Scanning teleoperator for pipeline tee joint active obstacle avoidance and active steering

Abstract

The invention discloses a pipeline tee joint scanning teleoperator for active obstacle avoidance and active steering, and relates to the technical field of pipeline internal detection, the pipeline tee joint scanning teleoperator comprises a main machine cabin body, a supporting wheel carrier module, an image acquisition module, a transmission cable and a remote control module, the supporting wheel carrier module comprises a front supporting part and a rear supporting part; the front supporting part and the rear supporting part are rotatably installed around the periphery of the main engine cabin body, the supporting end of the front supporting part extends to the front end of the main engine cabin body, the supporting end of the rear supporting part extends to the rear end of the main engine cabin body, the image acquisition module is installed at the front end of the main engine cabin body, and the image acquisition module is connected with the remote control module through a transmission cable. When passing through the pipeline tee joint, the pipeline tee joint can actively avoid obstacles, and mechanical structure damage and blocking accidents are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of in-pipeline detection, and in particular to a remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking a pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering. Background Art

[0002] As a commonly used industrial and process pipeline maintenance equipment, the safety and passability of the pipeline internal inspection robot are the key to the success of the inspection operation. According to the experience of the engineering site, the pipeline self-driven internal scanning robot usually uses a wheel frame structure as the cabin support structure, and the power to move in the pipeline mainly relies on the motor to drive the driving wheel to operate, thereby achieving the purpose of moving. In order to ensure that there is sufficient friction between the driving wheel and the inner wall of the pipeline, it is necessary to use a mechanical spring or hydraulic rod on the wheel frame structure to apply sufficient positive pressure between the driving wheel and the pipe wall.

[0003] At present, when the commonly used pipeline self-driven internal scanning robot passes through the pipeline tee, it is restricted by the particularity of the wheel frame structure, and the probability of posture deflection at the tee, which leads to mechanical jamming, is relatively high, seriously affecting the structural safety of the robot and the smooth implementation of the internal scanning work. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote-controlled robot for scanning a pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering, so as to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. It can actively avoid obstacles when passing through the pipeline tee, avoiding damage to the mechanical structure and the occurrence of blocking accidents.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0006] The present invention provides a remote-controlled robot for scanning and inspection with active obstacle avoidance and active steering of a pipeline tee, comprising a main cabin, a supporting wheel frame module, an image acquisition module, a transmission cable and a remote control module, wherein the supporting wheel frame module comprises a front support portion and a rear support portion, wherein both the front support portion and the rear support portion are rotatably installed around the outer circumference of the main cabin, and the support end of the front support portion extends to the front end of the main cabin, and the support end of the rear support portion extends to the rear end of the main cabin, the image acquisition module is installed at the front end of the main cabin, and the image acquisition module is connected to the remote control module via the transmission cable.

[0007] In one embodiment, the front support portion includes multiple groups of front support units, and the rear support portion includes multiple groups of rear support units. The front support units and the rear support units are evenly arranged around the periphery of the main cabin body, and the front support units and the rear support units are alternately arranged. The front support unit can be rotated so that the support end of the front support unit is close to or away from the main cabin body, and the rear support unit can be rotated so that the support end of the rear support unit is close to or away from the main cabin body.

[0008] In one embodiment, the front support unit and the rear support unit have the same structure and both include a driving wheel and a movable wheel frame, one end of the movable wheel frame is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body, and the other end of the movable wheel frame is connected to the driving wheel, the driving wheel is used to contact the inner wall of the pipe, the driving wheel is connected to the remote control module and is used to achieve walking, and when the movable wheel frame rotates, it can drive the driving wheel to move toward or away from the main cabin body.

[0009] In one embodiment, the driving wheel includes an electromagnet wheel body and a wear-resistant and anti-skid layer, wherein the wear-resistant and anti-skid layer is coated on the outer circumference of the electromagnet wheel body, and the electromagnet wheel body can rotate when powered on.

[0010] In one embodiment, the middle portion of the movable wheel frame is connected to the first end of a rotation limiting member, the second end of the rotation limiting member is rotationally connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body, and the rotation limiting member is used to limit the movable wheel frame after the movable wheel frame rotates into place.

[0011] The cam is connected to the wheelchair of the vehicle body by a first end connected to the first end of the wheelchair, and the second end of the wheelchair is connected to the wheelchair of the vehicle body.

