CN114514396A - Guiding tube - Google Patents

Abstract

The tip guide tube is provided with: a wire configured with a connection terminal; a top end portion for fixing the wire and being bendable; a main body part connected with a tip part; and a cover portion which fixes the wire rod to be movable forward and backward and is fitted to the body portion. The additional guide pipe includes: an additional wire configured with an additional connection terminal and a slide terminal; adding a main body part; an additional cover part for fixing the additional wire rod to advance and retreat and embedding with the additional main body part; and a sliding part which is arranged on the additional cover part and limits the movement of the sliding terminal to advance and retreat along the length direction of the additional cover part. The tip end guide pipe and the additional guide pipe are integrated into one piece, and the tip end portion is bent by pulling the additional connection terminal.

Description

Guiding tube

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a guide pipe for guiding and inserting a sensor for measuring the thickness of a heat transfer pipe of a boiler into the heat transfer pipe.

The present application claims priority based on japanese patent application No. 2019-191111 filed in japan on 18/10/2019, and the contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

In a mechanical facility including a boiler such as a coal-fired boiler of a thermal power plant or a waste heat boiler for power generation provided in a waste incinerator, the wall thickness of a heat transfer pipe (boiler pipe) of the boiler is periodically measured using a sensor. In particular, a case where an Ultrasonic probe, which is a type of sensor, is inserted into a heat transfer tube filled with water may be referred to as "water immersion UT" ("UT" is an omission of english Ultrasonic Testing).

In this mechanical apparatus, a plurality of heat transfer pipes are connected to a header tank linearly extending in the horizontal direction so as to be orthogonal to the central axis of the header tank. The header includes an inspection socket for inspecting the inside of the header at an end portion facing the central axis of a corridor provided in the mechanical equipment or at a side surface facing the corridor. The pipe seat is formed integrally with the header by welding. As the stem, there is also a stem provided with a flange so as to be openable and closable, and a stem which is opened by fusing and is closed by welding a cap again after a predetermined operation.

When measuring the thickness of the heat transfer pipe, an operator needs to open the header so that the sensor can pass through the header from the opening to the heat transfer pipe to be measured.

However, the header typically has a small internal diameter that is difficult for an operator to pass through.

Therefore, the device that guides and inserts the sensor into the heat transfer pipe instead of the operator inserting the sensor into the target heat transfer pipe through the inside of the header is the guide pipe. That is, the guide tube is a device as follows: the sensor is inserted from the opening through the inside of the header to the heat transfer pipe, and is guided to the opening of the heat transfer pipe opened to the header.

The applicant has disclosed a guide pipe inserted from an opening of a pipe socket disposed on a side surface of a header (see patent document 1) and a guide pipe inserted from an opening of a pipe socket disposed on an end portion on a central axis of a header (see patent document 2).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 6004989

Patent document 2: japanese patent No. 6260070

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

Further, the guide tube disclosed in patent document 1 requires bending the guide tube at a plurality of positions, and therefore the structure is somewhat complicated.

On the other hand, the guide tube disclosed in patent document 2 may be bent at one point of the guide tube, and specifically, it is sufficient that the tip of the guide tube is bent at about 90 °. Therefore, the structure can be simplified as compared with the guide tube disclosed in patent document 1.

However, the corridor is generally narrow, and other devices in the mechanical equipment or walls of the mechanical equipment are disposed in a direction facing the pipe socket across the corridor. Therefore, in the corridor in which the operator works during the thickness measurement, there is an upper limit to the length of the linear guide pipe that can be inserted from the opening of the pipe seat into the header tank.

Therefore, when the length of the header tank is sufficiently longer than the guide pipe disclosed in patent document 2, the length of the guide pipe becomes insufficient. Therefore, the sensor cannot be guided and inserted into some of the heat transfer pipes connected to the header.

If the length of the guide tube is insufficient, it is conceivable to connect another guide tube. However, the cable connected to the sensor needs to be reliably recovered from the heat transfer pipe. Therefore, generally, a cable having a length of several tens of meters or more without a gap is used without connecting a plurality of short cables. On the other hand, since the operator operates the wire rod on the side opposite to the tip of the bending guide tube, the length of the wire rod operating the bending of the guide tube is designed to be a length equivalent to the length of the guide tube, in other words, to be slightly longer than the length of the guide tube.

Therefore, when the length of the guide tube is insufficient, if only another guide tube in the form of a continuous tube is used, the other guide tube needs to be inserted from one end of the long cable. Therefore, time may be spent on splicing. Further, when another wire rod having a length corresponding to that of the other guide tube is connected to only the wire rod that has been bent by the operation of the guide tube, the wire rod is bent at a large distance from the guide tubes, and is caught by a welded portion of the inner wall of the header and cut, thereby causing a failure. As a result, the guide pipe may not properly guide the sensor to the heat transfer pipe.

Therefore, development of a guide pipe having a simple structure that an operator can connect quickly and easily and that can appropriately guide the sensor to the heat transfer pipe has been desired.

The invention provides a guide pipe which is simple in structure and can properly guide a sensor to a heat transfer pipe without being affected by the length of a header.

Technical scheme

In order to solve the above problems, the guide tube of the present invention is: a guide pipe that guides a sensor for measuring a thickness of a heat transfer pipe and a cable connected to the sensor in a range from an opening of a pipe seat disposed at one end on a central axis of a header of a boiler to the heat transfer pipe connected to the header, the guide pipe comprising: a tip guide tube that stores the sensor in a releasable manner; and a first additional guide tube connectable to the distal end guide tube, the distal end guide tube including: a wire rod, one end of which is provided with a connecting terminal; a tip portion to which the other end of the wire is fixed and which is bendable; a body portion having a rod-like shape with a cross section substantially shaped like "コ" with the tip portion connected to one end thereof; and a cover portion that fixes the wire rod on a surface thereof so as to be movable forward and backward and that is fitted to the body portion from a back surface thereof, the first additional guide pipe including: an additional wire having an additional connection terminal disposed at one end thereof and a slide terminal disposed at the other end thereof; an additional main body part which is rod-shaped and has a cross section of approximately 'コ'; an additional cover part, which fixes the additional wire on the surface of the additional wire to be capable of moving forward and backward and is embedded with the additional main body part from the back surface of the additional cover part; and a sliding portion disposed on a surface of the additional cover portion, the sliding portion limiting movement of the sliding terminal to an amount that can advance and retreat a predetermined distance in a longitudinal direction of the additional cover portion, the connecting terminal being connected to the sliding terminal, the sensor being housed in the distal end portion and the other end of the main body portion being connected to one end of the additional main body portion, the cables being disposed inside the main body portion and inside the additional main body portion, and the cover portion and the additional cover portion being fitted to the main body portion and the additional main body portion, respectively, whereby the distal end guide pipe and the first additional guide pipe are integrated into a single tube shape, and the distal end portion is bent by pulling the additional connecting terminal.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, an additional guide tube can be connected to the distal end guide tube to increase the length of the guide tube. That is, even when the length of the header tank is sufficiently longer than the length of the distal end guide pipe, the sensor can be guided to the heat transfer pipe, which is a structure in which the sensor cannot be guided only by the distal end guide pipe, by appropriately connecting the additional guide pipe to the distal end guide pipe.

