Watering system
The sprinkler system addresses the challenge of fire spread in landscaped areas by using a control unit to enhance water pressure and direction for effective firefighting, preventing forest fires from spreading to golf courses and parks.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NOHMI BOSAI LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-22
AI Technical Summary
Existing sprinkling systems fail to effectively prevent the spread of fires in areas like golf courses and parks surrounded by forests, where forest fires can cause significant damage.
A sprinkler system comprising a target area watering device and a control unit that controls watering devices to perform fire-fighting operations, including an adjacent area watering device that sprays water when a fire is detected, with the control unit increasing water pressure and directing water upwards to combat fires.
The system effectively prevents the spread of fire by increasing water pressure and targeting firefighting efforts to the affected areas, including trees and surrounding structures.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sprinkling system for performing sprinkling to cope with a fire using a sprinkling device that sprinkles water on lawns, the ground, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as lawns).
Background Art
[0002] Sprinkling devices for regularly sprinkling water are provided in places where lawns such as golf courses and parks grow.
[0003] As something for controlling such a sprinkling device, the following is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The sprinkling control device according to Patent Document 1 measures the moisture of the lawn with a moisture meter, measures the temperature in the soil with a thermometer, and controls the sprinkling by the sprinkling device based on this information.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] When a fire occurs, it is required to prevent the spread of the fire. In particular, in golf courses, parks, etc. surrounded by forests, if a forest fire spreads, there is a risk of causing great damage, so how to stop the spread of the flames becomes an issue.
[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to obtain a sprinkling system capable of preventing the spread of a fire.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0007] The watering system described herein comprises a target area watering device that waters the lawn or ground within a target area, and a control unit that controls the watering of the target area watering device. The control unit, upon receiving a fire signal from outside the control unit indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area or an adjacent area adjacent to the target area, controls the target area watering device to perform fire-fighting watering, which is watering to deal with the fire. Furthermore, it is equipped with an adjacent area watering device that sprays water on adjacent areas, and the control unit controls the adjacent area watering device to also spray water for firefighting when it receives a fire outbreak signal. do. [Effects of the Invention]
[0008] According to this disclosure, a sprinkler system capable of preventing the spread of fire can be obtained. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the outline configuration of the watering system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a bird's-eye view showing an example of the arrangement of each device constituting the watering system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a bird's-eye view illustrating the possible locations where a fire might occur. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the control unit. [Figure 5] This flowchart adds processing steps to the flowchart shown in Figure 4, specifically for cases where a fire is detected based on information from the internet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] Preferred embodiments of the watering system of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The watering system disclosed herein is characterized by its technical features, which include utilizing a watering device for watering lawns for firefighting and fire prevention. Specifically, the watering system disclosed herein is characterized by its technical features, which include controlling the watering device to perform firefighting watering, which is watering to deal with a fire, in the event of a fire occurring in a target area such as a golf course or park, or in an adjacent area adjacent to the target area.
[0011] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the general configuration of a watering system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Figure 2 is a bird's-eye view showing an example of the arrangement of each device constituting the watering system in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.
[0012] In Figure 1, the watering system 100 is a system that waters the lawn in target area C. Here, target area C is a golf course in Embodiment 1, but it can be any area where a watering device is installed for growing grass or plants, such as a park.
[0013] The sprinkler system 100 comprises a target area sprinkler device 10, a target area valve 11, a pump 30, piping 31, an adjacent area sprinkler device 20, an adjacent area valve 21, a flame detector 60, and a control unit 50. Of these components, the target area sprinkler device 10, the target area valve 11, the pump 30, and the piping 31 may be repurposed from existing equipment.
[0014] Furthermore, in the bird's-eye view of Figure 2, the target area sprinkler system 10 is indicated by a white circle, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 is indicated by a black circle, and the flame detector 60 is indicated by a white square.
[0015] In Figure 1, one of each is shown: the target area sprinkler system 10, the target area valve 11, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20, the adjacent area valve 21, and the flame detector 60. However, in reality, as shown in the bird's-eye view in Figure 2, they are installed in various locations as needed.
[0016] The target area sprinkler device 10 is a device for sprinkling water on the turf of a golf course as the target area C, and for example, it is a sprinkler provided at various locations in the target area C.
