Smoke Tester

Abstract

A smoke application tester having a configuration that allows easy operation confirmation testing of a smoke detector even in various installation environments where operation confirmation testing using a support rod is difficult. [Solution] A smoke testing device mounted on a flying robot that uses test smoke to test the operation of a smoke detector, comprising a cup that is placed over the smoke detector, a smoke generating unit that is installed on the flying robot and generates test smoke, and a support that has one end connected to the smoke generating unit and the other end connected to the cup and supplies the test smoke generated by the smoke generating unit to the cup.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a smoke tester applied to an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector, and in particular to a smoke tester mounted on a flying robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Smoke detectors are installed in fire monitoring areas to detect fires early by detecting smoke. Smoke detectors are often installed in high places, such as ceilings, inside buildings, and dedicated smoke testing equipment is available for testing the operation of smoke detectors (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The conventional smoke tester disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses a support rod with a smoke generator attached to the tip, allowing a tester to operate the test from the ground to confirm the operation of a smoke detector installed at a high altitude. This conventional smoke tester is provided with a cover equivalent to a cup that covers the smoke generator.

[0004] The cover, which covers the smoke detector installed in the ceiling material or the like and serves to fill the interior with test smoke emitted from the smoke generator, is made of a synthetic resin material or the like. In addition, the cover has a bellows-like portion in the height direction to provide flexibility. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-254365 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The smoke detectors that are the subject of the operation confirmation test may be installed in high ceiling areas such as atriums or above ducts. Also, there may be objects installed on the floor directly below the smoke detector. In these cases, even if the support rod is extended, it is not possible to bring the smoke generator close enough to a position suitable for the operation confirmation test of the smoke detector, making it difficult to conduct the operation confirmation test.

[0007] That is, depending on the installation environment, it may be difficult to perform a test to confirm the operation of a smoke detector using a conventional smoke tester that uses a support rod.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a smoke application tester that is configured to easily perform operation confirmation tests on smoke detectors even in various installation environments where operation confirmation tests using support rods are difficult. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The smoke application tester of the present disclosure is a smoke application tester that is mounted on a flying robot and performs operation confirmation tests on a smoke detector using test smoke, and is equipped with a cup that is placed over the smoke detector and supplies the test smoke generated from the smoke generating section to the smoke detector, and a support pole that is connected to the flying robot at one end and the cup at the other end, with the cup and the flying robot separated by the support pole. In addition, the smoke application tester according to the present disclosure is a smoke application tester that is mounted on a flying robot and that uses test smoke to perform an operation confirmation test on a smoke detector, and is equipped with a cup that is placed over the smoke detector, a smoke generating unit that is installed on the flying robot and generates test smoke, and a support that has one end connected to the smoke generating unit and the other end connected to the cup and supplies the test smoke generated by the smoke generating unit to the cup. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present disclosure, a smoke application tester can be obtained that is configured to easily perform operation confirmation tests on smoke detectors even in various installation environments where operation confirmation tests using support rods are difficult. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the role of a support provided in the smoke tester according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram for explaining a state in which a swing mechanism of the case 1 is added to a smoke application tester according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the configuration of case 2 is added to a smoke tester according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the configuration of case 3 is added to a smoke tester according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the configuration of case 3 is added to the smoke application tester according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, and a mechanism for tilting the camera is further added. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the smoke tester of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The smoke testing device disclosed herein is mounted on a flying robot, and has a technical feature in that a support is interposed between the flying robot and a cup that is placed over the smoke detector, allowing the cup to be separated from the flying robot by the length of the support, and the cup and the flying robot are separated by the support.

[0013] By having such a configuration, even when the flying robot approaches the installation surface of the smoke detector that is the subject of the operational confirmation test, the flying robot's posture can be stabilized, achieving the remarkable effect of making it easy to conduct the operational confirmation test of the smoke detector.

[0014] Furthermore, by providing additional configurations of Cases 1 to 3 described later in the second embodiment, it becomes possible to easily carry out operation check tests of the smoke detector in various installation environments.

[0015] Embodiment 1 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a smoke tester according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. A smoke tester 10 according to the first embodiment includes a cup 11, a support 12, and a smoke generating unit 13, and is mounted on a flying robot 20 such as a drone.

