A single-drive telescopic in-pipe robot

Abstract

The present invention discloses a single-drive telescopic in-pipe robot, which includes a rotor, a front support, a rear support, a front guide, a rear guide, and a motor. A motor drives the rotor to rotate, and one rotation is one cycle. In the first half of the rotation cycle, the front support is in a supporting state, supporting the inner wall of the pipe, and the rear support is in a non-supporting state. The front support contracts and drives the rotor forward, and the rotor drives the rear support to contract. In the second half of the cycle, the rear support is in a supporting state, supporting the inner wall of the pipe, and the front support is in a non-supporting state. The rear support extends and drives the rotor forward, and the rotor drives the front support to extend. In one cycle, the front and rear supports achieve one contraction and extension, and the robot moves one step forward in the pipe. During this process, the pipeline can be inspected and maintained and cleaned.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a single-drive telescopic in-pipe robot and belongs to the field of machinery. Background Art

[0002] Pipelines are widely used across various industries, requiring inspection and maintenance during their use. For example, tubular heat exchangers are widely used in circulating water cooling, particularly in the condensers of thermal power plants. These are composed of numerous tube bundles approximately 20 mm in diameter and 20 m in length. Because the fluid contains impurities, long-term flow within the tubes can cause fouling on the tube walls, affecting heat transfer efficiency and reducing the economic efficiency of the unit. Inspection and cleaning of these long, small-diameter pipes is very difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a single-drive telescopic in-pipe robot, which can be used for inspection and maintenance in pipes with a smaller diameter of 10-50 mm.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0005] A single-drive telescopic in-tube robot comprises a rotor, a front support, a rear support, a front guide, a rear guide and a motor.

[0006] The rotor includes a front telescopic slot, a rear telescopic slot, a front key shaft, and a rear key shaft. The front and rear telescopic slots have the same structure, both being closed-loop grooves around the rotor surface. The closed-loop groove is formed by two closed spiral grooves in opposite directions, with a small annular groove at each connection. The front key shaft and the rear key shaft are each a keyed shaft located at the outer end of the rotor for mounting the front and rear supports. The outer ends of the front and rear key shafts are optical axes for fixedly mounting the front and rear guides.

[0007] The rear support comprises a driving structure, a supporting structure, a supporting driving claw and a housing. The rear support is mounted on a key shaft at the rear end of the rotor.

[0008] The drive structure is cylindrical and mounted on the rotor's front key shaft. It rotates with the shaft and can move axially. Two closed-loop grooves are defined on the cylindrical surface: an axial synchronization groove and a support drive groove. The axial synchronization groove is an annular groove. The support drive groove is formed by joining two annular grooves at different axial positions. The two joints are smoothed using spiral and fillet transitions.

[0009] The support structure includes a radial slider, an axial slider, and an I-shaped connector. The ends of the I-shaped connector are mounted in grooves in the radial and axial sliders, respectively. The axial slider moves axially, which in turn drives the radial slider, via the I-shaped connector, to move radially within the radial groove at the bottom of the housing.

[0010] The support drive claw is mounted between the drive structure and the axial slider of the support structure, with the claw head positioned within the support drive slot of the drive structure. When the rotor drives the drive structure to rotate, the support drive slot drives the support drive claw axially, which in turn drives the axial slider of the support structure to move axially. This, in turn, drives the radial slider, via the I-shaped connector, to move radially within the radial slot at the bottom of the housing. When the radial slider moves to its outermost end, it contacts the inner wall of the tube, securing the support and maintaining a supporting state. When the radial slider moves to its innermost end, it clears the inner wall of the tube, displacing the support and entering a non-supporting state, allowing for forward and backward movement.

