JP2009184530A - In-pipe traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an in-pipe traveling device capable of being traveled by advancing/retreating a member abutted on a wall surface of a conduit by a more simple mechanism and attaining reduction of manufacturing cost and miniaturization of the whole of the device. <P>SOLUTION: The in-pipe traveling device is provided with a frame 7 arranged along an advancement direction A of the conduit; a shaft body 11 supported on the frame 7 so as to be laid in the advancement direction A; a pair of movable members 12, 13 provided on the shaft body 11 so as to be aligned in the advancement direction A and each independently advanceable/retreatable in the advancement direction A by transmitted drive force; and an abutment member 14 in which at least one is provided between the pair of movable members 12, 13 and which can press the wall surface of the conduit by being elastically curved according to a spaced distance L of the pair of movable members 12, 13 and being projected to a side S. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-pipe traveling apparatus capable of self-propelling in a pipe line and observing the inside of the pipe line and transporting an object in the pipe line.

  Conventionally, in order to make it possible to observe a predetermined place, transport a target object to a predetermined place, etc. in a small-diameter pipe that an operator cannot enter directly, such as a sewer pipe or a gas pipe, etc. In addition, an in-pipe traveling apparatus capable of self-propelling in a pipeline has been proposed. Specifically, what travels by a wheel (for example, refer to patent documents 1), what travels by a caterpillar (for example, refer to patent documents 2), etc. are proposed. Furthermore, an in-pipe traveling device has been proposed in which two fastening units each capable of changing the length are connected in the traveling direction and alternately extend and contract to fix the fastening elements to the pipeline (for example, Patent Document 3). reference).

  However, with the in-pipe travel device of Patent Document 1, it is difficult to travel over obstacles in the pipeline, and the in-pipe travel device of Patent Document 2 can cope with obstacles, but can be downsized. There was a limit, and there was a limit to the size of the pipe that could be run. In addition, in the in-pipe travel device of Patent Document 3, it is possible to travel on a relatively small diameter pipe line corresponding to an obstacle as compared with the in-pipe travel devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, but the length dimension is greatly curved, There was a problem that could not cope with bent pipes.

Therefore, in order to solve these problems, a front arm and a rear arm, which are respectively provided at the front and rear of the frame and are rotatable around the base end, and between the front arm front end and the rear arm front end, are provided. An in-pipe travel apparatus comprising an attached contact member, a pair of drive side gears respectively meshing with arm gears provided at the base ends of the front arm and the rear arm, and a motor that rotationally drives the drive side gear. It has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 4). In such an in-pipe traveling device, the front arm and the rear arm are reciprocally rotated with a predetermined phase difference when driven by a motor, and thereby the abutting member attached between the two protrudes sideways. Repeat the propulsion movement to move from the front to the rear while in contact with the wall surface of the pipe and the return movement to move from the rear to the front with the contact member spaced from the wall surface of the pipe. It can be driven forward. The length of the entire device can be shortened by adjusting the stroke amount of the abutting member during propulsion motion, and it is possible to reduce the diameter of pipes and obstacles by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the abutting member during propulsion motion. Is also available.
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 6-8105 Japanese Patent No. 2894266 Japanese National Patent Publication No. 8-501752 JP 2007-276653 A

  However, in the in-pipe traveling device of Patent Document 4, in order to project the abutting member that abuts against the wall surface of the pipeline to the side and to advance and retreat back and forth, a pair of rotatable arms and a gear mechanism that respectively rotates these arms. There is a problem that the mechanism inside the frame becomes complicated. And since it is such a complicated mechanism, there existed a limit in the reduction of manufacturing cost and size reduction of the whole apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is capable of traveling by moving a member that abuts against the wall surface of a pipeline with a simpler mechanism, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and downsizing the entire apparatus. An in-pipe traveling apparatus capable of achieving the above is provided.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
An in-pipe traveling apparatus according to the present invention includes a frame disposed along a traveling direction of a pipe line, a shaft body supported by the frame along the traveling direction, and the traveling body on the shaft body in the traveling direction. A pair of movable members which are provided side by side and can be moved forward and backward independently of each other by the transmitted driving force, and at least one connected between the pair of movable members, and according to the separation distance of the pair of movable members And an abutting member capable of pressing the wall surface of the pipe line by being elastically curved and projecting to the side.

  According to the in-pipe traveling device according to the present invention, the pair of movable members advance and retract in the traveling direction independently of each other on the shaft body supported by the frame when the driving force is transmitted. Thus, by moving the frame and the shaft body forward and backward while changing the distance between the pair of movable members, the propulsion motion to advance the frame and the shaft forward in the traveling direction, and the return motion to return to the state immediately before starting the propulsion motion Can be repeated. That is, as a propulsion motion, first, by reducing the distance between the pair of movable members, the abutting member attached between the two elastically curves and protrudes to the side, pressing the wall surface of the pipeline State. In this state, by transmitting the driving force and moving the pair of movable members rearward relative to the shaft body in the direction of travel, the contact member is also relatively in contact with the wall surface of the conduit. Accordingly, the frame and the shaft body can be moved forward in the traveling direction.

