JP2012220478A - Intra-duct advancing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a completely self-traveling type intra-duct advancing device which does not require remote control, further, is capable of performing examinations even inside a thin duct, quickens a response and does not require human intervention.SOLUTION: In an intra-duct advancing device, a plurality of units 1 to 9 are connected to swing, respectively, by connection means 10 and the plurality of units include a survey unit 1 which detects a state of a wall surface, a support unit 2 which is engaged with or disengaged from an inner wall of a duct, an automatic stop sensor 3, a lock unit 4 which controls an arm of the support unit 2, a first guide driver unit 5a which is connected to the automatic stop sensor 3, a curved tube sensor (detection unit) 6, a second guide driver unit 5b which is connected to the detection unit 6, a drive unit 7 which moves each unit forward or backward, a controller unit 8, and a battery unit 9 which supplies power to the units via the controller unit 8 and the guide driver units 5a and 5b.

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-pipe advancement device that can self-run in a superheater pipe, a gas pipe, a water pipe, and further a body cavity of a super garbage power plant and inspect the situation inside the pipe. More specifically, the present invention relates to an in-pipe advancing device that can reliably inspect the inside of a pipe line without remote control from the outside even in a pipe line that is at a distance from the outside.

  As an in-pipe advancing device that checks the inner wall of a pipe while moving in a thin pipe such as a conventional gas pipe, functions such as communication, positioning, and wall thickness measurement are distributed and stored in spherical capsules, respectively. In-pipe mobile robots are known in which the capsules are flexibly connected to each other, and the distance between the connected capsules can be expanded and contracted by a constant sequence control so that the robot moves forward and backward (for example, patents). Reference 1).

For example, as shown in FIG. 13, this in-pipe mobile robot has capsules a _{1 to} a _N in which various functions such as communication, inspection, positioning, and movement are distributed so that it can pass through a pipe having a small cross-sectional area. Are connected in a chain by connecting means b _{1 to} b _N-1 , installed in a pipe 1000 buried in the ground, and according to a command from the surface station 2000, the thickness of an appropriate portion of the pipe 1000, etc. And processing such as transmitting the data to the surface station 2000 via the transceiver 3000 is performed.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-36988

There is known a self-propelled in-pipe advancing device that searches the inside of a pipe line with a camera as described above. This in-pipe progress device sends information in the pipe line 1000 obtained from a camera or the like to a control unit such as an operator console in the surface station 2000 outside the pipe line, and based on the information, the control unit moves in the direction of travel, etc. Is issued via the transmitter / receiver 3000 to control the progress in the pipeline 1000. However, in such an in-pipe progress device, a part (for example, capsule a ₁ ) for detecting the situation in the pipe 1000 is separated from the control unit, and various controls are performed by the control unit. Therefore, it takes time to control, and it is necessary to give an instruction to the control unit by a human operation. Therefore, there is a problem that it is not possible to proceed in response to the situation in the pipeline 1000 in an instant.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and does not require remote operation, and can perform various inspections even in a narrow pipe line, has a quick response, and does not require manpower. It aims at providing a self-propelled in-pipe progress device.

The in-pipe advancing apparatus of the present invention is an in-pipe advancing apparatus in which a plurality of units are swingably connected, and the plurality of units are
An exploration unit that detects the condition of the wall surface of the pipeline;
A support unit that engages or releases the inner wall of the pipe line;
A driving unit that generates a driving force for moving the adjacent unit forward or backward, and
A detection unit for detecting a direction in which the pipe extends;
At least one guide driver unit connected to the exploration unit, the support unit, the drive unit and the detection unit;
A controller that controls the guide driver unit, and a controller unit having a start switch of the controller;
A battery unit for supplying electric power to the exploration unit, the support unit, the drive unit, and the detection unit via the controller unit and the guide driver unit;
The control unit starts the progress control and the exploration control in the pipeline when the start switch is operated, and stops the progress control and the exploration control in the pipeline when the support unit goes out of the pipeline. It is made to do so.

