A pipeline detection assembly and a pipeline detection robot

Abstract

This invention discloses a pipeline detection assembly and a pipeline detection robot. The pipeline detection assembly includes a mounting base, a fixed shaft, a support, a rotary drive mechanism, a ground-penetrating radar, and an infrared thermal imager. The mounting base is vertically arranged, the fixed shaft is horizontally arranged along the front-to-back direction, and its rear end is fixedly connected to the mounting base. The support is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft, the infrared thermal imager is mounted on the front end of the fixed shaft, the ground-penetrating radar is mounted on the support, and the rotary drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting base, with its drive end connected to the support. The rotary drive mechanism drives the support to rotate the ground-penetrating radar around the fixed shaft. This allows the infrared thermal imager to detect the area in front of the pipeline in a fixed posture, while the ground-penetrating radar can rotate around the fixed shaft under the drive of the rotary drive mechanism to detect the pipe wall. Thus, the infrared thermal imager and the ground-penetrating radar can jointly detect the pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of pipeline robots, and particularly relates to a pipeline detection assembly and a pipeline detection robot. Background Technology

[0002] Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) primarily detects conductive media based on the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves in underground materials. For example, electromagnetic waves are reflected, refracted, and transmitted at the interface of the medium. GPR typically receives these reflected, refracted, and transmitted electromagnetic waves to understand the structure and properties of the medium, such as the distribution, thickness, and morphology of geological bodies. In pipeline detection, GPR can detect the perimeter of the pipe, thus obtaining information about the geological conditions of the pipe wall and the surrounding area. However, currently, most GPR systems are vertically rotated and mounted on pipeline robots. This not only affects the installation of other detection equipment but also results in poor adaptability, as they cannot adapt to the detection of pipes of different diameters. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a pipeline detection assembly with a simple structure that can detect pipelines by means of both an infrared thermal imager and a ground-penetrating radar.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A pipeline detection assembly includes a mounting base, a fixed shaft, a bracket, a rotary drive mechanism, a ground-penetrating radar, and an infrared thermal imager. The mounting base is vertically arranged, the fixed shaft is horizontally arranged along the front-rear direction, and its rear end is fixedly connected to the mounting base. The bracket is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft, the infrared thermal imager is mounted on the front end of the fixed shaft, the ground-penetrating radar is mounted on the bracket, and the rotary drive mechanism is mounted on the mounting base, with its drive end being drively connected to the bracket. The rotary drive mechanism is used to drive the bracket to rotate the ground-penetrating radar around the fixed shaft.

[0005] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are as follows: it allows the infrared thermal imager to detect the area in front of the pipe in a fixed posture inside the pipe, while the ground-penetrating radar can rotate around a fixed axis under the drive of the rotary drive mechanism to detect the pipe wall. In this way, the infrared thermal imager and the ground-penetrating radar can jointly detect the pipe.

[0006] The bracket described in the above technical solution includes a bushing, a mounting plate, and a telescopic frame. The bushing is coaxially rotatably sleeved on the fixed shaft. The mounting plate is connected to the bushing. The ground-penetrating radar is mounted on the mounting plate via the telescopic frame. The telescopic frame extends and retracts to adjust the distance between the ground-penetrating radar and the bushing in the vertical plane.

[0007] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are: its structure is simple, so that the support can be rotatably connected to the fixed shaft through the bushing, and the telescopic frame can adjust the distance between the ground radar and the fixed shaft, that is, the distance between the ground radar and the pipe wall can be adjusted when the ground radar is detecting.

[0008] The telescopic frame described in the above technical solution includes multiple telescopic components, all of which are vertically mounted on the mounting plate and spaced apart on the mounting plate. The telescopic ends of the multiple telescopic components are connected to the ground-penetrating radar.

[0009] The advantages of the above technical solution are that it has a simple structure and makes the ground-penetrating radar highly stable when adjusting its altitude.

[0010] In the above technical solution, multiple telescopic components are distributed on both sides of the bushing.

[0011] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is that by passing the bushing between multiple telescopic components, the structure of the entire support is more compact when the telescopic frame is in the retracted state.

