JP2005127947A - Moving device for underwater narrow section - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance mobility for moving in an underwater narrow part, so as to execute sure working in the underwater narrow part and to enhance workability therein. <P>SOLUTION: This moving device is provided with a device main body 1, suction skirts 6, 7 provided in a surface and a reverse face of the device main body 1 to form suction spaces 4, 5 for sucking the device main body 1 onto a wall face, a communication passage for communicating the suction spaces 4, 5 of the surface and the reverse face of the device main body 1, a thrust fan provided in the communication passage to be rotatable normally and reversely, travel driving units 17a, 17b provided with travel wheels 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b in left and right parts outside the suction spaces 4, 5 of the surface and the reverse face of the device main body 1, and for making the device main body 1 travel frontwards and rearwards along the wall face, and a working device attaching part provided in an outer circumferential part of the device main body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is an inspection, cleaning, painting, water channel for intake and drainage of a thermal power plant, various underwater structures such as an inner surface of a reactor pressure vessel, a ship screw, etc., particularly an underwater structure having a narrow passage, The present invention relates to an underwater narrow part moving device used for various underwater operations such as welding.

  For example, in a thermal power plant or the like, a relatively long water channel is provided between the sea and the power plant in order to take in or drain the cooling seawater. Shellfish algae adhere. Therefore, in order to remove these marine-adhering organisms, an underwater moving device that can freely travel along the surface of the water channel is required.

As this type of underwater moving device, there is a device in which a thrust fan is provided in the device main body, the device main body is pressed against a wall surface, and in this state, the vehicle is driven along the wall surface using drive wheels (for example, Patent Document 1). 2).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-79323 JP 09-95925 A

  However, as shown in Patent Document 1, in an underwater moving device of a type in which a device body is pressed against a wall surface by a jet of a thrust fan, it can travel on a horizontal wall surface, but travel along a vertical wall surface. In such a case, the thruster of the thrust fan must be remarkably increased because the underwater moving device cannot fall and run unless the underwater moving device is strongly pressed against the wall surface and an appropriate contact pressure is applied to the drive wheels. is there. That is, in order to run the underwater mobile device along a vertical wall surface, it is necessary to increase the size of the thrust fan motor or increase the number of installed motors. End up.

  On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, a thrust fan that can rotate forward and backward is provided on the back side of the apparatus main body with the ventral side opened, and the inside of the apparatus main body is maintained at a negative pressure around the ventral side opening of the apparatus main body when the wall surface is adsorbed. A seal skirt in contact with the wall surface is provided, and a moving mechanism for moving the apparatus main body along the wall surface is provided. Therefore, since the apparatus main body is adsorbed to the wall surface through the seal skirt by discharging water from the opening on the ventral side of the apparatus main body to the outside by the thrust fan, the holding power of the apparatus main body against the wall surface can be increased. The main body can easily travel even on a vertical wall surface.

  However, the conventional underwater movement devices shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following various disadvantages because the surface for pressing the device main body against the wall surface is limited to one side. .

  That is, as shown in FIG. 9, since the pressing surface d for pressing the apparatus main body c against the underwater wall surfaces a and b is limited to one side of the front and back of the apparatus main body c, the underwater wall surfaces a and b approach each other. In the case where the apparatus main body c is moved to the narrow portion arranged in the manner and the work such as the inspection is performed, when the groove e or the like is in the middle of the wall surface a and the wall surface a is interrupted, the front of the groove e The apparatus main body cannot be moved to the wall surface a ′. At this time, if the apparatus main body c can be reversed using a thrust fan, the apparatus main body c is separated from the wall surface a before the groove e, reversed, and once pressed against the wall surface b to run. The apparatus main body c can be reversed again and pressed against the front wall surface a ′ to perform the work. However, since the distance between the wall surfaces a and b is narrow, the apparatus main body c may not be reversed. In some cases, the wall surface a ′ in front of the groove e cannot be operated.

