JPH02256558A - In-pipe self traveling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To protect a baloon in contracted state from being damaged by installing a protecting member having the larger diameter than the contracted baloon in the vicinity of the baloon, in the constitution in which the baloons which are expanded and contracted by the supply and discharge of fluid are installed in the front and rear parts of an elastic body for advance and retreat drive which can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction. CONSTITUTION:A shift unit 2 installed at the top edge of a flexible insertion cable 1 is constituted of front and rear side bodies 11 and 12 and an advance/retreat driving elastic body 13 which is constituted of an elastic tube 14 connecting the both bodies 11 and 12 and a regulating cylindrical member 15 covering the outer periphery of the elastic tube 14 and extends and contracts in the axial direction. Front and rear side baloons 31 and 32 as holding body for engaging the shift unit 2 onto the inner wall of a conduit are installed onto the outer peripheral parts of the bodies 11 and 12, and gas is independently supplied and discharged into the baloons 31 and 32 from the air feeding tubes 37 and 38. In this case, the cylindrical protecting members 41 and 42 having the larger diameter than the bodies 11 and 12 are installed onto the front and rear bodies 11 and 12, and the contracted baloons 31 and 32 can be accommodated.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an intraductal self-propelled device that is capable of self-propelled inside a lumen of an industrial conduit or a biological conduit. [Prior Art] Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-15678 discloses a device in which a double bellows made of an elastic material is provided on the outer periphery of the distal end of an endoscope insertion portion, and a balloon is provided at each end of the double bellows. A self-propelled device is shown. The self-propelled device 1 first inflates the rear balloon and presses it against the inner wall of the conduit to hold it, then feeds pressurized fluid into the double bellows and stretches it in the longitudinal direction to open the tip end. advance. After this, the front balloon is inflated and held against the inner wall of the conduit. After this, the rear balloon is deflated and
By extracting pressurized fluid from the inside of the double bellows and contracting it, the rear part is pulled and moved forward toward the distal end. By repeating this process, it is made to run on its own. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, although the self-propelled device described in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-15678 is equipped with balloons at both ends of a double bellows, it is possible to solve the problem without using these balloons. If the self-propelled device is dragged through the pipe, each balloon will come into contact with the inner wall of the pipe and be damaged. The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an in-pipe self-propelled device that can prevent damage to the balloon even when the mobile unit is dragged inside the pipe. be. [Means and effects for solving the problems] In order to solve the above problems, the self-propelled device in a pipe of the present invention has both front and back ends of an elastic body for advancing and retracting that expands and contracts in the axial direction in response to supply and discharge of fluid through a fluid pipe line. A balloon is provided on each side, which can expand and contract when fluid is supplied and discharged through the fluid conduit, and which expands and locks onto the inner wall of the inserted lumen. Pressurized fluid is supplied and discharged through a fluid conduit, and a balloon protection member having a diameter larger than the diameter of the deflated balloon is provided near the balloon. This in-pipe self-propelled device has a balloon protection member formed near the balloon with a diameter larger than the diameter of the balloon when it is deflated, so it can be dragged inside the pipe without using the balloon. However, the balloon is protected by the balloon protection member and does not come into contact with the inner wall of the conduit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the balloon from coming into contact with the inner wall of the pipe and being damaged. [Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 and 2 show a moving unit 2 attached to the tip of a flexible insertion cable 1 inserted into a tube. The insertion cable 1 is wound around a winding drum of a drum unit (not shown) provided externally,
It is designed to be extended in increments of that length as necessary. The moving unit 2 is formed by connecting a front main body 11 and a rear main body 12 with an elastic body 13 for driving forward and backward that expands and contracts in the axial direction, and this elastic body 13 for driving forward and backward is shown in FIG. 1 in a normally extended state. It is constructed to have a cylindrical shape with an equal diameter over its entire length. This elastic body 13 for forward/backward driving is connected to an elastic tube 14.
