JP3219503B2 - Direction changing flexible arm - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a direction changing type flexible arm used for inspection of a narrow portion in inspection work of a nuclear power plant, a thermal power plant or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an inspection work at a nuclear power plant or a thermal power plant, as an apparatus for inserting an inspection instrument into a narrow portion of a tube group or a turbine blade group, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-178596 by the present applicant is disclosed. Yakinhei 3-405
No. 26.

[0003] In other words, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-178596 discloses that a gas is injected from a gas supply tube into a hose with a working tool which is sent out by a supply roller which is driven and rotated. While the hose is inserted into the narrow part and the work tool inspects and cleans the narrow part, the deformation of the hose at this time is prevented by the reinforcing member, and the lifting device that extends the hose in a predetermined direction is provided. It has been disclosed.

In Japanese Utility Model Application No. Hei 3-40526, a cylindrical guide member, an elbow and a rear guide are hingedly connected to each other to support a horizontally movable guide member and to be wound by a winder. By connecting the wire and rotating the distal end guide and the elbow with respect to the rear end guide, it is possible to form a guide rail bent continuously upward, while a movable bogie in which a plurality of bogies are hinged is connected. There is disclosed a link type elevating device which is movable along a guide rail by a feeder and is capable of integrally connecting a plurality of bogies by locking pins when the movable bogie is disengaged from the guide rail.

[0005]

However, in both of the above-mentioned conventional devices, the guide member has a large diameter, does not bend to a large curvature, and bends only in one direction. However, there is a natural limit to its application in narrow tube banks, turbine blade groups, and the like. Therefore, it has been desired to develop a device that can freely change direction even in a narrow place.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a direction changing type flexible arm which enables remote visual inspection of narrow places such as a tube group and a turbine blade group.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inspection apparatus for a narrow portion such as a tube bank, wherein the inspection device is disposed at a predetermined distance in a front-rear direction. Was
A section with a rectangular section and a space surrounded by a rib in the center
The upper and lower surfaces of several fuselage
Pins are connected via a tie plate to form a curved body.
Connect the front and rear ends of the multiple curved cylinder with a pin to
None, fixed to both the left and right parts of the front row body of each curved body
To the left of the trunk other than the last row in each curved trunk unit,
Cable tension adjuster arranged at the base of the arm after passing through both right parts
While connecting to the truss individually,
The rope for joints fixed to both the left and right parts is
To the frame, and
An illuminator arranged at the end of an arm in a space surrounded by ribs
And the linearity of the camera cable and body wire and arm.
It is characterized by passing through a spring member for holding.

[0008]

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a rope tension adjusting device is provided.
By changing the tension of any trunk line depending on the structure,
The curved body itself corresponding to the
Bendable in the same direction as the cable tension adjustment mechanism.
By changing the tension of any joint cord,
The curved cylinder corresponding to the center of the pin at the rear end of the cylinder
It can bend in any direction and the entire arm is flexible
Is imparted. In addition, the body has a rectangular cross section,
Bending rigidity of the arm without increasing its own weight by increasing the thickness
Enhanced. In addition, especially for the body
The shadow of the rear multiple fuselage
The reverberation is extremely high compared to the case where the
Inspection of small, narrow and narrow areas
It becomes possible to implement it.

[0010]

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment.
Is a plan view of the arm, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a plurality of short tubes having a rectangular cross section. A pair of upper and lower brackets 1a formed at the front and rear ends of each short tube 1 are connected to each other by pins 2 to form a long arm. ing.

Both ends of each of the wires 3 to 6 are fixed to the left and right portions near the rear end in each of the short tubes 1 via wire fixing members 7 and an intermediate portion of each of the wires 3 to 6 After passing through the inside of each short tube 1 through each wire guide 8, each roller 9 to 9 of the wire tension adjusting mechanism arranged at the root of the arm
18 are individually wound around via guide rollers 19.

The wire tension adjusting mechanism includes a bearing 2 for rotatably supporting each of the guide rollers 19 and the rollers 9 to 18.
0, the number of motors 23 to 27 corresponding to the number of rollers for driving the rollers 9 to 18 to rotate in a set direction through a worm gear 21 and a worm 22 by a set angle;
Roller 29 and cylinder 30 as a clutch for preventing rotation of rollers 9-18 when non-operation of
(These are also provided in a number corresponding to the number of rollers), and a box 31 for storing and holding them. In addition,
In order to avoid complication, only one set of the worm 22 and the motor 26 is shown in FIG. 1, and all of the pressure roller 29 and the cylinder 30 are omitted in FIG.

A fiber scope 33 of a camera with an illuminator (micro CCD camera or the like) 32 attached to the tip of the arm is provided inside each short tube 1 over the entire length of the arm.
And a close contact type coil spring 34 for maintaining the linearity of the arm.

The number of rollers 9 to 18 is larger than the number of wires 3 to 6 in FIG.
It is shown that a large number of rollers can be arranged compactly by arranging the rollers vertically and horizontally.

Further, at the portion of the wire tension adjusting mechanism, a timing belt or a chain may be used instead of the wires 3 to 6, and in this case, the pressure roller 29 and the cylinder 3
0 is unnecessary, and an electromagnetic clutch or the like must be provided between the worm gear 21 and the pulley or sprocket instead of the roller.

