Safety inspection robot system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a safety inspection robot system which comprises a circumferential self-adaption mechanism, at least three radial self-adaption mechanisms and a guide walking mechanism, the circumferential self-adaption mechanism comprises at least three first telescopic rods which are sequentially hinged end to end, and the radial self-adaption mechanisms are connected with the guide walking mechanism. Each group of radial self-adaptive mechanism comprises at least two second telescopic rods which are matched for use, each second telescopic rod comprises a fixed cylinder, an actuating rod, an elastic element and a flexible rope, and the guide walking mechanism comprises a walking crawler belt, a walking wheel and a connecting rod structure; the circumferential self-adaptive mechanism surrounds the pipeline, the position of the actuating rod is adjusted, the elastic restoring force of the reset spring is combined, it is guaranteed that the radial self-adaptive mechanism is attached to the surface of the pipeline with constant and reliable pressing force all the time, and the stability of movement and detection is guaranteed; meanwhile, the walking wheels are driven by the connecting rod structures to rotate to be attached to the surface of the pipeline for obstacle crossing, and therefore continuous and comprehensive detection can be conducted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a safe inspection robot system. BACKGROUND

[0002] Chemical pipeline is the "artery" connecting production devices, transporting raw materials, intermediate products and finished products, and its running state directly affects the continuity, safety and economy of production. Chemical medium often has the characteristics of flammability, explosiveness, toxicity and corrosion. In the long-term operation of the pipeline, defects such as wall thickness thinning, cracks and leakage may occur due to corrosion, fatigue and material degradation, etc. If not timely repaired, it is easy to cause major accidents such as fire, explosion and poisoning, threatening the safety of personnel and property.

[0003] The existing safety inspection method of chemical pipeline and environment mainly relies on manual or ground robot, and it is difficult to continuously and comprehensively inspect the pipeline area with complex or difficult to directly reach by personnel such as high altitude, long distance, elbow, variable diameter pipe, etc. There is a detection blind area. The existing pipe climbing robot is usually designed for a specific pipe diameter, and the adaptive passing ability of different diameters of pipes, elbows and surface obstacles in the plant area is limited, the deployment flexibility is low, and most pipeline detection equipment only focuses on the corrosion, leakage and other defects of the pipeline body, lacks the ability to synchronously and widely monitor the safety hazards such as flame and smoke around the pipeline, and cannot realize the integrated safety monitoring of the pipeline body and the surrounding environment. SUMMARY

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is that the existing pipeline inspection method mainly relies on manual or ground robot, and it is difficult to continuously and comprehensively inspect the pipeline area with complex or difficult to directly reach by personnel such as high altitude, long distance, elbow, variable diameter pipe, etc. There is a detection blind area. To overcome the above problems, the present application provides a safe inspection robot system.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present application adopts the following technical scheme: a safe inspection robot system, comprising: A circumferential adaptive mechanism, comprising at least three groups of first telescopic rods hingedly connected in sequence, and the at least three groups of first telescopic rods form a surrounding cavity for surrounding the pipeline; A radial adaptive mechanism, at least three groups, and spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the surrounding cavity, each group of radial adaptive mechanism comprises at least two second telescopic rods used in cooperation, and each second telescopic rod comprises a fixed cylinder hingedly connected with the cavity wall of the surrounding cavity, an actuator rod spaced apart from the fixed cylinder, an elastic element connected between the fixed cylinder and the actuator rod, and a flexible rope for driving the actuator rod to approach the fixed cylinder; The guide walking mechanism includes a walking track hinged to the end of the actuating rod, walking wheels installed at both ends of the walking track, and a linkage structure connecting the walking track and the walking wheels.

[0006] Furthermore, the linkage structure includes a servo motor, a track frame for mounting the servo motor, a link hinged to the arm of the servo motor, and a swing arm for connecting the track frame and the link. The end of the swing arm facing away from the link is connected to the travel wheel.

[0007] Furthermore, the elastic element is covered with a sleeve, one end of which is fixedly connected to the fixed cylinder, and the other end is slidably inserted inside the actuating rod.

