JPH0616129A - Inside-pipe moving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cope with work such as maintenance, inspection and service inside the pipe and on the pipe inner wall by constituting a driving force receiving reciprocating body so as to be capable of contacting with and separating from the pipe inner wall as a block body having plural sets of joint arms extensible and contractible in the pipe diameter direction in response to axial directional protrusion or retreat. CONSTITUTION:When a piston rod 35 in a cylinder 30 is pushed out, both arms 32 and 33 are bent, retreated contractively, and separated from the pipe inner wall, and when the piston rod 35 is pulled in, both the joint arms 32 and 33 are extended, and are brought into contact with the pipe inner wall through a contact plate 40 moving loosely on the respective tips, and are extended firmly. In order to advance forward, the front side block piston rod 35 is projected, and the joint arms 32 and 33 are separated from the pipe inner wall, and are put in a folded-up and contractively retreated condition, so that rear side block joint arms 36 and 37 are brought into contact firmly with the pipe inner wall through the contact plate 40 in a still extended condition.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-pipe moving device which is remotely controlled from the outside of a pipe, and more particularly, to exchanging a working tool corresponding to running, maintenance, inspection and maintenance in a laid pipe in which pipes having different diameters are joined. A possible pipe moving device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for self-propelled in a pipe, for example, in a scientific magazine MOL published by Ohm Co. on December 1, 1986, a flexible pipe is provided with traveling wheels, and a plurality of sets of self-propelled wheels are connected. A device is disclosed.
This technology is an 18-car train consisting of two leading cars, four drive cars, one gear car and one motor car, one connector car and one sensor car, and pulls the signal cable to caliber 50 and 100 m.
A robot that automatically inspects the inside of a steel pipe of m has been introduced.

However, the above-mentioned prior art has a problem in the adhesive traction force of the traveling wheels moving in the pipe. That is, it is difficult to always position the wheel below, the own weight of the vehicle cannot be used as the axle load, and if a wheel for urging the axle weight is provided on the side opposite to the drive wheel, in the case of an existing pipe, Since the inner diameter of the pipe is divided in the axial direction by the scale and the like attached to the inner wall of the pipe, the wheel cannot be self-propelled against the removing operation of the scale.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the applicant of the present invention advances or retracts the other support of the pair of supports while one support the inner wall of the tube, and then the other support. Repeating one cycle of advancing or retracting one of the supports while supporting the inner wall of the pipe with the support, that is, the pair of supports alternately supports the inner wall of the pipe and alternately connects the support with the inner wall of the pipe. Proposal for a configuration in which the entire device is moved forward or backward by repeating the separating operation (JP-A-4-1)
No. 54470, etc., not known at the time of original application).

In the above-mentioned conventional structure, a pair of front support and rear support as the expansion and contraction piston mechanism alternately repeats contact and separation operations with the inner wall of the pipe, so that it is ensured without relying on the adhesive traction force of the wheels. This is a useful technique for achieving smooth movement, but for example, in a buried metal pipe with a diameter of about 60 mm, which has been used for many years, water stains, oxides, rust, silica gel, etc. adhere to the pipe wall and the inside of the pipe gradually becomes clogged. Therefore, in order to remove these, a coiled blade edge or brush is attached to the tip of a wire with a flexible shaft of about 20 meters, and this is inserted into the tube and rotated to clean it. Since the wire did not reach and the waist of the wire was flexible, it was difficult to remove hard foreign matter. Furthermore, when a small-diameter pipe with a diameter of, for example, 10 cm or less and a pipe with a larger diameter are spliced to run in a pipe with a different diameter, when using a rotary working tool, it is placed on the axis center with respect to the pipe diameter. The traveling body can be held, and even if it bends straight or curved pipes, it can be expanded and contracted in the pipe radial direction to ensure contact with and separation from the inner wall of the pipe, and work tools can be exchanged according to the work environment. It is preferable that the type of drive source for traveling and operation of the moving device can be selected.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, according to the present invention, a replaceable work tool for maintenance, inspection, maintenance, etc. of the inside of the pipe and the inside wall of the pipe can be mounted, regardless of straightness, bending, or pipe diameter. It is an object of the present invention to provide an intra-tube moving device that utilizes the extension and contraction motion of a joint arm that can bend and stretch according to the pipe diameter so that it can be self-propelled while maintaining its balance along its central axis.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to an in-tube moving device that travels along an axis in a tube, by a driving force that is remotely controlled from the outside of the tube. A block body composed of at least a pair of joint arms that bends and extends in the pipe radial direction so as to come in contact with and separate from the inner wall of the pipe in response to the forward and backward movement of a reciprocating body that appears in and out in the axial direction is characterized by being provided along the axial direction of the pipe. It is a pipe moving device.

