JPH0416512Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an operating device for electrical equipment, and more particularly to an operating device for controlling electrical equipment by means of optical signals transmitted through optical paths made of optical fibers.

<Prior art> Conventionally, explosion-proof electrical equipment,
For example, when installing explosion-proof lighting equipment, explosion-proof distribution boards, explosion-proof combination starters, etc., and installing the operation switch in a location away from the main unit, the cables connecting the main unit and the operation switch and the operation switch are generally constructed to be explosion-proof. It was necessary to do so. However, if the equipment is made to have an explosion-proof structure, the structure becomes large-scale, which increases the cost.

Therefore, the present inventor has already proposed an operating device for electrical equipment that controls electrical equipment using optical signals.
As shown in FIG.
1b, by moving the attenuation filters 14a and 14b, which have different attenuation rates of transmitted light intensity, in the direction of arrow A and crossing the optical path of the optical fiber 2, the light passing through the optical fiber 2 is attenuated by the attenuation filter 14a or attenuated. It passes through the filter 14b. The transmitted light has a light intensity corresponding to the attenuation rate of each attenuation filter, and enters the light receiving section 6 of the electrical equipment 3. The light intensity of the incident light is detected by the light receiving section 6, and the electrical equipment is controlled by operating the switching element 8 according to the light intensity of the incident light. In this operating position, an explosion-proof structure for the signal path and operating device is not required.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> The above-mentioned operating device had the following problems.

When on-off controlling an electrical device using momentary operation, a start switch and a stop switch are provided, each switch applies a pulse-like signal to the electrical device, and the electrical device performs a signal holding operation.

When this momentary operation is performed using the operating device having the above-mentioned attenuation filter, as shown in FIG. 4, when the stop operating device 11b is pushed in the direction of arrow A, the attenuation filter 14b gradually intersects the optical path. Therefore, for example, the transmittance of the attenuation filter 14b is
If it is 40%, the light intensity of transmitted light will be 40% from 100%.
Continuously changes to . Therefore, if the transmittance of the attenuation filter 14a of the starting operating device 11a is 80%, when the light intensity reaches 80% while pushing the stopping operating device 11b, which operating device was operated? It becomes impossible to determine whether Therefore,
Misjudgment may occur transiently during operation.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In the operating device for electrical equipment of the present invention, each of the first and second operating devices arranged in series on the optical path has a first light transmittance. and a filter having a second light transmittance. A filter having a light transmittance of The present invention is characterized in that the light transmittance decreases when transitioning from the first state to the second state.

<Function> In the operating device for electrical equipment according to the present invention, the direction of increase/decrease in transmittance is different when the first operating device is operated and when the second operating device is operated. Therefore, it is possible to determine which operating device has been operated according to the change in the light intensity of the transmitted light.

<Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an operating device for electrical equipment according to this embodiment. Reference numeral 1 designates two operating devices for momentary operation, 2 an optical fiber serving as a light path, and 3 an electrical device to be controlled.

The two operating devices 1a and 1b are arranged along the optical path of the portion where the optical fiber 2 is removed. The operating devices 1a and 1b can be moved up and down in the direction of arrow A in the figure, that is, in the direction orthogonal to the optical path, according to the operation. The operating device 1a has a transmittance of A in its movable direction.
Two types of filters 4a and 4b, % and B%, are arranged in parallel. The operating device 1b also has two types of filters 4c and 4d with transmittances of C% and D% in its movable direction.
are installed in parallel. The operating devices 1a, 1b are normally located at positions where the filters 4b, 4d intersect the optical path at the portion where the optical fiber 2 is removed. Therefore, the constant light transmittance is B×D%. Then, when the operating devices 1a and 1b are pushed in, the filter 4
a and 4c come to positions that intersect with the optical path, respectively.
When the operating devices 1a and 1b are released, they return to their original positions.

The optical fiber 2 has its light input end and output end both connected to an electrical device 3, and filters 4a, 4b of the operating devices 1a, 1b are connected in the optical path where the optical fiber 2 at a position away from the electrical device 3 is omitted. ,4
c and 4d intersect.

The electric device 3 includes a light emitting section 5, a light receiving section 6, a signal holding circuit 7, and a switching element 8. The light emitting unit 5 outputs light with a predetermined intensity to the optical fiber 2. The light receiving section 6 includes a photo-electrical converter that converts the intensity of light incident through the optical fiber 2 into an electrical signal.

