CN117140583A - Non-load bearing conveyor chain and track assembly dedicated to carrier tape and conveyor inspection robots - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a non-load carrying conveyor chain dedicated to carrying and transporting inspection robots, comprising: a plurality of first integral segment plates or segments rods having first roller sets mounted thereon, the first roller sets having at least one first roller; a plurality of second integral segment sheets or segments bars having second roller sets mounted thereon, the second roller sets having at least one second roller; the first and second integral chain segments or chain segment rods are alternately and movably connected, and each two adjacent first roller groups and second roller groups respectively rotate along a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis which are orthogonal to each other; in each case two connected first and second integral segment pieces or segments, the second integral segment piece or segment can be rotated relative to the first integral segment piece or segment about at least one axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation and the second axis of rotation, thereby assuming a straightened state and an inclined state relative to the first integral segment piece or segment.

Description

Non-load bearing conveyor chain and track assembly dedicated to carrier tape and conveyor inspection robots

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of track inspection robots, in particular to a non-load-bearing conveying chain and a track assembly, which are used for driving the inspection robot to travel.

Background

The inspection work of long-distance or complex sites such as pipe corridors and coal mines is the basis and important guarantee of site safety. Due to the reasons of multiple monitoring items, long lines and the like, particularly the ultra-long pipe gallery has the advantages of severe environmental conditions, strong sealing performance, multiple structures and inconvenient communication, the inspection difficulty of the site state in a manual mode is high, the feasibility is extremely limited, and the personal safety of inspection personnel is difficult to effectively guarantee.

Because the robot has the basic characteristics of perception, decision, execution and the like, the robot can assist or even replace human beings to finish dangerous, heavy and complex work of inspection, and the working efficiency and quality are improved.

When the inspection robot works, the track platform is usually used as a carrier to move on the track along a fixed running path, and the environment needing inspection is monitored. As technology advances and demand increases, rail inspection robots have also begun to be employed in many places, such as factories, farming plants, smart farms, municipal pipe galleries, underground coal mines, etc.

However, the conventional track inspection robot system has the problems of complicated structure, difficult maintenance and high cost of a conveying chain and a track assembly related to a transmission mode of a robot. The existing track inspection robot system also has derailment, slipping and sliding (commonly known as galloping), difficult climbing and the like.

The present invention is directed to an improved conveyor chain and track assembly in a inspection robot system that alleviates or even eliminates the above-identified and other technical shortcomings.

The information included in this background section of the specification of the present invention, including any references cited herein and any descriptions or discussions thereof, is included solely for the purpose of technical reference and is not to be construed as a subject matter that would limit the scope of the present invention.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been developed in view of the above and other further concepts.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transfer chain for transferring a patrol robot, including: the first chain segments are provided with first roller pairs, and each first roller pair consists of two first rollers; and each second chain segment is provided with a second roller pair, and each second roller pair consists of one or two second rollers. The first chain segments and the second chain segments are alternately and movably connected, and each two adjacent first roller pairs and second roller pairs are respectively arranged to rotate along a first axis and a second axis, and the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal; and, among the first segment and the second segment connected each other, the second segment is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the first segment at least about an axis parallel to one of the first axis and the second axis to have a straightened state and an inclined state with respect to the first segment.

According to an embodiment, the first segment and the second segment are rigid segments composed of a single unitary metal strip or bar.

According to an embodiment, the shape of the first segment and the second segment includes at least one of a rod shape, a plate shape, and a cylindrical shape.

According to one embodiment, each of the first segments is permanently or removably connected to the first roller pair thereon; and each second chain segment is permanently connected or detachably connected with the second roller pair.

According to an embodiment, every two adjacent first chain segments and second chain segments are movably connected through a joint; the first chain segment is movably connected with the first end of the joint, and the second chain segment is movably connected with the second end of the joint; the second segment is arranged to be rotatable relative to the first segment about a third axis parallel to the first axis and about a fourth axis parallel to the second axis.

According to one embodiment, the first chain segment is flat and is vertically connected with a first rotating shaft of the first roller pair thereon; the second chain segment is in a plate shape and is vertically connected with a second rotating shaft of a second roller pair on the second chain segment; the first chain segment is movably connected with the first end of the joint through a first pivot, and the first pivot vertically penetrates through the first chain segment; and the second chain segment is movably connected with the second end of the joint through a second pivot, the second pivot vertically penetrates through the second chain segment, and the first pivot is substantially vertical to the second pivot.

According to an embodiment, the joint is a connecting rod.

According to one embodiment, each two adjacent first segments and second segments are connected by a union.

According to an embodiment, the spacing between each two adjacent pairs of first and second rollers is substantially fixed.

According to an embodiment, the first plurality of segments and the second plurality of segments are connected to form a closed loop.

According to an embodiment, the first roller and the second roller have the same diameter; and the distance between the adjacent first roller pair and the second roller pair is more than 3 times of the diameter of the first roller or the second roller.

According to an embodiment, the distance between adjacent pairs of said first and second rollers is 3-10 times, e.g. 3-5 times, 4-8 times, 5-10 times, etc., the diameter of said first or second roller.

According to an embodiment, the conveyor chain is a conveyor chain for a carrier tape, in particular a lightweight inspection robot.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a track assembly comprising: a conveyor chain according to any one of the above; a rail comprising an interior cavity, the cross-section of the interior cavity being substantially square. The conveying chain is arranged in the inner cavity, the first roller pair can be in rolling contact with any one of two opposite sides of the inner cavity, and the second roller pair can be in rolling contact with any one of the other two opposite sides of the inner cavity.

According to an embodiment, the cross section of the inner cavity is square or rectangular overall.

According to an embodiment, at least one face of the rail is at least partially grooved along its extension.

According to an embodiment, the bottom or top surface of the rail is at least partially grooved along its extension.