  Next, as a return motion, first, by increasing the distance between the pair of movable members, the amount of the abutting member that curves and protrudes to the side is reduced, thereby separating from the wall surface of the pipeline. It becomes. In this state, by transmitting the driving force and moving both the pair of movable members forward in the traveling direction relative to the shaft body, it is possible to return to the state immediately before starting the propulsion motion. By repeating the propulsion motion and the return motion, the frame can travel forward in the traveling direction.

  Here, as a mechanism for propelling the frame, there are only a shaft body supported by the frame, a pair of movable members capable of moving back and forth along the shaft body, and a contact member, and no complicated gear mechanism or the like is required. Therefore, the mechanism can be simplified. Thereby, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. Further, the space inside the frame can be minimized and the entire apparatus can be reduced in size, and it is possible to cope with a pipe having a smaller diameter.

  Further, in the above-described in-pipe traveling device, the shaft body is supported by the frame so as to be rotatable around an axis line when the driving force is transmitted, and substantially has an outer peripheral surface corresponding to each movable member. A pair of concave or convex guide portions that are provided in an annular shape and whose distance in the axial direction changes in the circumferential direction, and the pair of movable members rotate about the axis with respect to the frame It is said that it is more preferable to have a convex or concave mating part that fits into the corresponding guide part and is relatively movable along the guide part.

  According to the in-pipe traveling apparatus according to the present invention, the shaft body rotates about the axis with respect to the frame by the transmitted driving force. Here, the pair of movable members are restricted from rotating around the axis while being able to advance and retract in the axial direction with respect to the frame. Further, the shaft body is provided with a pair of guide portions, and fitted portions of the corresponding movable members are fitted to the guide portions so as to be movable along the guide portions. And each guide part is provided so that the mutual separation distance of the axial direction may change to the circumferential direction. For this reason, by rotating the shaft body, the movable member can advance and retreat in the axial direction according to the change in the position of the corresponding guide portion in the axial direction without rotating together with the shaft body. The pair of movable members, in which the separation distance between the corresponding guide portions changes in the circumferential direction, reduces the separation distance and increases the separation distance and the propulsion movement that moves from the front to the back in the traveling direction. Thus, it is possible to repeat the return movements that move forward from the rear in the traveling direction.

In the above-described in-pipe traveling device, it is more preferable to include a driving unit that applies the driving force to the shaft body and rotates the shaft body around the axis.
According to the in-pipe traveling apparatus according to the present invention, the shaft body can be rotated around the axis line by the driving force generated by the driving unit, and thereby the pair of movable members can be advanced and retracted in the traveling direction.

  In the above-mentioned in-pipe traveling device, it is more preferable that the drive unit is restricted from rotating around the axis with respect to the frame on one end side or the other end side of the shaft body. .

  According to the in-pipe travel device according to the present invention, the drive unit is provided on one end side or the other end side of the shaft body, so that it is possible to reduce the size in the direction orthogonal to the axis, that is, in the radial direction. At this time, since the rotation of the drive unit around the axis with respect to the frame is restricted, the shaft can be rotated without rotating with respect to the frame due to the reaction force of the driving force generated by itself.

  Further, in the above-described in-pipe traveling device, the one end is fixed to the frame and the other end is fixed to the driving unit, and the other end is fixed to the driving unit, and the driving force generated from the driving unit It is more preferable to provide a restricting member having a torsional rigidity that cannot be deformed around the axis and having a flexibility that can be bent in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction.

  According to the in-pipe traveling device according to the present invention, the drive unit is fixed to the other end of the regulating member that is disposed in the traveling direction and one end is fixed to the frame. The frame itself can be further reduced in size. Here, since the restricting member has torsional rigidity that prevents deformation around the axis, the drive unit rotates the shaft body without rotating with respect to the frame due to the reaction force of the drive force generated by itself. Can be made. In addition, since the restricting member is flexible so that it can be bent in a direction perpendicular to the axis, even if the restricting member is bent or deformed even in a small-diameter curved or bent pipe, the restricting member is bent and deformed so that the frame is arranged in the traveling direction. And it can be made to pass through a drive part suitably.

  In the in-pipe traveling apparatus, the shaft body may be a substantially cylindrical member, and the drive unit may be fixed to the frame in a state of being housed inside the shaft body. .

  According to the in-pipe travel device according to the present invention, the shaft body is a substantially cylindrical member, and the drive unit is provided inside the shaft body, so that downsizing in the axial direction can be achieved. At this time, since the driving unit is fixed to the frame, the shaft body can be rotated without rotating with respect to the frame by a reaction force of the driving force generated by itself.

  The in-pipe traveling apparatus includes a plurality of propulsion means including the shaft body, the pair of movable members, and the abutting member, and the propulsion means is in contact with the driving force transmitted. It is more preferable that the timing of projecting the member to the side is set so as to deviate from each other.

