Communications: electrical – Continuously variable indicating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-23
2002-09-10
Horabik, Michael (Department: 2735)
Communications: electrical
Continuously variable indicating
C340S870070, C340S539230, C340S010320, C340S010340, C342S042000, C342S044000, C114S219000, C441S011000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06448903
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an internal-pressure detect ion apparatus for a pneumatic fender.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, in order to prevent a ship from contacting to or being damaged due to collision within underwater structure such as a bridge pier and a quay, contact of the ship to the underwater structure is prevented by fixing pneumatic fenders to the underwater structure or floating pneumatic fenders on the water.
Such a pneumatic fender is made as cushioning material fill ed with air inside the pneumatic fender, and hence, if its air pressure decreases due to leakage of internal air, its function is impaired. For this reason, the internal air pressure is kept at a designated value by measuring the air pressure inside the fender through periodical patrol and supplementing the fender, whose internal air pressure is decreased, with air.
Nevertheless, since it requires much labor to check the air pressure inside the fender by manual patrol, systems monitoring the air pressure of the fender by using cables (Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-112243) or a radio wave (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-46438) are also used.
Nevertheless, in a system monitoring air pressure of each fender using cables as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Application No. 61-112243, it was necessary to connect each fender to a monitoring station with a hose, and hence it needed not only much labor to install the system, but also much time to maintain the system itself.
In addition, in a system monitoring air pressure inside a fender using a radio wave as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 60-46438, a battery has been used in a transmitter (radio wave transmitter) provided in the fender. Therefore, in order to prevent the transmitter from stopping operation, it was necessary to periodically replace this battery. Hence, although installation of the system has been comparatively easy, this system has been a problem that it requires much labor to maintain the system.
An object of the present invention is, in consideration of above problems, to provide an internal-pressure detection apparatus for a pneumatic fender that can reduce the labor of installation and maintenance.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the object described above, the present invention provides not only an internal-pressure detection unit in a pneumatic fender that is fixed to an underwater structure or floated and is used as cushioning material for a ship or the like, but also a monitor unit in an internal-pressure monitoring station Furthermore, the present invention transfers an air pressure value inside the pneumatic fender, which is detected by the internal-pressure detection unit, to the monitor unit by an electromagnetic wave, and thereby makes it possible to monitor internal air pressure of all the pneumatic fenders, which are objects to be monitored, in the internal-pressure monitoring station.
The internal-pressure detection unit described above converts the energy of an electromagnetic wave having a first frequency, which is received by means of reception, into electric energy, and thereby operates by this converted electric energy. Furthermore, the internal-pressure detection unit detects the air pressure inside a pneumatic fender by a pneumatic sensor, and transmits this detection result by an electromagnetic wave having a second frequency.
On the other hand, the monitor unit described above not only supplies operation energy to the internal-pressure detection unit by transmitting the electromagnetic wave, having the first frequency by means of transmission, but also informs of a detection result of the air pressure by receiving the electromagnetic wave having the second frequency that is transmitted from the internal-pressure detection unit.
For example, the internal-pressure detection unit described above comprises a pneumatic sensor that detects air pressure inside a pneumatic fender and outputs an electric signal corresponding to the air pressure value, means of reception for receiving an electromagnetic wave having a first frequency, means of energy conversion for converting the energy of the electromagnetic wave, received by the means of reception, into electric energy, and means of transmission for operating by this converted electric energy, inputting an electric signal outputted from the pneumatic sensor, and transmitting a detection result of the air pressure by an electromagnetic wave having a second frequency.
In addition, the monitor unit described above comprises means of transmission for transmitting the electromagnetic wave having the; first frequency, means of reception for receiving the electromagnetic wave having the second frequency and converting the electromagnetic wave into an electric signal, means of detection result extraction for extracting the detection result of the air pressure, which is included in the electric signal outputted from the means of reception, and means of information for informing of the detection result extracted
According to the internal-pressure detection apparatus for a pneumatic fender that has the configuration described above, in the internal-pressure detection unit, the electromagnetic wave having the first frequency that is transmitted from the monitor unit is received by the means of reception. Furthermore, the energy of this electromagnetic wave is converted into electric energy by the means of energy conversion, and is supplied to the pneumatic sensor and the means of transmission.
Thereby, the internal-pressure detection unit operates by the energy of the electromagnetic wave having the first frequency received and hence it is unnecessary to provide any power supply such as a storage cell. Hence, it is unnecessary to periodically replace the storage cell, and hence it is possible to omit the labor of maintenance.
Furthermore, the air pressure of the pneumatic fender is detected by the pneumatic sensor in the internal-pressure detection unit, and an electric signal corresponding to the air pressure value detected is outputted from the pneumatic sensor. This electric signal is inputted to the means of transmission, and the detection result of the air pressure is transmitted by the electromagnetic wave having the second frequency.
On the other hand, in the monitor unit, the electromagnetic wave having the first frequency is transmitted by the means of transmission at the time of detecting the air pressure, and the electromagnetic wave having the second frequency that is transmitted from the internal-pressure detection unit is received by the means of reception and is converted into an electric signal.
The detection result of the air pressure that is included in the electric signal outputted from the means of reception is extracted by the means of detection result extraction, and then this detection result extracted is informed by the means of information.
Therefore, it is unnecessary to install cables between the pneumatic fender and monitoring station, and hence it is possible to omit the labor of installing cables like the conventional example.
In addition, by not only providing, in the internal-pressure detection unit, means of identification-information memory for storing the identification-information inherent in each internal-pressure detection unit, and means of transmission for transmitting this identification-information and the detection result of the air pressure by the electromagnetic wave having the second frequency, but also providing, in the monitor unit, means of detection result extraction for extracting the detection result of the air pressure and identification-information from the electric signal outputted from the means of reception, and means of information for informing of the extracted identification-information and detection result in a one-to-one correspondence between them, it becomes possible to identify the detection result transmitted from the internal-pressure detection unit mounted to each pneumatic fender if there are a plurality of pneumatic fenders that are ob
Horabik Michael
Rader & Fishman & Grauer, PLLC
The Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd.
Wong Albert K.
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