JPH02111467A - Robot system for operation in tower - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the robot system for operation in a tower by subjecting a lifting jig which is expandably and contractably fitted with plural pieces of cylinders having different outside diameters to a drum operation so that a paint spraying nozzle, etc., can be moved over the entire wall in the tower. CONSTITUTION:The lifting jig 2 fixed to the top end of the structure 1 in the tower is constituted by expandably and contractably fitting cylindrical frameworks 2a having the different outside diameters in order of sized to the jig. The base part of the cylindrical framework 2a having the largest diameter is fixed onto a stand 3 having wheels and a wire end of the drum 4 is connected to the cylindrical framework 2a having the smallest diameter. The lifting jig is extended and lowered into the structure 1 by the drum operation successively from the cylindrical framework 2a on the large diameter side. A turning and driving device is provided to an arm unit 7 and is controlled by a controller 13.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention is applicable to spraying paint inside a tower-like structure, partially repairing the inside of a tower-like structure, or inspecting the inside. The present invention relates to an in-tower working robot system in which a working arm can be moved to any position within the tower.

``Prior art'' Conventionally, when painting, inspecting, or repairing work inside a tower-like structure, scaffolding was assembled from below inside the tower-like structure, or the scaffolding was suspended from the top opening of the tower-like structure. People were working on the scaffolding. In this case, people enter the tower to work, but because they are working at heights and in a sealed environment, there is a problem of oxygen depletion.
The work involved many dangers. Additionally, materials must be brought in to erect scaffolding inside the tower, and then taken out after work, which makes work time-consuming.

Therefore, recently, a gondola is hung from above the silo, a table is rotatably held on the gondola, and a spray gun is movably held on the table, so that the spray gun can be moved along the inner wall of the silo without manual intervention. It has been proposed that a gondola be moved by a rotating arm, or that a gondola be equipped with a rotating arm and a spray gun attached to the tip of the rotating arm be moved along the inner wall of the silo (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
(No. 88, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-78H4), both gondolas are moved up and down along vertical guide rails built into the tower.

``Problem to be solved by the invention'' Conventionally, there is a system for painting and repairing the inside of a tower-like structure without manual intervention, but in that case, a guide rail must be built into the tower to guide the ascent and descent of the gondola. Therefore, work efficiency is poor.

Further, since the gondola has a large plane, it cannot be used unless the tower-like structure has a large diameter and the opening at the top thereof also has a large diameter.

Furthermore, since the table holding the spray gun and the gondola are suspended and the entire table is moved up and down, there is a problem in that a large driving force is required to move the table up and down.

Therefore, the present invention has developed an arm unit attached to the tip of the lifting jig that can be raised and lowered by operating a drum on a lifting jig in which a plurality of cylinders with different outer diameters are fitted together in an expandable manner. The purpose of this invention is to make it easier to carry out work in a tower with a small diameter, and also to enable the arm unit to be raised and lowered with a small driving force.

"Means for Solving the Problems" The present invention enables the tip side of a lifting jig to be raised and lowered within the tower, and includes an arm unit at the tip of the lifting jig that has an arm that extends and contracts toward the inner wall of the tower and a balance weight. The arm unit can be rotated by a rotation drive device, and the lifting jig extension drum and the rotation device for the arm unit and the extension 1i! This is an in-tower work robot system that can move a paint spray nozzle attached to the tip of an arm to the entire area of the inner wall of the tower by controlling the equipment with a control device.

The lifting jig has a structure in which multiple tubes or cylindrical frames with different outer diameters are fitted together in an expandable and retractable manner, and the base on the large diameter side is fixed to the upper end of the tower-like structure. Two arm units are attached to the cylindrical frame. Further, the conduit connecting to the paint spray nozzle and the like, and the conducting wire connecting the swing drive device, the expansion and contraction device, and the control device can be fed out and wound up by a winding device. Furthermore, the balance weight is controlled to expand and contract in synchronization with the expansion and contraction of the arm.