[0012] The cam is connected to the sliding rail by a first end and a second end of the cam is connected to the sliding rail by a second end of the cam.

[0013] In one embodiment, the driving member includes an air pump and an air spring, one end of the air spring is connected to the first end of the rotation limit member, and when the air pump inflates the air spring, the air spring can stretch and push the rotation limit member to move.

[0014] In one embodiment, a plurality of hinge supports are circumferentially provided at both ends of the main cabin body, and the hinge supports are used to rotatably connect the front support part or the rear support part. A plurality of storage grooves are also provided on the outer shell of the main cabin body, and the storage grooves are used to accommodate the retracted front support part or the rear support part.

[0015] In one embodiment, the image acquisition module includes a camera, a light sensor and a fill light installed on the front cover plate of the main cabin body, the camera is used to acquire images in the pipeline and transmit the acquired images to the remote control module, the light sensor and the fill light are electrically connected to the remote control module, and the light sensor is used to detect the light intensity in the pipeline and transmit the detected signal to the remote control module, and the fill light is controlled to turn on and off by the remote control module.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0017] The invention provides a remote-controlled robot for scanning and inspection with active obstacle avoidance and active steering of a pipeline tee. The support wheel frame module includes a front support part and a rear support part. The front support part and the rear support part are both rotatably installed around the outer periphery of a main cabin body, and the support end of the front support part extends to the front end of the main cabin body, and the support end of the rear support part extends to the rear end of the main cabin body. Through a multi-point support method, the support points of the front support part and the rear support part can be adaptively adjusted according to the position of the pipeline tee to achieve active steering. At the same time, the stability of the posture of the main cabin body can be guaranteed during the process of crossing the pipeline tee, ensuring smooth scanning. The image acquisition module is installed at the front end of the main cabin body, and the image acquisition module is connected to the remote control module through a transmission cable. Cable remote control is adopted to ensure the stability of power transmission and data transmission. At the same time, since there is no need to carry batteries, the weight of the equipment is effectively reduced. In addition, the remote control module adopts a visualization device, which, in conjunction with the setting of the image acquisition module, can transmit the image in the pipeline in real time, accurately identify the position of the pipeline tee, and take obstacle avoidance measures in time before blockage occurs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking a pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention when the supporting wheel frame module is in a recovered state;

[0021] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention when the supporting wheel frame module is in an unfolded state;

[0022] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Front view of

[0023] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Rear view of

[0024] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the driving wheel in the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the connection between the movable wheel frame and the rotation limiting rod in the present invention;

[0026] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the main cabin body in the present invention;

[0027] Fig. 9 It is a front view of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering before passing through the pipeline tee in the present invention;

[0028] Fig.10 It is a front view of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering when passing through the pipeline tee in the present invention;

[0029] Fig.11 It is a posture diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention when the obstacle avoidance function is not activated and the robot passes through the pipeline tee;

[0030] Fig.12 A posture diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention when the obstacle avoidance function is enabled and the robot passes through the pipeline tee;

[0031] Fig.13 It is a posture diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering in the present invention when actively steering at the pipeline tee;

[0032] Fig.14 This is a posture diagram of the remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking the pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering after actively steering at the pipeline tee in the present invention;

[0033] In the figure: 1-driving wheel, 101-wear-resistant and anti-skid layer, 102-electromagnet wheel body, 103-rotating shaft; 2-movable wheel frame, 201-connecting rod, 202-wheel frame body, 203-air spring, 204-slide rail, 205-limiting card; 3-rotation limiting member, 301-rotation slide bar, 302-slide shoe; 4-main cabin body, 401-camera, 402-light sensor, 403-fill light, 404-hinge support, 405-front cover, 406-storage slot, 407-housing; 5-transmission cable; 6-remote control module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a remote-controlled robot for scanning a pipeline tee with active obstacle avoidance and active steering, so as to solve the problems existing in the prior art. When passing through the pipeline tee, it can actively avoid obstacles and avoid mechanical structure damage and blocking accidents.

