WO2021109852A1

WO2021109852A1 - Pipeline robot

Info

Publication number: WO2021109852A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/129157
Authority: WO
Inventors: 徐耀辉; 何凯; 洪梓村; 赵文亮
Original assignee: 中国科学院深圳先进技术研究院
Priority date: 2019-12-06
Filing date: 2020-11-16
Publication date: 2021-06-10
Also published as: CN110966482A

Abstract

A pipeline robot (100), the pipeline robot (100) comprising: a drive module (1) comprising a driving wheel assembly (13) and a first drive assembly (14), wherein the driving wheel assembly (13) comprises a plurality of driving wheel supports (131) and at least one driving wheel (132) rotationally mounted on each of the driving wheel supports (131), the first driving assembly (14) is used for driving the driving wheel supports (131) to rotate, and an included angle is formed between the central axis of each driving wheel (132) and the rotating central axis of the corresponding driving wheel support (131) and is not 90 degrees; and at least one operation module (9) which is connected to the driving module (1) by means of a universal joint (5). The pipeline robot (100) can be smaller in size and can be applied to operation in a pipeline with a smaller inner diameter, the universal joint (5) is small in size and good in flexibility, and the pipeline robot (100) can flexibly turn in a pipeline and is not prone to being stuck; and the at least one operation module (9) is connected by means of the universal joint (5), more operation modules (9) can be arranged, the functionality of the pipeline robot is enriched, and the practicability is improved.

Description

A pipeline robot

Technical field

The invention belongs to the technical field of pipeline operations, and particularly relates to a pipeline robot.

Background technique

At present, in pipeline operations such as the nuclear industry and petrochemical industry, pipeline inspection and cleaning are mainly done manually. With the increasing development of the above-mentioned industries, the specifications and quantity of pipelines are also increasing, the workload is large, the manual operation efficiency is low, and based on the naked eye judgment, it is easy to miss the defective parts, etc., resulting in insufficient inspection and cleaning operations. Moreover, if the diameter of the pipeline is too small, workers cannot enter the pipeline to perform operations. Therefore, manual operations have gradually been unable to meet the requirements of operations such as multi-specification and large number of pipeline inspections.

The use of pipeline robots instead of manual operations can not only improve the efficiency of pipeline operations, but also greatly improve the adaptability of multi-specification pipe diameters and the coverage of pipeline areas. At present, most pipeline robots are mainly moved by motor-driven crawlers or link-type peristaltic components and other walking mechanisms, and support is achieved by symmetrically distributing links and hinges with the axis of the bracket as the center.

However, the current mainstream crawler-type walking mechanisms, connecting rods and hinged support mechanisms mainly have the following shortcomings: (1) Large size, which is not conducive to miniaturization. The crawler-type walking mechanism is mainly composed of motors, pulleys, crawlers, tensioning devices and Connecting brackets and other components are difficult to adapt to pipelines with small diameters; (2) The linkage mechanism is poorly flexible and easy to jam. The linkage support mechanism has a limited angle adjustment range and is composed of rigid parts. In the case of bulges, obstacles and pipe diameter changes in the pipeline, it is easy to jam and cause damage to the pipeline robot; (3) Due to the length limitation, it is not conducive to arranging the operation module. The crawler pipeline robot needs to bend because of the need for turning. , It is not suitable to design too long, and the crawler walking mechanism particularly takes up space, so it is difficult to realize the arrangement of multi-functional operation modules, which weakens the practicability.

technical problem

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pipeline robot, which aims to solve the technical problems of large volume, poor flexibility and low practicability existing in the existing pipeline robot.

Technical solutions

The present invention is realized as follows. A pipeline robot includes:

The driving module includes a driving wheel assembly and a first driving assembly; the driving wheel assembly includes a plurality of driving wheel brackets and at least one driving wheel rotatably mounted on each of the driving wheel brackets, and the first driving assembly is used for Driving each of the driving wheel brackets to rotate, an included angle is formed between the center axis of the driving wheel and the rotation center axis of the driving wheel bracket, and the included angle is not 90°; and

At least one work module, the drive module and each work module are connected by a universal joint; the work module is used to perform work in the pipeline.

In one embodiment, the driving wheel assembly further includes a front section housing, a first cam, a plurality of connecting members and a spring member, and the first cam is arranged inside the front section housing and perpendicular to the driving wheel. The central axis of rotation of the bracket is set, one end of the connecting piece slidably extends into the interior of the front section housing and is slidably connected to the outer peripheral surface of the first cam, and the spring piece is connected to the other end of the connecting piece and Between the driving wheel brackets, the driving wheel bracket slides along the axial direction of the spring member.

In one embodiment, the drive module further includes a rear housing, the first drive assembly is at least partially disposed in the rear housing, and the output end of the first drive assembly is connected to each of the driving wheel brackets. Connected by universal joints.

In one embodiment, the pipeline robot further includes a plurality of supporting wheel assemblies; each of the supporting wheel assemblies includes a plurality of supporting wheel brackets and at least one supporting wheel rotatably mounted on each of the supporting wheel brackets, each The supporting wheel bracket is installed on the driving module and each of the working modules, and the center axis of each supporting wheel and the rotation center axis of the driving wheel bracket are perpendicular to each other.

In one embodiment, the support wheel assembly further includes a plurality of adjustment assemblies, the adjustment assembly is connected to the support wheel bracket, and the adjustment assembly is used to adjust the support wheel to the center of rotation of the driving wheel bracket The distance of the axis.

In an embodiment, the operation module includes a polishing module, the polishing module includes a second driving assembly and a polishing assembly, and the second driving assembly is used to drive the polishing assembly to rotate.

