JPH11270775A - In-pipe travel system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To pass an in-pipe travel device even through parts of a small inside diameter as well as inflected parts of a pipeline. SOLUTION: An in-pipe travel device 3 comprises an elastic rod-like support body 5 that is provided with a plurality of travelling units 10 each constituted of a first travelling unit 10A and a second travelling unit 10B. These travelling units 10A and 10B are each made of a driving ring 11 that is provided with a rotary mechanism for the transmission of turning effort from a power source and is adapted to be mounted on the elastic rodlike support body, and travelling rings 12 and 13 that are coupled to the rotary mechanism of the driving ring 11 for rotation synchronized therewith and are mounted on the driving ring 11 so that their driving wheels are pressed against the inner wall of a pipeline at an inclination of their axes in a prescribed twist direction to the pipe axis as well as for later projection or retraction in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis in accordance with the pipe inside diameter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an in-pipe traveling system for traveling in a pipe such as a power line pipe, a water supply pipe, and a sewer pipe, and more particularly to an in-pipe traveling system capable of cleaning, checking, and repairing the inside of the pipe. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional in-pipe traveling system is disclosed in
As shown in JP-A-270608 and JP-A-03-153476, a type in which wheels or caterpillars are stretched in all directions of the inner wall surface of the pipe is disclosed in JP-A-58-217280.
As shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H10-107, there is a type that advances. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 05-141584, there is a type in which a vehicle travels while sharing a load with dispersed driving wheels. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 01-063467, a screw in which a plurality of rollable rollers are arranged on the outer periphery such that the rolling axis direction is inclined from the tube axis direction so that the rolling locus of the rolling becomes screw-shaped. There are various types, such as a type in which a wheel rotates and proceeds with the driving force of a screw.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional in-pipe traveling system, when a wheel or a caterpillar is of a type that protrudes in all directions on the inner wall surface of a pipe, if the pipe is used in a place where the pipe has a large number of bent portions, the corners may be reduced. In order to overcome the friction of the part, it is necessary to increase the tension force to secure a sufficient thrust, and there is a problem that if an object is caught in the pipe wall, it will be damaged.

[0004] Further, in the case of a type in which the load is shared by dispersed drive wheels and the vehicle travels, the vehicle travels by the thrust of the entire drive wheel. Although it is possible to do so, even if an object is caught in the pipe wall, it will not be damaged, but since there is no force to stretch the pipe wall, the thrust is insufficient in the case of a pipe that is vertically inclined.

