Concrete spraying apparatus, concrete spraying method, and liquid rapid-setting agent addition apparatus

Abstract

The objective is to provide a concrete spraying apparatus 1, a concrete spraying method, and a liquid rapid-setting agent addition unit 40 that can adjust the amount of liquid rapid-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of concrete by a piston-type concrete pump 11. [Solution] The concrete spraying apparatus 1 comprises a piston-type concrete pump 11 for pumping concrete, a rotary pump 44 for supplying a liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete, a pulsation detection means for detecting concrete pulsation, and a control means for controlling the operation of the rotary pump 44. The control means controls the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at a set upper limit rotation speed set according to a predetermined discharge amount of concrete when the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation, and controls the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at a rotation speed below the set upper limit rotation speed for a low rotation time Δt3 (pulsation time Δt4) when the pulsation detection means detects concrete pulsation.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a concrete spraying device, a concrete spraying method, and a liquid accelerator adding device that spray concrete stored in a hopper from the tip of a cylinder onto a construction target surface, for example.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in tunnel excavation work, by spraying concrete added with an accelerator onto the inner wall of the excavated tunnel and quickly curing it, the peeling of the inner wall of the tunnel is prevented.

[0003] As a device for spraying such concrete added with an accelerator, a piston-type concrete pump for pumping concrete, an accelerator supply device for continuously supplying a liquid accelerator to the concrete, and an air compressor and a spraying nozzle for discharging the concrete added with the liquid accelerator onto a construction target surface are known.

[0004] By the way, when the piston of the concrete pump of the concrete spraying device switches, pulsation occurs in the flow of the concrete, so the discharge of the concrete from the tip of the cylinder is interrupted, and only the continuously supplied liquid accelerator is sprayed onto the construction target surface, or the discharge amount of the concrete decreases, and the addition rate of the liquid accelerator may increase.

[0005] Therefore, in a concrete spraying device in which pulsation easily occurs in the flow of the concrete, a weak layer due to the liquid accelerator is formed in the sprayed concrete, resulting in problems such as a decrease in the adhesion of the concrete or the sprayed concrete becoming brittle.

[0006] Therefore, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, when pulsation of concrete discharged from a piston-type concrete pump is detected, the motor of the quick-setting agent supply device that supplies the liquid quick-setting agent is stopped rotating to prevent only the liquid quick-setting agent from being sprayed onto the surface to be constructed.

[0007] However, if the supply of the liquid quick-setting agent is stopped every time concrete pulsation is detected, air and concrete may flow into the liquid quick-setting agent pipeline from the spray nozzle, and when the amount of concrete discharged, which has decreased due to pulsation, increases, there is a risk that the supply of the liquid quick-setting agent may not be able to be promptly resumed. Therefore, if the supply of liquid quick-setting agent is stopped every time concrete pulsation is detected, it cannot be said that an appropriate amount of liquid quick-setting agent can be supplied to compensate for fluctuations in the concrete discharge volume caused by pulsation, and there was room for improvement. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-166396 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a concrete spraying apparatus, a concrete spraying method, and a liquid rapid-setting agent adding apparatus that can adjust the amount of liquid rapid-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of concrete by a piston-type concrete pump. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] This invention relates to a concrete spraying device for spraying concrete onto a surface to be constructed by discharging it from the tip of a cylindrical body, comprising: a piston-type concrete pump for pressurizing the concrete into the cylindrical body; a rotary pump for supplying a liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body; a pulsation detection means for detecting pulsations in the concrete; and a control means for controlling the operation of the rotary pump, wherein the control means controls the rotation of the rotary pump at a predetermined set rotation speed according to the desired amount of concrete to be discharged when the pulsation detection means does not detect pulsations in the concrete, and controls the rotation of the rotary pump at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time when the pulsation detection means detects pulsations in the concrete.

[0011] Furthermore, this invention relates to a concrete spraying method for spraying concrete onto a surface to be constructed by discharging concrete from the tip of a cylindrical body, comprising: a concrete pumping step of pumping the concrete into the cylindrical body using a piston-type concrete pump; a rapid-setting agent supply step of supplying a liquid rapid-setting agent to the concrete flowing in the cylindrical body using a rotary pump; a pulsation detection step of detecting pulsations in the concrete using a pulsation detection means; and a control step of controlling the operation of the rotary pump using a control means, wherein the control step is characterized in that, if the pulsation detection means does not detect pulsations in the concrete, the rotary pump is rotated at a predetermined set rotation speed set according to the desired amount of concrete to be discharged, and if the pulsation detection means detects pulsations in the concrete, the rotary pump is rotated at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time.

[0012] Furthermore, this invention relates to a liquid quick-setting agent adding device for adding a liquid quick-setting agent to concrete that is discharged from the tip of a cylindrical body and sprayed onto a surface to be constructed, comprising a rotary pump for supplying the liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body by pressure pumping with a piston-type concrete pump, and a control means for controlling the operation of the rotary pump, wherein the control means controls the rotation of the rotary pump at a predetermined set rotation speed set according to the desired amount of concrete to be discharged when the pulsation of the concrete is not detected by the pulsation detection means, and controls the rotation of the rotary pump at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time when the pulsation of the concrete is detected by the pulsation detection means.

[0013] The piston-type concrete pumps mentioned above refer to piston pumps with a single piston or multiple pistons, or plunger pumps, etc. The rotary pumps mentioned above include gear pumps, vane pumps, and screw pumps (also called screw pumps).

[0014] Detecting concrete pulsation as described above means detecting concrete pulsation by detecting the completion of the extrusion operation of a concrete pump that pushes out concrete, or the completion of the suction operation of a concrete pump that sucks in concrete. Alternatively, detecting concrete pulsation means detecting concrete pulsation in a concrete pump having two or more pistons by detecting the switching of the pistons that push out the concrete.

[0015] Alternatively, detecting concrete pulsation means detecting pulsation based on fluctuations in the discharge pressure or discharge volume of concrete discharged from the tip of a cylinder or from a concrete pump. The low rotation time mentioned above refers to time intervals set based on the time intervals during which the discharge pressure and discharge volume of concrete decrease due to pulsation, or time intervals set based on the time intervals during which the pistons of a piston-type concrete pump are switched.

[0016] According to this invention, if the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a predetermined set rotation speed according to the desired concrete discharge volume, thereby enabling a stable supply of an appropriate amount of liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete according to the concrete discharge volume.

[0017] On the other hand, when the pulsation detection means detects concrete pulsation, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time. Therefore, the concrete spraying device and the liquid quick-setting agent additive device can reduce the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added to concrete discharged at a volume lower than the desired discharge volume.

[0018] In this case, since the rotary pump does not stop rotating, the concrete spraying device and the liquid quick-setting agent additive device prevent air and concrete from flowing into the liquid quick-setting agent pipeline, and can quickly resume supplying the liquid quick-setting agent in accordance with the increase in the amount of concrete discharged, which has decreased due to pulsation.

[0019] As a result, the concrete spraying device, concrete spraying method, and liquid quick-setting agent addition device can continuously supply the liquid quick-setting agent while adjusting the amount added, in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete by the piston-type concrete pump.

[0020] Therefore, the concrete spraying device, concrete spraying method, and liquid rapid-setting agent addition device can improve the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the target surface while reducing the amount of liquid rapid-setting agent used.

[0021] In an embodiment of this invention, the low rotation time may be set to a time interval in which the discharge amount of the concrete decreases to a desired discharge amount due to pulsation. With this configuration, the time interval during which the amount of concrete discharged decreases due to pulsation can be made approximately the same as the time interval during which the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a speed lower than the set rotational speed. As a result, the concrete spraying device can prevent the amount of the liquid accelerator added from being insufficient for the concrete with the desired discharge amount.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the set rotation speed may be set based on an average value of the rotation speed of the rotary pump acquired before starting rotation control based on the pulsation of the concrete detected by the pulsation detection means, or an average value of the addition amount of the liquid accelerator.

[0023] According to this configuration, the set rotation speed can be set in consideration of the rotation variation of the rotary pump or the variation in the addition amount of the liquid accelerator. Therefore, when the pulsation detection means does not detect the pulsation of the concrete, the concrete spraying device can perform rotation control of the rotary pump at a more stable rotation speed.

