JPH05294233A - In-pipe walking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform free walk control to the considerable depth in a pipe by moving the folded articulated arms of a front or rear cylinder block forward or backward by an expansion cylinder block while the articulated arms of the other cylinder block are stretched in contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe. CONSTITUTION:When each articulated arm is mounted in the stretched state to the pipe inner wall and then compressed air is led in, the cylinder 35 of a cylinder block 30 protrudes so as to fold a front leg. The front leg fixed to the piston rod of an expansion cylinder block 38 through guide bars 36 is pushed out forward, and then the articulated arms 32, 33 of the folded front leg are opened to come in contact with the pipe inner wall and placed into the holding-out state. Further in the following step, the cylinder of a rear leg protrudes to fold the articulated arms of the rear leg, and the cylinder 35 of the expansion cylinder block 38 recedes into the contracted state. As a result, the rear leg fixed to one guide bar 36 is pulled onto the expansion cylinder side, that is, forward, so as to move forward.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-pipe walking device which can be equipped with a working tool such as an imaging means for visually inspecting a tubular body having a diameter of about 5 to 10 cm at the top, and at least along the axial direction of the inner wall surface of the tubular body. It is characterized in that it is possible to simply and surely move forward and backward in the pipe by using a leg provided with a joint arm that is arranged in series through an elastic cylinder block so as to abut the inner wall of the pipe at two positions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A scale attached to an inner wall surface of a small-diameter tube having a diameter of 10 cm or less is peeled off, and internal inspection is performed for cleaning, painting, or nondestructive inspection. The present inventor has previously proposed the above-mentioned in-pipe walking means as an in-pipe moving method in which a pair of inner pipe wall support arms are alternately separated and contacted to step.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned prior art, the number of pistons for connecting the pipe inner wall support arms to each other coaxially in a telescopic manner is so large that it is difficult to reduce the size practically, and the traction force is weakened, so that the inside of the pipe is weakened. The weight of the entire walking mechanism to be inserted is also restricted, and if the pipe diameter becomes thicker on the way, an additional attachment must be attached, which causes inconvenience that a series of operations cannot be performed.

[0004]

According to the present invention, the total number of driving pistons is reduced to reduce the overall size in correspondence with the small diameter pipe of the in-pipe walking device, while the cylinder diameter can be increased to enhance the traction force. At the two positions along the axial direction of the inner wall of the pipe, the tips of the articulated arms that open due to the introduction of air pressure come into contact with each other, and the piston rods are fixed in parallel to each other to form a pair of front and rear legs, a front cylinder cylinder and a rear cylinder block. By providing a telescopic cylinder block for opening and closing the joint arm at the sandwiched position, one of the joint arms connected to the cylinder block abuts against the inner wall of the pipe and the other joint is folded while being stretched. The arm is configured so as to extend in the axial direction and step forward.

[0005]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a walker equipped with an image pickup means such as a detachable endoscope camera at its head, and a tube insertion portion in which a control unit for walking power (traction force) is coaxially connected to the walk portion, and a walker and an image pickup means outside the tube. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a walking device in a tube incorporated into a system through a controller, a monitor, and a power source via a cable. For example, a lighting device 1 and a TV camera 2 are added as image pickup means to the head of the walking device inserted in the tube. When the compressed air is introduced into the power input end 34 as a power source, the joint arms 32, 33 and the like as shown in FIG. The walking unit 3 including the front leg and the rear leg is connected to convert the folded state (A) to the extended state (B) in which the distal end of the joint arm abuts against the inner wall of the tube.

Then, the universal joint UJ is coaxially provided in the rear stage of the rear legs.
Cable buffer block 4 one after another via -1 to UJ-5
2, the power control unit 4 including the front leg power control unit 43, the extension / contraction control unit 44, the rear leg power control unit 45, and the cable connection block 46 is connected.

Here, 11 is an illumination adjuster for the illumination 1 built in the image pickup means, 21 is a TV camera controller, 22 is its monitor, and 31 is a controller of the walking unit.

Next, FIG. 3 shows the front leg and the telescopic cylinder block 3.
FIG. 8 is a state diagram shown in (a) to (f) showing how the rear leg walks from the rear end to the front end within the tubular body 100. Both the legs and joint arms extend almost vertically until they abut the inner wall of the pipe, and are tensioned firmly inside the pipe (a). In the next step, either one of the power input ends is used. In the example, when compressed air is introduced, the cylinder 35 of the cylinder block 30 projects so as to fold the front leg (b), and the front leg fixed to the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder block 38 via the guide rod 36 is pushed forward. Then, the joint arms 32 and 33 of the front leg that have been folded next are opened and abut on the inner wall of the tube to be in the stepped state (d). In the next step, the cylinder of the rear leg projects and the joint arm is folded (e), and the cylinder 35 of the telescopic cylinder 38 is retracted and contracted. As a result, the telescopic cylinder side, that is, the front, is fixed to one guide rod 36. The rear leg being pulled is pulled forward to move forward (f).

As the power source 41, electric power and fluid (air, liquid) pressure may be selectively used according to the environment in which the pipe is laid, for example, in a gas atmosphere or in the soil. Taking the case of use as an example, if the maximum discharge pressure of 60 liters / minute and a maximum pressure of 9 kilograms / square centimeter can be taken out, the compressor as a power source can be fully realized with a small portable capacity, and It has been found that the traction force required to walk in a vinyl chloride pipe having an inner diameter of 10 cm is 20 kg in the axial direction, for a weight of about 4 kg when the total length of the control cable is 36 m. It was

[0010]

As described above, according to the in-pipe walking apparatus of the present invention, work contents that can be attached to and detached from the walking part and its tip regardless of the pipe material and the pipe diameter, such as painting, peeling, cleaning, and internal inspection of the pipe. Even if the weight including the appropriate attachment (work implement), power control unit and cable reaches 6 kilograms, the joint arm of the walking section extends almost vertically until it abuts the inner wall of the pipe, and captures the inner wall of the pipe with strong tread tension. Since it can be supported, the walking can be freely controlled by an external controller without lowering the walking traction ability to the deep inside of the pipe. Further, when the tube diameter changes in the middle, the joint arm that expands and contracts can be lengthened so that the diameter of the insertion portion is adjusted to a small diameter so that a smooth and continuous walk can be performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control system for a walking device in a pipe of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a state diagram (A) in which the joint arms of the legs forming the walking unit in FIG. 1 are folded, and a state diagram (B) in which the joint arms are opened.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating walking states (a) to (f) of legs connected to the front and rear of a telescopic cylinder block in a pipe body.

[Explanation of symbols]

32, 33, 36, 37 Joint arm 3 Walking unit 4 Power control unit 41 Power source 42 Cable buffer block 43 Front leg power control unit 44 Expansion and contraction control unit 45 Rear leg power control unit 46 Cable connection block 50 Cable 22 Monitor 31 Walking unit controller

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B62D 57/032 E03C 1/30 7005-2D

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tip of an articulated arm that opens by introducing a driving force at least at two front and rear positions along the axial direction of the inner wall surface of the tube contacts the inner wall surface of the tube, and piston rods are fixed in parallel to each other. A pair of front and rear legs, front and rear cylinder blocks, and a cylinder block that expands and contracts to open and close the joint arm at a sandwiching position thereof, and either one of the front cylinder block or the rear cylinder block In the walking apparatus, the other joint arm is moved forward or backward in the axial direction by the telescopic cylinder block while the joint arm is stretched in contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe. ..