Further, in the case of a type in which a plurality of rollers are arranged in a screw shape and a wheel is rotated to advance by the propulsive force of the screw, advance is made by the thrust of the entire screw. If the force that squeezes the pipe wall is selected appropriately, it will not hurt even if an object is caught in the pipe wall, and will go up and down the pipe with an inclined angle in the vertical direction. it can. However, when the inner diameter of the pipe changes, the force for stretching the pipe wall changes, and a sufficient thrust cannot be obtained or cannot pass.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a distributed drive system in which a plurality of driving wheels are rotated and driven by the driving force of the driving wheels, and the diameter of the wheels can be changed in accordance with the change in the inner diameter of the pipe. It is an object of the present invention to provide an in-pipe traveling system capable of appropriately changing a force for stretching a pipe wall.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-pipe traveling device in which an elastic rod-shaped support is provided in a pipe and at least one traveling drive unit is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. An in-pipe traveling system for traveling, wherein a traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism for transmitting a rotational force from a power source, and is coupled to a drive ring attachable to an elastic rod-shaped support, and a rotation mechanism for the drive ring. On the other hand, the drive wheels are attached to the drive ring, the axes of the plurality of drive wheels are tilted in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis, and each drive wheel presses the pipe inner wall, and And a running ring mounted so that the driving wheel can protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis. According to this means, since each drive wheel can be protruded or retracted according to the inner diameter of the pipe, it is possible to pass through a part having a small inner diameter of the pipe or a bent part.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to the first aspect, the traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism for transmitting a rotational force from a power source, and can be detachably attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. A driving ring, a first traveling ring pivotally supported with respect to the driving ring, and an interlocking rotation while being coupled to the driving ring rotating mechanism; A second traveling ring pivotally supported by the drive ring, a twisting mechanism that applies a resilient twist between the second traveling ring and the first traveling ring to be rotatable, and a first traveling ring A plurality of first arm links arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend radially from the second to the tube wall direction, and a plurality of first arm links corresponding to the first arm links so as to extend in a radial direction from the second running ring toward the tube wall direction Second And the second arm link corresponding to each of the first arm links is connected to each of the second arm links by a connecting portion, and the direction perpendicular to the pipe axis according to the twist position of the first running ring and the second running ring by the twisting mechanism. An arm link mechanism that can be extended and retracted, and an axle that inclines in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis to press the inner wall of the pipe corresponding to each connecting portion of the arm link mechanism, and that the pipe is formed according to the inner diameter of the pipe. And a drive wheel attached so as to be able to protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the shaft. According to this means, since the axle of each drive wheel is inclined in a predetermined twisting direction with respect to the tube axis, a thrust can be generated in a forward or backward direction so that the vehicle can run. Since the drive wheels protrude or retract, the vehicle can travel smoothly even in a place where the inner diameter of the pipe is small or in a place where there is a failure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-pipe traveling device in which an elastic rod-shaped support is provided in a pipe and at least one set of a first traveling drive unit and a second traveling drive unit is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. An in-pipe traveling system for traveling in a pipe, wherein the first traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism that transmits a rotational force from a power source, and a drive ring detachably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support. While being coupled to the rotation mechanism of the drive ring and rotating in conjunction therewith, while being pivotally supported on the drive ring, the axes of the plurality of drive wheels are inclined in a first predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis to press the pipe inner wall, And,
A traveling ring mounted so that each drive wheel can protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis in accordance with the pipe inner diameter, and the second traveling drive unit has a rotation transmitting torque from a power source. A drive ring that has a mechanism and is detachably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support; and a drive ring that is coupled to a rotation mechanism of the drive ring and rotates in conjunction therewith, while being pivotally supported by the drive ring to form a plurality of drive wheels. The shaft is inclined in the second predetermined torsion direction with respect to the tube shaft so that the drive wheels press against the inner wall of the tube, and each drive wheel can project or retract in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis according to the inner diameter of the tube. And if the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first traveling drive unit is around the left-hand thread, the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the second traveling drive unit is around the right-hand thread. Like to run Those were. According to this means,
Since the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first traveling drive unit is set to be around the left-hand screw, and the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the second traveling drive unit is set to be around the right-handed screw, the first traveling drive unit is provided. And the rotational torque of the drive wheels of the second traveling drive unit remain, and a stable propulsion torque can be obtained.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to the third aspect, the first traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism for transmitting a rotational force from a power source, and is detachably attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. A drive ring that can be attached and a rotation mechanism of the drive ring are coupled to rotate interlockingly, while a first traveling ring pivotally supported by the drive ring and a rotation mechanism of the drive ring are coupled to rotate interlockingly. On the other hand, a second traveling ring rotatably supported on the drive ring, and a twisting mechanism for applying a reversible twist between the second traveling ring and the first traveling ring to be rotatable. A plurality of first arm links that are arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend radially from the first running ring toward the tube wall, and to extend radially from the second running ring toward the tube wall corresponding to the first arm links. Placed in the predetermined A plurality of second arm links and the respective second arm links corresponding to the first arm links are connected to each other by respective connecting portions, and according to the twist position of the first running ring and the second running ring by the twist mechanism. An arm link mechanism capable of extending and contracting in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis, and an axle tilting in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis to press against the pipe inner wall corresponding to each connecting portion of the arm link mechanism, and A drive wheel mounted so as to be able to protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis in accordance with the pipe inner diameter;
The traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism that transmits a rotational force from a power source, and a drive ring that can be detachably attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. A first traveling ring pivotally supported on the drive ring, a second traveling ring pivotally supported on the drive ring while being coupled to and rotating with the rotation mechanism of the drive ring, and a second traveling ring A torsion mechanism that applies a resilient torsion between the first travel ring and the first travel ring so as to be rotatable, and a plurality of first arm links arranged to extend radially from the first travel ring toward the tube wall. A plurality of second arm links corresponding to the first arm links of the first arm links and extending in a radial direction from the second running ring toward the tube wall; Corresponding An arm link mechanism that connects the second arm link with each connecting portion and that can be extended and contracted in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis according to a twist position of the first traveling ring and the second traveling ring by the twist mechanism; The axle can be inclined in the second predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe shaft and pressed against the inner wall of the pipe corresponding to each connecting portion of the mechanism, and can protrude or retract in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis according to the inner diameter of the pipe. If the rolling trajectory of the driving wheels of the first traveling drive unit is around the left screw,
The rolling trajectory of the driving wheels of the second traveling drive unit is arranged so as to be clockwise. According to this means, the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first traveling drive unit is set to be around the left-hand screw, while the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the second traveling drive unit is set to be around the right-hand screw. , The rotational torque of the drive wheels of the first traveling drive unit and the second
The rotational torque of the drive wheels of the traveling drive unit remains, and a stable propulsion torque is obtained. In addition, since each drive wheel projects or retreats appropriately in response to a change in the pipe inner diameter, it is possible to travel smoothly in the pipe.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to the second or fourth aspect, each of the first arm links of the arm link mechanism and the corresponding second arm links are toothed by gears having the same number of teeth. Each of the communication sections is configured in combination. According to this means, since the leg angles of each first arm ring and each second arm ring of each connecting portion are substantially the same, each drive wheel can evenly contact the inner wall of the pipe.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to the second or fourth aspect, the rotating mechanism of the drive ring comprises: a first rotating shaft for transmitting rotation to the first traveling ring; The second rotating shaft that transmits the rotation to the running ring is urged by a torsion spring so that a twisting force is generated between the two rotating shafts, and the arm link mechanism is expanded and contracted by using the restoring force of the torsional force. The drive wheel is freely raised to the tube wall and protrudes or retreats according to the inner wall of the tube. According to this means, since the biasing force of the torsion spring is used, the driving wheel presses the inner wall of the pipe, and when the inner diameter of the pipe is small, the retreating force can be made uniform, and stable running can be achieved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to the sixth aspect, the rotation mechanism of the drive ring includes a lock mechanism for holding and releasing a state where a torsional force is applied between the rotation shafts as necessary. In addition to the above, a restricting stopper is provided to prevent the mutual twist angle of the rotating shafts from exceeding a predetermined value. According to this means, since the lock mechanism is provided in the rotating mechanism, the assembling work can be easily performed, and since the regulating stopper is provided, the assembling work can be performed safely and easily.

