JPH0441344Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention is applicable to, for example, an ultrasonic transducer installed in seawater and used to measure various things such as distance to an object and moving speed by transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves. In particular, it relates to preventing marine organisms from adhering to the transmitting and receiving wave surfaces. [Prior Art] For example, in an ultrasonic berthing speed meter, an ultrasonic transducer is installed in seawater at a berthing position, and ultrasonic waves are transmitted and received toward a ship to guide the ship. FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of a conventional ultrasonic transducer, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8. 1 is a ship, 2 is a berthing position of the ship, 3 is a fender for buffering when berthing, 4 is an ultrasonic transducer that transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, and 5 is a distance L to the ship 1 and its movement. The main body measures the speed, 8 is the cable, and 9 is the normal line of the mooring ship. The conventional ultrasonic transducer/receiver 4 is installed in the seawater approximately 3 m below the water surface at the bow and stern positions of the ship 1 berthed, and transmits ultrasonic waves into the seawater directed toward the berthed ship 1 . The distance L from the berthing position 2 to the ship 1 and its moving speed are measured by receiving the reflected signal from the ship. Piers, quays, berths, and dolphins at berthing position 2 are usually equipped with fenders 3 (fenders) made of synthetic rubber at the bow and stern to reduce the impact on the ship 1 during berthing and to prevent damage to various equipment. It is installed at the berthing position 2. In addition, in order to further reduce the impact when the ship 1 approaches the shore, it is necessary to be able to accurately measure the distance L to the ship 1 and the moving speed, especially at short distances.
However, since the ultrasonic transducer 4 is always installed in seawater, as time passes, sea creatures such as barnacles, oysters, and seaweed attach to the ultrasonic wave transmitting and receiving surface and gradually grow to cover the entire surface, causing ultrasonic waves. When the transmission and reception of sound waves are interfered with, measurement errors increase due to deterioration of the signal-to-noise ratio due to a decrease in transmission power and reception sensitivity, making it impossible to ensure the desired performance. Therefore, sea creatures attached to the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4 are regularly removed. [Problems to be solved by the invention] With the conventional ultrasonic transducer 4 as described above, the frequency of berthing of the ship 1 is usually about once every two weeks, and the time required for berthing is about 1 hour. Although the operating time of the equipment is very short, there are high requirements for ensuring safety when berthed, and the equipment must always be able to demonstrate the specified performance. Since the transmitting and receiving surfaces of the ultrasonic transducer 4 are always in contact with seawater, in order to prevent the performance of the equipment from deteriorating due to the adhesion of marine organisms, a diver regularly dives into the seawater every 3 to 6 months to prevent sea creatures from adhering to the seawater. Cleaning and removal of marine life is underway. Marine organisms adhere to the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4, and when removing them, a large amount of force is applied, which may damage the wave transmitting/receiving surface and degrade the performance, and the removal process requires time, so it must be removed regularly. Maintenance costs for diving operations will increase. On the other hand, if an antifouling paint that kills marine life is applied to the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4 to prevent marine life from adhering to the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4, the elution from the paint is toxic and will affect other marine life, resulting in no pollution. Antifouling paints are expected, but no practical products have been obtained yet. Another problem was that it was difficult to apply the antifouling paint in seawater. This invention was made to solve this problem, and it suppresses the adhesion of marine organisms to the wave transmitting and receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4, extending the period for removing and cleaning them, and reducing the number of diving operations. It is an object of the present invention to obtain an ultrasonic transducer 4 which can be reduced in number and reduce damage and maintenance costs of the ultrasonic transducer 4. [Means for Solving the Problems] The ultrasonic transducer according to the invention includes a cover provided with an antifouling member attached to the ultrasonic transducer and pressed against the ultrasonic wave transmission/reception surface, and one end of which is attached to the ultrasonic transducer. A power transmission section is provided which engages with the cover and transmits power by operating from the other end to open and close the cover. [Function] In this invention, the ultrasonic transducer is provided with a cover equipped with an antifouling member that is pressed against the wave transmitting and receiving surface, and the cover can be opened and closed by remote control from land using a power transmission unit. Therefore, the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer is always shielded from seawater by the antifouling material, and the cover opens only when the device is in operation.Therefore, the surface of the transmitting/receiving surface exposed to seawater can be reduced, and the adhesion of marine life can be suppressed. This reduces the number of diving operations required to remove marine life, reduces damage to the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer, and reduces maintenance costs. [Example] An example of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of this invention, FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing an example of the operation. In the figure, 4 and 8 are the same as conventional ultrasonic transducers, and 6 is a piezoelectric vibrator that performs sound-to-electric conversion;
10 is a cover that is attached to the ultrasonic transducer 4 and can be opened and closed; 11 is an antifouling member provided on the cover 10 that is pressed against the wave transmitting/receiving surface; 12 is a power transmission section;
13 is a conduit, 14 is a core that slides within the conduit 13, 15 is a handle that powers the core, 16 is a pulley, 17 is an elastic member that holds the cover 10 in a predetermined position by spring force, and 18 is a hinge. . In the ultrasonic transducer configured as described above, for example, when the ultrasonic transducer 4 is used as an ultrasonic berthing speed meter, the ultrasonic transducer 4 is installed in seawater corresponding to the bow and stern of the berthing position 2. A piezoelectric vibrator 6 is disposed in front of the sound wave transducer 4, and the piezoelectric vibrator 6 is energized by the main body 5 to transmit ultrasonic waves into the seawater and receive reflected waves from the ship 1. The distance L to the ship 1 and its moving speed are measured using the main body 5. A cover 10 equipped with an antifouling member 11 that shields the two piezoelectric vibrators 6 is attached to the front surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4, and the cover 10 is attached to the wave transmitting and receiving surface by an elastic member 17 using, for example, a tension spring. It is pressed. In addition, a power transmission section 12 is provided on the side of the ultrasonic transducer 4.
is arranged, one end of which slides in the conduit 13 by operating the handle 15 transmits power to the core 13 attached to the cover 10 via the pulley 16, and the cover 10 resists the tension spring force of the elastic member 17. It rotates by more than 90 degrees using the hinge 18 as a fulcrum.
