Distribution board remote control device

Abstract

To provide a distribution board remote control device that allows a distribution board to be used even when communication via a wireless LAN is shut off.SOLUTION: A distribution board remote control device 100 connected to a network includes a remote control unit 30 and a switch unit 40. The remote control unit includes an AC-DC converter 31 connected to an AC power source 15a to generate direct current, a control unit 32 connected to the AC-DC converter, a transmitting / receiving unit 33 and a memory unit 34 connected to the control unit, a relay 35 connected to the AC-DC converter, and a switching element 36 connected to a winding 35a of the relay. The switch unit includes an electromagnetic switch 41 that is turned on and off by the relay, and a manual changeover switch 42 connected to the electromagnetic switch. The relay is remotely controlled by an administrator terminal 50 via a network 55 using a wireless LAN to turn on or off supply of power from the AC power source. When remote control using the wireless LAN is not possible, power is supplied from the AC power source to a distribution board using the changeover switch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote control device for a distribution board.

Background Art

[0002] In buildings such as office buildings, when the construction of the structural frame is completed and it comes to the stage of interior finishing work, in order to supply electricity to each floor and use lighting, electric tools, etc., a distribution board is required for the supply of AC power. This distribution board is energized during a predetermined time when interior finishing work is carried out, for example, during working hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and the power supply is cut off outside of working hours for safety. In this case, since distribution boards equipped with a normal electromagnetic switch and a leakage breaker are provided on each floor, the administrator of the distribution board needs to manually operate the opening (on) operation of each floor's distribution board one by one before starting work and the closing (off) operation after the work is completed each time.

[0003] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-257086) discloses a distribution board that remotely controls lighting fixtures via Ethernet. In addition, power strips, so-called smart plugs and smart power strips that remotely control lighting fixtures via WiFi are also on sale. According to such power strips, it is possible to turn on or off electric fans, air conditioners, etc. connected to household power strips from outside the home.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] At a construction site, for example, when remotely operating a distribution board installed on each floor of a building under construction via a wireless LAN such as WiFi, there is a demand for a remote operation device for the distribution board that can be used even when communication via the wireless LAN is interrupted. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote operation device for a distribution board that allows the distribution board to be used even when communication via the wireless LAN is interrupted.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the remote operation device for a distribution board of the present invention is a remote operation device for a distribution board connected to a network. This remote operation device includes a remote operation unit and a switch unit. The remote operation unit includes an AC-DC converter connected to an AC power supply to generate DC, a control unit connected to the AC-DC converter, a transmission / reception unit and a storage unit connected to the control unit, a relay connected to the AC-DC converter, and a switching element connected to the winding of the relay. The switch unit includes an electromagnetic switch turned on and off by the relay and a manual changeover switch connected to the electromagnetic switch. The relay is remotely operated via a wireless LAN through a network by an administrator's terminal to turn on or off the supply of power from the AC power supply. When remote operation via the wireless LAN is not possible, the changeover switch supplies power from the AC power supply to the distribution board.