The invention of claim 8 is the first to fourth aspects of the present invention.
In any of the in-pipe traveling systems described above, the drive ring includes an air motor that rotates a rotation shaft of a rotation mechanism and air supplied to the air motor from an air pipe disposed along the elastic rod-shaped support. And control means for switching and controlling the operation. According to this means, since the air motor is controlled by air, smooth running can be expected.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the first to fourth aspects of the present invention.
In any of the pipe running systems described above, a unit for performing a task such as a cleaning unit, an inspection unit, an exploration unit, or a painting unit is attached to a tip of the elastic rod-shaped support. According to this means, a unit can be provided depending on the application, and the work in the pipe can be made effective.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-pipe traveling system in which an elastic rod-shaped support is provided in a pipe, and an in-pipe traveling apparatus having at least one or more traveling drive units mounted on the elastic rod-shaped support travels in the pipe. Then, at the time of system operation, the traveling drive unit is assembled, attached to the elastic rod-shaped support, the tip of the elastic rod-shaped support is sequentially inserted from the pipe inlet, and at the end of operation of the system, the elastic rod-shaped support is Are sequentially pulled out from the rear end. According to this means, since the in-pipe traveling device is inserted from the pipe inlet during system operation, work can be performed according to the target pipe, and there are few restrictions on applicable pipes, so that it can be applied to a wide range of applications. Can be.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the in-pipe traveling system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a power transmission device for providing a cleaning unit to the in-pipe traveling apparatus and transmitting power from the outside to the in-pipe traveling apparatus. And a support supply device for supplying an elastic rod-shaped support from the outside to the inside of the tube, and a cleaning water supply device for supplying cleaning water from the outside to clean the inside of the tube. According to this means, the inside of the pipe can be efficiently and smoothly cleaned.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an in-pipe traveling system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows an example in which the present invention is applied to cleaning inside a pipe.

In FIG. 1, an in-pipe traveling system 1 includes an in-pipe traveling apparatus 3 which runs in a pipe 2, a power transmission device 4 for transmitting power to the in-pipe traveling apparatus 3 arranged in the pipe 2, and an in-pipe traveling apparatus. 3 comprises a support supply device 6 for accommodating an elastic rod-shaped support 5 to be described later supplied from the outside along with the traveling position of 3, and a hose for cleaning the inside of the pipe 2 and a high-pressure water washing device 7 for storing clean water to be supplied. Have been.

The in-pipe traveling device 3 includes an inlet 2 for the pipe 2 inside the pipe 2.
a, having a flexible elastic force necessary to travel forward and backward on the inner wall of the pipe 2, and a pair of traveling drive units 10 appropriately with respect to an elastic rod-shaped support 5 which is a rod as a support. Is mounted, and the traveling drive unit 10
Consists of a first traveling drive unit 10A and a second traveling drive unit 10B.

A power transmission body 15 is laid in parallel with the elastic rod-shaped support 5 on each drive ring 11 of the first traveling drive unit 10A and the second traveling drive unit 10B, which will be described later.
It is connected to the power transmission device 4, wound around a cable drum 16 as necessary, and connected to an air supply device 17. Also,
The elastic rod-shaped support 5 of the traveling drive unit 10 is wound around the drum 20 of the support supply device 6,
Can be transported by the transport vehicle 21.

A cleaning unit 22 for cleaning the inside of the pipe 2 is attached to the tip of the traveling drive unit 10, and a water hose 23 shown by a dashed line in FIG. Connected to the unit 22 and wound around the water hose drum 24 of the high-pressure water washing device 7 provided outside the pipe 2, high-pressure washing water can be supplied by a compressor 26 from a tank 25 provided in the high-pressure water washing device 7. I have.

Next, each part of the traveling drive unit 10 will be described.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a drive ring 11 constituting a part of the traveling drive unit 10. The drive ring 11 is opened and closed at one end where a semi-annular body 30 and a semi-annular body 31 are in contact. A hollow portion 34 is formed by a fixing member 33a at the other end of the semi-annular member 30 and a fixing member 33b at the other end of the semi-annular member 31. The elastic portion is formed in the hollow portion 34. 5 is inserted and fixed.

As shown in FIG. 3, a rotation transmission mechanism 14 is attached to the semi-annular body 31. The rotation transmission mechanism 14 has a rotation gear connected to an air motor 35 and a rotation shaft 36 projecting forward. 37, and a stopper 42a for regulating the torsion spring 41 coaxially with the rotating shaft 36 and the rotating shaft 39 by providing an air motor 38 projecting rearward and a rotating gear 40 connected to the rotating shaft 39. , 42b. Further, ring support rollers 45 are provided on the outer peripheral walls of the semi-annular bodies 30 and 31 as shown in FIG. Incidentally, reference numeral 44 shown in FIG. 3 is a lock member described later.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the traveling drive unit 10 includes the drive ring 1 shown in FIGS.
The first traveling ring 12 and the second traveling ring 13 are integrally combined with each other, and the first traveling ring 12 includes a semi-annular body 50 and a semi-annular body 51 each having an open / close member at one end. 52 has a mounting bracket 54 rotatably mounted on the drive ring 11 at the other end.
When the running ring 12 is attached to the drive ring 11,
The gears 50 a and 51 a formed on the inner walls of the semi-annular body 50 and the semi-annular body 51 are configured to mesh with the rotating gear 37.