[0011] The housing is barrel-shaped, with an axial synchronization claw and a telescopic drive claw on the inner wall, located near the bottom and the opening, respectively. The axial synchronization claw extends into the axial synchronization groove of the drive structure, achieving axial synchronization movement of the entire rear support without affecting the rotation of the rear support rotating parts. The telescopic drive claw extends into the telescopic drive groove of the rotor to achieve telescopic creeping. When the support is fixed, the support drives the rotor forward. When the support is not fixed, the rotor drives the support to retract and extend. The bottom of the housing has a radial groove for the radial movement of the radial slider of the support structure within the groove.

[0012] The front support has the same structure as the rear support and is mounted on the front key shaft of the rotor and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the middle of the rotor as the center.

[0013] The front and rear guides share the same structure, comprising a guide frame and guide wheels, mounted on the outer ends of the front and rear supports, respectively, with a distance therebetween to accommodate the telescopic movement of the front and rear supports. Three guide wheels, evenly spaced circumferentially, are mounted on the guide frame. They contact the inner wall of the tube with a certain degree of compressive force and are rotatable, allowing the robot to move axially within the tube while preventing circumferential rotation.

[0014] The motor is mounted on a rear guide frame outside the rear support to provide power to the entire robot, and the motor shaft is connected to the rotor shaft.

[0015] The present invention utilizes the above solution, and drives the rotor to rotate through the motor, so that one telescopic movement is achieved within the cycle of one rotation:

[0016] During the first half cycle, the support drive groove of the front support drives the axial slider forward as it rotates with the rotor. The axial slider drives the radial slider to move radially outward along the radial groove at the bottom of the front support shell through the I-shaped connector. Finally, the radial slider hits the inner wall of the tube. At this time, the front support is fixed. Simultaneously, the support drive groove of the rear support drives the axial slider forward as it rotates. The axial slider drives the radial slider to move radially inward along the radial groove at the bottom of the rear support shell through the I-shaped connector. The radial slider moves away from the inner wall of the tube. At this time, the rear support is not fixed. While keeping the front support fixed and the rear support not fixed, the rotor continues to rotate, driving the front and rear supports to axially contract and move closer together through the front and rear telescopic slots. That is, the front support does not move, the front telescopic slot drives the rotor to move forward one step, and the rear telescopic slot drives the rear support to move forward one step.

[0017] During the second half of the cycle, the drive groove of the rear support drives the axial slider backward during rotation. The axial slider drives the radial slider radially outward along the radial groove at the bottom of the rear support shell via the I-shaped connector. Finally, the radial slider contacts the inner wall of the tube, and the rear support is now fixed. Simultaneously, the drive groove of the front support drives the axial slider backward during rotation. The axial slider drives the radial slider radially inward along the radial groove at the bottom of the front support shell via the I-shaped connector. The radial slider moves away from the inner wall of the tube, and the front support is now loose. While the rear support is fixed and the front support is loose, the rotor continues to rotate, driving the front and rear supports axially apart from each other via the front and rear telescopic slots. That is, the rear support remains stationary, while the rear telescopic slot drives the rotor forward one step, and the front telescopic slot drives the front support forward one step.

[0018] The present invention uses a single motor, which is simple in structure and highly reliable. The transmission components take into account the lifespan of the spring under high-frequency operation and the lifespan and low transmission force of the tiny gears. Gears and springs are eliminated, and the device can operate stably for a long time even in water environments.

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a robot in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing the interior of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 It is the robot guide in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 It is the robot rotor in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 It is the rear support of the robot in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 It is the shell of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 It is the supporting mechanism of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 It is an axial slider of the support mechanism of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 9 It is an I-shaped connecting piece of the supporting mechanism of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 10 It is the driving structure of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 11 It is the supporting driving claw of the rear support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 12 It is the front support of the robot in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 13 It is the shell of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 14 It is the supporting mechanism of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 15 It is an axial slider of the support mechanism of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 16 It is an I-shaped connecting piece of the supporting mechanism of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 17 It is the driving structure of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 18 It is the support driving claw of the front support in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 19 It is an expanded view of all the driving slots in an embodiment of the present invention during one telescopic cycle.