Further, when the tip end guide pipe is connected to the additional guide pipe, the additional guide pipe can be formed into a tubular shape by fitting the additional cover portion after the cable is accommodated in the additional main body portion. Therefore, the time for connecting the additional guide tube by the operator can be shortened.

The wire of the tip guide tube and the additional wire of the additional guide tube connected to the wire are fixed to the surfaces of the cap and the additional cap so as to be movable forward and backward, respectively. The connection terminal of the wire is connected to the slide terminal of the additional wire. Further, the slide portion disposed on the surface of the additional cover portion restricts the movement of the slide terminal. Therefore, there is no fear that the wire members are spread out by a large distance from the distal end guide tube and the additional guide tube and are bent to cause a failure of the guide tubes.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a guide pipe having a simple structure and capable of appropriately guiding the sensor to the heat transfer pipe without being affected by the length of the header.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tube wall thickness measurement system using a guide tube 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of the guide tube 1 in which a plurality of additional guide tubes and the wire rod handling device 11 are connected in sequence to the distal end guide tube 13. Fig. 2 (a) is a view of the guide tube 1 as viewed from above, fig. 2 (b) is a view of the guide tube 1 as viewed from the side, and fig. 2 (c) is a view of the cap 19 and the additional cap 24 removed and viewed from above.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the slide portion 25. Fig. 3 (a) is a perspective view of the slide portion 25 as viewed from above, and fig. 3 (b) is a schematic view showing the structure of the slide terminal 21.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the xz plane for explaining the operation of the slide terminal 21 in the slide portion 25 and the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 included in the slide terminal 21. Fig. 4 (a) is a view immediately after the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 is inserted into the slide terminal 21, and fig. 4 (b) is a view showing a state in which the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 moves inside the slide terminal 21, and the wire rod of the distal end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14 connected thereto or the wire rod of the two additional guide pipes 14 connected to each other are firmly connected.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the locking portion 28.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating connection of the distal end guide tube 13 and the additional guide tube 14 in the xz plane. Fig. 6 (a) is a schematic view of the distal end guide tube 13, fig. 6 (b) is a schematic view of the additional guide tube 14, and fig. 6 (c) is a schematic view showing a state in which the distal end guide tube 13 and the additional guide tube 14 are connected.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-sectional structure on the yz plane of the distal end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14. Fig. 7 (a) is an I-I view of fig. 6 (a), and is a view of the + x-axis direction. Fig. 7 (b) is a view from direction II-II of fig. 6 (a), and is a view looking in the + x-axis direction. Fig. 7 (c) is a view from III-III direction of fig. 6 (b), and is a view looking in the + x-axis direction.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a tube thickness measuring system using the guide tube of the present invention will be described in general with reference to fig. 1, and then the guide tube 1 of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2 to 7.

An orthogonal coordinate system including an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis is appropriately illustrated. A plane (xy plane) including the x axis and the y axis is a horizontal plane, and a direction in which an arrow of the z axis is directed is a vertical direction and a direction in which the arrow is directed upward.

Note that the "+ x-axis direction (x-axis positive direction)" means a direction in which an arrow on the x-axis is directed, and the "-x-axis direction (x-axis negative direction)" means a direction opposite to the direction in which the arrow on the x-axis is directed. The same applies to the "+ y-axis direction (positive y-axis direction)" and the "-y-axis direction (negative y-axis direction)" and the "+ z-axis direction (positive z-axis direction)" and the "-z-axis direction (negative z-axis direction)".

First, a tube thickness measurement system using a guide tube 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1.

In a mechanical facility including a boiler such as a coal-fired boiler of a thermal power plant or a waste heat boiler for power generation provided in a waste incinerator, a plurality of heat transfer tubes 2 provided in the boiler are connected to a header 3 extending in a horizontal direction so as to be orthogonal to and communicate with each other.

The header 3 includes a pipe socket 5 protruding in the horizontal direction at an end portion facing the corridor 4 as a passage through which an operator can work. The pipe holder 5 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the header 3. The pipe seats 5 are arranged so that the central axis of the header 3 coincides with the central axis of the pipe seats 5. One end of the tube holder 5 is connected to the header 3 in a communicating manner. The other end of the stem 5 is welded with a metal plate or is blocked with a flange so as to have no opening. The other end is opened when the guide pipe 1 is inserted into the inside of the header 3.

The wall thickness measurement of the heat transfer tube 2 connected to the header 3 is performed by a tube wall thickness measurement system including at least: a sensor 6 for measuring the thickness of the heat transfer tube by ultrasonic waves or the like; a cable 7 having one end connected to the sensor 6; an analysis device 8 connected to the other end of the cable 7; and a display device 9 for displaying the result calculated by the analysis device 8.

The analyzer 8 calculates the thickness of the heat transfer pipe 2 based on information measured by the sensor 6 using ultrasonic waves or the like. The analyzer 8 displays the result of this calculation (information on the thickness of the heat transfer tube 2) on the display 9. The analyzer 8 is an arithmetic device such as a computer. Although the explanation has been given with the analyzer 8 and the display device 9 such as a monitor separated from each other, the analyzer 8 and the display device 9 such as a monitor need not be separated from each other. For example, a notebook Personal Computer (Personal Computer) in which the analysis device 8 and the display device 9 are integrated may be used.

The cable 7 is a flexible cable that transmits an electrical signal (specifically, information measured by the sensor 6) from the sensor 6 to the analysis device 8. The cable 7 is seamless and has a length of several tens of meters or more. Therefore, the pipe wall thickness measuring system includes the cable winding device 10. The cable winding device 10 can wind the cable 7 automatically or manually, and can pull it out automatically or manually.

The guide tube 1 described in detail later is a part of a tube wall thickness measuring system. The guide pipe 1 is inserted into the header 3 and guides the sensor 6 to an opening of a predetermined heat transfer pipe 2 connected to the header 3. The tip of the guide pipe 1 and the wire handling device 11 disposed in the corridor 4 are connected to each other by a wire. Then, by the operator operating the wire operating device 11, the distal end can be bent in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the header 3, i.e., in an approximately 90 ° direction. Since the central axis of the header 3 is orthogonal to the central axis of the heat transfer pipe 2, the sensor 6 can be easily inserted into a predetermined heat transfer pipe 2. The wire rod handling device 11 is preferably disposed on the work table 12 at an appropriate height.

Then, the guide tube 1 will be described with reference to fig. 2 to 7. After the main configuration of the guide tube 1 is described in brief, other configurations including the main configuration will be described in detail.

Here, the wire material handling device 11 pulls the bending wire material 16a through the additional wire material 22 a. Specifically, of the bending spool 11a and the stretching spool 11b provided in the wire material handling device 11, the stretching spool 11b is unwound and the additional wire material 22a is wound around the bending spool 11 a. Thereby, the bending wire 16a connected thereto is pulled, and the distal end portion 17 of the distal end guide tube 13 of the guide tube 1 is bent. Further, the wire operating device 11 pulls the extension wire 16b through the additional wire 22 b. Specifically, the bending spool 11a is unwound and the additional wire 22b is wound around the stretching spool 11 b. This structure is configured as follows: the extension wire 16b connected thereto is pulled, and the distal end portion 17 of the distal end guide tube 13 of the guide tube 1 is extended. Thus, two lines of wire corresponding to each of the bending spool 11a and the stretching spool 11b are shown in fig. 2 to 7.

