JPH01186462A - Conduit travel device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable travel in a conduit laid with rails by arranging a plurality of hold sections of approximately cylindrical hollow bodies having outer circumferential section composed of expandable/shrinkable rubber in axial direction with predetermined intervals then coupling respective hold sections through expandable/shrinkable tubes. CONSTITUTION:Two hold sections 1, 1a are arranged in traveling direction with an interval, then they are coupled through an expandable/shrinkable tube 5 thus constituting a conduit travel device. Respective hold sections 1, 1a comprise approximately cylindrical hollow bodies having outer circumferential sections composed of elastic rubber and front and rear end boards 3, 3a, where the outer circumferential section 2 is expanded or shrunk when the interval between the end boards 3, 3a is enlarged or shrunk through an actuator 4 such as a cylinder. When alternative expansion and shrinkage of respective hold members 1, 1a are interlocked with telescoping motion of a telescopable tube 5, the travel device can step inch by inch.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a conduit running device for performing work such as inspecting the inside of a conduit and laying cables.

(Prior art) Various types of pipeline traveling devices have been developed that automatically travel within the pipeline in order to inspect the interior of the pipeline with a television camera or perform work such as laying cables. There is an inchworm type that uses fluid pressure, the former is equipped with an electric motor and drives wheels and moves by itself, while the latter uses compressed air to install multiple holds that can be fixed to the inner wall of the pipe. Connect the two parts with an air cylinder, fix the rear hold part to the inner wall of the pipe, extend the air cylinder to advance the front hold part, fix the front hold part to the inner wall of the pipe, and fix the rear hold part to the inner wall of the pipe. The vehicle traveled by repeating a series of steps in which the holding part was released, the air cylinder was retracted, and the rear holding part was moved forward. (For example, JP-A-61-179933) (Problems to be Solved by the Invention) Among the above-mentioned conventional pipe running devices, the wheel drive type is mainly used for bare pipes such as supply and drain pipes where there are no cables or the like. It was used for pipes, and could not be used if cables were installed inside the pipes, as there was a risk of damaging the cables.

In addition, the inchworm type that uses fluid pressure uses an air cylinder that expands and contracts in the diametrical direction of the tube as a means of fixing the hold part to the inner wall of the tube, and it is fixed by contact between rigid bodies. There was a problem that the cable etc. could be damaged, and like the wheel drive type mentioned above, it could only be used for bare pipes.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of conventional pipe running devices and provides a pipe running device that can run not only in bare pipes but also in pipes where cables and the like are laid without damaging cables and the like. The purpose is to

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, this invention makes at least the outer periphery of a substantially cylindrical hollow body a rubber-like elastic body, and utilizes fluid pressure in the diametrical direction of the outer periphery. A plurality of hold parts configured to be expandable and deflated are arranged at predetermined intervals with their axes directed in the front-rear direction, and the plurality of hold parts are connected by a telescoping cylinder that expands and contracts with fluid pressure, and the telescoping cylinder and The pipe running device includes a control device that supplies and discharges fluid from outside the pipe to the holding portion and controls its operation.

(Function) The pipe running device of the present invention having the above configuration is equipped with a television camera to carry out work such as inspecting the inside of the pipe and laying cables inside the pipe where humans cannot pass. This is done automatically, and when the rear holding section is operated by a control device to inflate the outer circumference with air, the outer circumference is pressed against the inner wall of the pipe and held. Subsequently, when the shortened telescoping tube is expanded by fluid pressure, the front holding portion, whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe, is moved forward. Next, the outer periphery of the front hold part is expanded by fluid pressure and held against the inner wall of the pipe, and the fluid pressure is removed from the rear hold part, the outer periphery is contracted and separated from the inner wall of the pipe, and the telescopic tube is shortened. When you do this, the rear hold section moves forward.

Next, the outer circumference of the rear hold part is expanded by fluid pressure and held against the inner wall of the pipe, and the fluid pressure of the front hold part is removed and the outer circumference is contracted to separate from the inner wall of the pipe, and then the telescopic tube is removed. When it is extended, the front holding part moves forward again, and the same operation as described above is repeated to move the pipe running device forward in the pipe in an inchworm-like manner.

In order to move this conduit traveling device backward, it is necessary to inflate and hold the outer circumferential part of the front holding part, and then extend the telescoping tube and move the rear holding part backward, contrary to the above.

If it automatically travels inside the pipe in this way, the outer periphery of the holding part that contacts the inner wall of the pipe is a flexible rubber-like elastic body, so it can freely deform and conform to the shape of the inner diameter of the pipe. Even if cables are installed inside the conduit,
Cables are pressed elastically by a rubber-like elastic body on the outer periphery of the holding part, and the rubber-like elastic body is recessed by the cable, allowing the cables to run without being damaged. It is.

