JP5822905B2 - In-pipe inspection device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-pipe inspection apparatus suitable for inspecting a small-diameter pipe having a bent portion such as a boiler tube.

  Conventionally, inspection sensors such as industrial endoscopes have been inserted into boiler tubes to inspect internal scales and wall thickness measurements in order to inspect the scale adhesion and corrosion conditions inside the boiler tube. . The boiler tube has a small diameter such as an inner diameter of 40 mmφ, and is bent in a hairpin shape particularly in a economizer, a superheater, etc., and a large number of U-shaped bent portions are formed. Therefore, even if you try to insert a cable with an inspection sensor at the top into the boiler tube, the cable cannot be inserted due to the frictional resistance of the inner surface of the tube, or the cable bends in the boiler tube, causing the cable to stretch. There has been a situation where it cannot be inserted.

FIG. 27 shows the in-pipe behavior when the cable is inserted into a small-diameter pipe To having a U-shaped bend Tb such as a boiler tube. As shown in FIG. 27A, on the contact surface between the cable 110 and the inner wall of the pipe, the pushing force F is dispersed by the frictional forces f ₁ , f ₂ , f ₃ , f ₄ , f ₅ and f _E with the inner wall of the pipe. If the following equation is established, the cable 110 can advance in the pipe.
F> f ₁ + f ₂ + f ₃ + f ₄ + f ₅ + f _E = Σfn
However, as shown in FIG. 27 (B), the cable 110 is bent in the pipe, so that it cannot be advanced in the pipe. For this reason, even if the cable 110 is further pushed in, the bending only increases in the entrance region E, and the cable 110 does not move forward.

Therefore, conventionally, various means for smoothly inserting a cable into a small diameter tube such as a boiler tube have been proposed.
For example, the in-pipe connecting tool disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a bar-shaped sliding contact member bent in an arc shape always contacts the inner surface of the pipe to hold the cable at the center of the pipe.
The hole inspection device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a configuration in which a pulley or a ball bearing is interposed between a large-diameter sensor unit fixed to a cable and a pipe inner surface to reduce friction.

The flaw detection apparatus inserted in a small diameter pipe disclosed in Patent Document 3 has a large number of sliding bodies for reducing friction with the pipe inner surface on the surface of the flaw detector main body.
The pipe inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 4 has a robot that travels in the pipe at the head of the cable, and a structure that reduces friction between the inspection apparatus and the pipe inner surface by providing a plurality of wheels on the cable behind the cable. have.
The self-propelled in-pipe inspection apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 5 connects a plurality of driving vehicles, motor vehicles, induction vehicles, etc. in series with a cable in order to enable the T-shaped portion and elbow of the piping to travel, thereby providing a large propulsive force. I try to get it.

JP-A-63-300958 JP-A 61-155754 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-338829 JP 2004-132663 A JP-A-64-038639

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the frictional resistance is reduced as compared with the case where the cable is in direct surface contact with the inner surface of the pipe, but a resistance reduction effect that can be inserted into a pipe having a sharp bend cannot be expected.
In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, there is a risk of causing interference with the inner surface of the tube when trying to pass the U-shaped tube due to the relationship between the inner diameter of the tube and the size of the sensor unit.
In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3, the number of sliding bodies increases according to the length of the cable, and as a result, the weight of the sliding body increases, so that there is a possibility that it cannot pass through the narrow tube. In particular, it is expected that it will be difficult to pass a pipe arranged in the vertical direction.

In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 4, a propulsive force that only pulls the weight of the cable and the wheel is necessary for the in-pipe traveling robot, and if one traveling robot is provided with the capability, the traveling robot itself is large. Therefore, it is considered difficult to apply to small diameter pipes.
In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 5, it is necessary to devise the arrangement of each vehicle such as a driving vehicle in order to pass the U-shaped bent portion of the small-diameter tube, but this point is disclosed in Patent Document 5 It has not been.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to smoothly insert a cable equipped with an inspection tool into a small-diameter pipe having a bent portion, in view of the problems of the related art.