[0017] The pump 30 pumps up water for sprinkling from a water source and supplies it to the target area sprinkler device 10 through the pipe 31. In Embodiment 1, public water such as tap water is used as the water source, but water that can be utilized within the facility, such as filtering and using the water in the pond W shown in FIG. 2, may also be used.
[0018] Also, the pump 30 can adjust the water pressure in the pipe 31 by adjusting the amount of water pumped up. When the water source is at the top of a mountain and the head pressure is utilized, the pump can be omitted from the sprinkler system.
[0019] ]> The target area valve 11 is an electromagnetic valve that directly controls the sprinkling of the target area sprinkler device 10 by opening and closing the valve. Also, the target area valve 11 can adjust the amount of water supplied to the target area sprinkler device 10.
[0020] The adjacent area sprinkler device 20 is, for example, a sprinkler provided in the adjacent area R'. Here, it is assumed that the adjacent area R is a forest area with lush trees adjacent to the target area C.
[0021] As shown in FIG. , the adjacent area sprinkler device 20 is provided at various locations in the adjacent area R. The adjacent area sprinkler device 20 sprinkles water on the trees in the adjacent area R when a fire occurs, and is mainly provided for preventing forest fires.
[0022] The adjacent area valve 21 is an electromagnetic valve that directly controls the sprinkling of the adjacent area sprinkler device 20 by opening and closing the valve. Also, the adjacent area valve 21 can adjust the amount of water supplied to the adjacent area sprinkler device 20. Note that an electric valve may be used instead of the electromagnetic valve as the adjacent area valve 21.
[0023] In addition, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 is connected to the target area sprinkler system 10 via piping. Depending on the target area C, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 may be installed very far away from the target area sprinkler system 10, in which case the length of the piping connecting the two sprinkler systems will be long. Therefore, a booster pump may be installed in the piping to prevent a decrease in water supply pressure.
[0024] The flame detector 60 is a dustproof and waterproof detector that can be installed outdoors, and is an example of a fire detection means. When the flame detector 60 detects a flame, it transmits an address to the control unit 50 along with the fire occurrence signal. Here, the address is information that has been pre-assigned as identification information for the flame detector 60.
[0025] The transmission of the fire detection signal from the flame detector 60 to the control unit 50 may be done wirelessly or via a wired connection. Furthermore, while the flame detector 60 is used here as the fire detection means, it is not limited to this. Especially when the area to be monitored for fire is a large area such as a golf course, it is preferable to use a so-called distributed heat detector, such as an optical fiber or thermal wire, which can monitor fires within a predetermined range, rather than a spot-type device like the flame detector 60 that detects fires only at specific locations.
[0026] In Embodiment 1, the flame detectors 60 are installed in locations with a high fire incidence rate, i.e., in various locations in the adjacent area R, which is a forest area, as shown in Figure 2. Alternatively, the flame detectors 60 may be installed within the target area C.
[0027] The control unit 50 includes a fire alarm receiver, a water spraying control panel, a computer system, etc., and is a device that comprehensively controls the entire water spraying system 100.
[0028] The control unit 50 controls watering by the target area sprinkler system 10 by controlling the opening and closing of the target area valve 11 and adjusting the water flow rate. The control unit 50 also controls watering by the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 by controlling the opening and closing of the adjacent area valve 21 and adjusting the water flow rate. Furthermore, the control unit 50 controls the pumping operation of the pump 30.
[0029] Under normal circumstances, the control unit 50 controls the system to perform only periodic watering of the lawn by the target area watering device 10. On the other hand, if the control unit 50 receives a fire alarm signal from the flame detector 60, or if it is manually operated by the golf course manager or the like, it controls the system to also water the adjacent area watering device 20.
[0030] Furthermore, in the event of a fire, the control unit 50 increases the water pressure in the piping 31 by controlling the pump 30 compared to normal lawn watering. This increases the amount of water released from the target area watering device 10 and the adjacent area watering device 20.
[0031] In the event of a fire, water should be sprayed from the sprinkler system best suited for extinguishing the fire or preventing its spread, and water may be sprayed from only one of the sprinkler systems, either the target area sprinkler system 10 or the adjacent area sprinkler system 20.
[0032] Thus, watering with increased water pressure to deal with a fire is called "fire-fighting watering" to distinguish it from normal lawn watering. In other words, the amount of water used for fire-fighting watering is greater than the amount of water used for normal lawn watering. Also, the water pressure of fire-fighting watering is higher than the water pressure used for normal lawn watering.
