KR20080065387A - A endoscope apparatus for checking a small size water supply pipe - Google Patents

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus for checking a small-diameter pipe is provided to diagnose the state of maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement of a pipe exactly and quickly by fixing an optical fiber illumination device to a camera, thereby probing an ultra small sized pipe, recording the photographed image in the type of a digital video recorder and sending out the photographed image in real time from a job site, to be used for checking the inside of a small-diameter pipe where a self-propelled vehicle or a tractor loaded with a camera is unable to approach or a pipe arranged in a narrow space effectively, and to carry out easily in a job site by manufacturing in a small size. An endoscope apparatus for checking a small-diameter pipe, for checking the internal condition of a small-diameter pipe where a self-propelled vehicle or a tractor loaded with a camera is unable to approach or a pipe placed in a narrow space clearly, digitizing the photographed image data and storing, and sending out in real time from a job site to the outside, comprises a camera module having a thin, long insertion unit and photographing the inside of a pipe, an optical fiber illumination device(4) installed to the outside of the camera module to irradiate, a main control unit(6) controlling the drive of the camera module and the optical fiber illumination device, an image processing unit(8) transmitting the image signal photographed by the camera module and inputted to the main control unit, a voltage regulator(10) supplied with power from the outside, and keeping voltage regularly and supplying to the main control unit and the image processing unit, an image processor power supply unit(12) making the power supplied from the voltage regulator down and supplying to an image processor, a display unit receiving signals from the image processing unit and displaying, and a battery(16) supplying power to the voltage regulator.

Description

A endoscope apparatus for checking a small size water supply pipe

1 is a schematic view showing a state of irradiating a general water supply pipe.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of one embodiment of the endoscope device for small-diameter pipeline irradiation according to the present invention.

Figure 3 is a block diagram for explaining the signal processing state of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a camera module which is the main part of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the support for supporting the camera module which is the main part of the present invention in the pipeline.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

2: camera module 4: fiber optic lighting

6: Foundry Government 8: Image Processing Department

10: constant voltage 12: image processor power supply

14: display unit 16: battery

22: head case 24: solid state image pickup device

26: objective 28: barrel

30: optical cable 32: camera drive switch

34: light switch 36: first light amount adjustment dial

38: second light amount adjustment dial

The present invention relates to an endoscope for examining the inside of a pipe for transporting various fluids, for example, a water supply pipe, a sewer pipe, an oil pipe, and more particularly, an internal state of a small diameter pipe that cannot be entered by a pipeline exploration vehicle. It relates to an endoscopic apparatus for small diameter pipeline investigation that can be easily irradiated.

Water pipes, sewer pipes, oil pipes, and the like are typical pipes for transporting fluids, and valves are provided inside the pipes to control the transport of fluids.

In general, when the purpose of checking the remaining state of the scale generated inside the pipeline and the leakage due to the defective valve condition and to diagnose the aging condition for the rehabilitation of the pipeline, The internal condition of the pipeline was identified by visually identifying the internal condition of the pipeline to determine the time for maintenance and proper replacement.

As described above, in order to avoid the necessity of the necessary number of stages, the operator often diagnoses the condition of the pipeline and the valve depending on the sound generated from the pipeline, and this method is to clearly understand the condition of the pipeline. Difficult to diagnose correctly. As a result of inaccurate listening due to incorrect hearing diagnosis, there is a problem in that valves and pipelines are frequently damaged by taking inappropriate measures.

In order to overcome the above problems, conventionally, a device for irradiating a pipeline by a mechanical method has been proposed.

 As a device for exploring the situation in a narrow pipeline (F) that can not enter the operator, such as water, sewage, as shown in Figure 1, the exploration vehicle (A) equipped with a CCTV camera (C) is used, the exploration vehicle In the small diameter pipeline of this difficult entry place, a wire pulling device for pulling and supplying a supply line equipped with a camera at the distal end into the pipeline is widely used.

These pipeline surveys display the internal situation taken by the exploration vehicle on an external working vehicle or a monitor installed on the ground, so that manhole connections, connection joints, and wall surfaces for maintenance and replacement of water and sewage pipelines are displayed. It is used for various purposes such as to identify the damage state of the back, scale growth inside the pipeline, to identify the cause of the flow of disturbances such as pipe gradient and sedimentation, and to provide basic design data for maintenance of sewage pipe.

The wire pulling device equipped with a camera used as a device for exploring a small-diameter pipe is inserted into the inside of the pipe to photograph the inside, and displays the captured image on an external monitor to inspect the inside of the pipe. The conventional small diameter pipeline inspection device is suitably used in a short distance pipeline within 100m to 1km.