[0024] In another aspect of the present invention, a rotation speed set lower than the set rotation speed is set as a low set rotation speed, and when the pulsation detection means detects the pulsation of the concrete, the control means gradually decreases the rotation speed of the rotary pump from the set rotation speed to the low set rotation speed, and then gradually increases it from the low set rotation speed to the set rotation speed. It may be configured.

[0025] According to this configuration, the addition amount of the liquid accelerator can be increased or decreased so as to follow the increase or decrease in the pulsation of the concrete discharge amount, so that variations in the addition rate of the liquid accelerator in the concrete can be suppressed.

[0026] As a result, the concrete spraying device can spray the concrete with reduced variation in the addition rate of the liquid accelerator onto the construction target surface, so that the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the construction target surface can be improved.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, the low set rotation speed may be set lower than the set rotation speed by a predetermined ratio. The aforementioned predetermined percentage refers to a value greater than 0 and less than 1.0, etc.

[0028] This configuration facilitates the calculation of low set rotation speeds, and because the rotary pump does not stop rotating, it is possible to reliably and quickly resume the supply of liquid quick-setting agent in response to the increase in the concrete discharge volume that has decreased due to pulsation.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, an operation reception means may be provided to accept adjustments of the predetermined ratio by the user. With this configuration, the user can adjust the low rotation speed of the rotary pump according to the degree of pulsation of the concrete discharged from the tip of the cylinder.

[0030] Alternatively, at a concrete spraying site, the user can adjust the low rotation speed of the rotary pump while checking the condition of the concrete sprayed onto the surface to be worked on. This allows the concrete spraying device to better prevent the formation of weak layers in the sprayed concrete, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the target surface.

[0031] In another aspect of this invention, the piston-type concrete pump may be provided with a plurality of cylinders that house a piston, and the cylinders communicating with the cylindrical body may be configured to be switchable in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the piston, and the pulsation detection means may be configured to detect the switching of the cylinders communicating with the cylindrical body as pulsation of the concrete.

[0032] Detecting the switching of the cylinders mentioned above means detecting the operation of a mechanism that switches the cylinders communicating with the cylindrical body, or detecting the switching of the cylinders communicating with the cylindrical body based on the stroke position of the piston.

[0033] This configuration allows for more accurate detection of the onset of concrete pulsation compared to, for example, monitoring the flow rate of concrete flowing through a cylindrical body to detect concrete pulsation. As a result, the concrete spraying device can reliably adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete.

[0034] In another aspect of this invention, the rotary pump may be configured as a rotor-stator type pump. With this configuration, regardless of the rotation speed of the rotary pump, the liquid quick-setting agent can be continuously supplied to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body while suppressing pulsation. As a result, the concrete spraying device can further reduce variations in the addition rate of liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the tip of the cylinder.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, an operation reception means may be provided for receiving adjustments of the set rotation speed by the user. Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, an operation reception means may be provided for receiving adjustments of the low rotation time by the user. With this configuration, the user can adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added to the concrete discharged from the tip of the cylinder, according to the degree of pulsation of the concrete discharged from the tip of the cylinder.

[0036] Alternatively, at a concrete spraying site, the user can adjust the addition rate of the liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the tip of the cylinder while checking the condition of the concrete sprayed onto the target surface. This allows the concrete spraying device to better prevent the formation of weak layers in the sprayed concrete, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the target surface.

[0037] In another aspect of this invention, the control means may be configured to control the rotational speed of the rotary pump by inverter control. This configuration allows for precise rotational control of the rotary pump to track fluctuations in the concrete discharge volume. As a result, the concrete spraying device can precisely adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added in conjunction with the concrete's pulsation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] The present invention provides a concrete spraying apparatus, a concrete spraying method, and a liquid rapid-setting agent adding apparatus that can adjust the amount of liquid rapid-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of concrete by a piston-type concrete pump. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram illustrating the general structure of a concrete spraying system. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the internal configuration of a concrete spraying apparatus. [Figure 3] An explanatory diagram illustrating the basic structure of a concrete pump. [Figure 4] An explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of a concrete pump and a rotary pump. [Figure 5] A sequence diagram showing the flow of processing operations in a concrete spraying device. [Figure 6] An explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an additive management screen. [Figure 7] A flowchart illustrating the processing flow in the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the flow of pulsation-linked processing. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram illustrating the rotational state of a rotary pump. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram illustrating the schematic of a concrete spraying apparatus in another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0040] One embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a concrete spraying device 1 that discharges concrete from the tip of a cylindrical body and sprays it onto the surface to be worked on will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0041] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the outline of the concrete spraying apparatus 1, Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the internal configuration of the concrete spraying apparatus 1, Figure 3 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the outline of the concrete pump 11, and Figure 4 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of the concrete pump 11 and the rotary pump 44.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the concrete spraying apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus that, for example, at a tunnel excavation site, sprays concrete onto the ground G after tunnel excavation using a wet spraying method to form a sprayed concrete layer.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, this concrete spraying apparatus 1 comprises a concrete pumping unit 10 for pumping concrete, an air compressor 30 for supplying compressed air to the pumped concrete, and a liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 for supplying a liquid quick-setting agent to the pumped concrete.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the concrete spraying apparatus 1 is equipped with a remote control device 60 for the user M to remotely operate the concrete pumping unit 10, the air compressor 30, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40.

[0045] First, as shown in Figure 1, the concrete pumping unit 10 includes a concrete pump 11 having a hopper 21 for temporarily storing concrete, and a pouring hose 12 and a spray nozzle 13 connected to the concrete pump 11.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the concrete pumping unit 10 includes a first pumping operation detection unit 14 and a second pumping operation detection unit 15 that detect the operating state of the concrete pump 11, and a flow detection unit 16 that detects the flow of concrete.

[0047] In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the concrete pumping unit 10 includes an operation display unit 17 that displays various information and accepts various operations from the user, an input / output unit 18 that receives and receives various information from external devices, and a pumping control unit 19 that controls the operation of these units.

[0048] Specifically, the concrete pump 11 is a double-piston type pump unit, as shown in Figure 3(a). This concrete pump 11 includes a hopper 21 for temporarily storing concrete unloaded from the agitator truck T (see Figure 1), a pair of pump bodies 23 that communicate with the pouring hose 12 via a connecting pipe 22 that passes below the hopper 21, and a sliding mechanism (not shown) for sliding the pair of pump bodies 23.

[0049] As shown in Figure 3, the hopper 21 is a roughly box-shaped structure with an open top, and includes a screw blade (not shown) for agitating the concrete, and a rotational drive unit (not shown) that rotates the screw blade according to a control signal from the pumping control unit 19.

[0050] The hopper 21 includes two suction pipes 21a that connect the inside of the hopper 21 to the pump body 23, and a connecting member 21b that connects the pump body 23 side of the two suction pipes 21a. The connecting pipe 22 is positioned between the two suction pipes 21a and connects one of the pump bodies 23 and the driving hose 12 via an opening provided in the connecting member 21b.

[0051] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the pair of pump bodies 23 are slidably mounted on the connecting member 21b of the hopper 21, and are configured to switch which pump body 23 is communicating with the communication piping 22 by a control signal from the pressure feeding control unit 19.

[0052] In this configuration, one pump body 23 is connected to the connecting pipe 22, while the other pump body 23 is connected to the inside of the hopper 21 via one of the two suction pipes 21a of the hopper 21.

[0053] The pair of pump bodies 23 are configured to simultaneously perform the following actions based on a control signal from the pumping control unit 19: one pump body 23 sucks up the concrete stored in the hopper 21, and the other pump body 23 pushes the sucked-up concrete through the connecting pipe 22 to the pouring hose 12.

[0054] More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the pump body 23 is a piston pump having a hydraulic actuator 24 that extends and retracts based on a control signal from the pressure feeding control unit 19, a piston 25 connected to the hydraulic actuator 24, and a cylinder 26 that houses the piston 25.

[0055] These pair of pump bodies 23 constitute part of a sliding mechanism that slides the pair of pump bodies 23 relative to the connecting member 21b of the hopper 21, and are supported by a substantially flat support member 27 having two openings that communicate with the cylinder 26.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the support member 27 is configured to function as a blocking member that closes off the other suction pipe 21a when one suction pipe 21a of the hopper 21 and one pump body 23 are in communication.

