Snow melting system and sensor unit

Abstract

To realize a more suitable mechanism for melting snow that accumulates on railway tracks. [Solution] A snow melting system comprising: a snow melting unit installed in the area between the rails of a railway track to melt snow accumulated on the railway track; a control device connected to the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path to control the operation of the snow melting unit, wherein the snow melting unit comprises: a plurality of sensor units, each individually installed at multiple locations in the area to detect the weight due to the load on the detection surface; and a snow melting device formed in a planar shape and installed to span the detection surfaces of each of the plurality of sensor units installed in the area, supported by the plurality of sensor units, and driven to release heat and melt snow, wherein the control device drives the snow melting device to melt the snow accumulated on the snow melting device when the statistical value of the weight detection results of each of the plurality of sensor units exceeds a threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a snow melting system and a sensor unit.

Background Art

[0002] The railway track switch is composed of a complex structure including a point section, a lead section, a crossing section, and guide rails. Among these, since the point section is a movable part, in snowy and cold regions, the point section may freeze, resulting in a situation where it becomes unable to be switched. Therefore, various types of snow melting devices have been developed and put into practical use to prevent the freezing of the point section of the switch.

[0003] Conventionally, snow melting devices installed on railway tracks include a hot air type that blows hot air towards the rails, a hot water injection type that sprays hot water, a mat type that is laid side by side on the track, etc. In addition, the mat type includes a hot water mat that circulates hot water and an electric snow melting mat with a built-in heater (heating wire). For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a technique for detecting the snow accumulation state on a snow melting mat by analyzing an image captured by an imaging device or the like and controlling the operation (operation and stop) of the snow melting mat as an example of a mat type snow melting device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, in methods that detect snow accumulation using the results of analyzing captured images, false detections can occur due to the influence of weather conditions such as solar radiation, causing the snow-melting mats to operate even when there is no snow accumulation, resulting in energy loss. Furthermore, this method tends to require relatively expensive equipment, such as the imaging device used to detect snow accumulation and the equipment for installing the imaging device. In addition, the integration of control devices and dedicated software into the control panel is required to analyze the captured images, which can increase the overall cost of implementation. Furthermore, in the environment of railway tracks, snow accumulation is not necessarily caused solely by snowfall; for example, snow can accumulate due to being carried by trains in operation.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to realize a mechanism for melting snow that accumulates on railway tracks in a more suitable manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The snow melting system according to the present invention comprises a snow melting unit installed in the area between rails of a railway track and melting snow accumulated between the rails, and a control device connected to the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path and controlling the operation of the snow melting unit, wherein the snow melting unit comprises a plurality of sensor units, each individually installed at multiple locations in the area and detecting the weight due to the load on the detection surface, and a snow melting device formed in a planar shape and installed so as to span the detection surfaces of each of the plurality of sensor units installed in the area, supported by the plurality of sensor units, and driven to release heat and melt snow, wherein the control device drives the snow melting device to melt the snow accumulated on the snow melting device when the statistical value of the weight detection result of each of the plurality of sensor units exceeds a threshold. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to realize a mechanism for melting snow that accumulates on railway tracks in a more suitable manner. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a snow melting system. [Figure 2] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a snow melting system. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a snow melting unit. [Figure 4] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a snow melting unit. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a snow melting unit. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an example of the configuration of a sensor unit. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0011] <System Configuration> Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an example of the configuration of a snow melting system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the snow melting system 1 according to this embodiment includes a snow melting unit 100 installed between the rails of a railway track, a snow melting device control panel 200, a relay control panel 300, and a monitoring server 400.

[0012] The snow melting unit 100 is installed in the area between the rails of a railway track, detects snow accumulation and notifies a snow melting device control panel 200 (described later), and is driven based on the control of the snow melting device control panel 200 to release heat and melt the snow on the railway track. The snow melting unit 100 includes a snow melting device 130 and a plurality of sensor units 110.