The camera mounted on the wire pulling equipment as described above uses LED lighting. Due to this structure, although the wire pulling equipment is a small pipe-only exploration device, it is limited to miniaturizing the size of the camera equipped with the LED light. Therefore, the wire pulling equipment is applied to only a small pipe having a diameter of 30 to 150 mm. This is because the overall diameter of the camera is large due to the size of the LED chip has a problem that can not be used in a small pipe of less than 30mm.

In addition, the conventional small pipeline exploration equipment is used only for the purpose of directly monitoring the image taken by the camera in the field, so after the exploration of the pipeline, whether the scale remains, deteriorated, or customs for rehabilitation later in the pipeline It is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis of the back. Image images recorded using conventional small-caliber exploration equipment are stored in a VCR (video cassette recorder), so the image quality is poor, and the trouble of storing the images while replacing the video tape is not only easy to store. There was this. In particular, after the pipeline exploration, the exploration situation is recorded in a separate list directly at the site. It is difficult to confirm whether the recorded list matches the recorded video tape. It is difficult to identify which area the pipeline is located in.

Accordingly, the present invention has been proposed to solve the above problems, and by mounting a fiber-optic light that can adjust the amount of light to the camera, it is possible to explore the micro-pipe (about Φ30mm or less), the captured image is digital It is possible to record by the digital video recorder method and to transmit the captured images in real time in the field, so that the small-diameter conduit can diagnose the maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement of the pipeline accurately and quickly. Its purpose is to provide an internal market value.

In addition, the present invention provides a small diameter pipeline investigation internal value that can be suitably used for the internal inspection of small diameter pipelines or narrowly arranged pipelines that camera-mounted independent or towing vehicles cannot enter. There is a purpose.

In addition, the present invention has yet another object to provide a small diameter pipe line for internal market value easy to carry directly to the field is made small.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, the camera module for having an elongated insertion portion, to photograph the inside of the pipeline; An optical fiber light installed outside the camera module to irradiate light; Main adjusting means for controlling the driving of the camera module and the optical fiber lighting; Image processing means for transmitting the image signal photographed by the camera module and input to the main adjusting means to the outside; And a display device for receiving a signal from the image processing means and displaying the display means.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of FIGS. 2 to 5.

The small diameter pipeline investigation internal market according to the present invention can clearly investigate the internal state of the small-diameter pipeline or the narrow-area pipeline that the camera is mounted or the towing vehicle does not enter, the image taken It is implemented so that data can be digitized, stored, and transmitted from the field in real time.

2 and 3, an embodiment of the present invention includes a camera module (2) having an elongated insertion portion and for photographing the inside of a conduit; An optical fiber illuminator 4 installed outside the camera module 2 to irradiate light; A casting part 6 for controlling the driving of the camera module 2 and the optical fiber light 4; An image processor (8) for transmitting an image signal photographed by the camera module (2) and input to the casting unit (6) to the outside; A constant voltage generator (10) receiving power from the outside and maintaining a constant voltage to supply the casting unit (6) and the image processing unit (8); An image processor power supply unit 12 for providing power to the image processor with power supplied from the constant voltage generator 10; A display unit 14 for receiving a signal from the image processor 8 and displaying the signal; And a battery 16 for supplying power to the constant voltage generator 10.

As shown in Fig. 4, the camera module 2 includes a cylindrical head case 22; A solid-state image pickup device (CCD) 24 installed inside the head case 22 to image the inside of the pipeline; An objective lens 26 provided at the front end of the solid state image pickup device 24; A barrel (lens holder) 28 for fixing the solid state image pickup device 24 and the objective lens 26; And an optical cable 30.

In addition, the optical fiber light 4 is provided at the front end of the light emitted by the power applied from the outside, consisting of a plurality of thin cables are arranged at predetermined intervals on the edge of the solid-state imaging device 24. Therefore, when the camera module 2 is photographed, several optical fiber lights 4 emit light to irradiate the front.

The head case 22 of the camera module 2 may be installed by adding a separate LED light (not shown). Since the LED lighting is a known configuration, further detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.

In the present invention, the camera module 2 equipped with the optical fiber light 4 may be inserted into a micro pipe having a diameter of 15 to 30 mm.

The casting part 6 includes a camera drive switch 32 and an illumination switch 34 for selectively providing power to each of the camera module 2 and the optical fiber light 4; Is installed on one side of the light switch 34 is installed on one side of the first light amount control dial 36 and the first light amount control dial 36 for adjusting the light amount of the optical fiber, the LED light is fitted to the camera module (2) When exploring the pipeline includes a second light amount adjustment dial 38 for adjusting the light amount of the LED light.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the display unit 14 may be made of a monitor alone, but preferably made of a notebook. When the display unit 14 is made of a notebook, the image captured by the solid state image pickup device 24 may be stored in a file and transmitted to the outside in real time. In particular, since the pipeline exploration data is stored as a deep digital signal, editing and image transmission are convenient, and searches can be made easily by time, date, camera, and event.