[0007] In the above configuration, the distribution board preferably includes a first distribution board connected to a power receiving board and a second distribution board connected to the AC power supply of the first distribution board via an electromagnetic switch turned on and off by the relay. The remote operation device is preferably arranged on each floor of the building. The administrator's terminal is preferably any one of a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer, and the energization state of the distribution boards of the plurality of buildings is displayed on its display unit. The control unit of the remote operation unit preferably generates power outage information when detecting a power outage from the output voltage of the AC-DC converter and notifies the administrator's terminal of the power outage information. This notification is sent to the administrator's terminal by email or short message. The supply of power from the AC power source is preferably set by a timer of the administrator terminal. When the power is being used outside the set time by the timer, the control unit of the remote operation unit preferably generates usage time excess information and notifies the administrator terminal of the usage time excess information.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a remote control device for a distribution board that can use the distribution board using a manual changeover switch even when communication by a wireless LAN is interrupted can be provided with a simple configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the present invention can be appropriately changed without being limited to the embodiments. In particular, the shapes, dimensions, positional relationships, etc. of the respective members shown in the drawings are merely conceptual matters and can be arbitrarily changed according to the application scenario. In each figure, the same or corresponding members are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing from the first floor to the nth floor, the top floor, of a building in which the remote control device 100 for a distribution board of the present invention is disposed, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the remote control device 100 for a distribution board, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the configuration of the administrator terminal 50. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote control device 100 for the distribution board of the present invention is disposed in the vicinity of the first distribution board 15 disposed on each floor from the first floor to the top floor n of the building 10. In the illustrated case, the first distribution board 15 and the second distribution board 20 are disposed on the first floor 10a of the building 10. Depending on the size of the first floor and the loads such as lighting fixtures and power tools used, the distribution board may be increased for each section even on the same floor. The first distribution board 15 and the second distribution board 20 are also disposed on the second and third floors of the building 10 in the same manner as on the first floor. Further, it is disposed up to the top floor n floor 10n (n is an integer) according to the scale of the building 10.

[0012] AC power supplied from the power distribution company adjacent to the building 10 is received by the power receiving board 12. For example, AC power of single-phase 100V AC is supplied to the first distribution board 15.

[0013] The remote control device 100 for the distribution board is connected to the administrator terminal 50 operated by the administrator via the network 55 and a wireless LAN via a router 60 connected to this network 55. As the network wireless LAN, a wireless LAN such as WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. Hereinafter, an example using WiFi (registered trademark) as the wireless LAN will be described. The router 60 may be disposed inside the building 10.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the remote control device 100 for the distribution board of the present invention includes a remote control unit 30 and a switch unit 40. The remote control unit 30 is connected to the AC power supply 15a, and includes an AC-DC converter 31 that generates DC, a control unit 32 connected to the AC-DC converter 31, a transmission / reception unit 33 and a storage unit 34 connected to the control unit 32, one end of a coil (simply referred to as a coil or winding) 35a of a relay 35 connected to the AC-DC converter 31, and a switching element 36 connected to the other end of the coil 35a of this relay. As the switching element 36, a MOSFET or a bipolar transistor can be used.

[0015] Here, one end of the contact 35b of the relay 35 is connected to the AC power supply 15a, and the other end of the contact 35b of the relay 35 is connected to the winding of the electromagnetic switch 41 of the switch unit 40 described later.

[0016] The AC-DC converter 31 is a power supply that supplies a DC voltage to the transceiver unit 33, the control unit 32, the storage unit 34, and the winding 35a of the relay 35. If multiple different voltages are required, a DC-DC converter may be further provided.

[0017] The control unit 32 is a so-called CPU and includes a microcomputer or the like. The storage unit 34 is composed of a non-volatile memory such as a DRAM or a flash memory. A single-board computer such as a Raspberry Pi (registered trademark) in which the control unit 32, the storage unit 34, and the transceiver unit 33 are integrated on one substrate may be used.

[0018] The transceiver unit 33 can use WiFi (registered trademark) as a wireless LAN.

[0019] As the network 55, the Internet or a public line of a mobile phone such as 4G, 5G, and LTE can be used.

[0020] Next, the switch unit 40 will be described. The switch unit 40 is composed of an electromagnetic switch 41 whose winding is connected to the other end of the contact 35b of the relay 35 of the remote operation unit 30, a manual changeover switch 42 connected to the electromagnetic switch 41, and a leakage breaker 43 connected to the manual changeover switch 42.

