Shield construction support device

Abstract

The present invention provides a device that minimizes work delays and can measure the position and orientation of a shield tunneling machine inside a tunnel using an automatic tracking rangefinder and angle measuring instrument. [Solution] The device includes a trailing carriage 31 towed by a shield tunneling machine that travels on rails 12 inside a tunnel 1, and a battery locomotive 6 that travels on rails 13 laid parallel to rails 12. An automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is mounted on the trailing carriage 31 so as to be able to extend and retract toward the rails 13, and the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is made to protrude from the trailing carriage 31 toward the rails 13 when surveying. The device includes a wireless terminal 61, a wireless terminal 32, wireless units 5 installed at predetermined intervals inside the tunnel 1, and a control device 8 that receives signals transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 after detecting signals from wireless terminals 61 and 32. The control device 8 detects the positional relationship between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 and determines whether or not to start surveying using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shield construction support device for surveying the position of a shield tunneling machine using an automatic tracking distance and angle measuring instrument, and particularly to a shield construction support device for reducing the cycle time of work.

Background Art

[0002] In the shield tunneling method, a shield tunneling machine generally includes a skin plate forming the outer shell of the tunneling machine body, a cutter head provided at the front end (face side end) of the skin plate for excavating the ground, and a propulsion jack provided inside the skin plate.

[0003] In the shield tunneling method, while excavating the ground with a shield tunneling machine, segments are successively assembled in the circumferential direction of the tunnel inside the rear part of the skin plate to form a segment ring, and adjacent segment rings are connected in the tunnel axis direction to create a cylindrical tunnel. In this method, the shield tunneling machine pushes the existing segment ring of the method backward by the propulsion jack, and advances while excavating the ground by the reaction force.

[0004] In tunnel construction including the shield tunneling method, it is essential to lay the tunnel along a planned line. Particularly, in the shield tunneling method of mechanically excavating, accurately surveying the position of the shield tunneling machine is an important requirement. In the position measurement of the shield tunneling machine in the shield tunneling method and the surveying for forming a tunnel along a planned line, a method by automatic surveying is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0005] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for measuring the position and orientation of a shield tunneling machine inside a tunnel. This method includes the steps of: detecting the position of an automatic tracking rangefinder by sighting multiple reference points set up on the tunnel entrance side with an automatic tracking rangefinder; detecting the positions of multiple targets set up on the shield tunneling machine by sighting multiple targets with an automatic tracking rangefinder; and determining the position and orientation of the shield tunneling machine based on the detection results of the positions of the multiple targets on the shield tunneling machine. Patent Document 1 discloses mounting the automatic tracking rangefinder on a traveling carriage, connecting the traveling carriage to the rear of the trailing carriage of the shield tunneling machine, and moving the automatic tracking rangefinder horizontally relative to the traveling carriage during surveying to detect multiple targets.

[0006] Incidentally, in shield tunneling, a transport system consisting of a battery-powered locomotive and a trolley is sometimes used to bring in materials and equipment such as segments. In this case, the battery-powered locomotive and trolley may travel alongside workers and the trailing trolley of the shield tunneling machine within the limited space inside the tunnel. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5022484 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the limited space within a tunnel, it is difficult to maintain a wide gap between the trailing carriage of the shield tunneling machine and the battery locomotive, etc. If the automatic tracking rangefinder is moved horizontally relative to the traveling carriage and the battery locomotive and carriage move alongside it, there is a risk of collision with the automatic tracking rangefinder. For this reason, when conducting surveys using the automatic tracking rangefinder, workers must confirm the positions of the battery locomotive and carriage, etc., to prevent collisions, and this confirmation process can lead to delays in the overall work.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a shield tunneling support device that minimizes work delays when the trailing carriage of the shield tunneling machine and the battery locomotive and carriage are running side by side in the tunnel, and that can measure the position and orientation of the shield tunneling machine in the tunnel using an automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The inventors considered how to minimize work delays when a follow-up carriage of a shield tunneling machine and a battery locomotive and carriage are running side-by-side in a tunnel. After diligent research, the inventors came up with the following configuration.

[0011] The shield tunneling support device according to the present invention comprises a trailing carriage towed by a shield tunneling machine that travels on a trailing carriage rail laid in a tunnel, and a battery locomotive that travels on a transport rail laid parallel to the trailing carriage rail, wherein an automatic tracking rangefinder is mounted on the trailing carriage so as to be able to extend and retract to the adjacent transport rail side, and the device is configured to project the automatic tracking rangefinder from the trailing carriage toward the transport rail side during surveying, comprising a locomotive wireless terminal mounted on the battery locomotive, a trailing wireless terminal mounted on the trailing carriage, tunnel-side wireless units installed at predetermined intervals in the tunnel, and a control device that receives signals transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless units that have detected signals from the locomotive wireless terminal and the trailing wireless terminal, wherein the control device is configured to detect the positional relationship between the battery locomotive and the trailing carriage based on the position of the tunnel-side wireless unit that transmitted the signal and the time the signal was transmitted, and to determine whether or not to start surveying with the automatic tracking rangefinder.

