Alarm device

Abstract

To provide a warning device capable of selectively outputting warning sound to a required range without giving noise to a peripheral environment.SOLUTION: A warning device includes a housing, at least one of first speakers, and at least one of second speakers. At least the one of the first speakers is placed inside the housing and is constituted to output sound to a lower side of the housing with the use of an ultrasonic wave as a carrier wave. At least the one of the second speakers is placed inside the housing and is constituted to output sound of a frequency being equal to or more than 20 Hz and lower than 20 kHz. The output of at least the one of the second speakers may be smaller than the output of at least the one of the first speakers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to an alarm device that is directly or indirectly attached to a load to be lifted by a lifting machine and outputs an alarm sound. [Background technology]

[0002] At construction sites, lifting machines such as cranes are sometimes used to transport materials. At this time, an alarm device called a sling alarm is used to prevent people from standing under the hoisted materials (suspended loads) or in the direction of the materials being transported. By emitting a warning sound from the alarm device, workers and passersby are notified that materials are being hoisted, and it is possible to encourage them to take appropriate action against the risk of materials falling (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-80030 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an alarm device having a novel structure for emitting an alarm sound when a lifting machine is used to transport materials. Alternatively, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide an alarm device that can selectively output an alarm sound to a required range without causing noise to the surrounding environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention is an alarm device. The alarm device includes a housing, at least one first speaker, and at least one second speaker. The at least one first speaker is disposed within the housing and configured to output sound downward from the housing using ultrasonic waves as a carrier wave. The at least one second speaker is disposed within the housing and configured to output sound at a frequency equal to or greater than 20 Hz and less than 20 kHz. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to selectively set the range in which a warning sound is output when materials are transported by a lifting machine, thereby ensuring safety during material transportation and enabling material transportation work to be performed with consideration for the surrounding environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of material transportation using an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic perspective view and a block diagram of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B are schematic side and top views of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are schematic bottom and end views of a portion of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1A and 1B are schematic perspective and side views of a portion of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing characteristics of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic side view of a portion of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are schematic bottom and side views of a portion of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are schematic perspective and top views of an alarm device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention, and the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to the description of the embodiments exemplified below.

[0009] In the drawings, the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part may be shown diagrammatically compared to the actual embodiment in order to make the explanation clearer, but it is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention. In this specification and each figure, elements having the same function as those described with respect to the previous figures may be given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations may be omitted. When multiple elements having the same or similar structure are to be distinguished from each other and described, a hyphen and a natural number are added after the reference numeral. When multiple elements having the same or similar structure are to be collectively described, only the reference numerals are used.

[0010] 1. Overall structure FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a mode of transporting materials using an alarm device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The materials 12 are various materials, tools, jigs, etc. used at construction sites and building sites, and there are no limitations on their size, weight, use, or type. The lifting machine has a hook 16 suspended from the tip of its boom 10 by a wire rope 14, and the materials 12 are attached to the hook 16 by a sling rope 18. The alarm device 100 may be directly attached to the materials 12, or may be indirectly attached via the sling rope 18 or the escort rope 22. Alternatively, the alarm device 100 may be indirectly attached to the materials 12 via a relay rope 20 attached to the materials 12, the sling rope 18, or the escort rope 22. As will be described later, the alarm device 100 has at least two types of speakers with different characteristics built in, and sounds (warning sounds) are output from these speakers. This makes it possible to inform people that materials are being transported, and to encourage appropriate action against the risk of materials falling.

[0011] FIG. 2(A) shows a schematic view of the exterior of the alarm device 100. The alarm device 100 includes a housing 110, and various components described later are built into the housing 110. The housing 110 includes metal or plastic, and there is no restriction on its shape. For example, as shown in FIG. 2(A), the housing 110 may be substantially cylindrical, or may be shaped like an elliptical cylinder, a polygonal prism, a cube, or a rectangular parallelepiped. Although not shown, the bottom surface of the housing 110 may be sealed with a metal or plastic bottom cover, or may be provided with a mesh-like bottom cover. A hanging ring 112 for hanging the alarm device 100 may be provided on the upper part of the housing 110, and the alarm device 100 can be attached to any object (e.g., the material 12, the sling rope 18, the relay rope 20, the escaping rope 22, etc.) by using the hanging ring 112. As an optional configuration, the alarm device 100 may further include a flexible storage bag 114 that contains the housing 110 and has a handle. By passing the hanging ring 112 and handle through the material 12, the sling rope 18, the relay rope 20, or the execution rope 22 while the alarm device 100 is stored in the storage bag 114, the alarm device 100 can be prevented from falling even if these ropes come off the hanging ring 112.

