Measurement device

Abstract

To provide an automation of a supply of cleaning liquid with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A measurement device includes: a supply pipe 18 that is supported by a top part forming a fulcrum and inclines on one side or the other side; a cleaning liquid supply pipe 20a that supplies distilled water to the supply pipe 18; a first valve 31 that stops an outflow of the distilled water from the supply pipe 18 when the supply pipe 18 is inclined on one side; and a second valve 32 that is disposed on the opposite side of a supply port via the first valve 31 when the supply pipe 18 is inclined on one side. When the supply pipe 18 is not inclined, the first valve 31 and the second valve 32 do not stop the outflow of the distilled water from the supply pipe 18. When the supply pipe 18 is inclined on the other side, the second valve 32 suppresses the inflow of the liquid into the first valve 31 side from an outside of the supply pipe 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, hydroponic cultivation has become popular. A PH sensor that measures the PH of an aqueous solution used in hydroponic cultivation is known. For example, if a PH sensor whose surface is covered with a glass film is left immersed in the aqueous solution, dirt will adhere to the glass film. For this reason, it is preferable to immerse the sensor in the aqueous solution when measuring, and not immerse the sensor in the aqueous solution when not measuring. In this regard, for example, a measuring device is known that has a base with a support part that forms a fulcrum, a supported part supported by the support part, a rod-shaped body with a measuring part provided on one side of the supported part and a storage part for storing a fluid provided on the other side, and when the storage part is filled with fluid, the rod-shaped body remains horizontal, and when the storage part is not filled with fluid, the rod-shaped body tilts toward the measuring part and the measuring part is immersed in the solution (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7241444 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The aforementioned Patent Document 1 describes that a tube through which a cleaning liquid passes is disposed inside the rod-shaped body, and when the rod-shaped body is held horizontally, the cleaning liquid passes through the tube and is supplied to the measuring section. However, the specific method is not described. In one aspect, the present invention aims to automate the supply of a cleaning liquid with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the disclosed water stop valve device includes a pipe supported by a fulcrum and tilting to one side or the other, a supply port for supplying liquid to the pipe, a first valve for stopping the liquid from flowing out of the pipe when the pipe is tilted to one side, and a second valve disposed on the opposite side of the supply port via the first valve when the pipe is tilted to one side, in which the first and second valves do not stop the liquid from flowing out of the pipe when the pipe is not tilted, and the second valve suppresses the inflow of liquid from outside the pipe to the first valve side when the pipe is tilted to the other side. Effect of the Invention

[0006] In one embodiment, the supply of the cleaning liquid can be automated with a simple structure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a measurement apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a first mechanism unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the measuring device according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the measuring device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the measuring device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 illustrates a measurement apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the water stop valve device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the water stop valve device when the left side of the rod-shaped body rises and the right side falls. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the water stop valve device when the right side of the rod-shaped body rises and the left side falls. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, a measurement device according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component shown in the following drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings, etc. In the embodiments, elements expressed in the singular form include the plural form unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. <First embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a measurement apparatus according to a first embodiment. The measuring device 100 of the first embodiment has a first mechanism unit 1 and a second mechanism unit 2. <1st mechanism section> The first mechanism portion 1 has a base 11 and a rod-shaped body 12 .

[0010] Top 11a of base 11 forms a support portion (fulcrum), and supported portion 12a of rod-shaped body 12 is placed on the support portion. In this embodiment, base 11 and rod-shaped body 12 are illustrated in a schematic manner. There is no particular limitation on the method of engagement between base 11 and rod-shaped body 12, but an engagement method similar to that of a waterfall or a seesaw may be used, for example.

[0011] A storage section 13 is disposed on one side of the rod-shaped body 12 across the supported section 12a. An engaged section 12b is disposed on one end of the rod-shaped body 12. A sensor arrangement section 14 is provided on the other end of the rod-shaped body 12 across the supported section 12a.

[0012] Storage section 13 has an opening 13a. Liquid (for example, water) discharged from liquid discharge section 15 flows into storage section 13 through this opening 13a. Storage section 13 stores the liquid that has flowed in.

[0013] A PH sensor (measurement unit) 16 is disposed in the sensor arrangement unit 14. The PH sensor 16 detects the PH of a liquid stored in, for example, a water tank 17. In the present embodiment, the PH sensor 16 has a surface covered with a glass film. The PH sensor 16 has a short-range communication means and can transmit information related to the detected PH to a computer (not shown). Examples of the short-range communication means include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, the sensor arrangement portion 14 has an opening (notch) 14a formed therein.