The elastic tube 14 includes a regulating cylindrical member 15 that covers its outer periphery, and the front and rear edges of the elastic tube 14 are airtightly attached to the corresponding front body 11 and rear body 12, respectively. Further, 16 compression springs (16) are wound around the outer side of the forward/backward driving elastic body 13 at a distance, and the front and rear ends of the compression springs 16 are engaged with the corresponding front body 11 and rear body 12, respectively. The compression spring 16 uses its own elastic restoring force to force the front main body 11 and the rear main body 124 to spread apart. As shown in FIG. 3, the fiber element 17 is formed by bundling a plurality of fibers into one unit, for example, by knitting it into a plain weave to form a cylindrical shape, and when knitting, each fiber element 17 is The shape connecting the points P where these intersect constitutes a parallelogram, and constitutes a so-called pantograph of a link mechanism.Furthermore, the opposing intersections P in the parallelogram are on a straight line in the axial direction of the elastic body 13 for forward/backward driving. Each fiber element 17 forms an acute angle θ with respect to the axial direction of the elastic body 13 for driving forward and backward movement.For this reason, when the pantograph contracts in the axial direction, it contracts in the radial direction. , especially the elongation of the elastic tube 14. Also, an airtight air space 18 is formed inside the elastic tube 14 of the elastic body 13 for forward/backward driving, and this air space 18 is formed inside the elastic tube 14 of the elastic body 13 for forward/backward driving.
An air supply chinibu 19 serving as a fluid conduit is connected to. The air supply tube 19 is guided to an external drum unit through the interiors of the moving unit 2 and the insertion cable 1, and then connected to a device for supplying and discharging pressurized fluid. That is, the air supply tube 19 is connected to the pressurized pipe switching section 2
0 to the compressor 21. The pressurized pipe switching section 20 is switched and controlled by a control device 22 . On the other hand, a front balloon 31 and a rear balloon 32 are provided on the outer peripheries of the front main body 11 and the rear main body 12 of the moving unit 2, respectively, as holders for locking onto the inner wall of the pipe into which the moving unit 2 is inserted. As shown in FIG. 1, these balloons 31 and 32 are each formed into a membrane shape from an elastic material such as rubber, and are airtightly attached and fixed to the outer peripheral portions of the front body 11 and the rear body 12. ing. Inside the balloon 31.32, there is a sealed space 33.3 between the corresponding outer peripheral surfaces of the front body 11 and the rear body 12.
4 are formed independently, and each of these closed spaces 3
3.34 each has an air supply tube 3 as a fluid conduit.
7.38 are independently connected in communication, and each balloon 3
1.32 Gas is supplied and discharged independently. This air supply tube 37, 38 is connected to the mobile unit 2.
After being guided to the outside through the insertion cable 1 and the insertion cable 1, they are connected to the pressurizing pipe switching section 20 through the switching valves 39, respectively. Further, the air supply tubes 37 and 38 are connected to a suction pump 401 through their switching valves 39. The suction pump 40 is controlled by the control device 22. Also,'! As shown in Figure s1 and Figure 2, the front main body 1
1 and the rear main body 12 are each provided with a balloon protection member 41.
42 is attached. This nozzle protection member 41.42 consists of a cylindrical member, and the cylindrical portion 43.4
The outer diameter of the balloon 4 is not larger than the outer diameter of the corresponding balloon 31, 32 at [1/]&. The front balloon protection member 41 is closed at the rear end side by an end wall 45 attached to the rear end surface of the front main body 11, and the front side is left open. The front balloon 31 bulges out from its opening and expands. Also, the rear balloon protection member 42 is attached to the front end surface of the front main body 12! 146, the front end side is closed, and the rear side is left open. The rear balloon 32 is configured to bulge out from its opening and expand. Further, at the tip of the front main body 11 of the moving unit 2, an imaging device section 47 for observing the field of view and an illumination device section 48 for illuminating the field of view are provided. A signal cable (not shown) connected to the imaging device section 47 is led to an external camera control unit (not shown) through the moving unit 2 and the insertion cable 1. The observed image is displayed on a monitor using signals processed by the camera control unit. Next, the operation of the in-pipe self-propelled device configured as described above will be explained. The moving unit 2 at the tip of the insertion cable 1 inserted into the conduit (lumen) 50 is loosely fitted into the conduit 50, but the pressure conduit switching section 20 is controlled by the control device 22 by operating a controller (not shown). and the switching valve 39, first, the front balloon 3 is passed through the air supply tube 37.
1 is supplied with pressurized air, and only this front balloon 31 is inflated. Only this front balloon 31 is connected to the conduit 5.