In order to achieve the above object, an in-pipe inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a cylindrical body through which a cable penetrates, a drive body that can move relative to the cable in the axial direction of the cable, and a cable that passes through the inside. And a fixed body fixed to the cable, and a conductive wire for energization and signal transmission provided between the driving body and the fixed body. The driving body is arranged in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body that constitutes the driving body, and a feeding mechanism that sends the cable in the front-rear direction, and a plurality of first bodies that can advance and retreat from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body toward the inner surface of the test tube. fixing and a shoe, the fixed body has a plurality of second locking shoe which can advance and retreat from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body constituting the fixed body in the direction of the inspected pipe inner surface, the drive member and the fixed The body includes a driving device that drives the feeding mechanism, the first fixing shoe, and the second fixing shoe.

In the present invention, the first fixing shoe is extended and brought into contact with the inner surface of the tube to be inspected, so that the driving body is fixed to the tube to be inspected, and the second fixing shoe is retracted and fixed to the cylinder side. Free your body movements. In this state, the feeding mechanism is operated to advance the cable and the fixed body.
Next, the first fixing shoe is retracted toward the cylinder body, the second fixing shoe is extended, the movement of the driving body is made free, and the fixing body is fixed to the tube to be inspected. When the feeding mechanism is operated in this way, the driving body can be advanced along the cable.

  In this way, the cable can be steadily advanced like a scale insect by alternately performing the advancement of the driving body and the advancement of the cable and the fixed body. Further, even if there are obstacles such as irregularities and scratches on the inner surface of the tube to be inspected, it is possible to proceed over these.

As one embodiment of the present invention, the inspection tool is an inspection sensor provided at the head portion of the cable, and at least a pair of wires that change the direction of the inspection sensor are led to the fixed body, It is possible to provide at least a pair of reels for winding the wire and a drive device for the pair of reels.
As a result, the inspection sensor can be oriented in a desired direction by winding any one of the wires with a reel. Therefore, the inspection inside the inspection tube can be performed efficiently.

One embodiment of the present invention, the first free-running apparatus comprising a driving member and a stationary member at intervals in the axial direction of the cable and a plurality placed, is allowed or individual control synchronizing the plurality of first self device Then, a control device that moves forward can be provided.
As a result, the cable can be steadily advanced to the inspection pipe having the bent portion. Further, by providing a plurality of first self-propelled devices, it is possible to obtain a sufficient thrust for moving the cable forward.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a first self-propelled device including a driving body and a fixed body is provided in a leading area of the cable,
A holding body that holds the cable at the center in the tube to be inspected, and a driving wheel and a driven wheel that are attached to the holding body and that are in contact with the inner surface of the tube to be inspected so that the holding body can move in the axial direction of the tube to be inspected. Are attached to a cable behind the first self-propelled device at intervals.
As a result, it is possible to simultaneously obtain a steady forward ability by the first self-propelled device and a large thrust of the second self-propelled device.

As one embodiment of the present invention, a friction reduction means for reducing friction between the cable and the tube to be inspected can be provided in a cable other than the region where the driving body or the fixed body is provided.
As a result, the friction between the cable and the inner surface of the tube to be inspected can be further reduced, so that the cable can be smoothly advanced even in a small diameter tube having a bent portion.

  According to the present invention, even in the case of a thin tube having a bent portion such as a boiler tube, the cable having the inspection tool can be smoothly inserted to the back, so that the inspection work can be performed efficiently.

It is a side view of the in-pipe inspection device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the drive body of the said in-pipe inspection apparatus. It is a front view of the said drive body. It is a side view of the feed mechanism of the drive body. It is side surface sectional drawing of the fixing body of the said in-pipe inspection apparatus. (A)-(G) are schematic which shows the operation | movement procedure of the said in-pipe inspection apparatus. It is the schematic when the said in-pipe inspection apparatus is used for a boiler tube. It is a chart which shows operation | movement of the said in-pipe inspection apparatus. It is a partial cross section figure which shows the feed mechanism of another structure of the said drive body. It is a side view of the in-pipe inspection apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic when the in-pipe inspection apparatus shown in FIG. 10 is used for a boiler tube. It is the schematic of the friction reduction means which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a cross-sectional view of the friction reducing means shown in FIG. 12, and (B) is a perspective view showing components of the friction reducing means. It is a side view of the friction reduction means which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the assembly of the friction reduction means shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the modification of the said 4th Embodiment. FIG. 17 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 16. FIG. 18 is a transverse sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state before the assembly of the friction reduction means shown in FIG. It is a side view of the friction reduction means which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the friction reduction means of FIG. It is a side view which shows the 1st modification of the said 5th Embodiment. It is a front view of the said 1st modification. It is a side view which shows the 2nd modification of the said 5th Embodiment. It is a perspective view of the friction reduction means which concerns on 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the behavior of the friction reduction means shown in FIG. (A) And (B) is the schematic which shows the small diameter pipe | tube behavior of the conventional cable.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the component parts described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to that unless otherwise specified.

