JPS6332550Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention travels through complicated passages inside the reactor containment vessel, for example, and inspects the equipment inside the reactor containment vessel by using on-board inspection and monitoring equipment. This invention relates to a traveling device that performs inspection and monitoring. [Technical background of the invention and its problems] Generally, the inside of a nuclear reactor containment vessel has a high radiation atmosphere, and it is not desirable for workers to enter the reactor containment vessel to inspect and monitor equipment. For this reason, attempts have been made to develop a device that remotely inspects and monitors equipment within the reactor containment vessel by traveling within the reactor containment vessel by remote control and using installed inspection and monitoring equipment. By the way, the passages inside the reactor containment vessel are narrow and complicated, and there are many steep stairs along the way. Therefore, in order to develop a device for remotely inspecting and monitoring equipment within the reactor containment vessel, it is first necessary to develop a traveling device that can freely travel through such passages. Conventionally, attempts have been made to develop such traveling devices equipped with a crawler mechanism. A traveling device equipped with this crawler mechanism has advantages such as being able to turn at a steep angle and being able to freely ascend and descend stairs and the like. However, models equipped with this crawler mechanism had the problem that they had a longer overall length and were unable to enter narrow spaces or turn around. If the overall length is shortened in order to eliminate such problems, problems such as making it easier to fall when going up and down steep stairs will occur. Furthermore, when performing inspection and monitoring, the traveling device may be stopped halfway up the stairs, and in such a case, there is a possibility that the traveling device may slip down the stairs. [Purpose of the invention] This invention was created based on the above circumstances, and its purpose is to enter into narrow spaces,
To provide a traveling device which can turn and is free from the possibility of slipping down even when stopped in the middle of stairs. [Summary of the invention] That is, as a means for achieving the above object, the present invention includes a vehicle body, a plurality of crawler bodies that support the vehicle body, and an endless crawler track provided around these crawler bodies so as to be freely movable. , the crawler main body is composed of a fixed part attached to the vehicle body and a movable part rotatably connected to the fixed part via a shaft, and the movable part is bent approximately perpendicularly upward to the crawler main body. The invention is characterized in that it is provided with a bending mechanism that allows it to be bent. [Embodiment of the invention] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle body. On this vehicle body 1, inspection and monitoring equipment such as a television camera 2, a radiation detector 3, a temperature detector 4, etc. are mounted. The equipment is configured so that it can be remotely inspected and monitored. A total of four crawler mechanisms 5 are attached to the vehicle body 1, one pair on the left and one on the left and right at the rear. These crawler mechanisms 5 are constructed as follows. In the figure, reference numeral 6 denotes a crawler body that supports the vehicle body 1, and drive wheels 7... and guide wheels 8..., 9... are provided on the periphery of the crawler body 6. An endless crawler belt 10 is spanned over these driving wheels 7 and guide wheels 8, 9, and so on, and this crawler belt 10 can run freely along the periphery of the crawler body 6. A running drive mechanism (not shown) is built in the crawler main body 6, and the crawler track 10 is driven by this running drive mechanism.
is configured to be driven to travel. The crawler main body 6 includes a fixed part 6a attached to the vehicle body 1 via a stay 12, and a fixed part 6a attached to the vehicle body 1 via a stay 12.