According to an embodiment, the track assembly is a track assembly without weights or cargo for travel by the inspection robot.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a non-load bearing conveyor chain dedicated to conveying inspection robots, comprising: the first roller group is provided with at least one first roller; the second integral chain segment plates or chain segment rods are provided with second roller groups, and each second roller group is provided with at least one second roller; wherein the plurality of first integral chain segments or chain segment rods and the plurality of second integral chain segments or chain segment rods are alternately and movably connected, and each two adjacent first roller groups and second roller groups are respectively arranged to rotate along a first rotation axis of the first roller groups and a second rotation axis of the second roller groups, wherein the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis are orthogonal; wherein, in every two connected first integral chain segment piece or chain segment rod and second integral chain segment piece or chain segment rod, the second integral chain segment piece or chain segment rod is arranged to be capable of rotating relative to the first integral chain segment piece or chain segment rod at least around a rotating axis parallel to one of the first rotating axis and the second rotating axis, thereby being capable of assuming a straightened state and an inclined state relative to the first integral chain segment piece or chain segment rod.

According to an embodiment, in the straightened state, a distance between the adjacent first roller set and the second roller set is 3 times or more a diameter of the first roller or the second roller.

According to an embodiment, in said straightened state, the distance between adjacent ones of said first roller set and said second roller set is 3-10 times, e.g. 3-5 times, 5-10 times, 4-8 times, etc., the diameter of said first roller or second roller.

According to an embodiment, the first roller set has a single first roller and the second roller set has a single second roller.

According to an embodiment, in the non-load bearing conveyor chain, two second rollers on two second integral segment plates or segment rods connected at two ends of each first integral segment plate or segment rod are located at two opposite sides of each other.

According to an embodiment, in the non-load bearing conveyor chain, two first rollers on two first integral segment plates or segment rods connected at two ends of each second integral segment plate or segment rod are located at two opposite sides of each other.

According to an embodiment, the two second rollers on the two second integral segment pieces or segment rods connected at both ends of each first integral segment piece or segment rod have the same orientation.

According to an embodiment, the two first rollers on the two first integral segment pieces or segment rods connected at both ends of each second integral segment piece or segment rod have the same orientation.

According to an embodiment, the spacing between each two adjacent first roller set and second roller set is substantially the same.

According to an embodiment, the first roller set has a single first roller and the second roller set has 2 or 3 second rollers; or alternatively

The first roller set has 2 or 3 first rollers and the second roller set has a single second roller.

According to an embodiment, the first roller set has 2 first rollers and the second roller set has 2 second rollers.

According to an embodiment, the first monolithic segment or segment rod and the second monolithic segment or segment rod are both monolithic metal sheets or metal rods.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides a track assembly comprising: a non-load bearing conveyor chain as described above; and a track including an interior cavity, the interior cavity having a generally square cross-section; the non-load bearing conveyor chain is arranged in the inner cavity, the first roller set is in rolling contact with at least one of two opposite sides of the inner cavity, and the second roller set is in rolling contact with at least one of the other two opposite sides of the inner cavity; and, the track assembly is a non-weight bearing type track assembly designed to carry only the travel of the inspection robot and transfer it.

The beneficial effects of the invention include: in the conveyor chain of this embodiment, a novel conveyor chain is provided by alternately and movably connecting a plurality of first segments and a plurality of second segments, and providing a first roller pair on each first segment and a second roller pair on each second segment. Wherein, because every two adjacent first roller pairs and second roller pairs are respectively arranged to rotate along the first axis and the second axis which are orthogonal, the first roller pairs and the second roller pairs can respectively roll along two vertical rolling surfaces; since the second chain segment is arranged to be rotatable relative to the first chain segment, a smooth passage of the conveyor chain over the curved track section of the endless track can be achieved. By providing rollers, each roller can be made to roll relative to the wall of the lumen, thereby reducing friction and resistance to movement. The conveying chain has the advantages of simple structure, portability, convenient arrangement and low cost, the reliability and the stability of a plurality of embodiments are improved during operation, and the impact and the noise during operation are reduced as much as possible.

Further embodiments of the invention also enable other advantageous technical effects, not listed one after another, which may be partly described below and which are anticipated and understood by a person skilled in the art after reading the present invention.

Drawings

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of these embodiments, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the embodiments of the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the overall structure of a inspection robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a portion of a conveyor chain in a inspection robot system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of portion III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a conveyor chain mated with an endless track in a inspection robot system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the track assembly of FIG. 4 along a first vertical plane V;

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the track assembly of FIG. 4 along a second vertical plane VI;

fig. 7 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a patrol robot platform and an annular track in a patrol robot system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a patrol robot carried on the patrol robot platform;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a driving device in the inspection robot system in cooperation with an endless track and a conveyor chain according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the driving device shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view of the drive device of FIG. 9;

fig. 11 is a left side schematic view of the drive device shown in fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of a part of a conveyor chain in the inspection robot system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a partial schematic view of the conveyor chain of fig. 12 mated with an endless track in accordance with another embodiment.

Detailed Description

The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

It is to be understood that the illustrated and described embodiments are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The illustrated embodiments may be other embodiments and can be implemented or performed in various ways. Examples are provided by way of explanation, not limitation, of the disclosed embodiments. Indeed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the various embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.

In the present invention, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "secured," and the like are to be construed broadly, and may be, for example, fixedly connected or detachably connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. The meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art according to the specific circumstances.

