JP3535382B2 - Snow gauge - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a snow gauge for automatically measuring a change in the amount of snow. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to measure a change in the amount of snow, a scale is set on the surface of the snow at the start of the measurement, and a change in the snow surface due to snowfall after the start is read from the scale. I was [0003] In this method, the height of the snow surface is measured visually, which tends to be inaccurate. In addition, there has been no other way than to periodically go around the installation place and measure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and has a base 1 having a built-in control circuit at a lower part thereof as a snow gauge for measuring a change in the amount of snow. On the upper side of the base 1, there is a sensor pole 2 having a columnar temperature sensing element 23 built in at a fixed interval. The control circuit is composed of a control unit 11, a sensor driver 12, and a sensor amplifier 13, Reference numeral 2 denotes a plurality of metal rings 21 provided at regular intervals and the metal rings 21
Cylinder 22 and metal ring 21 for holding
A plurality of temperature-sensitive elements 23 are arranged in the inner circumferential direction,
Each temperature sensing element 23 is connected to the sensor amplifier 13
The metal ring 21, the plastic tube 22, the temperature sensing element 23 and the lead wire 24 of the temperature sensing element are fixed to form a single sensor pole 2. Is what it is. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a snow gauge according to the present invention. FIG. 1A is a side view, FIG. 1B is a vertical sectional view of a sensor pole, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of a control circuit. The overall structure of the snow gauge is composed of a base 1 having a built-in control circuit and a single columnar sensor pole 2 protruding above the base 1. The base 1 contains a control circuit formed by a control unit 11, a sensor driver 12, and a sensor amplifier 13. The control unit 11 is C
A sensor interface 11 for driving a sensor driver 12 from the CPU 111 around the PU 111
2. Output (analog) of sensor amplifier 13 to CPU1
An A / D converter 113, a memory 114 for recording a measured value, an output interface 115 for outputting a measured value, and a host interface 116 for inputting a measurement command from an external host computer are respectively C
It is connected to PU111. [0008] The sensor driver 12 responds to a command received from the sensor interface 112 by using each of the temperature-sensitive elements 2.
3 are connected so as to issue a command to a sensor amplifier 13 for sequentially selecting and amplifying the output of the third amplifier. The sensor amplifier 13 is connected to each temperature sensing element 23 of the sensor pole 2 by a lead wire 24, and the amplified output is sent to the CPU 1 via an A / D converter 113.
11 is connected. The sensor pole 2 has a columnar shape as a whole. The cylinder is formed by a plurality of metal rings 21 provided at regular intervals and a plastic cylinder 22 holding the metal rings 21 at regular intervals. I have. The metal ring 21 has a thermistor closely held as a temperature sensing element 23 dispersedly arranged at a plurality of locations on the inner surface, and its lead wires 24 (plurality) are formed by the metal ring 21 and the plastic cylinder 22 which are continuously provided. Sensor amplifier 13 of the base 1
Connected to each other. The metal ring 21 and the plastic cylinder 22 are alternately connected to each other to form a single cylinder, in which a lead wire 24 is passed, and an epoxy containing Kevlar fiber for reinforcement is entirely provided. It is solidified by the resin 25 to form one column. Further, a thermistor as the temperature sensing element 23 is adhered to the inner surface of the metal ring 21 at three places at 120 ° intervals in this example. There is one metal ring 21a near the base 1 of the sensor pole 2 for confirming that the lower part of the sensor pole 2 is completely buried in the snow cover. Next, measurement of a change in the amount of snow by the snow gauge will be described. Generally, in an environment in which the amount of snow is a problem, the outside air temperature is below freezing and the wind often accompanies it, and it changes every moment and is not stable. On the other hand, the temperature in the snow is stable near the freezing point without being affected by the outside air temperature because the snow contains a lot of air in the natural state.
In other words, the principle of operation of this snow gauge is that the stable temperature in the snow,
By measuring the fluctuating temperature in the atmosphere, the position of the snow surface at that time is determined. Therefore, the base 1 of the snow gauge is connected to a metal ring 2.
1a and at least the lowermost end 21 of the metal rings 21 at regular intervals
b is inserted so as to be completely buried in the snow cover. In such a state, since the metal rings 21a and 21b are in the snow cover, they are stable near the freezing point, but the metal ring 21 exposed to the atmosphere fluctuates under the influence of the outside air temperature and the wind, Generally fluctuates below freezing. This temperature change is sequentially amplified by the sensor amplifier 13 and input to the CPU 111. The sensor amplifier 13 based on the measurement data
The analog output is digitized by the A / D converter 113 and input to the CPU 111, where it is processed to determine which metal ring 21 from the bottom is in the snow, and is recorded in the memory 114, It can be output through the output interface 115 to monitor the current snow surface position. Also, if the measurement (monitoring) headquarters and the snow gauge are connected by a connection means such as an electric wire, it is possible to measure the amount of snow at all measurement positions at the headquarters without going around. As described above, according to the present invention, the sensor
-The pole is made up of a plurality of metal rings
A plastic cylinder and a metal ring that hold the genus rings at regular intervals
A plurality of temperature-sensitive elements are arranged in the surface circumferential direction,
Each one is connected to a sensor amplifier
Thus, the snow surface position at the time of insertion (snow height) and the snow surface position after the insertion, that is, the amount of snow, can be recorded only by inserting the snow cover at a place deemed necessary. In addition, measurement (monitoring)
If the headquarters and the snow gauge are connected by a connection means such as an electric wire, it is possible to measure the snowfall amount at all measurement positions at the headquarters without going around.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a snow gauge according to the present invention, wherein (a) is a side view, (b) is a vertical sectional view of a sensor pole, and (c) is (a).
FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of a control circuit. [Description of Signs] 1 Base 11 Control unit 111 CPU 112 Sensor interface 113 A / D converter 114 Memory 115 Output interface 116 Host interface 12 Sensor driver 13 Sensor amplifier 2 Sensor pole 21 Metal ring 22 Plastic cylinder 23 Temperature sensing element 24 Lead wire 25 Epoxy resin containing Kevlar fiber

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Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] In a snowfall meter for measuring a change in the amount of snowfall, a base having a built-in control circuit at a lower portion, and a column-shaped temperature-sensitive element above the base at regular intervals. The control circuit includes a control unit, a sensor driver, and a sensor amplifier, and the sensor pole holds a plurality of metal rings provided at regular intervals and holds the metal rings at regular intervals. A plurality of temperature-sensitive elements are arranged in a circumferential direction on the inner surface of the plastic cylinder and the metal ring, and each temperature-sensitive element is connected to a sensor amplifier. The metal ring, the plastic cylinder, the temperature-sensitive element, and the temperature-sensitive element A snow gauge characterized by being formed of epoxy resin filled therein to fix a lead wire and form a single columnar sensor pole.