[0014] A supply pipe 18 is arranged inside the rod-shaped body 12. A cleaning liquid (e.g., distilled water) is supplied to the supply pipe 18 from a supply means (not shown). The cleaning liquid supplied to the supply pipe 18 is supplied to the sensor arrangement part 14. The dotted line inside the sensor arrangement part 14 indicates the water level of the cleaning liquid supplied to the sensor arrangement part 14. By supplying the cleaning liquid to the detection part of the PH sensor 16, the detection part of the PH sensor 16 can be cleaned. The water tank 17 is filled with a solution (nutrient solution). In the water tank 17, for example, a hydroponic crop is placed. The operation of this first mechanism section 1 will now be briefly described. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the first mechanism unit according to the embodiment. In the following description, the portion of rod 12 on the left side of top 11a will be referred to as the "left side of rod 12" and the portion of rod 12 on the right side will be referred to as the "right side of rod 12".

[0015] When reservoir 13 is not filled with liquid, the right side of rod 12 descends as shown in Fig. 2, and part or all of sensor arrangement section 14 is placed in tank 17. In this state, the solution in tank 17 flows into sensor arrangement section 14 from opening 14a, so PH sensor 16 is immersed in the solution, making it possible to detect the pH of the solution in tank 17. Sensor arrangement section 14 may not come into contact with the bottom of tank 17 due to the buoyancy of rod 12 and sensor arrangement section 14, or may come into gentle contact with the bottom of tank 17 due to the resistance of the solution in tank 17.

[0016] When liquid accumulates in the storage section 13 due to the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge section 15, the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 gradually descends and the right side of the rod-shaped body 12 ascends. As the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 descends, the position of the opening 13a gradually moves to the left in FIG. 2, but the opening 13a is formed large enough to receive the liquid discharged from the liquid discharge section 15. When the storage section 13 is filled with liquid, the rod-shaped body 12 becomes horizontal as shown in FIG. 1, so as to maintain balance. As the liquid continues to be discharged from the liquid discharge section 15, any liquid that does not fit into the storage section 13 overflows from the storage section 13, so that the rod-shaped body 12 maintains balance.

[0017] The time that PH sensor 16 is placed in water tank 17 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of liquid discharged from liquid discharge unit 15 or by changing the capacity of storage unit 13. If the measurement time of PH sensor 16 is, for example, 5 minutes, the amount of liquid discharged from liquid discharge unit 15 can be adjusted so that storage unit 13 is filled with liquid in 5 minutes. Returning to FIG. <Second mechanism section> The second mechanism 2 utilizes the principle of a "shishiodoshi." The second mechanism portion 2 has a base 21 and a rod-shaped body 22 .

[0018] Top 21a of base 21 forms a support portion (fulcrum), and supported portion 22a of rod-shaped body 22 is disposed on the support portion. In this embodiment, base 21 and rod-shaped body 22 are illustrated in a schematic manner. There is no particular limitation on the method of engagement between base 21 and rod-shaped body 22, but an engagement method similar to that of a waterfall or a seesaw may be used, for example. A storage portion 23 is disposed on one side of the rod-shaped body 22 across the top portion 21a. Also, an engagement portion 22b is disposed on one end of the rod-shaped body 22.

[0019] Storage section 23 has an opening 23a. Liquid (for example, water) discharged from liquid discharge section 24 flows into storage section 23 through this opening 23a. Storage section 23 stores the liquid that has flowed in. In the following description, the portion of rod-shaped body 22 on the left side of top 21a will be referred to as the "left side of rod-shaped body 22" and the portion of rod-shaped body 22 on the right side will be referred to as the "right side of rod-shaped body 22".

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, when the amount of liquid stored in storage portion 23 is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, second mechanism portion 2 has rod-shaped body 22 with its left side lowered and its right side raised.

[0021] When liquid is discharged from liquid discharge portion 24 and accumulates in storage portion 23, the right side of rod-shaped body 22 gradually descends and the left side of rod-shaped body 22 ascends. As the right side of rod-shaped body 22 descends, the position of opening 23a gradually moves to the right in Fig. 1, but opening 23a is formed large enough to receive the liquid discharged from liquid discharge portion 24. Next, the operation of the measuring device 100 will be described.