[0057] As shown in Figure 3, this pair of pump bodies 23 is configured such that the hydraulic actuators 24 alternately extend and retract based on control signals from the pumping control unit 19, thereby enabling the suction of concrete stored in the hopper 21 and the expulsion of the suctioned concrete into the pouring hose 12 to be performed almost simultaneously.

[0058] Furthermore, in the concrete pump 11 with the above configuration, the supply of concrete to the pouring hose 12 is interrupted between the time one pump body 23 finishes pushing concrete into the pouring hose 12 and the time the other pump body 23 slides and starts pushing concrete into the pouring hose 12.

[0059] Therefore, the concrete pumping unit 10 is configured such that pulsation occurs in the flow of concrete from the concrete pump 11 to the spray nozzle 13, and the discharge pressure and discharge volume of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13 are lower than the desired predetermined discharge pressure and discharge volume due to the pulsation.

[0060] For the sake of clarity in the following explanation, we define the switching operation of the pump body 23 as the movement of one pump body 23 to the other pump body 23 after it has finished pushing concrete into the pouring hose 12, and the difference between the time when the switching operation of the pump body 23 starts and the time when it is completed as the switching time Δt1 (see Figure 4).

[0061] Furthermore, the concrete pouring hose 12 is a cylindrical body through which concrete flows, and as shown in Figure 3, it is connected to a connecting pipe 22 that passes below the hopper 21. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the spray nozzle 13 is connected to the tip of the pouring hose 12 and is formed in a shape that tapers towards the tip.

[0062] Inside the spray nozzle 13, there is a shower ring (not shown) that diffuses compressed air from the air compressor 30 and liquid fastener from the liquid fastener addition unit 40 in a shower-like manner and introduces them into the concrete.

[0063] The shower ring is a cylindrical body having an outer surface that forms a sealed space with the inner surface of the spray nozzle 13, and an inner space through which concrete flows. Multiple openings are formed to introduce compressed air and liquid quick-setting agent from the sealed space into the inner space.

[0064] Furthermore, the spray nozzle 13 is connected to a pair of introduction hoses 13a that supply compressed air and liquid fastener to the sealed space formed by the shower ring. The other end of the introduction hose 13a is connected to each other, and is also connected to an air hose 31 through which compressed air flows and an additive hose 41 through which liquid fastener flows.

[0065] Furthermore, the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15 are composed of limit switches attached to the hydraulic actuator 24 and have the function of detecting the extension of the hydraulic actuator 24 and the function of outputting a signal indicating the extension of the hydraulic actuator 24 to the pumping control unit 19.

[0066] In other words, the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15 have the function of detecting the extrusion operation of the hydraulic actuator 24 that moves the piston 25 toward the hopper 21 to extrude concrete, and the function of outputting a pumping operation signal indicating the detection of the extrusion operation to the pumping control unit 19.

[0067] As described above, since neither the first pump body 23 nor the second pump body 23 extends between the time one pump body 23 finishes extruding the concrete and the time the other pump body 23 slides to begin extruding the concrete, neither the first pumping operation detection unit 14 nor the second pumping operation detection unit 15 outputs a pumping operation signal.

[0068] In other words, if no pumping operation signal is output, the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15 are detecting pulsations occurring in the flow of concrete being pumped toward the spray nozzle 13. This allows the concrete pumping unit 10 to detect pulsations in the concrete being pumped from the concrete pump 11.

[0069] Furthermore, the flow detection unit 16 is a detection means that detects the flow of concrete by pressure or flow rate, and in this embodiment, it consists of a pressure gauge attached near the spray nozzle 13 on the downstream side of the pouring hose 12. This flow detection unit 16 has the function of detecting fluctuations in the pressure of concrete flowing into the spray nozzle 13 as fluctuations in the discharge pressure and discharge volume of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13, and the function of outputting a discharge signal indicating the detected fluctuations in discharge pressure and discharge volume to the pumping control unit 19.

[0070] Furthermore, the operation display unit 17 is composed of, for example, a touch panel display and has the function of receiving various operations from the user, the function of outputting information indicating the received input operations to the pressure feeding control unit 19, and the function of displaying various information based on control signals from the pressure feeding control unit 19.

[0071] Furthermore, the input / output section 18 is composed of, for example, appropriate connection terminals, and has the function of connecting external devices and the function of exchanging various information with external devices. As shown in Figure 2, a liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 and a remote control device 60 are connected to the input / output section 18 of the concrete pumping unit 10 as external devices.

[0072] Furthermore, the pumping control unit 19 is composed of hardware such as a CPU and memory, and software such as a control program. This pumping control unit 19 has a processing function for sending and receiving various signals between the concrete pump 11, the first pumping operation detection unit 14, the second pumping operation detection unit 15, the flow detection unit 16, the operation display unit 17, and the input / output unit 18, as well as a function for controlling the operation of each unit connected via a predetermined bus.

[0073] Furthermore, the pumping control unit 19 has the function of acquiring various information from the remote control device 60 and the function of outputting pumping operation signals from the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15 to the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40. In addition, the pumping control unit 19 has the function of outputting various information as pumping information to the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, such as the discharge pressure of concrete based on the discharge pressure signal from the flow detection unit 16, and the discharge amount of the concrete pump 11 calculated based on the operating speed and mechanical efficiency of the concrete pump 11.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the air compressor 30 of the concrete spraying device 1 is connected to the introduction hose 13a of the concrete pumping unit 10 via an air hose 31. This air compressor 30 has the function of supplying compressed air to the spray nozzle 13 based on a control signal from the remote control device 60 described later, and the function of outputting various information such as the discharge pressure and discharge amount of compressed air to the concrete pumping unit 10 via the remote control device 60.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 of the concrete spraying apparatus 1 consists of an addition unit body 42 connected to the spraying nozzle 13 via an addition hose 41, and a quick-setting agent tank 43 that stores the liquid quick-setting agent supplied to the addition unit body 42.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the additive unit body 42 includes a rotary pump 44 that pressurizes the liquid fastener from the fastener tank 43 to the additive hose 41, an inverter 45 for inverter-controlled operation of the rotary pump 44, and a flow meter 46 for detecting the flow rate of the liquid fastener discharged from the rotary pump 44.

[0077] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the additive unit body 42 includes an operation display unit 47 that displays various information and accepts various operations from the user, a storage unit 48 that stores various information, an input / output unit 49 that receives and receives various information from external devices, and an additive control unit 50 that controls the operation of these units.

[0078] More specifically, the rotary pump 44 is, for example, a rotary positive displacement single-screw eccentric pump (also called a rotor-stator pump), and consists of a stator having a helical inner surface, a helical rotor housed in the stator, and a motor that rotates the rotor.

[0079] This rotary pump 44 is configured to continuously pump the liquid fastener stored in the cavity between the rotor and the stator into the addition hose 41 by rotating a helical rotor with a motor. The motor of the rotary pump 44 is connected to the inverter 45, and its rotation is controlled by the power supplied by the inverter 45.

[0080] Furthermore, the inverter 45 has the function of controlling the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 by changing the output frequency of the power output to the rotary pump 44 based on the control signal from the additive control unit 50. Furthermore, the flow meter 46 is located downstream of the rotary pump 44 and has the function of detecting the flow rate of the liquid fastener discharged from the rotary pump 44, and outputting a flow rate signal indicating the detected flow rate to the additive control unit 50.

[0081] Furthermore, the operation display unit 47 is composed of, for example, a touch panel display and has the function of receiving various operations from the user, the function of outputting information indicating the received input operations to the additive control unit 50, and the function of displaying various information based on control signals from the additive control unit 50.

[0082] Furthermore, the memory unit 48 is composed of, for example, non-volatile memory and has the function of writing and storing various types of information, and the function of reading and storing various types of information. This memory unit 48 stores registered information 48a and other information used in the pulsation-linked processing described later.

[0083] Specifically, the registration information 48a includes the setting upper frequency and lower frequency calculation coefficients, which are setting values ​​related to the output frequency of the inverter 45 registered by the user, the delay time Δt2 based on the operating timing of the pump body 23, and the low rotation time Δt3, which indicates the time interval for reducing the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44.

[0084] Furthermore, the registration information 48a includes, as registered by the user, the deceleration time when the output frequency of the inverter 45 is reduced and the acceleration time when the output frequency of the inverter 45 is increased in the pulsation-linked processing described later.