In an embodiment, the polishing assembly includes at least one polishing head and at least one connecting rod connected to the polishing head, and the polishing module further includes a third drive assembly and a first housing. The third drive assembly Set in the first housing, a part of the connecting rod slidably extends into the first housing, and the third drive assembly is connected to the connecting rod and used to drive the grinding head away from the driving wheel The stent moves in the direction of the central axis of rotation.

In one embodiment, the polishing module further includes at least two airbags, and a plurality of the airbags are respectively located on a side of the second driving assembly away from the polishing assembly and the polishing assembly away from the second driving assembly The airbag located on the side of the sanding assembly is connected to the sanding assembly through a bearing; the airbag is used to connect to an external inflation and deflation assembly.

In one embodiment, the operation module includes a detection module, the detection module includes a third drive assembly, a turntable, and at least one detection element, and the third drive assembly is connected to the turntable and is used to drive the turntable around The rotation center axis of the driving wheel support rotates, and at least one detection element is provided on the turntable.

In one embodiment, the pipeline robot further includes a circuit board loading module, the circuit board loading module includes a loading housing and a control circuit board arranged in the loading housing, the loading housing and at least one of the The working modules are connected by a universal joint, and the control circuit board is connected with the first drive assembly and the working module.

Beneficial effect

The pipeline robot provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

The driving module of the pipeline robot includes a driving wheel assembly and a first driving assembly. In the driving wheel assembly, the driving wheel and the rotation center axis of the driving wheel support form a non-right angle. Through the driving of the first driving assembly, the driving wheel During the rotation of the bracket, the pipeline robot is driven to move forward as a whole, without the need for large-volume structures such as crawlers. The pipeline robot can be smaller in size and can be applied to work in pipelines with small inner diameters; the drive module and the operation module pass through a universal joint The universal joint is small in size and flexible. The pipeline robot can turn flexibly in the pipeline and is not prone to jamming. At least one operation module can be connected through the universal joint, and the pipeline robot can arrange more The operation module enriches the functionality of the pipeline robot and improves its practicability.

Description of the drawings

In order to explain the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention more clearly, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative work, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings.

Figure 1 is a front view of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a right side view of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a left side view of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a schematic structural diagram of a drive module of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the front shell and the rear shell are partially cut away, and a driving wheel is removed;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection module of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the detection housing of which is partially cut away;

Fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a working module of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention, the polishing shell of which is partially cut away;

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a circuit board module of a pipeline robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention, and the loading shell of the circuit board module is partially cut away.

The meaning of the mark in the figure is:

100-Pipe robot;

1-drive module, 11-front housing, 12-rear housing, 13-driving wheel assembly, 131-driving wheel bracket, 132-driving wheel, 133-first cam, 134-connecting piece, 135-spring piece , 14-first drive assembly, 15-first adjustment assembly, 151-driven gear, 152-drive gear, 153-handwheel, 154-locking part, 16-first image sensor assembly, 161-first camera , 162-first bearing, 163-connecting rope, 164-clamp ring;

9-Operation module;

2-detection module, 21-fourth drive assembly, 22-turntable, 23-detection element, 24-auxiliary parts, 25-detection housing, 26-flange, 27-third bearing;

3-polishing module, 31-first housing, 32-second drive assembly, 33-polishing assembly, 331-polishing head, 332-connecting rod, 34-second housing, 35-third drive assembly, 351- The third motor, 352-second cam, 36-second image sensor assembly, 37-exhaust nozzle, 38-cleaning nozzle, 391-airbag, 392-airbag mount, 393-transition plate, 394-transition shaft, 395-second bearing;

4-circuit board loading module, 41-loading shell, 42-control circuit board;

5-Universal joint;

6-support wheel assembly, 61-support wheel bracket, 62-support wheel, 63-support plate, 64-second adjustment assembly, 65-guide rod;

7-Connecting flange.

Embodiments of the present invention

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the following further describes the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described here are only used to explain the present invention, but not used to limit the present invention.

It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "installed on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly on the other component. When a component is said to be "connected" to another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other component. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for ease of description, and do not indicate or imply the device referred to. Or the element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of this patent. The terms "first" and "second" are only used for ease of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features. The meaning of "plurality" means two or more than two, unless otherwise specifically defined.

In order to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, detailed descriptions are given below in conjunction with specific drawings and embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present invention provides a pipeline robot 100 for working in a pipeline, which includes a driving module 1 and at least one working module 9. Specifically, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the driving module 1 includes a driving wheel assembly 13 and a first driving assembly 14. The driving wheel assembly 13 includes a plurality of driving wheel brackets 131 and is rotatably mounted on each driving wheel bracket 131 At least one driving wheel 132 of the driving wheel 132, the plurality of driving wheel brackets 131 have different orientations so as to be supported on the inner wall of the pipe from different directions. The first driving assembly 14 is used to drive the driving wheel brackets 131 to rotate in opposite directions around the same straight line. The included angle is formed between the central axis of 132 and the central axis of rotation of the driving wheel support 131 and the included angle is not 90°; the drive module 1 and each operation module 9 are connected by a universal joint 5, and the operation module 9 is used for The job is executed in the pipeline.

Specifically, when the pipeline robot 100 enters the pipeline, the driving wheel 132 of the driving wheel assembly 13 abuts against the inner wall of the pipeline, and the plurality of driving wheel brackets 131 can be evenly distributed and have the same height, so that the driving wheel brackets 131 can rotate The central axis coincides with the central axis of the pipe. Based on this, since the central axis of the driving wheel 132 and the rotation center axis of the driving wheel bracket 131 form an angle that is not 90°, when the driving wheel bracket 131 rotates, the driving wheel 132 and the inner wall of the pipe generate friction at the position where the friction force has components in the radial and axial directions of the pipe. The component of the friction in the radial direction enables the drive wheel 132 to be pressed against the inner wall of the pipe. The component of the frictional force in the axial direction enables the driving wheel 132 to advance along the central axis of the pipeline, so that the driving module 1 can drive the working modules 9 to advance spirally in the pipeline.

