JPS59109470A - Moving device in pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a device to be freely moved inside a pipe with various changes by providing a clip force generating mechanism energizing a pair of arms in a direction narrowing the clip angle. CONSTITUTION:Both arms 1, 2 can not held opening against the energizing force (f) generated by a clip force generating mechanism 7 corresponding to the inner diameter of a pipe, thus wheels 4, 5 are pressed to one surface section 8b of a pipe inner wall face, on the other hand a drive wheel 6 is pressed to the other surface section 8a opposite in the diameter direction by the reaction force, thereby this device can be eventually erected and stabilized in the pipe 8. At this time, the direction X-X connecting the centers of the wheels 4, 5 generally coincides with the pipe axis direction of that portion. When the drive wheel 6 is rotated with a suitable rotation drive source such as a step motor under this condition, the whole device can be moved in the pipe axis direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for moving tubular objects such as various pipes within a pipe.

Manually perform inspections for cracks, damage, wear, adhesion of foreign substances, deterioration of materials, etc. inside pipes, grasp the condition of pipe joints, and also perform tasks such as laying cables inside pipes and transporting materials inside pipes. Converting robots to robots without relying on them is a great hope for the future. In particular, when working inside pipes where there is no space for manual work, or when working inside pipes related to nuclear reactors where manual work is dangerous, this is an essential requirement that goes beyond simply streamlining the work and saving labor.

To do this, we must first develop a moving device that allows the robot itself to move freely within the pipe. Further, it is desired that such a moving device operates regardless of the posture of the pipe and the undulations inside the pipe, and has good tolerance for the pipe inner diameter.

On the other hand, in the past, only moving devices using gravity were considered, and such devices can move pipes that are not horizontal, bent pipes, and even pipes with uneven pipe diameters. It was impossible to move inside9
In view of these circumstances, the present invention has been made with the object of providing a device that can freely move inside pipes whose postures, shapes, and pipe diameters have variously changed. The device itself is extremely simple and mechanically designed to have the ability to flexibly follow the ups and downs inside the pipe.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on each embodiment using the drawings.

Figure '1 shows the configuration of a basic embodiment of the present invention, which has a pair of arms l and c of equal length, one end of which is pivoted to a common rotational fulcrum 3A to form a clamping mechanism. are doing. Further, in this embodiment, a drive wheel 6 is also pivotally attached to the rotation fulcrum 3A. That is, the rotation axis 6A of the drive shaft B is coaxial with the common rotation fulcrum 3A of the pair of arms.

Each free end of the pair of arms ~3B, 3C has an omnidirectional or flexible wheel as a follower wheel movable in all directions, respectively.
A clamping force generating mechanism 7 is provided in the middle of the length of both arms.

The included angle θυ formed by both arms / and 2 is variable depending on the degree of opening of both arms around the rotational fulcrum 3A, but normally, the included angle θυ formed by the light beam pinching force generating mechanism 7 is Due to the forces f and f,
It is biased to be as small as possible. That is, as shown by the imaginary lines in Figure 1, both wheels G and J are brought as close together as possible, and both arms are forced as much as possible to lie along the bisector l of the included angle θτ. . To state in advance, in this way, when both arms /, 2 are fully closed, the distance between the ground contact surface or tread surface of the wheel ≠, j and the ground contact surface or tread surface of the drive wheel 6 is αx is the maximum pipe inner diameter to which this moving device can be applied.

In principle, the minimum inner diameter of the pipe can be determined by widening the included angle θV between both arms and 2 to approximately 180°, 1, and even extremely small diameters can be tolerated, but in practice, the clamping force generation mechanism 7
and other design matters determined by the degree of miniaturization of the specific configuration. However, it is doubtful that it has extremely large diameter tolerance in principle.

As shown in the second diagram, this device has the above-mentioned maximum allowable inner diameter Dm
ay: Used by placing it in a pipe r with the following inner diameter. Then, both arms /, 2ff are forced to open against the biasing force f generated by the clamping force generating mechanism 7 according to the inner diameter of the pipe, and therefore, due to the biasing force or clamping force f, wheel ≠, j
is pressed against one surface part rb of the inner wall surface of the pipe, and on the other hand, the driving wheel B is pressed against the other surface part Ia facing in the diametrical direction due to the reaction force, so that the device eventually stands up in the pipe r and becomes stable. be able to. At this time, the direction XX connecting the center of Wheel Hiro and Yu generally coincides with the tube axis direction of that part. FIG. 3 shows the state in which the clamping mechanism is erected, viewed from the tube axis direction X. In this state, if the drive wheel 6 is rotated by a suitable rotary drive source such as a step motor, the entire device can be moved in the tube axis direction. If the direction of rotation of the drive wheels is reversed, the direction of movement will also be exactly opposite.