[0085] Here, the set upper frequency limit is the upper limit value of the output frequency of the inverter 45, and indicates the output frequency at which the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 is set to the upper limit rotational speed at which a predetermined amount of liquid fastener can be pumped, resulting in a predetermined addition rate of liquid fastener to a desired predetermined discharge volume of concrete. This set upper frequency limit is set to, for example, 10 Hz.

[0086] The set upper frequency limit is the average value of the output frequency of the inverter 45 measured by the additive control unit 50 when the rotary pump 44 is actually driven to supply a predetermined amount of liquid fastener to the spray nozzle 13. In other words, the set upper frequency limit indicates the output frequency based on the average rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 that supplies a predetermined amount of liquid fastener to the spray nozzle 13.

[0087] The lower frequency calculation coefficient is a coefficient used to calculate the lower limit of the set output frequency of the inverter 45 (hereinafter referred to as the set lower frequency) by multiplying it by the set upper frequency. This lower frequency calculation coefficient is a value greater than 0 and less than 1.0, for example, 0.3. The lower limit frequency setting is a setting value that indicates the lower limit of the output frequency when the output frequency of the inverter 45 is lowered in accordance with the decrease in the amount of concrete discharged due to the switching operation of the pump body 23.

[0088] In other words, the lower frequency coefficient is a coefficient used to calculate the set lower rotational speed, which is obtained by reducing the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 by a rotational difference Δd (see Figure 4) from the set upper rotational speed, in accordance with the decrease in the amount of concrete discharged due to the switching operation of the pump body 23.

[0089] The delay time Δt2 is a time interval set based on the difference between the timing of the switching operation of the pump body 23, which occurs when the spray nozzle 13 is positioned at a distance from the pump body 23, and the timing of the fluctuation in the amount of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13.

[0090] More specifically, the delay time Δt2 is the difference between the start time of the switching operation of the pump body 23 and the time when the amount of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13 begins to decrease, as shown in Figure 4. The delay time Δt2 is a time interval pre-measured by the concrete pumping control unit 19, where the start time of the decrease in concrete discharge pressure detected by the flow detection unit 16 in the concrete pumping unit 10 is used as the start time of the decrease in concrete discharge volume. The additive control unit 50 sets this in the registration information 48a based on the pumping information acquired from the concrete pumping unit 10.

[0091] As shown in Figure 4, the low rotation time Δt3 is a time interval in which the rotary pump 44 is controlled to rotate at an output frequency below the set upper limit frequency and above the set lower limit frequency, and is set to a time interval based on the pulsation time Δt4, which indicates the time interval in which pulsation occurs in the discharge amount of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13. This low rotation time Δt3 is set to approximately the same time interval as the pulsation time Δt4, as an example.

[0092] In other words, the low rotation time Δt3 is the time interval during which the rotary pump 44 is driven to rotate at a speed below the set upper limit rotation speed and above the set lower limit rotation speed, and is set to be approximately the same as the time interval during which the concrete discharge volume falls below the desired discharge volume due to the switching operation of the pump body 23.

[0093] Furthermore, the low rotation time Δt3 is determined by the decrease in concrete discharge pressure, which is interpreted as a decrease in concrete discharge volume. The pumping control unit 19 of the concrete pumping unit 10 has previously measured the pulsation time Δt4, which the additive control unit 50 has acquired as pumping information and set in the registered information 48a.

[0094] The deceleration time is the time interval required for the output frequency of the inverter 45 to decrease from a predetermined frequency to 0 Hz, and is set to 2.5 seconds, for example, as the time interval for decreasing from 60 Hz to 0 Hz. The acceleration time is the time interval required for the output frequency of the inverter 45 to rise from 0 Hz to a predetermined frequency, and is set to 10 seconds, for example, as the time interval for rising from 0 Hz to 60 Hz.

[0095] Furthermore, the deceleration time and acceleration time are set to a value such that the time interval required to gradually decrease the output frequency of the inverter 45 from the set upper frequency to the set lower frequency, and then gradually increase it back to the set upper frequency, in the pulsation-linked processing described later, is the low rotation time Δt3 shown in Figure 4.

[0096] Furthermore, the input / output section 49 of the additive unit body 42 is composed of, for example, appropriate connection terminals, and has the function of connecting external devices and the function of exchanging various information with external devices. As shown in Figure 2, the input / output unit 49 is connected to an external device, which includes a concrete pumping unit 10 and a remote control device 60.

[0097] Furthermore, the additive control unit 50 is composed of hardware such as a CPU and memory, and software such as a control program. This additive control unit 50 has processing functions for the exchange of various signals between the inverter 45, flow meter 46, operation display unit 47, storage unit 48 and input / output unit 49, a function to control the operation of each unit connected via a predetermined bus, and a processing function for the exchange of various signals between the concrete pumping unit 10 and the remote control device 60.

[0098] Furthermore, the remote control device 60 is wired to the concrete pumping unit 10, the air compressor 30, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, and is a portable operating device for the user M.

[0099] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the remote control device 60 is equipped with various switches for operating the concrete pumping unit 10, various switches for operating the air compressor 30, and various switches for operating the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40.

[0100] For example, the remote control device 60 includes an operation start switch and an operation stop switch for the concrete pump 11, an operation start switch and an operation stop switch for the air compressor 30, and an operation start switch and an operation stop switch for the rotary pump 44.

[0101] Furthermore, the remote control device 60 is configured to output control signals corresponding to switches operated by user M to the concrete pumping unit 10, the air compressor 30, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40.

[0102] Next, the processing operation of the concrete spraying apparatus 1 with the above configuration will be explained using Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 shows a sequence diagram of the processing operation flow in the concrete spraying device 1, Figure 6 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the additive management screen 200, Figure 7 shows a flowchart of the processing operation flow in the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, and Figure 8 shows a flowchart of the pulsation-linked processing flow.

[0103] First, when power is supplied by the user, the concrete pumping unit 10 and the liquid quick-setting agent adding unit 40 each execute a predetermined program and begin processing operations. Specifically, when power is supplied to the concrete pumping unit 10 by user operation, the pumping control unit 19 displays a pumping management screen (not shown) for managing the concrete pumping status on the operation display unit 17, as shown in Figure 5 (step S101).

[0104] In this process, the user sets the desired concrete discharge volume and other parameters according to the instructions on the pumping management screen. When the pumping management screen (not shown) is displayed on the operation display unit 17, the pumping control unit 19 of the concrete pumping unit 10 starts the concrete pumping process for pumping concrete (step S102), as shown in Figure 5, and waits for the process to start until it receives an operation start signal from the remote control device 60.

[0105] Meanwhile, when power is supplied to the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 by user operation, the addition control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 displays an addition management screen 200 for managing the supply status of the liquid quick-setting agent on the operation display unit 47, as shown in Figure 5 (step S103).

[0106] On this additive management screen 200, as shown in Figure 6 for example, a menu button 201 for displaying a menu is displayed at the top of the screen, and the measurement value field 202 in the upper left of the screen displays the amount and rate of liquid fastener added, calculated based on the flow rate signal from the flow meter 46, and the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44, calculated based on the output frequency of the inverter 45.

[0107] Furthermore, on the additive management screen 200, the setting value field 203 in the upper right corner of the screen displays the upper limit rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 calculated based on the upper limit frequency registered in the registration information 48a, the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient registered in the registration information 48a, and the lower limit rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 calculated based on the upper limit frequency and the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient.

[0108] In addition, the additive management screen 200 displays the discharge volume of the concrete pump 11 and the concrete discharge pressure, etc., as indicated by the pumping information obtained from the concrete pumping unit 10, in the pumping unit section 204 at the bottom of the screen. Furthermore, when the user presses the menu button 201 on the additive management screen 200, a settings menu field 210 for updating the registered information 48a is displayed, as shown in Figure 6.

[0109] As shown in Figure 6, this settings menu section 210 displays an upper limit rotation speed change button 211 that accepts user changes to the upper limit rotation speed, a coefficient change button 212 that accepts user changes to the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient, a delay time change button 213 that accepts user changes to the delay time Δt2, and a low rotation time change button 214 that accepts user changes to the low rotation time Δt3.