  According to the in-pipe traveling device according to the present invention, the plurality of propulsion means can shift the timing and project the abutting member to the side so as to abut against the wall surface of the pipeline. For this reason, even if the abutting member of any propulsion means is separated from the wall surface of the pipe line, the abutting member of another propulsion means can be brought into contact with the wall surface of the pipe line, Propulsion can be given. Accordingly, it is possible to travel more efficiently, and it is possible to travel against gravity even in a pipeline having a gradient or arranged substantially vertically.

  According to the in-pipe travel device of the present invention, by including a shaft body and a pair of movable members, a member that abuts against the wall surface of the pipeline can be moved forward and backward with a simpler mechanism, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the entire apparatus.

(First embodiment)
1 to 10 show a first embodiment according to the present invention. 1 and 2 show a drive unit of an in-pipe travel apparatus that self-propels in a pipeline, FIG. 1 shows an external view, and FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the in-pipe travel apparatus including the drive unit. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the in-pipe travel device 1 includes a drive unit 2 that self-travels in a traveling direction A in a pipeline, a control device 40 that controls the drive unit 2 from the outside, a drive unit 2 and a control unit. And a cable 3 for electrically connecting the device 40.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the drive unit 2 of the present embodiment includes a travel unit 4 and a drive unit 5 connected to the travel unit 4 along the traveling direction A. The traveling unit 4 includes a frame 7 disposed along the traveling direction A, and a propulsion unit 10 that applies a propulsive force to the frame 7 by a driving force applied from the driving unit 5. In the present embodiment, the frame 7 also functions as a cover that forms an outer shell and accommodates the propulsion means 10 therein, and has a substantially cylindrical main body 8 and support plates 9 a and 9 b provided at both ends of the main body 8. With. The main body 8 is composed of an upper cover 8a and a lower cover 8b having a substantially semicircular cross section, and in a state where these are assembled, a space for accommodating the propulsion means 10 is formed inside, and a traveling direction is formed in the side portion. An opening 8c is formed along A, and a leaf spring 14 of the propulsion means 10 described later can project to the side S perpendicular to the traveling direction A.

  4 shows a state in which the main body 8 of the frame 7 is removed from the traveling unit 4, and FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view thereof. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the propulsion means 10 is provided along the traveling direction A, and is supported on the shaft body 11 rotatably supported by the support plates 9 a and 9 b of the frame 7, and on the shaft body 11. A front cam collar 12 and a rear cam collar 13 that form a pair of movable members arranged side by side in the traveling direction A, and a leaf spring 14 that is a contact member connected between the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13. Have. The shaft body 11 is supported by a bearing 9c provided on each of the support plates 9a and 9b so as to be rotatable around the shaft, and one end portion 11a projects from the support plate 9a in the forward direction F in the traveling direction A, and the other end The part 11b protrudes from the support plate 9b in the rear direction B in the traveling direction A, and the output shaft 5c of the drive part 5 is connected to the other end part 11b through a universal joint 20 as described later.

  The front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 are formed in a substantially circular cross section with an inner peripheral surface having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the shaft body 11, and the outer peripheral surface is formed in a polygonal cross section. . The front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 are respectively packaged on the outer peripheral surface 11 c of the shaft body 11, and can advance and retreat in the traveling direction A along the axis M of the shaft body 11.

  Here, on the outer peripheral surface 11 c of the shaft body 11, a front guide portion 15 and a rear guide portion 16 are formed in a pair corresponding to each of the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13. The front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 16 are grooves formed in a concave shape and a substantially annular shape in the outer peripheral surface 11c so that the position in the axis M direction (traveling direction A) changes along the circumferential direction. Is provided. Moreover, the change of the position of the front guide part 15 and the rear guide part 16 in the axis line M direction is set to be different from each other, and thereby the separation distance in the direction of the axis line M changes in the circumferential direction. The details of the alignment of the front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 15 that determine the change in the position in the direction of the axis M along the circumferential direction will be described later together with the operation thereof.

  Further, the front cam collar 12 is formed with a screw hole penetrating from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface, and the cam pin 17 is screwed so that the front end portion 17a protrudes in a convex shape toward the inner peripheral surface side. . The outer diameter of the distal end portion 17a of the cam pin 17 is set to be substantially equal to the width of the front guide portion 15, and can be fitted to the front guide portion 15 as a fitted portion and moved along the front guide portion 15. It is possible. Similarly, the rear cam collar 13 is formed with a screw hole penetrating from the outer peripheral surface to the inner peripheral surface, and the cam pin 18 is screwed so that the tip end portion 18a protrudes in a convex shape toward the inner peripheral surface side. ing. The outer diameter of the front end portion 18 a of the cam pin 18 is set to be substantially equal to the width of the rear guide portion 16, is fitted to the rear guide portion 16 as a fitted portion, and moves along the rear guide portion 16. It is possible. In the present embodiment, the circumferential position of the front cam collar 12 where the cam pin 17 is screwed and the circumferential position of the rear cam collar 13 where the cam pin 18 is screwed substantially coincide. .