On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 5 and the support cylinder 42 which is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the head case 22; Both ends are circularly plated and are installed at 120 ° intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the support cylinder 42. When entering the camera module 2 into the conduit, the camera contacts the inner surface of the conduit and protects the camera. It further includes a leaf spring 44 for supporting the center to maintain the center and a fixing bolt 46 for fixing the head case 22 through the support cylinder 42.

Components of the present invention configured as described above are built in a rectangular bag (1), the bag (1) is a commercial power source (1) for the first port (1a) and the constant voltage (10) for transmitting a video signal to the notebook A second port 1b for providing a power supply power source is formed. The present invention configured as described above is utilized as a compact portable equipment (portable), it is possible to carry out the investigation of the pipeline while carrying directly to the site.

Referring to the working state of the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

First, the camera module 2 provided with the optical fiber light 4 is inserted into the target small-diameter pipeline in order to diagnose a leak due to a residual state of a scale growing in the pipeline or a failure of a valve state. Then, when the camera drive switch 32 and the illumination switch 34 mounted on the casting part 6 are turned on, the front end of the optical fiber light 4 emits light to irradiate the front of the conduit and to take a solid image. The element 24 is irradiated inside the pipeline.

Looking at the process of supplying power to the foundry (6), when the power supply (power supply) is provided in the site, the power supply power is used, if not, it is mounted inside the bag (1) The power source of the battery 16 is used. At this time, the battery 16 supplies 12v power to the constant voltage regulator 10. The constant voltage generator 10 applies the power of the battery 16 to the casting unit 6 and the image processor power supply unit 12, the image processor power supply unit 12 is converted to the down power supply to the image processor 8 Will be done.

The analog image signal photographed from the solid state image pickup device 24 is input to the image processor 8 through the casting unit 6 and transmitted to the notebook 14 in a state converted into a digital signal. The notebook 14 stores the image signal of the solid state image pickup device 24 as a file and transmits the image to a desired place in real time.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings, and various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. It will be evident to those who have knowledge of.

As described above, according to the present invention, the optical fiber lighting is installed in the camera, but the light quantity can be adjusted so that the camera can clearly examine the inside of the pipeline with sufficient light quantity, and the optical fiber and LED lighting are combined to one camera. It can be used as an effect.

Since the present invention can be transmitted in real time from the field to the outside, it is possible to diagnose the internal condition of the pipeline quickly and accurately, and accordingly, there is another effect of properly determining the maintenance and rehabilitation and replacement of the pipeline.

The present invention can store images captured by the camera in a digital video recording method, so that it is not only easy to play or search the stored screen, but also semi-permanent storage of files. In particular, since the exploration data of the pipeline is stored as a digital signal, it is convenient to edit and transmit images, and there is another effect that can be searched by time, date, camera, and event.

Claims (7)

A camera module having an elongated insert and for photographing the inside of the conduit; An optical fiber light installed outside the camera module to irradiate light; Main adjusting means for controlling the driving of the camera module and the optical fiber lighting; Image processing means for transmitting the image signal photographed by the camera module and input to the main adjusting means to the outside; And Display means for receiving a signal from the image processing means and displaying the signal; Endoscopic apparatus for irradiating small diameter pipelines including a. The method of claim 1, The optical fiber illumination endoscope device for small-diameter pipe irradiation is disposed at a predetermined interval across the front of the edge of the camera module, further comprising an LED light selectively installed on the outside of the camera module. The method of claim 1, The main adjustment means A camera drive switch and a light switch for selectively providing power to each of the camera module and the optical fiber light; It is installed on one side of the light switch endoscope for irradiating a small diameter pipe, characterized in that it comprises a first light amount adjusting dial for adjusting the light amount of the optical fiber. The method of claim 3, wherein The first light amount control dial is installed on one side, when installing a separate LED light on the camera module further comprises a second light amount adjustment dial for adjusting the light amount of the LED light small diameter pipe endoscope. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Endoscope apparatus for irradiating a small diameter pipe, characterized in that the display means is a monitor. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Endoscope apparatus for irradiating small-diameter duct, characterized in that the display means is a notebook. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The camera module A cylindrical head case; A solid state image pickup device installed inside the head case and configured to image the inside of the pipeline; An objective lens installed at a front end of the solid state imaging device and A barrel for fixing the solid state image pickup device and the objective lens Endoscopic apparatus for irradiating small diameter pipelines including a.

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