[0012] The control device detects the relative positions of the battery-powered locomotive and the trailing trolley based on the location of the tunnel-side radio unit that transmitted the signal and the time the signal was transmitted. The control device can determine that a collision with the battery-powered locomotive can be avoided even if the automatic tracking rangefinder is extended from the trailing trolley toward the transport rail during surveying, and can then decide to start surveying. This eliminates the need for workers to enter the tunnel to confirm the relative positions of the two, thereby improving the work cycle time.

[0013] The shield construction support device of the present invention can be configured with mobile communication terminals for the locomotive wireless terminal and the subsequent wireless terminal, and the tunnel-side wireless unit can be configured with a wireless base station.

[0014] Furthermore, the shield construction support device of the present invention can be configured with tag readers for the locomotive wireless terminal and the subsequent wireless terminal, and with IC tags for the tunnel-side wireless unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the shield tunneling support device of the present invention includes a display device that displays the determination results of the control device, and the display device and the control device can be configured to be installed in a control room outside the tunnel.

[0016] By configuring the system as described above, workers can confirm whether or not surveying has begun using an automatic tracking rangefinder in the control room outside the tunnel.

[0017] The shield construction support device of the present invention can be configured to attach the automatic tracking rangefinder to the trailing trolley via a horizontal moving means, and to control the operation of the moving means.

[0018] The following description includes numerous specific examples to provide a complete understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be carried out without these specific examples.

[0019] Therefore, the following disclosure should be considered illustrative of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention to any specific embodiment shown in the following drawings or description. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the shield construction support device of the present invention, even if the automatic tracking rangefinder and angle meter is extended from the trailing trolley toward the transport rail side during surveying, it is possible to determine that a collision with the battery locomotive can be avoided and to decide to start surveying. As a result, the work of workers entering the tunnel to confirm the relative positions of the two is eliminated, and the work cycle time can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tunnel in which a shield tunneling support device according to an embodiment of this invention is used, showing a trailing carriage and a battery locomotive. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a tunnel in which the shield construction support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a tunnel in which the shield construction support device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the shield construction support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device of the shield construction support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the wireless terminal for battery locomotive of the shield construction support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the follow-up wireless terminal of the shield construction support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the battery locomotive and the follow-up trolley in the shield construction support device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an overview of the shield construction support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Next, the shield construction support device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described. Note that the shield construction support device according to the present invention is not limited to that shown in the following embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of not changing the gist thereof.

[0023] First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the excavation by the shield tunneling machine 30 will be described. The shield tunneling machine 30 has an excavation part for excavating the ground provided at the tip in the advancing direction, and advances while excavating the rock mass by this excavation part. After the rock mass is excavated by the shield tunneling machine 30, segments are installed to construct the wall surface of the tunnel.

[0024] Two rails, 12 and 13, are laid in parallel within the tunnel 1 excavated by the shield tunneling machine 30. The two rails, 12 and 13, are used as the rail for the trailing trolley 12 and the rail for transport 13. The trailing trolley rail 12 is on which the trailing trolley 31, which is towed by the shield tunneling machine 30, travels. The transport rail 13 passes alongside the trailing trolley 31, on which the battery locomotive 6 travels.

[0025] The battery locomotive 6 is connected to a trolley 62 for transporting segments to line the walls of tunnel 1, and a spoil steel cart for transporting excavated soil (spoil), and the trolley 62 and other vehicles travel on the transport rail 13 as the battery locomotive 6 moves.

[0026] The trailing trolley 31 is a trolley that travels on trailing trolley rails 12 laid inside the tunnel 1 excavated by the shield tunneling machine 30, and moves in accordance with the excavation of the shield tunneling machine 30. The trailing trolley 31 is equipped with power equipment to supply power to the shield tunneling machine 30, various hydraulic equipment, control equipment, soil removal equipment, and other equipment necessary for excavation. In this embodiment, an automatic tracking rangefinder (total station) 4 is mounted on the trailing trolley 31. The automatic tracking rangefinder 4 can move integrally with the trailing trolley 31 and moves in accordance with the excavation of the shield tunneling machine 30.

[0027] As mentioned above, in tunnel construction, it is necessary to lay the tunnel along the planned alignment. In particular, in the shield tunneling method, which involves mechanical excavation, it is necessary to accurately measure the position of the shield tunneling machine. For this reason, an automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is mounted on the trailing carriage 31 of the shield tunneling machine 30, and the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 sequentially sights reference targets 41 and 42, such as reflective prisms, located at two reference points on the tunnel entrance side, and targets 43 and 44, such as reflective prisms, installed on the shield tunneling machine 30, to measure the position of the shield tunneling machine 30.