  By having at least one guide driver unit connected to each of the exploration unit, the support unit, the drive unit, and the detection unit, the guide driver unit can be used independently by the information obtained from each unit connected to the guide driver unit. Since the units are controlled, the control unit does not need to control each unit individually, and can proceed in an instant manner corresponding to the situation in the pipeline. In addition, the progress control and exploration control in the pipeline is started by operating the start switch, and the progress control and exploration control in the pipeline is automatically stopped when the support unit goes out of the pipeline. Therefore, self-propelled in the pipeline is possible without communication and control from the outside.

It is a block diagram of one Embodiment of the in-pipe progress apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the connection means which connects between each unit of the in-pipe progress apparatus shown by FIG. It is a figure which shows the specific structural example of the support unit of the apparatus shown by FIG. 1, and is sectional explanatory drawing which shows the state which the arm closed and opened. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the lock unit which controls operation | movement of the arm of the support unit of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the automatic stop sensor of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the curved pipe sensor of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the drive unit of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the starting switch provided in the controller unit of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the operation | movement which rocks each unit using the support unit and drive unit of the apparatus shown by FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the apparatus shown by FIG. 11 is a flowchart for further explaining the SW reception step of FIG. 10. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for further explaining the operation steps of FIG. 10. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the conventional piping progress apparatus.

  Next, the in-pipe progression apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a configuration example of one embodiment of the in-pipe progression apparatus 50 according to the present invention includes a plurality of units 1 to 9 that share each function (including alphabets such as 3a). Are connected by the connecting means 10 so as to be able to swing, and advance in the pipe while performing a peristaltic motion to detect abnormalities in the pipe. In the example shown in FIG. 1, for example, an exploration unit 1 that detects the state of the wall surface of the pipeline, a support unit 2 that engages with or releases the inner wall of the pipeline, and progress in the pipeline The automatic stop sensor 3 that automatically stops driving the in-pipe advancing device 50 when the device 50 exits the pipe, the lock unit 4 that controls the arm of the support unit 2, and the automatic stop sensor 3 First guide driver unit 5a that is connected electrically, a curved pipe sensor (detection unit) 6 that detects the direction in which the pipe extends, and a second guide driver that is electrically connected to the curved pipe sensor (detection unit) 6. A unit 5b, a driving unit 7 that generates a driving force for moving each unit forward or backward, a controller unit (main controller) 8 that controls each unit and has a start switch, and each unit And a battery unit 9 supplies power to the bets. Further, the second battery unit 9a, the second drive unit 7a, the third guide driver unit 5c, the second curved pipe sensor (detection unit) 6a, the fourth guide driver unit 5d, which are configured by connecting these units in reverse. The second lock unit 4 a, the second automatic stop sensor (detection unit) 3 a, the second support unit 2 a, and the rear switch 8 a are configured to be connected after the battery unit 9. Although not shown, a second exploration unit may be connected to the tip of the rear switch 8a so as to move backward, or the rear side of the exploration unit 1 (the exploration unit 1 and the support unit 2). A guide roller unit (not shown) such as a wheel for making it easier to roll in the pipeline can be provided separately.

  Many of these units include, for example, a camera, an inspection part, an actuator including a motor, and the like inside a capsule 100 that is formed of a spherical body made of a hard plastic and is easily moved as shown in FIG. It is arranged. These units are connected by, for example, connecting means 10. The connecting means 10 is shaped like an iron array in which spherical portions 102 are formed at both ends of a rod-like portion 101, for example, and is fitted into a spherical recess 103 formed in the connecting portion 104 of each unit. Thus, the spherical recess 103 and the spherical portion 102 of the connecting means 10 are formed so as to be relatively freely rotatable. As described above, since the spherical portion 102 and the spherical recess 103 are fitted to each other, the units to be connected swing with each other, that is, the units to be connected are not arranged in a straight line. Depending on the curve of the road, it is possible to proceed while connecting in the bent direction. In addition, since the functions of each unit are decentralized, as will be described later, the drive unit and the part that is actually driven are formed in different units, and the wires that transmit the drive force to the other units. 105 and the like are formed so as to penetrate through the inside of the connecting means 10.

  The exploration unit 1 is provided at the head of the in-pipe advancing device 50. For example, the exploration unit 1 has a configuration similar to that of the distal end of the endoscope and is equipped with a camera or the like. A state such as damage to the inner wall is detected, and the photograph and video data are stored in a memory or the like included in the exploration unit 1.