On the other hand, the second running ring 13 has a semi-annular body 55 and a semi-annular body 56 which can be opened and closed at one end by an opening / closing member 57 and has a mounting bracket 58 attached to the drive ring 11 at the other end. The gears 55a, 56a formed on the inner walls of the semi-annular body 55 and the semi-annular body 56 when attached to the drive ring 11 and the rotating gear 4 of the drive ring 11
It is configured to mesh with 0.

Then, the semi-annular body 50 and the semi-annular body 5
Along the inner peripheral walls of the semi-annular body 55 and the semi-annular body 56, an inner peripheral groove to be described later in which the two ring support rollers 45 shown in FIG. Thereby, the positioning when the first traveling ring 12 and the second traveling ring 13 are attached to the drive ring 11 can be easily performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the arm link support 60a and the arm link support 60b correspond to the semi-annular body 50 of the first running ring 12 with respect to the axis.
The arm link support portion 61a and the arm link support portion 61b are formed at 90 ° with respect to the axis with respect to the semi-annular body 51, and are formed at 90 ° intervals as a whole. .

The semi-annular body 5 of the second running ring 13
5, the arm link support portion 62a and the arm link support portion 62b are formed so as to be at an angle of 90 ° with respect to the axis, and further, the arm link support portion 63a and the arm link support The portion 63b is formed so as to be at 90 ° with respect to the axis, and is formed so as to have an interval of 90 ° as a whole.

Further, the arm link 65 pivotally supported by the arm link support portion 60a of the semi-annular body 50 of the first traveling ring 12 and the arm link support portion 62a of the semi-annular body 55 of the second traveling ring 13 are pivoted. The supported arm link 66 meshes with a gear mechanism 67 provided at the tip, and the shaft support portion 68
, And two rotatable drive wheels 69 are attached to the shaft support 68.

Similarly, between the arm link support 60b and the arm link support 62b, between the arm link support 61a and the arm link support 63a, and between the arm link support 61b and the arm link support 63b. An arm link 65 and an arm link 66 are pivotally supported therebetween.

Next, the combination of the drive ring 11, the first travel ring 12, and the second travel ring 13 as viewed from the axial section of the traveling drive unit 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 37 meshes with the gears 50a, 51a formed on the semi-annular body 50 or the semi-annular body 51 of the first running ring 12 to enable the semi-annular body 50 and the semi-annular body 51 to rotate, The rotary gear 40 of the drive ring 11 is connected to the semi-annular body 55 of the second traveling ring 13.
Alternatively, the gears 55a, 56 formed on the semi-annular body 56
The semi-annular body 55 and the semi-annular body 56 are rotatable with each other.

The ring support roller 4 described with reference to FIG.
5 is provided as shown in FIG.
5 are arranged at appropriate intervals so as to protrude from the respective outer peripheral walls of the semi-annular body 30 and the semi-annular body 31, and two ring support rollers 45 are attached to the rotation shaft 70 so as to be rotatable. Annular body 50, semi-annular body 51 and semi-annular body 5
5 and each inner circumferential groove 51 formed on the inner wall of the semi-annular body 56
c, 56c, and is rotatable with respect to the semi-annular body 51 and the semi-annular body 56.

The rotation transmission mechanism 14 of the drive ring 11
Has a stopper 42a and a stopper 42b shown in FIG. 9, and as shown in FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and FIG. 10C, ± 100 ° in FIG. 9A, ± 150 ° in FIG. Approximately ± 35 as a whole that can rotate about 150 °
At 0 °, that is, at about 700 °, the other rotating shaft 39 can be rotated about two times with respect to the torsion spring 41 against one rotating shaft 36.

The cleaning unit 22 shown in FIG. 10 is attached to the tip of the elastic rod-shaped support 5 shown in FIG. 1 described above, and the cleaning unit 22 has a water spout 71 and a tulip-shaped receiving portion 72. The water hose 23 comprises a collection suction port 73 that rotationally drives the receiving portion 72 and the water sprinkling port 71.
Connected to

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
It will be described based on.

First, as a work preparation, the status of the pipe to be worked is grasped and planned (S1, S2, S2a).

For example, in the case of an auxiliary seawater cooling pipe (SW pipe) in a steam (thermal / nuclear) power plant, a pipe diameter, a place where the pipe is bent, a curvature, and the like are grasped in advance by looking at a pipe system diagram. In addition, when inserting the present apparatus into a seawater cooling pipe, for example, if it is known that there is a curved pipe section 32 m after the inlet of the pipe, it is included in the plan in advance.

When it is determined that the work can be performed, the support supply device 6, the power transmission device 4, and the high-pressure washing device 7 are arranged on the site as shown in FIG. 1 (S3 to S5).
Safety confirmation is performed (S6).

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12, when the operation is started, first, generally, the stop of the operation of the target device is confirmed (S11). First, the cleaning unit 2 according to the work
2 is attached to the distal end of the elastic rod-shaped support 5, and the drive ring 11 is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support 5 as shown in FIG. 1 (S 12, S 13).