[0028] In this embodiment, an automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is mounted on the rearmost of the trailing carriages 31 towed by the shield tunneling machine 30 via a mounting base 40 so as to be able to extend and retract onto the transport rail 13. The mounting base 40 is, for example, a rotating base, and during surveying, the mounting base 40 rotates horizontally, causing the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 to protrude towards the transport rail 13. The protrusion of the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 allows for a clear view of targets 41, 42, 43, and 44 without the trailing carriages 31 or other objects becoming obstacles.

[0029] Furthermore, it is difficult to maintain a wide gap between the trailing carriage 31 of the shield tunneling machine 30 and the battery locomotive 6, etc., and there is a risk of collision with the battery locomotive 6 if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 protrudes toward the transport rail 13. Therefore, except during surveying, the mounting base 40 is controlled so that the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is positioned inside the trailing carriage 31 so that it does not protrude toward the transport rail 13.

[0030] Next, I will explain the surveying procedure. During surveying, the trailing trolley 31 is kept stationary, and the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 illuminates targets 41 and 42, such as reflective prisms, installed at the reference point on the side of the shaft 7 (see Figures 3 and 4), and automatically detects the position of the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 in the manner of triangulation.

[0031] Next, the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 automatically tracks targets 43 and 44, such as reflective prisms, attached to the shield tunneling machine 30. The automatic tracking rangefinder 4 has its three-dimensional coordinate position determined during shield tunneling, and by automatically tracking targets 43 and 44, such as reflective prisms, attached to the shield tunneling machine 30 and performing rangefinder and angle measurement, it continuously detects the position of the shield tunneling machine 30. Through this series of processes, the position of the shield tunneling machine 30 can be automatically measured from reference point targets 41 and 42 located behind the trailing carriage 31.

[0032] In this embodiment, the shield construction support device determines whether collision with the battery locomotive 6, etc., can be avoided even if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13 during surveying, and then determines whether to start surveying.

[0033] A first embodiment of the shield tunneling support device of this invention will be described with reference to Figure 4. A trailing carriage 31, towed by a shield tunneling machine 30, travels along a trailing carriage rail 12 laid inside tunnel 1. A battery locomotive 6 and a carriage 62 towed by the battery locomotive 6 travel along a transport rail 13 laid parallel to the trailing carriage rail 12.

[0034] An automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via a mounting base 40 so that it can extend and retract toward the adjacent transport rail 13. During surveying, the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 toward the transport rail 13.

[0035] A locomotive-specific wireless terminal 61 is attached to the battery-powered locomotive 6 as a mobile wireless terminal, and a trailing wireless terminal 32 is attached to the trailing trolley 31 as a mobile wireless terminal. Inside tunnel 1, tunnel-side wireless units 5 are installed at predetermined intervals as fixed wireless terminals. The tunnel-side wireless units 5 are installed, for example, at intervals of 30m to 70m. The tunnel-side wireless units 5 function as wireless base stations (access points) for constructing wireless LANs such as Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi®.

[0036] A wireless terminal unit (access point) 81 is installed in a control room 80 located outside Tunnel 1, which connects to the wireless LAN inside the tunnel. Inside the control room 80, a control device 8 is installed, and a wireless LAN is established between the control device 8, the locomotive wireless terminal 61, and the subsequent wireless terminal 32 via the wireless terminal unit 81 and the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. Wireless communication is conducted between the locomotive wireless terminal 61, the subsequent wireless terminal 32, and the control device 8 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 and the wireless terminal unit 81.

[0037] Information from the battery-powered locomotive 6 is transmitted from the locomotive's wireless terminal 61 to the control device 8 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 and the wireless terminal unit 81. Control information from the control device 8 is transmitted to the locomotive's wireless terminal 61 via the wireless terminal unit 81 and the tunnel-side wireless unit 5.

[0038] Information from the following wireless terminal 32 to the following bogie 31 is transmitted to the control device 8 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 and the wireless terminal unit 81. Control information from the control device 8 is transmitted to the following wireless terminal 32 via the wireless terminal unit 81 and the tunnel-side wireless unit 5.

[0039] The radio terminal 61 for the battery locomotive 6 and the radio terminal 32 for the trailing trolley 31 detect the position, speed, etc., based on the position of the radio unit 5 on the tunnel side and the time the signal was transmitted. The control device 8 then detects the positional relationship between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 based on the information including the position information transmitted from the radio terminal 61 of the battery locomotive 6 and the information including the position information transmitted from the radio terminal 32 of the trailing trolley 31, and decides whether or not to perform a survey operation using the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4. These operations will be described later.

[0040] Next, the configuration of the control device 8 will be described. The control device 8 is composed of, for example, a personal computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), hard disk, liquid crystal display, etc. As shown in Figure 5, the control device 8 has a communication unit 801, a wireless unit management unit 802, a direction detection unit 803, a position calculation unit 804, and a surveying control unit 805. The control device 8 loads an application program stored in the ROM or hard disk into the RAM and executes it with the CPU, thereby controlling each of the above-mentioned units such as the communication unit 801.