  A rotation restricting member 19 is fixed between the support plates 9 a and 9 b along the axial direction of the shaft body 11. The rotation restricting member 19 is in sliding contact with one plane of the outer peripheral surface of the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13, thereby restricting the rotation of the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 around the axis. Therefore, when the shaft body 11 rotates, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 do not rotate, and according to the alignment of the corresponding front guide portion 15 and rear guide portion 16, respectively, It is possible to move forward and backward in the traveling direction A along the body 11.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the leaf springs 14 which are contact members connected between the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 are provided in pairs, and are substantially arranged with respect to the axis M so as to face each other. It is provided as symmetrical. Each leaf spring 14 is rotatably connected to the front cam collar 12 by a pin 14c at one end 14a, and is also rotatably connected to the rear cam collar 13 by a pin 14c at the other end 14b. The leaf spring 14 can be bent by its own elasticity and project to the side S in accordance with a change in the separation distance L between the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the drive unit 2, the drive unit 5 connected to the traveling unit 4 includes a DC motor 5 a that generates a driving force, a deceleration mechanism 5 b that decelerates rotation by the DC motor 5 a, and a deceleration The output shaft 5c is decelerated and rotated by the mechanism 5b, and the cover 5d accommodates the DC motor 5a and the speed reduction mechanism 5b. The output shaft 5 c is supported by the cover 5 d so as to be rotatable about the axis, protrudes to the front F in the traveling direction A, and is connected to the shaft body 11 of the traveling unit 4 by the universal joint 20. Therefore, when the DC motor 5a is driven and the output shaft 5c rotates, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the shaft body 11 of the traveling unit 4 through the universal joint 20, and the shaft body 11 and the output shaft 5c. The universal joint 20 can be freely bent in the radial direction perpendicular to the axis M.

  The connecting portion between the shaft 11 of the traveling unit 4 and the output shaft 5 c of the driving unit 5 is covered with a substantially tubular connecting cover 21. The connecting cover 21 is a substantially tubular member, and one end 21 a is fixed to the support plate 9 b of the frame 7 in the traveling portion 4, and the other end 21 b is fixed to the cover 5 d in the driving portion 5. In the present embodiment, the connecting cover 21 is formed in a side-view waveform, and the peaks and valleys that form the waveform are spirally continuous in the direction of the axis M, thereby being orthogonal to the axis M. It has flexibility that allows it to bend freely in the radial direction, and has torsional rigidity that prevents deformation around the axis M. For this reason, the connection cover 21 functions as a restricting member, whereby the frame 7 of the traveling unit 4 and the cover 5d of the drive unit 5 are curved with respect to the axis M by bending the connection cover 21 in accordance with the shape of the traveling pipeline. It is possible to change the relative position in the orthogonal radial direction. Further, even if the DC motor 5a of the drive unit 5 is rotationally driven and thereby the output shaft 5c is rotated, the cover 5d of the drive unit 5 is relatively around the axis M with respect to the frame 7 of the traveling unit 4 by reaction force. The rotation driving force can be transmitted to the shaft body 11 of the traveling unit 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the DC motor 5a is provided with an encoder 5e capable of detecting the rotation angle of the DC motor 5a, whereby the rotation angle of the shaft body 11 can be detected in a timely manner. . In addition, a motor control circuit 5f as a control unit is provided inside the cover 5d of the drive unit 5, and is connected to the DC motor 5a and the encoder 5e. The motor control circuit 5f can control the DC motor 5a based on the detection result of the encoder 5e to transmit power to the shaft body 11 of the traveling unit 4. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the motor control circuit 5f is connected to the communication circuit 5g, and can drive the DC motor 5a by the input from the control device 40 via the cable 3, and the encoder 5e The detection result can be output to the control device 40.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the drive unit 2 of the in-pipe traveling apparatus 1 includes an imaging unit 6. The photographing means 6 includes a front photographing element 6a capable of photographing the front F and a rear photographing element 6b capable of photographing the rear B, which are provided on the support plates 9a and 9b in the frame 7 of the traveling unit 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the images photographed by the front photographing element 6a and the rear photographing element 6b are converted into a signal by the video signal processing circuit 6c and can be output to the control device 40 via the cable 3 by the communication circuit 6d. . The electric power necessary for the electric system such as the DC motor 5 a, the motor control circuit 5 f, and the photographing unit 6 provided in the drive unit 2 is supplied from the control device 40 via the cable 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 40 includes a communication circuit 41 that can transmit and receive via the cable 3 and the communication circuit 5 g of the motor control circuit 5 f in the drive unit 2. The communication circuit 41 is connected to the CPU 43, the ROM 44, and the RAM 45 via the bus 42, and causes the motor control circuit 5f of the drive unit 2 to operate the drive unit 2 based on the programs stored in the CPU 43 and the ROM 44. It is possible to transmit various signals. Further, the detection result of the encoder 5 e can be received by the drive unit 2, and can be stored in the RAM 45. The data such as the program written in the ROM 44 and the data writable in the RAM 44 are not limited to the above, and various settings can be made depending on the usage mode.