[0036] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] like Figure 1-Figure 14 As shown, this embodiment provides a remote-controlled robot for scanning and inspection with active obstacle avoidance and active steering of a pipeline tee, comprising a main cabin 4, a support wheel frame module, an image acquisition module, a transmission cable 5 and a remote control module 6. The support wheel frame module comprises a front support portion and a rear support portion, which are used to support the main cabin 4. The front support portion and the rear support portion are both rotatably installed around the outer periphery of the main cabin 4, and the support end of the front support portion extends to the front end of the main cabin 4, and the support end of the rear support portion extends to the rear end of the main cabin 4. Through a multi-point support method, the support points of the front support portion and the rear support portion can be adaptively adjusted according to the position of the pipeline tee to achieve active steering. At the same time, in the process of crossing the pipeline tee, the stability of the posture of the main cabin 4 can be guaranteed to ensure the smooth progress of the scanning work. The image acquisition module is installed at the front end of the main cabin 4, and the image acquisition module is connected to the remote control module 6 through a transmission cable 5. Cable remote control is adopted to ensure the stability of power transmission and data transmission. At the same time, since there is no need to carry batteries, the weight of the equipment is effectively reduced. In addition, the remote control module 6 adopts a visualization device, and with the setting of the image acquisition module, it can transmit the image in the pipeline in real time, accurately identify the position of the pipeline tee, and take obstacle avoidance measures in time before blockage occurs, so as to realize real-time monitoring of the internal environment of the pipeline.

[0038] Specifically, the front support part includes multiple groups of front support units, and the rear support part includes multiple groups of rear support units. The front support units and the rear support units are evenly arranged around the outer periphery of the main cabin body 4, thereby realizing multi-point support at the front and rear ends of the main cabin body 4, and facilitating overall active steering by adjusting the support points. The front support units and the rear support units are alternately arranged to ensure the stability of the main cabin body 4 during operation. The front support unit can be rotated to make the support end of the front support unit close to or away from the main cabin body 4, and the rear support unit can be rotated to make the support end of the rear support unit close to or away from the main cabin body 4, and then the corresponding front support unit or rear support unit can be propped up according to the position of the pipeline tee to complete the active steering.

[0039] The front support unit and the rear support unit have the same structure and both include a driving wheel 1 and a movable wheel frame 2. One end of the movable wheel frame 2 is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body 4, and the other end of the movable wheel frame 2 is connected to the driving wheel 1 through the rotating shaft 103. The driving wheel 1 is used to contact the inner wall of the pipeline. The driving wheel 1 is connected to the remote control module 6 and is used to achieve walking to achieve overall movement, which is convenient for the smooth scanning work. When the movable wheel frame 2 rotates, it can drive the driving wheel 1 to move toward or away from the main cabin body 4. There are preferably four front support units and four rear support units, and the four front support units and the four rear support units are staggered. Therefore, in the process of crossing the pipeline tee, at least four or more driving wheels 1 can provide adsorption force, further ensuring the posture stability of the main cabin body 4 during operation.

[0040] The driving wheel 1 includes an electromagnet wheel body 102 and a wear-resistant and anti-skid layer 101. The wear-resistant and anti-skid layer 101 is coated on the outer periphery of the electromagnet wheel body 102. The wear-resistant and anti-skid layer 101 is made of rubber material. The electromagnet wheel body 102 can generate a strong magnetic adsorption force after being energized without affecting the rotation, thereby enabling the electromagnet wheel body 102 to rotate when energized, and then through the cooperation of the wear-resistant and anti-skid layer 101 and the electromagnet wheel body 102, power is provided for the walking operation of the equipment. When the remote-controlled robot for scanning and inspection with active obstacle avoidance and active steering of the pipeline tee is ready to pass through the pipeline tee, the effect of obstacle avoidance or steering is achieved in advance through the multi-point adsorption of the electromagnet and the active telescopic function of the movable wheel frame 2, providing safety guarantee for the remote-controlled robot for scanning and inspection with active obstacle avoidance and active steering of the pipeline tee to perform internal pipeline scanning operations, and avoiding mechanical structure damage and jamming accidents.

[0041] The remote control module 6 can realize the independent contraction or extension of the eight front and rear driving wheels 1. With the controllable magnetic adsorption function of the electromagnet wheel body 102, the remote control robot for scanning and inspection can realize active obstacle avoidance and active steering of the pipeline tee and active steering of the pipeline tee.