In addition to these basic embodiments, if the direction of movement of the drive wheel B is further controlled using the steering tear, the entire device can be moved not only in the axial direction of the tube but also in any direction within the tube. In that case, it may be difficult to arrange the drive wheel rotation I1IllI6A coaxially with the rotation fulcrum 3A of both arms due to the actual configuration.

However, the rotation axis gA of the driving wheel B is the bisector of the included angle of both arms l.
If it is above, even if it is away from the fulcrum 3A to the outside, it is still possible to maintain a stable standing posture within the tube. Conversely, it can be said that the first illustrated embodiment is a special case in which the drive wheel axis &A on the bisector l coincides with the common rotational fulcrum 3A of the arms /, -.

An embodiment taking this point into consideration is shown in FIG. 4. Components corresponding to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals as in FIG. Long link arm P,
10 is added, and the other end of each link arm is arm/,2
Each arm/1. which is an equidistant point from the common rotational fulcrum 3A.
Part 2/, 2. A four-bar linkage mechanism is formed, which is pivoted at /3 and whose connection points are points 3A, //, /3, and /3.

At the center of the connection point // in this link mechanism,
M< ur %o support rod with rotation center at fulcrum 3/1.
One end of the t is connected to the long end via a known suitable gas slide mechanism such as a bottle.

Therefore, this support rod/1% is always maintained on the line l that divides the included angle θυ into thirds, regardless of changes in the opening angle or included angle θυ of both arms l and C. Therefore, the center A of the driving wheel B provided at the other end of this support rod is also on the included angle bisector l,
In particular, it always remains on its outward extension l' and the triangle 6A
The isosceles shape of 3B3C is guaranteed.

Therefore, the steering device of the support rod/pK driving wheel O/j
If the rotational axis direction of the driving wheel is controlled to intersect with the clamping motion surface of the clamping mechanism at a constant angle, the entire device can be moved while rotating in a spiral pattern. Additionally, if the axis of rotation of the drive wheel is included within the plane of the clamping movement of the clamping mechanism, the device will generally move repeatedly within the cross-section of the tube. It goes without saying that when the rotation axis of the drive wheel intersects at right angles to the clamping movement plane of the clamping mechanism, the movement is the same as that of the moving device having the configuration shown in the first figure.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which stable movement within the pipe is possible even when the inner diameter of the pipe fluctuates significantly during travel. The same figure (α) shows the cases in which modifications are made to the embodiments shown in the first figure, and the same figure (b) shows the cases in which the respective embodiments shown in the fourth figure are modified, and the arm 17.2 of the clamping mechanism is It incorporates a stretching device/l whose effective length can be intentionally changed under the condition that the lengths are equal to each other.

Therefore, for large-diameter pipes or in large-diameter portions of the pipe, the arm /,λ is extended to substantially increase the maximum allowable diameter Dmax shown in the first diagram, and conversely, for small-diameter pipes or in large-diameter portions of the pipe, As for the small diameter portion of the tube, by appropriately shortening the arms 1 and 2, the included angle θτ can be kept within an appropriate range, rather than being too large.

Fig. 5(C) shows the above-mentioned extension device/B incorporated into the drive wheel support rod/g of the fourth illustrated embodiment, which also allows the effective length of the main arm l2.2 to be substantially equally extended. You can get the same results as with

In each of the embodiments described above, the specific configuration of each mechanical part or device can be designed using existing technology. For example, the clamping force generator 7 may be a tension spring, the omnidirectional wheel may be an existing swivel caster configuration, and the drive source for the drive wheel B may be an ordinary electric motor or the like. Further, it is extremely easy to make the steering device /j and the extension device /B electric, and automatic feedback control of the extension device is also fully possible using existing circuit technology. It should be noted that each ring may not have an annual ring structure as shown in the figure, but may be a gutter ring, etc. 1. As described above, according to the present invention, as the N legs of a robot for work inside each forest pipe, a It is possible to provide a moving device that can be configured in a generally planar manner using small parts and that can respond well to the posture, shape, inner diameter, bending, etc. of the tube, and has great effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a basic embodiment of the present invention, Figs. 2 and 5 are explanatory diagrams of the F-th state of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1,
4 and 5 are schematic configuration diagrams of other embodiments of the present invention, respectively. In the figure, /, 2 is an arm, 3A is a common rotational fulcrum, and 3B. 3C is the center of rotation of the wheel, ≠, j is the omnidirectional wheel, b is the drive wheel, 7 is the clamping force generation mechanism, K is the pipe, ? . 10 is the link arm, //, /λ, /3 is the connection point of the four-bar link, /Hiro is the drive wheel support rod, /j is the steering device,
/6 is an expansion device. Designated agent Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A pair of arms having one end connected to a common rotational fulcrum and each having an omnidirectional wheel at the other end, and a sandwich formed between the pair of arms at the one end side of the pair of arms. A pipe comprising: a drive wheel with a rotating shaft placed on the bisector of an angle; and a clamping force generating mechanism that applies a biasing force to the pair of arms in a direction that narrows the included angle. Mobile device.