[0013] The snow melting device 130 corresponds to a configuration that substantially realizes the melting of snow. In this embodiment, the snow melting device 130 is configured to melt the snow in the area where the member is placed by releasing heat from a planar (for example, sheet-shaped or mat-shaped) member, such as a configuration called a snow melting mat. The snow melting device 130 is connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via a wireless communication path, and is driven by control from the snow melting device control panel 200 via the wireless communication path to release heat and melt the surrounding snow (especially the snow on the snow melting device 130). Methods for melting snow by releasing heat include methods using hot water mats and methods using electric mats. Specifically, the method using hot water mats involves generating hot water using a heater (heating wire) and circulating it within the mat, thereby melting the snow on the mat with the heat of the hot water. The method using electric mats involves installing a heater inside the mat and driving the heater with electricity, thereby melting the snow on the mat with the heat released by the heater. Of course, the above is merely one example, and the configuration of the snow melting device 130 is not particularly limited as long as it can be installed on the railway tracks in a manner that does not obstruct the operation of the rapid-fire train and can be driven by power supply to melt the surrounding snow.

[0014] The sensor unit 110 is a unit that detects the weight associated with a load on the detection surface. In the snow melting unit 100 according to this embodiment, a plurality of sensor units 110 are arranged in the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed, and a flat (for example, mat-shaped) snow melting device 130 is arranged so as to span the detection surfaces of each of the plurality of sensor units 110. With this configuration, for example, when snow accumulates on the snow melting device 130, the weight of the snow is detected by at least some of the sensor units 110. Furthermore, the sensor unit 110 is connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via a wireless communication path, and notifies the snow melting device control panel 200 of the weight detection result via the wireless communication path. As a result, when snow accumulates on the snow melting device 130 and the sensor unit 110 detects the weight of the snow, the snow melting device control panel 200 can receive notification of the weight detection result from the sensor unit 110 and drive the snow melting device 130. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 110 is individually installed at each of the multiple locations within the area where the snow melting device 130 is installed. This ensures that, for example, not only when snow falls evenly throughout the area due to snowfall, but also when snow carried by trains (so-called "brought-in snow") accumulates in some areas, at least one of the sensor units 110 can detect the weight of the snow accumulation. The method for arranging the multiple sensor units 110 to realize this mechanism will be described in detail separately.

[0015] The snow melting system control panel 200 is connected to the snow melting unit 100 via a wireless communication path and controls the operation of the snow melting unit 100 via the wireless communication path. The communication device 210 schematically shows a communication interface for the snow melting system control panel 200 to communicate with the snow melting unit 100 via the wireless communication path. As mentioned above, the snow melting device control panel 200 can communicate with the sensor unit 110 via a wireless communication path and receive notification of the weight detection result from the sensor unit 110. As a result, when the sensor unit 110 detects weight due to snow accumulation on the snow melting device 130, the snow melting device control panel 200 can detect snow accumulation on the snow melting device 130 (estimate the occurrence of snow accumulation) based on the notification of the weight detection result from the sensor unit 110. In addition, the snow melting device control panel 200 drives the snow melting device 130 remotely by communicating with the snow melting device 130 via a wireless communication path. Thereby, for example, the snow melting device control panel 200 can receive a notification of the weight detection result from the sensor unit 110 and drive the snow melting device 130 to melt the snow accumulated on the snow melting device 130. Further, when the sensor unit 110 detects the weight (in other words, the change in weight due to snow melting) after the load caused by the snow accumulation is eliminated as the snow on the snow melting device 130 melts, and the snow melting device control panel 200 receives a notification from the sensor unit 110, the snow melting device 130 that is being driven may be stopped. Note that the control related to the driving and stopping of the snow melting device 130 can be realized by, for example, a control device such as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) incorporated in the snow melting device control panel 200 or a PC in which a control program is installed.

[0016] Regarding the communication between the sensor unit 110 of the snow melting unit 100 and the snow melting device 130 and the communication device 210 of the snow melting device control panel 200, wireless communication with relatively low power consumption and a wider communication range is preferably applied. Examples of such wireless communication include wireless communication based on a communication standard called Private RoLa (also referred to as wireless communication in the Private RoLa method). Also, depending on the width of the communication range of the wireless communication, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a plurality of snow melting units 100 are connected to one snow melting device control panel 200. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, snow melting units 100A, 100B, and 100C arranged at three different positions on the railway track within the communication range of the communication device 210 of the snow melting device control panel 200 are connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via wireless communication.