However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a mechanism for stretching the bent distal end portion 17 may be realized without using the wire 16 b. For example, this can be achieved by connecting a biasing member such as a spring or rubber to the distal end portion 17 and the main body portion 18. That is, the wire rod operating device 11 pulls the bending wire rod 16a through the additional wire rod 22a, thereby bending the distal end portion 17 of the distal end guide tube 13 of the guide tube 1. Further, by relaxing the tension of the bending wire 16a via the additional wire 22a by the wire operating device 11, the distal end portion 17 can be automatically extended by the force of the urging member.

In the following description, the respective constituent elements will be described exclusively for one line of the two lines of wires shown in the drawings, which is formed by the bending wire 16a and one or more additional wires 22a connected thereto. The explanation corresponding to one line of the wires corresponding to the extension wires 16b is omitted because it is the same as the explanation corresponding to the bending wires 16 a. Each of the components may be provided separately for one line of the wires corresponding to the extension wires 16b in the same configuration as the one line of the wires corresponding to the bending wires 16 a.

First, the main structure of the guide tube 1 will be briefly described.

The guide pipe 1 is a guide pipe that guides a sensor 6 for measuring the thickness of the heat transfer pipe 2 and a cable 7 connected to the sensor 6, while enclosing the sensor 6 and the heat transfer pipe 2 connected to the header 3, in a range from an opening of a pipe seat 5 disposed at one end of the central axis of the header 3 of the boiler. The guide tube 1 has at least: a distal end guide tube 13 for releasably housing the sensor 6; and an additional guide tube 14 connectable to the distal end guide tube 13. Although described later, another additional guide pipe 14 (e.g., a second additional guide pipe 14b) of the same configuration may be connected to the additional guide pipe 14 (e.g., a first additional guide pipe 14 a). Therefore, by providing a plurality of additional guide pipes 14 having the same structure, the sensor 6 can be guided to the predetermined heat transfer pipe 2 by the guide pipe 1 without being affected by the length of the header 3.

The distal end guide tube 13 includes at least a wire 16, a distal end portion 17, a body portion 18, and a cover portion 19. The wire 16 has a connection terminal 15 disposed at one end thereof. The distal end portion 17 is provided with: the other end of the supply wire 16 is fixed and bendable. The body portion 18 has a rod shape with one end connected to the distal end portion 17, and has a cross section of a substantially "コ" (corresponding to the letter "U"). The lid 19 is formed by fixing the wire 16 on the surface thereof so as to be movable forward and backward and fitting the body 18 from the back surface thereof.

The additional guide pipe 14 includes at least an additional wire 22, an additional body 23, an additional cover 24, and a slide 25. The additional wire 22 has an additional connection terminal 20 at one end thereof and a slide terminal 21 at the other end thereof. The additional body portion 23 has a rod shape and a cross section of approximately "コ" (corresponding to the english letter "U"). The additional lid 24 has an additional wire 22 fixed on its front surface to be movable forward and backward and fitted to the additional body 23 from its rear surface. The slide portion 25 is disposed on the surface of the additional cover 24, and restricts the movement of the slide terminal 21 to an amount that can advance and retreat by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the additional cover 24.

For example, when the guide tube 1 is formed of the distal end guide tube 13 and one additional guide tube 14 (first additional guide tube 14a), the sensor 6 is housed in the distal end portion 17, and the other end of the main body portion 18 is connected to one end of the additional main body portion 23. The cable 7 is disposed inside the main body 18 and inside the additional main body 23, and the lid 19 and the additional lid 24 are fitted to the main body 18 and the additional main body 23, respectively. Thereby, the distal end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) are integrated into one tube. At this time, the connection terminal 15 is connected to the slide terminal 21, and the additional connection terminal 20 is pulled. Thereby, the slide terminal 21 at the other end of the additional wire 22 (the additional wire 22a connected to the bending wire 16a) is pulled. As a result, the connection terminal 15 connected to the slide terminal 21 is pulled, and the distal end portion 17 of the other end (bending wire 16a) to which the wire 16 is fixed is bent.

Then, in addition to the configuration at least included in the guide tube 1, other configurations will be described in detail.

First, the configuration of the lid 19 and the additional lid 24 will be described, and then the configuration of the main body 18, the additional main body 23, and the distal end portion 17 connected to the main body 18 will be described.

The wire 16 is fixed to the surface of the cover 19 so as to be movable forward and backward, and is a wire guide 26 (see fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b)). Wire guide portion 26 is disposed on the surface of lid 19. The wire guide 26 has a through hole with an inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the wire 16 in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the rectangular plate-shaped cover 19. The wire 16 is arranged to pass through the through hole, and thereby the wire 16 is fixed to be able to advance and retreat in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the lid 19. In fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b), three wire guides 26 are arranged at equal intervals on the surface of the lid 19. In order to reduce the deflection of the wire 16, it is preferable to dispose a plurality of wire guides 26, but depending on the design, only two wire guides may be disposed, or four or more wire guides may be disposed.

Further, the additional wire 22 is fixed to the surface of the additional cover 24 so as to be able to advance and retreat, and is an additional wire guide portion 27 (see fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b)). The additional wire guide 27 is disposed on the surface of the additional cover 24. The additional wire guide 27 has a through hole with an inner diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the additional wire 22 in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the rectangular plate-shaped additional cover 24. The additional wire 22 is disposed to pass through the through hole, and thereby the additional wire 22 is fixed to be able to advance and retreat in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the additional lid 24. In fig. 2, two additional wire guides 27 are disposed on the surface of the additional cover 24. From the viewpoint of reducing the deflection of the additional wire 22, it is desirable to dispose a plurality of additional wire guides 27. However, since the later-described slide portion 25 is disposed in the additional lid portion 24, only one slide portion may be disposed according to design. Alternatively, three or more additional wire guides 27 may be arranged according to design.

In the guide tube 1 including the wire guide portion 26, the additional wire guide portion 27, and the later-described slide portion 25, the wire 16 or the additional wire 22 is not bent at a large distance from the distal end guide tube 13 and the additional guide tube 14. Therefore, the failure of the guide tube due to the deflection of the wire rod can be prevented.

The slide portion 25 is disposed on the surface of the additional lid portion 24. The sliding portion 25 is a quadrangular prism-shaped hollow component, and the sliding portion 25 restricts the movement of the slide terminal 21 to an amount that can advance and retreat by a predetermined distance in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the additional cap portion 24 (see fig. 2 (a) and 2 (b)).

As shown in fig. 3 a and 4, the slide portion 25 is composed of a box-shaped exterior portion 25a in which one surface (lower surface out of both surfaces in the z-axis direction) of the quadrangular prism is opened, and a surface of the additional lid portion 24 connecting the opening of the exterior portion 25 a. The surface covered by the exterior portion 25a is formed with a groove 25b extending in the x-axis direction, the groove 25b being provided to restrict movement of the slide terminal 21 in the y-axis direction and to enable movement of the slide terminal 21 in the x-axis direction. Here, although the groove 25b is formed in the surface of the additional lid portion 24, a rectangular plate may be connected to the opening portion of the outer portion 25a instead of the groove 25b formed in the surface of the additional lid portion 24, and a groove corresponding to the groove 25b may be formed in the plate.