[0016] The cup 11 is a part that is placed over the smoke detector that is the subject of the operation check test, and serves to prevent the test smoke from leaking to the outside and to reliably supply the test smoke to the smoke detector.

[0017] The smoke generating unit 13 is installed on the flying robot 20 and serves to generate test smoke used in a test to check the operation of a smoke detector.

[0018] The support 12 has one end connected to the smoke generating unit 13 and the other end connected to the cup 11, and serves to supply the test smoke generated by the smoke generating unit 13 to the cup 11. Furthermore, the support 12 also serves to separate the cup 11 from the flying robot 20 by the length of the support 12.

[0019] Next, technical features of the support 12 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the role of the support 12 provided in the smoke application tester 10 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2(A) shows a state in which a flying robot 20 equipped with a conventional smoke application tester without the support 12 approaches an installation surface 1 on which a smoke detector that is the subject of an operation confirmation test is installed.

[0020] On the other hand, Figure 2(B) shows a state in which a flying robot 20 equipped with a smoke testing device according to this embodiment 1, which is equipped with a support 12, approaches an installation surface 1 on which a smoke detector, which is the subject of an operational confirmation test, is installed.

[0021] Note that Figures 2(A) and 2(B) do not show the smoke detector that is the subject of the operation confirmation test, because they show the state in which the smoke detector is covered by the cup 11.

[0022] The conventional smoke tester does not have a support 12, and the cup 11 and the smoke generating unit 13 are configured as an integrated unit. A conventional smoke tester with this configuration is mounted on a flying robot 20, and the flying robot 20 is brought close to the installation surface 1 to perform an operation confirmation test, as shown in Figure 2(A).

[0023] 2(A), since the relative distance between the propeller of the flying robot 20 and the installation surface 1 is short, a downdraft F1 generated by the propeller generates a force F2 that attracts the flying robot 20 to the installation surface 1. As a result, it becomes difficult to stably control the flight of the flying robot 20.

[0024] On the other hand, the smoke tester 10 according to the first embodiment is configured such that the cup 11 and the smoke generating unit 13 are connected via a support 12. The smoke tester 10 having such a configuration is mounted on a flying robot 20, and the flying robot 20 is brought close to the installation surface 1 to carry out an operation confirmation test, as shown in FIG. 2(B).

[0025] In this state, as shown in Figure 2(B), by adopting a configuration using a support 12, the cup 11 can be separated from the flying robot 20 by the length of the support 12, and the relative distance between the propeller of the flying robot 20 and the installation surface 1 can be made longer than in Figure 2(A).

[0026] Therefore, although a downward air current F1 occurs, it is possible to suppress the generation of a force F2 that attracts the flying robot 20 to the installation surface 1. As a result, it is possible to control the flight of the flying robot 20 more stably than in the case of Fig. 2(A).

[0027] As described above, according to the first embodiment, by adopting a configuration in which a support is interposed between the flying robot and the cup that covers the smoke detector, the cup is separated from the flying robot by the length of the support. In other words, a structure can be created in which the cup and the flying robot are separated in terms of spatial position by the support.

[0028] As a result, even when the flying robot approaches the installation surface of the smoke detector that is the subject of the operational confirmation test, the influence of the downdraft generated by the propeller can be suppressed and the attitude of the flying robot can be stabilized, achieving the remarkable effect of making it easy to conduct the operational confirmation test of the smoke detector.

[0029] Embodiment 2 In this second embodiment, three types of cases to which further characteristic configurations are added will be described in detail with reference to the drawings with respect to the smoke application tester according to the present disclosure described in the first embodiment above.

[0030] <Case 1: Further equipped with a swing mechanism for manually adjusting the tilt angle of the cup> FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a swing mechanism of the case 1 is added to the smoke application tester 10 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] 3(A) to 3(C) show the following states, respectively. FIG. 3(A): An explanatory diagram showing a malfunction state when conducting an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector 100 that is configured without a swing mechanism and is installed on an inclined installation surface 1. Figure 3(B): An explanatory diagram showing a state in which, when attempting to conduct an operational confirmation test of a smoke detector 100 installed on an inclined installation surface 1 due to a configuration that does not have a swivel mechanism, the flying robot cannot be made to hover at a tilt that matches the inclination of the installation surface 1. FIG. 3(C): An explanatory diagram showing a state in which an operation check test of a smoke detector 100 installed on an inclined installation surface 1 can be carried out by using a configuration including a swing mechanism 12a.