[0042] The middle part of the movable wheel frame 2 is connected to the first end of a rotation limiter 3, and the second end of the rotation limiter 3 is rotationally connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body 4. The rotation limiter 3 is used to limit the movable wheel frame 2 after the movable wheel frame 2 is rotated into place to prevent the movable wheel frame 2 from rebounding freely to a large extent.

[0043] The movable wheel frame 2 includes a connecting rod 201, a wheel frame body 202, a driving member, a slide rail 204 and a limit card 205. The first end of the connecting rod 201 is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body 4, the second end of the connecting rod 201 is connected to the first end of the wheel frame body 202, and the second end of the wheel frame body 202 is connected to the driving wheel 1. The inner side of the wheel frame body 202 is provided with a slide groove, the slide rail 204 is installed in the slide groove, the driving member is embedded in the slide groove, and the first end of the driving member is connected to the slide groove to fix the driving member. The second end of the driving member is movably connected to the first end of the rotating limit member 3, and then the first end of the rotating limit member 3 can be driven by the driving member to move along the length of the slide rail 204. The movable wheel frame 202 can be moved in the same direction as the first end of the rotating limit member 3. At the same time, since the second end of the rotating limit member 3 cannot move but can only rotate, the rotating limit member 3 drives the wheel frame body 202 and the connecting rod 201 to rotate, thereby realizing the unfolding of the movable wheel frame 2. A plurality of limiting cards 205 are provided in the length direction of the slide rail 204. When the driving member is extended, the first end of the rotating limit member 3 can be driven to move toward the direction close to the driving wheel 1. At the same time, the rotating limit member 3 drives the connecting rod 201 and the wheel frame body 202 to rotate away from the main cabin body 4. When the first end of the rotating limit member 3 moves to the limiting card 205, it can be prevented from moving in the direction away from the driving wheel 1 under the limitation of the limiting card 205, thereby playing a limiting role.

[0044] The rotation limiter 3 includes a rotation slide bar 301 and a slide shoe 302. The first end of the rotation slide bar 301 is rotationally connected to the slide shoe 302, and the second end of the rotation slide bar 301 is rotationally connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body 4. The slide shoe 302 is slidably connected to the slide rail 204, so that the slide shoe 302 can move along the length direction of the slide rail 204. At the same time, the cooperation between the slide shoe 302 and the slide rail 204 makes the sliding smoother. One end of the limit card 205 is connected to the slide rail 204 through a spring, and the side of the limit card 205 away from the slide rail 204 is a contact slope, and the height of the contact slope gradually increases from away to close to the driving wheel 1. The sliding shoe 302 is raised, and one side of the sliding shoe 302 close to the sliding rail 204 is a contact bottom surface, which can cooperate with the contact inclined surface, and when the sliding shoe 302 moves toward the direction close to the driving wheel 1 and passes through the limit card 205, the cooperation between the contact inclined surface and the contact bottom surface can compress the spring and allow the sliding shoe 302 to pass, so as to ensure that the movable wheel frame 2 can be smoothly deployed. After the sliding shoe 302 passes through the limit card 205, the spring is reset and the limit card 205 is ejected, and the limit card 205 blocks the sliding shoe 302 and prevents the limit card 205 from moving in the direction away from the driving wheel 1, so as to ensure that the movable wheel frame 2 will not be greatly deformed during operation.

[0045] The driving component includes an air pump and an air spring 203. One end of the air spring 203 is connected to the first end of the rotating limit member 3. When the air pump inflates the air spring 203, the air spring 203 can extend and push the rotating limit member 3 to move. Using the air spring 203 as a linkage mechanism can fully realize the active and passive contraction or extension of the movable wheel frame 2.

[0046] Both ends of the main cabin body 4 are provided with a plurality of hinge supports 404 in the circumferential direction, and the hinge supports 404 are used to rotatably connect the front support part or the rear support part. The shell 407 of the main cabin body 4 is also provided with a plurality of storage grooves 406, and the storage grooves 406 are used to accommodate the retracted front support part or the rear support part. The main cabin body 4 is used as a carrier, and its interior is used to store the electronic system for regulating the operation of the mechanical components, the drive motor, and the air pump required by the air spring 203.