[0012] The telescopic component mentioned in the above technical solution is a telescopic electric cylinder.

[0013] The advantages of the above technical solution are that it has a simple structure and is easy to control.

[0014] In the above technical solution, the mounting base is hollow inside, the rear ends of the fixed shaft and the bushing both extend into the mounting base, the rear end of the fixed shaft is fixedly connected to the mounting base, the bushing is rotatably connected to the mounting base, and the rotary drive mechanism is disposed in the mounting base and is drivenly connected to the bushing.

[0015] The advantages of the above technical solution are that it has a simple structure and good aesthetics, and at the same time makes the structure of the entire pipeline detection assembly more compact.

[0016] The rotary drive mechanism described in the above technical solution includes a drive motor, a worm gear, and a worm wheel. The worm wheel is coaxially rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft and coaxially fixedly connected to the rear end of the shaft sleeve. The worm gear is rotatably mounted in the mounting base in the left-right direction and meshes with the worm wheel. The drive motor is mounted in the mounting base and is drively connected to the worm gear. The worm wheel constitutes the drive end of the rotary drive mechanism.

[0017] The advantages of the above technical solution are: its structure is simple, and the worm gear and worm also have a locking function during transmission. For example, when the drive motor stops rotating, the locking function of the worm gear and worm can prevent the bushing from rotating on its own under the gravity of the ground-penetrating radar.

[0018] The rotary drive mechanism described in the above technical solution further includes two gears. The drive motor is arranged in the mounting base in the left-right direction. One of the gears is coaxially fixedly mounted on the drive shaft of the drive motor, and the other gear is coaxially fixedly mounted on one end of the worm gear, and the two gears mesh with each other.

[0019] The beneficial effect of the above technical solution is that it makes the rotary drive mechanism more compactly arranged within the mounting base.

[0020] The second objective of this invention is to provide a pipeline detection robot with a simple structure and excellent detection performance.

[0021] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: a pipeline detection robot, characterized in that it includes a mobile chassis, a lifting frame, and a pipeline detection assembly as described above, wherein the lifting frame is installed on the upper end of the mobile chassis, the mounting base is installed on the front end of the lifting end of the lifting frame, and the lifting frame is used to adjust the height of the pipeline detection assembly.

[0022] The advantages of the above technical solution are: its structure is simple, so the height of the pipeline detection assembly can be adjusted by the lifting frame, and the pipeline detection assembly uses ground-penetrating radar and infrared thermal imager to detect the pipeline together.

[0023] The above technical solution also includes a long-distance communication module and a control assembly mounted on the mobile chassis. The long-distance communication module, the pipeline detection assembly, the mobile chassis, and the lifting frame are all electrically connected to the control assembly. The long-distance communication module is used to communicate with the terminal equipment.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the above technical solution are that it enables the pipeline detection robot to communicate with the ground terminal equipment over long distances, and its signal transmission has good stability, which is conducive to improving the quality and efficiency of pipeline detection. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is an elevation view of the telescopic frame in the extended state of the pipeline detection assembly described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a front view of the telescopic frame in the extended state of the pipeline detection assembly described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 This is an elevation view of the telescopic frame in the retracted state of the pipeline detection assembly described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 This is an assembly diagram of the fixed shaft, mounting base, and bushing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is an assembly diagram of the rotary drive component, fixed shaft, and bushing in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 This is an elevation view of the pipeline inspection robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention in its stowed state;