[0041] The communication unit 801 transmits and receives information to and from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 and the follower wireless terminal 32 mounted on the follower carriage 31 via the wireless terminal unit 81 and the tunnel-side wireless unit 5.

[0042] The direction detection unit 803 detects the direction (travel direction) of the battery locomotive 6 based on the direction information (travel information) of the battery locomotive 6 contained in the information received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The direction detection unit 803 also detects the direction (travel direction) of the following trolley 31 based on the direction information (travel information) contained in the information received from the following trolley wireless terminal 32 mounted on the following trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The direction of travel of the battery locomotive 6 and the direction of travel of the following trolley 31 detected by the direction detection unit 803 are provided to the survey control unit 805.

[0043] The position calculation unit 804 detects the distance between the position of the battery locomotive 6, which is included in the information (position information) received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and the position of the trailing trolley 31, which is included in the information (position information) received from the trailing trolley 31 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The detection result of the position calculation unit 804 is provided to the survey control unit 805.

[0044] Based on the outputs from the direction detection unit 803 and the position calculation unit 804, the surveying control unit 805 sends a control signal to the trailing wireless terminal 32 of the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, indicating whether or not to extend the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 from the trailing trolley 31 and the transport rail 13. The mounting base 40 is controlled by the control signal from the surveying control unit 805, and the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 and onto the transport rail 13 while avoiding collision with the battery locomotive 6.

[0045] The surveying control unit 805 receives the moving speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the direction of travel of the battery locomotive 6 from the direction detection unit 803, which are included in the information received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the wireless terminal unit 81. In addition, the surveying control unit 805 receives the moving speed of the trailing trolley 31 and the direction of travel of the trailing trolley 31 from the direction detection unit 803, which are included in the information received from the trailing trolley wireless terminal 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the wireless terminal unit 81.

[0046] The surveying control unit 805 calculates the time it will take for the battery locomotive 6 to reach the following trolley 31 based on the distance between the battery locomotive 6's position and the following trolley 31, as sent from the position calculation unit 804. Based on this calculation, it determines whether the battery locomotive 6 is able to perform a survey using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 mounted on the following trolley 31. If it determines that a survey is possible, it sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 protrudes from the following trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13. The communication unit 801 transmits the signal received from the surveying control unit 805 to the following wireless terminal 32 via the wireless terminal unit 81 and the tunnel-side wireless unit 5.

[0047] The configuration of the Loco wireless terminal 61 will be explained below with reference to Figure 6.

[0048] The locomotive's wireless terminal 61 consists of, for example, a CPU, an operating device such as a touch panel or keyboard, RAM, ROM, and a communication device for wireless communication with the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The locomotive's wireless terminal 61 is mounted on the battery-powered locomotive 6.

[0049] As shown in Figure 6, the locomotive wireless terminal 61 includes a communication unit 601, a radio wave intensity detection unit 602, a direction detection unit 603, a position calculation unit 604, and a movement speed calculation unit 605. The locomotive wireless terminal 61 loads a program stored in ROM into RAM and executes it using the CPU, thereby performing the operation of each unit, such as the communication unit 601.

[0050] The radio wave strength detection unit 602 detects the radio wave strength of radio waves transmitted from nearby tunnel-side wireless units 5 within the tunnel 1. For example, the radio wave strength detection unit 602 identifies the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 by receiving a beacon signal that includes information such as the SSID (network name), MAC address, and radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 at the location of the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and detects the radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 at the location of the locomotive wireless terminal 61.

[0051] The position calculation unit 604 determines the position of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 from information such as the SSID, MAC address, and radio wave strength at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5, which are included in the beacon signal received by the radio wave strength detection unit 602. Based on the position of the tunnel-side radio unit 5, the radio wave strength at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5, and the radio wave strength at the location of the locomotive radio terminal 61, the position calculation unit 604 calculates the position of the battery-powered locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive radio terminal 61.

[0052] The speed calculation unit 605 calculates the speed of the battery-powered locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive wireless terminal 61 based on the radio wave intensity detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 602. The speed calculation unit 605 calculates the speed of the battery-powered locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive wireless terminal 61 by performing a differential operation with respect to time on the position of the battery-powered locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive wireless terminal 61, which is calculated by the position calculation unit 604.

[0053] The orientation detection unit 603 detects the orientation (direction of travel) of the battery loco 6 equipped with the locomotive wireless terminal 61, that is, whether it is moving towards the tunnel entrance or towards the excavation side, based on the time-series change in the position of the battery loco 6 calculated by the position calculation unit 604.

[0054] The communication unit 601 transmits to the control device 8 in the control room 80, via the nearby tunnel-side radio unit 5, information regarding the position of the battery locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive radio terminal 61 (position information) calculated by the position calculation unit 604, information regarding the movement speed of the battery locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive radio terminal 61 (movement speed information) calculated by the movement speed calculation unit 605, and the direction (direction of travel) of the battery locomotive 6 equipped with the locomotive radio terminal 61, as determined by the direction detection unit 603.