As shown in FIG. 2, the drive ring 11 is composed of a semi-annular body 30 and a semi-annular body 31, and the elastic rod-shaped support 5 is inserted into the hollow portion 34 to a predetermined position. Is fixed by the fixing brackets 33a and 33b so that Thereby, the elastic rod-shaped support 5 and the drive ring 11
And become one. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation transmission mechanism 14 of the drive ring 11 applies a predetermined twist to the rotation shaft 36 and the rotation shaft 39 against the bias of the torsion spring 41. After winding, a predetermined twisted state is maintained by the lock member 44 (S13).

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 4, in order to mount the first traveling drive unit 10A, the first traveling ring 12 is rotatably attached to the driving ring 11 (S1).
4). That is, the semi-annular body 50 of the first running ring 12 and the gears 50a, 51a of the semi-annular body 51 mesh with the rotary gear 37 of the rotation transmission mechanism 14 of the drive ring 11, and are shown in FIG. The positioning is performed so that the ring support roller 45 is fitted into the inner circumferential grooves 50c and 51c and rotates in conjunction with each other. Then, the semi-annular body 50 and the semi-annular body 51 of the first traveling ring 12 are attached to the driving ring 11 by the attachment bracket 54 so as to be rotatable.

Further, in the state shown in FIG. 4, the second running ring 13 is rotatably attached to the drive ring 11 (S15). That is, the gears 55a, 56 of the semi-annular body 55 and the semi-annular body 56 of the second running ring 13 correspond to the rotation gear 40 of the rotation transmission mechanism 14 of the drive ring 11.
a are engaged with each other, and the ring supporting roller 45 is fitted into the inner circumferential grooves 55c and 56c shown in FIG.

Further, in this case, the second running ring 1
In the state shown in FIG. 6, each drive wheel 69 is pressed from the outside to make the arm ring 65 and the arm ring 66 of the arm ring mechanism to have a lower leg angle so that each drive wheel 69 is moved in the state shown in FIG. The retracted state is such that the locking member 44 of the drive ring 11 is released from the predetermined twisting state by the above-described positioning. Thereby, the driving ring 1
The first travel ring 12 and the second travel ring 13 are attached to the drive wheel 1 and the drive wheel 69 can be protruded or retracted in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis. That is, before the tube 2 is inserted, in the state of FIG. 6, if the driving wheels 69 are manually pressed from the outside, the respective driving wheels 69 are retracted. Return to the state. Then, the driving wheels 69 of the first running ring 12 and the second running ring 13 are tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the tube axis, and the rolling rolling locus is adjusted to be, for example, a left-hand thread.

Next, in order to mount the second traveling drive unit 10B, the same operations as in steps S13 and S14 are performed, and the second traveling drive unit 10B is mounted (S1).
5). In this case, the drive wheels 69 provided on the first travel ring 12 and the second travel ring 13 of the second travel drive unit 10B
Is adjusted, for example, by a predetermined angle with respect to the drive wheels 69 of the first traveling drive unit 10A so that the rolling rolling locus is clockwise.

The first traveling drive unit 1 is attached to the drive ring 11.
0A and the second traveling drive unit 10B are mounted, as shown in FIG.
The air pipe 75 is connected to the air motors 35 and 37 from the air switching device 74. Further, an air supply pipe 77 is provided to the air switching device 74, an air signal line 76 is connected, and equipment such as a power source is completed (S16).

Here, the traveling drive unit 1 is
It is determined whether it is necessary to add 0 (S17). When the traveling drive unit 10 becomes insufficient in this determination,
Additional travel drive units 10 are sequentially mounted on the elastic bar-shaped support 5.

Next, the elastic rod-shaped support 5 is inserted from the inlet 2a of the tube 2 (S18). Then, the air motor 35,
38 is operated, and the elastic rod-shaped support member 5, the first traveling drive unit 10A, and the second traveling drive unit 10B travel integrally (S19).

Specifically, air is supplied to the air motor 35 and the air motor 38 by an air switching device 74 controlled by an air signal line 76 from control means (not shown), and the rotation transmission mechanism 14 of the drive ring 11 is rotated. As a result, the rotation gear 37 of the rotation transmission mechanism 14 provided on the drive ring 11 rotates, and the gear 50 of the first travel ring 12 rotates.
a, 51a, and the first traveling ring 12 rotates interlockingly. Similarly, the rotation gear 40 of the rotation transmission mechanism 14 rotates and is transmitted to the gears 55a and 56a of the second traveling ring 13, so that the second traveling ring 13 rotates interlockingly.

In this case, in the first traveling drive unit 10A, the overturning rolling trajectory is caused by the inclination of the drive wheel 69 in the first predetermined direction as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. Run so that it becomes. On the other hand, in the second traveling drive unit 10B, the overturning rolling locus due to the inclination of the drive wheel 69 in the second predetermined direction is shown in FIG.
Run in the clockwise direction as shown in the figure. As a result, the first rotational torque generated by the drive wheels 69 of the first travel drive unit 10A is transmitted to the elastic rod-shaped support 5 via the drive ring 11, while the first rotational torque generated by the drive wheels 69 of the second travel drive unit 10B. The second rotation torque, which is the reverse of the one rotation torque, is transmitted to the elastic rod-shaped support member 5 via the drive ring 11, and only the thrust in the front-rear direction remains due to the combination of the two torques, so that stable running is achieved.