The length of the groove 25b in the x-axis direction is equal to the predetermined distance by which the slide terminal 21 can advance and retreat. The dimension of the groove 25b in the y-axis direction (the dimension of the groove width) is substantially the same as and slightly larger than the dimension "W" of the width of the slide terminal 21 described later. The dimension of the groove 25b in the z-axis direction (the dimension of the groove depth) is about 1/3 of the height dimension "H" of the slide terminal 21 described later.

Both side surfaces of the exterior portion 25a arranged in the y-axis direction are rectangular plates.

One of the two side surfaces (the side surface in the x-axis direction and the side surface in the + x-axis direction) disposed in the x-axis direction is a rectangular plate connected to the two side surfaces disposed in the y-axis direction. One of the two side surfaces has a through hole having a size larger than the diameter of the additional wire 22 and through which the slide terminal 21 cannot pass. The additional wire 22 is inserted into the through hole.

The other of the two side surfaces (the side surface in the x-axis direction and the side surface in the + x-axis direction) arranged in the x-axis direction and the upper surface connected to the four side surfaces described above have rectangular openings communicating with each other along the groove 25 b. The opening is formed from the other side surface in the following dimensions: slightly smaller than the dimension "D" in the-x-axis direction and slightly smaller than the dimension "W" in the y-axis direction, and sufficiently larger than the diameters of the wires 16 and the additional wire 22.

The dimension in the z-axis direction from the bottom surface of the groove 25b to the upper surface of the exterior portion 25a is substantially the same as the dimension "H" and is slightly larger. Therefore, the slide terminal 21 can move only in the x-axis direction inside the slide portion 25 without coming out of the groove 25 b.

As shown in fig. 3 (b), the slide terminal 21 is a quadrangular hollow component having a length in the x-axis direction as dimension "D", a length (width) in the y-axis direction as dimension "W", and a length (height) in the z-axis direction as dimension "H". The bottom surface (vertically lower surface of two surfaces arranged in parallel in the z-axis direction) of the slide terminal 21 is a rectangular plate having a size "D" x a size "W". The bottom surface is disposed in the groove 25 b. Of the four side surfaces of slide terminal 21, two side surfaces arranged in parallel in the y-axis direction are rectangular plates each having a size "D" x a size "H". In the following description, sizes "W" (upper case letters) and "W" (lower case letters) different from each other are used as appropriate.

Of the side surfaces of the slide terminal 21, one of two side surfaces (a side surface in the x-axis direction and a side surface in the + x-axis direction) arranged in the x-axis direction is a rectangular plate having a size "W" x a size "H", and the additional wire 22 is connected to the center thereof. The other side (side in the + x-axis direction) is a rectangular plate having an opening in a part of the dimension "W" x dimension "H". Specifically, the following rectangular opening is opened in the center: the dimension w is slightly larger than the diameter of the wire 16 and the diameter of the additional wire 22 in the y-axis direction, and the dimension H is shorter than the dimension H by the bottom surface of the slider terminal 21 in the z-axis direction.

The upper surface (upper surface out of two surfaces arranged in the z-axis direction) of the slide terminal 21 has a shape in which an opening is opened in a part of a rectangular plate having a size "D" x "W. Specifically, an opening (hereinafter, referred to as a "large opening") is formed by removing the dimension d from the side surface in the-x-axis direction in the + x-axis direction. Further, a rectangular opening having a dimension "w" (hereinafter, referred to as a "small opening") is formed in the center, and the rectangular opening communicates with both the "large opening" and the previously described opening having a dimension "w" × dimension "h" of the side surface in the + x-axis direction.

The connection terminal 15 disposed on the wire 16 and the additional connection terminal 20 disposed on the additional wire 22 are cylindrical members having a diameter larger than the diameters of the wire 16 and the additional wire 22. Specifically, the slide terminal includes a cylindrical member having a diameter smaller than the dimension "W", and smaller than the dimension "h" (in other words, smaller than the inner dimension of the side surface of the slide terminal 21 disposed in the x-axis direction), and a height slightly smaller than the dimension "d". One end of the corresponding wire 16 or the additional wire 22 is connected to the bottom surface. Similarly, a prism having a side surface of the bottom surface and the top surface larger than the dimension "w", smaller than the inner dimension of the side surface of the slide terminal 21 disposed in the x-axis direction, and having a height smaller than the dimension "d" may be used as the connection terminal 15.

Therefore, the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 can be accommodated in the slide terminal 21 through the opening of the exterior portion 25a in a state where the wire connected to the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 is pulled linearly from the opening communicating with the slide terminal 21.

The state of the connection terminal 15 housed in the slide portion 25 or the state of the additional connection terminal 20 will be described with reference to fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 4 (a), the slide terminal 21 is moved to the opening of the exterior portion 25 a. At this time, immediately after the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 is inserted into the slide terminal 21 from the "large opening", the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 is present directly below the "large opening".

Thereafter, as shown in fig. 4 (b), when the additional wire 22 connected to the slide terminal 21 is pulled in the-x-axis direction by the wire handling device 11, the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 housed in the slide terminal 21 moves to a position directly below the "small opening" inside the slide terminal 21.

When the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 moves to a position directly below the "small opening" of the slide terminal 21, the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 is accommodated in a small room covered with the upper, lower, left, and right wall surfaces of the slide terminal 21. The exit of this cubicle is only in the-x-axis direction. Therefore, even if the distal end portion 17 of the guide tube 1 is bent, the received connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 cannot be easily detached from the slide terminal 21. When the distal end portion 17 of the guide tube 1 is bent (or extended), the wire operating device 11 is pulled or released to maintain a constant tension in a line of wires to which the wire 16 and the one or more additional wires 22 are connected. Therefore, the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 becomes more difficult to go out of the small room and to be detached from the slide terminal 21.

Therefore, according to the guide tube 1, the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 can be extremely simply and firmly connected to the slide terminal 21 by simply inserting the connection terminal 15 or the additional connection terminal 20 into the slide terminal 21 and by one touch without screwing or the like. As a result, the wires 16 and the additional wires 22 can be connected or the additional wires 22 can be connected.

That is, the guide tube 1 is a simple structure that the operator can connect quickly and easily.

Hooks (hooks) 28a are disposed on both ends of the back surface of the lid 19 and the back surface of the additional lid 24 in the y-axis direction, respectively (see fig. 5). The hook 28a is formed in an "L" shape (english "L" shape) protruding in the-z-axis direction and extending in the + x-axis direction from the tip of the protruding portion. The hook 28a is a part that is paired with a hook receiver 28b disposed on the main body portion 18 and the additional main body portion 23, which will be described later. The hook 28a and the hook receiver 28b form the pair of the locking portions 28.

The length of the hook 28a in the x-axis direction is the dimension "β". The distance in the z-axis direction between the portion of the hook 28a extending in the + x-axis direction and the back surface of the lid 19 or the back surface of the additional lid 24 is defined as a dimension "α". The thickness of the portion extending in the + x-axis direction in the z-axis direction is a dimension "γ".

The fitting of the hook 28a and the hook receiver 28b will be described later.

Next, the main body 18 and the additional main body 23 will be described in detail.

The body 18 has a rod-like or linear shape with a distal end portion 17 connected to one end (see fig. 2 (c)). The cross-sectional shape of the body portion 18 on the yz plane is substantially the shape of a letter "コ" (corresponding to the english letter "U") that opens in the + z-axis direction. The additional body 23 has a rod-like or linear shape. The cross-sectional shape of the additional body portion 23 on the yz plane is substantially the shape of a letter "コ" (corresponding to the english letter "U") that opens in the + z-axis direction.

