JPH08188150A - Traveling device of working robot and traveling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To move a change section of a pipe cross section and a change section in the direction of pipe axis easily by providing a detector which detects the arrival of a working robot at the change section of the pipe cross section and the change section in the direction of pipe axis and a controller which outputs drive signals in such a manner that it can pivot freely by signals detected by the detector. CONSTITUTION: When a cleaning robot 2 arrives at a change section 32 of a pipe cross section, an object which reacts for a proximity sensor 34 disappears suddenly and the proximity sensor 34 is turned off to detect that the cleaning robot 2 arrives at the change section 32 of the pipe cross section. Then, the detected signal is outputted to a controller, which outputs again drive signals to a drive motor. A first traveling body 22 is rotated forward and backward only by 360 around a pipe axis 4 by the drive signals. During the rotation, the controller detects two points where the proximity sensor 34 is changed from on to off or from off to on and performs calculation in the direction of branching.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a work robot moving apparatus for inspecting, cleaning, or performing maintenance on a water intake pipe (cylindrical pipe) attached to, for example, a nuclear power plant, and a moving method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, an intake pipe attached to a nuclear power plant or the like needs to be regularly inspected, cleaned or maintained, and there is a pipe work robot for performing these works.

Conventionally, a moving device for moving the above-mentioned work robot along a cylindrical tube is provided with a plurality of arms, which are movable in the radial direction of the cylindrical tube, on a moving body, and the tips of these arms are provided. There is one in which a work robot is moved by providing a wheel that rolls in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical tube.

Further, the front and rear moving bodies are connected by a telescopic body, and a plurality of (3 to 4) legs which can expand and contract in the radial direction of the cylindrical pipe and come into contact with and separate from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical pipe are attached to each moving body. There is one in which the work robot is moved by alternately providing the front and rear moving bodies.

[0005]

Among the above-mentioned conventional moving devices, the former one is capable of running the elbow portion of the horizontal pipe, the vertical pipe and the bend pipe, but in the T-shaped branch portion, the wheels are T-shaped. There is a problem that it becomes difficult for the work robot to travel because it falls into the opening of the die branching portion.

In the latter type, the legs are straddled so as not to fall into the opening of the T-shaped branch portion.
The work robot can travel even if it has a T-shaped branch, but since it extends over the T-shaped branch, it is necessary to increase the extension stroke of the work robot, which increases the weight of the work robot and makes it difficult to handle. In addition, there is a problem that it makes traveling of the elbow part difficult.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a moving apparatus for a work robot and a moving method thereof that can solve the above problems.

[0008]

A means for solving the problems in the present invention is a moving device for moving a work robot for performing work on the inner peripheral surface of a pipe along the pipe axis direction. A plurality of moving bodies arranged side by side in the axial direction of the pipe are provided, and a cylinder device that supports the moving bodies so that they can move toward and away from each other is provided. Expandable telescopic legs are attached at predetermined angles toward each other, and a rotating device for rotating each of the moving bodies about the pipe axis by a predetermined angle is provided. A detector for detecting arrival at the changing portion in the tube axis direction is provided, and a control device for outputting a drive signal to the rotating device in response to a detection signal from the detector is provided.

Further, there is provided a moving method of a moving device for moving a work robot for performing a work on an inner peripheral surface of a pipe along a pipe axis direction, which is a changing portion of a pipe cross section and a changing portion of the pipe axial direction. Is detected by the detector, and the detection signal from this detector drives the rotating device that rotates each moving body connected in the front and rear by the cylinder device around the pipe axis, and the radius of the pipe is moved to the outer peripheral surface of the moving body. The telescopic legs that are freely extendable and retractable in the direction are rotated around the tube axis by a predetermined angle, and then the cylinder device is extended and retracted to repeat the approaching and separating of the moving bodies. By alternately extending in the radial direction of the pipe and abutting and separating it from the inner peripheral surface of the pipe,
The change section of the pipe cross section and the change section of the pipe axis direction are moved.