In the present invention, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the term "load" shall be construed narrowly, in the sense that the conveyor chain is purposely designed to carry and convey heavy objects, such as goods, objects, machines, parts, etc., in operation, where "heavy object" does not include lightweight inspection equipment, devices, etc., such as inspection robots, cameras, sensing devices, and their mounting brackets or platforms. "heavy" conveyor chains refer to conveyor chains that are purposefully designed to carry and convey such "heavy" loads, and thus their chain segments, rollers, and their size and configuration will all take this into account in the design. The term "non-load bearing" conveyor chain means that the conveyor chain is purposefully designed to take into account only such lightweight objects as carrier tapes and conveyor inspection robots, and not "heavy" load factors, so that the design of its structure and dimensions can achieve many advantages of light weight, simplicity, less impact and noise during operation, low cost, zero load or very low load design, etc.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to a few specific embodiments thereof.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, fig. 1 is a schematic view of the overall structure of a inspection robot system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2 is a schematic view of a part of a conveying chain 100A of the inspection robot system 100 designed to convey an unloading of the inspection robot 21 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The inspection robot system 100 may include a circular orbit 10, an inspection robot 21, an inspection robot platform 22, a conveyor chain 100A, and a driving device 100B. The conveyor chain 100A is connected in an endless form, which is disposed within the endless track 10; the driving device 100B is fixedly arranged at a certain position relative to the circular track 10, and is used for driving the conveying chain 100A to circularly rotate in the circular track 10; the inspection robot platform 22 is connected to the conveyor chain 100A and is arranged to move along the endless track 10; the inspection robot 21 is mounted on the inspection robot stage 22 to move together with the inspection robot stage 22. Therefore, the conveyor chain 100A is a conveyor chain for carrying the inspection robot 21 (inspection robot stage 22). Both inspection robot 21 and inspection robot platform 22 are lightweight devices, as compared to prior art carrying weights such as cargo, equipment, devices, etc., so that conveyor chain 100A may be relatively simple, lightweight, and less counterfeited in design, as described further below.

More specifically, referring to fig. 3 and 4 together, fig. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion III of fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a schematic view of a partial structure in which a conveyor chain 100A of the inspection robot system 100 cooperates with the endless track 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention; the annular rail 10 is configured to be hollow such that it has an inner cavity 11 extending along the annular rail 10. The endless track 10 may be made of aluminum, stainless steel, or the like, which may be spliced from a plurality of sections including straight sections and curved sections (see curved track section 12A shown in fig. 1) to form a closed loop. The cavity 11 extends through the interior of the entire endless track 10 to provide a passageway within which the conveyor chain 100A circulates.

Referring again to fig. 2 and 3, the conveyor chain 100A includes a plurality of first segments 23 and a plurality of second segments 26; for example, the number of first segments 23 may be the same as the number of second segments 26. Each first chain segment 23 is provided with a first roller pair 31, and the first roller pair 31 consists of two first rollers 32; the two first rollers 32 may have the same diameter and may rotate along the same rotation axis; by providing two first rollers 32, the first roller pair 31 can be made to smoothly roll on the rolling surface. Each second chain segment 26 is provided with a second roller pair 36, and the second roller pair 36 consists of one or two second rollers 37 (two second rollers 37 are shown in the figure, but only one second roller 37 can be provided); the two second rollers 37 may have the same diameter and may rotate along the same axis of rotation; although the provision of one roller 37 is also possible in some cases, by providing two second rollers 37, the second roller pair 36 can be made to roll more smoothly and reliably on the rolling surface without undesired twisting, flipping, etc. of the rollers occurring easily. The plurality of first segments 23 and the plurality of second segments 26 are alternately and movably connected; that is, one second segment 26 is provided between every two adjacent first segments 23, and one first segment 23 is provided between every two adjacent second segments 26. Each two adjacent first roller pairs 31 and second roller pairs 36 are arranged to rotate along a first axis A1 and a second axis A2, respectively, the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 being orthogonal; that is, the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 are disposed perpendicular to each other. Of each two connected first segment 23 and second segment 26, the second segment 26 is provided to be rotatable with respect to the first segment 23 at least about an axis parallel to one of the first axis A1 and the second axis A2 to have a straightened state and an inclined state with respect to the first segment 23. Wherein, fig. 2 shows that the second chain segment 26 is in a straightened state relative to the first chain segment 23, and the second chain segment and the first chain segment extend along a straight line direction as a whole; fig. 3 shows the second segment 26 in an inclined state with respect to the first segment 23 such that the second segment 26 and the first segment 23 may form any angle in the range of more than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees.

The larger the distance between the adjacent first roller pair 31 and second roller pair 36 (i.e., the distance between the center of rotation of the adjacent first roller and the center of rotation of the second roller in the state in which the conveyor chain 100A is in a straight line) is, the better, so that the number of first and second rollers is smaller on one complete conveyor chain 100A, and the length of the first chain segment and the second chain segment is relatively longer, which is obviously advantageous for reducing the cost, man-hour, impact and noise in operation, and increasing the ease of maintenance and replacement, particularly in the case in which the conveyor chain 100A is long, for example, in the case in which the conveyor chain 100A has tens, hundreds of meters, or even thousands of meters. However, from the standpoint of operational reliability and limitations of the sprocket design for smoothly driving the conveyor chain 100A by pushing the rollers, the spacing between the adjacent pairs of first and second rollers 31, 36 is smaller, because an excessive spacing may result in difficulty or impossibility of the drive device design, and also in unstable operation, large impact and noise, and reduced reliability when the drive conveyor chain is driven for propulsion, but the smaller the spacing, the cost of the conveyor chain increases considerably, and the failure rate and maintenance replacement cost and difficulty increase accordingly, which are important factors that the inventors have to consider, particularly under the condition that the conveyor chain needs to be transported for inspection over a long distance (for example, hundreds of meters, thousands of meters, or even tens of kilometers). The inventors of the present invention have found that by setting the spacing between adjacent pairs of first rollers 31 and second rollers 36 to be 3 times or more, for example, between 3 and 10 times, and preferably between 3 and 5 times, the diameter of the first roller or the second roller (where the diameters of the first and second rollers are the same by default), a good balance can be achieved between the two seemingly contradictory considerations, i.e., a good balance can be achieved between the advantages in terms of cost effectiveness, operational impact and noise, maintainability and replaceability, and the sprocket design, high operational reliability and stability.