[0055] Next, the subsequent wireless terminal 32 will be described with reference to Figure 7. The follow-up wireless terminal 32 is configured similarly to the locomotive wireless terminal 61, and consists of, for example, a CPU, an operating device such as a touch panel or keyboard, RAM, ROM, and communication equipment for wireless communication with the tunnel-side wireless unit. The follow-up wireless terminal 32 is mounted on the follow-up bogie 31.

[0056] As shown in Figure 7, the successor wireless terminal 32 includes a communication unit 301, a radio wave intensity detection unit 302, a direction detection unit 303, a position calculation unit 304, and a movement speed calculation unit 305. The successor wireless terminal 32 controls each of the above-mentioned units, such as the communication unit 301, by loading a program stored in ROM into RAM and executing it with the CPU.

[0057] The radio wave strength detection unit 302 detects the radio wave strength of radio waves transmitted from nearby tunnel-side radio units 5 within the tunnel 1. For example, the radio wave strength detection unit 302 identifies the tunnel-side radio unit 5 by receiving a beacon signal that includes information such as the SSID, MAC address, and radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the nearby tunnel-side radio unit 5 at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5, and detects the radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the tunnel-side radio unit 5 at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5.

[0058] The position calculation unit 304 determines the position of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 from information such as the SSID, MAC address, and radio wave strength at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 that are included in the beacon signal received by the radio wave strength detection unit 302. Based on the position of the tunnel-side radio unit 5, the radio wave strength at the location of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 that are transmitted from the tunnel-side radio unit 5, and the radio wave strength at the location of the successor radio terminal 32 that are transmitted from the tunnel-side radio unit 5, the position calculation unit 304 calculates the position of the successor trolley 31 equipped with the successor radio terminal 32.

[0059] The speed calculation unit 305 calculates the speed of the trailing trolley 31 equipped with the trailing wireless terminal 32 based on the radio wave intensity detected by the radio wave intensity detection unit 302. The speed calculation unit 305 calculates the speed of the trailing trolley 31 equipped with the trailing wireless terminal 32 by performing a differential operation with respect to time on the position of the trailing wireless terminal 32 calculated by the position calculation unit 304.

[0060] The orientation detection unit 303 detects the orientation (direction of travel) of the trailing trolley 31 on which the trailing wireless terminal 32 is mounted, that is, whether it is moving toward the tunnel entrance or toward the excavation side, based on the time-series change in the position of the trailing wireless terminal 32 calculated by the position calculation unit 304.

[0061] The communication unit 301 transmits to the control device 8 in the control room 80, via the nearby tunnel-side wireless unit, information regarding the position of the trailing trolley 31 equipped with the trailing wireless terminal 32 calculated by the position calculation unit 304 (position information), information regarding the movement speed of the trailing trolley 31 calculated by the movement speed calculation unit 305 (movement speed information), and the direction (direction of travel) of the trailing trolley 31, as determined by the direction detection unit 303.

[0062] The operation of the shield construction support device in this embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, the trailing trolley 31 that travels on the trailing trolley rail 12 inside the tunnel 1 is equipped with the trailing wireless terminal 32 described above. In addition, the battery locomotive 6 that travels on the transport rail 13 inside the tunnel 1 is equipped with a locomotive wireless terminal 61. The trailing wireless terminal 32 and the locomotive wireless terminal 61 each have programs pre-installed for executing the above-described processes.

[0063] The radio terminal 61 for the locomotive mounted on the battery locomotive 6 performs the following steps: the radio wave strength detection unit 602 detects the radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the tunnel-side radio unit 5; the position calculation unit 604 calculates the position of the radio terminal 61 based on the radio wave strength; the movement speed calculation unit 605 calculates the movement speed of the radio terminal 61 based on the radio wave strength; the direction detection unit 603 calculates the direction in which the radio terminal 61 is traveling based on the position information from the position calculation unit 604; and the communication unit 601 transmits position information regarding the position of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 and movement speed information regarding the movement speed of the tunnel-side radio unit 5 to the control device 8 via the tunnel-side radio unit 5.

[0064] The following wireless terminal 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 performs the following steps: the radio wave strength detection unit 302 detects the radio wave strength of the radio waves transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless unit 5; the position calculation unit 304 calculates the position of the trailing wireless terminal 32 based on the radio wave strength; the movement speed calculation unit 305 calculates the movement speed of the trailing wireless terminal 32 based on the radio wave strength; the direction detection unit 303 calculates the direction in which the trailing wireless terminal 32 is traveling based on the position information from the position calculation unit 304; and the communication unit 301 transmits position information regarding the position of the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 and movement speed information regarding the movement speed of the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 to the control device 8 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5.