[0022] As described above, when the reservoir 13 is filled with liquid, the rod-shaped body 12 becomes horizontal and maintains balance as shown in Fig. 1. Liquid continues to be discharged from the liquid discharge section 15, but any liquid that does not fit into the reservoir 13 overflows from the reservoir 13, so that the rod-shaped body 12 maintains balance. At this time, cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply pipe 18 from a supply means (not shown). The cleaning liquid supplied to the supply pipe 18 is supplied to the sensor arrangement section 14.

[0023] As liquid is discharged from liquid discharge portion 24 and accumulates in reservoir 23, the right side of rod-shaped body 22 descends and the left side of rod-shaped body 22 ascends, gradually increasing in momentum. 3 to 5 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the measuring device according to the embodiment.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, when the right side of the rod-shaped body 22 descends, the engaging portion 22b comes into contact with the engaged portion 12b and presses the engaged portion 12b downward on the paper. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 descends forcefully, and the liquid stored in the storage portion 13 overflows from the opening 13a. As a result, the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 becomes lighter than the right side of the rod-shaped body 12. After pressing the engaged portion 12b, the right side of the rod-shaped body 22 also descends, and the liquid stored in the storage portion 23 overflows from the opening 23a. As a result, the right side of the rod-shaped body 22 becomes lighter than the left side of the rod-shaped body 22. At this time, the liquid stored in the sensor arrangement portion 14 may be discharged to the outside via the supply pipe 18.

[0025] 5, the left side of rod 12 rises and the right side of rod 12 falls. Therefore, PH sensor 16 is placed in water tank 17, and it becomes possible for PH sensor 16 to measure the PH of the liquid in water tank 17. In addition, the right side of rod 22 also rises and the left side of rod 22 falls.

[0026] After that, liquid starts to accumulate in both storage portion 13 and storage portion 23. By adjusting the flow rates of liquid discharge portions 15, 24 and the positions of storage portion 13 and storage portion 23, etc., so that storage portion 13 starts to descend before storage portion 23 starts to descend, the state shown in FIG.

[0027] As described above, the measuring device 100 of the embodiment includes the base 11 having the top 11a forming a fulcrum, and the rod-shaped body 12 having the supported part 12a supported by the top 11a, with the PH sensor 16 provided on one side of the supported part 12a and the storage part 13 for storing liquid provided on the other side, and when the storage part 13 is filled with liquid, the rod-shaped body 12 remains horizontal, and when the storage part 13 is not filled with fluid, the rod-shaped body 12 tilts toward the PH sensor 16 and the PH sensor 16 is immersed in the solution in the water tank 17. As a result, when the PH sensor 16 is not measuring, the rod-shaped body 12 remains horizontal by filling the storage part 13 with liquid, and the PH sensor 16 is kept in the water tank 17, which can prevent dirt from adhering to the glass film of the PH sensor 16.

[0028] Furthermore, when the rod-shaped body 12 tilts toward the storage section 13, the liquid stored in the storage section 13 flows out of the storage section 13, and the rod-shaped body 12 tilts toward the PH sensor 16. This makes it easy to manage the position of the PH sensor 16.

[0029] In addition, a power unit (second mechanism unit 2 in this embodiment) is further provided to tilt rod-shaped body 12 toward storage unit 13. By operating second mechanism unit 2 at any timing, the timing of measurement by PH sensor 16 can be easily managed.

[0030] Furthermore, a supply pipe 18 through which a cleaning liquid passes is disposed inside the rod-shaped body 12, and when the rod-shaped body 12 is held horizontally, the cleaning liquid passes through the supply pipe 18 and is supplied to the PH sensor 16. This allows the PH sensor 16 to be cleaned.

[0031] Also, a sensor placement section 14 is provided that has an opening 14a, houses the PH sensor 16, and stores the cleaning liquid to be supplied to the PH sensor 16. This allows the cleaning liquid supplied from the supply pipe 18 to be stored, so that the glass membrane of the PH sensor 16 can be cleaned more reliably. Also, since the cleaning liquid is discharged into the water tank 17 when the PH sensor 16 is used for measurement, it is easy to replace the cleaning liquid. In this embodiment, liquid is stored in storage portion 13, but gas (fluid) that is heavier than air may also be stored therein.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, the second mechanism unit 2 is used as a power unit that tilts the rod-shaped body 12 toward the storage unit 13, but the power unit is not limited to this, and for example, a motor may be disposed near the top 11a and rotated to tilt the rod-shaped body 12 toward the storage unit 13. The rod-shaped body 12 may also be tilted toward the storage unit 13 by utilizing wind force.