[0039] In the figure: 1-rotor; 2-front support; 3-front guide; 4-rear support; 5-rear guide; 6-motor; 7-guide frame; 8-guide wheel; 9-front telescopic slot; 10-front key shaft; 11-rear telescopic slot; 12-rear key shaft; 13-housing; 14-drive structure; 15-support drive claw; 16-support structure; 17-telescopic drive claw; 18-axial synchronization claw; 19-radial slot; 20-axial slider; 21-I-shaped connector; 22-radial slider; 23-support drive groove; 24-axial synchronization groove; 25-claw head; 33-housing; 34-drive structure; 35-support drive claw; 36-support structure; 37-telescopic drive claw; 38-axial synchronization claw; 39-radial groove; 40-axial slider; 41-I-shaped connecting piece; 42-radial slider; 43-support drive groove; 44-axial synchronization groove; 45-claw head; 50-front support section; 51-contraction section; 52-rear support section; 53-extension section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The robot shown in the figure includes a rotor 1, a front support 2, a front guide 3, a rear support 4, a rear guide 5, and a motor 6. The front support 2 and rear support 4 are mounted near the front and rear of the middle of the rotor 1, respectively. The front guide 3 and rear guide 5 are mounted at the outer ends of the front support 2 and rear support 4, respectively, at a distance to accommodate the telescopic movement of the front and rear supports.

[0041] The front guide 3 and the rear guide 4 have the same structure, including a guide frame 7 and a guide wheel 8. Figure 3 As shown, three guide wheels 8 evenly distributed in the circumferential direction are installed on the guide frame 7. The guide wheels 8 maintain contact with the inner wall of the tube and have a certain extrusion force. They can rotate to allow the robot to move axially in the tube and prevent the robot from moving circumferentially in the tube.

[0042] like Figure 4 The robot rotor 1 shown in the figure includes a front telescopic slot 9, a rear telescopic slot 11, a front key shaft 10, and a rear key shaft 12. The front telescopic slot and the rear telescopic slot 11 are both closed loop grooves around the rotor surface. The groove is formed by two closed spiral grooves in opposite directions. The two connecting parts are each a small annular groove. After expanding it along the circumference, as shown in FIG. Figure 19 The front key shaft and rear key shaft are respectively a section of shaft with a key, located at the outer end of the rotor, for mounting the front support and rear support.

[0043] like Figure 5 The rear support 4 of the robot shown in the figure comprises a housing 13, a driving structure 14, a supporting driving claw 15 and a supporting structure 16. The housing 13 comprises a telescopic driving claw 17, an axial synchronous claw 18 and a radial groove 19 at the bottom, as shown in FIG. Figure 6The support structure 16 includes an axial slider 20, an I-shaped connector 21 and a radial slider 22, as shown. Figure 7 As shown. The axial slider 20 is as shown Figure 8 As shown. I-shaped connector 21 Figure 10 As shown, the two ends are respectively installed in the grooves of the axial slider 20 and the radial slider 22. When the axial slider 20 moves axially, the radial slider 22 is driven by the I-shaped connecting piece 21 to move along the radial groove 19 at the bottom of the housing 13 in the radial direction.

[0044] like Figure 10 The driving structure 14 of the rear support 4 is cylindrical and has two closed-loop grooves on its surface, namely the support driving groove 23 and the axial synchronization groove 24. The support driving groove 23 is formed by connecting two annular grooves with different axial positions. The connection adopts a spiral and circular arc transition. When it is expanded along the circumference, Figure 19 The axial synchronization groove 24 is an annular groove, and the axial synchronization claw 18 of the housing 13 extends into the groove. When the housing 13 moves axially, the support drive structure 14 moves axially synchronously, and the rotational movement of the support drive structure 14 does not affect the housing 13.