[0033] Furthermore, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 also targets trees. Therefore, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 needs to spray water at a higher elevation than the target area sprinkler system 10. In other words, fire-fighting sprinklers also spray water upwards, unlike normal sprinklers.
[0034] Therefore, the outlet of the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 is positioned to face upwards compared to the outlet of the target area sprinkler system 10. This allows the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 to sprinkle water on the entire tree, including its branches and leaves.
[0035] Figure 3 illustrates the possible location of a fire in the bird's-eye view shown in Figure 2. Specifically, Figure 3 assumes a fire occurring in a wooded area between golf courses.
[0036] The control unit 50 can select a target area sprinkler system 10 and an adjacent area sprinkler system 20 located near the fire site, and direct firefighting water spraying only to the selected sprinkler system. The selected sprinkler systems include the target area sprinkler system 10 and the adjacent area sprinkler system 20.
[0037] As shown in the example in Figure 3, if a fire F occurs in the central part of the bird's-eye view, the control unit 50 receives a fire occurrence signal from the flame detector 60A that detected the fire F. The control unit 50 then extracts the address of the flame detector 60A from the received fire occurrence signal to identify the location of the fire.
[0038] The control unit 50 then selects the target area sprinkler 10 and the adjacent area sprinkler 20, which are installed near the location of the fire F, and controls these selected sprinklers to perform firefighting sprinkling.
[0039] In the example shown in Figure 3, the target area sprinklers 10A and 10B, and the adjacent area sprinklers 20A, 20B, and 20C, which are installed near the location of the fire F, are selected as selective sprinklers. The control unit 50 then controls these selective sprinklers to perform firefighting sprinkling only.
[0040] In the explanation above, the system was described as controlling both the target area sprinkler system 10 and the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 to sprinkle water from both sprinkler systems 10 and 20 in the event of a fire. However, as mentioned above, it is also possible to control the system to sprinkle water from only one of the sprinkler systems, for example, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20.
[0041] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the control unit 50 shown in Figure 1.
[0042] In step S101, the control unit 50 determines whether or not a fire alarm signal has been received. If the control unit 50 does not receive a fire alarm signal, it proceeds to step S103 and controls the system to perform normal watering. In normal watering, as described above, only the target area watering device 10 periodically waters the lawn, while the adjacent area watering device 20 does not water.
[0043] The control unit 50 repeatedly performs steps S101 and S103 until it receives a fire occurrence signal. On the other hand, if the control unit 50 receives a fire occurrence signal in step S101, it proceeds to step S102.
[0044] In step S102, the control unit 50 extracts the address of the flame detector 60 that transmitted the fire alarm signal from the fire alarm signal. Since this address information also functions as information indicating the location where the fire occurred, the address will henceforth be referred to as "location information".
[0045] In step S104, the control unit 50 selects a sprinkler system according to the location information. The control unit 50 stores a correspondence table that associates location information with sprinkler systems installed near the location. Using the location information extracted from the fire occurrence signal as a key, the control unit 50 searches the correspondence table and selects the sprinkler system to be activated as the selected sprinkler system.
[0046] Then, in step S105, the control unit 50 controls the pump 30 to increase the water pressure in the piping 31 and controls it to perform fire-fighting water spraying only on the selective water spraying devices. By limiting the water spraying devices that perform fire-fighting water spraying to only the selective water spraying devices in this way, the amount of water discharged from each selective water spraying device can be increased compared to spraying water from all water spraying devices.
[0047] In other words, to prevent water from being sprayed by sprinkler systems located far from the fire site, the target area valve 11 and adjacent area valve 21 are closed as needed, thereby stopping normal water spraying.
[0048] Up to this point, the explanation has assumed that fire detection is performed by the flame detector 60, but in addition to this, the control unit 50 may also detect fires by monitoring information published on the internet. That is, if information that a fire has occurred in the target area C or the adjacent area R is published on the internet, the control unit 50 may capture this as a fire occurrence signal and initiate firefighting water spraying.
[0049] Figure 5 is a flowchart that adds processing to the case where a fire is detected based on information from the internet, compared to the flowchart shown in Figure 4.