In the conveyor chain 100A of this embodiment, a novel conveyor chain is provided by alternately and movably connecting a plurality of first segments 23 and a plurality of second segments 26, and providing a first roller pair 31 on each first segment 23 and a second roller pair 36 on each second segment 26. Wherein, since each two adjacent first roller pairs 31 and second roller pairs 36 are disposed to rotate along the orthogonal first axis A1 and second axis A2, respectively, the first roller pairs 31 and the second roller pairs 36 can roll along two perpendicular rolling surfaces, respectively; since the second segment 26 is provided rotatably with respect to the first segment 23, smooth passage of the conveyor chain 100A on the curved track section 12A of the endless track 10 can be achieved. By providing rollers, each roller can be made to roll against the wall of the interior cavity 11, thereby reducing friction and resistance to movement.

In addition, these first segment 23, second segment 26, first roller pair 31 and second roller pair 36 can be mass produced and easily connected as needed in a closed loop that accommodates the length of endless track 10; they are also relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Therefore, the inspection robot system 100 of the present embodiment is simple in structure, convenient to arrange, and low in cost.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the first segment 23 and the second segment 26 may be rigid segments composed of a single unitary metal strip or bar. By using a single integral metal strip or bar, such as steel strip or bar, rigid first and second segments 23, 26, they are made to have a suitably high structural strength and a suitably moment of resistance against deformation such as bending, twisting, etc., while ensuring the advantages of easy processing, easy maintenance and replacement of the segments, simple structure, relatively light weight, high reliability and low cost, which is a very important and advantageous consideration for conveyor chains, especially in the case of conveyor chains being long. Such a design facilitates both easy and simple mounting of the first roller pair 31 and the second roller pair 36 on the first chain segment 23 and the second chain segment 26, and also facilitates pushing the second chain segment 26 through the first chain segment 23 or pushing the first chain segment 23 through the second chain segment 26 with less impact and noise.

In further embodiments, the shape of the first segment 23 and the second segment 26 may include at least one of a rod shape, a plate shape, and a cylindrical shape; wherein fig. 2 and 3 show the plate-shaped segments. The rod-shaped structure may be an elongated solid rod, post, bar, etc.; the plate-shaped structure can be a flat plate body, a sheet body and the like; the cylindrical structure may then be a hollow structure. In addition, these shapes may be applied in various combinations in the same segment. For example, the portion of the first segment 23 connected to the first roller pair 31 may have a plate shape or a rod shape, and the end of the first segment 23 may have a plate shape to facilitate docking with other components. These forms of the first segment 23 and the second segment 26 are readily available or customizable, and thus can reduce costs.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, each first segment 23 may be in removable connection with a first roller pair 31 thereon, and each second segment 26 may be in removable connection with a second roller pair 36 thereon. In this way, when a segment or roller pair is damaged, the damaged segment or roller pair can be conveniently removed, and a new component can be replaced.

In other embodiments, each first segment 23 may be permanently connected to a first roller pair 31 thereon, and each second segment 26 may be permanently connected to a second roller pair 36 thereon. In this way, when a segment or roller pair is damaged, the damaged segment and the roller pair thereon can be removed, thereby replacing a new component.

In further embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, each two adjacent first segment 23 and second segment 26 are movably connected by a link 29; the first chain segment 23 is movably connected with the first end 291 of the connecting rod 29, and the second chain segment 26 is movably connected with the second end 292 of the connecting rod 29; the second segment 26 is provided to be rotatable with respect to the first segment 23 about a third axis A6 parallel to the first axis A1 and about a fourth axis A7 parallel to the second axis A2. In this way, the second segment 26 is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the first segment 23 at least in a horizontal plane and a vertical plane, for example, and thus smooth passage of the conveyor chain 100A in the horizontally curved track section and the vertically curved track section of the endless track 10 can be achieved.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, 5 and 6, wherein fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the track assembly 100C shown in fig. 4 along the first vertical plane V, and fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the track assembly 100C shown in fig. 4 along the second vertical plane VI, the first segment 23 is flat and is perpendicularly connected to the first rotating shaft 33 (the first rotating shaft 33 may have the aforementioned first axis A1) of the first roller pair 31 thereon; the second segment 26 is flat and is vertically connected to the second rotating shaft 38 (the second rotating shaft 38 may have the aforementioned second axis A2) of the second roller pair 36 thereon; the first segment 23 is movably connected to the first end 291 of the link 29 by a first pivot 34 (the first pivot 34 may have the aforementioned third axis A6), the first pivot 34 passing vertically through the first segment 23; and, the second segment 26 is movably coupled to the second end 292 of the link 29 by a second pivot 39 (the second pivot 39 may have the aforementioned fourth axis A7), the second pivot 39 passing vertically through the second segment 26. For example, in assembly, the first rotating shaft 33 may sequentially pass through one first roller 32, the first chain segment 23 and the other first roller 32, and snap springs may be provided at both ends of the first rotating shaft 33 to restrain the first roller pair 31 to the first rotating shaft 33; in addition, a spacer may be disposed between the first segment 23 and the two first rollers 32 to position the first segment 23 on the first rotating shaft 33. The second segment 26 may be similarly configured with the second roller pair 36. In addition, both the first pivot 34 and the second pivot 39 may be rivet-structured to enable both the connection of the two components and the relative pivoting between the two components. In this way, when these components are assembled, it is naturally achieved that the first roller pair 31 is disposed orthogonally to the second roller pair 36, and that the second segment 26 rotates with respect to the first segment 23 at least in the horizontal and vertical planes, for example, so that the conveyor chain 100A can pass smoothly over the horizontally curved track section and the vertically curved track section of the endless track 10.

In other embodiments, each two adjacent first segments 23 and second segments 26 are connected by a living joint, such as a universal joint. The universal joint is a joint for connecting two rod pieces, and can be composed of a pair of common hinges with the relative orientation of 90 degrees, so that the lever can turn to any direction; the universal joint may also include a single-joint type universal joint, a double-joint type universal joint, and the like. In this way, the first segment 23 of the present application can be turned in any direction relative to the second segment 26, and thus can accommodate more varied track shapes to smoothly travel in the track.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 2-4, the spacing between each two adjacent first roller pairs 31 and second roller pairs 36 is substantially fixed. In this way, the first segment 23 and the first roller pair 31 can be mass-produced in the same first size, the second segment 26 and the second roller pair 36 can be mass-produced in the same second size, and the connecting rod 29 can be mass-produced in the same third size, and then they can be sequentially connected to form the conveyor chain 100A. The first dimension and the second dimension may be the same or different, and the third dimension may be smaller than the first dimension or the second dimension, or may be equal to or larger than the first dimension or the second dimension. In addition, by setting the fixed spacing, it is also convenient to set the driving device 100B to sequentially push the plurality of first roller pairs 31 and/or the plurality of second roller pairs 36, which is a simpler setting requirement for the fingers in the driving device 100B.