[0031] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the pipeline inspection robot described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention in its deployed state. In the figure: 1. Mounting base; 2. Fixed shaft; 3. Bracket; 31. Bushing; 32. Mounting plate; 33. Telescopic frame; 331. Telescopic component; 332. Telescopic rod; 34. Connecting frame; 4. Rotary drive mechanism; 41. Drive motor; 42. Worm gear; 43. Worm wheel; 44. Gear; 5. Ground-penetrating radar; 6. Infrared thermal imager; 100. Pipeline detection assembly; 200. Mobile chassis; 300. Lifting frame; 400. Long-distance communication module; 500. Control assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The principles and features of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The examples given are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is described more specifically in the following paragraphs by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the invention will be more clearly described from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the invention.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] like Figures 1-3 As shown, this embodiment provides a pipeline detection assembly, including a mounting base 1, a fixed shaft 2, a bracket 3, a rotary drive mechanism 4, a ground-penetrating radar 5, and an infrared thermal imager 6. The mounting base 1 is vertically arranged, the fixed shaft 2 is horizontally arranged along the front-to-back direction, and its rear end is fixedly connected to the mounting base 1. The bracket 3 is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft 2, the infrared thermal imager 6 is mounted on the front end of the fixed shaft 2, the ground-penetrating radar 5 is mounted on the bracket 3, and the rotary drive mechanism 4 is mounted on the mounting base 1, with its drive end being drively connected to the bracket 3. The rotary drive mechanism 4 is used to drive the bracket 3 to drive the ground-penetrating radar 5 to rotate around the fixed shaft 2. In this way, the infrared thermal imager can detect the area in front of the pipeline in a fixed posture, while the ground-penetrating radar can rotate around the fixed shaft under the drive of the rotary drive mechanism to detect the pipe wall. Thus, the infrared thermal imager and the ground-penetrating radar can jointly detect the pipeline.

[0035] In this embodiment, the imaging part of the infrared thermal imager 6 faces forward, and the detection part of the ground-penetrating radar in this embodiment is away from the fixed axis. The ground-penetrating radar can be an SIR series ground-penetrating radar.

[0036] The bracket 3 described in the above technical solution includes a bushing 31, a mounting plate 32, and a telescopic frame 33. The bushing 31 is coaxially rotatably sleeved on the fixed shaft 2. The mounting plate 32 is connected to the bushing 31. The ground-penetrating radar 5 is mounted on the mounting plate 32 via the telescopic frame 33. The telescopic frame 33 extends and retracts to adjust the distance between the ground-penetrating radar 5 and the bushing 31 in the vertical plane (the vertical plane perpendicular to the fixed shaft). Its structure is simple, thus allowing the bracket to be rotatably connected to the fixed shaft via the bushing, while the telescopic frame can adjust the distance between the ground-penetrating radar and the fixed shaft, that is, the distance between the ground-penetrating radar and the pipe wall is adjustable during detection.

[0037] The telescopic frame 33 described in the above technical solution includes multiple telescopic components 331, all of which are vertically installed on the mounting plate 32 and are spaced apart on the mounting plate 32. The telescopic ends of the multiple telescopic components 331 are connected to the ground-penetrating radar 5. Its structure is simple and makes the ground-penetrating radar have good stability when adjusting its height.

[0038] In the above technical solution, multiple telescopic components 331 are distributed on both sides of the bushing 31. By passing the bushing between multiple telescopic components, the structure of the entire support is more compact when the telescopic frame is in the retracted state.

[0039] The telescopic component 331 described in the above technical solution is a telescopic electric cylinder, which has a simple structure and is easy to control.

[0040] Preferably, the telescopic frame 33 further includes multiple telescopic rods 332, which are arranged between the ground-penetrating radar and the mounting plate. One end of each telescopic rod is connected to the ground-penetrating radar, and the other end is connected to the mounting plate. The telescopic rod is similar to an existing fishing rod, consisting of multiple rod sections connected together, and its main function is to guide and stabilize the system.

[0041] In the above technical solution, the mounting base 1 is hollow inside, and the rear ends of the fixed shaft 2 and the bushing 31 are both extended into the mounting base 1. The rear end of the fixed shaft 2 is fixedly connected to the mounting base 1, the bushing 31 is rotatably connected to the mounting base 1, and the rotary drive mechanism 4 is disposed in the mounting base 1 and is connected to the bushing 31 for transmission. Its structure is simple and aesthetically pleasing, and at the same time, it makes the structure of the entire pipeline detection assembly more compact.

[0042] Specifically, two telescopic components and two telescopic rods are provided. Each side of the bushing has one telescopic component and one telescopic rod, and the two telescopic rods are located at the four corners of the mounting plate (of course, gas springs can also be used to replace the telescopic rods).