[0050] In Figure 5, steps S101 to S105 are the same as the process described in Figure 4, so their explanation is omitted.
[0051] In step S120, the control unit 50 determines whether or not it was possible to extract location information from the fire occurrence signal through the processing in step S102.
[0052] If a fire is detected by the flame detector 60, the control unit 50 can identify the location of the fire as described above, and proceeds to step S104.
[0053] On the other hand, if the control unit 50 detects a fire by capturing information published on the internet, it may not be able to pinpoint the exact location of the fire within the target area. In this case, the control unit 50 proceeds to step S121, assuming that it was unable to extract location information.
[0054] Since the control unit 50 could not pinpoint the location of the fire, in step S121, it ordered all sprinkler systems to begin sprinkling water for the fire. Specifically, the control unit 50 controlled the pump 30 to create high water pressure in the piping 31 and ordered all target area sprinkler systems 10 and adjacent area sprinkler systems 20 to begin sprinkling water for the fire.
[0055] This allows for firefighting or suppression of the spread of flames, even when the source of the fire cannot be identified.
[0056] In addition, although the explanation described how to obtain a fire occurrence signal by supplementing information published on the internet, this information does not necessarily have to be about a fire in a specific area. If high temperature information is obtained in a specific area compared to neighboring areas, that high temperature information may be treated as a fire occurrence signal, and control may be performed to start watering of the sprinkler system based on that information.
[0057] In addition, due to land rights issues, it may not be possible to install the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 in the adjacent area R. In this case, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 may be installed inside the target area C, but in a location that allows it to sprinkle water onto the adjacent area R. In other words, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 only needs to be able to sprinkle water onto the adjacent area R, and it does not matter whether it is installed in the target area C or the adjacent area R.
[0058] Similarly, with respect to the flame detector 60, there is a possibility that it may not be possible to install the flame detector 60 in the adjacent area R. In this case, the flame detector 60 may be installed in the target area C, or fire detection means such as flame detectors may be installed on the golf carts that travel in the golf course, which is the target area C. Alternatively, as a fire detection means, heat-sensitive wires that detect heat in the event of a fire may be stretched around the target area C.
[0059] Alternatively, the system may be configured to detect fires solely by capturing the information published on the internet as described above, without the need for devices such as flame detectors. Or, the system may be configured to allow for firefighting by manually operating a water sprayer.
[0060] In other words, the control unit 50 should be configured to control the system to spray water for fire prevention when it receives a fire alarm signal from outside the control unit 50. In this case, various signals can function as fire alarm signals, such as the address of a flame detector, publicly available information on the internet, the electrical resistance value of a thermal sensor, and signals from a keyboard or mouse operated by an administrator.
[0061] Furthermore, regarding the adjacent area sprinkler system 20, a long member such as an iron pipe may be erected, and the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 may be attached to the upper end of the pipe to hold it in place. Alternatively, when sprinkling water for fire, the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 itself may be made to pop up and be lifted upward. These configurations allow for fire sprinkling from a higher position.
[0062] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 5, even if the control unit 50 cannot identify the location of the fire, the administrator may be able to identify it. In this case, the administrator may select a sprinkler system that should be used for firefighting and manually initiate firefighting with the selected sprinkler system.
[0063] In addition, as shown in the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5, even if the control unit 50 can identify the location of the fire, the administrator may arbitrarily select a sprinkler system to perform firefighting water spraying and manually initiate firefighting water spraying with the selected sprinkler system.
[0064] To summarize the features of this watering system 100, it has the following configuration and can achieve its intended effect.
[0065] The sprinkler system 100 comprises a target area sprinkler device 10 that sprinkles water on the lawn within the target area C, and a control unit 50 that controls the sprinkling of water by the target area sprinkler device 10. When the control unit 50 receives a fire occurrence signal from outside the control unit 50 indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area C or an adjacent area R adjacent to the target area C, it controls the target area sprinkler device 10 to perform fire-fighting sprinkling, which is watering to deal with the fire.
[0066] This helps prevent the spread of fire.
[0067] Furthermore, the watering system 100 is further equipped with an adjacent area watering device 20 that waters the adjacent area R. When the control unit 50 receives a fire outbreak signal, it controls the adjacent area watering device 20 to also perform firefighting watering.
[0068] This prevents the fire from spreading to the adjacent area R.
