Water level sensor

Abstract

To provide a water level sensor 100 capable of continuous observation even in a stormy weather and excellent in workability.SOLUTION: A sensor body 10 includes a transmitting / receiving section 11 that transmits ultrasonic waves in a prescribed direction and receives the reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves, a communication section 12 that communicates the transmitting and receiving information of the ultrasonic waves, a power supply section 13 for supplying power, and a switch 14 that switches between supplying and stopping power from the power supply section 13. The water level sensor includes the sensor body, a housing 20 in which the sensor body 10 is housed, and a connecting member 30 to which the housing 20 is fixed. Two casings 20 are attached to the connecting member 30 on the left and right sides. In the casing 20 on the left, the switch 14 is arranged at a position where it can be operated from the left side of the casing 20, and in the casing 20 on the right, the switch 14 is arranged at a position where it can be operated from the right side of the casing 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water level sensor having a parallel type sensor body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, surveying devices are used to observe changes in the water level of rivers and flooding of roads. The devices are mainly composed of a sensor that actually measures the water level and a communication unit that transmits the measured data to an administrator, etc. There are two types of sensors: direct type, which directly senses the water level, and indirect type, which indirectly measures the water level.

[0003] In the case of the direct method, water pressure sensors are often used, and the tip of the sensor is located at the normal water level. The sensor is installed in a place where it will not be submerged even if the water level rises, so the device itself tends to be large-scale. In addition, in order to measure the water level, it is necessary to set the origin position at the installation site, which is difficult for engineers with specialized knowledge to install.

[0004] In the case of the indirect method, for example, an ultrasonic sensor is used that transmits ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic transmitter and calculates the distance from the time it takes to receive the reflected waves reflected by an object, for example, the water surface or the ground. For example, Cited Document 1 discloses a river observation system for observing the water level and flow velocity of a river, which is characterized by comprising a water level measurement means that transmits ultrasonic waves at a predetermined timing using a first ultrasonic transmitter / receiver and receives the reflected waves, and detects the water level of the water flowing in the river based on the time difference between the transmission and reception, and a flow velocity measurement means that transmits ultrasonic waves at a timing different from that of the water level measurement means using a second ultrasonic transmitter / receiver and receives the reflected waves, and detects the flow velocity of the water based on the frequency change of the transmission and reception. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3701834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The main means of powering a surveying device are commercial power, solar cells, and built-in batteries. Powering from commercial power is considered the most common, but the equipment tends to be large-scale, which means installation costs are high. In addition, when using ultrasonic sensors to observe river water levels and road flooding, the water level of rivers rises and road flooding occurs during stormy weather, and there are cases where power cannot be supplied from commercial power due to a power outage, meaning that the ultrasonic sensor may not work when it is most needed. In the case of solar cells, if stormy weather continues, there is a risk that the device will not be powered, and as with commercial power, the ultrasonic sensor may not work when it is most needed.

[0007] With a built-in battery, power can be supplied even in bad weather, but the built-in battery needs to be replaced or charged periodically. If this work period coincides with bad weather, there is a risk that the ultrasonic sensor will not work when it is most needed.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention provides a water level sensor which overcomes the above-mentioned problems, allows continuous observation even in bad weather, and is easy to install. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. In other words, the water level sensor of the present invention comprises a sensor body for measuring the water level, a housing in which the sensor body is housed, and a connecting member to which the housing is fixed, and the sensor body comprises a power supply unit for supplying power, and a switch for switching between supplying power from the power supply unit and stopping the supply of power, and two housings are attached to the left and right sides of the connecting member, and the switch is arranged in a position on the left housing that can be operated from the left side of the housing, and the switch is arranged in a position on the right housing that can be operated from the right side of the housing.

[0010] In the present invention, the switch may be a magnet switch.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, the sensor body may include a transmitting / receiving unit, and a horn may be attached facing downward to the lower wall of the housing, the left housing may have the horn attached to the left side of the lower wall, and the right housing may have the horn attached to the right side of the lower wall. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The water level sensor according to the present invention has two sensor bodies each having a power supply, so that even if one sensor body becomes unable to measure, the other sensor body can still measure, making it possible to continue observation even in bad weather. Moreover, the switch of the left housing can be operated from the left side, and the switch of the right housing can be operated from the right side, making it easy to energize the sensor bodies on both the left and right sides, i.e., to start measurement. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a water level sensor according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sensor body of the water level sensor according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the water level sensor and its surroundings in FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In the drawings, 10 is a sensor body that measures the water level, 20 is a housing in which the sensor body 10 is housed, and 30 is a connecting member to which the housing 20 is fixed, and the water level sensor 100 of the present invention is mainly composed of the sensor body 10, the housing 20 and the connecting member 30.