[0017] The monitoring server 400 schematically shows a server for remotely monitoring and managing various devices related to railway operation, such as the snow melting unit 100 described above, which is a device installed on railway tracks. For example, the monitoring server 400 is connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via a network, and monitors the operating status of the snow melting unit 100 wirelessly connected to the snow melting device control panel 200. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the communication between the monitoring server 400 and the snow melting device control panel 200 is relayed by the relay control panel 300. The relay control panel 300 is installed, for example, at a station or the like, and is connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 installed near the station via a predetermined network N2. The type of the network N2 is not particularly limited, and for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) based on a communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) can be applied. Furthermore, the relay control panel 300 is connected to the monitoring server 400 via a predetermined network N1. Regarding the network N1, the type of the network to be applied is not particularly limited, and for example, a LAN, a WAN, a dedicated line, or the like can be applied. Also, in order to protect the information transmitted via the network N1, a technology such as a VPN (Virtual Private Network) may be applied to the network N1. With the above configuration, the monitoring server 400 and the snow melting device control panel 200 are connected via the network N1, the relay control panel 300, and the network N2, and it is also possible to remotely monitor the operating status of the snow melting unit 100 connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 from the monitoring server 400.

[0018] As described above, an example of the configuration of the snow melting system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. It should be noted that the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are merely examples, and it is needless to say that they do not limit the system configuration of the snow melting system according to the present embodiment.

[0019] <Configuration of Snow Melting Unit> Referring to Figures 3 to 5, an example of the configuration of the snow melting unit 100 will be described. First, an example of the overall configuration of the snow melting unit 100 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a simplified top view of the snow melting unit 100 installed on a railway track, viewed from vertically above. In Figure 3, the vertical direction is the Z-axis, the direction in which the track extends is the X-axis, and the direction perpendicular to both the Z-axis and the X-axis (the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the track extends on the plane in which the track is laid) is the Y-axis. Also, for convenience, in Figure 3, the vertically upward direction of the Z-axis is defined as the +z direction, and the direction in which the train travels along the track is defined as the +X direction. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the snow melting unit 100 shown in Figure 3, and is an I-I' cross-sectional view of the cut surface viewed from the X direction when the snow melting unit 100 is cut by a plane parallel to the YZ plane including the sensor unit 110. The X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figure 4 correspond to the X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figure 3.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the snow melting unit 100 is installed within the area of ​​the rails 510 of the railway track. Specifically, a protective mat 150, formed in sheet form, is placed within the area surrounding the rails 510 of the railway track, and multiple sensor units 110 are placed on the protective mat 150 so as to be distributed at multiple locations within the area where the protective mat 150 is placed. In this case, each sensor unit 110 is positioned on the sleeper 530 of the railway track, and is positioned so that the detection surface that detects the weight associated with the load faces vertically upward. Furthermore, a flat snow-melting device 130 (for example, a snow-melting mat such as a hot water mat) is installed so as to support the detection surfaces of each of the multiple sensor units 110. As a result, the snow-melting device 130 is supported by each of the multiple sensor units 110, and when snow accumulates on the upper surface of the snow-melting device 130, the weight of the snow applies a vertical downward load to the snow-melting device 130, and this load is detected by at least some of the sensor units 110.

[0021] The number of sensor units 110 applied to each snow melting unit 100, and the arrangement of each of the multiple sensor units 110, may be appropriately changed depending on the snow accumulation trends at the installation location of the snow melting unit 100. For example, if we consider snow accumulation caused by snow brought in by trains, snow tends to accumulate at the end of the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed, where trains running on the railway tracks enter the area (in other words, the end in the direction from which the train is approaching). As a specific example, in the case shown in Figure 3, snow tends to accumulate locally at the -X end of the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed, due to snow brought in by trains. Therefore, in such cases, it is desirable to have the sensor unit 110 installed at least at the end of the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed, in the direction in which the railway tracks extend (especially the end in the direction from which the train is approaching). For example, Figure 5 shows an example of an arrangement pattern for the sensor unit 110. In the example shown in Figure 5, the sensor unit 110 is located at the end of the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed, in the direction in which the railway track extends. Furthermore, depending on the environment in which the snow melting unit 100 is installed, it is conceivable that localized snow accumulation may occur due to factors other than the snow brought in by trains as described above. In such cases, it is preferable to install the sensor unit 110 in a location where there is a high probability of localized snow accumulation.