While traveling in the pipe 2, as shown in FIG.
The arm link 65 and the arm link 66 of the arm link mechanism provided on the first traveling ring 12 and the second traveling ring 13
And the drive wheel 69 presses the inner wall of the tube. In this case, the torsional force of the rotation transmission mechanism 14 in FIG. 3 is also small. At this time, the arm link of the arm link mechanism is extended. On the other hand, when traveling in a place where the inner diameter of the pipe 2 is small, the arm link 65 and the arm link 65 of the arm link mechanism provided on the first traveling ring 12 and the second traveling ring 13 as shown in FIG. The drive wheel 69 presses the inner wall of the pipe by making the leg angle β with the link 66 dull. In this case, the rotation angle of the rotation transmitting mechanism 14 is large and the torsional force is large, and the arm link mechanism is contracted to cause the drive wheels 69 to project outward. As a result, the vehicle runs smoothly in accordance with the state of the inner diameter of the pipe.

Next, the jet water of the high-pressure washing device 7 is sprayed radially onto the pipe wall from the water spout 71 shown in FIG. 10 of the in-pipe traveling device 3 to remove dirt and deposits, and is removed by the tulip-shaped receiving portion 72. Take the thing so that it does not fly behind. The collection suction port 73 is rotated in the downward direction of gravity, and is received by a receiving portion 72 while being viewed with a camera (not shown).
The collection suction port 73 is sucked toward the removed matter that has accumulated before the cleaning, and collected through the cleaning suction hose (S20).

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention,
As shown in FIG. 1, the in-pipe traveling device 3 is configured such that the driving ring 11, the first traveling drive unit 10 </ b> A, and the second traveling drive unit 10 </ b> B are inserted into and exited from the entrance 2 a of the pipe 2 while the elastic rod-shaped support 5 is moved in and out of the pipe 2. Can be attached to and detached from the elastic rod-shaped support member 5, so that even if the elastic rod-shaped support member 5 is heavy and highly rigid such as the water hose 23 of a cleaning suction hose, it can be disassembled outside the pipe 2 to form a single body. It can be stored in a roll and can be easily taken in and out.

When the in-pipe traveling system 1 is used for cleaning and cleaning of the pipe, the removed matter which has been removed by spraying the jet water is received by the tulip-shaped receiving portion 72 so as not to be scattered, and is suction-recovered by the recovery suction port 73. Therefore, the removed matter does not hinder the traveling of the in-pipe traveling device 3.

As shown in FIG. 15, the drive wheels 69 are retracted in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis, and the diameters of the first traveling drive unit 10A and the second traveling drive unit 10B are reduced to be put in and out of the tube 2. Work can be done easily. After being inserted into the pipe 2, the driving wheel 69 protrudes toward the inner wall surface side of the pipe 2 and moves in the front-rear direction by the driving force of the driving wheel 69, so that the inner diameter of the pipe 2 may change in the middle. Can also respond.

The first traveling drive unit 10A and the second traveling drive unit 10B cancel each other's rotational torque, so that only the forward and backward propulsive force remains, and the vehicle travels without twisting. Further, the tip of the traveling drive unit can be twisted in a desired direction in the pipe by using the rotational torque. In addition, even in the curved pipe portion 2b, the vehicle can travel smoothly,
Even the curved pipe portion 2b having a sharp curvature can run with reduced resistance generated from corners, so that continuous work can be performed without removing the curved pipe portion 2b.

As described above, the in-pipe traveling system is a distributed drive system in which a plurality of drive wheels are rotated and driven by the propulsion of the drive wheels, and the diameter of the drive wheels can be changed according to the change in the inner diameter of the pipe. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately change the force for stretching the tube wall. Thereby, while securing sufficient thrust, the force of tension can be adjusted to such an extent that an object is not caught in the pipe wall and does not cause any damage. In addition, since the vehicle is driven by the thrust of the dispersed driving wheels, even when there are many curved pipes, it can be advanced by pushing with the driving wheel behind the traveling direction, etc. Enough thrust can be secured. Further, even if the inner diameter of the pipe changes, the driving wheel can change the diameter and pass through.

[0060]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since each drive wheel can be protruded or retracted according to the inner diameter of the pipe, a portion having a small inner diameter of the pipe, a bent portion, or the like. Can also pass.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the axle of each drive wheel is inclined in the predetermined torsional direction with respect to the tube axis, a thrust is generated in the forward or backward direction to allow the vehicle to run. Since each drive wheel projects or retreats according to the change in the inside diameter, it can run smoothly even in a place where the inside diameter of the pipe is small or in a place where there is a failure.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheels of the first traveling drive unit is set to the right and the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheels of the second traveling drive unit is set to the right. Since the rotation is made around the screw, the rotational torque of the drive wheels of the first traveling drive unit and the rotational torque of the drive wheels of the second travel drive unit remain, and a stable propulsion torque can be obtained.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first traveling drive unit is set to the right and the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the second traveling drive unit is set to the right. Since the rotation is made around the screw, the rotational torque of the drive wheels of the first traveling drive unit and the rotational torque of the drive wheels of the second travel drive unit remain, and a stable propulsion torque can be obtained. In addition, since each drive wheel projects or retreats appropriately in response to a change in the pipe inner diameter, it is possible to travel smoothly in the pipe.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the leg angles of the first arm ring and the second arm ring of each connecting portion are substantially the same, so that each drive wheel is positioned with respect to the pipe inner wall. You can touch them evenly.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the urging force of the torsion spring is used, the driving wheel presses the inner wall of the pipe, and when the inner diameter of the pipe is small, the retreating force can be equalized, and stable running can be achieved. it can.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the lock mechanism is provided in the rotating mechanism, the assembling work can be easily performed, and since the regulating stopper is provided, the assembling work can be performed safely and easily.