[0012] 2(B) shows an example of a block diagram of the alarm device 100. The alarm device 100 has a control unit 120 for controlling the entire alarm device 100, and the control unit 120 is connected to a battery 122 to receive power. The alarm device 100 further includes at least one first speaker 130 and at least one second speaker 150. The at least one first speaker 130 and the at least one second speaker 150 may each include a plurality of first speakers 130 and second speakers 150. As an optional configuration, the alarm device 100 may further include a transformation mechanism 140, a signal receiving unit 160, etc.

[0013] The control unit 120 can be configured, for example, by a microcomputer, which is configured by a central processing unit (CPU), a memory unit configured by a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), etc., and peripheral circuits, etc. The control unit 120 is programmed to control the first speaker 130, the second speaker 150, the deformation mechanism 140, the signal receiving unit 160, etc.

[0014] The battery 122 is a component that supplies power to operate the alarm device 100, and may be a primary battery such as a dry cell, or a secondary battery capable of reversible charging and discharging such as a lithium ion battery. The battery 122 may be detachably housed in a battery box 116 provided in the housing 110 (see FIG. 3(A)).

[0015] 2. First speaker A side view of the alarm device 100 is shown in Fig. 3(A), and top views are shown in Fig. 3(B) and Fig. 3(C). For the purpose of explanation, a part of the housing 110 is omitted in Fig. 3(A), and the top surface of the housing 110 is omitted in Fig. 3(C). As shown in Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 3(C), the first speaker 130 and the second speaker 150 are housed in the housing 110. The first speaker 130 and the second speaker 150 may be attached to a support 118 provided in the housing 110, or may be directly or indirectly attached to an inner wall or bottom surface of the housing 110. There is no restriction on the vertical relationship between the first speaker 130 and the second speaker 150, and as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(C), the second speaker 150 may be located above the first speaker 130 (on the side where the hanging ring 112 is provided), or conversely, the first speaker 130 may be located above the second speaker 150. As will be described later, since the first speaker 130 outputs a warning sound in a downward direction, it is preferable to locate the second speaker 150 above the first speaker 130.

[0016] The first speaker 130 is a speaker driven by an amplitude modulated signal using ultrasonic waves, i.e., sound waves with a frequency of 20 kHz or more as a carrier wave. Therefore, it has high directivity and can selectively transmit sound to a desired location. The first speaker 130 is arranged to output a warning sound in the downward direction of the alarm device 100 (the opposite direction to the hanging ring 112). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the warning sound output from the first speaker 130 can be selectively transmitted to the space below the material 12. More specifically, the warning sound can be selectively transmitted to an area overlapping with the material 12 or an area where there is a risk of the material 12 falling. At the same time, in areas other than the above areas, the warning sound can be made to not reach or can be barely heard. In other words, in areas not involved in the transportation of the material 12 (for example, outside the construction site), a situation can be created in which the warning sound cannot be heard or is barely heard, so that noise pollution caused by the warning sound does not occur in the surrounding area of ​​the site. The warning sound output by the first speaker 130 may be determined arbitrarily. The volume (i.e., intensity) of the warning sound may be constant or variable. For example, the intensity may be set to 70 decibels to 120 decibels, or 80 decibels to 100 decibels, typically 90 decibels, so that the worker can detect the warning sound reliably.

[0017] 3B, the operation of the first speaker 130 may be controlled by a switch 124 provided, for example, on the top or side of the housing 110. The switch 124 may be an on / off switch, or may be a rotary switch that controls the volume of the warning sound in addition to switching between on and off.

[0018] FIG. 4(A) shows a schematic bottom view of the first speaker 130, and FIG. 4(B) shows a schematic end view along the chain line AA' in FIG. 4(A). The first speaker 130 is arranged on a wiring board 132, and can be configured to receive power from the battery 122 via wiring (not shown) provided on the wiring board 132. The wiring board is an insulator containing polymeric materials such as epoxy resin, acrylic resin, phenolic resin, fluororesin, novolac resin, polyimide, or inorganic compounds such as ceramic, and is provided thereon with metal wiring for supplying power from the battery 122 to the first speaker 130. When a plurality of first speakers 130 are provided, there are no restrictions on their arrangement, and they may be arranged in a matrix, for example, or in a hexagonal close-packed structure in which the centers of the first speakers 130 are located at the vertices of a regular hexagon.