[0021] Here, when the remote operation operates normally and AC power is supplied from the electromagnetic switch 41 to the second distribution board 20 via the leakage breaker 43, the manual changeover switch 42 is connected to the electromagnetic switch 41 side. That is, the AC power supply 15a supplied from the first distribution board 15 connected to the power receiving board 12 is configured to be connected to the second distribution board 20 via the electromagnetic switch 41 that is turned on and off by the relay 35 in the switch unit 40.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the administrator terminal 50 includes a communication unit 51 connected to a network 55, a storage unit 52 that stores programs and applications (hereinafter referred to as "programs") for remote operation of the second distribution board 20, a control unit 53 that reads and executes programs from the storage unit 52, an input unit 54 operated by an administrator, an output unit 58 such as a display and an alarm generation means, and interface units (I / O units) 56, 57, etc. necessary for input and output, and a display unit. The communication unit 51 is connected to the transmission / reception unit 33 of the remote operation unit 30 via a network 55 using a mobile phone line network (3G, 4G, LTE, etc.). As the administrator terminal 50, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, a personal computer (PC), etc. can be used.

[0023] The display unit of the administrator terminal 50 can use a display such as a liquid crystal or an organic EL. On the display unit, the displays of the distribution boards 15 and 20 arranged on each floor of the building 10 described above and switches for turning on and off each distribution board may be displayed.

[0024] When the administrator terminal 50 is a mobile phone such as a smartphone, the display unit is composed of a touch panel and may also serve as the input unit 54. Operations such as the display of a plurality of distribution boards displayed on the display unit by the input unit 54, for example, the operation by a switch arranged on the right side, and the operation of pressing the touch panel are referred to as switch operations.

[0025] When the program for remote operation of the distribution board is stored and executed in the administrator terminal 50, the remote operation unit 30 can receive an instruction from the administrator terminal 50 via the transmission / reception unit 33 of the remote operation unit 30. When this instruction is that the second distribution board 20 is on, the control unit 32 of the remote operation unit 30 turns on a switching element 36 connected to the winding 35a of the relay 35. When the switching element 36 is turned on, direct current is supplied to the relay 35 from the AC-DC converter 31, and the contact 35b of the relay 35 is turned on. As a result, AC100V is energized to the winding of the electromagnetic switch 41 from the contact 35b of the relay 35, and AC100V is supplied to the second distribution board 20 through the contact of this electromagnetic switch 41.

[0026] On the one hand, when an instruction from the administrator's terminal 50 is received and the second distribution board 20 is off, the control unit 32 of the remote control unit 30 turns off the switching element 36 connected to the winding 35a of the relay 35. When the switching element 36 is turned off, DC power is no longer supplied to the relay 35 from the AC-DC converter 31, and the contact 35b of the relay 35 is turned off. As a result, AC 100V is no longer supplied to the winding of the electromagnetic switch 41 from the contact 35b of the relay 35, the contact of this electromagnetic switch 41 opens, and AC 100V is no longer supplied to the second distribution board 20. In the second distribution board 20, when the contact of the electromagnetic switch 41 opens and AC 100V is supplied to the first distribution board 15, the pilot lamp may be lit. Also, as described later, when power cannot be remotely operated due to a problem in the network environment, a pilot lamp indicating whether the WiFi signal is normal may be lit by a signal from the control unit 32.

[0027] According to the remote control device 100 for a distribution board of the present invention, by a program (also called an app) for remotely controlling the distribution board stored in the administrator's terminal 50, the second distribution board 20 installed in the building 10 under construction can be wirelessly LAN-operated to control the electromagnetic switch 41, and it becomes possible to turn on or off the AC power supply supplied to the second distribution board 20.

[0028] (When power cannot be remotely operated) The operation of the remote control device 100 for a distribution board when power cannot be remotely operated due to a problem in the network environment or the like will be described. When the power supply cannot be remotely controlled due to problems with the network environment, that is, when the relay 35 is turned off because the DC power supply is not supplied to the winding 35a of the relay 35 due to a problem with the network environment and the electromagnetic switch 41 is off, the control unit 32 of the remote control device 100 sends an email or short message to the contact information of the administrator described later, stating that "Communication has been interrupted at the second distribution board and remote control is not possible", to the administrator's terminal 50. In response to this, the administrator of the distribution board rushes to the installation location of the second distribution board 20 and can switch the manual changeover switch 42 from the connection on the electromagnetic switch 41 side to the connection on the first distribution board side 15. Thereby, an AC power supply can be supplied to the second distribution board 20.