[0016] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a water level sensor 100 according to the present invention. The water level sensor 100 measures the water level of a river and is fixed so as to be located above the water surface. The fixing structure in this embodiment is such that the water level sensor 100 is attached near the tip of a support material 300 that is fixed to a post 200 of a protective fence installed on the bank of the river and protrudes into the river. In this embodiment, housings 20 in which sensor bodies 10 are housed are arranged side by side, and alternate measurements can be performed, or when one sensor body 10 breaks down, the other sensor body 10 can continue to measure. Here, unless otherwise specified, the front side of the water level sensor 100 refers to the front side of FIG. 1, the rear side refers to the back side of FIG. 1, and the left and right directions refer to the left and right directions of FIG. 1, and the description will be based on this. In addition, in this embodiment, the water level sensor 100 is fixed to the support 200 of the protective fence, but the installation location of the water level sensor 100 is not limited to this, and other locations besides this embodiment include roadside facilities such as parapets, handrails, signs (pillars), etc. Furthermore, being installed on roadside facilities includes cases where the sensor is attached to the roadside facilities via a support material 300 as in this embodiment, and cases where the sensor is directly attached to the roadside facilities using mounting brackets or the like.

[0017] 2 is a schematic diagram of the sensor body 10 of the water level sensor 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the sensor body 10 includes a wave transmitting / receiving unit 11 that transmits ultrasonic waves toward the water surface side of the river and receives the reflected waves reflected by the water surface, a communication unit 12 that communicates information on the ultrasonic waves transmitted and received by the wave transmitting / receiving unit 11, a power supply unit 13 for supplying electric power, a switch 14 for switching between supplying power from the power supply unit 13 and stopping the supply, and a control unit 15 for controlling the operation of the sensor body 10. All of these are housed in a housing 20.

[0018] Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the water level sensor 100 and its vicinity in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3. The housing 20 has left, right, front and rear side walls 21, a bottom wall 22, and a lid 23. The sensor body 10 is housed in a box-shaped structure consisting of the left, right, front and rear side walls 21 and the bottom wall 22, and the lid 23 is attached to the open top side to close the opening. A portion of the bottom wall 22 is perforated in the vertical direction, and a horn 16 through which ultrasonic waves transmitted from the wave transmitting and receiving unit 11 pass is attached downward. The housing 20 is rectangular in this embodiment, but is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure in which the sensor body 10 can be housed and rainwater, etc., does not easily penetrate inside.

[0019] The wave transmitting / receiving unit 11 transmits ultrasonic waves generated from an ultrasonic element built in the unit in a predetermined direction, and receives the reflected waves reflected by the object to be measured. In this embodiment, the predetermined direction is the direction toward the water surface of the river, which is approximately vertically downward.

[0020] The communication unit 12 transmits the transmitted wave information and the received wave information to the manager. The transmitted wave information includes at least the time of transmission and the strength of the ultrasonic waves at the time of transmission, and the received wave information includes at least the time of reception of the reflected wave and the strength of the received ultrasonic waves. The communication means in this embodiment is an LPWA wireless communication means, which receives the information at a receiving base station newly installed in a location close to the installation location or an existing receiving base station close to the installation location, and receives each information at the receiving terminal of the manager via the Internet.

[0021] In this embodiment, a battery is used as the power supply unit 13. This eliminates the need for power supply from outside the housing 20 in which the sensor main body 10 is housed, and allows for continuous power supply regardless of the weather in the installation environment.

[0022] Since the switch 14 is housed within the housing 20, in order to operate the sensor main body 10, it is necessary to operate the switch 14 to place the sensor main body 10 in a conductive state.

[0023] There are two ways to operate the switch 14: by opening the housing 20 in which the sensor body 10 is housed and directly operating it, or by operating it from outside the housing 20. The former method requires opening the housing 20 at the installation site, but opening and closing the housing 20 may cause the sensor body 10, particularly the wave transmitting direction of the wave transmitting and receiving unit 11, to shift, or the housing 20 may not be closed properly, causing a gap to form between the inside and outside of the housing 20, allowing rainwater to get in and causing a short circuit in the sensor body 10. Therefore, the switch 14 is designed to be operated from the outside, which is the latter method.

[0024] In this embodiment, the switch 14 is a magnet switch 14a, which is disposed near the side wall 21 inside the housing 20. As a result, when a dedicated magnet is brought close from the side of the side wall 21 where the magnet switch 14a is disposed, the magnet switch 14a is actuated, the sensor body 10 becomes conductive, and measurement of the water level, i.e., transmission of ultrasonic waves from the wave transmitting / receiving unit 11, is started. After that, the water level is measured at predetermined intervals based on a measurement program set in the control unit 15 of the sensor body 10, and the measurement result is transmitted from the communication unit 12 to the administrator.