In the pipeline robot 100 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the driving module 1 includes a driving wheel assembly 13 and a first driving assembly 14. The driving wheel 132 in the driving wheel assembly 13 forms an included angle that is not a right angle with the central axis of the pipeline. Driven by the first driving assembly 14, the pipeline robot 100 can be driven to move forward as a whole during the rotation of the driving wheel support 131 and the driving wheel 132, without the need for a large-volume driving structure such as a crawler. The volume of the pipeline robot 100 can be smaller and can be It is suitable for work in pipelines with a small inner diameter; the drive module 1 and the work module 9 are connected by a universal joint 5. The universal joint 5 is small and flexible. The pipeline robot 100 can turn flexibly in the pipeline. It is not easy to jam; at least one work module 9 can be connected through the universal joint 5, and the pipeline robot 100 can be arranged with more work modules 9 so as to enrich the functionality of the pipeline robot 100 and improve its practicability.

The number of driving wheel brackets 131 is suitable to have sufficient support in the pipeline. For example, in this embodiment, the number of driving wheel brackets 131 is three, and the three driving wheel brackets 131 are arranged around their central axis of rotation at 120° intervals along the circumference of the pipe. In other embodiments, the number of the driving wheel brackets 131 can be other values, which is not particularly limited.

The number of driving wheels 132 installed on each driving wheel bracket 131 is two. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the two driving wheels 132 installed on each driving wheel bracket 131 are coaxial and connected at intervals. One end of the driving wheel brackets 131 away from their central axis of rotation is connected between the corresponding two driving wheels 132. In other optional embodiments, the number of driving wheels 132 installed on each driving wheel support 131 can be other values, which is not particularly limited.

4, in one embodiment, the driving wheel assembly 13 further includes a front housing 11, a first cam 133, a plurality of connecting members 134 and a plurality of spring members 135, the first cam 133 is provided on the front housing 11 The inside of the drive wheel bracket 131 is perpendicular to the rotation center axis of each drive wheel bracket 131. A plurality of protrusions (not shown) are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first cam 133, and one end of each connecting piece 134 slidably extends into the front housing 11 The inside and sliding connection with the outer surface of the first cam 133, the other end of each connecting piece 134 is located outside the front housing 11, because the outer peripheral surface of the first cam 133 is uneven, therefore, during the rotation of the first cam 133 , Each connecting member 134 is driven by the first cam 133 to expand and contract in a direction intersecting the rotation center axis of the front housing 11, specifically, it can be expanded and contracted in a direction perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the front housing 11, that is, along As the pipe expands and contracts in the radial direction, each spring member 135 is connected between the other end of the connecting member 134 and each driving wheel bracket 131, and the driving wheel bracket 131 slides along the axial direction of the spring member 135 and the connecting member 134.

The first driving assembly 14 can be connected to the front housing 11 and drive the front housing 11 to rotate, thereby driving the driving wheel brackets 131 to rotate.

When the first cam 133 rotates and the length of each connecting member 134 outside the front section housing 11 increases, the driving wheel bracket 131 and the spring member 135 move outward relative to the front section housing 11 accordingly. In this way, the driving wheel assembly 13 can abut against the inner wall of a pipe with a larger inner diameter, and the spring member 135 can be compressed, so that sufficient compression force is maintained between the driving wheel 132 and the inner wall of the pipe. The advantage of this is that, first, the pipeline robot 100 can be applied to pipelines with different inner diameters; second, the pipeline robot 100 can be applied to move in the vertical direction, therefore, the pipeline robot 100 can be applied to 0° relative to the horizontal plane. ~90° inclined pipe work; 3. The pipe robot 100 can also be applied to pipes with varying inner diameters. During the forward process of the pipe robot 100, the length of the spring 135 can be stretched or stretched in real time according to the change of the inner diameter. Compressed, the pipeline robot 100 has wider applicability and stronger practicability.

The connecting member 134 may be in the shape of a hollow cylinder, the end of the driving wheel bracket 131 away from the driving wheel 132 may pass through the spring member 135 and then inserted into the connecting member 134, and the end of the driving wheel bracket 131 away from the driving wheel 132 may slide in the connecting member 134 . In this way, the driving wheel bracket 131 itself can realize its sliding guiding effect, and the spring member 135 will not be twisted during the forwarding process.

Optionally, the first cam 133 and the driving wheel support 131 may be connected together by magnetic attraction. In other embodiments, any method that allows the rotation of the first cam 133 and makes the outer peripheral surface of the first cam 133 and the driving wheel support 131 always slidingly connected in the radial direction can be applied to this, and there is nothing special about this. limit.

The height of the convex portion of the first cam 133 and the compressible length of the spring member 135 determine the internal diameter variation range of the pipeline that the driving wheel assembly 13 can adapt to. For example, the height of the convex portion of the first cam 133 is 5mm, and the length that the spring member 135 can be compressed is 6mm. The pipe inner diameter variation range that the pipeline robot 100 can adapt to can be up to 10mm (during operation, the spring member 135 needs to be compressed A certain length). Specifically, for example, the pipeline robot 100 can be adapted to an inner diameter of 90 mm to 100 mm, which is only an example here. In other embodiments, depending on the specific size settings of the pipeline robot 100, the pipeline robot 100 may be suitable for pipelines with other inner diameter ranges.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the driving module 1 further includes a first adjusting component 15, which is used to drive the first cam 133 to rotate to adjust the position of the convex portion of the first cam 133. Specifically, the first adjustment assembly 15 includes a driven gear 151, a driving gear 152 and a hand wheel 153. The driven gear 151 is located in the front housing 11 and is coaxially connected with the first cam 133, and the driving gear 152 is located in the front housing. 11 is inside and meshes with the driven gear 151, and the hand wheel 153 is located outside the front housing 11 and is coaxially connected with the driving gear 152. In this way, the operator rotates the hand wheel 153 outside the front housing 11, the hand wheel 153 drives the driving gear 152 to rotate, the driving gear 152 further drives the driven gear 151 to rotate, and finally, the driven gear 151 drives the first cam 133 to rotate. The advantage of this is that the operator can operate the first cam 133 from the outside of the front housing 11, which is more conducive to the implementation of multiple adjustments and operations, and the first cam 133, the driven gear 151 and the driving gear 152 are located in the front housing The inside of 11 can be protected, and it is not easy to be damaged during operation.