[0029] According to the remote control device 100 for the distribution board of the present invention, the relay 35 is remotely controlled by the administrator's terminal 50 via the network 55 by wireless LAN to turn on or off the power supply from the AC power supply 15a. When remote control by wireless LAN is not possible, power can be supplied from the AC power supply to the second distribution board 20 by the manual changeover switch 42. Thereby, it is possible to provide a remote control device 100 for a distribution board that can be used even when communication by wireless LAN is interrupted with a simple configuration. Thus, according to the remote control device 100 for the distribution board of the present invention, manual switching is possible in the event of a communication failure by wireless LAN.

[0030] (Timer function) The supply time of the AC power supply to the second distribution board 20 may be controlled by a program for remote control of the distribution board stored in the administrator's terminal 50. In this case, the administrator's terminal 50 sets the year, month, and day of the second distribution board 20 on each floor to be controlled and sets the on time and off time within one day. The above on time and off time settings, that is, the timer settings, are transmitted from the communication unit 51 of the administrator's terminal 50 to the transmission and reception unit 33 of the remote control device 100 for the distribution board. In response to this, the control unit 32 of the remote control device 100 for the distribution board controls the on and off of the switching element 36 at a predetermined time by the timer function of the control unit 32, so that the on and off control of the second distribution board 20 can be performed at the time set by the administrator.

[0031] Note that the above embodiments can be appropriately modified within the scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the usage example in one building was described. However, the usage status of the electricity in the second distribution board 20 in a plurality of construction sites or existing management buildings that the administrator is in charge of may be made visible on the display unit of the administrator terminal 50. Thereby, the administrator can grasp the usage status of the electricity in the distribution boards of the plurality of registered construction sites and management buildings by inputting using the touch panel or the like of the administrator terminal 50. Also, the values such as the current flowing through the relay 35, the electromagnetic switch 41, the manual changeover switch 42, the leakage breaker 43, etc. used in the remote operation device 100 of the distribution board may be appropriately set according to the handling power of the second distribution board 20.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the on / off operation of the second distribution board 20 is performed by the administrator operating with the administrator terminal 50, but there may be a plurality of administrators. In this case, a plurality of administrators may be registered in the control unit 32 of the remote operation unit 30 so that the remote operation device 100 of the second distribution board 20 can be operated by the plurality of administrators. The registration of the administrator can be performed by inputting two or more of the identification code (also called ID or account) for each administrator, the password, the contact email address, the contact mobile phone number, etc. from the administrator terminal 50, transmitting it to the transmission / reception unit 33 of the remote operation device 100 of the distribution board, and registering it in the storage unit 34.

[0033] (Notification of power outage) Furthermore, in the remote control unit 30, a means for detecting the DC output voltage of the AC-DC converter 31 may be connected to the control unit 32, and an emergency power supply equipped with a battery for power failure may be provided. The means for detecting the DC output voltage may be a circuit using an AD converter built in the control unit 32. When the control unit 32 of the remote control unit 30 detects that the DC output voltage has become 0V, it determines that the AC power is not supplied from the power receiving board to the first distribution board 15, that is, a power failure has occurred. Then, the control unit 32 transmits an email or a short message to the registered administrator terminal 50 or the registered mobile phone number to notify that a power failure has occurred in the distribution board via the transceiver unit 33 and the network 55.

[0034] Specifically, when the control unit 32 of the remote control unit 30 detects a power failure from the output voltage of the AC-DC converter 31, it generates power failure information 38 and notifies the administrator terminal 50 of the power failure information 38. In this case, instead of an email or a short message, it may be notified by an alarm or voice on the display unit of the administrator terminal 50. The capacity of the battery (secondary battery) that can be charged and discharged by the emergency power supply may be, for example, a capacity that allows the remote control unit 30 to operate for about 10 minutes only when a power failure occurs.