[0022] Furthermore, in situations where snow accumulation occurs locally, some of the multiple sensor units 110 may detect weight while others do not. In light of this situation, the snow melting device control panel 200 may estimate whether or not snow has accumulated on the snow melting device 130 based on the statistical values ​​of the weight detection results of each of the multiple sensor units 110. As a specific example, the snow melting device control panel 200 may estimate that snow has accumulated on the snow melting device 130 and drive the snow melting device 130 if the statistical values ​​of the weight detection results of each of the multiple sensor units 110 exceed a threshold. Furthermore, the statistical value to be applied to the detection results of the weights of each of the multiple sensor units 110 is not particularly limited as long as the detection results of each of the multiple sensor units 110 are taken into account, and may be changed as appropriate depending on the use case. As a specific example, the average value of the detection results of the weights of each of the multiple sensor units 110 may be applied as the statistical value. As another example, the sum of the detection results of the weights of each of the multiple sensor units 110 may be considered as the above statistical value.

[0023] Furthermore, as illustrated in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the snow melting unit 100 is installed (the snow melting device 130 is supported by multiple sensor units 110), and the reference value for detecting the weight of each of the multiple sensor units 110 may be corrected (zero-point correction). In this case, the snow melting device control panel 200, which receives notification of the weight detection result from the target sensor unit 110, should perform the zero-point correction of that sensor unit 110. In addition, the operation of the snow melting device control panel 200 (for example, the operation related to the zero-point correction of the sensor unit 110) may be controlled by remote operation from, for example, a monitoring server 400. With this configuration, it is possible to perform zero-point correction on each of the series of sensor units 110 connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via a wireless communication path all at once, without having to perform zero-point correction operations on each individual sensor unit 110.

[0024] The above describes an example of the configuration of the snow melting unit 100 with reference to Figures 3 to 5.

[0025] <Sensor Unit Configuration> Referring to Figure 6, an example of the configuration of the sensor unit 110 will be described. Note that the X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figure 6 correspond to the X, Y, and Z axes shown in Figure 3.

[0026] For example, Figure 6(a) is a schematic side view of the sensor unit 110 as seen from the side. As shown in Figure 6(a), the sensor unit 110 includes a base member 113, a plurality of weight detection units 111, a control box 114, and a detection surface 112. The weight detection unit 111 is a sensor used to measure the weight of an object placed on it. For example, a sensor (e.g., a load unit) that detects a load (e.g., the load imposed by an object being placed on it) and converts its magnitude into an electrical signal may be used. The base member 113 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a plurality of weight detection units 111 and a control box 114 are arranged on its upper surface. In this case, each of the plurality of weight detection units 111 is arranged at multiple locations on the upper surface (the surface on the +Z direction side) of the base member 113 so as to be spaced apart from each other. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, each of the multiple weight detection units 111 is positioned on the outer edge side of the upper surface of the base member 113, and a control box 114 is installed in the central space of the upper surface (the space where no weight detection units 111 are installed). Then, a detection surface 112, which is formed in the shape of a flat plate, is installed so as to support each of the multiple weight detection units 111. As a result, the detection surface 112 is supported by each of the multiple weight detection units 111, and when a load is applied vertically downward to at least a part of the upper surface of the detection surface 112, the weight associated with that load is detected by at least some of the weight detection units 111.

[0027] Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II' from the Z direction, when the sensor unit 110 is cut by a plane parallel to the XY plane, which includes the multiple sensor units 110 and the control box 114. As described above, each of the multiple weight detection units 111 is arranged at multiple locations on the upper surface (the surface in the +Z direction) of the base member 113 so as to be spaced apart from each other. In the example shown in Figure 6(b), the upper surface of the base member 113 is formed in a rectangular shape, and the weight detection units 111 are individually arranged near each of the four corners of the upper surface, with the control box 114 arranged in the central space.

[0028] The control box 114 houses various units for driving the sensor unit 110. Specifically, the control box 114 houses at least a power supply unit 115, such as a battery, an antenna unit 116 for wireless communication with the outside, and a control unit 117 for controlling the operation of the sensor unit 110.