[0025] The switch 14 is not limited to this embodiment. Although not shown, it may be a so-called push button type switch. Specifically, a part of the side wall 21 of the housing 20 has a pressing part that is elastically deformable from the outside to the inside, and a switch part that is arranged in the housing 20 near the pressing part, and the sensor main body 10 is energized by pressing the pressing part inward from the outside of the housing 20 to turn on the switch.

[0026] When the magnet switch 14a is used as the switch 14 as in this embodiment, the position of the switch cannot be seen from the outside, so it is difficult for a third party such as a passerby to operate the magnet switch 14a accidentally or intentionally. In addition, since the magnet switch 14a can be operated from the outside while it is disposed inside the housing 20, there is no need for a window or the like for operation in the housing 20. When the magnet switch 14a is operated by bringing a dedicated magnet close to it, in this embodiment, a continuous sound is generated when the switch is in an energized state and a single sound is generated when the switch is in a disconnected state so that the operator can tell whether the switch is in an energized state or disconnected state. This makes it easier for the operator to recognize the energized state of the sensor main body 10.

[0027] In the water level sensor 100, the magnet switch 14a is arranged near the left side wall 21 in the left housing 20, and near the right side wall 21 in the right housing 20, as shown in FIG. 3. This means that when an operator operates the magnet switch 14a arranged in the left housing 20, he or she must bring a dedicated magnet close from the left side of the housing 20, and when an operator operates the magnet switch 14a arranged in the right housing 20, he or she must bring a dedicated magnet close from the right side of the housing 20. This makes it easy to recognize which housing 20 he or she is operating. Therefore, the sensor main body 10 in the left and right housings 20 can be reliably brought into a conducting state, making it easy to start measurement and avoiding a state in which only one of the sensor main bodies 10 is conducting electricity.

[0028] On the other hand, when the magnet switch 14a is used as the switch 14, the worker cannot visually confirm the position of the magnet switch 14a from the outside. Therefore, in this embodiment, the magnet switch 14a is disposed on the same side as the mounting position of the horn 16.

[0029] Specifically, in this embodiment, two housings 20 are arranged side by side in a pair on the left and right, and the magnetic switch 14a and the horn 16 are arranged on the side end sides of the pair of left and right housings 20, that is, on the left side of both the left housing 20 and on the right side of both the right housing 20. This allows the operator to recognize the position of the magnetic switch 14a from the position of the horn 16, and therefore enables the operator to operate the magnetic switch 14a.

[0030] Next, an example of a method for installing the water level sensor 100 will be described. In this embodiment, the installation location is a river bank, but other locations such as a river bridge are also envisioned. A support material 300 is attached to a post 200 of a guard fence or handrail installed on the bank or bridge. The support material 300 is placed along the installation direction of the guard fence or handrail, and one end of the support material 300 in the longitudinal direction is temporarily fixed to the post 200 via a fixing bracket 310, and two housings 20 in which the sensor main body 10 is housed are attached to the other end.

[0031] In this embodiment, the two housings 20 are attached to a connecting member 30, and the connecting member 30 is fixed to the other end of the support material 300, thereby attaching the two housings 20 to the support material 300. The connecting member 30 has an L-shaped cross section and includes a bottom plate portion 31 and a side plate portion 32, and the side plate portion 32 is fixed to the side portion of the support material 300. The lid portions 23 of the two housings 20 are arranged on the lower surface side of the bottom plate portion 31 and fixed via a fastener 40. The fastener 40 is composed of a bolt member 41 that penetrates the housings 20 and the bottom plate portion 31 in the vertical direction, and a nut member 42 that is fastened to the bolt member 41. In this embodiment, a sheet-like vibration-damping member 43 is arranged between the lid portion 23 and the bottom plate portion 31. This prevents vibrations caused by automobiles passing over bridges or banks from being transmitted to the water level sensor 100, making it less likely to affect the measurement of the water level.

[0032] The two housings 20 may be fixed to the connecting member 30 at the installation site, but may also be fixed in advance before shipping. Fixing them before shipping prevents mistakes in the installation orientation of the housings 20 at the site, such as horns 16 being positioned on both the right side or both the left side in both housings 20, or being positioned toward the center.

[0033] Next, a dedicated magnet (not shown) is used to operate the magnet switch 14a of each of the two housings 20, energizing the sensor main body 10 and starting measurement. The magnet switch 14a may be operated before or after the connecting member 30 is fixed to the support material 300.