[0069] Furthermore, the fire occurrence signal includes location information that identifies the location where the fire is occurring. Based on the location information, the control unit 50 selects a sprinkler device from the target area sprinkler device 10 and the adjacent area sprinkler devices 20 to perform fire-fighting sprinklers, and controls the selected sprinkler device to perform fire-fighting sprinklers.
[0070] This allows for firefighting water to be directed specifically at the area where the fire is occurring.
[0071] Furthermore, target area C is a golf course, and adjacent area R is a forest area adjacent to the golf course. The control unit 50 controls the fire-fighting water spraying by the adjacent area sprinkler system 20 to discharge water upwards more than the fire-fighting water spraying by the target area sprinkler system 10.
[0072] This allows for fire-fighting water to be sprayed on trees surrounding the golf course, including the branches and leaves. It also helps prevent the fire from spreading to the golf course and protects buildings such as the clubhouse.
[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 50 controls the amount of water used for firefighting so that it is greater than the amount of water used to water the lawn during normal times when no fire is occurring. Also, the control unit 50 controls the water pressure of the firefighting spray so that it is higher than the water pressure used to water the lawn during normal times when no fire is occurring.
[0074] This allows water to be sprayed with greater force than under normal conditions during a fire. In this embodiment, the watering device was mainly described using a device for watering the grass on a golf course as an example, but a watering device for watering dry ground, such as one installed in a schoolyard, may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]
[0075] 10 Target area sprinkler system, 11 Target area valve, 20 Adjacent area sprinkler system, 21 Adjacent area valve, 30 Pump, 31 Piping, 50 Control unit, 60 Flame detector, 100 Sprinkler system, C Target area, F Fire, R Adjacent area.
Claims
1. A watering device for the target area that waters the lawn and ground within the target area, A control unit that controls the watering of the watering device for the target area, Equipped with, When the control unit receives a fire occurrence signal from outside the control unit indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area or an adjacent area adjacent to the target area, it controls the target area watering device to perform fire-fighting watering, which is watering to deal with the fire. The system further includes an adjacent area watering device for watering the adjacent area, When the control unit receives the fire outbreak signal, it controls the adjacent area watering device to also perform the fire-fighting water spraying. Watering system.
2. A watering device for the target area that waters the lawn and ground within the target area, A control unit that controls the watering of the watering device for the target area, Equipped with, When the control unit receives a fire occurrence signal from outside the control unit indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area or an adjacent area adjacent to the target area, it controls the target area watering device to perform fire-fighting watering, which is watering to deal with the fire. The control unit controls the amount of water used for firefighting so that it is greater than the amount of water used to water the lawn during normal times when no fire is occurring. Watering system.
3. A watering device for the target area that waters the lawn and ground within the target area, A control unit that controls the watering of the watering device for the target area, Equipped with, When the control unit receives a fire occurrence signal from outside the control unit indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area or an adjacent area adjacent to the target area, it controls the target area watering device to perform fire-fighting watering, which is watering to deal with the fire. The control unit controls the water pressure of the fire-fighting sprinkler to be higher than the water pressure used when watering the lawn during normal times when no fire is occurring. Watering system.
4. In a watering system comprising a target area watering device that waters the lawn or ground within a target area, and a control unit that controls the watering of the target area watering device, The system further comprises an adjacent area watering device connected via piping to the aforementioned target area watering device, which waters an adjacent area. When the control unit receives a fire occurrence signal from outside the control unit indicating that a fire has occurred in the target area or an adjacent area adjacent to the target area, it controls at least one of the target area watering device or the adjacent area watering device to perform fire-fighting watering, which is watering to deal with the fire. Watering system.
5. The aforementioned fire alarm signal includes location information that identifies the location where the fire is occurring. The control unit, based on the location information of the incident, selects a sprinkler device from among the sprinkler devices in the target area and the sprinkler devices in the adjacent area to perform the fire-fighting water spraying, and controls the selected sprinkler device to perform the fire-fighting water spraying. The watering system according to claim 4.
6. The aforementioned area is a golf course. The aforementioned adjacent area is a forest area adjacent to the golf course. The control unit controls the fire-fighting water spraying by the adjacent area water spraying device to discharge water upwards, compared to the fire-fighting water spraying by the target area water spraying device. The watering system according to claim 4 or 5.