[0019] As an optional configuration, the alarm device 100 may have a pair of support frames 134 that respectively sandwich a pair of opposing sides of the wiring board 132. When the surface shape of the wiring board 132 is rectangular, the support frame 134 may sandwich either the long side or the short side. By using the support frame 134, the first speaker 130 and the wiring board 132 can be stably fixed inside the housing 110, and the shape of the wiring board 132 can be controlled as described below.

[0020] For example, a wiring board 132 having flexibility enough to be bent may be used, and a pair of opposing sides of the wiring board 132 may be sandwiched between a pair of curved support frames 134 as shown in FIG. 5A, thereby holding the wiring board 132 in a curved state. This allows, for example, the cross-sectional shape of the surface of the wiring board 132 to be a parabola. There is no restriction on the direction of curvature of the wiring board 132, and the wiring board 132 may be curved so that the surface of the wiring board 132 on which the first speaker 130 is provided is convex as shown in FIG. 5A or FIG. 5B, or the wiring board 132 may be deformed so that the surface opposite to the surface on which the first speaker 130 is provided is convex as shown in FIG. 5C. In the former case, the focus of the parabola formed by the cross section of the surface of the wiring board 132 is located on the opposite side to the surface on which the first speaker 130 is provided. In the latter case, the focus is located on the surface side on which the first speaker 130 is provided.

[0021] By deforming the wiring board 132, the orientation of the first speaker 130 changes, and as a result, the output direction of the sound can be changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the wiring board 132 is deformed so that the surface of the wiring board 132 on which the first speaker 130 is provided becomes convex and the cross section of the surface becomes a parabola, a warning sound is output radially from the focus 136 of the parabola located on the surface side opposite the first speaker 130 (see the dotted arrow). As a result, the range R1 in which the warning sound is transmitted is expanded. As shown in FIG. 6B, the same is true when the wiring board 132 is deformed so that the surface opposite the surface of the wiring board 132 on which the first speaker 130 is provided becomes convex and the cross section of the surface becomes a parabola. In this case, the warning sound converges toward the focus 136 of the parabola located on the surface side (see the dotted arrow), and then spreads radially from the focus 136. As a result, the range R2 in which the warning sound is transmitted is expanded. Although it depends on the distance from the target (e.g., the ground) to which the warning sound is transmitted to the alarm device 100, the ranges R1 and R2 can be adjusted arbitrarily by controlling the shape of the wiring board 132 to adjust the focal lengths L1 and L2. The focal lengths L1 and L2 may be set to be, for example, 0.03 m or more and 6 m or less. Therefore, the range in which the warning sound reaches can be adjusted taking into consideration the size of the material 12 and the lifting height. Note that when the surface on which the first 30 of the wiring board 132 is provided is flat, the focal length can be recognized as being infinite.

[0022] The alarm device 100 may be configured so that the deformation of the support frame 134 can be performed reversibly. There are no restrictions on the mechanism for reversibly deforming the support frame 134. For example, the deformation mechanism 140 may be provided on the support frame 134, and the deformation mechanism 140 may be operated using a switch 126 (see FIG. 3(B)) provided on the upper surface or side surface of the housing 110. The configuration of the deformation mechanism 140 may also be determined arbitrarily. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the deformation mechanism 140 may include a base 142 that overlaps with the support frame 134 and a plurality of support pins 144 incorporated in the base 142. In this case, the support pin 144 is connected to the switch 126 via a cable or gear (not shown), and is configured to move up and down from the base 142 through the operation of the switch 126. The support frame 134 can be deformed by setting the range of movement of the support pin 144 by the operation of the switch 126.

[0023] The wiring board 132 deforms in accordance with the deformation of the support frame 134. As a result, the wiring board 132 can be reversibly converted between a flat surface state (a state in which the cross section of the surface on which the first speaker is mounted is linear) and a curved state. The deformation mechanism 140 may be configured so that the deformation of the support frame 134 is stepwise and the focal length L1 or L2 changes discontinuously, or conversely, the deformation mechanism 140 may be configured so that the deformation of the support frame 134 is continuous and the focal length L1 or L2 changes continuously.

[0024] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the wiring board 132 may be composed of a plurality of sub-units (hereinafter, sub-boards) 138 without providing the support frame 134. The plurality of sub-boards 138 may be arranged in a stripe pattern as shown in FIG. 8(A), or may be arranged in a matrix pattern (not shown). One or a plurality of first speakers 130 are also provided on each sub-board 138. The sub-boards 138 may be separated from each other, or may be connected so that the position or direction of adjacent sub-boards 138 changes relative to each other. Each sub-board 138 may be fixed in the housing 110, or a deformation mechanism 140 may be provided so as to overlap all the sub-boards 138, and each sub-board 138 may be moved reversibly by using the deformation mechanism 140. The wiring board 132 is composed of a plurality of sub-boards 138, and the output direction of the warning sound can be controlled by adjusting the angle θ or direction (direction of the normal) of the surfaces of two adjacent sub-boards 138.