In some embodiments, the plurality of first segments 23 and the plurality of second segments 26 are connected to form a closed loop. In this way, the conveyor chain 100A in the form of a closed loop can be driven by the driving device 100B to circulate in the endless track 10.

In other embodiments, the plurality of first segments 23 and the plurality of second segments 26 may be connected to form an elongated shape without being arranged in a closed loop. In this way, the conveyor chain in the form of a strip can be driven by the drive means to move back and forth in the elongate track.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 5-6, each first roller 32 of the first roller pair 31 may be a bearing structure, such as a ball bearing. Likewise, each second roller 37 of the second roller pair 36 may be a bearing structure, such as a ball bearing.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 4 and described above, the conveyor chain 100A of any of the above embodiments and the track 10 of an embodiment may comprise a track assembly 100C. Wherein the track 10 comprises an inner cavity 11, the cross section of the inner cavity 11 being substantially square, the conveyor chain 100A being arranged in the inner cavity 11. Referring again to fig. 5 and 6, the two first rollers 32 of the first roller pair 31 can be located on opposite sides 16 of the cavity 11; 17, the two second rollers 37 of the second roller pair 36 being capable of rolling contact with the other two opposite sides 18 of the cavity 11; 19 are in rolling contact.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 4-6, the lumen 11 is generally square in cross-section. In this way, the diameter of the first roller 32 can be set to be equal to the diameter of the second roller 37; further, the first roller pair 31 and the second roller pair 36 may be of the same size and configuration, thereby facilitating mass production and reducing costs.

In other embodiments, the cross-section of the lumen 11 is generally rectangular. In this way, a flatter track 10 may be provided; accordingly, the diameter of the first roller 32 is set to be larger or smaller than the diameter of the second roller 37.

In further embodiments, at least one face of the rail 10 of the rail assembly 100C is at least partially grooved along its direction of extension; by providing a slot, the connection between the inspection robot platform 22 and the conveyor chain 100A may be allowed to move through the slot. For example, as shown in fig. 4, the bottom surface of the rail 10 of the rail assembly 100C is at least partially grooved along its extension; more specifically, the endless track 10 includes a track bottom wall 15, and the track bottom wall 15 may have an elongated slot 150 formed therein, with at least a portion of the elongated slot 150 preferably offset laterally, for example in an uphill turn design, to facilitate yielding a cantilevered roller in an uphill turn; of course, the slot 150 may also be at least partially generally centrally disposed, or at least partially offset to one side, depending on particular design considerations, for example, in some cases. The slot 150 may be looped along the endless track 10 to allow the connection between the inspection robot platform 22 and the conveyor chain 100A to move through the slot 150. In other embodiments, the sides or top surface of the track 10 are at least partially slotted along its direction of extension, so long as the connection between the inspection robot platform 22 and the conveyor chain 100A is allowed to move through the slot.

In some embodiments, the track assembly 100C is a track assembly for the inspection robot 21 to travel. Referring to fig. 1 and fig. 7 together, fig. 7 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a patrol robot platform 22 in the patrol robot system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, in cooperation with the circular track 10, showing a patrol robot 21 carried on the patrol robot platform 22; the inspection robot 21 is mounted on the endless track 10 through an inspection robot platform 22 and is capable of traveling along the endless track 10 for inspecting a target in an environment in which the endless track 10 is located. In an embodiment, the inspection robot 21 may include a camera, a voice intercom, an alarm, a control unit, and the like, where the camera, the voice intercom, and the alarm are all communicatively connected to the control unit. The inspection robot platform 22 is operably connected to the conveyor chain 100A and is capable of being driven by the conveyor chain 100A to travel along the endless track 10. For example, inspection robot platform 22 may be coupled to one of the segments of conveyor chain 100A by a screw, snap, or the like connection to be driven by the segment moving within endless track 10 to also move along endless track 10.

Referring also to fig. 8, fig. 8 is a schematic view of a partial structure of a driving device 100B in the inspection robot system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which cooperates with the endless track 10 and the conveying chain 100A; the driving device 100B is configured to drive the conveyor chain 100A to run along the endless track 10 in the inner cavity 11, and further drive the inspection robot 21 to travel along the endless track 10.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, in the linear track segment 12 of the endless track 10, the first segment 23 and the second segment 26 of the conveyor chain 100A are configured to not substantially contact the wall of the inner cavity 11 during linear operation. By providing the segments supported by the first roller pair 31 and the second roller pair 36, the segments can be substantially caused to extend along the central axis of the endless track 10; further, the segments may be located approximately at the center of the lumen 11 without contacting the walls of the lumen 11. In this way, friction between these segments and the walls of the cavity 11 during operation is prevented, thereby increasing the service life of the component.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 4, 5 and 7, the outer contour 13 of the annular track 10 has a square cross section, and four corners 130 of the square are each arcuate; the inspection robot stage 22 includes a stage main body 220 and a plurality of rolling wheels 221 rotatably mounted on the stage main body 220, a roller surface 222 of each rolling wheel 221 having an arc-shaped cross section, and the plurality of rolling wheels 221 are disposed such that each of the four corners 130 is in contact with at least one rolling wheel 221. The cross section of the outer contour 13 may be rectangular or square. Through the arc-shaped profile design, the platform main body 220 can conveniently roll on the annular track 10, and then the inspection robot 21 is driven to stably move.