"Function" In the above means, in the arm unit to which the paint spray nozzle etc. is attached, the operation of the rotation drive device and the arm extension/contraction device is controlled by the control device, and the operation of the lifting jig is also controlled by the control device. , paint injection nozzles, etc. can be moved to any position within the tower. In addition, the lifting jig has a structure in which many tubes or cylindrical frames are fitted together in an expandable and retractable manner, so the outside diameter of the lifting jig is small, making it possible to work inside small diameter towers, as well as work inside large diameter towers. Now, if you extend the arm, you can do the desired work.

"Example" Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

The lifting jig 2 is fixed to the upper end of the tower internal structure 1.

It has a structure in which a plurality of tubes or cylindrical frames 2a having different outer diameters are fitted together in an expandable and retractable manner in order of size, and the base of the cylindrical frame 2a with the largest diameter is fixed on a frame 3 having wheels.

The wire tip of the drum 4 is connected to the smallest diameter cylindrical frame 2a, and is extended and lowered into the tower structure l in order from the large diameter side cylindrical frame 2a by drum operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical frame 2a on the small diameter side is supported by the wire of the drum 4, and the cylindrical frame 2a that extends first
a extends until the stopper at its upper end (which also serves as a roller 5 to be described later) is stopped by the stopper of the fixed-side cylindrical frame 2a, and then the next cylindrical frame 2a extends in the same way, The cylindrical frame on the smaller diameter side is expanded one after another.

Each cylindrical frame 2a has a configuration in which four posts are connected in a cylindrical shape using a connecting member, and rollers 5 are arranged in the overlapping portions between each cylindrical frame 2a to ensure smooth sliding of each. The contact pressure between the rollers 5 and the posts maintains the rigidity of the entire elevating jig, and prevents it from shaking due to its elevating and lowering and the rotation of the arm unit 7, which will be described later.

An arm unit 7 is attached to the smallest diameter cylindrical frame 2a of the lifting jig 2.
The arm unit 7 can be pushed downward from the cylindrical frame 2a via the motor 8 and the pushing shaft. The arm unit 7 has an arm 7a extending toward the inner wall of the tower and a balance weight 9,
The arm 7a is expandable and retractable by a built-in cylinder 7b, so that it can follow the difference in distance to the inner wall of the tower, as shown in FIG. Also arm unit 7
can be changed between an extended position and a stored position by means of an extended mechanism 10. The arm extension cylinder 7b and the arm unit pushing motor 8 are connected to a pressure source 11 or a power source 12 on the pedestal via a conduit or lead wire, and their operation is controlled by a control device 13 on the pedestal. It has become. Further, the arm unit 7 is provided with a swing drive device 14, which, like the motor 8, is connected to a power source 12 and a control device 13 via conductive wires, so that the operation thereof is controlled by the control device 13. ing. The swing drive device 14 can rotate within a range of 360@ and does not rotate any further, so that the conduit or conducting wire will not be kinked.

An encoder 15 is provided at the lower end position 1, for example, the arm unit 7 of the lifting jig 2, so that the position of the arm unit 7 is electrically detected and transmitted to the control device 13 on the pedestal 3. Further, the arm 7a is provided with an encoder 16 for detecting the arm tip position, and the arm unit 7 is provided with an encoder 17 for detecting its turning angle, and the detected information is transmitted to the control device 13.

A paint spray nozzle 18 is provided at the tip of the arm 7a, and is supplied with paint from a paint supply device on the pedestal 3 via a conduit. Further, an ultrasonic sensor 19 is provided at the tip of the arm 7a, and distance information between the arm tip position and the inner wall of the tower is transmitted to the control device 13, and the control device 13 controls the extension and contraction of the arm 7 according to the distance information. It is supposed to be done. A television camera 20 is also installed at the tip of the arm 7, and its photographic information is transmitted to the computer 21 on the pedestal 3, and the inside wall of the tower can be viewed through the television receiver. The operator can also input appropriate treatment information into the controller 13. The control device 13 has a control function of receiving the above information and appropriately operating each motor or cylinder.