Further, please continue to refer to FIG. 4, in one embodiment, the first adjustment assembly 15 further includes a locking member 154, which is used to lock the hand wheel 153 to keep the first cam 133 at a desired position, In turn, each driving wheel support 131 is maintained at a required length. During the entire operation of the pipeline robot 100, each driving wheel 132 is kept pressed against the inner wall of the pipeline.

Specifically, the locking member 154 may include a locking pin (not shown), and the hand wheel 153 is provided with a plurality of locking holes (not shown) arranged around its center. The locking pin passes through one of the locking holes and connects to the front section. The surface of the housing 11 is connected. A limit hole (not shown) may be provided on the surface of the front shell 11 corresponding to the locking pin. The number of locking holes is not limited, as long as it can meet the change of the inner diameter of the pipeline to be operated. For example, the number of locking holes can be 12, which can make the pipeline robot 100 suitable for at least 12 pipelines with different inner diameters. In other optional embodiments, the number of locking holes can be other values.

The front housing 11 may have a cylindrical shape, which rotates about its own central axis. A plurality of driving wheel brackets 131 are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the front housing 11. The driving gear 152 and the driven gear 151 may be located on the side of the front housing 11 close to the first drive assembly 14, and the hand wheel 153 is arranged on the outer surface of the end cover of the front housing 11 close to the first drive assembly 14.

The first drive assembly 14 may include a first motor (not shown), the drive module 1 further includes a rear housing 12, the first motor is at least partially disposed in the rear housing 12, for example, its output shaft can pass through the rear housing 12. The section housing 12 is connected to the front section housing 11 at the rear, as shown in FIG. 4. Optionally, the output shaft of the first motor and the front housing 11 are connected by a universal joint 5, and the output shaft of the first motor drives the universal joint 5 and the front housing 11 to rotate at the same time. The advantage of this is that a certain degree of freedom of movement is also provided between the front shell 11 and the rear shell 12, and the front shell 11 and the rear shell 12 can be bent relatively, combined with the above-mentioned spring member 135 Compressibility, the pipeline robot 100 can pass through turns in the pipeline. In this way, the applicability and practicability of the pipeline robot 100 are further enhanced.

The rear housing 12 may be cylindrical, and it may be coaxial with the front housing 11 or be relatively bent.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, in one embodiment, the driving module 1 further includes a first image sensor assembly 16, which is used to obtain the space in front of the pipeline robot 100 during operation. The first image sensing assembly 16 may include a first camera 161.

In order to maintain a stable posture and imaging effect of the first image sensor assembly 16, the first image sensor assembly 16 does not rotate with the front housing 11. Therefore, the first image sensor assembly 16 can be arranged on the rear housing 12, which has the advantage that the arrangement of the first image sensor assembly 16 is easier.

In an optional embodiment, the first image sensor assembly 16 is connected to the front housing 11 and does not rotate with the front housing 11, which is specifically implemented as follows: as shown in FIG. 4, the first image sensor assembly 16 also includes a first bearing 162, a clamp ring 164 and a connecting rope 163. The first bearing 162 is installed on the side of the front housing 11 away from the rear housing 12, and the outer ring of the first bearing 162 is connected to the front housing 11. The first camera 161 is mounted on the inner ring of the first bearing 162 through the clamp ring 164 and is located on the side away from the first cam 133. The first camera 161 is connected from the end of the front housing 11 away from the rear housing 12 A hole (not shown) on the cover is exposed to enable the corresponding image information to be obtained from the space on the side of the front housing 11 in the duct away from the rear housing 12, and one end of the connecting cord 163 passes through the front housing 11 The central axis, the central axis of the universal joint 5 between the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12 are connected to the rear housing 12, which may specifically be the side of the rear housing 12 away from the front housing 11 On the center point of the end cap. In this way, under the action of the connecting cord 163, when the front housing 11 rotates under the drive of the first driving assembly 14, the inner ring and the outer ring of the first bearing 162 rotate relatively, so that the first image sensor assembly 16 does not need to rotate, and regardless of whether there is a relative bending between the front housing 11 and the rear housing 12, the length of the connecting rope 163 will not be affected. In actual use, the driving module 1 is located upstream of each work module 9; therefore, the first image sensor assembly 16 can directly photograph the space in front of the pipeline robot 100, and information acquisition can be more comprehensive and direct. The connecting rope 163 may specifically be a steel wire rope or other ropes with sufficient tensile strength.

1 and FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the pipeline robot 100 includes a plurality of operation modules 9, and one of the operation modules 9 is a polishing module 3 for performing polishing operations in the pipeline. The polishing module 3 includes a first housing 31, a second driving assembly 32, and a polishing assembly 33. The polishing assembly 33 is provided outside the first housing 31. The second driving assembly 32 is used to drive the first housing 31 to rotate, and further, the polishing The assembly 33 can rotate with the rotation of the first housing 31. During the rotation, the polishing assembly 33 polishes the inner wall of the pipeline circumferentially. As the pipeline robot 100 advances in the pipeline, the polishing assembly 33 can polish the inner wall of the pipeline at different positions.