[0029] The control unit 117 and the antenna unit 116 are powered by the power supplied from the power supply unit 115. The weight detection unit 111 may also be configured to be powered by the power supplied from the power supply unit 115. The control unit 117 establishes wireless communication with the snow melting device control panel 200 by controlling the operation of the antenna unit 116, and notifies the snow melting device control panel 200 of the weight detection results from each of the multiple weight detection units 111 via this wireless communication. With this configuration, for example, when snow accumulates on the snow melting device 130 and at least some of the multiple weight detection units 111 of the sensor unit 110 detect weight, the control unit 117 notifies the snow melting device control panel 200 of the weight detection results via wireless communication. As a result, the snow melting device control panel 200 can infer that snow has accumulated on the snow melting unit 100 (snow melting device 130) based on the notification from the sensor unit 110 (control unit 117).

[0030] As mentioned above, when a load is applied to the detection surface 112 of the sensor unit 110 due to snow accumulation on the snow melting device 130, at least some of the multiple weight detection units 111 will detect the weight associated with that load. In other words, there may be a bias in the position where the load is applied to the detection surface 112, and in such cases, it is conceivable that some of the multiple weight detection units 111 will detect the weight while others will not. Given these characteristics, the snow melting device control panel 200 may, for example, consider the sum of the weight detection results from each of the multiple weight detection units 111 provided by the sensor unit 110 as the weight detected by the sensor unit 110.

[0031] Furthermore, as mentioned above, wireless communication between the sensor unit 110 and the snow melting device control panel 200 can be achieved using wireless communication with relatively low power consumption, such as wireless communication based on a communication standard called Private RoLa. Also, the control unit 117 does not necessarily need to communicate constantly; for example, it may be configured to be activated when at least some of the weight detection units 111 detect weight associated with a load (e.g., a change in weight), and to remain in a sleep state without wireless communication during other periods. The weight detection units 111 also tend to have relatively low power consumption. Therefore, even if a commercially available battery is used as the power supply unit 115 of this embodiment, it has been confirmed that the sensor unit 110 can be operated for a relatively long period of time without replacing the battery, and can even be operated for periods of several months (e.g., during periods when snowfall may occur).

[0032] Furthermore, each sensor unit 110 can be implemented at a relatively low cost. Specifically, experiments have confirmed that even if the housing, such as the base member 113 and the detection surface 112, is formed from synthetic resin (e.g., PolyMide CoPA) using a 3D printer, sufficient strength (tensile strength, impact strength, bending strength, etc.) and resistance to temperature changes can be ensured to the extent that it does not interfere with operation. The weight detection unit 111 can also be procured at a relatively low cost. Therefore, the snow melting unit 100 according to this embodiment can be implemented at a lower cost compared to configurations that, for example, use an imaging device to detect snow accumulation.

[0033] An example of the configuration of the sensor unit 110 has been described above with reference to Figure 6.

[0034] <Variation> As a modification of the snow melting system according to this embodiment, an example of the control of the sensor unit 110 will be described. As mentioned above, in the snow melting system according to this embodiment, when snow accumulates on the snow melting unit 100 (snow melting device 130), the snow melting device control panel 200 detects that snow has accumulated on the snow melting unit 100 by detecting the weight due to the load associated with the snow accumulation. On the other hand, when considering train operation, in addition to snow accumulation caused by snowfall or snow brought in by other vehicles, it is also conceivable that objects other than snow, such as stones, soil, and gravel, may accumulate on the snow melting unit 100 due to being brought in by trains or due to the influence of external environmental factors such as wind and rain, and the weight of these objects may be detected by the snow melting unit 100 (sensor unit 110). Therefore, in this modification, an example of a mechanism that can detect the occurrence of snow accumulation on the snow melting unit 100 even when objects other than snow are placed on the snow melting unit 100 due to various factors will be described.

[0035] The snow melting device control panel 200 in this modified example operates the snow melting device 130 of the snow melting unit 100 for a predetermined time, and then, in accordance with the weight detection results from at least some of the sensor units 110 of the snow melting unit 100, corrects the reference value for weight detection (zero point correction) of the sensor units 110. The operation of the snow melting unit 100 in this modified example will be explained in more detail below, along with the circumstances at each stage, using specific examples.