In some embodiments, the track assembly 100C may be configured as a track assembly for travel by a inspection robot, which may be arranged in a straight line, a curved line, or a combination of straight and curved lines. The track assembly 100C may be arranged in a closed loop or may be arranged in a section.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 8, the drive device 100B may include two sprockets 41 and an endless chain 42 engaged around the two sprockets 41, the axes of rotation A4 of the two sprockets 41 being substantially parallel, the endless chain 42 having a plurality of pushing assemblies 43 mounted thereon. A plurality of pushing assemblies 43 are spaced apart on the endless chain 42. As shown in connection with fig. 2, as the endless chain 42 rotates about the two sprockets 41, one of the push assemblies 43 is in push engagement with one of the first roller pairs 31 on the conveyor chain 100A, and the other push assembly 43 adjacent to the one push assembly 43 moves into push engagement with the other first roller pair 31 adjacent to the one first roller pair 31 as the endless chain 42 rotates.

In the driving device 100B of this embodiment, by mounting a plurality of push assemblies 43 arranged at intervals on the endless chain 42, and disposing these push assemblies 43 such that one of the push assemblies 43 can be push-fitted with one of the roller pairs on the conveyor chain 100A, the other push assembly 43 adjacent to the one push assembly 43 can be moved into push-fitted with the other roller pair adjacent to the one roller pair with rotation of the endless chain 42, whereby the respective roller pairs of the conveyor chain 100A can be pushed successively, thereby achieving the endless movement of the conveyor chain 100A.

It will be readily appreciated that the push assemblies 43 may also be configured such that as the endless chain 42 rotates about the two sprockets 41, one of the push assemblies 43 is in push engagement with one of the first roller pairs 31 on the conveyor chain 100A, and the other push assembly 43 adjacent to one of the push assemblies 43 moves into push engagement with one of the second roller pairs 36 adjacent to one of the first roller pairs 31 as the endless chain 42 rotates. Alternatively, the push assembly 43 may be configured to be in push-fit with only the second roller pair 36. Only the case where the first roller pair 31 is pushed by the pushing member 43 will be described below.

In some further embodiments, as shown in fig. 8, 9 and 10, fig. 9 is a schematic perspective view of the driving device 100B shown in fig. 8, and fig. 10 is a schematic front view of the driving device 100B shown in fig. 9; the pushing assembly 43 is provided with a guiding post 48 perpendicular to the direction of movement A5 of the endless chain 42 and substantially parallel to the axis of rotation A4; and, the driving device 100B further includes a linear guide rail 50 disposed along a length of the endless chain 42A between the two rotation axes A4 for guiding the guide post 48 passing through the linear guide rail 50 to move in a straight line. The guide posts 48 on each pushing assembly 43 may be one, two or more; when one is adopted, the guide post 48 can be in sliding fit with the linear guide rail 50 through a plane, so that the direction of the pushing component 43 can be positioned to be always perpendicular to the moving direction A5, and inclination caused by acting force opposite to the applied pushing force is avoided; when two or more guide posts 48 are employed, they may be disposed along the moving direction A5, and a cylinder may be employed, whereby the same guide effect may be achieved. It will be readily appreciated that by providing a linear guide track 50, the guide post 48 passing through the linear guide track 50 can be guided to move in a straight line, which in turn guides the pushing assembly 43 to which the guide post 48 is attached and the length of endless chain 42A to move in a straight line as well, and ultimately promotes stable movement of the endless chain 42.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the linear guide rail 50 includes a positioning portion 51 and a guide portion 52, and the positioning portion 51 is fixedly connected to the guide portion 52 and is used for fixedly disposing the guide portion 52. For example, the positioning portion 51 may be fixed to a base that carries two sprockets 41. In this manner, the guide 52 may be fixedly disposed relative to the endless chain 42, thereby facilitating guiding of the guide post 48 and the length of endless chain 42A.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, the guide 52 includes two guide rods 53 defining a linear guide slot 54 therebetween, the linear guide slot 54 receiving and guiding the guide post 48. By defining the linear guide groove 54 with the two guide rods 53, not only can the guide function be achieved, but also the member can be conveniently manufactured, and the material can be saved. In other embodiments, the guide portion may be formed by forming a linear guide groove in an integral plate member.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 11, fig. 11 is a schematic left view of the driving device 100B shown in fig. 9; both sides of the pushing assembly 43 are provided with guide posts 48, and the linear guide rails 50 simultaneously guide the guide posts 48 on both sides of the pushing assembly 43. Correspondingly, two guide rods 53 may also be provided on the other side of the length of endless chain 42A and define a linear guide slot 54 therebetween. Thus, by guiding the guide posts 48 on both sides of the push assembly 43 by the straight guide rail 50 at the same time, the guiding action can be made more stable, preventing the push assembly 43 from swinging left and right, that is, from rotating about the moving direction A5.

In some embodiments, the number of pushing assemblies 43 is at least two, such as two, three, four, etc. The plurality of pushing assemblies 43 may be arranged substantially equally spaced on the endless chain 42. When two pusher assemblies 43 are employed, wherein a first pusher assembly 43 moves into pushing engagement with one of the first roller pairs 31 on the conveyor chain 100A, a second pusher assembly 43 can move into pushing engagement with the other first roller pair 31 adjacent to the one first roller pair 31 as the endless chain 42 rotates; when the second pushing member 43 is moved to be disengaged from the other first roller pair 31, the first pushing member 43 is moved to be in pushing engagement with the other first roller pair 31 adjacent to the other first roller pair 31, so that the respective first roller pairs 31 of the conveyor chain 100A can be pushed successively, thereby achieving the endless movement of the conveyor chain 100A.