(Embodiment 1)
Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 1, an inspection apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a drive body 14 and a fixed body 16. The driving body 14 has a cylindrical body 20 through which the cable 12 penetrates, and is configured to be movable relative to the cable 12 in the axial direction. The fixed body 16 has a cylindrical body 22 through which the cable 12 penetrates, and is fixed to the cable 12. A collective conducting wire 18 composed of a plurality of conducting wires and signal wires is connected between the drive body 14 and the fixed body 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the driving body 14 has at least one, usually two fixing shoes 24 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 20. The fixing shoe 24 is formed of a curved plate having the same curvature as the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 20, and is bent toward the cylindrical body so that the front and rear portions are along the front and rear end surfaces of the cylindrical body 20. The fixing shoe 24 is connected to the cylindrical body 20 via a foldable leg 26 so as to advance and retract toward the inner surface of the boiler tube T. The leg 26 is driven via the collective conducting wire 18 by an electric motor 36 (described later) built in the fixed body 16. A plurality of guide rollers 28 arranged in the axial direction of the cable 12 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 20, and the driving body 14 contacts the inner surface of the boiler tube T via the guide roller 28. Can reduce friction.

  FIG. 3 shows a state where the fixing shoe 24 extends toward the boiler tube T and contacts the inner surface of the boiler tube. In this state, the driving body 14 is fixed to the boiler tube T. A concave groove 23 for accommodating a fixing shoe 24 and a fixing shoe 32 to be described later is formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylindrical bodies 20 and 22, and the fixing shoes 24 and 32 for retraction are accommodated in the concave groove 23. The post-accommodating fixing shoes 24 and 32 form a surface continuous with the outer peripheral surfaces of the cylinders 20 and 22.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the driving body 14 has a feeding mechanism 30 that sends the cable 12 in the front-rear direction. The feed mechanism 30 includes a plurality of feed gears 30 a disposed so as to surround the cable 12 inside the driving body 14, and a rack 30 b formed on the surface of the cable 12 in the axial direction. The feed gear 30 a is rotated forward and backward by an electric motor 31 built in the drive body 14. With the feed mechanism 30, the driver 14 can reliably feed the cable 12 without sliding in the front-rear direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the fixing body 16 has fixing shoes 32 and legs 34 having the same configuration and functions as the fixing shoes 24 and legs 26 of the driving body 14 on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 22. . The legs 26 and 34 are driven by an electric motor 36 incorporated in the fixed body 16. A plurality of guide rollers 28 similar to the cylindrical body 20 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 22.

  In the present embodiment, the cable 12 is composed of, for example, a fiberscope, or is not limited to a fiberscope, and includes a power line and a signal line that supply power and a control signal to the fixed body 16. A camera head 38 such as an endoscope is attached to the head portion of the cable 12. A wire 40 for changing the direction of the camera head 38 is led from the camera head 38 to the inside of the cylindrical body 22. The cylindrical body 22 incorporates at least a pair of reels 42 that can wind or unwind the wire 40 and a forward / reverse motor 44 that drives the reels 42. With this configuration, the orientation of the camera head 38 can be freely changed.

Further, the cylindrical body 22 includes a communication unit 46 that communicates video information of the camera head 38 to the outside of the tube. A plurality of inspection devices 10 each composed of a drive body 14 and a fixed body 16 are arranged in the axial direction of the cable 12 at a predetermined interval.
When the cable 12 is a fiberscope, if the distance from the camera head 38 to the fixed body 16 is long, the bending control of the fiberscope is not easy, but the distance from the camera head 38 to the fixed body 16 is approximately 50 to 150 cm. If there is, the mechanism for bending the fixed body 16 can sufficiently act to bend the leading portion of the fiberscope.