[0110] Furthermore, if the user presses the upper limit rotation speed change button 211 in the settings menu 210, the additive control unit 50 displays a screen to accept the user's change of the set upper limit frequency, and updates the registration information 48a by accepting the change of the set upper limit frequency at predetermined frequency intervals.

[0111] Furthermore, when the user presses the coefficient change button 212 in the settings menu 210, the additive control unit 50 displays a screen that accepts the user's change of the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient, and updates the registration information 48a by accepting the change of the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient at predetermined intervals.

[0112] Furthermore, when the delay time change button 213 in the settings menu 210 is pressed by the user, the additive control unit 50 displays a screen to accept the user's change of delay time Δt2, and updates the registration information 48a by accepting the change of delay time Δt2 at predetermined time intervals.

[0113] Furthermore, when the user presses the low rotation time change button 214 in the settings menu 210, the additive control unit 50 displays a screen to accept the user's change of the low rotation time Δt3, and updates the registration information 48a by accepting the change of the low rotation time Δt3 at predetermined time intervals.

[0114] When the additive management screen 200 is displayed on the operation display unit 47, the additive control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent additive unit 40 starts the liquid quick-setting agent additive process to add the liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete (step S104), as shown in Figure 5, and waits for the process to start until it receives an operation start signal from the remote control device 60.

[0115] Then, while the concrete pumping unit 10 and the liquid quick-setting agent adding unit 40 are waiting to receive an operation start signal from the remote control device 60, user M operates the remote control device 60 to start the operation of the air compressor 30.

[0116] Upon receiving a command from user M to start the operation of the air compressor 30, the remote control device 60 outputs a control signal to the air compressor 30 indicating the start of operation, as shown in Figure 5 (step S105). In this case, the air compressor 30, having received a control signal indicating the start of operation, operates at an operating speed capable of discharging concrete at the desired predetermined discharge pressure.

[0117] Furthermore, user M, who initiated the operation of the air compressor 30, operates the remote control device 60 to begin spraying concrete onto the ground G. At this point, the remote control device 60, having received the operation to start concrete spraying by user M, outputs an operation start signal to both the concrete pumping unit 10 and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, as shown in Figure 5 (step S106).

[0118] In step S102 of Figure 5, when the concrete pumping unit 10, which has started the concrete pumping process, receives an operation start signal from the remote control device 60, the pumping control unit 19 operates the concrete pump 11 at an operating speed that enables it to discharge a predetermined amount of concrete as desired.

[0119] Subsequently, the pumping control unit 19 outputs the pumping operation signal output by the first pumping operation detection unit 14 or the second pumping operation detection unit 15 to the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, and also repeatedly outputs pumping information indicating the concrete discharge pressure based on the discharge pressure signal from the flow detection unit 16 to the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 at predetermined time intervals.

[0120] Here, the concrete stored in the hopper 21 is pushed out from the pump body 23, which is connected to the connecting pipe 22, into the pouring hose 12 by the operation of the hydraulic actuator 24, which alternately expands and contracts, and is then pumped towards the spray nozzle 13.

[0121] In this process, the switching operation of the pump body 23 causes pulsation in the flow of concrete from the concrete pump 11 to the spray nozzle 13. As a result, the amount of concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13 begins to decrease with a delay of Δt2 relative to the start time of the switching operation of the pump body 23, as shown in Figure 4. After gradually decreasing over time, it begins to increase with a delay of Δt2 relative to the completion time of the switching operation of the pump body 23.

[0122] Once the spraying of concrete onto the ground G is complete, user M operates the remote control device 60 to stop the spraying of concrete onto the ground G, and then stops the operation of the air compressor 30.

[0123] In this case, the remote control device 60, which has received the user M's command to stop concrete spraying, outputs an operation stop signal to both the concrete pumping unit 10 and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, as shown in Figure 5 (step S107). Furthermore, upon receiving a command from user M to stop the operation of the air compressor 30, the remote control device 60 outputs a control signal to the air compressor 30 indicating that it has stopped operation, as shown in Figure 5 (step S108).

[0124] At this point, the concrete pumping control unit 19 of the concrete pumping unit 10, having received the operation stop signal, stops the operation of the concrete pump 11 and completes all processing. Furthermore, upon receiving the operation stop signal, the additive control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent additive unit 40 stops the rotation of the rotary pump 44 in step S128 of Figure 8, which will be described later, and completes all processing. Subsequently, the air compressor 30, having received the operation stop signal, stops its operation based on the operation stop signal.

[0125] On the other hand, in step S104 of Figure 5, the addition control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40, which has started the liquid quick-setting agent addition process, determines whether or not it has received an operation start signal from the remote control device 60, as shown in Figure 7 (step S111).

[0126] If the operation start signal from the remote control device 60 has not been received (step S111: No), the additive control unit 50 waits until it receives the operation start signal from the remote control device 60.

[0127] On the other hand, if an operation start signal is received from the remote control device 60 (step S111: Yes), the additive control unit 50 rotates the rotary pump 44 via the inverter 45 to start supplying the liquid quick-setting agent to the spray nozzle 13 (step S112).

[0128] In this case, the inverter 45 rotates the motor of the rotary pump 44 with power at the output frequency of the set upper limit frequency registered in the registration information 48a, based on the control signal from the additive control unit 50.

[0129] As a result, the liquid quick-setting agent in the quick-setting agent tank 43 is pumped by the rotary pump 44 through the addition hose 41 to the introduction hose 13a, where it is mixed with the compressed air flowing through the introduction hose 13a. Therefore, the liquid quick-setting agent is added to the concrete inside the spray nozzle 13 in a state mixed with compressed air.

[0130] When the supply of the liquid quick-setting agent is started, the additive control unit 50 starts a pulsation-linked process to adjust the supply amount of the liquid quick-setting agent in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete flow, as shown in Figure 7 (step S113). When the pulsation-linked processing is started, the additive control unit 50 determines whether or not it has detected the start of the switching operation of the pump body 23, as shown in Figure 8 (step S121).

[0131] Specifically, the additive control unit 50 determines that it has not detected the start of the switching operation of the pump body 23 when it has received a pumping operation signal from the concrete pumping unit 10, and determines that it has detected the start of the switching operation of the pump body 23 when the acquisition of the pumping operation signal from the concrete pumping unit 10 is interrupted.

[0132] When the start of the switching operation of the pump body 23 is detected (step S121: Yes), the additive control unit 50 determines that it has detected pulsation in the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13, and after a delay time Δt2 has elapsed from the time the start of the switching operation was detected, it gradually reduces the output frequency of the inverter 45 at a predetermined rate of decrease (step S122).

[0133] The predetermined deceleration rate is determined based on the registered information 48a, for example, by the amount of change in output frequency per unit time when the output frequency is reduced from 60 Hz to 0 Hz with a deceleration time of 2.5 seconds.

[0134] When the output frequency of the inverter 45 begins to decrease, the additive control unit 50 determines whether the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is the set lower limit frequency calculated by multiplying the set upper limit frequency by the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient (step S123).

[0135] If the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is not at the set lower limit frequency (step S123: No), the additive control unit 50 waits until the output frequency of the inverter 45 drops to the set lower limit frequency before proceeding.

[0136] On the other hand, if the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is at the set lower limit frequency (step S123: Yes), the additive control unit 50 gradually increases the output frequency of the inverter 45 at a predetermined rate of increase (step S124). The predetermined rate of increase is determined based on the registered information 48a, for example, by the amount of change in output frequency per unit time when the output frequency is increased from 0 Hz to 60 Hz with an acceleration time of 10 seconds.

[0137] When the output frequency of the inverter 45 starts to increase, the additive control unit 50 determines whether the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is the set upper limit frequency (step S125). If the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is not the set upper limit frequency (step S125: No), the additive control unit 50 waits for processing until the output frequency of the inverter 45 reaches the set upper limit frequency.

[0138] On the other hand, if the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is at the set upper limit frequency (step S125: Yes), the additive control unit 50 controls the operation of the inverter 45 to maintain the set upper limit frequency and controls the rotation of the rotary pump 44 (step S126).

[0139] In this case, as described above, the deceleration time and acceleration time are set so that the time interval required to reduce the output frequency of the inverter 45 from the set upper frequency to the set lower frequency and then raise it back up to the set upper frequency is the low rotation time Δt3, i.e., the pulsation time Δt4. Therefore, the additive control unit 50 controls the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at a rotation speed below the set upper frequency and above the set lower frequency for a period of low rotation time Δt3 = pulsation time Δt4.