As shown in fig. 7 (b) and 7 (c), the hook receivers 28b are disposed on the inner walls of the main body portion 18 and the additional main body portion 23 on the y-axis, respectively, as viewed in the yz plane. As shown in fig. 5, the hook receiver 28b includes a quadrangular prism-shaped vertical cavity and a horizontal cavity extending from the bottom of the vertical cavity in the + x-axis direction. The vertical cavity is formed in a quadrangular shape with the following dimensions: a dimension "β '" slightly larger than the dimension "β" in the x-axis direction, a dimension slightly larger than the dimension in the y-axis direction of the hook 28a in the y-axis direction, and a depth of the dimension ("α '" + "γ '"). In the case of the transverse cavity, the dimension in the y-axis direction is slightly larger than the dimension in the y-axis direction of the hook 28a, and the dimension in the z-axis direction is the dimension "γ'". Here, the dimension "α '" is slightly smaller than the dimension "α", and the dimension "γ'" is slightly larger than the dimension "γ". That is, the relationship "α" > "α '", "β" < "β '", and "γ" < "γ '", is established.

Therefore, the hook 28a disposed on the back surface of the lid 19 or the back surface of the additional lid 24 is inserted into the vertical hole in the-z axis direction. Thereafter, a part of the hook 28a can be fitted into the lateral hole in a one-touch manner by moving in the + x axis direction. Due to this fitting, the lid 19 or the additional lid 24 is substantially immovable in the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction from the corresponding body 18 or the additional body 23. Then, due to this fitting, the lid 19 is fixed to the body portion 18 and becomes the tubular distal end guide tube 13. The additional cover 24 is fixed to the additional body 23 and forms a tubular additional guide pipe 14.

As shown in fig. 2a and 2b, a plurality of additional guide tubes 14 (first additional guide tube 14a, second additional guide tube 14b, and third additional guide tube 14c) are connected in order from the distal end guide tube 13, and the guide tube 1 is integrated into one tube. In this case, the lid 19 and the plurality of additional lids 24 are designed such that the adjacent lids 19 or additional lids 24 come into contact with each other to complete the fitting. When the guide tube 1 and the wire operating device 11 are connected, after the additional cover 24 of the additional guide tube 14 (third additional guide tube 14c) disposed closest to the-x-axis direction is fitted, the wire operating device 11 is brought into contact with the additional cover 24 or pressed against the additional cover 24 so that the additional cover 24 does not move in the-x-axis direction. Thereby, the additional guide pipe 14 disposed closest to the-x axis direction is connected to the wire rod handling device 11.

Therefore, all the caps 19 or the plurality of additional caps 24 of the guide pipe 1 cannot move substantially in the x-axis direction.

In other words, it is not necessary to screw the cap 19 or the additional cap 24 of the distal end guide tube 13 and the additional guide tube 14 directly or indirectly connected thereto, which constitute the guide tube 1. Therefore, the lid 19 or the additional lid 24 is substantially fixed to the corresponding body 18 or the additional body 23 so as not to be separable, and there is no fear of detachment unless the operator decomposes the guide tube 1.

That is, the guide tube 1 has a simple structure that the operator can connect quickly and easily, and the cap 19 or the additional cap 24 has a structure that firmly holds the integrity without being accidentally detached.

Here, fig. 2 shows the following configuration: three additional guide tubes 14 are connected to the distal end guide tube 13, and the wire rod handling device 11 is connected to the additional guide tube 14 at the distal end (here, the third additional guide tube 14 c). However, the number of additional guide pipes 14 may be one first additional guide pipe 14a, two first additional guide pipes 14a and second additional guide pipes 14b, or four or more depending on the length of the header 3. The distal end guide tube 13 and one or more additional guide tubes 14 are connected in sequence to form the guide tube 1 integrally. At this time, the additional connection terminal 20 of each additional guide pipe 14 is directly or indirectly pulled by the wire rod handling device 11 connected to the additional guide pipe 14 located at the end with respect to the tip guide pipe 13. Thereby, the additional wire 22 directly or indirectly connected to the wire 16 fixed to the distal end portion 17 is pulled, and the distal end portion 17 is bent.

As shown in fig. 2 (c), the shape of the main body portion 18 is a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the x-axis direction when viewed from above the xy plane. The shape of the end of the main body 18 in the-x axis direction is a convex shape protruding from the center in the y axis direction by a predetermined width in the-x axis direction. A tip portion 17 described later is connected to an end portion of the main body portion 18 in the + x axis direction.

The shape of the additional main body portion 23 is a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the x-axis direction when viewed from above the xy plane. The shape of both ends of the additional main body 23 in the x-axis direction is a convex shape protruding from the center in the y-axis direction by a predetermined width in the x-axis direction.

Hereinafter, the end portion of the main body portion 18 having the convex shape and the end portion of the additional main body portion 23 having the convex shape are referred to as convex end portions 30.

As shown in fig. 7 (b) and 7 (c), a cable mounting table 31 having a recess formed therein is disposed from one end portion to the other end portion in the x axis in the main body portion 18 and the additional main body portion 23, and the recess has a size substantially the same as and slightly larger than the diameter of the cable 7. The recess is disposed at the center in the y-axis direction of the main body portion 18 and the additional main body portion 23. Further, since the recess is open in the + z-axis direction, the cable 7 can be placed on the cable placing table 31 from above to below. The cable mounting base 31 is designed not to prevent the L-shaped hook 28a of the locking portion 28 from being fitted into the hook receiver 28 b.

The cable mounting table 31 is disposed from one end to the other end of the main body 18 and the additional main body 23 in the x axis. Therefore, as shown in fig. 7 (a), the convex end portion 30 also has a recess corresponding to the cable table 31.

The main body portion 18 and the additional main body portion 23 are provided with the cable table 31, and thereby the plurality of additional guide pipes 14 are connected in order from the distal end guide pipe 13, and the guide pipe 1 is integrated into one tube shape. In this case, as shown in fig. 2 (c), one seamless cable 7 can be linearly arranged along the central axis of the guide tube 1 without being bent.

After the sensor 6 housed in the distal end portion 17 of the guide pipe 1 is guided to a predetermined heat transfer pipe 2, when the sensor 6 is inserted into the heat transfer pipe 2, the operator of the corridor 4 pushes the cable 7 into the guide pipe 1. The sensor 6 connected to the cable 7 is released from the distal end portion 17 by pushing out the cable 7 and enters the heat transfer tube 2. At this time, the cable 7 is disposed in the recess of the cable table 31. Therefore, the bending of the bendable cable 7 is prevented and the cable 7 can be appropriately pushed out.

That is, the sensor 7 can be appropriately inserted into the predetermined heat exchanger tube 2 by the guide tube 1.

A plurality of additional guide tubes 14 are connected in sequence from the distal end guide tube 13 to form a guide tube 1 integrated into one tube. At this time, as shown in fig. 2, 6 and 7, the body 18 and the convex end portions 30 of the additional body 23 or the convex end portions 30 of the two additional bodies 23 connected to each other are firmly connected to each other by the connecting portion 29.