FIG. 6 shows a procedure for inserting the cable 12 into the boiler tube T using the inspection apparatus 10 in order from (A) to (G). In FIG. 6A, the fixed shoe 24 extends to contact the inner surface of the boiler tube T, and the driving body 14 is fixed to the boiler tube T. The fixed shoe 32 of the fixed body 16 is retracted toward the cylindrical body 22, and the cable 12 and the fixed body 22 are moved forward by the feed mechanism 30.
FIG. 6B shows a state where the feeding operation of the cable 12 by the driving body 14 is completed. In FIG. 6C, after the stationary shoe 32 of the stationary body 22 extends and contacts the inner surface of the boiler tube, and the stationary body 16 is fixed to the boiler tube T, the stationary shoe 24 of the driving body 14 moves from the inner surface of the boiler tube. The state is shown in which the drive body 14 starts moving forward on the cable 12 by the feed mechanism 30 after the vehicle has moved backward.

FIG. 6D shows a state where the driving body 14 has stopped after moving to a position immediately after the camera head 38. 6E shows that the fixing shoe 24 of the driving body 14 extends to the inner surface of the boiler tube, the driving body 14 is fixed to the boiler tube T, the fixing shoe 32 of the fixing body 16 is retracted, and the cable 12 and The state which starts the advance of the fixed body 16 is shown.
FIG. 6 (F) shows a state in which the cable 12 and the fixed body 16 have been advanced, the fixed shoe 32 of the fixed body 16 is extended and contacts the inner surface of the boiler tube, and the fixed body 16 is fixed to the boiler tube T. Show. FIG. 6G shows a state where the driving body 16 is moved along the cable 12 by the feeding mechanism 30. Thereafter, the stationary shoe 32 of the stationary body 16 is retracted toward the cylindrical body 22 and returns to the state of FIG.

  The cable 12 is advanced by repeating this operation cycle. The plurality of inspection devices 10 provided at intervals in the cable 12 are synchronized with each other by a control device 48 (see FIGS. 1 and 7) provided outside the boiler tube T or by individual control. Do.

  FIG. 7 shows a state in which the inspection apparatus 10 is inserted into the boiler tube t and inspected in order to inspect the inside of the boiler tube t provided between the headers (headers) 50 of the boiler plant and provided in the vertical direction. Is shown.

  According to the inspection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the cable 12 is moved forward while the drive body 14 and the fixed body 16 are repeatedly moved and stopped, so that the insertion of the cable 12 into the boiler tube T can be steadily performed. . Moreover, although the drive body 14 and the fixed body 16 contact the inner surface of the boiler tube T, since there is the guide roller 28, the friction between the cable 12 and the boiler tube inner surface can be reduced. In addition, since the end surfaces of the drive body 14 and the fixed body 16 are inclined with respect to the axial direction of the boiler tube T, even if there are irregularities or obstacles on the inner surface of the boiler tube T, get over them. You can move forward. Furthermore, it becomes easy to insert into a small-diameter pipe arranged in the vertical direction like the boiler tube t.

  Next, another operation method of the plurality of inspection apparatuses 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, it is set as 10a, 10b, 10c, and 10d sequentially from the head inspection apparatus 10. Each inspection apparatus 10a-10d repeats a movement and a stop, respectively. For example, the movement time and the stop time are the same for each inspection apparatus, and the movement speed is also the same for each inspection apparatus. The switching timing of movement and stop is performed early from the rear self-propelled device. By operating in this way, no tension is generated in the cable 12 between the inspection devices, and the cable 12 can be always kept in a relaxed state. Therefore, friction between the cable 12 and the boiler tube inner surface can be reduced. Further, depending on the situation, it is possible to get over unexpected obstacles by moving some of the inspection devices 10.