[0140] Then, if the inverter 45 is controlling the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at the output frequency of the set upper limit frequency, or if the start of the switching operation of the pump body 23 has not been detected in step S121 (step S121: Yes), the additive control unit 50 determines whether or not it has received the operation stop signal output by the remote control device 60 in step S107 of Figure 5 to stop pumping concrete (step S127).

[0141] If the operation stop signal is not received from the remote control device 60 (step S127: No), the additive control unit 50 returns to step S121, as shown in Figure 8, and repeats the process from step S121 to step S127 until the stop signal is received.

[0142] On the other hand, if a stop signal is received from the remote control device 60 (step S127: Yes), the additive control unit 50 stops the rotation of the motor of the rotary pump 44 via the inverter 45 (step S128), and then terminates all processing.

[0143] In this way, the concrete spraying device 1 adjusts the amount of liquid fastener supplied to the concrete by using an inverter to control the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 in accordance with the pulsation of the concrete flow.

[0144] Here, as a comparative example, we will explain the change in the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 in this embodiment using Figure 9, which shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the rotational state of the rotary pump 44, by comparing the case where the rotary pump 44 is controlled to rotate at the output frequency of the set upper limit frequency, regardless of whether or not there is concrete pulsation.

[0145] First, in the comparative example, as shown in Figure 9(a), the rotary pump 44 rotates at a substantially constant speed, so a predetermined amount of liquid quick-setting agent is continuously supplied to the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13.

[0146] Therefore, in the comparative example, it can be seen that the addition rate of the liquid rapid-setting agent to concrete with a discharge volume less than the desired predetermined discharge volume increases compared to the addition rate of the liquid rapid-setting agent to concrete with a desired predetermined discharge volume.

[0147] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9(b), when the concrete discharge pressure drops below a predetermined discharge pressure due to the switching operation of the pump body 23, the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 decreases in synchronization with the start of the decrease in discharge pressure.

[0148] Therefore, in this embodiment, liquid quick-setting agent is continuously supplied to the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13, and it can be seen that the amount of liquid quick-setting agent supplied is increased or decreased to follow the changes in the discharge pressure of the concrete. Therefore, it can be said that this embodiment suppresses the variation in the addition rate of liquid quick-setting agent to concrete compared to the comparative example.

[0149] In this way, this embodiment suppresses variations in the addition rate of liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13, thereby enabling the formation of a better concrete layer on the ground G compared to the comparative example.

[0150] As described above, the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 in this embodiment is a device that adds a liquid quick-setting agent to concrete that is discharged from the spray nozzle 13 and sprayed onto the ground G. This liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 includes a rotary pump 44 for supplying a liquid quick-setting agent to concrete flowing through a spray nozzle 13 by pressure pumping from a piston-type concrete pump 11, and control means (addition control unit 50 and inverter 45) for controlling the operation of the rotary pump 44.

[0151] Furthermore, the control means is configured such that if concrete pulsation is not detected by the pulsation detection means (first pumping operation detection unit 14 and second pumping operation detection unit 15), the rotary pump 44 is rotated at a set upper limit rotation speed that is set according to the desired predetermined amount of concrete discharged, and if concrete pulsation is detected by the pulsation detection means, the rotary pump 44 is rotated at a rotation speed lower than the set upper limit rotation speed for a low rotation time Δt3 (pulsation time Δt4).

[0152] Furthermore, the concrete spraying apparatus 1 in this embodiment includes a piston-type concrete pump 11 for pressurizing concrete into the pouring hose 12, and a rotary pump 44 for supplying a liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete flowing through the spraying nozzle 13.

[0153] Furthermore, the concrete spraying apparatus 1 includes pulsation detection means (first pumping operation detection unit 14 and second pumping operation detection unit 15) for detecting concrete pulsation, and control means (addition control unit 50 and inverter 45) for controlling the operation of the rotary pump 44.

[0154] The control means is configured to rotate the rotary pump 44 at a set upper limit rotation speed, which is set according to the desired predetermined amount of concrete discharge, if the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation, and to rotate the rotary pump 44 at a rotation speed lower than the set upper limit rotation speed for a low rotation time Δt3 (pulsation time Δt4) if the pulsation detection means detects concrete pulsation.

[0155] Furthermore, the concrete spraying method in this embodiment is a method of spraying concrete onto the ground G by discharging it from a spraying nozzle 13. This concrete spraying method consists of a concrete pumping step in which concrete is pumped into a pouring hose 12 by a piston-type concrete pump 11, and a fastener supply step in which a liquid fastener is supplied to the flowing concrete through a spray nozzle 13 by a rotary pump 44.

[0156] Furthermore, the concrete spraying method includes a pulsation detection step in which pulsation detection means (first pumping operation detection unit 14 and second pumping operation detection unit 15) detect pulsations in the concrete, and a control step in which control means (addition control unit 50 and inverter 45) control the operation of the rotary pump 44.

[0157] Furthermore, in the concrete spraying method, if the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation, the rotary pump 44 is rotated at a set upper limit rotation speed that is set according to the desired predetermined amount of concrete discharged. If the pulsation detection means detects concrete pulsation, the rotary pump 44 is rotated at a rotation speed lower than the set upper limit rotation speed for a low rotation time Δt3 (pulsation time Δt4).

[0158] With this configuration, if the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation, the rotary pump 44 is controlled to rotate at a set upper limit rotation speed according to the desired predetermined concrete discharge amount, thereby enabling a stable supply of an appropriate amount of liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete according to the predetermined concrete discharge amount.

[0159] On the other hand, when the pulsation detection means detects concrete pulsation, the rotary pump 44 is controlled to rotate at a rotation speed lower than the set upper limit rotation speed for a low rotation time Δt3 (pulsation time Δt4). As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 can reduce the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added to concrete discharged at a discharge volume lower than the desired predetermined discharge volume.

[0160] In this case, since the rotation of the rotary pump 44 does not stop, the concrete spraying device 1 and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 prevent air and concrete from flowing into the liquid quick-setting agent addition hose 41, and can quickly resume supplying the liquid quick-setting agent in accordance with the increase in the amount of concrete discharged which has decreased due to pulsation.

[0161] As a result, the concrete spraying device 1, the concrete spraying method, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 can continuously supply the liquid quick-setting agent while adjusting the amount added, in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete by the piston-type concrete pump 11.

[0162] Therefore, the concrete spraying apparatus 1, concrete spraying method, and liquid rapid-setting agent addition unit 40 can improve the quality of concrete sprayed onto the ground G while reducing the amount of liquid rapid-setting agent used.

[0163] Furthermore, the low rotation time Δt3 is set to the pulsation time Δt4, during which the concrete discharge volume decreases below the desired discharge volume due to pulsation. With this configuration, the pulsation time Δt4, during which the amount of concrete discharged decreases due to pulsation, and the low rotation time Δt3, during which the rotary pump 44 is controlled to rotate at a speed lower than the set upper limit rotation speed, can be made approximately the same. This prevents the concrete spraying device 1 from having insufficient liquid fastener added to the desired amount of concrete discharged.

[0164] Furthermore, since the set upper limit rotation speed is set based on the average value of the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 acquired before starting rotation control based on the concrete pulsation detected by the pulsation detection means, the concrete spraying device 1 can set an upper limit rotation speed that takes into account the rotational variation of the rotary pump 44.

[0165] Therefore, the concrete spraying device 1 can control the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at a more stable rotational speed when the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation.

[0166] Furthermore, the control means (addition control unit 50 and inverter 45) is configured such that when the pulsation detection means detects pulsation in the concrete, it gradually decreases the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 from the set upper limit rotation speed to the set lower limit rotation speed, and then gradually increases it from the set lower limit rotation speed to the set upper limit rotation speed.

[0167] With this configuration, the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added can be increased or decreased in response to fluctuations in the concrete discharge volume, thus suppressing variations in the liquid quick-setting agent addition rate within the concrete.

[0168] As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can spray concrete onto the ground G with reduced variation in the addition rate of liquid quick-setting agent, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G.

[0169] Furthermore, the lower limit rotation speed is set lower than the upper limit rotation speed by the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient. This configuration facilitates the calculation of the set lower limit rotation speed, and because the rotation of the rotary pump 44 does not stop, the supply of the liquid quick-setting agent can be reliably and quickly resumed in response to the increase in the amount of concrete discharged, which has decreased due to pulsation.