[0043] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the rotary drive mechanism 4 in the above technical solution includes a drive motor 41, a worm 42, and a worm wheel 43. The worm wheel 43 is coaxially rotatably sleeved on the fixed shaft 2 and coaxially fixedly connected to the rear end of the bushing 31. The worm 42 is rotatably installed in the mounting base 1 in the left-right direction and meshes with the worm wheel 43. The drive motor 41 is installed in the mounting base 1 and is drively connected to the worm 42. The worm wheel 43 constitutes the drive end of the rotary drive mechanism 4. Its structure is simple, and the worm wheel and worm have a locking function during transmission (i.e., the rotation of the worm can drive the worm wheel to rotate, but the rotation of the worm wheel cannot drive the worm to rotate in the opposite direction). If the drive motor stops rotating, the locking function of the worm wheel and worm can prevent the bushing from rotating on its own under the gravity of the ground-penetrating radar.

[0044] The rotary drive mechanism 4 described in the above technical solution also includes two gears 44. The drive motor 41 is arranged in the mounting base 1 in the left-right direction. One of the gears 44 is coaxially fixedly mounted on the drive shaft of the drive motor 41, and the other gear 44 is coaxially fixedly mounted on one end of the worm gear 42. The two gears 44 mesh with each other, which makes the rotary drive mechanism arranged more compactly in the mounting base.

[0045] In this embodiment, the fixed shaft can be a tubular shaft, which allows the infrared thermal imager's cable to pass through the inner hole of the fixed shaft and exit backward, thus exposing the infrared thermal imager's cable and affecting the rotation of the bracket around the fixed shaft.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mounting plate and the bushing can be connected by a hollowed-out connecting bracket 34.

[0047] Of course, for detection purposes, the infrared thermal imager can also be replaced by a lidar or fisheye lens.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, this embodiment provides a pipeline detection robot, including a mobile chassis 200, a lifting frame 300, and a pipeline detection assembly 100 as described in Embodiment 1. The lifting frame 300 is installed on the upper end of the mobile chassis 200, and the mounting base 1 is installed at the front end of the lifting end of the lifting frame 300. The lifting frame 300 is used to adjust the height of the pipeline detection assembly 100. Its structure is simple, so the height of the pipeline detection assembly can be adjusted by the lifting frame. The pipeline detection assembly uses ground-penetrating radar and infrared thermal imager to jointly detect pipelines.

[0050] The lifting frame 300 described in the above technical solution is a double scissor type electric lifting platform, which has a simple structure, is easy to control, and occupies little space when in storage.

[0051] The advantage of the pipeline detection robot provided in this embodiment lies in its adjustable height of the pipeline detection assembly. For example, the height of the pipeline detection assembly can be adjusted so that the fixed axis is close to the axis of the pipeline, and then the telescopic frame can be used to adjust the ground radar to be close to the inner wall of the pipeline. At this time, when the drive shaft sleeve rotates, the rotary drive mechanism can drive the ground radar to rotate close to the inner wall of the pipeline to detect flaws in the pipeline.

[0052] Of course, to prevent the ground-penetrating radar cable from getting tangled when the ground-penetrating radar rotates, the drive motor drives the shaft sleeve to rotate back and forth (the maximum rotation angle in a single direction is 360°).

[0053] The mobile chassis described in this embodiment can be a wheeled chassis or a tracked chassis.

[0054] The pipeline detection robot also includes a long-distance communication module 400 and a control assembly 500 mounted on the mobile chassis 200. The long-distance communication module 400, the pipeline detection assembly 100, the mobile chassis 200, and the lifting frame 300 are all electrically connected to the control assembly 500. The long-distance communication module 400 is used to communicate with terminal equipment, thus enabling the pipeline detection robot to communicate with terminal equipment on the ground over long distances. The signal transmission is stable, which helps to improve the quality and efficiency of pipeline detection (the telescopic components, drive motor, ground-penetrating radar, and infrared thermal imager of the pipeline detection assembly 100 are all electrically connected to the control assembly).