The coupling portion 29 is a member for firmly coupling the two adjacent and mutually connected convex end portions 30. Here, as described later, the coupling portion 29 includes: (1) arms (arm)29a and hooks (hook)29b of the latch are respectively arranged on the side surfaces (plate-shaped side surfaces on the xz plane) in the y-axis direction of the two adjacent convex end portions 30; (2) a plug 29c and an insertion hole 29d which are respectively disposed on side walls (plate-shaped side surfaces on the yz plane, wherein the side walls have a recess corresponding to the cable mounting base 31 as shown in fig. 7 (a)) positioned in the x-axis direction at the distal ends of the two adjacent convex end portions 30 and are fitted to each other; and (3) a convex portion 29e and a concave portion 29f which are respectively disposed on the side surfaces in the x-axis direction of the distal ends of the two adjacent convex end portions 30 and are fitted to each other.

Depending on the design, the connection portion 29 may lack some of the components (1), (2), and (3), or may be added with other components. Further, instead of the locking of (1), a string having one end fixed may be disposed at one of the convex end portions 30, and a protrusion for winding the string may be disposed at the other convex end portion 30 to fix the adjacent convex end portions 30.

Hereinafter, three components included in the connection portion 29 will be described.

First, the locking of the component (1) will be explained. The latch, also called a tow hook latch, is formed by a set of pairs of arms 29a and hooks 29 b. The latch is a locking tool for fixing both members by hooking an arm 29a fixed to one member to a hook 29b fixed to the other member and applying a force.

As shown in fig. 2 (c), two latches are arranged so as to sandwich the adjacent convex end portions 30 from the y-axis direction.

The arm 29a and the hook 29b are configured, for example, in the following manner. As shown in fig. 6 (a), a hook 29b is disposed at the convex end 30 of the body portion 18 of the distal end guide tube 13. In this case, as shown in fig. 6 (b), the arm 29a is disposed at the convex end 30 of the additional main body 23 of the additional guide pipe 14 connected to the distal end guide pipe 13, which protrudes in the + x axis direction. At this time, the hook 29b is disposed on the convex end 30 of the additional body 23 projecting in the-x axis direction.

However, as long as the adjacent convex end portions 30 can be fixed by the arm 29a and the hook 29b, the arm 29a may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 of the main body portion 18, and the hook 29b may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 in the + x axis direction of the additional main body portion 23.

In other words, the other end of the main body portion 18, to which the distal end portion 17 is connected at one end, includes one of the arm 29a and the hook 29b of the latch. One end of the additional main body portion 23 connected to the other end of the main body portion 18 is provided with the other of the arm 29a and the hook 29b of the latch.

Fig. 6 (c) shows a state in which the distal end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) connected thereto are fixed by the corresponding arm 29a and hook 29 b.

Next, the core rod 29c and the insertion hole 29d corresponding thereto of the component (2) will be described. The diameter of the insertion hole 29d is substantially the same as and slightly larger than the diameter of the mandrel 29 c. The center axis of the mandrel 29c is arranged along the x-axis. The core rod 29c and the insertion hole 29d are arranged, for example, as follows.

As shown in fig. 7 (a), an insertion hole 29d is disposed on the side surface of the tip of the convex end portion 30 of the tip guide tube 13 in fig. 6 (a) and below the recess of the cable mounting table 31. In this case, as shown in fig. 6 (b), the mandrel 29c is disposed at the convex end 30 of the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) connected to the tip end guide pipe 13, which protrudes in the + x axis direction.

At this time, the insertion hole 29d is disposed on the side surface of the tip of the convex end 30 and below the recess of the cable table 31 with respect to the convex end 30 of the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) protruding in the-x axis direction.

However, as long as the adjacent convex end portions 30 can be fitted to each other by the core rod 29c and the insertion hole 29d, the core rod 29c may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 of the distal end guide tube 13, and the insertion hole 29d may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 in the + x axis direction of the additional body portion 23.

In other words, the other end of the body portion 18, to one end of which the tip portion 17 is connected, includes one of the plug 29c and the insertion hole 29 d. One end of the additional body portion 23 connected to the other end of the body portion 18 is provided with the other of the plug 29c and the insertion hole 29 d.

It is necessary to prevent the guide tube 1 from being disassembled due to breakage of the latch of the component (1). Therefore, the weight of the distal end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14 directly or indirectly connected thereto is designed to be sufficiently supported by the mandrel 29c and the insertion hole 29d disposed at each of the convex end portions 30. In addition, when a plurality of additional guide tubes 14 are added, the additional guide tubes 14 are designed to be prevented from being deflected by the weight of the additional guide tubes 14. In this case, the same side surface (side plate) as the tip is also disposed at the other end of the convex end 30 to which the insertion hole 29d is disposed. The plug 29c inserted into the insertion hole 29d is also inserted into the insertion hole on the side surface of the other end. In this way, if the mandrel bar 29c is configured to be supported by at least two insertion holes, that is, at least two positions, the support can be stably performed.

Next, the convex portion 29e and the corresponding concave portion 29f of the component (3) will be described.

The convex portion 29e is, for example, a cylinder extending in the x-axis direction. The recess 29f is, for example, a depression having a diameter and a length substantially the same as or slightly larger than that of the cylinder. The recess 29f may be a through hole. The convex portion 29e and the concave portion 29f are arranged, for example, as follows.

As shown in fig. 7 (a), a recess 29f is disposed at a position different from the insertion hole 29d below the recess of the cable table 31 and on the side wall of the tip of the convex end portion 30 of the tip guide tube 13 in fig. 6 (a). In this case, as shown in fig. 6 (b), a convex portion 29e is disposed at a convex end portion 30 of the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) connected to the distal end guide pipe 13, which protrudes in the + x-axis direction.

At this time, the convex end 30 of the additional guide pipe 14 (first additional guide pipe 14a) protruding in the-x axis direction is provided with a recess 29f at a position different from the insertion hole 29d below the recess of the cable table 31 and the side wall of the tip of the convex end 30.

However, the convex portion 29e may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 of the distal end guide pipe 13 and the concave portion 29f may be disposed at the convex end portion 30 in the + x axis direction of the additional body portion 23, as long as the adjacent convex terminals 30 can be fitted together by the convex portion 29e and the concave portion 29 f.

In other words, the other end of the body 18, to which the tip portion 17 is connected at one end, includes one of the convex portion 29e and the concave portion 29 f. One end of the additional main body 23 connected to the other end of the main body 18 includes the other of the convex portion 29e and the concave portion 29 f.

As described above, even if the weight of the tip end guide pipe 13 and the additional guide pipe 14 directly or indirectly connected thereto can be sufficiently supported by the mandrel 29c and the insertion hole 29d arranged at each convex end portion 30, different moments (moment) may be applied to each of the adjacent tip end guide pipe 13 and additional guide pipe 14 or each of the adjacent additional guide pipes 14 centering on the mandrel 29 c. In such a case, the lock of the component (1) may be broken to disassemble the guide tube 1 or may be rotated on the yz plane around the axis of the mandrel 29 c.

However, the convex portion 29e of the adjacent convex end portion 30 is fitted into the concave portion 29 f. Therefore, even when the moment is applied, the adjacent tip guide pipe 13 and additional guide pipe 14 or the adjacent additional guide pipe 14 are restricted to perform the same operation on the yz plane. This prevents breakage of the latch and disassembly and rotation of the guide tube 1.