(Embodiments) The present invention will be described below based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the basic pipe running device of the present invention, which has two holding bodies, in use, and in the figure, (1) and (la) are the holding parts; Consisting of an approximately cylindrical hollow body, the outer peripheral part (2) is made of rubber-like elastic material.
, hold the front and rear end plates (3) (3a), and hold the end plates (3) (
3a) are connected at the shaft center by an actuator (4) consisting of an air cylinder, and the distance between the end plates (3) (3a) is expanded/reduced by the expansion and contraction of the actuator (4). This device expands and contracts the diameter of the outer circumferential part (2) of the pipe, and when it contracts, the diameter becomes smaller than the inner diameter of the applicable pipe line, and when it expands, the outer diameter reaches the inner diameter of the applicable pipe line, and this inner diameter is strengthened. It is configured to be pressed and held.

In Fig. 1, the forward hold part (1) shows a state of reduced diameter, with the P arrow as the traveling direction, and the rear hold part (1) shows a reduced diameter state.
1a) shows a state in which the diameter is expanded and held by pressing against the inner diameter of the pipe line (8).

(5) is a telescopic cylinder, which is made of an air cylinder and expands or contracts the distance between the two holding parts (1) (la).
In Figure 1, the rear hold part' (1a '') has expanded in diameter and is in a holding state, and the front hold part (1a)
When the diameter of the tube is reduced, when the telescopic tube (5) is extended, the front holding part (1) moves forward, and then the outer circumference (2) of the front holding part (1) is expanded to open the pipe. (8
), the outer periphery (2) of the rear holding part (1a) is reduced to release the hold, and the telescopic cylinder (5) is shortened, so that the rear holding part (1a) moves forward. In this way, it runs in the pipe (8) like an inchworm.

This telescopic tube (5) can be used not only as an air cylinder but also as a bellows tube or the like.

(6) is a control device, which is equipped with a separate air source (not shown) and which controls the actuator (1) (la) of the hold part (1) (la).
4) It is in charge of supplying and discharging air to (4) and the telescopic tube (5), and these actuators (4) (
4) and the telescopic cylinder (5) are connected by an air hose (7).

Although Fig. 1 shows the state of use in a bare pipe, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Fig. 2, even when the cable (9) is laid inside the pipe (8), the hold part (1) (la ) When the outer peripheral part (2) of the cable (2) is inflated, the flexible rubber-like elastic body recesses and avoids the cable (9), so it can run without damaging the cable (9).

FIG. 4 is a step-by-step diagram showing the above-mentioned running operation, and A shows the case where the running is carried out in the direction of arrow P, and the outer circumferential part (2) of the front holding member (1) is not expanded. , the rear holding member (1a) is in a holding state with its outer peripheral portion (2) expanded, and the telescoping tube (5) is in a contracted state. From this A state, when air is supplied to the telescopic cylinder (5) to make it expand, the front holding part (1) moves forward and becomes the B state. Subsequently, the front hold part (1) is expanded to be in the hold state, and the outer peripheral part (2) of the rear hold part (1a) is contracted to release the hold and become the state C.

If the telescopic cylinder (5) is further shortened, the rear holding part (1a) moves forward to the state D.

The above is considered as one cycle, and the robot advances by one pitch from state A to state D. By repeating this cycle, the robot moves in the pipe like an inchworm.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an air cylinder is used for the actuator (4) and the telescopic cylinder (5) that expand and contract the outer diameter of the hold part (1) (la), but a hydraulic cylinder may be used. The vehicle can also be driven under hydraulic control using a control device (6) equipped with a hydraulic power source.

In addition, although the case where there are two hold parts (1) (la) is illustrated, there may be three or more, and when there are three hold parts, there will be two telescopic tubes (5), and these two telescopic tube (5
) are operated at the same time, the traveling pitch becomes twice as long as when there is only one telescopic tube (5), and the traveling speed can be increased.

(Effects of the Invention) The pipe running device according to the present invention described above can be used for work such as inspecting inside pipes and laying cables, especially when conventional pipe running devices can only be used for bare pipes. The main feature of this system is that it can safely run through conduits where easily damaged electric wires and cables are laid without damaging the cables by solving the problems of cables being laid. It is extremely effective and appropriate for such purposes.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the present invention in use, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1 when a cable is laid in the conduit, The figure is an explanatory diagram showing step-by-step the operating state during driving. 1.1a...Hold part 2...Outer periphery part 3.3a...
End plate 4... Actuator 5... Telescopic tube
6.Control device 7.Air hose 8.Pipe line 9.Cable Patent Applicant: Chugoku Electric Power Co., Ltd. agent/patent attorney Takashi Mihara (1 other person)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A plurality of holding parts each having a substantially cylindrical hollow body having at least the outer peripheral part made of a rubber-like elastic material and configured to be able to expand and contract in the diametrical direction using fluid pressure are arranged with their axes oriented in the front-rear direction. the plurality of holding parts are arranged at predetermined intervals, the plurality of holding parts are connected by a telescoping cylinder that expands and contracts by fluid pressure, and control is performed by supplying and discharging fluid from outside the conduit to and from the telescoping cylinder and the holding member, and controlling their operation. A pipe running device characterized by being equipped with a device.