[0033] In this embodiment, the pH of the solution (nutrient solution) in the tank 17 in which the hydroponic crops are placed is measured. However, the measurement target is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a water-soluble cutting fluid (e.g., soluble type, emulsion type, chemical solution type, etc.) for cutting. <Second embodiment> Next, a measurement device according to a second embodiment will be described. The measurement apparatus of the second embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the measurement apparatus of the first embodiment described above, and a description of similar points will be omitted. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a measurement apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0034] The measuring device 100a of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 includes a water stop valve device 30 that embodies the configuration of a supply means for supplying cleaning liquid to the supply pipe 18, and is otherwise similar to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the water stop valve device according to the embodiment. The water stop valve device 30 includes a cleaning liquid supply pipe 30 a , a first valve 31 , a second valve 32 , and a stopper 33 . The cleaning liquid supply pipe 30a supplies a cleaning liquid (eg, distilled water) to the supply pipe .

[0035] The first valve 31, the second valve 32, and the stopper 33 are disposed inside the supply pipe 18. In Fig. 7, the sensor arrangement portion 14 and the PH sensor 16 are disposed to the right of the stopper 33, but are not shown in the figure. The first valve 31 includes a hall valve 31a and a ball 31b.

[0036] The hall valve 31a is cylindrical with both ends open. The ball 31b is spherical. The diameter of the opening of the hall valve 31a is smaller than the diameter of the ball 31b. The opening of the hall valve 31a on the ball 31b side is tapered, with the diameter decreasing from the part where the ball 31b abuts (the front side) toward the back. When the ball 31b is pressed against the hall valve 31a, the ball 31b and the hall valve 31a function as a water stop valve that does not allow fluid to pass through.

[0037] The second valve 32 has a hall valve 32a and a ball 32b. The structure of the second valve 32 is the same as that of the first valve 31. That is, the hall valve 32a is cylindrical with both ends open. The ball 32b is spherical. The diameter of the opening of the hall valve 32a is smaller than the diameter of the ball 22b. The opening of the hall valve 32a on the ball 32b side is tapered so that the diameter decreases from the part where the ball 32b abuts (the surface side) toward the back side. When the ball 32b is pressed against the hall valve 32a, the ball 32b and the hall valve 32a function as a water stop valve that does not allow fluid to pass through. The stopper 33 prevents the ball 32b from moving away from the hall valve 32a by more than a certain distance.

[0038] The positions of the hall valves 31a and 31b in the supply pipe 18, the distance between the hall valves 31a and 31b, the distance between the distilled water supply pipe 30a and the hall valve 31a, and the shape and structure of the stopper 33 are not limited to those shown in the figures. Next, the operation of the water stop valve device 30 will be described.

[0039] As described in the first embodiment, when the storage section 13 is filled with liquid, the rod-shaped body 12 becomes horizontal and maintains balance as shown in FIG. 6. Liquid continues to be discharged from the liquid discharge section 15, but any liquid that does not fit into the storage section 13 overflows from the storage section 13, and the rod-shaped body 12 maintains balance. At this time, cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply pipe 18 from the cleaning liquid supply pipe 30a. The cleaning liquid supplied to the supply pipe 18 passes through the hall valves 31a and 32a and is supplied to the sensor arrangement section 14. The supply pipe 18 and the sensor arrangement section 14 are filled with distilled water to their respective maximum capacities. There is no problem if distilled water leaks from the opening 14a. Next, the operation of the water stop valve device 30 when the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 rises and the right side of the rod-shaped body 12 falls as shown in FIG. 5 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the water stop valve device when the left side of the rod-shaped body rises and the right side falls.

[0040] As described in the first embodiment, the PH sensor 16 is placed in the water tank 17, and the PH of the liquid in the water tank 17 can be measured by the PH sensor 16. At this time, the distilled water that filled the supply pipe 18 and the sensor placement portion 14 spills into the water tank 17. In addition, the ball 31b abuts against the opening of the hall valve 31a and blocks the opening of the hall valve 31a. This prevents distilled water from flowing from the cleaning liquid supply pipe 30a to the right side of the hall valve 31a. Since the hall valve 32a and the ball 32b do not come into contact with each other, the supply pipe 18 on the right side of the hall valve 31a is empty. Therefore, the PH sensor 16 can accurately measure the PH without being affected by the distilled water. The measurement time of the PH sensor 16 can be adjusted by the amount of liquid discharged from the liquid discharge portion 15 to the storage portion 13 according to the accuracy of the PH sensor 16.