The convex portion 29e of the adjacent convex end portion 30 is fitted in the concave portion 29 f. Therefore, the adjacent main body portion 18 and additional main body portion 23 or the adjacent two additional main body portions 23 are completely aligned. Thus, the positions of the side surfaces coincide with each other when viewed in the yz plane.

The guide tube 1 having the above-described coupling portion 29 has a simple structure in which the operator can quickly and easily perform the coupling, and has a structure in which the operator can work while maintaining the integrity firmly.

The distal end guide tube 13 includes a strut part 32, separately from the additional guide tube 14. As shown in fig. 6 and 7, the pillar portion 32 includes two bearings 32g, a connecting shaft 32f, two pillars 32a, a rod 32b, a first projection 32c, and a second projection 32 d. The two bearings 32g are disposed at both ends of the bottom surface (surface facing the lid 19) of the main body 18 in the y-axis direction. The coupling shaft 32f is inserted through the bearing 32 g. The two support columns 32a are connected to both ends of the connecting shaft 32f and are provided so as to be rotatable in synchronization with each other around the connecting shaft 32 f. The rod 32b has one end rotatably connected to the vicinity of the center of the support column 32 a. The first projection 32c fixes the other end of the rod 32b when the support 32a is disposed along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the distal end guide tube 13. The second projection 32d fixes the other end of the rod 32b when the support 32a is disposed in the direction (z-axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

The first projection 32c and the second projection 32d are formed to project from one side surface of the main body portion 18 in the y-axis direction. The lever 32b has a notch that enters the first projection 32c and the second projection 32d from above, corresponding to each lever.

The support column 32a is extendable and retractable and has supports 32e at both ends. In fig. 7, the pillars 32a are shown as prisms, but may be cylindrical or polygonal. The support column 32a can be extended and contracted physically or mechanically by an extension and contraction mechanism using an urging member such as a spring, a gear, or the like.

The guide pipe 1 having the additional guide pipe 14 connected to the distal end guide pipe 13 may be difficult to continuously insert in parallel to the x-axis direction, which is the axial direction of the header 3, due to its weight. Therefore, when the tip end guide pipe 13 is inserted into the stem 5, the support column 32a is disposed so as to be horizontally extended in the longitudinal direction of the tip end guide pipe 13. After that, the operator operates the lever 32b from the outside of the tube seat 5 immediately after the strut 32a of the tip guide tube 13 is completely inserted into the header tank 3. Thereby, the support column 32a is rotated and fixed in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the distal end guide tube 13. The above operation may be performed by hand entering the header 3 from the stem 5, or may be performed in the header 3. Then, the operator stretches and fixes the support post 32a so that the abutments 32e at both ends of the support post 32a are brought into contact with the inner wall of the header 3. Thus, even if the guide pipe 1 is connected to the additional guide pipe 14 at the distal end guide pipe 13, the insertion can be continued easily and in parallel to the axial direction of the header tank 3. The inversion and expansion of the support column 32a may be automated. For example, if a biasing member is placed inside the support column 32a in advance and a force is applied to a member supporting the holders at both ends, the extension and contraction of the support column 32a can be automated. The automation can be applied to a header with a small inner diameter, which is difficult to operate.

The distal end portion 17, which will be described later, is bent by about 90 ° toward the bottom surface side from the longitudinal direction of the distal end guide tube 13. Therefore, when the heat transfer tube 2 is not connected to the lower side in the z-axis direction of the header 3, the guide tube 1 connected to the wire rod manipulator 11 rotates in the axial direction of the header 3 together with the wire rod manipulator 11. At this time, the pillars 32a are still in contact with the inner wall of the header 3. The tip end guide pipe 13 is supported at four points by the two stays 32a, whereby the guide pipe 1 can appropriately guide the sensor 6 to the heat transfer pipe 2.

Here, the description has been given of the configuration in which the strut part 32 is provided only on the distal end guide tube 13, but the strut part 32 may be provided on the additional guide tube 14 in addition to the distal end guide tube 13. Further, the support column 32a has been described as two support columns 32a that are rotatable in synchronization with each other around the coupling shaft 32f, but depending on the design, a configuration may be adopted in which only one support column 32a is provided, or three or more support columns are provided, and the lengths thereof are changed depending on the case.

The guide pipe 1 including the above-described support column portion 32 is configured to facilitate the insertion of the operator along the center axis of the header tank 3, thereby facilitating the operability of the operator.

Finally, the distal end portion 17 connected to the body portion 18 will be described. The distal end portion 17 includes a sensor housing portion 17a, a bent portion 17b, and an imaging device 17 c. The sensor housing 17a is formed in a cylindrical shape to house the sensor 6 so as to be dischargeable. The bent portion 17b is connected to the sensor housing portion 17a and is bent in one direction toward the bottom surface such that the center axis of the sensor housing portion 17a is oriented at about 90 ° from the longitudinal direction of the body portion 18. The imaging device 17c is disposed in the sensor housing portion 17a, and images along the central axis in a direction opposite to the direction in which the bent portion 17b is disposed, in other words, in front of the sensor housing portion 17 a.

However, the imaging device 17c may be mounted at any position as long as it can clearly image the forward state of the guide tube 1, as long as it is near the tip of the sensor housing portion 17 a.

The sensor housing portion 17a and the bent portion 17b may be configured as disclosed in the related art document.

As described above, the wire material handling device 11 unwinds the stretching spool 11b and winds the additional wire material 22a around the bending spool 11 a. As a result, the bending wire 16a (see fig. 6 (a)) is pulled, and one end of the bending wire 16a is connected to the additional wire 22a via the slide terminal 21 and the other end is fixed to the lower surface (lower surface out of the surfaces in the z-axis direction) of the sensor housing portion 17 a. As a result, the distal end portion 17 of the distal end guide tube 13 of the guide tube 1 is bent. Further, the wire material handling device 11 unwinds the bending spool 11a and winds the additional wire material 22b around the stretching spool 11b, whereby the stretching wire material 16b is pulled, and one end of the stretching wire material 16b is connected to the additional wire material 22b via the slide terminal 21 and the other end is fixed to the upper surface (upper surface out of the surfaces in the z-axis direction) of the sensor housing portion 17 a. As a result, the distal end portion 17 of the distal end guide tube 13 of the guide tube 1 is extended.

The imaging Device 17c is a Device such as a CMOS (Complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) that can transmit an image or a video to be captured in real time. Although not shown, a wiring line connected to the imaging device 17c to transmit a video or an image is connected to the analysis device 8. In order to prevent a failure such as disconnection due to contact with the cable 7 advancing and retreating inside the guide tube 1, the wiring is connected to the analysis device 8 through a space between the cable table 31 and the main body portion 18 or the additional main body portion 23, instead of being connected to the analysis device 8 through the recess of the cable table 31. Then, the analysis device 8 displays the image or the image captured by the imaging device 17c on the display device 9. This allows the operator to appropriately and easily guide the sensor 6 to a desired heat transfer pipe 2 connected to the header tank 3. The wiring for transmitting the video or image may be directly connected to a portable display device independent of the analyzer 8 and the display device 9, instead of displaying the video or image using the analyzer and the display device, to display the captured video.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and includes design changes and the like within a scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Industrial applicability

According to the present invention, an additional guide tube can be connected to the distal end guide tube to increase the length of the guide tube. That is, even when the length of the header tank is sufficiently longer than the length of the distal end guide pipe, the sensor can be guided to the heat transfer pipe, which is a structure in which the sensor cannot be guided only by the distal end guide pipe, by appropriately connecting the additional guide pipe to the distal end guide pipe.