In further embodiments, the plurality of pushing assemblies 43 are arranged substantially equally spaced on the endless chain 42, wherein the spacing between adjacent two pushing assemblies 43 substantially corresponds to the spacing between adjacent two first roller pairs 31. The number of the plurality of pushing assemblies 43 is at least three, and may be three, four, or more, for example. In the embodiment shown in fig. 9 and 10, the number of the plurality of pushing assemblies 43 is four. The number of the pushing members 43 is not limited as long as the circulating pushing of the conveyor chain 100A by the pushing members can be achieved in the present application.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 10, the pushing assembly 43 includes a mounting portion 45 and a push rod portion 46, the mounting portion 45 may be fixed to the endless chain 42 by welding, anchoring, or the like, for example, and the push rod portion 46 is fixed to the mounting portion 45 and extends outward of the endless chain 42 perpendicular to the moving direction of the endless chain 42. The push rod portion 46 and the mounting portion 45 may be integrally formed members or may be assembled in a two-piece split structure. The guide post 48 may be fixed to the mounting portion 45 or may be fixed to the push rod portion 46.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 10, the distance between the pusher portions 46 of two adjacent pusher assemblies 43 is equal to or slightly greater than the sum of the length of one first roller pair 31 and the distance between two adjacent first roller pairs 31. In this manner, continuous movement of the conveyor chain 100A may be achieved by the pushing assembly 43 continuously pushing the plurality of first roller pairs 31 on the conveyor chain 100A as the endless chain 42 rotates.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, the pushing assembly 43 includes two fingers 44, each finger 44 including a mounting portion 45 and a push rod portion 46, the mounting portion 45 being fixed to the endless chain 42, the push rod portion 46 being fixed to the mounting portion 45 and extending outward of the endless chain 42 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the endless chain 42. An accommodating space 47 is formed between the two push rod portions 46 of the pushing assembly 43, and the accommodating space 47 is used for accommodating one first roller pair 31. By making each pushing component 43 comprise two pusher dogs 44, two ends of the first roller pair 31 can be clamped by the two pusher dogs 44, so that the pushing components 43 are more accurately matched with the first roller pair 31; in addition, driving of the endless chain 42 in two different directions is also easily achieved.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 10, the distance between the forward finger 44 in each push assembly 43 and the forward finger 44 in the other push assembly 43 adjacent to each push assembly 43 is fixed in the direction of movement A5 of the endless chain 42. Since the aforementioned conveyor chain 100A includes the plurality of first roller pairs 31 disposed at intervals, the distance between the forward finger 44 in each push assembly 43 and the forward finger 44 in the other push assembly 43 adjacent to each push assembly 43 is set to be fixed, and the sequential precise engagement of the push assemblies 43 with the plurality of first roller pairs 31 can be achieved.

As shown in fig. 9 and 11, the pusher assembly 43 may be provided with a relief design on the finger 44, for example in the form of a relief notch 44A, the relief notch 44A being configured to avoid interference between the pusher assembly 43 and the first segment 23 on the conveyor 100A when the pusher assembly 43 is in pushing engagement with the first roller pair 31.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 9 and 11, the driving device 100B further includes a motor 49, wherein at least one of the two sprockets 41 is a driving wheel driven by the motor 49. By employing the motor 49 to drive the sprocket 41, automated control can be facilitated. To enhance the power output, two motors 49 may be used to drive the two sprockets 41, respectively.

In some embodiments, the motor 49 is a servo motor, wherein the servo motor 49 is configured to drive the drive wheel clockwise and counterclockwise such that the pushing assembly 43 on the endless chain 42 can push the first roller pair 31 in a forward and reverse direction. By using a servo motor, an encoder may be provided in the servo motor, and the number of revolutions N of the motor may be determined by the encoder. In other embodiments, the motor 49 may also be a stepper motor.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 8, the annular track 10 is provided with a relief groove 140, the relief groove 140 being configured to allow the pushing assembly 43 to enter the inner cavity 11 to push the first roller pair 31. The relief groove 140 may be provided in the track top wall 14 of the annular track 10, which may be a flat-plate groove, so long as the push assembly 43 is allowed to enter the inner cavity 11 of the annular track 10 without impeding movement of the push assembly 43 relative to the annular track 10.

In further embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, the curved track section 12A may extend in a horizontal direction or in a vertical direction; alternatively, the curved track section 12A may extend in a direction inclined relative to the horizontal; further, curved track section 12A may include various combinations of the three foregoing extensions.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural view of a part of a conveyor chain 200 in the inspection robot system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a partial schematic view of the conveyor chain 200 of fig. 12 mated with an endless track in accordance with another embodiment.

The embodiment shown in fig. 12 is similar to the basic concept of the embodiment shown in fig. 2, with the main difference that the number and arrangement of rollers is slightly different, and in addition, the segments are in one piece, i.e. monolithic. That is, either an entire single piece (single bar) segment or an entire single bar segment is employed as the mounting bracket for the roller. The main differences are described below.

Referring to fig. 12 and 13, the conveyor chain 200 includes a plurality of first segments 123 and a plurality of second segments 126, and each of the first segments 123 and the plurality of second segments 126 is a single piece, i.e., a unitary segment sheet or segment rod, which is advantageous in terms of cost, ease of manufacture, installation, maintenance replacement, and reliability of operation. Each first segment 123 has a first roller group 131 mounted thereon, and the first roller group 131 is composed of one first roller 132, as shown in fig. 12. Each second segment 126 has a second roller set 136 mounted thereon, the second roller set 136 being comprised of a second roller 137. The plurality of first segments 123 and the plurality of second segments 126 are alternately and movably connected; that is, one second segment 126 is disposed between every two adjacent first segments 123, and one first segment 123 is disposed between every two adjacent second segments 126. The monolithic segment plates or rods 123 and 126 are preferably monolithic, i.e., one-piece metal plates or rods, which provides strength, tooling, cost and reliability benefits. However, in some cases, for example based on conveyor chain length considerations, or in cases where the inspection robot is very light, other materials, such as certain polymeric materials, composite reinforced fiber materials, resin impregnated fiber reinforced materials, may be used to make the segmented pieces or segmented rods 123 and 126.