[0055] In this embodiment, the long-distance communication module can be an existing VDSL2 communication module, the control assembly can be an ARM series microcontroller, and the terminal device can be a computer.

[0056] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art can readily implement the present invention based on the accompanying drawings and the above description. However, any modifications, alterations, or variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, utilizing the disclosed technical content, are equivalent embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any modifications, alterations, or variations made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pipe probing assembly, comprising: The system includes a mounting base (1), a fixed shaft (2), a bracket (3), a rotary drive mechanism (4), a ground-penetrating radar (5), and an infrared thermal imager (6). The mounting base (1) is vertically oriented, the fixed shaft (2) is horizontally oriented along the front-to-back direction, and its rear end is fixedly connected to the mounting base (1). The bracket (3) is rotatably mounted on the fixed shaft (2). The infrared thermal imager (6) is mounted on the front end of the fixed shaft (2). The ground-penetrating radar (5) is mounted on the bracket (3). The rotary drive mechanism (4) is mounted on the mounting base (1), and its drive end is connected to the bracket (3) for transmission. The rotary drive mechanism (4) is used to drive the bracket (3) to drive the ground-penetrating radar (5) to rotate around the fixed shaft (2). The bracket (3) includes a bushing (31), a mounting plate (32), and a telescopic frame (33). The bushing (31) is coaxially rotatably sleeved on the fixed shaft (2). The mounting plate (32) is connected to the bushing (31). The ground-penetrating radar (5) is mounted on the mounting plate (32) via the telescopic frame (33). The telescopic frame (33) extends and retracts to adjust the distance between the ground-penetrating radar (5) and the bushing (31) in the vertical plane. The telescopic frame (33) includes multiple telescopic components (331), all of which are vertically installed on the mounting plate (32) and are spaced apart on the mounting plate (32). The telescopic ends of the multiple telescopic components (331) are connected to the ground-penetrating radar (5). The mounting plate (32) and the bushing (31) are connected by a hollowed-out connecting frame (34); The multiple telescopic components (331) are telescopic electric cylinders, distributed on both sides of the bushing (31).

2. The pipeline detection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base (1) is hollow inside. The rear ends of the fixed shaft (2) and the bushing (31) extend into the mounting base (1). The rear end of the fixed shaft (2) is fixedly connected to the mounting base (1). The bushing (31) is rotatably connected to the mounting base (1). The rotary drive mechanism (4) is located inside the mounting base (1) and is connected to the bushing (31) in a transmission manner.

3. The pipeline detection assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotary drive mechanism (4) includes a drive motor (41), a worm (42) and a worm wheel (43). The worm wheel (43) is coaxially rotated and sleeved on the fixed shaft (2), and is coaxially fixedly connected to the rear end of the bushing (31). The worm (42) is rotated in the left and right direction and installed in the mounting base (1), and meshes with the worm wheel (43). The drive motor (41) is installed in the mounting base (1) and is connected to the worm (42) in a transmission manner. The worm wheel (43) constitutes the drive end of the rotary drive mechanism (4).

4. The pipeline detection assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rotary drive mechanism (4) further includes two gears (44). The drive motor (41) is arranged in the mounting base (1) in the left-right direction. One of the gears (44) is coaxially fixedly mounted on the drive shaft of the drive motor (41), and the other gear (44) is coaxially fixedly mounted on one end of the worm (42), and the two gears (44) mesh with each other.

5. A pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that, The device includes a mobile chassis (200), a lifting frame (300), and a pipe detection assembly (100) as described in any one of claims 1-4, wherein the lifting frame (300) is mounted on the upper end of the mobile chassis (200), and the mounting base (1) is mounted on the front end of the lifting end of the lifting frame (300), and the lifting frame (300) is used to adjust the height of the pipe detection assembly (100).

6. The pipeline inspection robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a long-distance communication module (400) and a control assembly (500) mounted on the mobile chassis (200). The long-distance communication module (400), the pipeline detection assembly (100), the mobile chassis (200) and the lifting frame (300) are all electrically connected to the control assembly (500). The long-distance communication module (400) is used to communicate with terminal equipment.

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