Further, according to the invention of claim 8, since the air motor is controlled by air, smooth running can be expected.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, a unit can be provided according to the purpose of use, and the work in the pipe can be made effective.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the in-pipe traveling device is inserted from the inlet of the pipe during the operation of the system, so that the work according to the target pipe can be performed and the applicable pipe inner diameter can be increased. There are few restrictions, and it can be applied to a wide range of applications.

According to the eleventh aspect, the inside of the pipe can be efficiently and smoothly cleaned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a pipe running device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a drive ring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a rotation transmission mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram when a first traveling ring and a second traveling ring are attached to a drive ring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an external view showing a first traveling ring and a second traveling ring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a first traveling ring and a second traveling ring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of a rotation transmission mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a ring support roller provided on a drive ring according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a restriction stopper of the rotation transmission mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a cleaning unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a work according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of assembling and work showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for installing the air switching device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a traveling drive unit showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a first operation diagram of the traveling drive unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a second operational view of the traveling drive unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 In-pipe traveling system 2 Pipe 3 In-pipe traveling apparatus 4 Power transmission device 5 Elastic rod-shaped support 6 Supporter supply device 7 High-pressure washing device 10 Travel drive unit 10A First travel drive unit 10B Second travel drive unit 11 Drive ring 12 First Running ring 13 Second running ring 14 Rotation transmission mechanism 15 Power transmission body 16 Cable drum 17 Air supply device 20 Drum 21 Transport vehicle 22 Cleaning unit 23 Water hose 24 Water hose drum 25 Tank 26 Compressor 30, 31, 50, 51, 55 , 56 semi-annular body 32, 52, 57 opening / closing member 33a, 33b fixing bracket 34 hollow portion 35, 38 air motor 36, 39 rotating shaft 37, 40 rotating gear 41 torsion spring 42 stopper 44 locking member 45 ring support roller 50a, 51a , 55a, 56a Gears 50c, 51c, 55c, 56c Inner circumferential grooves 54, 58 Mounting brackets 60a, 60b, 61a, 61b, 62a, 62b, 6
3a, 63b Arm link support 65, 66 Arm link 67 Gear mechanism 68 Shaft support 69 Drive wheel 70 Rotating shaft 71 Sprinkler port 72 Receiver 73 Recovery suction port 74 Air switching device 75 Air pipe 76 Air signal line 77 Air supply pipe

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yasukazu Tsusaka 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Inside the Toshiba Head Office (72) Inventor Tadashi Munakata 1 Toshiba-cho, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo Toshiba Fuchu Plant