It presses against the inner wall of 0 and is held in that position. At this time, the rear balloon 32 is in a deflated state and is away from the inner wall of the conduit 50. Further, at this time, the elastic body 13 for advancing and retracting is not pressurized, so it is in an extended state as shown in FIG. Next, from this state, the pressurized pipe switching unit 20 is operated to supply pressurized air through the air supply tube 19 to the elastic body 1 for advancing and retracting.
3, the elastic tube 14 tends to expand. However, mere expansion is restricted by the regulating cylindrical member 15, and the expansion occurs while being contracted in the axial direction. Here, the fiber element 17 of the regulating cylindrical member 15
constitutes a pantograph of the link mechanism, so when this pantograph extends in the radial direction, it contracts in the axial direction. Therefore, when the pressure in the air cavity 18 of the elastic tube 14 is increased, the fiber element 23 contracts in the axial direction while exerting a large force in the long sleeve direction due to the force conversion action of the fiber element 23. Since the front body 11 is held and stopped by the front balloon 31, the rear body 12 is drawn forward. Furthermore, in the next step, pressurized air is also sent to the rear balloon 32 through the air supply tube 38 to inflate it, thereby pressing and locking it against the inner wall of the conduit 50 and holding it in that position. In other words, each balloon before and after is 31.32
are respectively held against the inner wall of the conduit 50. Next, the front balloon 31 is evacuated to deflate it, and the air space 18 of the elastic body 13 for advancing and retracting is also evacuated to extend the elastic body 13 for advancing and retracting in a straight line in the axial direction. At this time, the front main body 11 is moved forward by the elastic restoring action of the compression spring 16. As a result, the front main body 11 moves forward by one stroke. This results in 1
Complete movement cycle operation. Therefore, by repeating the above cycle, it is possible to advance one stroke at a time. Note that it is also possible to move backward by reversing the timing. By the way, in the above operation, the mobile unit 2 is self-propelled using each balloon 31.32.
32, the moving unit 2 may be moved by pulling the insertion cable 1. When the moving unit 2 is pulled within the conduit 50 in this way, the switching valve 39 is switched to the suction pump 40 side and the suction pump 40 is operated. Then, the front and rear balloons 31 and 32 are sucked and deflated through the air supply tubes 37 and 38. By applying relatively strong suction, each balloon 31.32 is pulled out from the opening of each cylindrical portion 43.44 of the corresponding balloon protection member 41.42 located in the vicinity thereof, as shown in FIG. It is pulled inside, folded and stored. In this stored state, each balloon 31° 32 is not only smaller in outer diameter than the respective cylindrical portions 43 and 44 of the balloon protection member 41° 42 that stores it, but also has its outer periphery covered and sufficiently protected. be done. Therefore, when moving the moving unit 2 while dragging the balloons 31 and 32 without using them, it is possible to prevent the balloons 31 and 32 from rubbing against the inner wall of the conduit 50 and being damaged. FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the front balloon 31 in the first embodiment is formed in a shape that surrounds the imaging device section 47 and the illumination device section 48, and therefore, the front balloon 31 is transparent. Although FIG. 4 shows the state in which the front balloon 31 is inflated,
When this is suction-shrinked, the balloon protection member 4 in front of it
It is designed to contract so as to fit into the inside of 1. Other structures and functions are similar to those of the first embodiment. 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, disk-shaped balloon protection members 41 and 42 are attached to the front main body 11 and the rear main body 12, respectively. The front balloon protection member 41 is provided close to the front of the balloon 31, and the rear balloon protection member 42 is provided close to the rear of the balloon 32. Furthermore, the outer diameter of each balloon protection member 41, 42 is the same as that of the deflated balloon 31°32, as shown in FIG.
It is formed smaller than the outer diameter of. Therefore, when deflated, the balloons 31, 32 can be prevented from coming into contact with the inner wall of the conduit 50. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when inflated, the outer diameter of the balloon 31, 32 becomes larger than the outer diameter of the balloon protection member 41, 42, and the balloon 31, 32 is pressed against and locked against the inner wall of the pipe line 50 into which it is inserted. The front body 11 and the rear body 12 can be held in that position. Note that the other configurations and operations are the same as those of the first embodiment. FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this fourth embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 61 for ejecting pressurized air are provided at equal intervals on the outer periphery of the disk-shaped balloon protection member 41, 42 in the third embodiment, and when moving through the pipe 50, Pressurized air is spouted from each nozzle 61 at the same time. An air supply tube (not shown) is connected to each nozzle 61, and this air supply tube is connected to an external air supply source (not shown) through the moving unit 2 and the insertion cable 1. By blowing out pressurized air in this way, it is possible to float the mobile unit 2 within the conduit 50, and also to send air between the inner wall of the conduit 50 and the balloons 31, 32, thereby reducing the friction occurring therebetween. . 18 and 9 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This fifth embodiment has a front body 11 and a rear body 1.
