JPH0547363Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to an in-pipe self-propelled device for pushing or towing a pipe diagnostic device into a small-diameter pipe in which a person cannot walk inside.

Conventional technology Traditionally, when diagnosing the inside of a small-diameter pipe where humans cannot walk inside, investigation television cameras,
Insert pipe diagnostic equipment such as pipe thickness measuring equipment into the pipe,
Diagnosis was carried out by moving the pipe diagnosis equipment by pulling it with a cable or pushing it with a long rod.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, according to the above-mentioned conventional method, there is a problem in that when the pipe line is long, it is not easy to move the pipe line diagnostic equipment.

The present invention was made to solve these conventional problems, and even when the pipe line is long,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-pipe self-propelled device that can easily move a pipe diagnostic device in either the forward or backward directions.

Means for solving the problems In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention
3 with a piston rod that can move in and out of the cylinder body
A plurality of cylinder rows are provided in the radial direction at both ends of the two front and rear cylinder bodies, each cylinder row having a row of cylinders connected in a row in the front, middle and rear, and piston rods protruding from both front and rear ends of the row. The piston rod is slidably supported in the pipe via fixed legs, and a pipe line diagnostic device is connected to the tip of the piston rod, and is stretched between the two front and rear cylinder bodies and the piston rod tips. A plurality of movable legs that can be bent into a chevron shape are provided extending in the radial direction of the tube, and a locking tooth that comes into contact with the inner surface of the tube is provided at the intermediate connecting portion of the movable legs. The connecting portion is configured to expand and contract in a detachable manner with respect to the inner wall of the tube as the piston rod moves in and out.

Operation In the configuration of the present invention described above, when moving the cylinder row forward, first, the piston rod of the rear cylinder is retracted, and the intermediate connecting portion of its movable leg is expanded in diameter and locked to the inner wall of the tube. At the same time, the piston rod of the front cylinder is made to protrude, and the intermediate connection part of its movable leg is reduced in diameter and separated from the inner wall of the tube.
Next, when the piston rod of the middle cylinder is projected, the rear cylinder is fixed by its movable legs, but the front cylinder is propelled forward because its movable legs are in a free state. Next, the diameter of the piston rod of the front cylinder is reduced, and the intermediate connection part of its movable leg is expanded in diameter to lock it to the inner wall of the pipe, and at the same time, the piston rod of the rear cylinder is protruded, and the movable leg The intermediate connection is reduced in diameter and separated from the inner wall of the tube. Next, when the piston rod of the intermediate cylinder is retracted, the front cylinder is fixed by its movable legs, but the rear cylinder is drawn forward because its movable legs are in a free state. Thus, by repeating the above operations, the cylinder row moves forward like an inchworm. Therefore, if a pipe diagnostic device is connected to the front and rear ends of the cylinder row, or to either one of them,
This allows the pipe line diagnostic equipment to be advanced within the pipe.

It goes without saying that when moving the cylinder row backwards, the operation described above for moving the cylinder rows forward may be reversed.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, the in-tube self-propelled device of this embodiment includes a cylinder row 2 movably provided in a tube 1. The pipe 1 is a small-diameter pipe such as a water pipe that a person cannot walk inside. The cylinder row 2 is formed by three cylinders 3, 4, and 5, front, middle, and rear, connected in one row via a joint 6. Each cylinder 3, 4,
Reference numeral 5 denotes an air cylinder having a piston rod 8 that can move in and out of the cylinder body 7, and an air hose 10 connected to the air inlet/outlet 9 provided at both ends of the cylinder body 7.
is connected. 2 cylinders 3 and 5, front and rear
The piston rod 8 is connected to protrude from both the front and rear ends of the cylinder row 2, and a plurality of fixed legs 11 (three in the figure) are attached to both ends of the cylinder body 7.
(See Figures 2 and 3). The cylinder row 2 is slidably supported within the tube 1 via fixed legs 11 . Further, on the piston rod side of the two front and rear cylinders 3 and 5, a plurality of movable legs 12 (three in each case) are provided in the radial direction (see FIGS. 2 and 3). ). Each movable leg 12 has a pair of links 13 and 14 connected at one end to be bendable in a chevron shape by a pin 15, and the other end of each link 13, 14 is connected to the piston rod 8 by a pin 16. It is rotatably connected to the tip and the end of the cylinder body 7. pin 1
5, one of the links (the one shown is the link 13 on the piston rod side)
Sawtooth locking teeth 18 are formed in a semicircular shape at the end of the holder. Thus, the locking tooth 18 locks the piston rod 8
By moving in and out, it can be expanded and contracted in a detachable manner from the inner wall of the tube 1. As shown in FIG. 1, at both the front and rear ends of the cylinder row 2, an illuminated television camera 19 and a solenoid valve unit 20 are connected to the tip of the piston rod 8 via a joint 6.