The operating procedure will be explained below.

Here, the transmittance of the filters 4a and 4b of the operating device 1a is set to 0% and 100%, respectively, and the transmittance of the filters 4a and 4b of the operating device 1a is
The transmittance of filters 4c and 4d is 100%, respectively.
50%. Therefore, filter 4 is always
Since b and 4d are on the optical path, the transmittance is 100%×
50% = 50%.

Now, when the activation device 1a is pushed in, the filter 4a intersects the optical path, so the transmittance is 0%
50% = 0%. That is, when the operating device 1a is pressed, the transmittance decreases from the usual 50% to 0%. Although light with an intensity of 50% was normally incident on the light receiving section 6, the incident light disappears by operating the operating device 1a. When the light receiving section 6 detects that the intensity of the incident light has decreased, it outputs a starting signal to the signal holding circuit 7. The signal holding circuit 7 outputs a signal that turns on the switching element 8 in response to the signal from the light receiving section 6. The signal holding circuit 7 is
This signal is output continuously. When the switching element 8 becomes conductive, power is supplied to, for example, a motor (not shown). When you release your hand from the controller 1a,
The operating device 1a returns to its original position.

Next, when the stop operation device 1b is pushed in, the filter 4c intersects the optical path, so the transmittance is 100%.
×100%=100%. That is, when the operating device 1b is pressed, the transmittance increases from the usual 50% to 100%. The intensity of the incident light is 50
When detecting an increase from % to 100%, a stop signal is output to the signal holding circuit 7. The signal holding circuit 7 outputs a signal to turn off the switching element 8 in response to the signal from the light receiving section 6. Here, the switching element 8 is turned off, and power supply to the motor is stopped.

In this way, the transmittance decreases when the operating device 1a is operated, and the transmittance increases when operating the operating device 1b, so it can be determined which operating device was operated by the increase/decrease in the intensity of the transmitted light. .

Note that filters with any transmittance can be used, but the widest discrimination width should be obtained when the transmittance of filters 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d is 0%, 100%, 100%, and 50%, respectively. , and the possibility of misclassification is minimized.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a system in which this electrical equipment operating device is used in an explosive hazardous area. The operating device 1, the optical fiber 2, and the explosion-proof electrical equipment 9 are
Installed in areas where there is a risk of explosion due to ignition.

Since the structure and operation of this embodiment are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 except that the housing of the electric device 9 is made to have an explosion-proof structure, the same parts are given the same numbers and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

<Effects of the invention> According to the invention, even if electrical equipment and the controllers that control it are installed in remote locations, and the entire system is located within an explosion-hazardous area, only the electrical equipment can be made into an explosion-proof structure. This made the entire system explosion-proof, simplifying the structure. In addition, when the operating device is operated from the first state to the second state, the transmittance of the first operating device increases and the transmittance of the second operating device decreases. Misjudgments are no longer made and reliability is improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the invention, Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional example, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional example. It is a figure explaining operation. 1... Operating device, 2... Optical fiber, 3... Electrical equipment, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d... Filter, 5
... Light emitting section, 6 ... Light receiving section, 7 ... Signal holding circuit, 8 ... Switching element, 9 ... Explosion-proof electrical equipment.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Inside the housing of electrical equipment, there are light emitting parts, light receiving parts,
and a built-in circuit section that determines the magnitude relationship of the electrical output of the light receiving section, an optical path outside the housing that guides the light from the light emitting section to the light receiving section, and an operating means in the optical path that controls the electrical equipment. In the apparatus, the operating means includes two operating devices, a first and a second operating device, arranged in series on the optical path, and each operating device is configured to switch between a first state and a second state. A selectable operating section and a portion that is displaced in conjunction with the operating section and intersects the optical path when in the first state have a first light transmittance, and a portion that intersects with the optical path when in the second state. The intersecting portions each include a filter having a second light transmittance, and the filter related to the first operating device has the second light transmittance increased with respect to the first light transmittance, and the second light transmittance increases with respect to the first light transmittance. An operating device for an electrical appliance, wherein the filter according to the operating device has the second light transmittance lower than the first light transmittance.