  Also, as described above, the work of reversing the apparatus main body c away from the wall surfaces a and b has a problem that the work efficiency is lowered because it is troublesome and takes time, and the apparatus main body c becomes another structural member at the time of reversal. It can also be damaged by collision.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has improved mobility of movement in the underwater narrow section so that reliable work in the underwater narrow section and improvement in work efficiency can be achieved. The purpose is to provide.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus main body, a suction skirt provided on the front and back of the apparatus main body to form a suction space for adsorbing the apparatus main body to a wall surface, and a communication communicating the suction space on the front and back of the apparatus main body. A travel fan that includes a passage, a thrust fan provided in the communication passage so as to be rotatable forward and backward, and traveling wheels on the left and right sides outside the suction space on the front and back of the device main body, so that the device main body travels back and forth along the wall surface. And a working device mounting portion provided on the outer peripheral portion of the device main body.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that a guide roller is provided at a position separated from the front and back of the traveling wheels on the front and back of the apparatus body so as to be able to travel on the wall surface together with the traveling wheel. The underwater narrow part moving device according to claim 1.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a travel distance measuring device that includes a measuring wheel that protrudes from the suction skirts on the front and back of the device main body and is supported by an elastic member so as to always rotate in contact with the wall surface and measure the travel distance of the device main body. The underwater narrow part moving device according to claim 1, wherein the underwater narrow portion moving device is provided.

  According to the above means, when the thrust fan is rotated forward, one side surface of the apparatus main body can be adsorbed on the wall surface, and when the thrust fan is reversed, the other side surface of the apparatus main body can be adsorbed on the wall surface.

  In the underwater narrow part moving apparatus of the present invention, the front and back of the apparatus main body can be adsorbed to the wall surface so that it can travel, so that the underwater narrow part moving apparatus can be driven with good mobility without being reversed in the underwater narrow part, Therefore, there is an effect that the work in the underwater narrow part can be performed with high efficiency. Furthermore, since it can move so that it may walk across the wall surface which exists in the front or back side of an underwater narrow part moving apparatus, there exists an effect which can run an underwater narrow part moving apparatus to all the wall surfaces, and can perform a reliable operation | work. Further, since the thrust fan can be used for pressing either the front or back of the apparatus main body against the wall surface, the apparatus can be reduced in weight and size.

  Since the guide roller that supports and travels the apparatus main body together with the traveling wheels is provided at positions separated from the front and rear traveling wheels of the apparatus main body, there is an effect that the apparatus main body can be stably traveled with a simple configuration.

  Since the device has a travel distance measuring device that measures the travel distance of the device body with a measurement wheel supported by an elastic member so that it always rotates in contact with the wall surface during travel of the device body, There is an effect that the traveling position of the narrow part moving device can be accurately detected.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIGS. 1-7 is an example of the form which implements the underwater narrow part moving apparatus of this invention, FIG. 1 is a top view of the underwater narrow part moving apparatus of this invention, FIG. 2 is the II-II front view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the travel distance measuring device shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrows VII-VII in FIG.

  The underwater narrow part moving device 100 of the present invention is provided with a device main body 1 having a rectangular box shape as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the upper and lower surfaces of the device main body 1 shown in FIGS. The face plate 2 and the lower face plate 3 are provided with suction skirts 6 and 7 that form suction spaces 4 and 5 for sucking the apparatus main body 1 to the wall surface a (see FIG. 2). It protrudes to the lower edge of the periphery. The protruding end sides of the suction skirts 6 and 7 are curved so as to spread outward in the circumferential direction. The suction skirts 6 and 7 are preferably formed of a flexible material such as rubber or synthetic resin, but are not limited to the material and structure thereof.

  The apparatus body 1 is provided with left and right (upper and lower in FIG. 1) communication passages 8a and 8b that communicate the suction spaces 4 and 5 on the front and back sides, and the communication fans 8a and 8b have thrust fans that can rotate forward and backward. 9a and 9b are provided.