[0045] like Figure 11 Shown is a rear support drive claw 15 mounted between the drive structure 14 and the support structure 16, as shown. Figure 5 As shown. The claw head 25 extends into the support drive groove 23 of the drive structure 14. When the drive structure 14 rotates, the claw head 25 moves in the support drive groove 23 to the annular groove section close to the support structure 16. The support drive claw 15 pushes the axial slider 20 to move axially backward, and further pushes the radial slider 22 along the radial groove 19 at the bottom of the shell 13 through the working I-shaped connecting piece 21 to move radially outward. Finally, the slider 22 pushes against the inner wall of the tube, and the rear support 4 is in a supporting state; when the drive structure 14 continues to rotate, the claw head 25 moves in the support drive groove 23 to the annular groove section away from the support structure 16. The support drive claw 15 pulls the axial slider 20 to move axially forward, and further pulls the radial slider 22 along the radial groove 19 at the bottom of the shell 13 to move radially inward through the working I-shaped connecting piece 21. The slider 19 is away from the inner wall of the tube, and the rear support 4 is in a non-supporting state.

[0046] The structure and working principle of the front support 2 are the same as those of the rear support 4, but the arrangement direction is opposite. Figure 12 As shown, it also includes a housing 33, a driving structure 34, a driving claw 35 and a supporting structure 36. The housing 33 includes a telescopic driving claw 37, an axial synchronous claw 38 and a radial groove 39 at the bottom, as shown in FIG. Figure 13 As shown. The support structure 36 is as shown Figure 14 As shown, it includes an axial slider 40, an I-shaped connector 41 and a radial slider 42. The axial slider 40 is as shown in FIG. Figure 15 As shown. I-shaped connector 41 Figure 16 As shown. The driving structure 34 is as shown Figure 17 As shown, there are support driving grooves 43 and axial synchronization grooves 44. The driving claw 35 is as shown in FIG. Figure 18 shown.

[0047] The complete working principle and process of the present invention are as follows:

[0048] like Figure 19 As shown, the front telescopic slot 9, the rear telescopic slot 11, the support drive slot 43 of the front support 2 and the support drive slot 23 of the rear support 4 are expanded 360° along the circumferential direction in one rotation cycle, and one cycle is divided into four process segments: a front support segment 50, a contraction segment 51, a rear support segment 52, and an extension segment 53.

[0049] In the front support section 50: the support drive groove 43 of the front support 2 drives the claw head 45 forward, which in turn drives the axial slider 40 of the support structure 36 forward via the support drive claw 35. Furthermore, the radial slider 42 is driven by the I-shaped connector 41 to slide radially along the radial groove 39 at the bottom of the housing 33 to its outermost end. The radial slider 42 presses against the inner wall of the tube, placing the front support 2 in a supported state and preventing axial movement. Simultaneously, the support drive groove 23 of the rear support 4 drives the claw head 25 forward, which in turn drives the axial slider 20 of the support structure 16 forward via the support drive claw 15. Furthermore, the radial slider 22 is driven by the I-shaped connector 21 to slide radially along the radial groove 19 at the bottom of the housing 13 to its innermost end. Radial slider 22 moves away from the inner wall of the tube, placing the rear support 4 in a non-supported state and allowing axial movement. During this process, no force is applied to the front and rear telescopic grooves 9 and 11.

[0050] During the retraction phase 51, the front support 2 remains in a supported state and cannot move axially, while the rear support 4 remains in a non-supported state and can move axially. As the rotor 1 rotates, the telescopic drive pawl 37 on the housing 33 of the front support 2 moves within the front telescopic slot 9 of the rotor 1. Since the front support is fixed, this drives the rotor 1 forward. Simultaneously, since the rear support 4 can move forward and backward, as the rotor 1 rotates, the rear telescopic slot 11 drives the telescopic drive pawl 17 extending into the slot forward, thereby driving the rear support housing 13 forward. Since the axial synchronization pawl 18 of the housing 13 is within the axial synchronization slot 24 of the support drive structure 15 of the rear support 4, this drives the support drive structure 15 forward synchronously. This further drives the support drive pawl 15 forward synchronously via the support drive slot 23, which in turn drives the support structure 16 forward synchronously, resulting in the entire rear support 4 moving forward. During this phase, the support drive slots 43 of the front support 2 and 23 of the rear support 4 are not acting, meaning they are not operating.