[0010]

In the above means for solving the above problems, the detector detects the changed portion in the cross section of the pipe and the changed portion in the pipe axial direction, and the detection signal of this detector causes each moving body connected in the front and rear by the cylinder device to rotate around the pipe axis. To rotate the telescopic leg on the outer peripheral surface of the movable body in the radial direction of the pipe so as to extend and contract in the radial direction of the pipe around the pipe axis by a predetermined angle, and subsequently to extend and retract the cylinder device. The moving bodies are repeatedly moved toward and away from each other by alternately extending and contracting the extension legs provided on the front and rear moving bodies in the radial direction of the pipe to abut and separate from the inner circumferential surface of the pipe, thereby changing the section of the pipe and the pipe axis. The direction change portion can be easily moved.

[0011]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. These are shellfish attached to an inner peripheral surface 1A of a pipe 1 constituting a water intake pipe attached to a nuclear power plant, for example. The cleaning robot 2 for removing the
1 to 3, the cleaning robot 2 is arranged at a predetermined angle (every 90 °) on the outer peripheral portion of the head 5 and is cleaned at the tip portion thereof. A cleaning blade 7 provided with a brush 6, an annular recovery brush body 9 attached to the rear part of the head 5 and having a recovery brush 9a on the outer periphery, a front light for illuminating the front of the tube 1, and a cleaning state are photographed. Camera device 11 and head 5 for
Of the suction port 9 on the front side of the recovery brush body 9
And a recovery hose 13 to which A is attached.

The recovery hose 13 is arranged on the same axis as the tube shaft 4 and has a hose body 14 covered with the outer cylinder 12, and a hose body 14 has a tip portion around the tube shaft 4 via a joint 15. And an elbow hose body 16 having an open end serving as the suction port 9A.

The moving device 3 includes a first moving device 20 in front of which the cleaning robot 2 is attached, and the first moving device 20.
A second moving device 21 disposed at the rear of the first moving device 20. The first moving device 20 has a first moving body 22 that is fitted onto the outer cylinder 12 at its distal end, and the first moving body 22 has a predetermined movement. Angle (1
(80 °) everywhere, and the hydraulic cylinder device 23 expands and contracts in the radial direction C of the pipe 1 and the fixed guide roller (which is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the first moving body 22 via the support leg 26). (Also referred to as omni roller) 27 and each support leg 26, and a U-shaped support 35 is provided at the tip of a hydraulic cylinder device 28 that extends and contracts in synchronization with the extension leg 24.
There are provided a synchronous guide roller 29 attached via the rotary blade and a rotating device 30 for rotating the cleaning blade 7.

A rubber plate 31 which is brought into contact with and separated from the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe by the drive of the hydraulic cylinder device 23 is attached to the tip of the telescopic leg 24.
1 is formed to have the same curvature as the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe,
A magnetic detection sensor 34 for detecting the presence of a pipe cross-section changing portion (T-shaped branch portion) 32 and a pipe axis direction changing portion (elbow portion) 33 at the time of advancing is attached to 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating device 30 includes:
A drive motor (a hydraulic motor is used) 36 provided in the first moving body 22, a drive gear 37 attached to an output shaft 36a of the drive motor 36, and a base end portion of the cleaning blade 7 are supported. It is composed of a ring gear 39 fitted on the base end of the cylindrical body 38, and the cylindrical body 38 supports the middle of a supply pipe 40 for supplying the cleaning liquid to the cleaning liquid ejecting nozzle 8.