  Further, on the left and right side portions (up and down in FIG. 1) of the suction spaces 4 and 5 on the front and back of the main body 1 of the apparatus, the traveling wheels 10a for running the main body 1 back and forth (left and right in FIG. 1), 11a, 10b, 11b are provided at positions close to the rear part of the apparatus main body 1. The traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, and 11b have a circumferential surface whose height is substantially the same as the protruding end sides of the front and back suction skirts 6 and 7, or a height that protrudes slightly higher than the protruding end sides of the suction skirts 6 and 7. It is provided. In FIG. 1, the traveling wheels 10 a are arranged such that suction skirts 6, 7 provided along the front and back peripheral edges of the apparatus main body 1 are curved inward at the left and right side portions and are located outside the curved portion 12. , 11a, 10b, 11b are arranged. If the traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, and 11b are provided outside the suction skirts 6 and 7, the suction spaces 4 and 5 can be prevented from communicating with each other by the traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, and 11b. The power of the thrust fans 9a and 9b can be reduced by improving the airtightness between the suction spaces 4 and 5 during the operation of 9a and 9b.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a box-shaped device body 1 includes a wheel drive motor 13a for driving the left and right traveling wheels 10a and 11a and a right and left traveling wheels 10b and 11b. Is provided with a wheel drive motor 13b. The shafts 13 'of the wheel drive motors 13a and 13b respectively penetrate the left and right side walls 1c of the apparatus body 1, and drive pinions 14a and 14b are fixed to the ends of the shafts 13'. Further, on the outside of the side plate 1c, there are provided transmission gears 16a, 16b that mesh with the drive pinions 14a, 14b and driven gears 15a, 15b provided on the front and back traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, 11b. Yes, the traveling drive devices 17a and 17b are configured as described above. When the left wheel driving motor 13a is driven, the left and right traveling wheels 10a and 11a are simultaneously rotated in the same direction, and when the right wheel driving motor 13b is driven, the right and left traveling wheels 10b and 11b are simultaneously rotated in the same direction. To be rotated. The left and right wheel drive motors 13a and 13b can be driven in forward and reverse rotation, so that the apparatus main body 1 can freely run, move backward, and change direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the traveling wheels 10 a, 11 a, 10 b, and the traveling wheels 10 a, 10 b, 11 a, and 11 b provided at the rear portions of the apparatus body 1 Guide rollers 19 and 20 each having a rotatable ball 18 are provided so as to run while supporting the apparatus main body 1 on the wall surface a together with 11b. The guide rollers 19 and 20 are provided so that the circumferential surfaces thereof have substantially the same height as the protruding end sides of the suction skirts 6 and 7 on the front and back sides or slightly higher than the end sides of the suction skirts 6 and 7. In the example of FIGS. 1 and 2, the guide rollers 19 and 20 are arranged at the intermediate position in the left-right direction at the front and back ends of the apparatus main body 1. Therefore, the apparatus main body 1 has a traveling wheel 10a, 10b and a guide roller 19 on the surface. Also, the back surface is supported at three points on the wall surface a by the traveling wheels 11a and 11b and the guide roller 20, respectively. The guide rollers 19 and 20 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are provided with the rotating ball 18 that can travel in any direction, but may be provided with a caster or the like.

  Travel distance measuring devices 21 a and 21 b shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 6, and 7 are provided on the left and right side portions inside the apparatus main body 1. The travel distance measuring devices 21a and 21b include wheel supports 22a and 22b that can move up and down through the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 with a small gap. The wheel supports 22a, 22b support the upper and lower measuring wheels 24a, 25a, 24b, 25b and the intermediate inner ring 26 so as to rotate in contact with each other between the two clamping plates 23. The measurement wheels 24 a and 24 b protrude above the protruding end side of the upper suction skirt 6, and the lower measurement wheels 25 a and 25 b protrude below the protruding end side of the lower suction skirt 7. Have.

  A case 28 containing an encoder 27 for measuring the number of rotations of the inner ring 26 is integrally fixed to the wheel supports 22a and 22b, and the case 28 is vertically fixed by guide rods 29 and 30. The fixed member 1a fixed to 1 is supported so as to be movable up and down. Further, elastic members 31 and 32 made of springs or the like are disposed between the fixing member 1a and the case 28 on the outer periphery of the guide rods 29 and 30, respectively. , 22b is elastically supported so as to hold the upper and lower intermediate positions (the state in which the upper and lower measuring wheels 24a, 25a, 24b, 25b protrude from the upper and lower suction skirts 6, 7 respectively). Although FIG. 4 illustrates the case where the measurement wheels 24a, 25a, 24b, and 25b are provided in the suction spaces 4 and 5 inside the suction skirts 6 and 7, the measurement wheels 24a, 25a, 24b, and 25b are the suction skirts. You may make it provide in the outer side of 6,7.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a work device mounting portion 33 for mounting various underwater work devices such as a camera, an inspection device, a cleaning device, a coating device, and a welding device is provided on the front surface of the device main body 1. The work device attachment portion 33 may be provided on the side surface or the rear surface in addition to the front surface of the device main body 1. On the other hand, a work cable 34 such as a power supply line and a signal line is connected to the rear part of the apparatus main body 1.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