[0034] When the sensor main body 10 is in a conducting state, the direction of the support material 300 temporarily fixed to the support pole 200 is changed to a direction intersecting the installation direction of the protective fence, etc., usually to a direction perpendicular to the installation direction, and the fixing bracket 310 is fixed in that position. This positions the housing 20 in a position that is out of reach of passersby, etc.

[0035] In this embodiment, two sensor bodies 10 are placed at the installation location, so that the administrator can replace the sensor body 10 at the installation site each time a measurement error occurs with one of the sensor bodies 10, or, if maintenance such as replacement at the installation site is difficult due to bad weather or the like, the administrator can continue measuring with only the other normal sensor body 10 to monitor the water level of the river.

[0036] Next, an example of a method for replacing the water level sensor 100 will be described. The fixing bracket 310 of the support material 300 is loosened, the support material 300 is aligned along the installation direction of a protective fence or the like, and the water level sensor 100 attached to the other end of the support material 300 is brought closer to the protective fence or the like. Then, the connecting member 30 is removed from the support material 300, a replacement water level sensor 100 is attached to the support material 300, and the water level sensor 100 is repositioned in the position it was in before replacement, and measurement is resumed. When replacing, as mentioned above, it is preferable to replace each water level sensor 100, as this is less likely to cause problems during installation work.

[0037] As described above, the water level sensor 100 of the present invention comprises a sensor body 10 having a transmitting and receiving unit 11 that transmits ultrasonic waves in a predetermined direction and receives reflected waves of the transmitted ultrasonic waves, a communication unit 12 that communicates ultrasonic transmission information and reception information, a power supply unit 13 for supplying power, and a switch 14 for switching between supplying power from the power supply unit 13 and stopping it, a housing 20 in which the sensor body 10 is housed, and a connecting member 30 to which the housing 20 is fixed, and the connecting member 30 has two housings 20 attached to the left and right sides, and the switch is arranged in a position in the left housing 20 that can be operated from the left side of the housing 20, and the switch is arranged in a position in the right housing 20 that can be operated from the right side of the housing 20.

[0038] As a result, since there are two sensor bodies 10 each having a power supply unit 13, even if one sensor body 10 becomes unable to measure, the other sensor body 10 can still perform measurements, making it possible to continue observation even in bad weather. Moreover, since the switch 14 can be operated from the left side in the left housing 20 and the switch 14 can be operated from the right side in the right housing 20, powering up both the left and right sensor bodies 10, i.e., starting measurement, can be easily performed.

[0039] In the water level sensor 100 according to the present invention, the switch 14 may be a magnet switch 14a.

[0040] As a result, the switch 14 is not visible from the outside, so that a third party such as a passerby is unlikely to intentionally or mistakenly turn the switch of the sensor main body 10 on or off.

[0041] Furthermore, in the water level sensor 100 of the present invention, a horn 16 through which ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transmitting / receiving unit 11 pass is attached to the lower wall portion 22 of the housing 20, and the left housing 20 may have the horn 16 attached to the left side of the lower wall portion 22, and the right housing 20 may have the horn 16 attached to the right side of the lower wall portion 22.

[0042] As a result, although the magnetic switch 14a cannot be seen, the operable position of the magnetic switch 14a can be recognized by using the horn 16 as a landmark, so that the energization operation by the magnetic switch 14a can be reliably performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 Sensor body 11 Transmitter / receiver unit 12 Communications Department 13 Power supply section 14 Switchgear 14a Magnetic switch 15 Control section 16 Horn 20. Cabinet 21 Side wall 22 Lower wall part 23 Lid 30 Connecting members 31 Bottom plate part 32 Side plate part 40 Fasteners 41 Bolt parts 42 Nut material 43 Vibration Control Materials 100 Water Level Sensor 200 pillars 300 Support material 310 Fixture

Claims

1. A sensor body for measuring the water level; A housing in which the sensor body is housed; a connecting member to which the housing is fixed, The sensor body includes: A power supply unit for supplying power; a switch for switching between supplying power from the power supply unit and stopping the supply; The two housings are attached to the left and right of the connecting member, In the left housing, the switch is disposed at a position operable from the left side of the housing, In the right-side housing, the switch is disposed at a position that can be operated from the right side of the housing. A water level sensor comprising:

2. The switch is a magnetic switch.

2. The water level sensor according to claim 1.

3. The sensor body includes a wave transmitting / receiving unit, A horn is attached to the lower wall of the housing so as to face downward. The left housing has the horn attached to the left side of the bottom wall, The right-side housing has the horn attached to the right side of the bottom wall.

3. The water level sensor according to claim 1 or 2.

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