At least two sets of the block bodies are coaxially connected to each other, and the pair of joint arms are alternately contacted with and separated from the inner wall of the pipe in the forward and backward directions along the axis. Further, the working tool can be detachably attached to the tip of the block body, and the joint arm of the block body can also be used as a kind of working tool.

[0009]

With this configuration, the reciprocating body that appears in and out in the axial direction is biased directly from the drive source outside the pipe by remote control,
By bending and extending the joint arm in the pipe diameter direction, it comes in contact with and separates from the inner wall of the pipe, so that it can be inserted into a small-diameter pipe, or it can be used for joining pipes of one different diameter or straight or curved pipes. Therefore, the pair of joint arms can move in a balanced manner on the axial center line while firmly abutting against each other regardless of the unevenness of the inner wall of the tube.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be illustratively described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto, but are merely examples, unless otherwise specified. Not too much.

First, FIG. 1 shows a view (A) in a contracted state and a view (B) in a stretched state in which the joint arm of the block body, which is the main component of the in-pipe moving apparatus of the present invention, shows the cylinder 3 on the center line of the pipe diameter.
Guide plate 3 at the tip of the piston rod 35 that appears and disappears from 0
A pair of joint arms 32 and 33 are attached through 9 and a connecting plate 38 above and below one end of the cylinder, respectively, and the entire arm moves along the guide rod 47. Reference numeral 34 denotes an input / output end of a driving force from a driving source fed from the outside of the pipe, and when the piston rod 35 in the cylinder 30 is pushed out by using, for example, compressed air as the driving source, the driving force of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the piston rod 35 is retracted, the joint arms 32 and 33 both extend and retract, and the arms 32 and 33 both bend and retract. The tube is abutted against the inner wall of the tube through a contact plate 40 that floats at the tip of the tube and is firmly stretched.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, two sets of the block bodies shown in FIG. 1 are coaxially connected to each other with a cylinder 30 interposed therebetween to form a tubular body 100 having a uniform diameter.
2A shows an operation mode of inserting from the rear end and moving forward toward the front end. FIG. 2A shows a pair of joint arms 32 and 33 of the front block and a pair of joint arms 36 and 37 of the rear block. Both are in the stretched state and the contact plate 40
While firmly abutting against the inner wall of the pipe via
The mode when the in-pipe moving device 200 is stopped is shown.

Next, in FIG. 2B, in order to move forward from the position shown in FIG. 2A, the piston rod 35 of the front block projects and the joint arms 32 and 33 are folded away from the inner wall of the pipe. In the contracted state, the joint arms 36 and 37 of the rear block are still in the stretched state and contact plate 4 against the inner wall of the pipe.
FIG. 2 (C) shows a state in which they are firmly abutted via 0.
As a result of the piston rod 35 of the cylinder 30 interposed between the front block and the rear block protruding and pushing out the front block in the forward direction, the position of the front block has moved forward from the position shown in FIG. Each mode is shown.

FIG. 2D shows a state in which the joint arms 32 and 33 of the front block extend and come into contact with the inner wall of the pipe with a strong tension after the state shown in FIG. 2C.
As shown in (E), the joint arms 36 and 37 of the rear block are folded away from the inner wall of the pipe due to the protrusion of the piston rod 35 of the cylinder, and are in a retracted state, and are pulled by the front block that has moved forward to move along the axial line. Similarly, proceed to Figure 2
As shown in (F), the piston rod of the cylinder interposed in the center is retracted to draw the rear block toward the front block, and as a result, the entire block can be moved forward.

Here, as the power source, electric power, gas, liquid fluid, etc. may be arbitrarily selected according to the laying condition of the pipe body, for example, environmental conditions such as fire-prohibited area and buried soil, and if compressed air is used. If the discharge rate is 60 liters / minute, and if the maximum pressure of 9 kg / cm2 can be taken out, the portable compressor can provide sufficient driving force, and the front length of the cable for remote control can be controlled from outside the pipe. If, for example, it is set to 36 meters, this weight is equivalent to about 4 kilograms. Therefore, for example, the traction force required to move the inside of a tube having an inner diameter of 10 cm is 2 in the axial direction.
I have confirmed that 0 kilograms is enough.
Further, the present invention can be carried out and the effect can be effectively exhibited even if the pipe body is not limited to a steel pipe but is a pipe made of resin such as vinyl chloride or polyethylene or an earth pipe.