[0035] Furthermore, at a construction site or an existing management building where electricity is being used after the set time, when the DC output voltage is detected by the means for detecting the DC output voltage of the AC-DC converter 31 and a predetermined voltage, for example, 5V, is detected, the control device 32 of the remote control device 100 may determine that the first and second distribution boards 215 and 20 are in use and notify the administrator terminal 50 from the transceiver unit 33 by email or a short message.

[0036] Specifically, when the power is used outside the set time by the timer, the control unit 32 of the remote control unit 30 generates usage time excess information 39 and notifies the administrator terminal 50 of the usage time excess information 39. This notification may be displayed on the app screen of the administrator terminal 50, or may be notified by a pop-up screen, voice, or warning sound. Note that although the remote control device 100 for the distribution board according to the present invention has been described mainly by using an example of installation in a building under construction, it goes without saying that it is also within the scope of the present invention to install it in an existing factory building, warehouse, or various facility buildings, etc., and perform timer management in the same manner.

Explanation of Signs

[0037] 10 Building 10a First Floor 10b Second Floor 10c Third Floor 12 Power Receiving Board 15 First Distribution Board 15a AC Power Supply 20 Second Distribution Board 30 Remote Control Unit 31 AC-DC Converter 32 Control Unit 33 Transceiver 34 Memory Unit 35 Relay 35a Coil (Winding) 35b Contact 36 Switching Element 38 Power Failure Information 39 Usage Time Exceeded Information 40 Switching Unit 41 Electromagnetic Switch 42 Manual Changeover Switch 43 Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker 50 Administrator's Terminal 51 Communication Unit 52 Memory Unit 53 Control Unit 54 Input Unit 55 Network 56,57 Interface Unit (I / O Unit) 58 Output Unit 60 Router 100 Remote Control Device for Distribution Board

Claims

1. A remote control device for a distribution board connected to a network, wherein the remote control device includes a remote control unit and a switch unit, and the remote control unit comprises an AC-DC converter connected to an AC power supply to generate DC, a control unit connected to the AC-DC converter, a transmission / reception unit and a storage unit connected to the control unit, a relay connected to the AC-DC converter, and a switching element connected to the winding of the relay, and the switch unit includes an electromagnetic switch that is turned on and off by the relay, and a manual changeover switch connected to the electromagnetic switch, and the relay is remotely operated via the network from an administrator's terminal by wireless LAN to turn on or off the supply of power from the AC power supply, and when remote operation by the wireless LAN is not possible, power is supplied from the AC power supply to the distribution board by the changeover switch, characterized in that it is a remote control device for a distribution board.

2. The distribution board includes a first distribution board connected to a power receiving board, and a second distribution board connected to the AC power supply of the first distribution board via an electromagnetic switch that is turned on and off by the relay, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 1.

3. The remote control device is arranged on each floor of a building, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 1.

4. The administrator's terminal is any one of a smartphone, a tablet and a personal computer, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 1.

5. The energization states of the distribution boards of a plurality of the buildings are displayed on the display unit of the administrator's terminal, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 3.

6. When the control unit of the remote control unit detects a power outage from the output voltage of the AC-DC converter, it generates power outage information and notifies the administrator's terminal of the power outage information, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 1.

7. The notification of the power outage information is notified to the administrator's terminal by email or short message, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 6.

8. The supply of power from the AC power supply is set by a timer of the administrator's terminal, characterized in that it is the remote control device for a distribution board according to Claim 1.

9. The control unit of the remote operation unit generates usage time excess information when the power is being used outside the set time by the timer, and notifies the administrator's terminal of the usage time excess information. The remote operation device for a distribution board according to claim 8, characterized in that.

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