  The underwater narrow part moving device 100 having the above-described configuration is provided with suction skirts 6 and 7 on the front and back of the apparatus body 1 to form suction spaces 4 and 5, and a forward and reverse rotatable thrust fan communicating with the suction spaces 4 and 5. Since the water in one suction space is drained to the other suction space side by 9a and 9b, both the front and back surfaces of the underwater narrow part moving device 100 are driven by the wall surface a (FIG. 5) by driving the thrust fans 9a and 9b. 2) can be adsorbed and pressed. Thus, since the thrust fans 9a and 9b can be used when pressing the front and back surfaces of the apparatus body 1 against the wall surface a, the apparatus can be reduced in weight and size. The thrust fans 9a and 9b can reverse and control the posture of the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 by making the left and right rotational directions opposite to each other.

  When the underwater narrow part moving device 100 is adsorbed to the wall surface a, the water in the suction space 5 is reversed by the thrust fans 9a and 9b in a state where the front and back side surfaces (the lower surface in FIG. 2) are opposed to the underwater wall surface a. It operates so that it may discharge | emit to the suction space 4 side. Then, the lower surface of the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 approaches the wall surface a, and the suction skirt 7 contacts the wall surface a. Simultaneously with the contact of the suction skirt 7, the traveling wheels 11a and 11b and the guide roller 20 also contact the wall surface a. When the suction skirt 7 comes into contact with the wall surface a, the suction space 5 of the apparatus body 1 becomes a closed space, and the suction space 5 becomes negative pressure by the drainage action by the thrust fans 9a, 9b, so that the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 is moved to the wall surface a. To be adsorbed.

  Since the suction skirt 7 is provided in a wide area covering the periphery of the apparatus main body 1 at the time of suction by the underwater narrow part moving device 100, a large suction force is obtained as a whole even if the negative pressure per unit area is small. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the output of the motors of the thrust fans 9a and 9b and reduce the size. Further, at this time, since the traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, and 11b are provided outside the suction skirts 6 and 7, the suction spaces 4 and 5 are prevented from communicating with each other by the traveling wheels 10a, 11a, 10b, and 11b. Thus, the power of the thrust fans 9a and 9b can be further reduced by improving the airtightness between the suction spaces 4 and 5.

  On the other hand, when the apparatus main body 1 approaches the wall surface a, the measurement wheels 25a and 25b of the travel distance measuring devices 21a and 21b protruding further from the suction skirt 7 first come into contact with the wall surface a. At this time, since the travel distance measuring devices 21a and 21b having the measuring wheels 25a and 25b are elastically supported by the device main body 1 by the elastic members 31 and 32, as the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 approaches the wall surface a. The measurement wheels 25a and 25b can be pushed into the apparatus main body 1 side. Accordingly, the measurement wheels 25a and 25b are held in a state of being constantly pressed against the wall surface a by the elasticity of the elastic member 31.

  Therefore, when the wheel drive motors 13a and 13b are driven in this state, the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 can travel on the wall surface a by the rotation of the traveling wheels 11a and 11b. At this time, the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 can stably travel along the wall surface a by being supported at three points by the traveling wheels 11 a and 11 b and the guide roller 20.

  When the underwater narrow part moving device 100 starts traveling, the measuring wheels 25a and 25b of the traveling distance measuring devices 21a and 21b pressed against the wall surface a rotate, and the inner ring 26 in contact with the measuring wheels 25a and 25b rotates. Therefore, the traveling distance of the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 is measured by the encoder 27 that detects the rotation speed of the inner ring 26. At this time, since the measuring wheels 25a and 25b are always pressed against the wall surface a by the elastic member 31, the measuring wheels 25a and 25b are always prevented from slipping and can accurately measure the travel distance, and thus the narrow underwater portion. The positioning accuracy of the moving device 100 can be increased.

  The mileage measuring devices 21a and 21b can be used for pressing either the measurement wheels 24a and 24b or the measurement wheels 25a and 25b supported by the elastic members 31 and 32 against the wall surface. Miniaturization can be achieved.