[0065] The control device 8 performs the following processing based on position information, speed information, and orientation information of the battery locomotive 6 transmitted from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6, and position information, speed information, and orientation information of the follower trolley 31 transmitted from the follower wireless terminal 32 mounted on the follower trolley 31.

[0066] The following describes the operation of the control device 8 when the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 are in the position shown in Figure 8(A). The state shown in Figure 8(A) indicates a state where the battery locomotive 6 is in danger of colliding with the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 if it is extended from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13, and therefore the device is waiting to begin surveying.

[0067] The position calculation unit 804 of the control device 8 detects the distance between the position of the battery locomotive 6 (first position) included in the information (first position information) received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and the position of the trailing trolley 31 (second position) included in the information (second position information) received from the trailing trolley 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The distance between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 shown in Figure 8(A) is set to be less than the set distance, which is sufficient for measurement using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4. Even in this state, if the battery locomotive 6 is stopped or moving in a direction away from the trailing trolley 31, measurement using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is possible.

[0068] Therefore, the survey control unit 805 calculates the time it takes for the battery locomotive 6 to reach the following trolley 31, based on the distance calculated by the position calculation unit 804, the speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the direction in which the battery locomotive 6 is traveling, as well as the speed of the following trolley 31 and the direction in which the following trolley 31 is traveling, as well as the information received from the wireless terminal 61 for the locomotive mounted on the battery locomotive 6, which is included in the information received from the wireless terminal 32 for the following trolley 31, which is mounted on the position of the following trolley 31, as well as the direction in which the following trolley 31 is traveling, as calculated by the position calculation unit 804. Based on the calculation result, it determines whether or not it is possible for the battery locomotive 6 to perform surveying using the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 mounted on the following trolley 31. In the case of Figure 8(A), if the battery locomotive 6 travels toward the excavation side and the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 protrudes from the following trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13, there is a risk that the battery locomotive 6 will collide with it. In such cases, the surveying control unit 805 sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking distance measuring angle measuring instrument 4 is housed inside the trailing trolley 31.

[0069] The mounting base 40 operates to house the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 inside the trailing trolley 31, based on the control signal from the surveying control unit 805.

[0070] The processing of the control device 8 when the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 are in the state shown in Figure 8(B) will be explained. The state shown in Figure 8(B) indicates that even if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13, it will not collide with the battery locomotive 6, and surveying can begin.

[0071] The position calculation unit 804 of the control device 8 detects the distance between the position of the battery locomotive 6, which is included in the information received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and the position of the trailing trolley 31, which is included in the information received from the trailing trolley wireless terminal 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. The distance between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 shown in Figure 8(B) is the set distance, which is sufficient for surveying using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4.

[0072] The survey control unit 805 calculates the time it will take for the battery locomotive 6 to reach the following cart 31, based on the distance calculated by the position calculation unit 804, the speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the direction in which the battery locomotive 6 is traveling, as well as the speed of the following cart 31 and the direction in which the following cart 31 is traveling, as well as the information received from the wireless terminal 61 for the locomotive mounted on the battery locomotive 6, which is included in the information received from the wireless terminal 32 for the following cart mounted on the position of the following cart 31, which is included in the information received from the wireless terminal 32 for the following cart 31, which is included in the information received from the direction detection unit 803. Based on the calculation result, it determines whether or not the battery locomotive 6 is able to perform surveying using the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 mounted on the following cart 31.

[0073] In the case of Figure 8(B), the battery locomotive 6 is traveling towards the excavation side, but there is sufficient distance between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31. Therefore, even if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13, there is no risk of collision with the battery locomotive 6. Accordingly, the surveying control unit 805 sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13.

[0074] The mounting base 40 operates based on the control signal from the surveying control unit 805 to extend the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13. This control eliminates the need for workers to enter the tunnel 1 to confirm the relative positions of the two, thereby improving the work cycle time.

[0075] The processing of the control device 8 when the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 are in the position shown in Figure 8(C) will be explained. In the state shown in Figure 8(C), the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 are in close proximity, but the battery locomotive 6 is moving away from the trailing carriage 31, so even if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing carriage 31 onto the transport rail 13, a collision with the battery locomotive 6 can be avoided.

[0076] The position calculation unit 804 of the control device 8 detects the distance between the position of the battery locomotive 6, which is included in the information received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and the position of the trailing trolley 31, which is included in the information received from the trailing trolley wireless terminal 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5. Figure 8(C) shows a state where the distance between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 is close. Even in this state, if the battery locomotive 6 moves away from the trailing trolley 31 (in the direction of travel), it is possible to perform surveying using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4.