The polishing module 3 may further include a second housing 34. As shown in FIG. 6, the second drive assembly 32 is at least partially disposed in the second housing 34. Specifically, for example, the output end thereof may partially pass through the second housing 34. It is then connected to the first housing 31. Specifically, the second drive assembly 32 may include a second motor (not shown), and the output shaft of the second motor partially extends out of the second housing 34 and is connected to the first housing 31.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the polishing assembly 33 includes at least one polishing head 331 and a connecting rod 332 connected to the polishing head 331. The polishing module 3 also includes a third drive assembly 35. The third drive assembly 35 is provided in the first housing 31. A part of the connecting rod 332 slidably extends into the first housing 31. The third drive assembly 35 is connected to the first housing 31. The rod 332 is used to drive the connecting rod 332 to move, thereby driving the polishing head 331 to move in a direction away from the rotation center axis of the front section housing 11, that is, the third driving assembly 35 is used to drive the polishing head 331 to extend and retract outward , So as to be able to extend and touch the inner wall of the pipe when sanding is needed, and retract when sanding is not needed, or to retract a part when encountering larger protrusions on the inner wall to sand the protrusions. In this way, the sanding assembly 33 can also be adjusted according to the specific conditions of the inner diameter and inner wall of the pipe to ensure the sanding effect of the inner wall of the pipe.

Please refer to Figure 6, the third drive assembly 35 may include a third motor 351 and a second cam 352, the third motor 351 and the second cam 352 are located in the first housing 31, the center of the second cam 352 is connected to the third The output shaft of the motor 351, in this way, the third motor 351 can drive the second cam 352 to rotate. The connecting rod 332 is connected to the second cam 352, and the connecting rod 332 is moved away from the rotation center axis of the front housing 11 by the action of the outer peripheral surface of the second cam 352. The connecting rod 332 may be arranged perpendicular to the central axis of rotation of the front housing 11, that is, arranged along the radial direction of the pipeline. The sanding head 331 is driven to move along the radial direction of the pipe until it reaches the position that needs to be sanded.

Optionally, the connecting rod 332 and the second cam 352 can also be abutted together by magnetic attraction, or any other way that does not affect the rotation of the second cam 352 and makes the outer peripheral surfaces of the connecting rod 332 and the second cam 352 be in contact with each other. The connection is always sliding in the radial direction.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the polishing module 3 further includes a second image sensor assembly 36, which is disposed on the outer surface of the first housing 31 and corresponding to the polishing head 331 of the polishing assembly 33. Obtain the condition of the inner wall of the pipeline in real time, including the condition of the inner wall before polishing and the condition of the inner wall after polishing, so that the operator can learn about the defects of the inner wall of the pipeline in real time, and perform corresponding polishing operations, such as performing more serious defects Focus on polishing to be able to completely remove the defects on the inner wall. In this embodiment, the second image sensor assembly 36 may be disposed on a part of the connecting rod 332 located outside the first housing 31 to move synchronously with the polishing head 331.

As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the polishing module 3 further includes at least one suction nozzle 37, which is provided on the outer surface of the first housing 31 or the outer surface of the second housing 34. On the surface, or a plurality of suction nozzles 37 are provided on the outer surfaces of the first housing 31 and the second housing 34 at the same time. The air suction nozzle 37 is used to connect with an external air suction pipe, so as to suck air from the pipe during and/or after the grinding, and suck out the powdery objects such as metal scraps produced by the grinding.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of suction nozzles 37 may be multiple, such as three. The three suction nozzles 37 are evenly distributed on the outer peripheral surface of the second housing 34 along the circumferential direction of the pipe. The advantage of this is that multiple suction nozzles 37 can simultaneously extract air from different positions in the pipe to ensure air extraction. effect. In other optional embodiments, if the outer peripheral surface area of the first housing 31 allows, there may be at least one suction nozzle 37 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the first housing 31.

In one embodiment, the polishing module 3 further includes at least two airbags 391, and the plurality of airbags 391 are respectively located on both sides of the first housing 31 and the second housing 34, and the airbags 391 are used for connecting with an external inflation and deflation assembly. . When it is necessary to polish somewhere on the inner wall of the pipe, the two airbags 391 are inflated, and the two airbags 391 can form a substantially closed space with the inner wall of the pipe, so that the powder objects produced by the grinding are concentrated in the closed space. This facilitates the work of the above-mentioned suction nozzle 37; when the two airbags 391 are not inflated, the pipeline robot 100 can continue to move forward.

As shown in FIG. 6, the polishing module 3 may include a plurality of airbag mounting parts 392, and the airbags 391 are respectively mounted on the airbag mounting parts 392. Optionally, the airbag mounting member 392 on the side of the first housing 31 is connected to the first housing 31 through the universal joint 5, and the airbag mounting member 392 on the side of the second housing 34 is connected to the second housing The 34 is connected by the universal joint 5. In this way, each part of the polishing module 3 also has a certain degree of freedom of movement, which further ensures that the pipeline robot 100 can move flexibly in the pipeline and avoids jamming.

Wherein, a second bearing 395 is also connected between the airbag mounting member 392 on the side of the first housing 31 and the first housing 31, which makes the airbag mounting member 392 and its airbag on the side of the first housing 31 The 391 does not rotate with the rotation of the first housing 31 to ensure that the airbag 391 is not damaged and has good sealing performance.

Further, the second bearing 395 and the airbag mounting part 392 on this side or the first housing 31 are further connected by a universal joint 5, that is, as shown in FIG. 6, the airbag mounting part 392 and the second bearing The 395 are connected by the universal joint 5, and the second bearing 395 and the first housing 31 are also connected by the universal joint 5, which further increases the flexibility of the polishing module 3.