Next, the operation of the arm will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 shows an example of how the arm bends. In the figure, a is a state diagram in the case where the right and left tensions of the wires 3 to 6 are equal, and the coil springs 34 inserted into the short tubes 1 are shown.
The arm is held in a straight line. In the figure, b shows a state in which the short tube 1 at the end of the arm is bent to the right. In this case, the roller 9 for controlling the wire 3 is rotated clockwise by the motor 23 by a set amount, and the right side of the wire 3 is pulled and the left side is pulled. loosen. In the figure c, the second short tube 1 from the tip of the arm is further bent to the right, and similarly to b in the figure, the roller 11 for controlling the wire 4 is rotated clockwise by the motor 24 to pull the right side of the wire 4. Loosen the left side. In the figure, d shows that the arm can be moved in various patterns by moving the motors 23 to 27 of the joints (pin coupling portions) in the same manner.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example of a state in which the arm enters the gap between the tube banks. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state where the short tube 1 at the tip of the arm is tilted rightward because the third joint is bent into the tube group and the tube 35 is present in the traveling direction.

FIG. 5 shows that the arm is advanced to the back of the tube group while the root of the arm is running toward the insertion opening of the tube group (to the right) from the state of FIG. FIG.

As described above, the arm can be moved in any direction by controlling the swing of each joint by the wires 3 to 6. Then, the state of the tube 35 and the like can be visually inspected by the camera 32 with the illuminator attached to the tip of the arm.

FIGS. 6 to 13 show a second embodiment.
6 is a plan view of the arm, FIG. 7 is a side view thereof, FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6, and FIGS. FIG.

As shown in the figure, a rectangular inner or outer double frame, that is, a cross section, which is disposed at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction.
It is rectangular and is surrounded at its center by a rib 50a (see FIG. 9).
The upper and lower surfaces of the body 50 (nine in the figure) having a closed space are connected to each other by pins 52 via connecting plates 51 at the front and rear sides thereof adjacent to each other to form a curved body. , The rear ends of the pin 54 through the storage case 53.
Combined to form an articulated arm.

At both left and right portions of the body 50 in the front row of each of the curved bodies, both ends of each body wire 55 are provided with a wire fixing tool 5.
6, the middle portion of each trunk wire 55 passes through the left and right portions of the trunk other than the last row in each curved trunk unit through the wire guide holes 57, and then moves rearward. The inside of each body 50 of the curved body is penetrated through a guide tube 58 and individually wound around each wire take-up roller 59 of a wire tension adjusting mechanism arranged at the root of the arm.

The left side of the body 50 in the last row of each curved body,
Both ends of each joint wire 60 are fixed to both right sides via wire fixing tools 56, and each joint wire 6
0 is the inside of each body 50 (the rib 5
After passing through the space surrounded by Oa) through the guide tube 58, the wire is individually wound around each wire winding roller 59 of the wire tension adjusting mechanism. 10 and 11
Reference numeral 61 denotes a guide tube fixing plate at the base of the arm, and 62 denotes a pressure roller constituting a clutch. Further, the same number of the wire winding rollers 59 as the first embodiment are provided together with a motor (not shown) in a number corresponding to the number of the body wires 55 and the joint wires 60.

Further, the inside of each body 50 (rib 50
a) and a camera (not shown) attached to the tip of the arm over the entire length of the arm.
Cables 63a and 63b and a close contact type coil spring 64 for maintaining the linearity of the arm.

With such a configuration, if the left side of each body wire 55 is pulled, as shown in FIG. 10, each curved body itself bends to the left by the rotation of each body 50, and further from this state, If the left side of the copper wire 55 is continuously pulled, as shown in FIG. 11, each bending cylinder bends to a point where it can no longer bend.

If the left and right tensions of each trunk wire 55 and each joint wire 60 are equalized, the arms are held linearly by the coil springs 64 inserted into each trunk 50 as shown in FIG. You. Further, when the torso wire 55 and the joint wire 60 are pulled in the opposite directions in each curved torso, the arm can meander as shown in FIG.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, the realization of the flexible arm enables remote visual inspection of narrow places such as a tube group and a turbine blade group without limitation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an arm showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 3 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 4 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 5 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an arm showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 11 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 12 is an operation state diagram.

FIG. 13 is an operation state diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Short tube 2 Pin 3-6 Wire 7 Wire fixture 8 Wire guide 9-18 Roller 19 Guide roller 20 Bearing 21 Worm gear 22 Worm 23-27 Motor 29 Pressure roller 30 Cylinder 31 Box 32 Camera with illuminator 33 Fiber scope 34 coil spring 50 trunk 51 connecting plate 52 pin 53 storage case 54 pin 55 trunk wire 56 wire fixing tool 57 wire guide hole 58 guide tube 59 wire winding roller 60 joint wire 61 guide tube fixing plate 62 pressure roller 63a, 63b cable 64 coil spring

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An inspection device for a narrow portion such as a tube bank, wherein the inspection device has a rectangular cross section disposed at a predetermined interval in a front-rear direction.
The upper and lower surfaces of a plurality of bodies having a space surrounded by a rib in the center thereof are connected to each other by a pin through a connecting plate between adjacent ones to form a curved body, and the front and rear ends of the plurality of curved bodies are formed. A pin joint is formed as an articulated arm, and a torso cord fixed to both the left and right portions of the front row of the curved torso is fixed to the left and right sides of the body other than the last row in each curved body unit. After passing through, the cable is individually connected to the cable tension adjusting mechanism arranged at the root of the arm, while the joint cable fixed to both the left and right portions of the body in the last row of each curved cylinder is connected to the cable tension adjusting mechanism. Linked individually and surrounded by the rib inside the arm
Been redirecting type flexible arms, characterized in that through a spring member for holding an illuminator and camera cable and trunk wire and arm linearity arranged to arm tip in space.