[0170] Furthermore, since it is equipped with an operation display unit 47 that accepts adjustments of the lower limit frequency calculation coefficient by the user, the user can adjust the set lower limit rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 according to the degree of pulsation of the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13.

[0171] Alternatively, at a concrete spraying site, the user can adjust the lower limit rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 while checking the condition of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G. As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can better prevent the formation of weak layers in the sprayed concrete, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G.

[0172] Furthermore, the piston-type concrete pump 11 is equipped with multiple cylinders 26 that house a piston 25, and the cylinders 26 that communicate with the concrete pouring hose 12 are configured to be switchable in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the piston 25.

[0173] Furthermore, the pulsation detection means (first pumping operation detection unit 14 and second pumping operation detection unit 15) may be configured to detect the switching of a cylinder 26 that communicates with the concrete pouring hose 12 as concrete pulsation.

[0174] With this configuration, for example, compared to detecting concrete pulsation by monitoring the flow rate of concrete flowing through the pouring hose 12, the onset of concrete pulsation can be detected with greater accuracy. As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can reliably adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete.

[0175] Furthermore, since the rotary pump 44 is composed of a rotor-stator type pump, the concrete spraying device 1 can continuously supply liquid quick-setting agent to the flowing concrete through the spraying nozzle 13 while suppressing pulsation, regardless of the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44. As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can further suppress variations in the addition rate of liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the spraying nozzle 13.

[0176] Furthermore, the concrete spraying device 1 is equipped with an operation display unit 47 that accepts adjustments of the upper limit rotation speed set by the user. With this configuration, the user can adjust the addition rate of the liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13 according to the degree of pulsation of the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13.

[0177] Alternatively, at a concrete spraying site, the user can adjust the addition rate of the liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the spraying nozzle 13 while checking the condition of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G. As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can better prevent the formation of weak layers in the sprayed concrete, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G.

[0178] Furthermore, the control means (addition control unit 50 and inverter 45) is configured to control the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 by inverter control. With this configuration, the rotary pump 44 can be precisely controlled to follow the increase or decrease in the concrete discharge volume due to pulsation. Therefore, the concrete spraying device 1 can precisely adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete.

[0179] In the correspondence between the structure of this invention and the embodiments described above, The cylindrical body of this invention corresponds to the pouring hose 12 and spray nozzle 13 of the embodiment, The same applies to the following: The surface to be constructed corresponds to the ground G, The pulsation detection means corresponds to the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15, The control means corresponds to the additive control unit 50 and the inverter 45. When the set rotation speed is reached, it corresponds to the set upper limit rotation speed. A rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed corresponds to a rotation speed that is less than the set upper limit rotation speed and greater than or equal to the set lower limit rotation speed. The time interval during which the discharge volume decreases below the desired level corresponds to the pulsation time Δt4. The low setting for rotation speed corresponds to the lower limit of the setting. The predetermined ratio corresponds to the lower frequency calculation coefficient, The operation reception means corresponds to the operation display unit 47, The concrete pumping process and the pulsation detection process correspond to step S103. The rapid-setting agent supply process corresponds to step S112, The control process corresponds to steps S121 to S126. The liquid fastening agent addition device corresponds to the liquid fastening agent addition unit 40, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0180] For example, although not mentioned in the embodiments described above, the concrete pumping unit 10, the air compressor 30, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 may each be configured as separate components or as devices mounted on a vehicle, for example. Alternatively, the concrete pumping unit 10 and / or the air compressor 30 may constitute a device mounted on the vehicle, while the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 may be configured separately from the device mounted on the vehicle.

[0181] Furthermore, although a double-piston concrete pump 11 is used, the pump is not limited to this type, and a single-piston concrete pump may also be used. Furthermore, although the pump body 23 of the concrete pump 11 is shown as a piston pump, it is not limited to this, and the pump body 23 may also be a plunger pump.

[0182] Furthermore, although the concrete pump 11 is configured to switch the communication state with the concrete pouring hose 12 by sliding a pair of pump bodies 23, it is not limited to this configuration, and a concrete pump 11 with an appropriate configuration may be used. For example, the communication piping, which passes through the inside of the hopper 21 and has one end connected to the pouring hose 12, may be configured to alternately communicate with two pump bodies 23 fixed to the hopper 21, by switching the state of the communication piping.

[0183] Furthermore, the concrete pushing operation by the piston 25 of the pump body 23 is detected by the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15, and the state in which the first pumping operation detection unit 14 and the second pumping operation detection unit 15 do not output a pumping operation signal is defined as concrete pulsation, but this is not limited to this. For example, the pump body 23 may be equipped with a suction operation detection unit that detects the suction operation of concrete by the piston 25, and the state in which the suction operation detection unit does not output a signal indicating suction operation may be defined as concrete pulsation.

[0184] Alternatively, a sensor installed in the cylinder 26 may detect when the piston 25 has moved to the concrete extrusion completion position or when the piston 25 has moved to the concrete suction completion position, and the period during which a signal indicating the detection of the piston 25 is output may be considered as concrete pulsation.

[0185] Alternatively, the system may be equipped with a limit switch that detects a support member 27 supporting a pair of pump bodies 23, and the time during which the movement of the support member 27 associated with the switching operation of the pump body 23 is detected may be considered as concrete pulsation.

[0186] Furthermore, while concrete pulsation was detected based on the operation of the concrete pump 11, the method is not limited to this, and pulsation may also be detected based on fluctuations in the discharge pressure or discharge volume of concrete discharged from the concrete pump 11 or the spray nozzle 13.

[0187] Furthermore, although the spray nozzle 13 is shown with a shower ring inside, it is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 10, which is an explanatory diagram illustrating the outline of a concrete spraying device 1 in another embodiment, a roughly Y-shaped spray nozzle 28 may also be used, which consists of a nozzle body 28a connected to the pouring hose 12 and a branch pipe 28b that branches off from the nozzle body 28a and to which the air hose 31 and the additive hose 41 are connected.

[0188] Furthermore, although the rotary pump 44 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 is a rotary positive displacement single-screw eccentric pump (rotor-stator type pump), it is not limited to this, and any pump that is rotationally driven by a motor may be used, such as a screw pump, gear pump, or vane pump with an appropriate configuration.

[0189] Furthermore, although the rotary pump 44 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 was controlled by inverter control using the addition control unit 50 and inverter 45, the system is not limited to this, and for example, the rotary pump 44 may be controlled without using the inverter 45.

[0190] Furthermore, the configuration of the concrete spraying apparatus 1 described above is merely an example and is not limited to the embodiment described above. Any suitable configuration is acceptable as long as it allows for increasing or decreasing the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added in conjunction with the pulsation of the concrete. For example, the flow detection unit 16 attached to the downstream side of the pouring hose 12 may be configured as a flow meter, or as a pressure gauge and a flow meter. Furthermore, as a means of detecting the flow of concrete, a pressure gauge or flow meter may be provided on the concrete pump 11, a pressure gauge or flow meter may be provided upstream of the pouring hose 12, a pressure gauge or flow meter may be provided between the pouring hose 12 and the spray nozzle 13, or a pressure gauge or flow meter may be provided upstream of the showering in the spray nozzle 13.

[0191] Alternatively, a check valve may be installed downstream of the additive hose 41 through which the liquid quick-setting agent flows, to prevent the inflow of concrete or compressed air from the spray nozzle 13. Furthermore, instead of the operation display units 17 and 47, which are composed of touch panel displays, the system may also be equipped with a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display and an operation reception unit composed of various switches and buttons.

[0192] Furthermore, the additive management screen 200 in Figure 6 is just one example and is not limited to the embodiment described above; any other screen configuration may be used as appropriate. Furthermore, the processing flow of the concrete spraying apparatus 1 in Figure 5, the processing flow of the liquid quick-setting agent addition process in Figure 7, and the processing flow of the pulsation-linked process in Figure 8 are examples and are not limited to these; any appropriate processing flow may be used.

[0193] Furthermore, while the delay time Δt2 based on the operating timing of the pump body 23 and the low rotation time Δt3 indicating the time interval during which concrete pulsation occurs are pre-registered in the registration information 48a, the system is not limited to this. The delay time Δt2 and the pulsation time Δt4 may be automatically calculated within a predetermined time period after receiving the operation start signal from the remote control device 60.