[0036] For example, suppose that gravel has accumulated on the snow melting device 130 of the snow melting unit 100 in addition to snow. In this situation, the sensor unit 110 detects the weight, and based on the detected weight, the snow melting device control panel 200 drives the snow melting device 130 to melt the snow on and around the snow melting device 130. At this time, the snow on the snow melting device 130 melts into water (liquid) and flows off the snow melting device 130, but the gravel and other materials that accumulated on the snow melting device 130 remain on the snow melting device 130, and the weight of the gravel and other materials is detected by the sensor unit 110. In such a case, it is conceivable that the snow melting device control panel 200 may mistakenly identify the weight of the gravel and other materials detected by the sensor unit 110 as being due to snow, and continue to drive the snow melting device 130.

[0037] In light of these circumstances, the snow melting device control panel 200 according to this modified example performs zero-point correction of the sensor units 110 in accordance with the weight detection results of at least some of the sensor units 110 after the snow melting device 130 has been driven for a predetermined time, as described above. As described above, when the snow melting device 130 is driven, the snow on the snow melting device 130 melts into liquid and flows off, while other materials such as gravel remain on the snow melting device 130. In light of these characteristics, the snow melting device control panel 200 according to this modified example performs zero-point correction of the sensor units 110 based on the state after the snow melting device 130 has been driven for a predetermined time, for example, the state with gravel on it. Furthermore, uneven distribution may occur in the location where materials other than snow, such as gravel, accumulate. Therefore, the snow melting device control panel 200 may individually perform zero-point correction for each of the multiple sensor units 110 provided by the snow melting unit 100, based on the weight detection results from the respective sensor units 110.

[0038] By applying this type of control, the snow melting device control panel 200 can prevent a situation where the snow melting device 130 continues to operate due to the detection of the weight of gravel or other materials, even though the snow on the snow melting unit 100 has been melted and removed. Furthermore, even if snow accumulates again afterward, the snow melting device control panel 200 can detect the occurrence of that snow and operate the snow melting device 130. Furthermore, if gravel or other material on the snow melting device 130 is removed due to maintenance work, the zero point correction of the snow melting unit 100 in question should be performed again. This allows the snow melting device control panel 200 to detect the snow accumulation on the snow melting device 130 based on the weight detection result from the sensor unit 110, which is based on the state after the gravel or other material has been removed, and to drive the snow melting device 130.

[0039] In summary, an example of the control of the sensor unit 110 has been described as a modified example of the snow melting system according to this embodiment.

[0040] <Conclusion> As described above, the snow melting system 1 according to this embodiment includes a snow melting unit 100 that is installed in the area between the rails of a railway track and melts snow accumulated on the railway track, and a snow melting device control panel 200 that is connected to the snow melting unit 100 via a wireless communication path and controls the operation of the snow melting unit. The snow melting unit 100 includes a plurality of sensor units 110 and a snow melting device 130 (for example, a snow melting mat). The plurality of sensor units 110 are individually installed at multiple locations in the area where the snow melting unit 100 is installed and detect the weight due to the load on the detection surface 112. The snow melting device 130 is formed in a planar shape (for example, sheet shape) and is installed so as to span the detection surface 112 of each of the plurality of sensor units 110 installed in the above area. It is supported by the plurality of sensor units 110 and is driven to release heat and melt snow. The snow melting device control panel 200 activates the snow melting device 130 when the statistical value of the weight detection results of each of the multiple sensor units 110 exceeds a threshold, thereby melting the snow accumulated on the snow melting device 130.