Next, a different embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 (A) shows a side view of an in-pipe moving device 200 according to the present invention, in which the drive shaft 0 is substantially centered in the longitudinal direction. A disk-shaped stopper 53 for partitioning the right and left sides and an inner cylindrical body 5 connected to this are fixedly mounted on the drive shaft. Further, the stopper 53 is provided on the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical body 5 in the opposite directions on the axis. The outer cylindrical bodies 6 whose movements are restricted are respectively mounted slidably in the axial direction, and joint arms 9 each having one end rotatably connected to each other by a rotary wheel 8 are provided on the outer circumferences of the outer cylindrical bodies 6. , Each outer cylinder 6
The other end is axially attached along the axial direction so as to straddle each other, and the spring body 7 for pulling the outer cylinder bodies 6 to each other is arranged and fixed between the joint arms 9 to configure the in-pipe moving device 200. ing. The hollow portion in the inner cylinder is urged by a drive source outside the tube to move forward and backward on the drive shaft and change the moving direction and speed of the driving force with the outer cylinder. The driving means 54 composed of a gear is built in.

FIG. 3 (B) is a front view in which the in-pipe moving device 200 shown in FIG. 3 (A) is inserted into a tube having a different diameter in which a large diameter tube 1 and a small diameter tube 2 are joined in the axial direction. In the figure, the joint arm 9 extends and abuts against the inner wall of the tube via the rotary wheel 8. In order to pass through the small-diameter tube 2, the elastic force of the spring body 7 is applied to the outer cylinder body 6 in the opposite directions with the stopper 53 as a boundary in response to the driving force of the driving means 4 in the inner cylinder body 5. The outer cylinders are separated from each other in the opposite directions due to the sliding in the axial direction against
At the same time, all of the articulated arms 9 of the book are bent from the extended state shown in the drawing to a substantially horizontal position approaching the outer cylindrical body and retracted,
It is possible to reduce the outer diameter so that it can be inserted into the small-diameter tube, and at the same time, to advance the entire apparatus. In this case, since the tips of the three joint arms are in contact with each other at three points on the inner circumference of the inner wall of the tube, the entire apparatus can be positioned in balance with the axial center of the tube diameter.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, a description will be given of a mode in which the pipes of different diameters are moved through. In FIG.
The in-tube moving device 200 pushed in is in a state in which the joint arm is stretched to the height at which the rotary wheel 8 contacts the inner wall of the tube and strongly squeezed, and at the stage of entering the small diameter tube 2,
As shown in (B), when an attempt is made to move forward by a driving force in the axial direction, the rotary wheel 8 is regulated by the inner wall of the small diameter pipe while being in contact with the inner wall of the pipe, and the axial center of the pipe diameter is forced. As a result of the compression in the direction, the joint arm can be retracted along the inner wall of the small-diameter pipe to a substantially horizontal position and can be moved forward in the narrow pipe space. When the intra-tube moving device receives the driving force to move forward, the outer cylinder body 6 on the forward side prevents the sliders 61 and 62 to which the joint arms 32 are attached by the stoppers 53 from sliding by the stoppers 3a and 3b. Then, as the rear outer cylinder body 6 slides backward, both joint arms are retracted, and the entire device moves from the large diameter pipe to the small diameter pipe.

FIGS. 4C and 4D are the same as FIG.
Contrary to (A) and (B), an example of pulling from the large diameter pipe 1 side to the small diameter pipe 2 side is shown, and since it is the same as the above-mentioned operation mode, duplicated explanation is omitted.

Next, FIG. 5 is a side view (A) of a different embodiment of the in-pipe moving device 200 in which a detachable work implement is mounted at the top, and some joint arms are provided with a grinding blade and a shaping blade. 6A and 6B show a front view, FIG. 6A shows a side view of the drive shaft, and FIG. 6B shows a side view with the joint arm and slider attached.

As will be described below in the order of assembling, FIG.
The drive shaft 0 of (A) is a stopper 3a, 3b for restricting horizontal movement at the central portion M in the axial direction at the end edges of two pairs of sliders 61, 62 (both one side) that sandwich the drive shaft in a pair. A solid portion separated by the arrow, key grooves K1 and K2 are opened along the axial load on both left and right sides of the stopper, and a coupler 70 for connection is provided at one end. And the slider 6
1, 62 are inserted into the grooves K1, K2 through pins P4, P5 protruding from the central portion on the side opposite to the respective stopper sides, and the sliders 61, 62 are rotatably pivoted to mutually symmetrical positions. One end of the pair of attached joint arms 32 is rotatably connected by a pin P3 to a supporting abutment plate 40 on the inner wall of the tube having a horizontal elongated hole h in which a pin P1 protruding from one end floats. However, after this, as shown in FIG. 5A, another pair of sliders is sandwiched between the sliders 61 and 62 so as to face the respective joint arms 32. Therefore, when moving forward in the pipe, the front slider 62
Alternatively, the rear slider 61 has the key groove K2 or K2 on the drive shaft 0.
1 is slid until it comes into contact with the respective stopper 3a or 3b, and the bending height of each joint arm 32 is changed according to the pipe diameter.