[0032] If the cup 11 does not have a swivel mechanism, it will not be possible to move the cup 11 so as to cover the entire smoke detector 100 attached to the inclined installation surface 1, as shown in Figure 3(A), and gaps will be created in some areas.

[0033] In other words, simply raising the flying robot vertically would result in a gap between the installation surface 1 and the cup 11. As a result, the test smoke would leak into the surrounding area, hindering the quick and accurate performance of the operation confirmation test of the smoke detector 100.

[0034] 3(B), in order to move the cup 11 so as to cover the entire smoke detector 100 attached to the inclined installation surface 1, it is possible to position the flying robot 20 at an angle. However, the flying robot 20 cannot hover in an inclined state.

[0035] In contrast, as shown in Figure 3(C), the smoke tester of Case 1 is provided with a swing mechanism 12a at the other end of the support 12, which allows the tilt angle of the connected cup 11 to be manually adjusted.

[0036] The tilt angle of the installation surface 1 on which the smoke detector 100, which is the subject of the operation confirmation test, is installed is known. Therefore, the tester can manually adjust the oscillating mechanism 12a to match the tilt angle of the cup 11 to the tilt angle of the installation surface 1 in advance.

[0037] As a result, as shown in Figure 3(C), the flying robot 20 can be positioned without tilting, and the entire smoke detector 100 attached to the inclined installation surface 1 can be easily covered with the cup 11.

[0038] In other words, with the smoke application tester relating to case 1 further equipped with a swing mechanism 12a, even if the installation surface 1 has an inclination angle, the inclination angle of cup 11 can be manually adjusted to match the inclination angle of the installation surface 1, making it possible to quickly supply test smoke to the smoke detector and accurately perform operation confirmation tests.

[0039] That is, by having the swing mechanism 12a, the flying robot can be controlled to be positioned in a stable flying attitude, and the cup 11 can cover the smoke detector 100 so that no gaps are left around it.

[0040] <Case 2: Further equipped with a configuration that allows offsetting the connection position of the cup relative to the support> FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the configuration of case 2 is added to smoke tester 10 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B) respectively show the following states. FIG. 4(A): An explanatory diagram showing a state in which the cup 11 is connected to the other end of the support 12 at a position offset from the central axis C of the cup 11. Fig. 4(B): An explanatory diagram showing an example of a camera image taken when an upward image is captured from the camera 30 installed on the flying robot 20 in the connection state of Fig. 4(A). For reference, the central axis C is indicated by a dotted line in the camera image shown in Fig. 4(B).

[0042] As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), by connecting the cup 11 to the other end of the support 12 at a position offset from the central axis C of the cup 11, the relative positional relationship between the cup 11 and the smoke detector 100 can be confirmed using the camera 30 without being obstructed by the support 12.

[0043] In other words, when controlling the positioning of the flying robot 20 relative to the smoke detector 100 at a high altitude, the configuration of Case 2 allows the test personnel to easily check the relative positional relationship between the cup 11 and the smoke detector 100 while referring to the camera image, thereby making it possible to easily perform operation confirmation tests of the smoke detector.

[0044] <Case 3: Further equipped with a configuration that allows the relative position of the cup with respect to the flying robot to be variably set> FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the configuration of case 3 is added to smoke tester 10 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] FIG. 5(A) and FIG. 5(B) respectively show the following states. Figure 5(A): An explanatory diagram showing the state in which the cup 11 is connected to the other end of the support 12 at a first position P1 offset from the central axis C of the cup 11, and the tilt angle is adjusted by the swivel mechanism 12a. Figure 5(B): An explanatory diagram showing the state in which the cup 11 is connected to the other end of the support 12 at a second position P2 offset from the center axis C of the cup 11, and the tilt angle is adjusted by the swivel mechanism 12a.

[0046] 5(A) and 5(B), a side wall 2 is present near an installation surface 1 on which a smoke detector 100 (not shown) is installed. The cup 11 can be connected to the other end of the support 12 at any one of a plurality of positions offset from the central axis C of the cup 11.