[0008] Furthermore, the sleeve extends radially to form a first flange, on which a plurality of guide shafts are fixed, and the actuating rod extends radially to form a second flange, on which a guide hole is provided for the guide shafts to pass through.

[0009] Furthermore, the radial adaptive mechanism is located at the corner of the circumferential cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, at least two second telescopic rods in each radial adaptive mechanism are spaced apart along the traveling direction of the track.

[0011] Furthermore, a visual inspection mechanism is also installed on the track frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the second telescopic rod also includes a power source mounted on the fixed cylinder for driving the flexible rope to extend and retract.

[0013] Furthermore, the walking wheels are Mecanum wheels with a self-driving mode.

[0014] Furthermore, quick-connect couplings are provided between adjacent sets of first telescopic rods.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are: (1) The present invention uses a circumferential adaptive mechanism to hug the pipe and adjusts the position of the actuator rod. Combined with the elastic restoring force of the elastic element, it ensures that the radial adaptive mechanism always adheres to the pipe surface with a constant and reliable clamping force, thus ensuring the stability of movement and detection. At the same time, the linkage structure drives the walking wheel to rotate to adhere to the pipe surface to overcome obstacles, thereby enabling continuous and comprehensive detection. (2) In addition to performing corresponding inspections on the pipeline itself, the present invention can also extend the pipeline to areas that are inaccessible by conventional inspection methods and be suspended in a relatively open and high-angle view to perform fixed-point safety monitoring, which has a prominent effect on the coverage and flexibility of safety inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the invention in conjunction with a pipe step; Figure 3 This is a front view of the invention in conjunction with a pipe step; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of the invention in conjunction with a pipe step; Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the invention in conjunction with a bent pipe; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of the invention in conjunction with a bent pipe; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention without the circumferential adaptive mechanism; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the guiding walking mechanism of the present invention; Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure for removing the sleeve from the radial adaptive mechanism.

[0018] In the picture: 1. Circumferential adaptive mechanism; 101. First telescopic rod; 102. Quick-connect coupling; 103. Quick-release pin; 2. Radial adaptive mechanism; 201. Fixed cylinder; 202. Actuating rod; 2021. Second flange; 203. Elastic element; 204. Flexible rope; 205. Sleeve; 2051. First flange; 206. Guide shaft; 3. Guiding and traveling mechanism; 301. Traveling track; 302. Traveling wheel; 303. Steering gear; 304. Track frame; 305. Linkage rod; 306. Swing arm; 4. Visual inspection agencies; 5. Pipes. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, illustrating only the basic structure of the invention in a schematic manner. Therefore, they only show the components relevant to the invention, and directions and references, such as up, down, left, right, etc., are only used to aid in the description of the features in the drawings. Therefore, the following specific embodiments are not intended to be restrictive, and the scope of the claimed subject matter is defined solely by the appended claims and their equivalents. Example

[0020] like Figures 1-9As shown, this invention is a safety inspection robot system, including a circumferential adaptive mechanism 1, a radial adaptive mechanism 2, and a guiding walking mechanism 3. The circumferential adaptive mechanism 1 includes at least three sets of first telescopic rods 101 that are hinged end to end. The at least three sets of first telescopic rods 101 enclose a circumferential cavity for circumferentially enclosing the pipe 5. The first telescopic rods 101 can be electric push rods. Depending on the pipe diameter of different pipes 5, the size of the circumferential cavity can be adjusted by adjusting the extension and retraction of the first telescopic rods 101. The circumferential cavity is slightly larger than the pipe 5 to avoid interference between the first telescopic rods 101 and the outer wall of the pipe 5 during the robot's movement. The radial adaptive mechanism 2 has at least three sets, which are distributed circumferentially along the circumference of the circumferential cavity. Each set of radial adaptive mechanisms 2 extends approximately radially toward the pipe 5 and includes at least two cooperating second telescopic rods. Each second telescopic rod includes a fixed cylinder 201 hinged to the wall of the circumferential cavity, an actuating rod 202 spaced apart from the fixed cylinder 201, an elastic element 203 connecting the fixed cylinder 201 and the actuating rod 202, and a flexible rope 204 for moving the actuating rod 202 closer to the fixed cylinder 201. The extension and retraction of the actuating rod 202 can be achieved by releasing or releasing the flexible rope 204. The elastic element 203 can be a spring, which can ensure that the radial adaptive mechanism 2 drives the guide walking mechanism 3 to fit the pipe 5, ensuring the safety and reliability of walking and inspection. In the process of "adaptive walking", the actuator 202 will inevitably be subjected to external impact (such as the pipe 5 changing diameter). As a flexible element, the spring can absorb the impact load and extend the service life of the mechanism. The two second telescopic rod structures enable the radial adaptive mechanism 2 to have two degrees of freedom: telescopic movement along the radial direction of the pipe 5 and rotation about the normal of the plane. This allows the robot to automatically adapt to the change in the diameter of the pipe 5 and smoothly pass through complex pipe sections such as bends.