Two ring-shaped protective plates 71a, 71 are provided on each outer circumference of
Each opposing protective plate 71a, 7lb is bent horizontally so that its outer peripheral edge portion faces each other as shown in FIG. An opening 74 is formed that goes around between the tips of the parts. Further, balloons 31.32 are disposed inside the protective plates 71a, 71b of each balloon protection member 72.73, and each balloon 31.32 is attached to its corresponding front body 11 and rear body 12. They are airtightly attached and form sealed spaces 33 and 34 with their respective outer peripheral surfaces. And this closed space 33
．． 34 has air supply tubes 37 and 38 respectively as above.
are connected independently. Each of the balloons 31 and 32 is connected to its closed space 33.
．． 34 is expanded and contracted as follows by supplying and discharging pressurized air through the air supply tubes 37 and 38. That is, when it expands, it protrudes from the opening 74 and swells, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. In addition, when deflated, the balloon does not protrude from the opening 74 as shown by solid lines in FIGS. 8 and 9, but is housed inside the protective plates 71 m and 7 l b of the balloon protection member 72.73. It is in. Therefore, at this time, each balloon 3-1.32 has a balloon protection member 72.7.
3, and does not directly hit the inner wall of the inserted pipe 50. Therefore, even if the moving unit 2 is dragged and moved, the balloons 31 and 32 will not be damaged. Since the self-propelled operation and the like of this embodiment are the same as those of the above embodiment, other explanations will be omitted. Nao,
In this example, the balloon protection member 72.73fJ
The M-shaped portion 74 may be formed by a plurality of holes formed at certain intervals around the outer periphery of the balloon protection member 72,73. The tenth prisoner shows the sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this sixth embodiment, cylindrical balloon protection members 81 and 82 are provided on the outer peripheries of the front main body 11 and the rear main body 12, respectively, and are slidable back and forth.
．． 82 are slidably driven in opposite directions, front and back, by a pneumatic cinder device 83. That is,
The pneumatic cinder device 83 consists of a cylinder 84 and a pair of front and rear pistons 85, 86 fitted into the front and rear parts of the cylinder 84, respectively, and the balloon protection member 81, 82 is attached to the pistons 85, 86 via arms 87, 88. It is held consecutively. Further, a cylinder pressurizing tube 89 is connected to the inside of the cylinder 84 between the pistons 85 and 86, through which pressurized air is supplied and discharged. When pressurized air is supplied, the pistons 85 and 86 are pushed out, and the front balloon protection member 81 slides forward. Further, the rear balloon protection member 82 advances toward the rear. Furthermore, balloons 31 and 32 which are inflated and deflated in the same manner as described above are provided on the outer peripheries of the front main body 11 and the rear main body 12, respectively. However, the front balloon 31 is disposed in front of the balloon protection member 81 provided close to it, and
The rear balloon 32 is disposed behind a balloon protection member 82 provided adjacent thereto. When each balloon 31.32 is deflated as shown in Figure 1s10, its corresponding balloon protection member 81.82
As shown by the dotted line, the balloon is located inside the protruding balloon protection member 81, 82 and is protected. At this time, each of the balloons 31 and 32 is protected by the balloon protection members 81 and 82, and the force S does not directly hit the inner wall of the inserted pipe 50. Therefore, even if the mobile unit 2 is dragged and moved, the balloons 31 and 32 will not be damaged. Also, the balloon protection members 81 and 82 are attached to the balloon 31.
When the balloons 31 and 32 are inflated, the balloons 31 and 32 are inflated to a greater extent than the balloon protection members 81 and 82, and can be held against the inner wall of the inserted pipe. Since the self-propelled operation and the like of this embodiment are the same as those of the above embodiment, other explanations will be omitted. In FIGS. 11 to 13, the shape of the balloon 31 (32) in the moving unit 2 when viewed from the front in the axial direction is not circular but polygonal. Figure 11 shows a triangle, Figure 12 a square, and Figure 13 a star. Furthermore, hard members 91 were provided at the corners of each polygon. In addition, as the hard member 91, balloons 31 and 32 are used.