[0047] The image acquisition module includes a camera 401, a light sensor 402 and a fill light 403 installed on the front cover 405 of the main cabin body 4. The camera 401 is used to collect images in the pipeline and transmit the collected images to the remote control module 6. The light sensor 402 and the fill light 403 are both electrically connected to the remote control module 6, and the light sensor 402 is used to detect the light intensity in the pipeline and transmit the detected signal to the remote control module 6, and the fill light 403 is controlled to be turned on and off by the remote control module 6. Through the above design, when the light in the pipeline is dark, the fill light 403 can be turned on for fill light, and then the environment in the pipeline is scanned in real time through the camera 401, and the image is transmitted to the remote control module 6 through the transmission cable 5, so as to accurately identify the position of the pipeline tee and take obstacle avoidance measures in time before the jam occurs.

[0048] The remote control module 6 is provided with a liquid crystal display screen, which can view the environment in the pipeline in real time, so that the operator can identify the pipeline tee or other obstacles. The operator can use the remote control module 6 to issue action instructions to the remote control robot for active obstacle avoidance and active steering of the pipeline tee to realize a series of functions such as movement, scanning and obstacle avoidance.

[0049] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the ideas of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A remote-controlled robot for scanning pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering, characterized in that: It includes a main cabin body, a supporting wheel frame module, an image acquisition module, a transmission cable and a remote control module, the supporting wheel frame module includes a front support part and a rear support part, the front support part and the rear support part are both rotatably installed around the outer periphery of the main cabin body, and the supporting end of the front support part extends to the front end of the main cabin body, and the supporting end of the rear support part extends to the rear end of the main cabin body, the image acquisition module is installed at the front end of the main cabin body, and the image acquisition module is connected to the remote control module through the transmission cable.

2. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front support portion includes multiple groups of front support units, and the rear support portion includes multiple groups of rear support units. The front support units and the rear support units are evenly arranged around the periphery of the main cabin body, and the front support units and the rear support units are alternately arranged. The front support unit can be rotated to make the support end of the front support unit close to or away from the main cabin body, and the rear support unit can be rotated to make the support end of the rear support unit close to or away from the main cabin body.

3. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 2, characterized in that: The front support unit and the rear support unit have the same structure and both include a driving wheel and a movable wheel frame, one end of the movable wheel frame is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body, and the other end of the movable wheel frame is connected to the driving wheel, and the driving wheel is used to contact the inner wall of the pipe. The driving wheel is connected to the remote control module and is used to achieve walking, and when the movable wheel frame rotates, it can drive the driving wheel to move toward or away from the main cabin body.

4. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The driving wheel comprises an electromagnet wheel body and a wear-resistant and anti-skid layer, wherein the wear-resistant and anti-skid layer is coated on the outer periphery of the electromagnet wheel body, and the electromagnet wheel body can rotate when powered on.

5. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 3, characterized in that: The middle part of the movable wheel frame is connected to the first end of a rotation limiting member, and the second end of the rotation limiting member is rotationally connected to the outer wall of the main cabin body. The rotation limiting member is used to limit the movable wheel frame after the movable wheel frame rotates into place.

6. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cam is an assembly made of a first end portion of a second rod and a second end portion of a second rod, and the second end of the second rod is connected to the first end of the second wheel frame.

7. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cam is an angularly-shaped member which is adapted to move relative to the wheelchair of the vehicle when the wheel is in motion, and the cam is adapted to move relative to the wheelchair of the vehicle when the wheel is in motion.

8. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 6, characterized in that: The driving member includes an air pump and an air spring. One end of the air spring is connected to the first end of the rotation limiter. When the air pump inflates the air spring, the air spring can stretch and push the rotation limiter to move.

9. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the main cabin body are circumferentially provided with a plurality of hinge supports, and the hinge supports are used to rotatably connect the front support part or the rear support part. The outer shell of the main cabin body is also provided with a plurality of storage grooves, and the storage grooves are used to accommodate the retracted front support part or the rear support part.

10. The remote-controlled robot for scanning and checking pipeline tees with active obstacle avoidance and active steering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image acquisition module includes a camera, a light sensor and a fill light installed on the front cover plate of the main cabin body. The camera is used to acquire images in the pipeline and transmit the acquired images to the remote control module. The light sensor and the fill light are both electrically connected to the remote control module, and the light sensor is used to detect the light intensity in the pipeline and transmit the detected signal to the remote control module. The fill light is controlled to turn on and off through the remote control module.

Images