  The support unit 2 (the same applies to the second support unit 2a) has a non-slip function (engagement) inside the pipeline for swinging each unit. For example, as shown in FIG. The main body 23 is fixed between the connecting portions 21 and 22 with the front and rear units formed in the portion, and the arm 24 rotates around the fulcrum 25 and opens outward (see FIG. 3B). As shown in FIG. 3A, it is formed so as to be in a closed state. When the lock unit 4 which will be described later is driven and the wire 105 is pulled, the slide portion 27 provided with the fulcrum 25 of the arm 24 slides in the right direction in the drawing, and the spring 26 is contracted. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the arm 24 is opened to the outside by a known link mechanism by the slide of the slide portion 27, as shown in FIGS. At this time, since the pipe line is thin, the open arm 24 hits the inner wall of the pipe line and is engaged with the inner wall. That is, even after the arm 24 comes into contact with the inner wall of the pipe line, the wire 105 is pulled, and a force to open the arm 24 is further applied to the outer side. The support unit 2 is engaged with the inner wall of the pipe line. On the other hand, when the pulling force of the wire 105 is released, the spring 26 extends and the slide portion 27 and the arm 24 return to their original positions. As a result, the arm 24 can be engaged with or released from the inner wall by opening and closing the arm 24. In addition, the operation | movement which performs a peristaltic motion using this arm part 24 is mentioned later. Although only one arm 24 is visible in FIG. 3A, three arms 24 can be formed, for example, at 120 ° intervals divided into three equal parts in the circumferential direction. However, the number is not limited. The arm 24 serves as a non-slip when performing a peristaltic motion, and it is preferable from the viewpoint of stability that at least a plurality of arms 24 are provided. The connecting portions 21 and 22 are formed with a spherical recess 103 similar to the connecting portion of the capsule 100 described above, and the spherical portion 102 of the connecting means 10 is fitted into the spherical recess 103 so that each unit swings. It can be (turns in various directions).

  The lock unit 4 (the same applies to the second lock unit 4a) drives whether the arm 24 of the support unit 2 is opened or closed. As shown in FIG. 4, an example of the lock unit 4 is provided so that the drive slide portion 42 slides at the center of the drive portion main body 41, and the first gear 44 is rotated by the motor 43. The second gear 45 in the central portion that meshes with the first gear 44 rotates, and the internal thread-like gear formed inside the second gear 45 and the external thread-like gear 42 a formed outside the drive slide portion 42 mesh with each other. Thus, the drive slide portion 42 can be slid left and right in the figure. The other end portion of the wire 105 is held at the end portion 42b of the drive slide portion 42 so as not to come out. Therefore, by driving the motor 43, the wire 105 can be controlled to be pulled or pushed out. As described above, when the wire 105 is pushed forward (the state shown in FIG. 4), the arm 24 is closed, and when the drive slide portion 42 slides to the right side in the drawing and the wire 105 is pulled, the arm 24 is closed. Opens. In FIG. 4, only one motor 43 and one first gear 44 connected to the motor 43 can be seen, but actually, this set is also divided into three equal parts in the circumferential direction. Yes. Control of the motor 43 can be controlled in conjunction with the operation of each unit when the start switch 82 (see FIG. 8) is turned on by programming in advance. Note that three motors 43 are not required, and one, two, or four motors 43 may be used, but three motors 43 should be used in order to obtain a certain driving force even if the unit capsule itself is small. Is preferred. The lock unit 4 may be provided in the support unit 2 described above.