  The control device 40 is connected to the communication circuit 6d of the photographing unit 6 in the drive unit 2 and the communication circuit 46 capable of transmitting and receiving via the cable 3, and the video signal connected to the communication circuit 46 to image the received video signal. And a processing circuit 47. The video signal processing circuit 47 is connected to a monitor 48, and can display an image photographed by the photographing means 6 of the drive unit 2 on the monitor 48. The video signal processing circuit 47 is connected to the image changeover switch 48a, and an image obtained by photographing the front F of the drive unit 2 with the front photographing element 6a of the photographing means 6 and the rear photographing element. In 6b, it is possible to switch between images obtained by photographing the rear B of the drive unit 2. The communication circuit 46 is also connected to the bus 42, and records image data in the RAM 45 via the bus 42, or stores the image data stored in the RAM 45 in the bus 42, the communication circuit 46, and the video signal processing circuit. It is also possible to project on the monitor 48 via 47.

  Moreover, the control apparatus 40 is provided with the operation part 40a, and is connected with the bus | bath 42 via the connector 40b. Therefore, the operator can check the monitor 48 and operate the operation unit 40a to drive the DC motor 5a so that the drive unit 2 can travel on the pipeline as will be described later. In addition, the control device 40 includes a power source 49 that can be switched ON / OFF by a switch 49a. The control device 40 can supply power to each component of the control device 40, and each electric power of the drive unit 2 via the cable 3. It is also possible to supply power to the system.

Next, the linear details of the front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 16 in the traveling unit 4 of the drive unit 2 will be described, and the operation of the in-pipe traveling device 1 of the present embodiment will be described correspondingly.
FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the rotation angle of the shaft body 11 rotated by the DC motor 5a and the positions of the front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 16 in the axis M direction. In FIG. 6, the vertical axis represents the rotation angle around the axis of the shaft body 11, and 0 indicates that the position in the circumferential direction coincides with the position of the cam pin 17 of the front cam collar 12 and the cam pin 18 of the rear cam collar 13. I am trying. Further, the horizontal axis indicates the position of the front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 16 in the axis M direction (traveling direction A) on the outer peripheral surface 11c of the shaft body 11, and the left side of the paper surface is the traveling direction A front F side. The right side is the rear B side.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the front guide portion 15 and the rear guide portion 16 of the present embodiment are set so that the linearity changes in units of 90 degrees. As shown in FIG. 6, in the phase P0 where the rotation angle is 0 degree, the front guide portion 15 is located on the most front F side. And the front side guide part 15 is set so that the position of the axis line M direction in the phase P0 may be hold | maintained to the phase P90 which makes the rotation angle 90 degree | times. Next, up to phase P270 where the rotation angle is 270 degrees, the position is linearly displaced toward the rear B side, and is set so as to be positioned closest to the rear B side in phase P270. The position is set so that the position is linearly displaced to the front F side until it returns to the phase P0 from the phase P270, and returns to the position closest to the front F side.

  On the other hand, the rear side guide part 16 is located in the back B side most in the phase P0. The rear guide portion 16 is set so that the position thereof is linearly displaced to the front F side until the phase P90, and is positioned closest to the front F side in the phase P90. In addition, until the phase P270, the distance L in the axis M direction from the front guide portion 16 is constant, the position is linearly displaced to the rear B side, and again to the rear B side again in the phase P270. It is set to be located. And it sets so that the position which becomes the back B side most may be held until it returns to phase P0.

  From the above, as shown in FIG. 7, with the rotation of the DC motor 5a, in the phase P0, the front cam collar 12 is located on the most front F side, and the rear cam collar 13 is located on the most rear B side. Since the distance L between the two is maximized, the amount of bending of the leaf spring 14 is small and the amount of protrusion to the side S is small, so that it does not contact the wall surface N1 of the pipe N. Yes.

  When the phase shifts to phase P90 with the rotation of the DC motor 5a from this state, as shown in FIG. 8, only the rear cam collar 13 moves forward F, so the separation distance between the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 L is narrowed, whereby the leaf spring 14 is curved and protrudes to the side S to press the wall surface N1 of the pipe N. Then, when the DC motor 5a further rotates from this state, a propulsion motion for advancing the frame 7 of the traveling unit 4 in the traveling direction A is performed between the phase P90 and the phase P270.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 to 10, from the phase P90 to the phase P270, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 move toward the rear B side without changing the separation distance. Accordingly, the leaf spring 14 also moves relative to the rear B side in contact with the wall surface N1 of the pipe N. Therefore, the frame 7 and the shaft body 11 are moved forward in the traveling direction A by the stroke amount from the phase P90 (FIG. 8) to the phase P270 (FIG. 9) through the phase P180 (FIG. 9) of the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13. It will advance to the F side.