As shown in Figure 6, the polishing module 3 further includes a transition plate 393 and a transition shaft 394. The transition plate 393 is connected to the side of the second bearing 395 away from the first housing 31, and the transition shaft 394 is connected to the second bearing 395. Close to the side of the first housing 31. The transition plate 393 and the transition shaft 394 can be respectively connected to the outer ring and the inner ring of the second bearing 395, so that the two axial ends of the second bearing 395 can be connected to the universal joint 5 respectively.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the polishing module 3 further includes at least one cleaning nozzle 38, the cleaning nozzle 38 is provided on the outer surface of the first housing 31, or on the outer surface of the second housing 34 , Or a plurality of cleaning nozzles 38 are provided on the outer surfaces of the first housing 31 and the second housing 34 at the same time. The cleaning nozzle 38 is used to connect with an external cleaning pipeline. The cleaning nozzle 38 can clean the inner wall of the pipe to remove powdery objects such as metal scraps generated by grinding. For example, the cleaning nozzle 38 can further clean the powdery objects that are attached to the inner wall of the pipe and cannot be completely sucked out by the suction nozzle 37, so as to ensure the cleanliness of the inside of the pipe.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the number of cleaning nozzles 38 may be multiple, such as three. Optionally, a plurality of cleaning nozzles 38 are evenly distributed on the outer surface of the first housing 31 along the circumferential direction of the pipe. In this way, the cleaning nozzles 38 can also rotate with the rotation of the first housing 31, thereby enabling the pipe 360° cleaning is carried out inside to further ensure the cleaning effect.

1 and 5, in one embodiment, one of the working modules 9 is a detection module 2. The detection module 2 includes a fourth drive assembly 21, a turntable 22, and at least one detection element 23. The fourth drive assembly 21 is used for The turntable 22 is driven to rotate, the center of the turntable 22 is located on the rotation center axis of the front housing 11, and at least one detection element 23 is provided on the turntable 22 and faces the inner wall of the pipe. Optionally, the detection element 23 is not located on the center of the turntable 22 . When the fourth driving assembly 21 drives the turntable 22 to rotate, the detection element 23 rotates around the rotation center axis of the front housing 11, so that the inner wall of the pipeline can be detected.

The specific type of the detection element 23 is selected according to the pipeline to be detected and the detection purpose. For example, the detection element 23 may be an eddy current sensor, which can detect the thickness of the pipeline, inner wall defects, etc.; for another example, the detection may be an infrared sensor, which is used to detect the inner wall defects of the pipeline. In other optional embodiments, the number of detection elements 23 may also be multiple, and the types of multiple detection elements 23 may be different, which is not particularly limited.

According to the specific structure of the detection element 23, the detection element 23 can be installed on the turntable 22 in different ways. As shown in FIG. 5, in an optional embodiment, the detection module 2 may include an auxiliary member 24 to The detection element 23 is arranged on the turntable 22.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 4. In one embodiment, the detection module 2 may further include a detection housing 25. The fourth driving assembly 21 is at least partially disposed on the detection housing 25, for example, it may partially pass through the detection housing 25 and then be connected to the turntable 22. Specifically, the fourth drive assembly 21 may include a fourth motor (not shown), and the output shaft of the fourth motor passes through the detection housing 25 and is connected to the turntable 22.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the detection module 2 further includes a flange 26 and a third bearing 27. The third bearing 27 is connected between the flange 26 and the turntable 22, and the flange 26 is far away from the third bearing 27. One side of the device can also be connected to the drive module 1 or other operation modules 9 through the universal joint 5. The advantage of this is that the driving of the turntable 22 by the fourth drive assembly 21 will not affect the drive module 1 or other operating modules 9.

In this embodiment, the detection module 2 and the polishing module 3 are connected to the drive module 1 in order, that is, as shown in FIG. 1, the drive module 1 is connected to the detection module 2 through the universal joint 5, and the detection module 2 passes through the universal joint. 5Connect the sanding module 3. In this way, during operation, the pipeline robot 100 can first detect the inside of the pipeline through the detection module 2, and then polish the inner wall of the pipeline through the polishing module 3. In other embodiments, according to specific operation requirements, only the detection module 2 or the polishing module 3 may be connected to the driving module 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 7, in one embodiment, the pipeline robot 100 further includes a circuit board loading module 4, and the circuit board loading module 4 includes a loading housing 41 and a control circuit board 42 provided in the loading housing 41, The loading housing 41 and the working module 9 are connected through a universal joint 5, and the control circuit board 42 is communicatively connected with the driving module 1 and the working module 9.

Specifically, the control circuit board 42 is connected to the first drive assembly 14, the first image sensor assembly 16, the detection element 23, the fourth drive assembly 21, the second drive assembly 32, the third drive assembly 35, and the second image transmission assembly. The sensing component 36 is communicatively connected to the first driving component 14, the first image sensing component 16, the detecting element 23, the fourth driving component 21, the second driving component 32, the third driving component 35, and the second image sensing component Signal transmission between 36. For example, controlling the first driving assembly 14, the fourth driving assembly 21, the second driving assembly 32, and the third driving assembly 35, and receiving the first image sensor assembly 16, the second image sensor assembly 36 and the detection element 23. Feedback signal, etc.

In addition, the control circuit board 42 can also be connected to the airbag 391, the cleaning nozzle 38, and the air suction nozzle 37 to control the opening and closing of the airbag 391, the cleaning nozzle 38, and the air suction nozzle 37. Specifically, the control circuit board 42 can be respectively connected to switch components (not shown) such as solenoid valves, which are respectively connected to the airbag 391 and the external inflating and discharging assembly, the cleaning nozzle 38 and the external cleaning pipeline, and the suction Between the gas nozzle 37 and the external suction pipe.