The abutment plate 40 is provided with shaping blades 82 which are parallel to the abutment plate 40 while supporting the inner wall of the tube and which project and retract in the directions of the arrows in FIG. A grinding blade 64 is attached to the front side of the arm 32, and a pair of joint arms 32 and 33 is provided with a spring body 71 straddling the joint arms 32 and 33 for elastically urging the joint arms. A rotary working tool 80 for removing foreign matters clogging the pipe is attached to the leading end of the drive shaft.

Here, as the working tool, a paint discharge gun for painting the inner wall of the pipe, a buff for cleaning, an optical fiber inspection tool for precision inspection, a precision camera, etc. are suitable for the work inside the pipe, and are moved inside the pipe. Any system can be organized as long as it is a device that can be connected to the head of the device, and any type of working device such as rotary type or reciprocating type can be selected regardless of the external drive source. You can For example, the overall system configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The entry portion into the pipe is a battery, an air reservoir or the like, a switch, a driving force control unit 90 including a valve, and a pipe moving device 200A, B having a plurality of stages. ,
C and the working implement 80 are connected in series on the same axis line via the coupler 70, and the electricity installed outside the pipe is maintained while maintaining coordination with the driving force control unit, the in-pipe moving device, and the working implement. The controller 21 controls the power of the power source 41 such as gas-liquid pressure.
And / or 31 is remotely controlled via cable 50. Then, a detection sensor is appropriately attached to the moving device in the pipe in the controller, an accurate operation sequence of the moving device in the pipe and the working tool is programmed in advance, and a CPU for controlling processing according to this is built in. Alternatively, the state inside the tube may be grasped by a monitor camera outside the tube using a monitoring camera.

[0024]

As described above, the in-pipe moving device according to the present invention is particularly suitable for inspecting, cleaning, grinding, and laying pipes and pipe walls.
It is possible to equip work tools that can be replaced according to inspection, maintenance, maintenance work such as painting, imaging, etc., and even for joint pipes with different diameters, straight pipes, and curved pipes, the center of the shaft can be smoothly and reliably deep inside the pipe. It is possible to efficiently move forward and backward by remote control while maintaining a good balance, select work tools and drive sources suitable for the work environment, and monitor the movement of the moving device and the work status by a monitor installed outside the pipe, so it is safe. You can secure the sex.
Further, not only for straight pipes but also for curved pipes, since the joint arms can be connected and arranged in the front and rear stages so as to alternately repeat the expansion and contraction operation, it is possible to pass it according to its radius of curvature, etc. It plays.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a block body in which an articulated arm of a pipe moving device according to an embodiment of the present invention is (A) bent and in a contracted state;
And (B) shows a side view of the stretched block body.

2 (A) to 2 (F) are explanatory views of an operation mode for moving the device of FIG. 1 in a tube.

3A and 3B show an in-pipe moving device according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 3A is an external side view, and FIG. 3B is a front view inserted into a pipe having a different diameter.

4 (A) to 4 (D) are explanatory views of an operation mode for moving the inside of the different diameter pipe of FIG.

5A and 5B are a side view and a front view, respectively, of an in-pipe moving device equipped with a working tool according to a different embodiment of the present invention.

6A and 6B are a side view of a drive shaft and a side view of a state in which a joint arm on one side and a slider are mounted on the drive shaft, respectively.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a general system configuration in which a working tool is installed in the pipe moving device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30 cylinder 35 piston rod 32 joint arm 33 joint arm 36 joint arm 37 joint arm 100 tubular body 200 in-pipe moving device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G01N 21/88 B 8304-2J // E03F 9/00 7005-2D

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An in-pipe moving device that travels in a pipe along an axis, comprising at least a plurality of sets of joint arms in which a reciprocating body that receives a driving force bends and extends in the pipe radial direction in response to appearance and removal in the axial direction. An in-pipe moving device, characterized in that it is configured as a block body so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from an inner wall of the pipe. 2. The in-pipe moving device according to claim 1, wherein at least a plurality of sets of the block bodies are coaxially connected to each other so that the joint arms can be alternately contacted and separated from each other in the advancing and retracting directions. 3. A part of an articulated arm of the block body can be used also as a working tool.
The in-pipe moving device described. 4. The in-pipe moving device according to claim 1, wherein a working tool is attachable to the tip of the block body.