  When the DC motor 5a further rotates, the phase returns from the phase P270 (FIG. 10) through the phase P0 (FIG. 7) to the phase P90 (FIG. 8) to the state just before the start of the propulsion motion. That is, from the phase P270 to the phase P0, the rear cam collar 13 is not displaced, only the front cam collar 13 is displaced to the front F side, and the separation distance L between the two gradually increases. For this reason, the amount of protrusion to the side S due to the bending of the leaf spring 14 is reduced, and the leaf spring 14 is separated from the wall surface N1 of the pipe N. Next, the front cam collar 12 is not displaced from the phase P0 to the phase P90, and only the rear cam collar 13 is displaced to the front F side, so that the leaf spring 14 contacts the wall surface N1 of the pipe line N and moves to the rear B side. It is possible to return to the state immediately before starting the propulsion without generating the reverse propulsive force. Then, by repeating the propulsion motion and the return motion by the rotation of the DC motor 5a in this way, the frame 7 can be moved to the forward direction A front F side.

  Here, in the drive unit 2, as a mechanism for propelling the frame 7 of the traveling unit 4, the shaft body 11 supported by the frame 7, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 that can advance and retreat along the shaft body 11, Since only the leaf spring 14 is used and a complicated gear mechanism is not required, the mechanism can be simplified. Thereby, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, the space inside the frame 7 in the traveling unit 4 can be minimized to reduce the size of the entire apparatus, and a smaller-diameter pipe N can be handled. Further, in the drive unit 2 of the in-pipe travel device 1 of the present embodiment, the travel unit 4 that generates a propulsive force and the drive unit 5 that transmits the drive force to the travel unit 4 are separated. Is connected to the other end portion 11 b of the shaft body 11 of the traveling portion 4. For this reason, the drive unit 2 as a whole can be reduced in size in the direction orthogonal to the axis M, that is, in the radial direction.

  In addition, as a connection position of the drive part 5, it is good also as what connects and arranges in the one end part 11a side of the shaft body 11, ie, the advancing direction A front. Moreover, in this embodiment, although the drive part 5 was provided in the exterior of the driving | running | working part 4, it shall be connected with the flame | frame 7 and the connection cover 21 used as a control member, However, it is not restricted to this. The internal mechanism of the drive unit 5 may be accommodated inside the frame 7 while being at one end or the other end of the shaft body 11. However, when the traveling unit 4 and the driving unit 5 are separately connected by the coupling cover 21, the frame 7 itself of the traveling unit 4 can be downsized in the traveling direction A, and the tube is curved or bent with a small diameter. It becomes possible to cope with the road more appropriately.

  In the present embodiment, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 are advanced and retracted in the traveling direction A along the shaft body 11 and have a front guide portion 15 and a rear guide portion 16 that are concave and substantially annular in cross section. However, the pair of guide portions may have a convex cross section. In this case, what is necessary is just to make the to-be-fitted part provided corresponding to the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 into a concave shape, and to make it fit in the said convex-shaped guide part. Further, in the present embodiment, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 are configured such that the shaft body 11 is rotated by the drive unit 5 that generates the rotational driving force, and thereby advances and retreats in the traveling direction A. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not a thing. For example, the drive unit may include a linear motion motor, and drive force may be directly applied to each of the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 to advance and retreat in the traveling direction A. However, with the above-described configuration, the front cam collar 12 and the rear cam collar 13 can be independently advanced and retracted in the traveling direction A simply by generating a rotational driving force with a single drive unit, which is simpler. It is possible to travel in the pipeline with a simple mechanism.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the drive unit 2 is configured by one traveling unit 4 and one driving unit 5, but is not limited thereto, and a plurality of units may be connected. FIG. 11 shows a first modification of this embodiment. The drive unit 51 of the in-pipe travel device 50 according to this modification includes two travel units, a first travel unit 52 located on the front side and a second travel unit 53 located on the rear side, and one drive unit 5. They are connected side by side in the traveling direction A. The shaft body 54a of the propulsion means 54 in the first travel section 52 and the shaft body 55a of the propulsion means 55 in the second travel section 53 are connected by the universal joint 20 so as to be rotatable about the axis M. . Similarly, the connection cover 21 is provided between the first traveling unit 52 and the second traveling unit 53, and the first traveling unit 52 and the second traveling unit 53 are configured by their own flexibility. And a torsional rigidity that disables rotational deformation about the axis M. Moreover, the drive part 5 is arrange | positioned further to the back B side of the 2nd driving | running | working part 53, and is similarly connected by the universal joint 20 and the connection cover 21. FIG.