[0025] 3. Second speaker The second speaker 150 is configured to output a sound (warning sound) having a frequency of 20 Hz or more and less than 20 kHz. Therefore, the warning sound from the second speaker 150 is output almost isotropically, and for example, when the material 12 is transported to a position higher than the ground, the warning sound can be recognized by a worker at the transport destination. The second speaker 150 is arranged so that the output direction of the warning sound intersects with the output direction of the warning sound of the first speaker 130. Preferably, the second speaker 150 is arranged so that the output directions of the warning sounds of the second speaker 150 and the first speaker 130 are perpendicular to each other. When the alarm device 100 includes a plurality of second speakers 150, the second speakers 150 may be arranged so that the output direction is radial, as shown in FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(C).

[0026] The operation of the second speaker 150 may also be controlled by a switch 126 provided on the top or side of the housing 110 (see FIG. 3(B)). The switch 124 may also be an on / off switch as shown in FIG. 3(B), or may be a rotary switch that controls the volume of the warning sound in addition to switching on / off. The warning sound output by the second speaker 150 may also be determined arbitrarily, and may be the same as or different from the warning sound of the first speaker 130.

[0027] The intensity of the warning sound output from the second speaker 150 may be constant or variable. The output of the warning sound may be adjusted so that the warning sound can be used by workers at the destination. In this case, the warning sound may be output at a volume that allows the warning sound to be heard when the material 12 approaches, and may be lower than the intensity of the warning sound output from the first speaker 130. For example, the intensity of the warning sound from the second speaker 150 may be set to 50 decibels or more and 80 decibels or less. By setting the intensity of the warning sound in this manner, the warning sound output from the first speaker 130 not only improves the safety of the material transportation work, but also contributes to suppressing and preventing noise damage to the surrounding environment.

[0028] As described above, the alarm device 100 is attached directly or indirectly to the material 12, but does not need to be attached to a lifting machine. Therefore, the alarm device 100 is easy to remove, and a lifting machine equipped with a speaker that emits a warning sound is not required. In other words, when transporting the material 12, a lifting machine can be selected by taking into consideration only the space for arranging the lifting machine and the weight of the material 12, and there is no need to consider whether or not a speaker is installed when selecting a lifting machine.

[0029] 4.Other configurations 4-1.Signal receiving section The signal receiving unit 160 (see FIG. 2(B)), which is an optional configuration, includes an antenna (not shown) and is configured to receive signals from a mobile communication terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. The signals include various commands, such as commands to turn on and off the first speaker 130 or the second speaker 150, volume adjustment commands, and commands to the transformation mechanism 140. When the signal receiving unit 160 receives this command, it is sent to the control unit 120, and the control unit 120 generates a new command according to this command. The generated command is sent to the first speaker 130, the second speaker 150, or the transformation mechanism 140, which causes the first speaker 130, the second speaker 150, or the transformation mechanism 140 to operate. For this reason, by providing the signal receiving unit 160, it becomes possible to remotely operate the alarm device 100. For example, when the material 12 is being transported by a lifting machine, it is possible to adjust the intensity of the warning sound and the range within which the warning sound reaches.

[0030] 4-2.Gimbal As an optional configuration, the alarm device 100 may further include a gimbal 170 for stabilizing the attitude of the housing 110 (FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B)). The gimbal 170 is connected to the housing 110, and the housing 110 is attached to the material 12, the sling rope 18, the relay rope 20, the escort rope 22, or the like via the gimbal 170. There are no restrictions on the configuration of the gimbal 170, and it is sufficient that the gimbal 170 is configured so that the attitude of the housing 110 is stabilized by rotation about two or three axes that are perpendicular to each other. The gimbal 170 shown in FIG. 9(A) has a structure that stabilizes the attitude with three axes, and includes a holder 172, a roll cylinder 174, an arm 176, a yaw cylinder 178, a hanging ring 180, and the like.

[0031] The holder 172 has a function of fixing the gimbal 170 and the housing 110, and is connected to the housing 110 via a bearing (not shown) so as to be rotatable about the pitch axis Ap. In other words, the holder 172 and the housing 110 rotate relatively about the pitch axis Ap.