a and a movable part 6b rotatably connected to the shaft 11 via a shaft 11. Note that 13 is a slack prevention ring that prevents the crawler belt 10 from sagging when the movable portion 6b is bent. Further, the crawler main body 6 is provided with a bending mechanism 14 that bends the movable portion 6b upward substantially vertically. The configuration of this bending mechanism 14 will be explained below. That is, 15 in the figure is a tension spring, and this tension spring 15 is stretched between the fixed part 6a and the movable part 6b of the crawler main body 6. Further, 16 is a cylinder mechanism connected between the fixed part 6a and the movable part 6b, and this cylinder mechanism 1
By contracting the piston rod 16b of No. 6, the movable portion 6b is bent upward substantially vertically. Further, the cylinder mechanism 16 is of a single acting type and is connected to a master cylinder 17. By pushing in the piston 18 of this master cylinder 17, hydraulic oil is supplied into the cylinder 16a and this cylinder mechanism 16 is extended, and by pulling out the piston 18 of this master cylinder 17, this cylinder mechanism 16a is extended. is configured to be shortened. The piston 18 of the master cylinder 17 is operated by a servo mechanism 22 via links 19, 20 and a clutch 21. The clutch 21 is configured to be connected and disconnected by a clutch actuating mechanism 23. This clutch actuation mechanism 23 is constructed as follows. 24 is a plunger,
This plunger 24 is connected to the clutch 21 via an arm 33, and is configured so that the clutch 21 is connected and disconnected by movement of this plunger 24. This plunger 24 is urged by a spring 25 in a direction to disengage the clutch 21. Also, 27
28 is a power source such as a battery, and 29 is a switch. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, by closing this switch 29, the solenoid 27
is energized, the plunger 24 moves against the biasing force of the spring 25, and connects the clutch 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the switch 29 is opened or the power supply 28 loses its function, the solenoid 27
is demagnetized, the plunger 24 is moved by the biasing force of the spring 25, and the clutch 21 is disengaged. Note that 30 is a power protection switch for disconnecting and protecting the power supply 28 from the ground when the power supply 28 loses its function due to a short circuit. Reference numeral 31 denotes a locking member, and as shown in FIG. 6, this locking member 31 is configured to move forward and fit into a stopper 32 of the plunger 24, thereby locking the clutch 21 in the connected state. Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. When traveling in a wide area, the piston rod 16b of the cylinder mechanism 16 is extended, and the crawler body 6 is used in an extended state as shown in FIG. Also, when entering a narrow place or turning in a narrow place, the piston rod 16b of the cylinder mechanism 16
is contracted, and the movable portion 6b of the crawler body 6 is bent substantially vertically upward as shown in FIG. By bending the movable portion 6b of the crawler body 6 substantially vertically upward in this way, the overall length of the crawler mechanism 5 (the length of the track 10 in contact with the ground) is shortened, so that it is possible to enter into narrow spaces or turn in narrow spaces. It becomes possible to do. Further, when going up and down stairs, the crawler mechanism 5 is extended as shown in FIG. In this way, the ground contact length of the crawler mechanism 5 becomes longer, so that it is possible to stably move up and down the stages. In addition, when the robot stops in the middle of stairs, the crawler mechanism 5 is bent as shown in FIG. 10. In this way, the ground contact length of the crawler mechanism 5 is shortened, so that the crawler mechanism 5 completely rides on one step of the stairs. Therefore, the slippage between the crawler mechanism 5 and the stairs and the crawler mechanism 5
By reversing the..., this device will not slide down the stairs and will be able to stop stably in the middle of the stairs. In this case, if the bent crawler mechanism 5 ... becomes a hindrance to the inspection and monitoring of equipment inside the reactor containment vessel, either the front or rear crawler mechanism 5 should be moved as shown in Fig. 11. It may be extended. Further, in this embodiment, when the power supply 28 loses its function, the clutch 21 is disengaged and the piston 18 of the master cylinder 17 can move freely, so that the cylinder mechanism 16 can be freely shortened.
Therefore, the crawler mechanism 5 is automatically bent by the biasing force of the tension spring 15. Therefore, if the power supply 28 fails in the middle of the stairs, the state shown in FIG. 8 is automatically established, and the user is safe without falling down the stairs. Note that the present invention is applicable not only to traveling devices for inspecting and monitoring inside nuclear reactor containment vessels, but also to general traveling devices for remotely performing various operations in places where humans cannot enter. [Effects of the invention] As described above, the present invention comprises a crawler body consisting of a fixed part attached to the vehicle body and a movable part rotatably connected to this fixed part via a shaft, and Since the bending mechanism for bending the movable part upward substantially vertically is provided, the overall length of the crawler main body can be shortened by bending the movable part substantially vertically upward. Therefore, it is possible to provide a traveling device that can enter or turn in a narrow space, and there is no possibility of slipping even if the vehicle stops in the middle of stairs.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side view, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is a view taken along the - arrow in Fig. 1, and Figs. 4 to 6 are in different operating states. 7 to 11 are side views showing different operating states, respectively. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Vehicle body, 5 ...Crawler mechanism, 6...Crawler main body, 6a...Fixed part, 6b...Movable part, 1
0... Shoe body, 14... Bending mechanism, 15... Tension spring, 16... Cylinder mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It is equipped with a vehicle body, a plurality of crawler bodies that support the vehicle body, and an endless crawler track provided around these crawler bodies so as to be freely runnable, and the crawler body is connected to a fixed part attached to the vehicle body, and 1. A traveling device comprising a movable section rotatably connected via a shaft, and a crawler body provided with a bending mechanism for bending the movable section upward substantially vertically.