Next, the operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be explained.

When moving the cylinder row 2 forward (in the direction of the arrow in the figure), first, compressed air is supplied to the cylinder body 7 of the backward cylinder 5 from the air hose 10 on the piston rod side to retract the piston rod 8 and move it. The intermediate connecting portion 17 of the leg 12 is expanded in diameter to form a locking tooth 18.
is fixed to the inner wall of the tube 1 so as to bite into it. At the same time, compressed air is supplied to the cylinder body 7 of the front cylinder 3 from the air hose 10 on the side opposite to the piston rod to cause the piston rod 8 to protrude, and the diameter of the intermediate connection part 17 of the movable leg 12 is reduced to reduce the diameter of the locking tooth 18. is detached from the inner wall of tube 1. Next, the air hose 10 on the side opposite to the piston rod is connected to the cylinder body 7 of the intermediate cylinder 4.
When the piston rod 8 is made to protrude by supplying compressed air from Since it is in a free state, it can be propelled forward. Next, contrary to the above, compressed air is supplied to the cylinder body 7 of the front cylinder 3 from the air hose 10 on the piston rod side to retract the piston rod 8, and the intermediate connection part 17 of the movable leg 12 is expanded in diameter. At the same time, the piston rod 8 is caused to protrude by supplying compressed air to the cylinder body 7 of the rear cylinder 5 from the air hose 10 on the side opposite to the piston rod. , the intermediate connecting portion 17 of the movable leg 12 is reduced in diameter to separate the locking teeth 18 from the inner wall of the tube 1. Next, when compressed air is supplied from the air hose 10 on the piston rod side to the cylinder body 7 of the intermediate cylinder 4 to retract the piston rod 8, the front cylinder 3 is fixed by the locking teeth 18 of the movable leg 12. However, the rear cylinder 5 is pulled forward because the locking teeth 18 of the movable leg 12 are in a free state. Thereafter, by repeating the above operations, the cylinder row 2 is connected to the television camera 19.
and the electromagnetic valve unit 20, it moves forward within the tube 1 like an inchworm.

It goes without saying that when the cylinder row 2 is to be moved forward (in the direction opposite to the arrow in the figure), the operation that is reverse to the above-mentioned forward movement may be performed.

Effects of the invention As described above, in the present invention, one set of cylinder rows automatically move inside a pipe in either the front or back direction with a pipe diagnosis device by expanding and contracting the movable legs and biting the locking teeth into the pipe inner surface. Because it is configured so that it can be moved, it is extremely easy to move the pipeline diagnostic equipment even when the pipeline is long, and work efficiency is significantly improved.
It has the advantage of a wide range of applications.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an in-pipe self-propelled device showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the front part of the cylinder row of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a view taken along arrow A-A in Fig. 2. FIG. 1...Pipe, 2...Cylinder row, 3...Cylinder (front), 4...Cylinder (middle), 5...Cylinder (rear), 7...Cylinder body, 8...Piston rod, 11... Fixed leg, 12...Movable leg, 13,
14...Link, 17...Intermediate connection part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Three cylinders each having a piston rod that can move in and out of the cylinder body are connected in one row at the front, middle and rear, and the piston rods protrude from both the front and rear ends of the row. The cylinder body is slidably supported in the pipe via a plurality of fixed legs provided in the radial direction at both ends of the cylinder body, and a pipe diagnostic device is connected to the tip of the piston rod, and the two cylinder bodies are connected to the front and rear cylinder bodies. A plurality of movable legs that can be bent into a chevron shape and extend between the piston rod tip and the tip of the piston rod are provided so as to protrude in the radial direction of the tube, and the intermediate connecting portions of the movable legs abut the inner surface of the tube. 1. A self-propelled device in a tube, characterized in that locking teeth are provided, and intermediate connecting portions of these movable legs expand and contract in a detachable manner with respect to the inner wall of the tube as the piston rod moves in and out.