FIG. 9 shows another configuration example of the feed mechanism of the driving body 14. In FIG. 9, a screw thread 54 is formed in the cable 12, and the driver 14 is disposed so as to surround the screw thread 54, and a plurality of worm gears 56 that are screwed with the screw thread 54, and the worm gear 56 is driven to rotate. And an electric motor 58. In the feed mechanism 52 having such a configuration, the cable 12 can be moved forward and backward by rotating the electric motor 58 forward and backward.
In the feed mechanism 52, the worm gear 56 is provided, whereby the cable 12 can be reliably moved forward and backward, and the power of the electric motor 58 can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, another configuration example of the self-propelled device will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. In the present embodiment, a self-propelled device including a driving body 14 and a fixed body 16 constituting the inspection device 10 is arranged at the head portion of the cable 12, and a plurality of self-propelled devices 60 having different configurations are arranged behind these. This is an example of arrangement with a gap of

The self-propelled device 60 includes a housing 62, a drive wheel 64 provided at the center of the housing 62, and a driven wheel 66 provided at the front and rear ends of the housing 62 on the opposite side of the drive wheel 64 and the housing 62. I have. The housing 62 incorporates an electric motor 68 for driving the drive wheels 64, and the electric motor 68 is driven by a control device 48 provided outside the tube to be inspected. An inspection sensor 38 such as an endoscope is provided at the tip of the cable 12. The self-propelling device 60 travels inside the boiler tube T by the driving wheel 66 in a state where the driving wheel 64 and the driven wheel 66 are in contact with the inner surface of the boiler tube T.
The movements of the driving body 14 and the self-propelled device 60 are synchronized by a control device 48 provided outside the test tube.

FIG. 11 is an example in which the inspection apparatus according to the present embodiment is applied to the inspection inside the boiler tube t installed between the headers 70.
The boiler tube t has U-shaped bent portions tb and straight portions ts alternately and is provided in the vertical direction, for example, like a boiler tube provided in a superheater or the like. It is not easy to insert the inspection apparatus into the boiler tube having such a configuration. However, the combination of the friction reducing effect and obstacle climbing performance of the inspection device 10 and the thrust of the self-propelled device 60 facilitates entry into the boiler tube having such a configuration.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. This embodiment is an example in which friction reducing means is provided in a region between these devices in the cable 12 provided with the in-pipe device of the inspection device 10 or the self-propelled device 60.
As shown in FIG. 12, this embodiment is a cylinder having a brush (cilia) 76 at an appropriate interval between the cable 12 between the self-propelled devices 72 configured by the above device and the inner surface of the boiler tube T. A vibrating body 74 having a shape is provided. In the boiler tube T, U-shaped bent portions Tb and straight portions Ts exist alternately.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the brush 76 is attached radially from the outer peripheral surface of the vibrating body 74 toward the inner surface of the boiler tube T, and the tip of the brush 76 is in contact with the inner surface of the boiler tube T. The body 74 is held at the center of the boiler tube T. The vibrating body 74 has a plurality (eight in the figure) of electric motors 77, and a rotating shaft 77 a of the electric motor 77 is provided with a weight 77 b for rotating the rotating shaft 77 a eccentrically. Electric power is supplied to the electric motor 77 from a power line built in the cable 12, and the vibrating body 74 vibrates as the weight 77 b rotates.

  With this configuration, since the cable 12 can be held at the center of the boiler tube T by the brush 76, the friction between the cable 12 and the boiler tube T can be reduced.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, another configuration example of the friction reducing means will be described with reference to FIGS. The cable 12 of this embodiment is configured with a fiberscope.
In the present embodiment, a resin band 78 to which a large number of wheels 80 are attached is spirally wound around the outer peripheral surface of the cable 12. For example, a plate-like resin band 78 made of polyethylene or the like is spirally wound around the cable 12 at intervals, and at least four or more intervals between the wheels 80 are arranged per circumference of the resin band 78. Interval.

  As shown in FIG. 15, a large number of rectangular holes 78 a are formed in the resin band 78 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the resin band 78. The hole 78 a is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the resin band 78. A wheel 80 is rotatably supported on a wheel base 82. In a state where the wheel 80 is inserted into the hole 78a, the wheel base 82 is bonded to the resin band 78 with an adhesive, and the wheel 80 protrudes outward from the hole 78a.

The direction of the wheel 80 attached to the resin band 78 may be parallel to the axial direction of the cable 12, or may have a predetermined angle in the axial direction of the cable 12. By making the direction of the wheel 80 parallel to the axial direction of the cable 12, friction between the wheel 80 and the boiler tube inner surface can be reduced.
Or the diameter of the cable 12 is made smaller than the inner diameter of the boiler tube T, and the cable 12 can be advanced spirally by making the direction of the wheel 80 have an angle with the axial direction of the cable 12. Thereby, in addition to the friction reducing effect, obstacles such as protrusions formed on the inner surface of the boiler tube can be easily overcome.