Further, when the additional guide pipe is connected to the tip end guide pipe, the additional guide pipe can be formed into a tubular shape by fitting the additional cover after the cable is housed in the additional main body, and thus the time required for connecting the additional guide pipe by the operator can be shortened.

The wire of the tip guide pipe and the additional wire of the additional guide pipe connected to the wire are fixed to the surfaces of the lid and the additional lid so as to be able to advance and retreat, respectively. The connection terminal of the wire is connected to the slide terminal of the additional wire, and the slide portion disposed on the surface of the additional cover portion restricts the movement of the slide terminal. Therefore, there is no fear that the wire rods are deflected by a large distance from the distal end guide tube and the additional guide tube, and the guide tubes are broken.

Therefore, it is possible to provide a guide pipe having a simple structure and capable of appropriately guiding the sensor to the heat transfer pipe without being affected by the length of the header.

Description of the reference numerals

1: a guide tube;

2: a heat transfer tube;

3: collecting a box;

4: a corridor;

5: a tube holder;

6: a sensor;

7: a cable;

8: an analysis device;

9: a display device;

10: a cable winding device;

11: wire operating device

(11 a: a bending roll, 11 b: a stretching roll);

12: an operation table;

13: a tip guide tube;

14: additional guide tube

(14 a: a first additional guide tube, 14 b: a second additional guide tube, and 14 c: a third additional guide tube); 15: a connection terminal;

16: wire rod

(16 a: a bending wire, 16 b: a stretching wire);

17: tip end portion

(17 a: a sensor housing part, 17 b: a bending part, and 17 c: an imaging device);

18: a main body portion;

19: a cover portion;

20: adding a connecting terminal;

21: a slide terminal;

22: additional wire

(22 a: an additional wire directly or indirectly connected to the bending wire 16a,

22 b: an additional wire directly or indirectly connected to the stretching wire 16 b);

23: adding a main body part;

24: adding a cover part;

25: sliding part

(25 a: exterior portion, 25 b: groove);

26: a wire guide portion;

27: adding a wire guide part;

28: card fixing part

(28 a: L-shaped hook, 28 b: hook receiver);

29: connecting part

(29 a: arm, 29 b: hook, 29 c: mandrel, 29 d: insertion hole,

29 e: convex portion, 29 f: a recess);

30: a convex end portion;

31: a cable table;

32: pillar part

(32 a: a pillar, 32 b: a rod, 32 c: a first protrusion, 32 d: a second protrusion,

32e, and (3): support, 32 f: coupling shaft, 32 g: bearings).

Claims (6)

1. A guide pipe that guides a sensor that measures a thickness of a heat transfer pipe and a cable connected to the sensor, in a range from an opening of a pipe seat disposed at one end on a central axis of a header of a boiler to the heat transfer pipe connected to the header, the guide pipe comprising:

a tip guide tube that stores the sensor in a releasable manner; and

a first additional guide tube connectable to the tip end guide tube,

the tip guide tube includes:

a wire rod, one end of which is provided with a connecting terminal;

a tip portion to which the other end of the wire is fixed and which is bendable;

a body portion having a rod-like shape with a cross section substantially shaped like "コ" with the tip portion connected to one end thereof; and

a cover portion which fixes the wire material on a surface thereof so as to be movable forward and backward and which is fitted to the body portion from a rear surface thereof,

the first additional guide tube includes:

an additional wire having an additional connection terminal disposed at one end thereof and a slide terminal disposed at the other end thereof;

an additional main body part which is rod-shaped and has a cross section of approximately 'コ';

an additional cover part, which fixes the additional wire on the surface of the additional wire to be capable of moving forward and backward and is embedded with the additional main body part from the back surface of the additional cover part; and

a sliding part which is arranged on the surface of the additional cover part and limits the movement of the sliding terminal to a predetermined distance along the length direction of the additional cover part,

the connection terminal is connected to the slide terminal,

the tip guide pipe and the first additional guide pipe are integrated into a single tube by housing the sensor in the tip portion, connecting the other end of the main body portion to one end of the additional main body portion, disposing the cables inside the main body portion and inside the additional main body portion, and fitting the lid portion and the additional lid portion to the main body portion and the additional main body portion, respectively,

the tip end portion is bent by pulling the additional connection terminal.

2. The guide tube of claim 1,

the slide terminal is provided with an opening,

the connection terminal is connected to the slide terminal by inserting the connection terminal into the opening and housing the connection terminal inside the slide terminal.

3. The guide tube of claim 2,

the lid portion is fitted to the body portion by moving in a longitudinal direction of the body portion,

the additional lid portion is fitted to the additional body portion by moving in a longitudinal direction of the additional body portion,

the additional cover portion is in contact with the cover portion and is fitted to the additional body portion, so that the cover portion cannot be separated from the body portion.

4. The guide tube of claim 3,

the other end of the main body portion is provided with one of a core rod and an insertion hole which are fitted to each other, the one end of the additional main body portion is provided with the other of the core rod and the insertion hole which are fitted to each other,

the other end of the main body part is provided with one of a concave part and a convex part which are mutually embedded, one end of the additional main body part is further provided with the other of the concave part and the convex part which are mutually embedded,

the other end of the main body part is provided with one of an arm and a hook of the latch, the one end of the additional main body part is provided with the other of the arm and the hook of the latch,

after the plug is fitted into the insertion hole and the concave portion is fitted into the convex portion, the arm is hooked to the hook to lock the latch, whereby the other end of the main body portion is connected to one end of the additional main body portion.

5. The guide tube of claim 4, further comprising:

a second additional guide tube having the same structure as the first additional guide tube and connected to the first additional guide tube integrated with the distal end guide tube; and

a wire-handling device for a wire-handling device,

the other end of the additional body portion of the first additional guide tube is provided with the other end of the body portion of the mandrel, the insertion hole, the concave portion, the convex portion, the arm, and the hook,

the other end of the additional main body portion of the first additional guide tube is connected to one end of the additional main body portion of the second additional guide tube, similarly to the connection between the other end of the main body portion and one end of the additional main body portion of the first additional guide tube,

the cable is disposed inside the additional main body portion of the second additional guide pipe, and the additional cover portion of the second additional guide pipe is in contact with the additional cover portion of the first additional guide pipe to be fitted to the additional main body portion of the second additional guide pipe, whereby the additional cover portion of the first additional guide pipe cannot be separated from the additional main body portion of the first additional guide pipe, and the tip end guide pipe, the first additional guide pipe, and the second additional guide pipe are integrated into one tube,

an additional connection terminal of the first additional guide pipe is received and connected in the slide terminal of the second additional guide pipe,

the distal end portion is bent by the wire operating device directly or indirectly pulling the additional connection terminal of the second additional guide pipe.

6. The guide tube according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the distal end guide tube further includes a support column portion including a support column that is rotatable and retractable near one end of the main body portion,

the two ends of the strut are respectively provided with a support,

the support column is disposed substantially parallel to the central axis when the tip end guide pipe is inserted into the opening of the tube socket, and rotates so as to be substantially perpendicular to the central axis and extends so as to bring the support into contact with the header after the tip end guide pipe is inserted into the header.

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