  The automatic stop sensor 3 (the same applies to the second automatic stop sensor 3a) is provided with a hall element 32 on a substrate 31 as shown in FIG. 5 as an example, and the hall element 32 and the magnet 33 are opposed to each other. Alternatively, the hall device 32 or the magnet 33 is connected to the wire 105 so as to be opposed to each other at a position separated by a certain distance with respect to the traveling direction of the in-pipe traveling device 50. The wire 105 connects between the drive slide portion 42 of the lock unit 4 and the accommodating portion 34 that accommodates the Hall element 32 or the magnet 33, and further between the accommodating portion 34 and the slide portion 27 of the support unit 2. It is connected. With such a configuration, for example, when the exploration unit 1 and the support unit 2 go out of the pipeline, when the arm 24 is opened by the lock unit 4, the arm 24 of the support unit 2 is connected to the inner wall of the pipeline. Will be larger than if it is in the pipeline. As a result, since the wire 105 is also pulled a lot, the positional relationship between the Hall element 32 and the magnet 33 changes as compared with the case where the arm 24 is opened in the pipe, and the magnetic flux received by the Hall element 32 changes. To do. Therefore, by measuring the magnetic flux by the Hall element 32, it can be recognized that the in-pipe advancing device has exited the pipeline. The magnetic flux detected by the Hall element 32 is sent to a first guide driver unit 5a, which will be described later, at any time. The first guide driver unit 5a confirms that the leading portion has come out of the pipe line due to the change in magnetic flux. Then, a signal to stop immediately is sent from the first guide driver unit 5a to the controller unit 8 so that the control unit 80 of the controller unit 8 can turn off the battery unit 9. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, between the automatic stop sensor 3 and the first guide driver unit 5a, and between the first guide driver unit 5a and the controller unit 8 and the other guide driver units 5b to 5d, They are connected by wiring 108. The wiring 108 can run along the outside of each unit, or can pass through the inside of the connecting means 10 like the wire 105 described above.

  The first guide driver unit 5a (the second to fourth guide driver units 5b to 5d have substantially the same configuration) is not shown in a configuration example, but a substrate is provided in the capsule 100 having the above-described structure, for example. When a circuit is formed above, for example, the magnetic flux data from the aforementioned automatic stop sensor 3 is received, the data is compared with a preset magnetic flux value, and when the data falls below a predetermined value, For example, it is determined that the head unit has come out of the pipeline, and the stop signal is sent to the controller unit 8 described later. That is, in the present invention, control is shared between the controller unit 8 and the first guide driver unit 5a, the second guide driver unit 5b, etc., and the controller 80 of the controller unit 8 turns on / off the start switch 82 (see FIG. 8). Since it is the main duty, it is not necessary to send a signal to the control unit 80 on the ground and control from the ground, and the automatic stop sensor 3 indicates that the support unit 2 has exited the pipe only in the in-pipe advancing device 50. When sensed, the start switch 82 can be turned off immediately by sending a signal to the controller unit 8 to turn off the switch by the first guide driver unit 5a, and processing can be performed with a very fast response. . Therefore, any one of the guide driver units 5a and 5b is also electrically connected to the exploration unit 1, the support unit 2, and the drive unit 7, and the electric power from the battery unit 9 is supplied to the controller unit 8 and the first and second guides. It is supplied to the exploration unit 1, the support unit 2, the drive unit 7 and the detection unit 6 via the driver units 5a and 5b. One guide driver unit 5a to 5d may be provided. However, as described above, the guide driver units 5a to 5d may be provided for each unit that needs to be controlled as much as possible in order to provide a quick response in a small unit. preferable.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the curved pipe sensor (detection unit) 6 (same as the second curved pipe sensor 6 a) has a Hall element 62 fixed on a substrate 61 fixed inside the capsule 100. A magnet 63 is fixed to the spherical portion 102 of the connecting means 10 via a magnet fixing portion 64 so as to face the element 62. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the capsule 100, in which the remaining hemispherical portion is fixed with screws or the like after the substrate 61 or the like is disposed in the capsule 100. By adopting such a structure, for example, when the capsule 100 advances beyond the corner and the rear connecting means 10 has not yet turned the corner, the right connecting means 10 is removed from the state shown in FIG. In the same direction, the left connecting means 10 and the capsule 100 are directed downward. Then, in an extreme case, the substrate 61 and the magnet 63 are in a positional relationship in a perpendicular direction from the facing state. Therefore, the magnetic flux detected by the Hall element 62 is greatly reduced, and it can be detected that the pipe is bent and passing through the bent portion. This bending detection is not a 90 ° bend, but even an obtuse angle bend, the strength of the magnetic flux detected by the Hall element 62 changes according to the degree of the bend, so it is possible to detect how much the bend is. . The determination of this bending is made by the second guide driver unit 5b. That is, by comparing the magnitude of the magnetic flux detected by the curved pipe sensor 6 with a preset reference value, it is possible to determine that the bending has been passed if it is smaller than the predetermined value. Further, when the number of peristaltic movements in the drive unit 7 is counted and stored after the in-pipe advancing device 50 is driven, it is determined at which position the bend is in the pipe line based on the number of the detected bends. can do. It is also possible to record how much angle the bending has passed according to the magnitude of the detected magnetic flux. In this way, the direction in which the pipe extends can be detected by the curved pipe sensor 6.

