JPH0441114B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an intraductal moving device that utilizes fluid pressure and has a simple structure.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a conventional pipe moving device that is inserted into a pipe and is self-propelled, and is used for various operations such as pipe inspection and foreign object collection.

The intra-pipe moving device shown in FIG. 1 connects a driving moving body 101 and a moving body 102 having cylinder mechanisms in a tiltable manner with pins 103 and 104 that are oriented 90 degrees apart, and each moving body 101 and 102 has a cylinder. It is equipped with a plurality of legs 106 and 107 that protrude from the inner surface of the tube 105 by a mechanism or a mechanical mechanism.

The intraductal moving device shown in FIG.
It has a structure in which legs 111 and 112 are provided on the case 109 side and the piston 110 side, respectively, so that they can be opened and closed.

All of these intra-pipe movement devices use one or more cylinders as a means of movement to move intermittently within the pipe, and when moving, one leg is mechanically pushed against the inner surface of the pipe. to secure the device itself inside the pipe.

However, in these intraductal movement devices, there are multiple mechanisms for the mechanically tensioned legs,
Since the mechanism is complex, it is easy to break down, and if it becomes contaminated, it is difficult to clean, and furthermore, it is large and heavy, which is unfavorable in terms of the performance of the moving device.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of conventional intraductal moving devices, and provides an intraductal moving device with a simple structure that utilizes fluid pressure for fixing and moving the device within a pipe. The purpose is to reduce failures, facilitate cleaning, and improve performance of pipe moving devices.

The structure of the intra-tube moving device according to the present invention that achieves the above object includes a balloon on the outer periphery that is inflated and brought into close contact with the inner surface of the tube, and is deflated and separated from the inner surface of the tube, and a guide roller is provided on the inner surface of the tube. Two holding devices equipped with a plurality of contacting guide mechanisms are connected via a universal joint by a fluid actuator so as to be able to approach and separate, and the balloon and the fluid actuator are each connected to a working fluid supply/discharge device. do.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the intraductal moving device according to the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of an intraductal moving device according to an embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows a front view thereof.

The two holding devices 1 and 2 have the same configuration, and include circular connecting portions 1a and 2a, and an annular balloon holding portion 1b that is removably attached to the connecting portions 1a and 2a on the circumference of the connecting portions 1a and 2a. 2b, annular balloons (air tubes) A and B provided on the outer periphery of the balloon holders 1b and 2b, and multiple locations (two locations in this example) on the front or rear surfaces of the balloon holders 1b and 2b. It consists of guide parts (guide mechanisms) 3 and 4. Two holding devices 1, 2
The connecting portions 1a and 2a are connected to each other through a universal joint 6 by an air cylinder 5 serving as a fluid actuator, so that they can be moved toward and away from each other. The guide parts 3 and 4 have springs 3 attached to guide holding frames 3a and 4a attached to the balloon holding parts 1b and 2b.
Guide holding parts 3c, 4c are elastically provided in the radial direction via b, 4b, and spheres (for example, steel balls) 3d, 4d are attached to the guide holding parts 3c, 4c as guide members.
is rotatably provided. Spheres 3d and 4d are tubes 7
Since it makes point contact with the inner surface of the roller, there is no problem with movement even if it is not rotatable, but smooth movement is ensured by making it rotatable. Reference numeral 8 denotes a control panel as a working fluid supply/discharge device, which controls the supply/discharge of air to the air cylinder 5 and balloons A and B according to the moving direction of the intra-tube moving device. 9 is an air source,
10 is the atmosphere, 11 and 12 are air supply and discharge pipes to the air cylinder 5, and 13 and 14 are air supply and discharge pipes to the balloons A and B.

In this device, the balloon holding parts 1b and 2b are bolted to the connecting parts 1a and 2a so that they can be attached and detached.
b can be replaced and can be used with various types of piping.

Next, the intraductal movement operation of the intraductal moving device will be explained.

One balloon A is inflated to bring it into close contact with the inner surface of the tube 7, while the other balloon B is deflated and separated from the inner surface of the tube 7, and in this state, the air cylinder 5 is extended. One holding device 1 is connected to the tube 7 by the balloon A.
Since it is fixed to the inner surface, the holding device 2 moves inside the tube 7.

With the air cylinder 5 fully extended, the balloon B is inflated to bring it into close contact with the inner surface of the tube 7, and the balloon A is deflated and separated from the inner surface of the tube 7.

When the air cylinder 5 is retracted in this state, the holding device 1 is drawn toward the holding device 2, and the entire device is moved by the stroke of the air cylinder 5.

By repeating the above operations, the device
be moved within.

When the holding device 1 or 2 moves with the balloon A or B deflated, the sphere 3d or 4d of the guide portion 3 or 4 comes into contact with the inner surface of the tube 7, so that the holding device 1 or 2 can move smoothly. Also, even if there is a gap on the inner surface of the tube 7, the springs 3b, 4b of the guide parts 3, 4
absorbs the gap, ensuring smooth movement. Furthermore, since the balloons A and B are annular and are in close contact with the entire circumference of the inner surface of the tube, the contact area is large, and therefore a high holding force can be obtained even when the air pressure is low.
Therefore, movement is possible even if the direction of the tube changes three-dimensionally.

As described above in detail based on one embodiment, according to the intra-pipe moving device according to the present invention, the holding mechanism for the inner surface of the pipe is of a balloon type, which simplifies the structure, reduces failures, and improves reliability. This improves the efficiency, makes cleaning easier, and also makes it lighter, which increases operability. Moreover, the number of parts can be reduced, and the economy when replacing parts can be increased. Since the holding method is a full-circumference contact method using an air balloon, a high holding force can be obtained with a small air pressure, and it is also advantageous in terms of energy.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are a side view and a sectional side view of a conventional intraductal moving device, respectively, FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of an intraductal moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a front view thereof. be. In the drawing, 1 and 2 are holding devices, 1a and 2a are connecting parts, 1b and 2b are balloon holding parts, 3 and 4 are guide parts, 5 is an air cylinder, 6 is a universal joint, 7 is a pipe, and 8 is a control Boards A and B are balloons.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Equipped with a balloon on the outer periphery that is inflated and brought into close contact with the inner surface of the tube, and deflated and separated from the inner surface of the tube,
Two holding devices equipped with a plurality of guide mechanisms in which guide rollers are in contact with the inner surface of the tube are connected via a universal joint by a fluid actuator so that they can be approached and separated, and the balloon and the fluid actuator are respectively supplied and discharged with working fluid. An intraductal moving device characterized in that it is connected to a device.