[0032] The roll cylinder 174 connects the arm 176 and the holder 172 to each other. The arm 176 is connected to the holder 172 via a bearing (not shown) so as to be rotatable around the roll axis Ar. In other words, the holder 172 and the roll cylinder 174 rotate relatively around the roll axis Ar.

[0033] An arm 176 is connected to the roll cylinder 174 and the yaw cylinder 178, securing them together.

[0034] The yaw cylinder 178 has an upper part 178-1 and a lower part 178-2 connected via a bearing (not shown) so as to be relatively rotatable about the yaw axis Ay, and the upper part 178-1 is provided with a suspension ring 180 for attaching the material 12, the sling rope 18, the relay rope 20, or the escort rope 22. Here, the yaw axis Ay, the roll axis Ar, and the pitch axis Ap are perpendicular to one another. For example, the yaw axis Ay may be in the vertical direction, and the roll axis Ar and the pitch axis Ap may be parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0035] The gimbal 170 described above has a configuration in which the holder 172, the roll cylinder 174, and the yaw cylinder 178 can rotate around three mutually perpendicular axes, and by using the gimbal 170 to hold the housing 110, the attitude of the housing 110 itself can be maintained almost constant even if acceleration acts on the alarm device 100 in the horizontal direction during transportation of the materials 12. As a result, the direction in which the warning sound output from the first speaker 130 is transmitted can be kept almost constant, so that the warning sound from the first speaker 130 can always be selectively transmitted to areas below the materials 12 or areas where there is a risk of the materials 12 falling. This not only contributes to the safety of the transportation work, but also contributes to effectively preventing noise pollution caused by the warning sound from the first speaker 130.

[0036] The above-described embodiments of the present invention may be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. Any embodiment in which a person skilled in the art appropriately adds or deletes components or modifies the design based on each embodiment is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the gist of the present invention.

[0037] Even if there are other effects and advantages different from those brought about by the respective embodiments described above, those which are clear from the description in this specification or which can be easily predicted by a person skilled in the art are naturally understood to be brought about by the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10: boom, 12: materials, 14: wire rope, 16: hook, 18: sling rope, 20: relay rope, 22: execution rope, 100: alarm device, 110: housing, 112: suspension ring, 114: storage bag, 116: battery box, 118: support, 120: control unit, 122: battery, 124: switch, 126: switch, 130: first speaker, 132: wiring board, 134: support frame, 136: focus, 138: sub-board, 140: deformation mechanism, 142: base, 144: support pin, 150: second speaker, 160: signal receiving unit, 170: gimbal, 172: holder, 174: roll cylinder, 176: arm, 178: yaw cylinder, 178-1: upper part, 178-2: lower part, 180: suspension ring

Claims

1. Housing, A hanging ring attached to the housing for suspending the housing using a lifting machine; At least one first speaker disposed within the housing and configured to output sound downwardly from the housing using ultrasonic waves as a carrier wave; and An alarm device comprising at least one second speaker disposed within the housing and configured to output a sound having a frequency equal to or greater than 20 Hz and less than 20 kHz.

2. 2. The alarm device of claim 1, wherein an output of the at least one second speaker is smaller than an output of the at least one first speaker.

3. The alarm device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first speaker comprises a plurality of first speakers.

4. The alarm device according to claim 3 , further comprising a wiring board on which the plurality of first speakers are mounted.

5. 5. The alarm device according to claim 4, wherein the wiring board is curved, and a cross section of a surface on which the plurality of first speakers are mounted is parabolic.

6. 5. The alarm device according to claim 4, wherein the wiring board is flexible and configured to reversibly deform between a state in which a cross section of a surface on which the plurality of first speakers are mounted is a parabola and a state in which the cross section is a straight line.

7. 7. The alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the focus of the parabola is located on the surface side.

8. 7. An alarm device as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the focus of the parabola is located on an opposite surface side to the surface.

9. 7. The alarm device according to claim 5, wherein the focal length of the parabola is not less than 0.03 m and not more than 6 m.

10. The wiring board includes a plurality of sub-boards, At least one of the first speakers is disposed on each of the sub-substrates; 5. The alarm device of claim 4, wherein the wiring board is configured such that an angle between adjacent sub-boards is reversibly changeable.

11. Further comprising a gimbal connected to the housing; The alarm device according to claim 1 , wherein the gimbal is configured to stabilize the attitude of the housing by rotation about two or three mutually orthogonal axes.

12. The alarm device of claim 1 , further comprising a signal receiving unit within said housing for receiving a signal for controlling said at least first speaker and said at least second speaker.

13. 7. The alarm device of claim 6, further comprising a switch for controlling said deformation.

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