[0051] In the rear support section 52: the functions of the front support drive groove 43 and the rear support drive groove 23 are opposite to those of the front support section 50, with the result that the front support 2 becomes a non-supporting state and can move axially, while the rear support 4 is in a supporting state and cannot move axially.

[0052] During the extension phase 53, the front and rear telescopic slots 9 and 11 function in the opposite manner to those of the contraction phase 51. Even as the front support 2 extends and moves forward as a whole, the rear support 4 extends and drives the rotor 1 forward. During this phase, the support drive slots 43 and 23 of the front and rear support 4 have no force acting on them, meaning they are inoperative.

[0053] The above detailed description is a specific description of a feasible embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent implementation or modification that does not deviate from the innovative point of the present invention should be included in the patent scope.

Claims

1. A single-drive telescopic in-tube robot, characterized in that: The robot comprises a rotor, a front support, a rear support, a front guide, a rear guide and a motor: the front support and the rear support are respectively mounted at the front and rear positions of the middle part of the rotor; the front guide is mounted at the front end of the front support and is at a certain distance from the front support; the rear guide is located at the rear end of the rear support and is at a certain distance from the rear support; the front guide and the rear guide have the same structure, comprising a guide frame and guide wheels; the motor is mounted on the guide frame of the rear guide; the three guide wheels are evenly distributed on the guide frame along the circumferential direction, and are supported on the inner wall of the tube with a certain extrusion force; The middle portion of the rotor is cylindrical, and two closed-loop grooves are arranged around the cylindrical surface, namely the front telescopic groove and the rear telescopic groove; the front telescopic groove and the rear telescopic groove have exactly the same structure and are symmetrically arranged with the middle of the rotor as the center, and are both formed by connecting two sections of spiral grooves in opposite directions, and the connection between the two spiral grooves is a small section of annular groove; the front end of the front telescopic groove is the front key shaft, and the rear end of the rear telescopic groove is the rear key shaft. The front key shaft and the rear key shaft are respectively a section of keyed shaft, located at the outer end of the rotor; The front support and rear support have the same structure and are respectively mounted on the front key shaft and the rear key shaft of the rotor and are symmetrically arranged with the middle of the rotor as the center; the front support and the rear support each include a drive structure, a support structure, a support drive claw and a housing; The supporting driving claw is installed between the driving structure and the supporting structure, both of which are located in the housing; The driving structure is cylindrical in shape and is installed on the front key shaft or the rear key shaft of the rotor. It rotates with the front key shaft or the rear key shaft and can move axially. The cylindrical surface of the driving structure has two closed-loop grooves, namely the axial synchronization groove and the support drive groove; the axial synchronization groove is an annular groove, and the support drive groove is formed by closing two sections of annular grooves with different axial positions. The connection between the two sections of annular grooves with different axial positions adopts spiral and arc transition.

2. The single-drive telescopic in-tube robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting structure includes a radial slider, an axial slider and an I-shaped connector; the two ends of the I-shaped connector are respectively installed in the grooves of the axial slider and the radial slider, converting the axial movement of the axial slider into the radial movement of the radial slider; the radial slider is located in the radial groove at the bottom of the shell, and when the radial slider moves to the outermost end of the radial groove and presses against the inner wall surface of the tube, the front support or the rear support is in a supporting state, and when it moves to the innermost end of the radial groove, the front support or the rear support is in a non-supporting state.

3. The single-drive telescopic in-tube robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support driving claw is a barrel-shaped structure with a circular hole at the bottom. The claw head of the support driving claw extends into the support driving groove of the driving structure. The bottom of the support driving claw presses against the axial slider of the supporting structure, transmitting the axial force of the driving structure to the axial slider of the supporting structure.

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