[0041] With the above configuration, for example, even in situations where snow partially accumulates on the snow melting device 130 due to snow brought in by trains, at least some of the sensor units 110 can detect the occurrence of the snow and activate the snow melting device 130. In other words, the snow melting system according to this embodiment makes it possible to melt the snow in a more suitable manner even in situations where snow accumulates locally due to various factors. Furthermore, the number and placement of the sensor units 110 can be changed as appropriate, and can be customized, for example, according to the distribution trend of snow at the location where the snow melting unit 100 is installed. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the introduction cost of each sensor unit 110 can be kept relatively low. Therefore, the snow melting system according to this embodiment can be realized at a lower cost compared to a system that detects snow accumulation using, for example, an imaging device. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the snow melting unit 100 has individual components such as the sensor unit 110 connected to the snow melting device control panel 200 via a wireless communication path. Therefore, the operation of the snow melting unit 100 can be remotely controlled via a network. Furthermore, the individual components of the snow melting unit 100 can be driven with relatively low power. As a specific example, wireless communication between each component of the snow melting unit 100, such as the sensor unit 110, and the snow melting device control panel 200 can be achieved using wireless communication with relatively low power consumption, such as wireless communication based on a communication standard called Private RoLa. The weight detection unit 111 can also be driven with relatively low power. Therefore, even if a commercially available battery is used as the power supply unit 115 in this embodiment, the sensor unit 110 can be operated for a relatively long period of time (for example, several months) without replacing the battery. As described above, the snow melting system according to this embodiment makes it possible to realize a mechanism for melting snow that accumulates on railway tracks in a more suitable manner.

[0042] It should be noted that the configuration described above with reference to Figures 3 to 6 is merely an example and does not necessarily limit the configuration of the snow melting unit 100 or sensor unit 110 according to this embodiment. For example, additional functions may be realized by adding configurations to the snow melting device 130 or sensor unit 110 depending on the application scenario of the snow melting unit 100. As a specific example, the sensor unit 110 may detect the voltage of the power supply unit 115 (e.g., a battery) and notify the snow melting device control panel 200 of the voltage detection result via wireless communication. With this configuration, the snow melting device control panel 200 can also estimate the power supply capacity of the power supply unit 115 at any given time (e.g., battery level) based on the voltage detection result of the power supply unit 115. This allows the snow melting device control panel 200 to estimate the replacement time of the power supply unit 115 from the voltage detection result of the power supply unit 115 and notify the user (administrator) of an alarm via the monitoring server 400 or the like. As another example, a temperature sensor may be provided on the sensor unit 110 or the snow melting device 130, and the temperature detection result of the temperature sensor around the sensor unit 110 or the snow melting device 130 may be notified to the snow melting device control panel 200 via wireless communication. With such a configuration, for example, the snow melting device control panel 200 can understand the operating status of the snow melting device 130 based on the temperature detection result notified from the sensor unit 110 or the snow melting device 130. As a result, for example, the snow melting device control panel 200 can control the operation of the snow melting device 130 (for example, by stopping it) or record the operating status of the snow melting device 130 according to the operating status of the snow melting device 130. As another example, the sensor unit 110 may measure the sensitivity of the wireless communication and notify the snow melting device control panel 200 of the measurement results. This allows the snow melting device control panel 200 to reflect the measurement results of the wireless communication sensitivity notified by the sensor unit 110 in the control of the wireless communication between itself and the sensor unit 110.