Therefore, the front surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4 is open. When the handle 15 is returned to its original position, the cover 10
is the hinge 18 due to the tension spring force of the elastic member 17.
The antifouling member 1 rotates around the fulcrum and presses the wave transmitting and receiving surfaces.
1 shields the piezoelectric vibrator 6. As a result, the surface of the wave transmitting and receiving surface exposed to seawater can be reduced, so that adhesion of sea creatures can be suppressed. The core 14 used in the power transmission section 12 has an airtight structure at both ends of the conduit 13.
Furthermore, since it is flexible and has sufficient transmission efficiency, dirt and seawater are prevented from entering the inside of the conduit 13, and stable power transmission can be performed for a long period of time.
Therefore, even if the handle 15 is installed near the main body 15, the opening and closing operations of the cover 10 attached to the ultrasonic transducer 4 in seawater can be reliably performed by remote control. FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of the cover, and FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 11 is attached, and a hinge 18 is provided on the side of the cover 10 to serve as a fulcrum for opening and closing operations. Antifouling member 1
1 is flexible, so even if the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4 has an uneven structure, a sufficient shielding effect can be obtained. Figure 6 is a front view showing another example of the cover, Figure 7 is a front view showing another example of the cover;
The figure is a bottom view of FIG. 6, and shows an example of the antifouling member 11 in the form of a flat plate made of synthetic rubber or synthetic resin. It can have a remarkable effect. Vessels 1 carrying hazardous materials such as LNG and LPG usually enter the port at a rate of about one every two weeks, and the time it takes to berth is short, about one hour, and equipment is idle more often than it is in operation. The time is very long, and if the specified performance is not achieved during operation, the ship 1
The safety of ships when berthed is not guaranteed, and if an accident occurs, huge losses will be incurred, so daily maintenance is extremely important. Power is transmitted by remote control from a handle 15 placed close to the main body 5 installed on land, the cover 10 in the seawater opens, and the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4 is opened, similar to the conventional method. The following actions can be performed. When the device is not operating, the elastic member 17
The cover 10 is pressed against the wave transmitting/receiving surface by the tensile spring force of the wave transmitting/receiving surface, and is shielded by the antifouling member 11. Therefore, since the surface exposed to seawater can be made small, even if sea products such as barnacles, oysters, and seaweed adhere to the antifouling member 11, their adhesion to the wave transmitting/receiving surface is significantly suppressed.
If the antifouling member 11 is flexible, attached sea creatures can be easily removed. The period of time for removing marine life from the ultrasonic transducer 4 and for cleaning operations can be significantly extended, and the device can maintain its desired performance for a long period of time. Therefore, the frequency of damage to the ultrasonic transducer 4 and the number of diving operations are reduced, so maintenance costs can be reduced. Although the above example shows how the cover 10 opens and closes using the hinge 18 as a fulcrum, the same effect can be obtained by using a structure in which the antifouling member 11 slides on the wave transmitting/receiving surface of the ultrasonic transducer 4. is obtained. Since the cover 10 is attached to the ultrasonic transducer 4 and has a structure that can be easily replaced, the working time can be shortened, and the maintenance period for removing marine life can be significantly improved. The present invention can be widely used in other devices such as ultrasonic berthing speedometers that are installed in seawater and operate intermittently with downtime. [Effects of the invention] As explained above, this invention has a simple structure that includes a cover that is attached to the ultrasonic transducer and a power transmission section that operates the cover by remote control. The wave transmitting/receiving surface of the sonic transducer is always pressed by a cover and shielded by an antifouling material. Only when the device is in operation, the cover is opened by operation from land and the wave transmitting/receiving surface is opened, but the device is intermittently When the unit is activated and the operating time is short, the wave transmitting and receiving surface is virtually shielded by the cover for most of the time, reducing the surface exposed to seawater, reducing the adhesion of marine life and providing stable operation over a long period of time. . Since the number of diving operations for removing and cleaning marine life is reduced, damage to the ultrasonic transducer and maintenance costs can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view showing an example of the operation, Fig. 4 is a front view showing an example of the cover, 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a front view showing another example of the cover, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of FIG. 6, and FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional view showing the arrangement of a conventional ultrasonic transducer.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of FIG. 8. In the figure, 4 is an ultrasonic transducer, 6 is a piezoelectric vibrator, 8 is a cable, 10 is a cover, 11 is an antifouling member, 12 is a power transmission section, 13 is a conduit, 1
4 is the core, 15 is the handle, 16 is the pulley, 17
is an elastic member, and 18 is a hinge. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] In an ultrasonic transducer that is installed in seawater and transmits and receives ultrasonic waves, a shield that is attached to the ultrasonic transducer and is pressed against the ultrasonic transmitting and receiving wave surface. It has a cover provided with a dirty member, and a power transmission part whose one end is engaged with the cover and transmits power by operation from the other end, and the cover can be opened by remote control from the end of the power transmission part. An ultrasonic transducer characterized in that it can be closed.