  By detecting such a bending of the pipeline, for example, when an abnormality inside the pipeline is found by the exploration unit 1, the time from the start of the inspection of the place where the abnormality is found (or the number of peristaltic movements) ) And the number of turns in the time from the start of the inspection, the location of the part where the abnormality has occurred can be specified after the inspection ends. In other words, when controlling while detecting video from the camera on the ground, in the case of long pipelines, mutual communication time is required, and it is not always necessary to specify an exact location or perform processing such as an immediate stop. However, in the present invention, the data is sent to the adjacent second guide driver unit 5b, and the data is stored in the second guide driver unit 5b. Can be communicated with each other via the wiring 108, and processing based on the abnormality can be performed. Therefore, a very quick and accurate response can be made.

  The drive unit 7 (the same applies to the second drive unit 7a) serves as a drive unit for moving the aforementioned units forward or backward. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, a stroke portion 72 is provided at the center portion of the main body 71 so as to be able to project and retract (store). By driving the second gear 75 via the first gear 74, the stroke portion 72 can be slid left and right in the figure. After the arm 24 of the second support unit 2a on the rear side with respect to the traveling direction of the in-pipe advancing device 50 is opened and engaged with the pipe wall, the stroke portion 72 is projected to project the drive unit 7 Push the adjacent unit forward in front. In this state, the arm 24 of the front support unit 2 is opened and engaged with the tube wall, and the arm 73 of the second support unit 2a on the rear side is closed while supporting the back so that the motor 73 is not reversed. By rotating, the main body 71 moves forward and the stroke portion 72 is retracted (stored). At this time, since the adjacent units behind the drive unit 7 are also connected by the connecting means 10, the whole unit can be advanced by being pulled forward. The specific method of forward / reverse will be described in detail later. Therefore, by controlling the protrusion or storage of the stroke portion 72 of the drive unit 7, other units can be pushed or pulled to move forward or backward.

  The controller unit (main controller) 8 includes a control unit 80 that controls the guide driver unit, and a start switch (main switch) 82 of the control unit 80 as shown in FIG. The control unit 80 starts the progress control and exploration control in the pipeline when the start switch 82 is operated, and stops the progress control and exploration control in the pipeline when the support unit 2 goes out of the pipeline. To work. The control unit 80 is also connected to the first to fourth guide driver units 5a to 5d by the wiring 108, and controls a switch function and the like based on signals from the first to fourth guide driver units 5a to 5d. Thus, a circuit (not shown) is formed on the substrate 81. The start switch 82 is turned on at the start of the operation, for example. As shown in FIG. 8, when the start switch 82 provided on the substrate 81 is pushed from above, the protrusion 83 causes the button of the start switch 82 to be pressed. Although a structure that can be turned on by pressing is used, the present invention is not limited to such a structure, and a switch for remote control may be used. If such a remote control switch is used, the rear switch 8a described later is also unnecessary. Although not shown, the controller unit 8 is provided with an LED, and when the start switch 82 is turned on, the LED blinks three times.

  Although not shown, the battery unit 9 (also the second battery unit 9a) 9 is configured by incorporating a battery in the capsule 100 as described above. As this battery, various batteries capable of obtaining a desired voltage can be used. In the case of forming the in-pipe progress device 50 with the configuration as shown in FIG. 1, the front battery unit 9 is used as the power source of each unit from the exploration unit 1 to the controller unit 8, and the second battery unit 9a is used as the power source. It is comprised so that a power supply may be supplied to each rear unit.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, a rear switch 8a is provided at the end of the apparatus, but this is after the apparatus has been installed in the pipeline so that it can be turned on manually when starting the apparatus. If the switch for starting up the whole is turned on by remote control as described above, the switch 8a is not necessary thereafter. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the second exploration unit is provided on the rearmost side, so that the inspection can be performed again while backing up. Further, when returning without searching, it is possible to make a back as it is with the configuration shown in FIG. The operation of this apparatus will be described later.