The advantage of this is that the signal transmission is realized through the control circuit board 42, which avoids problems such as signal loss or distortion caused by excessively long conventional wires as the pipeline robot 100 advances in the pipeline, and ensures the effectiveness of control.

Further, the control circuit board 42 may be connected to an external terminal, so as to exchange information with the control circuit board 42 through the external terminal. For example, the operator inputs an operation signal to the control circuit board 42 through an external terminal, and the operator can also obtain information fed back from the first image sensor assembly 16, the second image sensor assembly 36, and the detection element 23 from the external terminal in real time.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3 and in conjunction with FIGS. 4 to 7. In one embodiment, the pipeline robot 100 further includes a plurality of support wheel assemblies 6, which are respectively arranged in the driving module 1, the polishing module 3, and the detection module 2. And the circuit board loading module 4, which is used to assist in supporting the driving module 1, the polishing module 3, the detection module 2 and the circuit board loading module 4, so that, for example, the front casing 11, the rear casing 12, the detection casing 25, and the turntable 22. The first housing 31, the second housing 34, the loading housing 41, etc. can be located in the center of the pipe and will not be damaged due to contact with the pipe wall.

Specifically, the supporting wheel assembly 6 includes a plurality of supporting wheel brackets 61 and at least one supporting wheel 62 that is rotatably installed on each supporting wheel bracket 61, and each supporting wheel bracket 61 is respectively installed on the driving module 1, the polishing module 3, and the detection module. 2. On the circuit board module, the center axis of each support wheel 62 can be perpendicular to the rotation center axis of the front housing 11, that is, each support wheel 62 rolls on the inner wall of the pipe along a straight line parallel to its center axis.

In one embodiment, the number of support wheel brackets 61 in each support wheel assembly 6 is suitable to achieve stable support, for example, it can be three, and the three support wheel brackets 61 are sequentially spaced by 120° in the circumferential direction of the pipe. Way to set. The number of supporting wheels 62 connected to each supporting wheel bracket 61 may be multiple, such as two, and the two supporting wheels 62 are coaxially connected. In other alternative embodiments, other numbers of support wheel brackets 61 and support wheels 62 are allowed.

Please refer to FIG. 4 to take the support wheel assembly 6 provided on the driving module 1 as an example for detailed description.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support wheel assembly 6 may include a support plate 63, and a plurality of support wheel brackets 61 are respectively provided on the support plate 63, and the support plate 63 is provided on the drive module 1, specifically, it can be connected to the rear shell The side of the body 12 close to the detection module 2. The advantage of this is that the support wheel bracket 61 does not need to occupy the surface area of the rear housing 12 or the front housing 11, and this makes the manufacturing and assembly of the pipeline robot 100 simpler and more convenient.

The support wheel bracket 61 may be arranged along the radial direction of the pipe.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support wheel assembly 6 further includes a plurality of second adjustment assemblies 64, the second adjustment assembly 64 is connected to the support wheel bracket 61, and the second adjustment assembly 64 is used to drive the support wheel bracket 61 along the diameter of the pipe. Move to adjust the radius of the outer circle formed by the plurality of support wheels 62, that is, the plurality of support wheels 62 can be adjusted according to the inner diameter of the pipe, so that the support wheels 62 can also be in close contact with the pipes with different inner diameters. The inner wall of the pipeline, thereby ensuring the stability of the pipeline robot 100 advancing in the pipeline.

Specifically, the second adjustment assembly 64 may include an air cylinder (not shown), and the output ends of a plurality of air cylinders are arranged along the radial direction of the pipe. In this way, the radial movement of the support wheel bracket 61 can be realized by the expansion and contraction of the output ends of the air cylinders. .

The second adjusting component 64 can be connected to the control circuit board 42, and the second adjusting component 64 can make corresponding expansion and contraction actions according to the signal of the control circuit board 42.

Further, please continue to refer to FIG. 4, the support wheel assembly 6 also includes a plurality of guide rods 65, which are arranged in parallel with the radial direction of the pipe, and are used to guide the sliding of the support wheel bracket 61, so that the support wheel bracket 61 is in the sliding process Offset phenomenon will not occur in the process. Specifically, the guide rod 65 may be provided on the second adjustment assembly 64. Optionally, corresponding to each support wheel bracket 61, one guide rod 65 may be provided, or two guide rods 65 may be provided, and the two guide rods 65 are respectively provided on opposite sides of a second adjusting assembly 64. Of course, more second adjusting components 64 can be provided if the external space permits, and there is no special restriction on this.

The pipeline robot 100 may also include a plurality of connecting flanges 7. Referring to FIG. 4, the side of the support plate 63 away from the rear housing 12 can be connected to the universal joint 5 through a connecting flange 7 to facilitate the connection between the support plate 63 and the universal joint 5 at this time.

Correspondingly, referring to FIG. 5, in the detection module 2, the support plate 63 can be connected to the side of the detection housing 25 away from the drive module 1, and the side of the support plate 63 away from the detection housing 25 also passes through a connecting flange. 7Connect to the universal joint 5.

Correspondingly, referring to FIG. 6, in the polishing module 3, the supporting plate 63 may be connected to the side of the second housing 34 away from the first housing 31 so as not to affect the rotation of the first housing 31. The side of the support plate 63 away from the first housing 31 can also be connected to the universal joint 5 through a connecting flange 7.

Correspondingly, referring to FIG. 7, in the circuit board loading module 4, the supporting plate 63 may be connected to the side of the loading housing 41 away from the polishing module 3.