Next, a modification of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. This modification is an example in which the resin band 78 is made thicker than the resin band 78 of the fourth embodiment, and the resin band 78 is spirally wound around the cable 12 without a gap.
As shown in FIG. 18, a communication cable 84 and a power cable 86 are interposed between the cable 12 and the resin band 78. Other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment.
In this modified example, since the thickness of the resin band 78 is increased, only the wheel portion of the wheel 80 protrudes outside the hole 78a. Therefore, when the cable 12 moves in the boiler tube T, the wheel 80 can be hardly caught on the inner surface of the boiler tube T.

(Embodiment 5)
Furthermore, another configuration example of the friction reducing means will be described with reference to FIGS. The friction reducing means according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of ring-shaped holders 90 </ b> A that are fixed at predetermined intervals in the axial direction of the cable 12. A plurality of spheres 92 are rotatably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the ring-shaped holder 90A in the circumferential direction. The outer diameter of the ring-shaped holder 90A is formed smaller than the inner diameter of the boiler tube T. The sphere 92 is made of a metal or non-metal material having a hardness smaller than that of the boiler tube T. It is preferable that at least six spheres 92 are arranged in the circumferential direction.

  An annular stopper 90a that is slightly smaller in inner diameter than the outer diameter of the cable 12 and protrudes in the axial direction is formed integrally with the inner peripheral portion of the ring-shaped holder 90A. As the stopper 90a bites into the surface of the cable 12, the ring-shaped holder 90A is firmly fixed to the cable 12. A camera head 38 such as an endoscope is attached to the tip of the cable 12.

  According to the present embodiment, by providing the ring-shaped holder 90A on the cable 12, contact between the cable 12 and the boiler tube inner surface can be eliminated, and friction between the cable 12 and the boiler tube inner surface can be greatly reduced. Thereby, the movement of the cable 12 in the boiler tube T can be performed smoothly.

Next, a first modification of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The ring-shaped holder 90B of this modification is configured by a pair of half-ring holders 96a and 96b. Semi-ring-shaped stoppers 98a and 98b are formed on the inner peripheral side portions of the semi-ring-shaped holding tools 96a and 96b, respectively. The stoppers 98a and 98b have an inner shape that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cable 12, and project long in the axial direction.
Fitting joints 100a and 100b are formed on the opposing surfaces of the stoppers 98a and 98b.

  In this modification, the semi-ring-shaped holders 96a and 96b can be attached to the outer peripheral surface of the cable 12 via the joints 100a and 100b with one touch. Therefore, in addition to the operational effects obtained in the fifth embodiment, there is an advantage that the mounting of the ring-shaped holder 90B becomes easy.

  Furthermore, the 2nd modification of 4th Embodiment is demonstrated based on FIG. The ring-shaped holder 90 </ b> C according to this modification includes at least one of the spheres 92 including the sphere 102 having a driving force. The spherical body 102 is constituted by, for example, a so-called “spherical motor” that generates rotation with three degrees of freedom, and this driving mechanism is conventionally known. Specifically, a piezoelectric spherical motor that rotates a sphere by friction driving by pressing a piezoelectric material against the sphere and applying deformation in a high frequency / ultrasonic region, and an electromagnetic spherical motor that rotates the sphere by electromagnetic force (See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2003-70272 and 2009-1000063). The configuration other than the sphere 52 is the same as that of the fourth embodiment.

  Since the spherical body 102 having such a drive mechanism is provided, the cable 12 can be moved in any direction. Therefore, when the inner surface of the boiler tube T is not uneven or obstructed, the cable 12 is moved straight. You can move forward.

(Embodiment 6)
Next, another configuration example of the friction reducing means will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 25, the friction reducing means of the present embodiment is provided with an air tube 104 that covers the cable 12 over the entire length of the cable 12 and supplies the compressed air a to the air tube 104 from the outside of the tube. The air tube 104 is formed with a cut 106 over its entire length, and the cut 106 is configured to blow out air only when the air tube 104 is bent.
As shown in FIG. 25, the inside of the air tube 104 is partitioned in the circumferential direction by the partition 108 over the entire length, and the space partitioned by the partition 108 communicates with different regions in the axial direction of the air tube 104.