  In the above description, the case where the underwater narrow part moving device 100 is caused to run while being attracted to the wall surface a by the suction space 5 on the lower surface of the apparatus main body 1 is described. However, the underwater narrow part moving is performed by the suction space 4 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1. Of course, the apparatus 100 can run while adsorbing to another wall surface.

  As described above, the suction spaces 4 and 5 formed on the front and back sides of the apparatus main body 1 allow the front and back sides of the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 to be adsorbed to the wall surface, so that as shown in FIG. Even when the underwater wall a and b are arranged close to each other and there is a groove e or the like in the middle of the wall a and the wall a is interrupted, the underwater is moved to the wall a ′ in front of the groove e. The operation can be performed by moving the narrow part moving device 100. That is, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8, after the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 adsorbed to the wall surface a by the suction space 5 is run to the front of the groove e, the thrust fans 9a and 9b are rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the underwater narrow portion. The moving device 100 is moved away from the wall surface a, and this time, the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 is moved along the wall surface b by being attracted to the wall surface b by the suction space 4. When the position of the groove e is exceeded, the thrust fans 9a and 9b are rotated again in the reverse direction to separate the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 from the wall surface b, and are again adsorbed to the wall surface a ′ by the suction space 5 to move the underwater narrow portion. The apparatus 100 is moved along the wall surface a ′. As described above, the underwater narrowing portion moving device 100 is moved by the suction spaces 4 and 5 formed on the front and back surfaces of the apparatus main body 1 so as to move over the wall surfaces a and b without being inverted, so that the underwater narrowing is impossible in the past. The work of the wall surface a ′ in front of the groove e of the part can be easily performed.

  As described above, the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 can freely work while walking without reversing the underwater narrow portion, so that the work in the underwater narrow portion can be performed with high efficiency. Furthermore, since the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 moves so as to walk across the wall surface, the underwater narrow portion moving device 100 can be moved to all the wall surfaces to perform reliable work.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the shape of the apparatus main body is arbitrary, and other various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is.

  The underwater narrow part moving device of the present invention is equipped with a camera and travels while searching for a wall surface that can be used as a foothold for traveling in the underwater narrow part. It can be widely used for various underwater work such as welding and searching.

It is a top view of the underwater narrow part moving device of the present invention. It is an II-II direction front arrow line view of FIG. It is a III-III direction cross-sectional arrow view of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the IV-IV direction in FIG. 1. It is explanatory drawing of the traveling drive apparatus which looked at FIG. 3 from the VV direction. It is sectional drawing of the mileage measuring apparatus shown by FIG. It is a VII-VII direction arrow directional view of FIG. It is the schematic which shows the effect | action at the time of moving the underwater narrow part moving apparatus of this invention to an underwater narrow part. It is the schematic which shows the effect | action at the time of moving the conventional underwater moving apparatus to an underwater narrow part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 4,5 Suction space 6,7 Adsorption skirt 8a, 8b Communication path 9a, 9b Thrust fan 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b Traveling wheel 17a, 17b Traveling drive device 19, 20 Guide roller 21a, 21b Traveling distance measuring device 24a, 24b, 25a, 25b Measuring wheel 31, 32 Elastic member 33 Working device mounting part 100 Underwater narrow part moving device

Claims (3)

  An apparatus main body, an adsorption skirt that is provided on the front and back of the apparatus main body to form a suction space for adsorbing the apparatus main body to the wall surface, a communication path that communicates the suction space on the front and back of the apparatus main body, and forward / reverse to the communication path A thrust fan provided rotatably, a travel drive device that includes travel wheels on the left and right sides outside the suction space on the front and back of the device body, and travels the device body back and forth along the wall surface; and an outer periphery of the device body An underwater narrow part moving device comprising: a working device mounting portion provided.   2. The underwater narrow portion according to claim 1, wherein a guide roller that supports the apparatus main body so as to be able to travel with respect to the wall surface together with the traveling wheels is provided at positions separated from the front and rear traveling wheels of the apparatus main body. Mobile equipment.   A travel distance measuring device for measuring a travel distance of the apparatus main body is provided, comprising a measurement wheel that protrudes from the suction skirts on the front and back of the apparatus main body and is supported by an elastic member so as to always rotate in contact with the wall surface. The underwater narrow part moving apparatus according to 1 or 2.

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