The working process of the pipeline robot 100 provided by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

According to the inner diameter of the pipeline to be operated, the first cam 133 is rotated to a proper position by rotating the hand wheel 153, so that when the driving wheel 132 is against the inner wall of the pipeline, the spring member 135 can generate a proper pressure;

Place the driving wheel assembly 13 of the driving module 1 in the beginning of the pipeline, the control circuit board 42 controls the first driving assembly 14 to start, and the driving wheel assembly 13 rotates together with the front housing 11 and advances in a spiral manner in the pipeline; The detection module 2, the polishing module 3, the circuit board loading module 4, and each supporting wheel 62 module are placed in the pipeline, and the second adjustment assembly 64 is controlled by the control circuit board 42 so that each supporting wheel 62 abuts against the inside of the pipeline; The robot 100 continues to advance;

The first camera 161 of the first image sensing component 16 acquires the image in front of the pipeline robot 100 in real time, and transmits it to the control circuit board 42 and an external terminal;

The detection element 23 detects the inner wall of the pipeline in real time during the advancement process, and feeds back the detection result to the control circuit board 42 and the external terminal; when a defect is detected and needs to be polished, the control circuit board 42 controls the first drive assembly 14 When the rotation is stopped, the pipeline robot 100 stops advancing, and makes the polishing head 331 reach the defect position;

The control circuit board 42 controls the activation of the second drive assembly 32 to extend the polishing head 331 until it contacts the defect position. At the same time, the control circuit board 42 controls the airbag 391 to inflate to seal the two ends of the polishing assembly 33; the control circuit board 42 controls The third driving assembly 35 is activated, the grinding head 331 and the first housing 31 rotate, and the defect position is rotated and polished during the rotation; the second image sensor assembly can monitor whether the defect position has been completely polished, and display the image The information is fed back to the control circuit board 42 and the external terminal; the control circuit board 42 controls the operation of the exhaust nozzle 37 to extract the powder;

After the polishing is completed, the control circuit board 42 controls the cleaning nozzle 38 to start, and the cleaning nozzle 38 can rotate together with the first housing 31 and rotate and clean the inner wall of the pipe;

After the cleaning is completed, the control circuit board 42 controls the airbag 391 to deflate; the pipeline robot 100 continues to move forward;

If during the advancement process, the inner diameter of the pipe is found to change through the first image sensor assembly 16, each second adjustment assembly 64 is controlled by the control circuit board 42 accordingly, so that each support wheel 62 can abut against the changed pipe On the inner wall.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection of the present invention. Within range.

Claims

A pipeline robot, characterized in that it comprises:

The driving module includes a driving wheel assembly and a first driving assembly; the driving wheel assembly includes a plurality of driving wheel brackets and at least one driving wheel rotatably mounted on each of the driving wheel brackets, and the first driving assembly is used for Driving each of the driving wheel brackets to rotate, an included angle is formed between the center axis of the driving wheel and the rotation center axis of the driving wheel bracket, and the included angle is not 90°; and

At least one work module, the drive module and each work module are connected by a universal joint; the work module is used to perform work in the pipeline.
The pipeline robot according to claim 1, wherein the driving wheel assembly further comprises a front section housing, a first cam, a plurality of connecting members and spring members, and the first cam is provided on the front section housing. The interior is arranged perpendicular to the central axis of rotation of the driving wheel bracket, one end of the connecting piece slidably extends into the interior of the front housing and is slidably connected to the outer peripheral surface of the first cam, and the spring piece is connected to the Between the other end of the connecting member and the driving wheel support, the driving wheel support slides along the axial direction of the spring member.
The pipeline robot according to claim 1, wherein the driving module further comprises a rear housing, the first driving assembly is at least partially disposed in the rear housing, and the output of the first driving assembly The end is connected with each of the driving wheel brackets through a universal joint.
The pipeline robot according to claim 1, wherein the pipeline robot further comprises a plurality of supporting wheel assemblies; each of the supporting wheel assemblies includes a plurality of supporting wheel brackets and is rotatably mounted on each of the supporting wheel brackets At least one support wheel on the upper side, each support wheel bracket is installed on the drive module and each of the work modules, and the center axis of each support wheel and the rotation center axis of the drive wheel bracket are perpendicular to each other.
The pipeline robot according to claim 4, wherein the support wheel assembly further comprises a plurality of adjustment assemblies, the adjustment assembly is connected to the support wheel bracket, and the adjustment assembly is used to adjust the support wheel to The distance of the central axis of rotation of the driving wheel bracket.
The pipeline robot according to claim 1, wherein the operation module includes a polishing module, the polishing module includes a second driving assembly and a polishing assembly, and the second driving assembly is used to drive the polishing assembly to rotate .
The pipeline robot according to claim 6, wherein the polishing assembly includes at least one polishing head and at least one connecting rod connected to the polishing head, and the polishing module further includes a third drive assembly and a first housing. The third drive assembly is arranged in the first housing, a part of the connecting rod slides into the first housing, and the third drive assembly is connected to the connecting rod and is used to drive the The grinding head moves in a direction away from the central axis of rotation of the driving wheel support.
The pipeline robot according to claim 6, wherein the polishing module further comprises at least two airbags, and a plurality of the airbags are respectively located on a side of the second driving assembly away from the polishing assembly and the polishing module The component is far away from the second driving component, and the airbag on the side of the polishing component is connected to the polishing component through a bearing; the airbag is used for connecting with an external inflation and deflation component.
The pipeline robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operation module includes a detection module, and the detection module includes a third drive assembly, a turntable, and at least one detection element, and the third The driving assembly is connected to the turntable and is used to drive the turntable to rotate around the central axis of rotation of the driving wheel support, and at least one detection element is provided on the turntable.
The pipeline robot according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the pipeline robot further comprises a circuit board loading module, and the circuit board loading module includes a loading casing and a loading casing provided in the loading casing. The control circuit board is connected with the at least one work module through a universal joint, and the control circuit board is connected with the first drive assembly and the work module.