According to this embodiment, when the cable 12 is in the U-shaped bent portion Tb, air can be blown out from the cut line 106 and the cable 12 can be floated in the air. Therefore, friction between the cable 12 and the boiler tube inner surface can be reduced.
FIG. 26 shows the behavior of the cable 12 inside the boiler tube T. Since air is blown out from the region C of the cable 12 in the U-shaped bent portion Tb, the frictional force (f ₂ + f ₃ + f ₄ ) on the inner surface of the boiler tube against the cable 12 of the U-shaped bent portion Tb can be reduced.

  Further, since air does not blow out from the regions B and D of the cable 12 in the straight pipe portion Ts, the air supply amount can be minimized. Furthermore, since the cut line 106 through which air is blown out is formed only when the air tube 104 is bent, it is not necessary to separately arrange piping for supplying air for each region of the cable 12, and the cost can be reduced. There is no need to control the amount.

  According to the present invention, since the cable equipped with the inspection tool can be smoothly inserted into the small diameter tube having a plurality of bent portions, the inspection efficiency inside the small diameter tube can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Inspection apparatus 12, 110 Cable 14 Drive body 16 Fixed body 18 Collecting conductor 20, 22 Cylindrical body 23 Concave groove 24 Fixing shoe (1st fixing shoe)
32 Fixing shoe (second fixing shoe)
26, 34 Leg 28 Guide roller 30, 52 Feed mechanism 30a Feed gear 30b Rack 54 Screw thread 56 Worm gear 31, 36, 58, 68 Electric motor 38 Camera head 40 Wire 42 Reel 44 Forward / reverse motor 46 Communication unit 48 Control device 50 Pipe header 60, 72 Self-propelled device 62 Housing 64 Drive wheel 66 Drive wheel 70 Pipe header 74 Vibrating body 77 Electric motor 77b Weight 76 Brush 78 Rubber band 80 Wheel 82 Wheel base 84 Communication cable 86 Power supply cable 90A, 90B, 90C Ring-shaped holder 90a, 98a, 98b Stopper 92, 102 Spherical body 94 Camera head 96a, 96b Semi-ring-shaped holder 100a, 100b Joint 104 Air tube 106 Break 108 Partition T, t Boiler tube Tb, tb U-shaped bent part Ts, ts Straight pipe part a Compressed air

Claims (5)

In an in-pipe inspection apparatus for inserting a cable equipped with an inspection tool into an inspection tube having a plurality of bent portions, and inspecting the inspection tube,
The cable is composed of a cylindrical body penetrating through the inside, and a drive body that is movable relative to the cable in the axial direction of the cable;
The cable is composed of a cylindrical body penetrating the inside, and a fixed body fixed to the cable;
It is composed of a conducting wire and a signal transmission wire provided between the driving body and the fixed body,
The driving body is disposed in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical body constituting the driving body and a feeding mechanism that sends the cable in the front-rear direction, and can advance and retreat from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body toward the inner surface of the tube to be inspected. A plurality of first fixing shoes;
The fixed body has a plurality of second fixing shoes capable of moving forward and backward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body constituting the fixed body toward the inner surface of the test tube,
The in-pipe inspection apparatus, wherein the driving body and the fixing body further include a driving device that drives the feeding mechanism, the first fixing shoe, and the second fixing shoe. The inspection tool is a sensor for inspection provided at the head portion of the cable,
At least a pair of wires that change the direction of the inspection sensor are led to the fixed body,
The in-pipe inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed body includes at least a pair of reels for winding the wire and a drive device for the pair of reels. The driver and the first self-propelled device consisting of the fixed body, a plurality of spaced axially of said cable,
The in-pipe inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control device that advances the plurality of first self-propelled devices by synchronizing or individually controlling them. A first self-propelled device composed of the driving body and the fixed body is provided in a leading region of the cable;
A holding body that holds the cable in the center of the tube to be inspected, and a drive that is attached to the holding body and that contacts the inner surface of the tube to be inspected to move the holding body in the axial direction of the tube to be inspected The in-pipe according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of second self-propelled devices having a wheel and a driven wheel are attached to the cable behind the first self-propelled device at intervals. Inspection device. 2. The friction reduction means for reducing friction between the cable and the tube to be inspected is provided in the cable other than the region where the driving body or the fixed body is provided. The in-pipe inspection device described.

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