As shown in fig. 12-13, in the case where there is only one roller of the first roller group 131 on the first segment 123, the first roller 132 on the first segment 123 is preferably disposed on opposite sides of the respective striped first segment 123, i.e., one first roller 132 is disposed on a first side of the first segment 123 on which it is disposed, and the other first roller 132 is disposed on an opposite second side of the first segment 123 on which it is disposed, although the orientation (or, the orientation, i.e., the spatial orientation of the rollers) of the first roller 132 on the next spaced apart first segment 123 is the same. Similarly, where the second roller set 136 on the second segment has only one roller, the first roller 132 on the second segment 126 is oriented identically to the second roller 137 on the next, spaced apart second segment 126, but the two second rollers 137 are preferably disposed on opposite sides of the respective striped second segment 126, i.e., one second roller 137 is disposed on a first side of the second segment 126 on which it is disposed and the other second roller 137 is disposed on an opposite second side of the second segment 126 on which it is disposed. The advantage of this arrangement is that the arrangement of the centre of gravity of the conveyor chain is optimized as much as possible, facilitating a smoother and reliable operation of the conveyor chain.

Although an example in which a single roller is disposed on each segment is illustrated as shown in fig. 12-13, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of rollers on each segment that is adjacent may be configured as desired, e.g., the number of rollers on one segment of the adjacent two segments is 1 and the number of rollers on the other segment of the adjacent two segments is 2, etc. These are all within the scope of the inventive concept.

The first rollers 132 may have different or preferably the same diameter. The second roller 137 may also have a different or preferably the same diameter.

In the straightened state, the distance between the adjacent first roller group 131 and second roller group 136 is 3 times or more, preferably in the range of 3 to 10 times, the diameter of the first roller 132 or the second roller 137. The distance between adjacent first roller set 131 and second roller set 136 may be calculated from the linear distance between the centers of the first roller 132 and second roller 137 on the adjacent first and second segments in the straightened state.

The concepts of the conveyor chain embodiments of fig. 12-13 and the associated tracks, etc. may be similar to those of fig. 2-4 and are not described in detail herein.

The basic idea of the present invention is described above in connection with the embodiments. Note that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principle applied. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, rearrangements, combinations, and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

Therefore, while the invention has been described in connection with the above embodiments, the invention is not limited to the embodiments, but may be embodied in many other equivalent forms without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (13)

1. A non-load carrying conveyor chain (200) dedicated to carrying and transporting inspection robots (21), characterized in that said non-load carrying conveyor chain (200) comprises:

a plurality of first integral chain segment plates or chain segment rods (123), wherein a first roller group (131) is arranged on each first integral chain segment plate or chain segment rod (123), and the first roller group (131) is provided with at least one first roller (132); and

a plurality of second integral segment plates or segment rods (126), each second integral segment plate or segment rod (126) being mounted with a second roller set (136), the second roller set (136) having at least one second roller (137);

Wherein the plurality of first integral segment plates or segments rods (123) and the plurality of second integral segment plates or segments rods (126) are alternately and movably connected, each two adjacent first roller set (131) and second roller set (136) are arranged to rotate along a first rotation axis of the first roller set (131) and a second rotation axis of the second roller set (136), respectively, the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis being orthogonal;

wherein, in every two connected first integral segment or segment rod (123) and second integral segment or segment rod (126), the second integral segment or segment rod (126) is arranged to be rotatable relative to the first integral segment or segment rod (123) at least around a rotation axis parallel to one of the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis, thereby being capable of assuming a straightened state and an inclined state relative to the first integral segment or segment rod (123).

2. The non-load carrying conveyor chain (200) according to claim 1, wherein in the straightened state, the spacing between adjacent first roller set (131) and second roller set (136) is more than 3 times the diameter of the first roller (132) or second roller (137).

3. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to claim 2, wherein in the straightened state the spacing between adjacent first roller set (131) and second roller set (136) is 3-10 times the diameter of the first roller (132) or second roller (137).

4. A non-load carrying conveyor chain (200) according to claim 3, wherein in the straightened state the spacing between adjacent sets of first rollers (131) and second rollers (136) is 4-8 times the diameter of the first rollers (132) or second rollers (137).

5. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) of claim 1, wherein,

each of the first roller sets (131) has a single first roller (132) and the second roller sets (136) have a single second roller (137).

6. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) of claim 5, wherein,

in the non-load carrying conveyor chain (200), two second rollers (137) on two second integral segment plates or segment rods (126) connected to two ends of each first integral segment plate or segment rod (123) are located on two opposite sides of each other.

7. The non-load carrying conveyor chain (200) according to claim 5, wherein in said non-load carrying conveyor chain (200), two of said first rollers (132) on two of said first integral segment or segment rods (123) connected at both ends of each of said second integral segment or segment rods (126) are located on opposite sides from each other.

8. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) of claim 6 wherein two of said second rollers (137) on two of said second integral segment or segment rods (126) connected at each end of each of said first integral segment or segment rods (123) have the same orientation.

9. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein two first rollers (132) on two first integral segment pieces or segment rods (123) connected at both ends of each second integral segment piece or segment rod (126) have the same orientation.

10. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between each two adjacent first roller set (131) and second roller set (136) is substantially the same.

11. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first roller set (131) has a single first roller (132) and the second roller set (136) has 2 or 3 second rollers (137);

or alternatively

The first roller set (131) has 2 or 3 first rollers (132) and the second roller set (136) has a single second roller (137).

12. The non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first roller set (131) has 2 first rollers (132) and the second roller set (136) has 2 second rollers (137).

13. A track assembly, comprising:

the non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 12; and

-a track (10), the track (10) comprising an inner cavity (11), the cross-section of the inner cavity (11) being substantially square;

wherein the non-load bearing conveyor chain (200) is arranged in the inner cavity (11), the first roller set (131) is in rolling contact with at least one of the two opposite sides (16; 17) of the inner cavity (11), and the second roller set (136) is in rolling contact with at least one of the other two opposite sides (18; 19) of the inner cavity (11); and is also provided with

Wherein the track assembly is a non-load bearing version of the track assembly designed to only carry and transport the inspection robot (21) to travel.