  Here, the front guide part and the rear guide part formed on the shaft body 54a of the first travel part 52, and the front guide part and the rear guide formed on the shaft body 55a of the second travel part 53 are described. Although not shown in the drawing, the phases are set so as to be shifted by 180 degrees although they are substantially equal to each other. That is, the rotation of the output shaft 5c of the drive unit 5 is transmitted to the shaft body 55a of the second traveling unit 53, and further from the shaft body 55a of the second traveling unit 53 to the shaft body 54a of the first traveling unit 52. The And the leaf | plate spring 54b of the propulsion means 54 in the 1st driving | running | working part 52 and the leaf | plate spring 55b of the propulsion means 55 in the 2nd driving | running | working part 53 are propelled periodically with rotation of the shaft bodies 54a and 55a, respectively. Repeat exercise and return exercise. At this time, when the first travel part 52 separates the leaf spring 54b from the wall surface N1 as a return motion, the second travel part 53 can press the leaf spring 55b against the wall surface N1 as a propulsion motion.

  For this reason, the leaf springs 54b and 55b, which are contact members of either the first traveling unit 52 or the second traveling unit 53, can press the wall surface N1 and generate a propulsive force. As a result, it is possible to travel more efficiently by increasing the traveling speed, and it is possible to travel against gravity even in a pipeline having a gradient or arranged substantially vertically. It becomes possible. In this modification, the two traveling parts are used and the phases of the front guide part and the rear guide part are shifted by 180 degrees. However, there may be three or more traveling parts. If the phase is adjusted so that the propulsion means shifts the timing so that the wall surface of the pipe line can be brought into contact, the above-described effect can be obtained. Further, the propulsion motion and the return motion may be synchronously performed without shifting the timing at which the wall surface of the pipe line is abutted by the abutting member for the plurality of traveling portions. In this case, although it becomes impossible to increase the traveling speed and to cope with the inclined pipe or the vertical pipe, it is effective in that a propulsive force can be generated simultaneously by a plurality of traveling units.

  Moreover, in the said modification, although the one propulsion means was each provided with respect to several driving | running | working parts, it does not restrict to this. A plurality of propulsion means may be provided for one traveling unit, and further, each propulsion means may shift the timing and project a leaf spring as a contact member to the side S.

  In the above description, the traveling portion is described as having a pair of leaf springs as the abutting portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that at least one, preferably two or more. FIG. 12 shows a second modification of this embodiment. In the drive unit 61 of the in-pipe traveling apparatus 60 of this modification, the propulsion means 62 is provided with three leaf springs 64 on a pair of front cam collar and rear cam collar (not shown) that can advance and retreat with respect to the shaft body 63. . Thus, the propulsive force can be increased by providing three or more leaf springs 64. In addition, when providing with two or more, it is preferable to arrange | position so that it can project to the side S on a radiation | emission at a substantially equal angle in front view centering on the axis line M. FIG. By doing in this way, the surrounding wall surface N1 can be pressed uniformly and the traveling straightness in the pipe line N can be improved.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 13 shows a second embodiment according to the present invention. In this embodiment, members that are the same as those used in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 13, in the in-pipe traveling device 70 of this embodiment, the drive unit 71 includes a traveling unit and a driving unit that are integrally configured. Specifically, the drive unit 71 includes a frame 72 disposed in the traveling direction A, and propulsion means 73 and a drive unit 74 housed in the frame 72. The frame 72 includes a cover 75 that constitutes an outer shell and accommodates the propelling means 73 and the drive unit 74, and support plates 76 a and 76 b provided on the front and rear sides inside the cover 75.

  Further, the propulsion means 73 includes a substantially cylindrical shaft body 80 disposed along the traveling direction A, and a front cam collar 81 forming a pair of movable members arranged on the shaft body 80 and arranged side by side in the traveling direction A. And a rear cam collar 82 and a leaf spring 83 which is a contact member connected between the front cam collar 81 and the rear cam collar 82. The shaft body 80 has an end surface 80c in which a through hole 80b is formed in one end 80a, and an output shaft 74c disposed coaxially in a driving unit 74 described later is inserted and fixed. The other end 80d is externally slidably fitted to a cylindrical member 77 fixed to the rear support plate 76b of the frame 72 so as to protrude forward F.

  Although not shown, a concave or convex guide portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 80 corresponding to each of the front cam collar 81 and the rear cam collar 82 as in the first embodiment. Each of the front cam collar 81 and the rear cam collar 82 has a convex or concave mating portion fitted to the guide portion so as to be movable along the corresponding guide portion. As a result, the shaft body 80 rotates about its own axis M, so that the front cam collar 81 and the rear cam collar 82 can advance and retreat in the traveling direction A according to the alignment of the corresponding guide portions. The leaf spring 83 can be elastically curved and project to the side S because the distance between the front cam collar 81 and the rear cam collar 82 is narrowed.