[0077] Therefore, the survey control unit 805 calculates the time it takes for the battery locomotive 6 to reach the following cart 31, based on the distance from the position calculation unit 804, the speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the direction of travel of the battery locomotive 6 included in the information received from the wireless terminal 61 for the locomotive mounted on the battery locomotive 6, the speed of the following cart 31 included in the information received from the wireless terminal 32 for the following cart mounted on the position of the following cart 31, and the direction of travel of the following cart 31 included in the information received from the direction detection unit 803. Based on the calculation result, it determines whether or not it is possible for the battery locomotive 6 to perform surveying using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 mounted on the following cart 31. In the case of Figure 8(C), the battery locomotive 6 travels toward the tunnel entrance and moves away from the following cart 31. Therefore, even if the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 protrudes from the following cart 31 onto the transport rail 13, a collision with the battery locomotive 6 can be avoided. The surveying control unit 805 sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking distance measuring angle measuring instrument 4 protrudes from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13.

[0078] The mounting base 40 operates based on the control signal from the surveying control unit 805 to cause the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 to protrude from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13.

[0079] By controlling the battery-powered locomotive 6 while taking its direction of travel into consideration, the time it takes to start automatic surveying can be shortened.

[0080] Figure 8(D) shows a state where the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing trolley 31 are running side by side. In this state, it is determined whether or not surveying can be performed by the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 based on the direction of travel of the battery locomotive 6. For example, if the battery locomotive 6 is traveling in the direction of arrow A in Figure 8(D), it is possible to extend the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13 without colliding with the battery locomotive 6, indicating a state in which surveying can be started. On the other hand, if the battery locomotive 6 is traveling in the direction of arrow B in Figure 8(D), extending the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13 will result in a collision with the battery locomotive 6.

[0081] The position calculation unit 804 of the control device 8 determines that the two are running parallel to each other based on the position of the battery locomotive 6 included in the information received from the locomotive wireless terminal 61 mounted on the battery locomotive 6 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5, and the position of the trailing trolley 31 included in the information received from the trailing trolley wireless terminal 32 mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via the tunnel-side wireless unit 5 (second position information). If it determines that the two are running parallel to each other, it detects the direction of the battery locomotive 6 and determines whether it is possible for the battery locomotive 6 to perform a survey using the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 mounted on the trailing trolley 31, based on the direction of travel of the battery locomotive 6. If the battery locomotive 6 is running in the direction of arrow A in Figure 8(D), the survey control unit 805 sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 protrudes from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13.

[0082] The mounting base 40 operates based on the control signal from the surveying control unit 805 to cause the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 to protrude from the trailing trolley 31 onto the transport rail 13.

[0083] On the other hand, when the battery locomotive 6 travels in the direction of arrow B in Figure 8(D), the surveying control unit 805 sends a signal to the communication unit 801 to control the operation of the mounting base 40 so that the automatic tracking distance measuring angle measuring instrument 4 is housed inside the trailing trolley 31.

[0084] The mounting base 40 operates to house the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 inside the trailing trolley 31, based on the control signal from the surveying control unit 805.

[0085] A shield construction support device according to a second embodiment of this invention will be described with reference to Figure 9. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the positions of the battery loco 6 and the trailing trolley 31 are detected using a wireless terminal. In contrast, the embodiment shown in Figure 9 uses an IC tag and a tag reader to detect the positions of the battery loco 6 and the trailing trolley 31.

[0086] A trailing carriage 31, towed by a shield tunneling machine 30, travels along a trailing carriage rail 12 laid inside tunnel 1. A battery locomotive 6 and a carriage 62 towed by the battery locomotive 6 travel along a transport rail 13 laid parallel to the trailing carriage rail 12.

[0087] An automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is mounted on the trailing trolley 31 via a mounting base 40 so that it can extend and retract toward the adjacent transport rail 13. During surveying, the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is extended from the trailing trolley 31 toward the transport rail 13.

[0088] A locomotive tag reader 62a is attached to the battery locomotive 6, and a trailing tag reader 32a is attached to the trailing trolley 31. IC tags 9 are installed at predetermined intervals inside tunnel 1. The IC tags 9 are installed, for example, at intervals of 30m to 70m. An antenna 90 is located inside tunnel 1, and the antenna 90 and the control device 8 are connected by an optical cable 11.

[0089] The detection results from the loco tag reader 62a and the subsequent tag reader 32a are provided to the control device via the antenna 90 and optical cable 11.

[0090] A control unit 8 is installed in a control room 80 located outside tunnel 1. A LAN is established between the control unit 8, the loco tag reader 62a, and the successor tag reader 32a via an optical cable 11 and an antenna 90. The loco tag reader 62a, the successor tag reader 32a, and the control unit 8 communicate with each other via the optical cable 11 and the antenna 90.

[0091] Information from the locomotive tag reader 62a is transmitted to the control device 8 via the optical cable 11 and antenna 90. Control information from the control device 8 is transmitted to the locomotive wireless terminal 61 via the optical cable 11 and antenna 90.

[0092] Information from the following wireless terminal 32 to the following trolley 31 is transmitted to the control device 8 via the optical cable 11 and antenna 90. Control information from the control device 8 is transmitted to the following wireless terminal 32 via the optical cable 11 and antenna 90.