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An in-pipe traveling system in which an in-pipe traveling device in which an elastic rod-shaped support is provided in a pipe and at least one traveling drive unit is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support, travels in the pipe. The drive unit has a rotation mechanism that transmits a rotation force from a power source, and a drive ring that can be attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. The drive wheels are attached to a drive ring, the axes of the plurality of drive wheels are inclined in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the tube axis, and each drive wheel presses the inner wall of the tube, and each drive wheel is connected to the tube shaft in accordance with the inner diameter of the tube. And a running ring mounted so as to be able to protrude or retract in a direction perpendicular to the pipe. 2. The traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism for transmitting a rotational force from a power source, a drive ring detachably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support, and the rotation mechanism of the drive ring. A first running ring pivotally supported by the drive ring while being linked to the drive ring; and a first travel ring coupled to the rotation mechanism of the drive ring to rotate in an interlocked manner while being pivotally supported by the drive ring. A second running ring, a torsion mechanism that applies a resilient twist between the second running ring and the first running ring to be rotatable, and a radial direction from the first running ring toward the tube wall. A plurality of first arm links arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend from the second traveling ring corresponding to the first arm links;
The arm links and the respective second arm links corresponding to the respective first arm links are connected by the respective connecting portions, and the pipe shaft is set according to the twist position of the first running ring and the second running ring by the twisting mechanism. An arm link mechanism capable of extending and contracting in a direction perpendicular to the pipe, and an axle that inclines in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis to press the inner wall of the pipe, and 2. The in-pipe traveling system according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive wheel mounted so as to be able to protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis according to the following. 3. An in-pipe traveling device in which an elastic rod-shaped support is disposed in a pipe and at least one set of a first traveling drive unit and a second traveling drive unit is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support. An in-pipe traveling system, wherein the first traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism that transmits a rotational force from a power source, and is detachably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support. While rotating in conjunction with the rotation mechanism of the above, while being pivotally supported on the drive ring, the axes of the plurality of drive wheels are inclined in a first predetermined torsion direction with respect to the tube axis to press against the tube inner wall, And a traveling ring mounted so that each of the drive wheels can project or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis according to the pipe inner diameter, and the second traveling drive unit rotates from a power source. Power A drive ring having a rotation mechanism for transmitting and being removably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support; and a drive ring coupled to the rotation mechanism for interlocking rotation and being pivotally supported with respect to the drive ring. The axes of the plurality of drive wheels are inclined in the second predetermined torsion direction with respect to the tube axis, and the drive wheels press against the inner wall of the tube, and each of the drive wheels is perpendicular to the tube axis according to the inner diameter of the tube. A driving ring attached so as to be able to protrude or retreat in the direction, and if the rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first driving drive unit is a left-hand thread, the driving wheel of the second driving drive unit is provided. An in-pipe traveling system that travels such that the rolling rolling trajectory is clockwise. 4. A driving ring having a rotation mechanism for transmitting a rotation force from a power source, the first traveling driving unit being detachably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support, and A first traveling ring pivotally supported on the drive ring while being coupled to and rotating with the rotation mechanism; and a first traveling ring coupled to and rotating with the rotation mechanism of the drive ring while being pivotally coupled with the drive ring. A second traveling ring supported, a torsion mechanism for applying a resilient torsion between the second traveling ring and the first traveling ring to be rotatable, and a pipe radially extending from the first traveling ring. A plurality of first arm links arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend in the wall direction; and a plurality of second arm links arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend radially in the tube wall direction from the second running ring corresponding to the first arm links.
The arm links and the respective second arm links corresponding to the respective first arm links are connected by the respective connecting portions, and the pipe shaft is set according to the twist position of the first running ring and the second running ring by the twisting mechanism. An arm link mechanism capable of extending and contracting in a direction perpendicular to the pipe, and an axle that inclines in a predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe axis to press the inner wall of the pipe, and And a drive wheel mounted so as to be able to protrude or retreat in a direction perpendicular to the tube axis in accordance with the following. The second traveling drive unit has a rotation mechanism for transmitting a torque from a power source. A drive ring removably attachable to the elastic rod-shaped support; and a first traveling ring pivotally supported by the drive ring while being coupled to and rotating with the rotation mechanism of the drive ring. And a second traveling ring pivotally supported by the driving ring while being coupled to and rotating with the rotating mechanism of the driving ring; and restoring between the second traveling ring and the first traveling ring. A torsion mechanism that is capable of rotating by applying a powerful torsion, a plurality of first arm links that are arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend radially from the first running ring toward the tube wall, and each of these first arm links. A plurality of second arm links arranged in a predetermined manner so as to extend radially from the second running ring toward the tube wall in correspondence with the first arm links, and a second arm link corresponding to each of the first arm links; An arm link mechanism for connecting the first and second running rings by means of respective connecting portions so as to be expandable and contractible in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis in accordance with a torsion position of the first running ring and the second running ring by the torsion mechanism; The axle is inclined in the second predetermined torsion direction with respect to the pipe shaft and pressed against the inner wall of the pipe corresponding to each connecting portion of the lock mechanism, and projects or retreats in a direction perpendicular to the pipe axis depending on the inner diameter of the pipe. A driving wheel mounted so as to be able to be mounted, and a rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the second traveling drive unit is provided if a rolling rolling locus of the driving wheel of the first traveling driving unit is around a left-hand thread. The in-pipe traveling system according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle travels so as to rotate around a right-hand thread. 5. The connecting portion according to claim 2, wherein each of the first arm link and the corresponding second arm link of the arm link mechanism are meshed with a gear having the same number of teeth. The in-pipe traveling system according to claim 4. 6. The rotation mechanism of the drive ring includes a first rotation shaft transmitting rotation to the first traveling ring and a second rotation shaft transmitting rotation to the second traveling ring, both of which are torsion springs. Energize to be a torsional force between the rotating shafts,
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the arm link mechanism is made expandable and contractable by utilizing the restoring force of the torsion force so that the drive wheel is pushed up to the tube wall and projects or retreats according to the inner wall of the tube. Item 5. The in-pipe traveling system according to Item 4. 7. The rotation mechanism of the drive ring further includes a lock mechanism for holding and releasing a state in which a torsional force is applied between the rotation shafts as necessary, and a mutual twist angle of the rotation shafts. 7. The in-pipe traveling system according to claim 6, further comprising a restriction stopper for restricting the pressure from exceeding a predetermined value. 8. The driving ring switches an air motor for rotating a rotation shaft of the rotation mechanism and air supplied to the air motor from an air pipe disposed along the elastic rod-shaped support by an air switching device. The in-pipe traveling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising control means for performing control. 9. The unit according to claim 1, wherein a unit for performing a task such as a cleaning unit, an inspection unit, an exploration unit, or a painting unit is attached to a tip of the elastic rod-shaped support. Any of the in-pipe traveling systems. 10. An in-pipe traveling system in which an elastic rod-shaped support is disposed in a pipe and at least one or more traveling drive units are attached to the elastic rod-shaped support, and the in-pipe traveling apparatus travels in the pipe. At that time, assembling the traveling drive unit,
The elastic rod-shaped support is attached to the elastic rod-shaped support, and the distal end of the elastic rod-shaped support is sequentially inserted from a pipe inlet, and when the operation of the system is completed, the elastic rod-shaped support is sequentially pulled out from the rear end thereof. In-pipe traveling system. 11. A power transmission device that provides a cleaning unit to the in-pipe traveling device and transmits power from the outside to the in-pipe traveling device, a support supply device that supplies the elastic rod-shaped support from the outside into the pipe, The in-pipe traveling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a cleaning water supply device that supplies cleaning water from outside is provided to clean the inside of the pipe.