  The second support unit 2a and the second lock unit 4a are necessary, but each unit behind the other battery units 9 may be omitted. On the contrary, when there are other inspection items, a detection unit having each function can be provided. In that case, a guide driver unit is provided for each function, and control is reliably performed by a small unit. It is preferable in that it can be performed.

  Next, the operation of the in-pipe progress device 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the switch (SW) is turned on to turn on the power (S1). As a program flow, it is checked whether or not the front switch (startup switch 82 of the controller unit 8) is on (S2). If it is on (YES), it is checked whether the rear switch 8a is on. If it is ON (S3), the process proceeds to the switch receiving process (S4). If any switch is not turned on (NO), steps S2 and S3 are repeated until turned on.

  The switch receiving step (S4) means that so-called initialization is performed when both switches are turned on, and the following state is obtained as shown in FIG. That is, it can be confirmed that the switch is on by blinking the LED three times (S41), and all data is cleared (S42). Further, the arm 24 of the support unit 2 and the second support unit 2a is stopped (turned off) in the closed state, that is, the drive slide portion 42 of the lock unit 4 and the second lock unit 4a is pushed out. Further, the drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 7a are stopped (turned off) in a state where both are housed (S43). In this state, the curved pipe sensor 6 (second curved pipe sensor 6a) and the automatic stop sensor 3 (second automatic stop sensor 3a) are also in an off state in which they do not operate. In this state, the second support unit 2a is set in the pipeline so that the second support unit 2a can be operated. That is, when the arm 24a of the second support unit 2a is opened, the rear switch 8a can be engaged with the inner wall of the pipeline. Set to the state that can be operated.

  Thereafter, it is confirmed whether the rear switch 8a is turned on (S5). If the rear switch 8a is turned on (YES), the LED blinks three times to display that it is turned on (S6). If it is not turned on (NO), the confirmation is repeated until it is turned on. If the LED blinks, the inspection operation in the pipeline is started (S7).

  Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. 9 and FIG. In FIG. 9, the support unit 2, the drive unit 7, the second drive unit 7a, and the second support unit 2a are mainly described, and other units are omitted. First, as shown in FIG. 9A, the arm 24 of the second support unit 2a is opened while the arm 24 of the support unit 2 is closed (S71). At this time, in order to confirm whether or not the arm 24a is properly engaged in the pipe line, it is checked that the second automatic stop sensor 3a is inoperative. This is because when the second automatic stop sensor 3a is in operation, the arm 24a cannot be engaged with the inside of the pipe line, so that the in-pipe advance device 50 stops. Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, the stroke portions 72, 72a of the drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 7a are projected (S72). In the protruding state, the motor 73 of the drive unit 7 is temporarily turned off. The number of times the stroke parts 72 and 72a are projected is counted up (UP) from the initialized state (S73). Next, as shown in FIG. 9C, the arm 24 of the support unit 2 is opened (S74), and the arm 24a of the second support unit 2a is closed (S75). After that, when the strokes 72 and 72a of the drive unit 7 and the second drive unit 7a are stored, the arm 24 of the support unit 2 serves as a stopper and cannot be returned to the back, so that the drive of the stroke 72 is performed. The unit 7 and the second drive unit 7a move forward. Similarly, the second support unit 2a moves forward by an amount corresponding to the protrusion of the stroke portion 72a, and the stroke portions 72 and 72a are stored, so that the entire unit moves forward. By repeating this operation, the stroke portion 72 of the drive unit 7 and the stroke portion 72a of the second drive unit 7a can be moved forward by a total amount, and can swing.