A part of the flexible elastic material forming the part may be made thicker, or the part may be made of a particularly hard material. Since the hard members 91 are provided at the corners of each balloon 31 and 32 in this manner, abrasion between the hard members 91 and the inner wall of the conduit 50 can be prevented. Further, since the balloons 31 and 32 are formed into polygonal shapes, even if there is a protrusion 92 on the inner wall of the conduit 50, the balloon can be inserted while avoiding the protrusion 92. In addition, in No. 1450, a plurality of protrusions 95 are provided at equal intervals on the outer circumference of the balloon 31 (32) so that the outer circumferential surface of the balloon 31 (32) does not come into direct contact with the inner wall of the conduit 50. In this case as well, damage to the flexible balloons 31, 32 can be prevented as much as possible. III Specification (*No changes to the contents) Figures 15 and 16 show a seventh embodiment of the present invention. In this seventh embodiment, substantially conical balloon protection members 100, 101 are attached in place of the disc-shaped balloon protection members 41, 42 in the third embodiment. Each balloon protection member 100, 101 is provided with its long diameter side facing the respective balloons 31, 32. Further, the maximum diameter of each balloon protection member 100.101 is 41.4 in the third embodiment.
Since it has the same outer diameter as the second embodiment, it has the same effect as the third embodiment. Furthermore, by making the shape of the balloon protection members 100 and 101 approximately conical and rounding the ridgeline, the moving unit can smoothly cross the step 102 of the conduit 50 without getting caught, as shown in FIG. 16. can be overcome. Other structures and functions are similar to those of the first embodiment. (Hereinafter, blank spaces) Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made without changing the gist of the invention. For example, the balloon protection member may have an irregular shape other than a circle or a rod shape. Further, the balloon protection member may be attached to some of the balloons in the pan instead of being attached to each balloon.

【Effect of the invention】

As explained above, the in-tube self-propelled device of the present invention is provided with a balloon protection member formed in the vicinity of the balloon in the moving unit, which has a diameter larger than the diameter of the balloon when deflated. Even if the mobile unit is dragged inside the pipeline without using
The balloon is protected by a balloon protection member and does not come into contact with the inner wall of the conduit. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the balloon from coming into contact with the inner wall of the pipe and being damaged.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 383 show a first embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of the moving unit part, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the moving unit part in another state, FIG. 4
5 is a side sectional view of a moving unit b according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a moving unit b according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a side view of the moving unit of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a side view of the moving unit of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, FIG. 9 is a sectional view of essential parts in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a side view of the moving unit in the sixth embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 1 to 14 are front views of the Balushi mark seen from the front of the mobile unit, 1S Kusuyo Ward 16011, respectively.
The sharpness of the present invention ○ Paperwork IWJ
I'm proud of myself. 1... Insertion cable, 2... Moving unit, 11
...Front side main body, 12... Rear side main body, 13... Elastic body for advancing and retreating drive, 31.32... Balloon, 19.37
．． 38...Air supply tube, 41.42...Balloon protection member, 72.73...Balloon protection member, '81
．． 8'2...Balloon protection member. '1''1 Permissive, despised O'ru 1 Gumata Mitsunobu L'z Stock Ekisutane - (Fig. Fig. Fig. Fig. Clause! Evening Fig. Fig. Procedure available "1 Regular book (method) % formula % 16 Display of case 1999 Patent Application No. 306029 2 Name of invention Self-propelled device within jurisdiction 3 Person making amendment February 13, 1990 (Shipping address February 20, 1990) Description of the specification Detailed description of the invention

Claims (1)

[Claims] An elastic body for advancing and retracting that expands and contracts in the axial direction when fluid is supplied and discharged through the fluid pipe line, and an elastic body that is provided at both front and rear ends of this elastic body and can expand and contract when fluid is supplied and discharged through the fluid pipe line. a balloon that locks onto the inner wall of the inserted lumen by expanding with the lumen; a means for supplying and discharging pressurized fluid to and from the elastic body for advancing and retracting the elastic body and the balloon through respective fluid conduits; and a means provided near the balloon; 1. A self-propelled in-pipe device comprising: a balloon protection member having a diameter larger than the diameter of a deflated balloon.