mixture information of ready-mixed concrete, etc.) may be linked. In this way, more detailed pouring results can be recorded and output.

[0046] In addition, by setting the pouring range in advance, the pouring route and pouring quantity can be calculated, and the boom 58 can be controlled along the calculated pouring route, while the discharge volume and pumping pressure of the concrete pump 12 can be controlled to provide an automatic driving function for automatic pouring.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the concrete pump 12 may also have the function of the concrete distributor 14. In this case, as shown in Fig. 6, a boom 58 may be provided on the concrete pump 12, and the position of a user P in the vicinity of an outlet 68 of a flexible hose at the tip of the pressure pipe 28 may be detected, and the boom 58 may be controlled so that the outlet 68 of the flexible hose tracks the detected position of the user P. This can also achieve the same effects as those described above.

[0048] As described above, the concrete pump according to the present invention is a concrete pump that pumps ready mixed concrete to a concrete pouring location through a pressure pipe, and includes a data collection unit that collects data showing the operating status of the concrete pump in real time, a pouring quantity calculation unit that calculates the pouring quantity for a predetermined period at the concrete pouring location based on the data, and a recording unit that records the calculated pouring quantity, so that the concrete pouring progress can be checked in real time. Also, the number of personnel required for calculating the pouring quantity can be reduced. Therefore, the efficiency of concrete pouring work can be improved and manpower can be saved.

[0049] In addition, according to another concrete pump of the present invention, it further includes a control unit for controlling the concrete pump, and the control unit can be remotely operated from a terminal at the concrete pouring site, eliminating the communication effort required to check and adjust the pump discharge volume, and reducing the number of pump operators stationed near the concrete pump.

[0050] In addition, another concrete pump of the present invention further includes a failure detection unit that detects or predicts a failure of the concrete pump, a failure notification unit that notifies the user when the failure is detected or predicted, a position detection unit that detects the position of the concrete pump, an anti-theft unit that notifies the user when the position exceeds a predetermined range and locks the control unit to make it unusable, and a drive stop unit that performs idling stop control to automatically stop the drive source of the concrete pump when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met, thereby making it possible to respond quickly to failures as well as to prevent theft and save energy.

[0051] In addition, according to the concrete pouring system of the present invention, which is a system for pouring concrete, it is equipped with the above-mentioned concrete pump and a concrete distributor having an IoT function, so that by linking the data obtained from the concrete pump and the data regarding the pouring position obtained from the concrete distributor, it is possible to record the pouring position at the concrete pouring location in association with the pouring quantity.

[0052] The "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" are 17 international goals that were adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. The concrete pump according to this embodiment and the concrete pouring system equipped with the pump can contribute to the achievement of the 17 SDGs, for example, goal 7: "Affordable and Clean Energy for All." [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the concrete pump and the concrete pouring system equipped with the concrete pump according to the present invention are useful for concrete pouring work, and are particularly suitable for improving the efficiency and reducing the labor required for concrete pouring work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Concrete pouring system 12 Concrete Pump 14 Concrete Distributor 16 Mixer Truck 18 Information Management Server 20 Concrete pouring area 22 Terminals 28,60 Pressure pipe 34 Control section 36 Data Collection Section 38 Concrete quantity calculation section 40 Recording Section 42 Fault detection section 44 Malfunction notification section 46 Position detection unit 48 Anti-theft section 50 Drive stop part 52 AI Camera 54 Communication Lines P User (caster) Q Mixer Truck Operator

Claims

1. A concrete pump that pumps ready-mixed concrete through a pressure pipe to a concrete pouring site, A concrete pump characterized by comprising a data collection unit that collects data indicating the operating status of the concrete pump in real time, a pouring quantity calculation unit that calculates the pouring quantity at the concrete pouring location for a specified period based on the data, and a recording unit that records the calculated pouring quantity.

2. The concrete pump according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the concrete pump, the control unit being capable of being remotely operated from a terminal at the concrete pouring site.

3. The concrete pump described in claim 2, further comprising a failure detection unit that detects or predicts a failure of the concrete pump, a failure notification unit that notifies a user when the failure is detected or predicted, a position detection unit that detects the position of the concrete pump, an anti-theft unit that notifies the user when the position exceeds a predetermined range and locks the control unit to make it unusable, and a drive stop unit that performs idling stop control to automatically stop the drive source of the concrete pump when a predetermined automatic stop condition is met.

4. A system for pouring concrete, comprising: a concrete pump according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and a concrete distributor having an IoT function.

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