[0041] After that, liquid starts to accumulate in the storage section 13. When the storage section 13 is filled with liquid, the rod-shaped body 12 becomes horizontal and maintains balance as shown in Fig. 6. As a result, the supply pipe 18 and the sensor placement section 14 are filled with distilled water to their full capacity. The PH sensor 16 is immersed in distilled water, which prevents the PH sensor 16 from drying out. Next, the operation of the water stop valve device 30 when the right side of the rod-shaped body 12 rises and the left side of the rod-shaped body 12 falls as shown in FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the water stop valve device when the right side of the rod-shaped body rises and the left side falls.

[0042] In this state, the ball 32b abuts against the opening of the hall valve 32a to close the opening of the hall valve 32a, thereby preventing the liquid remaining in the sensor arrangement portion 14 that has flowed in from the water tank 17 from flowing to the left of the hall valve 32a.

[0043] As described above, the measuring device 100a of the second embodiment has the supply pipe 18 supported by the top 11a forming a fulcrum and tilting to one side or the other, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 30a that supplies distilled water to the supply pipe 18, the first valve 31 that stops the outflow of distilled water from the supply pipe 18 when the supply pipe 18 is tilted to one side, and the second valve 32 that is arranged on the opposite side of the supply port via the first valve 31 when the supply pipe 18 is tilted to one side, and when the supply pipe 18 is not tilted, the first valve 31 and the second valve 32 do not stop the outflow of distilled water from the supply pipe 18, and when the supply pipe 18 is tilted to the other side, the second valve 32 suppresses the inflow of liquid from outside the supply pipe 18 to the first valve 31 side. According to the measuring device 100a of the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the measuring device 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained. According to the second embodiment 100a, the supply of distilled water can be automated with a simple structure.

[0044] Although the measurement device of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the configuration of each part can be replaced with any configuration having a similar function. In addition, any other configuration or process may be added to the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the respective embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1 1st mechanism section 2 2nd mechanism section 11, 21 Foundation 11a Top 12, 22 Rod-shaped body 12a, 22a Supported part 13, 23 Storage section 13a, 23a opening 14 Sensor placement section 15, 24 Liquid discharge part 16 PH sensor 17 Aquarium 18 Supply pipe 22b Engagement part 30 Water stop valve device 31 First Valve 31a, 32a Hall valve 31b, 32b ball 32 Second Valve 33 Stopper

Claims

1. A tube supported by a fulcrum and tilting to one side or the other; a supply port for supplying liquid to the tube; a first valve that stops the liquid from flowing out of the pipe when the pipe is tilted to one side; a second valve disposed on an opposite side of the supply port via the first valve; having When the pipe is not tilted, the first valve and the second valve do not stop the flow of the liquid from the pipe, When the tube is tilted in the other direction, the second valve suppresses the inflow of liquid from the outside of the tube to the first valve side. A water stop valve device characterized by

2. The first valve and the second valve each include a sphere and a cylinder having an opening at each end, the diameter of which is smaller than that of the sphere; When the pipe is tilted to one side, a sphere of the first valve engages with the cylinder of the first valve to stop the liquid from flowing out of the pipe, A water stop valve device as described in claim 1, wherein when the pipe is tilted in the other direction, a sphere provided on the second valve engages with the cylinder provided on the second valve to suppress the flow of liquid from outside the pipe into the first valve side.

3. A base having a support portion forming a fulcrum; A supported portion is supported by the supporting portion, and a measuring portion is provided on one side of the supported portion. a rod-shaped body having a reservoir portion for storing a fluid on one side thereof, When the reservoir is filled with fluid, the rod-shaped body is kept horizontal, and the fluid is When the liquid is not filled, the rod-shaped body is tilted toward the measuring part, and the measuring part is immersed in the solution. A tube through which a cleaning liquid passes is disposed inside the rod-shaped body, The liquid supply device further includes a supply port that supplies liquid to the tube, a first valve that stops the liquid from flowing out of the tube when the tube is tilted toward the measurement unit, and a second valve that is disposed on the opposite side of the supply port via the first valve, When the rod-shaped body is kept horizontal, the first valve and the second valve do not stop the outflow of the liquid from the pipe, and the cleaning liquid passes through the pipe and is supplied to the measuring unit, When the tube is tilted toward the storage portion, the second valve suppresses the inflow of liquid from the outside of the tube to the first valve. A measuring device characterized by:

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