[0047] The multiple positions include a first position P1 shown in Fig. 5(A) and a second position P2 shown in Fig. 5(B). That is, the relative position of the cup 11 with respect to the flying robot can be variably set. Here, the first position P1 and the second position P2 correspond to positions symmetrical to each other with respect to the central axis C.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5(A), if the cup 11 is connected to the support 12 at a first position P1 closer to the side wall 2, when positioning the flying robot 20, the flying robot 20 may move closer to the side wall 2, and in some cases, the propellers of the flying robot 20 may interfere with the side wall 2.

[0049] 5(B), when the cup 11 is connected to the support 12 at the second position P2 that is farther from the side wall 2, the distance ΔL between the flying robot 20 and the side wall 2 can be made larger when positioning the flying robot 20. As a result, the flying robot 20 can be moved farther away from the side wall 2, and the risk of the propeller of the flying robot 20 interfering with the side wall 2 can be reduced.

[0050] In other words, when controlling the positioning of the flying robot 20 relative to the smoke detector 100 at a high altitude, the case 3 has a configuration that allows the relative position of the cup 11 relative to the flying robot 20 to be variably set, so that the tester can set the appropriate connection position and appropriate tilt angle of the cup 11 according to the installation environment and then control the positioning, making it easy to perform operation confirmation tests of the smoke detector.

[0051] In addition, when the cup 11 is connected to the support 12 at the second position P2 shown in Figure 5 (B), in order to reliably confirm the relative positional relationship between the cup 11 and the smoke detector 100 while referring to the image from the camera 30, it is possible to provide a rotation mechanism that tilts the camera 30.

[0052] 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the configuration of case 3 is added to smoke tester 10 according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, and a mechanism for tilting camera 30 is further added. Although not shown in FIG. 6, camera 30 installed on flying robot 20 has a rotation mechanism that allows it to be tilted in a desired imaging direction.

[0053] If the camera 30 can be rotated using the rear part of the camera rotating device and the imaging direction can be adjusted to be along the central axis C of the cup 11, when the cup 11 is connected to the support 12 at the second position P2, it is possible to reliably confirm the relative positional relationship between the cup 11 and the smoke detector 100 by referring to the image from the camera 30.

[0054] It is also possible to provide the camera 30 with a horizontal movement mechanism that allows it to move horizontally on the flying robot 20. Depending on the installation environment, it may be possible to connect the cup 11 to the support 12 at a desired position P and tilt the cup at a desired tilt angle to perform an operation confirmation test.

[0055] Even in such a case, by providing the camera 30 with a rotation mechanism and a horizontal movement mechanism, the horizontal position and tilt angle of the camera 30 can be adjusted so that the relative positional relationship between the cup 11 and the smoke detector 100 can be reliably confirmed while referring to the image from the camera 30.

[0056] As described above, according to embodiment 2, by further providing the additional configurations described as Cases 1 to 3, it is possible to expand the scope of application of the smoke application tester according to the present disclosure and easily perform operation confirmation tests on smoke detectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 installation surface, 2 side wall, 10 smoke tester, 11 cup, 12 support, 12a oscillating mechanism, 13 smoke generation unit, 20 flying robot, 30 camera, 100 smoke detector, C central axis, F1 downdraft, F2 force, P1 first position, P2 second position, ΔL distance.

Claims

1. A smoke tester mounted on a flying robot to perform an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector using test smoke, a cup that is placed over the smoke detector and supplies test smoke generated from a smoke generating unit to the smoke detector; a support pole having one end connected to the flying robot and the other end connected to the cup; Equipped with The cup and the flying robot are separated by a support. Smoke tester.

2. A smoke tester mounted on a flying robot to perform an operation confirmation test of a smoke detector using test smoke, a cup that fits over the smoke detector; a smoke generating unit installed on the flying robot and configured to generate the test smoke; a support having one end connected to the smoke generating unit and the other end connected to the cup, for supplying the test smoke generated by the smoke generating unit to the cup; Equipped with The cup and the flying robot are separated by a support. Smoke tester.

3. The support has a swing mechanism for manually adjusting the tilt angle of the cup connected to the other end. The smoke tester according to claim 1.

4. The support has a swing mechanism for manually adjusting the tilt angle of the cup connected to the other end. The smoke tester according to claim 2.

5. The cup is connected to the other end of the support post at a position offset from the central axis of the cup. The smoke tester according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The cup can be connected to the other end of the support column at any one of a plurality of positions offset from the central axis of the cup, and the relative position of the cup with respect to the flying robot can be variably set. The smoke tester according to claim 5.

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