[0043] Furthermore, the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (1) A snow melting system comprising: a snow melting unit disposed in the area between the rails of a railway track for melting snow accumulated on the railway track; and a control device connected to the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path for controlling the operation of the snow melting unit, wherein the snow melting unit comprises: a plurality of sensor units, each individually disposed at a plurality of locations in the area for detecting the weight due to the load on the detection surface; and a snow melting device formed in a planar shape and disposed to span the detection surfaces of each of the plurality of sensor units disposed in the area, supported by the plurality of sensor units, and driven to melt snow by releasing heat, wherein the control device drives the snow melting device to melt the snow accumulated on the snow melting device when the statistical value of the weight detection results of each of the plurality of sensor units exceeds a threshold. (2) The snow melting system according to (1), wherein the control device, after operating the snow melting device for a predetermined time, corrects the reference value for detecting the weight of the sensor unit according to the weight detection result of at least some of the sensor units among the plurality of sensor units. (3) The snow melting system according to (1) or (2), wherein the control device is connected to a plurality of snow melting units via a wireless communication path and controls the operation of each of the plurality of snow melting units individually. (4) The snow melting system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein at least a portion of the plurality of sensor units are installed on the side of the area between the rails of the railway track where the snow melting unit is installed, at least on the side where a train running on the railway track enters the area. (5) The snow melting system according to any one of items (1) to (4), wherein the wireless communication path is a communication path to which private RoLa wireless communication is applied. (6) The snow melting system according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the snow melting unit is equipped with a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the snow melting device, and the control device controls the operation of the snow melting device based on the temperature detection result of the temperature of the snow melting device by the temperature sensor. (7) A sensor unit applied to a snow melting unit that is installed in the area between rails of a railway track and melts snow on the railway track, comprising: a plurality of weight detection units, each installed spaced apart from each other at multiple positions on a detection surface, which support the detection surface and detect the weight associated with the load on the detection surface; and a communication unit that communicates with a control device that controls the operation of the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path and transmits the weight detection results from the plurality of weight detection units to the control device, wherein a snow melting device, which is individually installed at multiple locations in the area, is formed in a planar shape, and melts snow by releasing heat when driven, is installed so as to span the detection surface and the detection surfaces of other sensor units, thereby supporting the snow melting device, and when the statistical value of the weight detection results from the plurality of weight detection units and the weight detection results from the plurality of weight detection units of the other sensor unit exceeds a threshold, the control device drives the snow melting device and melts the snow on the snow melting device. (8) The sensor unit according to (7), wherein the sum of the weight detection results from each of the plurality of weight detection units provided in the sensor unit is applied as the weight detection result of the sensor unit alone. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1 Snow melting system, 100 Snow melting unit, 110 Sensor unit, 111 Weight detection unit, 112 Detection surface, 113 Base component, 114 Control box, 115 Power supply unit, 116 Antenna unit, 117 Control unit, 130 Snow melting device, 150 Protective mat, 200 Snow melting device control panel, 210 Communication device, 300 Relay control panel, 400 Monitoring server

Claims

1. A snow-melting unit is installed in the area between the rails of a railway track to melt snow accumulated on the railway track, A control device is connected to the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path and controls the operation of the snow melting unit. It has, The snow-melting unit is Multiple sensor units are individually arranged at multiple locations within the aforementioned region and detect the weight associated with the load on the detection surface, A snow melting device formed in a planar shape and arranged so as to span the detection surfaces of each of the plurality of sensor units arranged in the region, supported and driven by the plurality of sensor units to release heat and melt snow, Equipped with, The control device is When the statistical value of the weight detection results of each of the aforementioned multiple sensor units exceeds a threshold, the snow melting device is activated to melt the snow accumulated on the snow melting device. Snow melting system.

2. The snow melting system according to claim 1, wherein the control device, after operating the snow melting device for a predetermined time, corrects the reference value for detecting the weight of at least some of the sensor units according to the weight detection results of the sensor units.

3. The snow melting system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is connected to a plurality of snow melting units via a wireless communication path and individually controls the operation of each of the plurality of snow melting units.

4. The snow melting system according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of sensor units are arranged at least on the end side of the area between the rails of the railway track where the snow melting unit is installed, on the side where a train running on the railway track enters the area.

5. The snow melting system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication path is a communication path to which private RoLa wireless communication is applied.

6. The snow melting unit is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the snow melting device. The control device controls the operation of the snow melting device based on the temperature detection result of the temperature sensor. The snow melting system according to claim 1.

7. A sensor unit installed in the area between rails of a railway track and applied to a snow melting unit that melts snow on the railway track, Multiple weight detection units are arranged at multiple positions, spaced apart from each other, and support a detection surface, thereby detecting the weight associated with the load on the detection surface. A communication unit that communicates with a control device that controls the operation of the snow melting unit via a wireless communication path, and transmits the weight detection results from the multiple weight detection units to the control device, Equipped with, They are individually arranged at multiple locations within the aforementioned region, A snow melting device, which is formed in a planar shape and melts snow by releasing heat through drive, is supported by being arranged such that the detection surface and the detection surface of another sensor unit are mounted on top of each other. When the statistical value obtained by the weight detection results from the multiple weight detection units and the weight detection results from the multiple weight detection units of the other sensor unit exceeds a threshold, the snow melting device is activated by the control device, and the snow accumulated on the snow melting device is melted. Sensor unit.

8. The sensor unit according to claim 7, wherein the sum of the weight detection results from each of the plurality of weight detection units provided in the sensor unit is applied as the weight detection result of the sensor unit alone.

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