The second moving device 21 is arranged on the second moving body 45 fitted on the outer cylinder 12 and at a predetermined angle (180 °) on the outer peripheral surface of the second moving body 45. By means of a telescopic leg 47 which is expandable and contractible in the radial direction C of the pipe 1, a fixed guide roller 49 arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the second moving body 45 via the support leg 48, and arranged between each support leg 48. A synchronous guide roller 51 mounted via a U-shaped support 56 at the tip of a hydraulic cylinder device 50 that expands and contracts in synchronization with the expandable leg 47, and rotation for rotating the second moving body 45 around the tube axis 4. And a device 52. The second moving body 45 has a sliding cylinder portion 53 which is slidably fitted on the outer cylinder 12 and rotates integrally with the outer cylinder 12. The hydraulic cylinder device 46 is attached to the sliding cylinder portion 53 to expand and contract. A rubber plate 54 is attached to the distal end of the leg 47 so as to come into contact with and separate from the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A by the driving of the hydraulic cylinder device 46 and to have the same curvature as the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A. Cleaning robot 2
A magnetic detection sensor 55 for detecting the pipe cross-section changing portion 32 and the pipe axial direction changing portion 33 at the time of retreating is attached.

The supply pipe 40 is arranged along the outer cylinder 12, and a moving hydraulic cylinder device 57, which will be described later, is arranged. The rotating device 52 includes a drive motor 58 attached to the tip of the second moving body 45.
The drive gear 59 attached to the output shaft 58a of the drive motor 58, the ring gear 60 fitted on the supply pipe 40 and the moving hydraulic cylinder device 57 and meshed with the drive gear 59, and the drive gear 59 are driven. And a disc brake device (not shown) for stopping the drive gear 59 and the ring gear 60.
It is covered with 1.

The moving hydraulic cylinder device 57 is for moving both moving bodies 22, 45 along the pipe axis direction B, and a pressure oil supply pipe 62 is attached to the rear portion thereof. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the second moving body 45 has a rear light 63 for illuminating the rear of the tube 1 and a camera device for photographing the state of the tube 1 after the cleaning when the vehicle is retracted after the cleaning. 64 are provided.

In the above structure, when the drive motor 36 is driven, the tubular body 38 rotates via the drive gear 37 and the ring gear 39, and the cleaning blade 7 attached to the tubular body 38 rotates around the tube axis 4. The cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning liquid ejection nozzle 8 to clean and remove the shellfish attached to the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe.

When the cleaning robot 2 is moved along the pipe axis 4, as shown in FIG. 1, both the telescopic legs 24 and 47 of the first moving device 20 and the second moving device 21 are in the vertical direction. In this manner, the hydraulic cylinder device 23 of the first moving device 20 is driven to extend the telescopic leg 24 in the radial direction C, so that the plate 31 provided at the tip of the telescopic leg 24 is attached to the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A. The hydraulic cylinder device 46 of the second moving device 21 is driven to move the telescopic legs 47 in the radial direction C.
The plate 54 provided at the tip of the telescopic leg 47 is separated from the inner peripheral surface 1A of the tube, and the moving hydraulic cylinder device 57 is driven to bring the second moving device 21 closer to the first moving device 20. Hydraulic cylinder device 23 of one moving device 20
Drive the retractable leg 24 in the radial direction C to reduce the plate 3
1 is separated from the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A, the hydraulic cylinder device 46 of the second moving device 21 is driven to extend the telescopic legs 47 to bring the plate 54 into contact with the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A, and drive the moving hydraulic cylinder device 57. By doing so, the first moving device 20 is pushed and separated from the second moving device 21. With the above operation, one cycle for moving the work robot 2 is completed.

As described above, the plates 31 and 54 are alternately brought into contact with and separated from the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A, and in the hydraulic cylinder device 57 for moving, the first moving body 22 and the second moving body are alternately repeated while extending and retracting. The cleaning robot 2 can be moved in the tube axis direction B by moving the cleaning robots 45 closer to and away from each other.

By the way, when the cleaning robot 2 is moved forward, the drive motor 58 is driven for each cycle for moving the work robot 2 to move the first moving body 22 to the tube shaft 4.
The proximity sensor 34 moves while detecting the presence and position of the pipe cross-section changing portion 32 and the pipe axis direction changing portion 33 by rotating the pipe 360 degrees around.