[0194] Furthermore, although the addition control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 started the pulsation-linked processing after receiving an operation start signal from the remote control device 60, it is not limited to this, and the pulsation-linked processing may also be started after receiving an operation from the user.

[0195] Specifically, the additive control unit 50 displays a pulsation linkage button on the additive management screen 200, allowing the user to initiate and deactivate the pulsation linkage process. Then, after starting the supply of the liquid quick-setting agent in step S112 of Figure 7, the additive control unit 50 determines whether or not it has received a request from the user to start the pulsation-linked processing. If it has received a request to start the pulsation-linked processing, it starts the pulsation-linked processing shown in Figure 8.

[0196] In this case, until the user initiates the pulsation-linked processing, the addition control unit 50 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 may, for example, calculate the switching time Δt1, delay time Δt2, pulsation time Δt4, acceleration time, and deceleration time based on the pumping information acquired from the concrete pumping unit 10, and set and register them in the registration information 48a.

[0197] Furthermore, the deceleration time and acceleration time in the registration information 48a are merely examples and are not limited to them. Any appropriate values ​​may be used for the deceleration time and acceleration time, as long as the time interval during which the rotational speed of the rotary pump 44 falls below the set upper limit of rotational speed approximately coincides with the pulsation time Δt4. For example, the deceleration time and acceleration time may be automatically calculated based on half the pulsation time Δt4 and the desired rotational difference Δd.

[0198] In this case, the operation display unit 47 of the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 accepts adjustment of the low rotation time Δt3 by the user, allowing the user to adjust the addition rate of the liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13 according to the degree of pulsation of the concrete discharged from the spray nozzle 13.

[0199] Alternatively, at a concrete spraying site, the user can adjust the addition rate of the liquid quick-setting agent in the concrete discharged from the spraying nozzle 13 while checking the condition of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G. As a result, the concrete spraying device 1 can better prevent the formation of weak layers in the sprayed concrete, thereby improving the quality of the concrete sprayed onto the ground G.

[0200] Furthermore, while the set upper limit rotation speed was set based on the average value of the rotation speed of the rotary pump 44 that supplies a predetermined amount of liquid fastener to the spray nozzle 13, the upper limit rotation speed may also be set based on the average value of the amount of liquid fastener added.

[0201] Even in this case, the set upper limit rotation speed can be adjusted to take into account variations in the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added. Therefore, the concrete spraying device 1 can control the rotation of the rotary pump 44 at a more stable rotation speed when the pulsation detection means does not detect concrete pulsation.

[0202] Furthermore, in step S123 of the pulsation-linked processing in Figure 8, if the current output frequency of the inverter 45 is at the set lower limit frequency, the output frequency of the inverter 45 is increased at a predetermined rate, but this is not limited to this. For example, in step S123, the additive control unit 50 may determine whether the current state satisfies the recovery conditions for increasing the output frequency of the inverter 45, and if the current state satisfies the recovery conditions, it may increase the output frequency of the inverter 45 at a predetermined rate.

[0203] Specifically, the additive control unit 50 determines that the recovery condition is satisfied if the output frequency of the inverter 45 drops to the set lower limit frequency before the pumping operation signal from the concrete pumping unit 10 is reacquired, or if the pumping operation signal from the concrete pumping unit 10 is reacquired before the output frequency of the inverter 45 drops to the set lower limit frequency.

[0204] As a result, even if the switching time Δt1 of the concrete pump 11 is long or short, the concrete spraying device 1, the concrete spraying method, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 can achieve the same effects as in the embodiment described above.

[0205] Furthermore, in the pulsation-linked processing shown in Figure 8, the output frequency of the inverter 45 was increased when the current output frequency of the inverter 45 fell to the set lower limit frequency. However, the system is not limited to this; the output frequency of the inverter 45 may be maintained at the set lower limit frequency for a predetermined time, and then the output frequency of the inverter 45 may be increased at a predetermined rate.

[0206] As a result, even if, for example, the switching time Δt1 of the concrete pump 11 is long and the output frequency of the current inverter 45 drops to the set lower limit frequency before the concrete discharge rate increases, the concrete spraying device 1 can adjust the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added to follow the increase or decrease in the concrete discharge rate. Therefore, the concrete spraying apparatus 1, the concrete spraying method, and the liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 40 can achieve the same effects as in the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0207] 1... Concrete spraying device 11…Concrete pump 12…Construction hose 13,28…Spray nozzle 14...First pressure feeding operation detection unit 15...Second pressure feeding operation detection unit 25... Piston 26... Cylinder 40…Liquid quick-setting agent addition unit 44… Rotary pump 45... Inverter 47...Operation display section 50... Addition Control Unit G...Ground Δt3… Low rotation time Δt4…Pulsation time

Claims

1. A concrete spraying device that discharges concrete from the tip of a cylindrical body and sprays it onto the surface to be worked on, A piston-type concrete pump for pumping the concrete into the cylindrical body, A rotary pump for supplying a liquid fastener to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body, A pulsation detection means for detecting the pulsation of the concrete, The system is equipped with control means for controlling the operation of the rotary pump, The control means is, If the pulsation detection means does not detect pulsation in the concrete, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a predetermined set rotation speed according to the desired amount of concrete discharged. If the pulsation detection means detects pulsation in the concrete, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time. Concrete spraying equipment.

2. The low rotation time is, The time intervals are set such that the amount of concrete discharged decreases below the desired amount due to pulsation. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned set rotation speed is The rotational control is set based on the average value of the rotational pump's rotational speed, or the average value of the amount of liquid quick-setting agent added, obtained before starting rotational control based on the concrete pulsation detected by the pulsation detection means. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

4. A rotation speed set lower than the aforementioned set rotation speed is defined as the low set rotation speed. The control means is When the pulsation detection means detects pulsation in the concrete, the rotation speed of the rotary pump is gradually reduced from the set rotation speed to the low set rotation speed, and then gradually increased from the low set rotation speed back to the set rotation speed. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned low setting rotation speed is set to be lower by a predetermined percentage compared to the aforementioned setting rotation speed. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The system is equipped with an operation acceptance means that accepts adjustments of the predetermined percentage by the user. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned piston-type concrete pump is It comprises multiple cylinders for housing a piston, and the cylinders communicating with the cylindrical body are configured to be switchable in accordance with the reciprocating motion of the piston. The pulsation detection means is The configuration detects the switching of the cylinder, which is in communication with the cylindrical body, as pulsation of the concrete. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The rotary pump is composed of a rotor-stator type pump. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The system is equipped with an operation reception means that accepts adjustments of the set rotation speed by the user. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

10. The system is equipped with an operation reception means that accepts adjustments of the low rotation time by the user. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

11. The control means is The rotational speed of the rotary pump is controlled by inverter control. The concrete spraying apparatus according to claim 1.

12. A concrete spraying method in which concrete is discharged from the tip of a cylindrical body and sprayed onto the surface to be worked on, A concrete pumping step in which the concrete is pumped into the cylindrical body by a piston-type concrete pump, A rapid-setting agent supply step in which a liquid rapid-setting agent is supplied to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body by a rotary pump, A pulsation detection step in which a pulsation detection means detects the pulsation of the concrete, The control means performs a control step to control the operation of the rotary pump, The control process is as follows: If the pulsation detection means does not detect pulsation in the concrete, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a predetermined set rotation speed according to the desired amount of concrete discharged. If the pulsation detection means detects pulsation in the concrete, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time. Concrete spraying method.

13. A liquid quick-setting agent adding device that adds a liquid quick-setting agent to concrete sprayed onto a surface to be worked on by discharging it from the tip of a cylindrical body, A rotary pump for supplying the liquid quick-setting agent to the concrete flowing through the cylindrical body by pressure pumping with a piston-type concrete pump, The rotary pump is equipped with control means for controlling its operation, The control means is, If the concrete pulsation is not detected by the pulsation detection means, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a predetermined set rotation speed according to the desired concrete discharge amount. If the concrete pulsation is detected by the pulsation detection means, the rotary pump is controlled to rotate at a rotation speed lower than the set rotation speed for a predetermined low rotation time. Liquid quick-setting agent dispenser.

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