[0093] The locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31 detect the position and speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 based on the position of the IC tag 9 and the time when the signal was transmitted. The control device 8 detects the positional relationship between the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 based on the information including position information transmitted from the locomotive tag reader 61a of the battery locomotive 6 and the information including position information transmitted from the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31, and determines whether or not a surveying operation is being performed by the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4.

[0094] The IC tag 9 has information stored on it to identify it, and this information can be confirmed when the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31 detect the IC tag 9.

[0095] The locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31 detect the signal transmitted from the IC tag 9. When the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31 detect the signal from the IC tag 9, they transmit the information recorded in the IC tag 9, along with the time the IC tag 9 was detected and the identification information of the locomotive tag reader 61a of the battery locomotive 6 and the tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31, to the control device 8.

[0096] The control device 8 consists of a computer and is located in the control room 80 outside Tunnel 1. The control device 8 receives signals transmitted from the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31. Based on the information contained in the signals transmitted from the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31 (identification information of the IC tag 9, identification information of the locomotive tag reader 62a or the trailing tag reader 32a, the time when the IC tag 9 was detected, etc.), the control device 8 determines the positions of the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31. The control device 8 has pre-recorded the identification information of the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing tag reader 32a of the trailing carriage 31, as well as the position information of each IC tag 9. Therefore, the control device 8 can determine the position of the battery loco 6 or the following trolley 31 by using the identification information of the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery loco 6 and the following trolley 31's following tag reader 32a, and the position information of the IC tag 9.

[0097] The control device 8 determines the orientation (direction of travel) of the battery locomotive 6 and the following trolley 31 based on the order in which the locomotive tag reader 62a of the battery locomotive 6 and the following trolley 31's following tag reader 32a detected the two IC tags 9 installed inside the tunnel 1. Furthermore, the control device 8 calculates the speed V (=i / t) of the battery locomotive 6 and the following trolley 31 based on the distance i between the IC tags 9 installed inside the tunnel 1 and the time difference t between the detection of the IC tags 9. By using the position, direction of travel, and speed of the battery locomotive 6 and the following trolley 31 calculated in this way, it is possible to determine whether or not the automatic tracking rangefinder 4 is performing a survey operation.

[0098] In this second embodiment as well, when the battery locomotive 6 and the trailing carriage 31 are positioned as shown in Figures 8(A) to 8(D) above, the control device 8 similarly controls the operation of the mounting base 40 on which the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument 4 is mounted, and performs the surveying operation.

[0099] Any combination of the embodiments and modifications described above is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. The new embodiments resulting from the combinations possess the effects of each of the combined embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0100] 1: Tunnel 4:Automatic tracking rangefinder 5: Tunnel-side radio unit 6: Battery Loco 7: Standing 8: Control device 12: Rail for the trailing bogie 13: Transport rails 30: Shield tunneling machine 31: Following bogie 32: Successor wireless terminal 32a: Successor tag reader 40: Mounting base 41, 42, 43, 44: Target 61: Wireless terminal for local use 62a: Tag reader for loco 80: Management room 81: Wireless Terminal Unit

Claims

1. A shield tunneling support device comprising a trailing carriage towed by a shield tunneling machine that travels on a trailing carriage rail laid inside a tunnel, and a battery-powered locomotive that travels on a transport rail laid parallel to the trailing carriage rail, wherein an automatic tracking rangefinder is mounted on the trailing carriage so as to be able to extend and retract toward the adjacent transport rail, and the automatic tracking rangefinder is made to protrude from the trailing carriage toward the transport rail during surveying, A shield construction support device comprising: a wireless terminal for the locomotive mounted on the battery locomotive; a wireless terminal for the follower mounted on the follower trolley; a tunnel-side wireless unit installed at predetermined intervals in the tunnel; and a control device that receives a signal transmitted from the tunnel-side wireless unit after detecting signals from the wireless terminal for the locomotive and the follower wireless terminal, wherein the control device detects the positional relationship between the battery locomotive and the follower trolley based on the position of the tunnel-side wireless unit that transmitted the signal and the time the signal was transmitted, and determines whether or not to start surveying using the automatic tracking distance measuring and angle measuring instrument.

2. The shield construction support device according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned wireless terminal for the locomotive and the aforementioned wireless terminal for the successor are composed of mobile communication terminals, and the tunnel-side wireless unit is composed of a wireless base station.

3. The shield construction support device according to claim 1, wherein the wireless terminal for the locomotive and the wireless terminal for the successor are composed of tag readers, and the wireless unit on the tunnel side is composed of IC tags.

4. The control device is equipped with a display device that displays the determination result of the control device, and the display device and the control device are installed in a control room outside the tunnel. The shield construction support device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The automatic tracking rangefinder is mounted on the trailing trolley via a horizontal moving mechanism, and the control device controls the operation of the moving mechanism. The shield construction support device according to claim 1 or 2.

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