The balance weight 9 attached to the arm unit 7 has a cylinder that expands and contracts in synchronization with the expansion and contraction of the arm 7a, so that the balance of the arm unit 7 can be maintained.
Its expansion and contraction operation is performed by the control device 13 in the same manner as the cylinder 7b of the arm 7a.

The conductive wires that communicate the pressure source 11 and each cylinder, the conductive wires that connect each encoder and the control device 13, the conduit that communicates with the paint injection nozzle 18, the conductive wires that connect the television camera 20 and the ultrasonic sensor 19, etc. Winding device 22 on pedestal 3
It is arranged around each drum so that they can be rolled up or let out in accordance with the rise and fall of the lower end of the lifting jig A2.

The information transmitted to the control device 13 is input to the computer 21 on the pedestal 3, and is compared with the tower internal shape stored in the computer 21 in advance, and is used to determine the ram 4 for operating the lifting jig and the arm. Telescopic cylinder 7b and arm rotation drive device! 4 can also be operated automatically.

In the embodiment described above, the arm unit 7 was able to be stored in the lifting jig 2, but the arm 7a and the balance weight 9
may be provided protruding from the extension side tip of the elevating jig toward the inner wall of the tower.

``Effects of the Invention'' The in-tower work robot system of the present invention lowers the arm unit to which the paint injection nozzle, etc. is attached into the tower using a lifting jig, and allows the arm to extend and contract as well as turn. It can be made safe without using . Further, since no guide rails or the like are required to raise and lower the lifting jig, there is no need to assemble them inside the tower, making the work easier. Furthermore, the elevating jig has a structure in which multiple tubes or cylindrical frames with different outer diameters are fitted together in an expandable and retractable manner, so it can be applied even when the inner diameter or upper end entrance of a tower-like structure is small, and it can also be used to suspend gondolas, etc. There is no need to lower the lifting jig, and only the tip side of the lifting jig needs to be supported by the wire of the drum.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view showing the in-tower working robot system of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the first I[-If line, Fig. 3 is a front view of the in-tower working robot in the stored state, and Fig. 4 is a schematic front view showing the in-tower working robot system of the present invention. The figure is an explanatory view showing the extension operation of the lifting jig of the robot, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the robot pot. 1; Column internal structure 4; Drum 7; Arm unit 13, control device 22; Plan view of winding device; Figure 6 shows port 2; Lifting jig 6; Control device 8;

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A lifting jig is formed by fitting together a plurality of cylinders or cylindrical frames with different outer diameters so that they can expand and contract, and the end of the lifting jig on the smallest diameter side can be raised and lowered by drum operation. The base of the arm unit is attached to the cylindrical frame with the smallest diameter, and an arm that can extend and contract toward the inner wall of the tower is installed at the tip of the arm unit.The arm unit can be rotated by a swing drive device, and a paint spray nozzle is installed at the tip of the arm. A robot system for working in a tower is characterized in that a drum operation and rotation and extension and contraction of an arm unit can be controlled by a control device. (2) An in-tower working robot system, characterized in that the arm unit according to claim (1) is provided with a balance weight that balances the arm, and the balance weight extends and contracts in synchronization with the arm. (3) In claim (1), the in-tower work is characterized in that a detection device for detecting the distance to the inner wall of the tower is provided at the tip of the arm, and the extension and contraction of the arm is controlled by a control device that receives the detected value. robot system. (4) In claims (1), (2), and (3), a conduit connecting the drive section on the arm unit side and the power source on the fixed side of the lifting jig, and the control device and the control section of the arm unit. A robot system for working in a tower, characterized in that a conductive wire connecting the two can be fed out and wound up by a winding device.