  This peristalsis is repeated to proceed while detecting the state of the pipe wall by the exploration unit 1, and it is checked whether or not the curved pipe sensor 6 is activated (S8). When the curved pipe sensor 6 is on (YES), a curved pipe operation is performed (S9). The curved pipe operation is performed by marking the ON data of the curved pipe sensor 6 in the measurement data count. The inching of the drive unit 7 at this time (the number of forward movements for one stroke) is recorded simultaneously as n inching. Thereafter, the process returns to the operation step S7, and the operation is continued. If the curved pipe sensor 6 is not on (NO), it continues to proceed and checks whether there is an abnormality (S10). If there is an abnormality (YES), it jumps to the standby (S14) and stops (S15). For example, when the automatic stop sensor 3 is activated within a certain period of time, that is, when the automatic stop sensor 3 is activated even though it is not yet time to leave the pipeline, it is regarded as a complete abnormality and is terminated. Further, if the curved pipe sensor 6 continues to operate for n strokes or more, that is, if the curved pipe sensor 6 detects a bend turning around the same place, it is regarded as abnormal. In this case, it is restarted after time t. However, if the second abnormality occurs, it is completely regarded as an abnormality and the process is stopped. If there is no abnormality (NO), it is checked whether the automatic stop sensor 3 is on (S11). When the automatic stop sensor 3 is not turned on (NO), the process returns to step S7 and is repeated. When the automatic stop sensor 3 is on (YES), a stop state is entered (S12). In the stop state, the power is turned off while the arms 24 and 24a of the support unit 2 and the second support unit 2a are open. Thereafter, the start switch (previous SW) 82 of the controller unit 8 is turned on (S13), and if it is on (YES), the other parts except the data are in a standby state (S14), and the LED of the start switch 82 is 3 It blinks once and can be taken out and stops (S15). If the start switch 82 is not on (NO), it waits until it is on.

  If an operation abnormality occurs in the start process, the power is turned off with the arms 24 and 24a of the support unit 2 and the second support unit 2a closed and the stroke portion 72 of the drive unit 7 stored. To. In this case, the in-pipe advancing device 50 itself is stopped in a state where it easily flows into the water flow, and is recovered by the water flow in the pipe.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the first to fourth guide driver units 5a to 5d are provided, it is not necessary to perform intensive control by the control unit 80, and the detection is performed in the vicinity of each unit. It can be controlled immediately based on the information. Furthermore, since each guide driver unit can perform individual control, the control circuit can be made smaller, the capsule itself can be made smaller, and the in-pipe advancing device can be applied to a thin pipe line. be able to. However, the guide driver unit does not need to be provided for each detection unit, and can take control of a plurality of detection units. Therefore, one guide driver unit may be required.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Exploration unit 2 Support unit 2a 2nd support unit 3 Automatic stop sensor 3a 2nd automatic stop sensor 4 Lock unit 4a 2nd lock unit 5a-5d 1st thru | or 4th guide driver unit 6 Curved pipe sensor (detection unit)
6a Second curved pipe sensor (detection unit)
7 drive unit 7a second drive unit 8 controller unit 8a rear switch 9 battery unit 9a second battery unit 10 connecting means 24 arm 32, 62 hall element 33, 63 magnet 42 drive slide unit 50 in-pipe advance device 72 stroke unit 80 Control unit 82 Start switch 100 Capsule 101 Rod-shaped part 102 Spherical part 103 Spherical concave part 105 Wire

Claims (1)

An advancing device in a pipeline in which a plurality of units are connected so as to be swingable, wherein the plurality of units are:
An exploration unit that detects the condition of the wall surface of the pipeline;
A support unit that engages or releases the inner wall of the pipe line;
A driving unit that generates a driving force for moving the adjacent unit forward or backward, and
A detection unit for detecting a direction in which the pipe extends;
At least one guide driver unit connected to the exploration unit, the support unit, the drive unit and the detection unit;
A controller that controls the guide driver unit, and a controller unit having a start switch of the controller;
A battery unit for supplying electric power to the exploration unit, the support unit, the drive unit, and the detection unit via the controller unit and the guide driver unit;
The control unit starts the progress control and the exploration control in the pipeline when the start switch is operated, and stops the progress control and the exploration control in the pipeline when the support unit goes out of the pipeline. An in-pipe advancing device characterized in that:

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