That is, when the pipe 1 is a straight pipe, the distance between the proximity sensor 34 and the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe is substantially constant, and even if the proximity sensor 34 rotates 360 ° around the pipe axis 4, the proximity sensor 34 will not It is on.

By the way, the cleaning robot 2 uses the pipe cross-section changing portion 3
When reaching 2, the reaction object of the proximity sensor 34 suddenly disappears, the proximity sensor 34 is turned off, and it is detected that the cleaning robot 2 has reached the pipe cross-section changing portion 32. Then, the detection signal is output to the control device, and the control device outputs the drive signal to the drive motor 58 again, and the drive signal causes the first moving body 22 to rotate 360 ° around the tube axis 4.
However, the control device detects two points at which the proximity sensor 34 changes from on to off or from off to on during this rotation, and calculates the direction of branching.

The first moving body 22 is rotated around the pipe axis 4 by 360.
Proximity sensor 34 rotates in both forward and reverse directions by °.
This is because there is some hysteresis in the distance of the change point that changes from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON depending on the characteristic of 1. Therefore, the change point can be detected accurately.

After detecting the direction of the pipe cross section changing portion 32 in this manner, the control device outputs a drive signal to the drive motor 58 again so that the telescopic legs 24 and 47 can avoid the pipe cross section changing portion 32, and this drive is performed. The signal causes the first moving body 22 and the second moving body 45 to rotate about the tube axis by 90 °, and the telescopic legs 24 and 47 become horizontal, for example, and the tube cross-section changing portion 32
It comes in contact with the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe (the telescopic legs 24 and 47 avoid the opening of the T-shaped branch portion).

After that, the telescopic legs 24,
47 is alternately brought into contact with and separated from the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A, and the moving hydraulic cylinder device 57 is driven to expand and contract to move the cleaning robot 2 in the direction of the pipe axis 4.

In this way, the telescopic legs 24 and 47 are avoided from the pipe cross-section changing portion 32, and after the cleaning robot 2 is moved, each time the plate 31 is separated from the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A again, as described above. By driving the drive motor 58 to rotate the first moving body 22 by 360 ° around the tube axis 4, the proximity sensor 34 detects the presence and position of the tube cross-section changing section 32 and the tube axis direction changing section 33. While moving the cleaning robot 2.

Next, when the cleaning robot 2 reaches the pipe axis direction changing portion 33 such as the elbow portion, the distance between the proximity sensor 34 and the outer portion of the inner peripheral surface 1A of the pipe gradually approaches. The distance from the inner side of the surface 1A gradually increases and the proximity sensor 34 is turned off, and it is detected that the cleaning robot 2 has reached the pipe axis direction changing portion 33 such as the elbow portion.

Also in this case, the tube shaft 4 is processed in the same manner as above.
Is calculated and the first moving body 22 and the second moving body 45 are rotated by 90 ° to move the telescopic legs 24 and 47 in the horizontal state along the tube axis 4 direction.

By doing so, the extension amount of the telescopic legs 24, 47 can be made constant in the tube axis direction changing portion 33, the tube axis direction changing portion 33 can be easily moved, and the fixed guide roller 27 can be moved. , 49 abut on the outer side portion of the pipe inner peripheral surface 1A and roll, and the cleaning robot 2 can be moved even at the pipe axial direction changing portion 33 without lowering the speed.

When the cleaning robot 2 is retracted along the tube axis 4 after the cleaning is completed, the second moving device 21
The detection sensor 55 on the side is used to retreat while detecting the presence and positions of the pipe cross-section changing portion 32 and the pipe axis direction changing portion 33, and the traveling direction is only opposite to the above. The description is omitted.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning robot 2 is moved while detecting the presence and the position of the pipe cross-section changing portion 32 and the pipe axis direction changing portion 33 by the proximity sensors 34 and 55. Cross-section changing part 32 and pipe axis direction changing part 3
When 3 is detected, the telescopic leg 2 on the first moving device 20 side
4. By rotating the leg 47 on the side of the second moving device 21 by 90 ° to bring it into a horizontal state, the support surface of the telescopic legs 24, 47 can be reliably obtained, and the pipe cross-section changing portion 32 and the pipe axial direction changing portion can be obtained. 33
Can be moved easily.