  The drive unit 74 has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, and includes a DC motor 74a, a speed reducer 74b, an output shaft 74c, an encoder 74d, and a motor control circuit 74e. 80 is housed inside. The DC motor 74 a is fitted and fixed to the cylindrical member 77. Further, as described above, the output shaft 74c is coaxial with the shaft body 80 and protrudes from the through hole 80b to the front F side, and the shaft body 80 is fixed. Further, the tip of the output shaft 74 c that protrudes from the shaft body 80 is rotatably supported about the axis M by a bearing 76 c provided on the support plate 76 a on the front side of the frame 72. The motor 74 a of the drive unit 74 is fixed to the frame 72 via a cylindrical member 77. As a result, when the output motor 74a is rotated by driving the DC motor 74a in the driving unit 74, the shaft body 80 is not rotated with respect to the frame 72 by the reaction force of the driving force generated by itself. Can be rotated around. Therefore, the propulsion motion and the return motion can be repeatedly performed by projecting the leaf spring 83 to the side S by the rotation of the DC motor 74a. Then, the wall 72 can be pushed by the leaf spring 83 to generate a propulsive force in the duct, and the frame 72 can travel forward in the traveling direction A. Moreover, in such an in-pipe traveling apparatus 70, since the drive part 74 is accommodated in the inside of the shaft body 80 of the propulsion means 73, size reduction to the axis line M direction can be achieved. For this reason, even a complicatedly curved or bent pipe line can be suitably run.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the concrete structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.

1 is an overall view of an in-pipe travel device (drive unit) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram of an in-pipe traveling apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows the detail of the driving | running | working part of a drive unit. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows the detail of the internal structure of the driving | running | working part of a drive unit. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the detail of the driving | running | working part of a drive unit. In the in-pipe travel apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention, it is a graph which shows the relationship between the rotation angle of a shaft body, and the position of the axial direction of a front side guide part and a rear side guide part. It is explanatory drawing in which the in-pipe travel apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention drive | works a pipe line. It is explanatory drawing in which the in-pipe travel apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention drive | works a pipe line. It is explanatory drawing in which the in-pipe travel apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention drive | works a pipe line. It is explanatory drawing in which the in-pipe travel apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention drive | works a pipe line. It is a side view of the in-pipe travel apparatus (drive unit) of the 1st modification of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the in-pipe traveling apparatus (drive unit) of the 2nd modification of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the in-pipe traveling apparatus (drive unit) of 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 50, 60, 70 In-pipe travel device 5, 74 Drive unit 5c, 74c Output shaft 7, 72 Frame 10, 54, 55, 62, 73 Propulsion means 11, 54a, 55a, 63, 80 Shaft body 12, 81 Front side Cam collar (movable member)
13, 82 Rear cam collar (movable member)
14, 54b, 55b, 64, 83 Leaf spring (contact member)
15 Front guide part (guide part)
16 Rear guide part (guide part)
17a, 18a Tip part (fitting part)
21 Connecting cover (regulating member)
A Advancing direction B Back F Front M Axis line N Pipe line N1 Wall surface S Side

Claims (7)

A frame disposed along the direction of travel of the pipeline;
A shaft supported by the frame so as to be along the traveling direction;
A pair of movable members provided side by side in the traveling direction on the shaft body and capable of moving forward and backward in the traveling direction independently of each other by a transmitted driving force;
A contact member that is connected to at least one of the pair of movable members, elastically curves in accordance with a separation distance of the pair of movable members, and protrudes laterally to press the wall surface of the pipe line; An in-pipe travel apparatus comprising: In the in-pipe traveling apparatus according to claim 1,
The shaft body is supported by the frame so as to be rotatable around an axis by transmitting the driving force, and is provided in a substantially annular shape on the outer peripheral surface corresponding to each movable member. A pair of concave or convex guide portions whose circumferential distance changes in the circumferential direction,
The pair of movable members are restricted from rotating about the axis with respect to the frame, and are fitted into the corresponding guide portions, respectively, and are convex or movable relative to the guide portions. An in-pipe traveling device having a recessed mating portion. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus according to claim 2,
An in-pipe travel apparatus comprising a drive unit that applies the driving force to the shaft body and rotates the shaft body around the axis. The in-pipe traveling device according to claim 3,
The in-pipe travel apparatus characterized in that the drive unit is restricted from rotating around the axis with respect to the frame on one end side or the other end side of the shaft body. The in-pipe traveling device according to claim 4,
A torsional rigidity that is disposed in the advancing direction and has one end fixed to the frame and the other end fixed to the driving unit, and is not deformable around the axis by the driving force generated from the driving unit. And an in-pipe travel apparatus comprising a restricting member having flexibility capable of being bent in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus according to claim 3,
The shaft body is a substantially cylindrical member,
The in-pipe travel device characterized in that the drive unit is fixed to the frame in a state of being accommodated in the shaft body. In the in-pipe traveling apparatus in any one of Claims 1-6,
The shaft body, a pair of movable members, and a plurality of propulsion means including the abutting member are provided, and the propulsion means has a timing of projecting the abutting member to the side according to the transmitted driving force. An in-pipe travel device characterized by being set so as to deviate from each other.

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