[0034]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention is provided with a detector for detecting the presence of a changing portion in the pipe cross section or a changing portion in the pipe axial direction. When a change in the axial direction is detected, the telescopic legs provided on the front and rear moving bodies are rotated by a predetermined angle and brought into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe, so that the support surface of the telescopic legs can be reliably obtained, and the cylinder device can be installed. By repeating the approaching and separating of the moving bodies by expanding and contracting, and by alternately extending and contracting each of the extending and retracting legs of the front and rear moving bodies in the radial direction of the pipe, and abutting and separating from the inner peripheral surface of the pipe,
It is possible to easily move the changing portion of the pipe cross section and the changing portion of the pipe axial direction.

Further, since it does not straddle the changing portion of the pipe cross section such as the T-shaped branch portion, it is not necessary to increase the extension stroke of the work robot, and therefore the weight of the work robot is not increased and the handling is improved. Can be done easily.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a moving state of a moving device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is also a partially broken detailed view of the cleaning robot and the moving device.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the cleaning robot and the moving device.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the cleaning robot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 pipe 1A inner peripheral surface 2 cleaning robot 3 moving device 4 pipe shaft 7 cleaning blade 20 first moving device 21 second moving device 22 first moving body 24 telescopic leg 30 rotating device 32 pipe cross-section changing part 33 pipe axis direction changing part 36 Drive Motor 45 Nozzle for Cleaning Liquid Spray 47 Telescopic Leg 57 Hydraulic Cylinder Device for Movement 60 Ring Gear B Pipe Axis Direction C Radial Direction

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Internal reference number FI Technical display location F16L 55/18 B G01M 3/02 E (72) Inventor Minoru Hinata Nishikujo, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 5-3 28 Hitachi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuhiko Arimoto 5-3 28 Nishikujo, Nishikojo, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture (72) Hitachi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (72) Takashi Fujimura This city, Osaka, Osaka 5-3-2, Nishikujo, Nishi-ku, Hitachi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A moving device for moving a work robot for performing a work on an inner peripheral surface of a pipe along a pipe axis direction, wherein the plurality of moving bodies are arranged side by side in the pipe axis direction. Is provided, and a cylinder device that supports the moving bodies so that they can move toward and away from each other is provided, and on the circumferential surface of each of the moving bodies,
Telescopic legs that are expandable and contractible in the radial direction of the pipe are attached at predetermined angles, and a rotating device for rotating each of the moving bodies around the pipe axis by a predetermined angle is provided. Is provided with a detector for detecting arrival at the changing portion of the pipe and the changing portion in the tube axis direction, and a controller for outputting a drive signal to the rotating device according to a detection signal from the detector is provided. A work robot moving device. 2. A moving method of a moving device for moving a work robot for performing a work on an inner peripheral surface of a pipe along a pipe axis direction, comprising a changing portion of a pipe cross section and a changing portion of the pipe axial direction. Is detected by the detector, and the detection signal from this detector drives the rotating device that rotates each moving body connected in the front and rear by the cylinder device around the pipe axis, and the radius of the pipe is moved to the outer peripheral surface of the moving body. The telescopic legs that are freely extendable and retractable in the direction are rotated around the tube axis by a predetermined angle, and then the cylinder device is extended and retracted to repeat the approaching and separating of the moving bodies. A moving method of a moving device, characterized in that the changing portion of the pipe cross section and the changing portion of the pipe axial direction are moved by alternately extending in the radial direction of the pipe and contacting and separating from the inner peripheral surface of the pipe.