[0021] The guiding walking mechanism 3 includes a walking track 301 hinged to the end of the actuating rod 202, walking wheels 302 installed at both ends of the walking track 301, and a linkage structure connecting the walking track 301 and the walking wheels 302. When walking on a smooth pipe 5, the walking track 301 moves along the surface of the pipe 5. When the pipe diameter increases slightly or the pipe wall is concave, the walking track 301 may lose effective contact, resulting in slippage or complete loss of driving force. At this time, the linkage structure can drive the walking wheels 302 to rotate to move along the surface of the pipe 5. Furthermore, when there are often welds, steps, foreign objects, etc. inside the pipe 5, the design of the walking wheel 302 and the linkage 305 structure can help the robot maintain continuous effective contact between the walking track 301 and the pipe wall when crossing these obstacles, providing a stable crossing force.

[0022] In this embodiment, the circumferential adaptive mechanism 1 surrounds the pipe 5, and by adjusting the position of the actuating rod 202 and combining the elastic restoring force of the elastic element 203, the radial adaptive mechanism 2 drives the guide walking mechanism 3 to always adhere to the surface of the pipe 5 with a constant and reliable clamping force, ensuring the stability of movement and detection. At the same time, the linkage structure drives the walking wheel 302 to rotate to adhere to the surface of the pipe 5 to overcome obstacles, thereby enabling continuous and comprehensive detection.

[0023] In some examples, the linkage 305 structure includes a servo motor 303, a track frame 304 for mounting the servo motor 303, a linkage 305 hinged to the arm of the servo motor 303, and a swing arm 306 for connecting the track frame 304 and the linkage 305. The end of the swing arm 306 facing away from the linkage 305 is connected to the traveling wheel 302. When the servo motor 303 is activated, its arm can drive the swing arm 306 to swing through the cooperation of the track frame 304 and the linkage 305, thereby driving the traveling wheel 302 to rotate within a certain range, thus adapting to changes in pipe diameter, bends, etc., and ensuring the passability of the robot for pipeline 5 and environmental safety inspection.

[0024] In some examples, the elastic element 203 is covered by a sleeve 205, one end of which is fixedly connected to the fixed cylinder 201, and the other end is slidably inserted inside the actuating rod 202, with a sliding cavity formed inside the actuating rod 202 that opens toward the sleeve 205.

[0025] In some examples, the sleeve 205 extends radially to form a first flange 2051, and a plurality of guide shafts 206 are fixed on the first flange 2051. The actuating rod 202 extends radially to form a second flange 2021, and a guide hole is provided on the second flange 2021 for the guide shafts 206 to pass through. There are a plurality of guide shafts 206, which are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the sleeve 205. As the actuating rod 202 moves closer to or away from the fixed cylinder 201, the guide shafts 206 cooperate with the guide holes to provide guidance for the movement of the actuating rod 202.

[0026] In some examples, the radial adaptive mechanism 2 is located at the corner of the circumferential cavity, that is, at the intersection of two adjacent first telescopic rods 101.

[0027] In some examples, at least two second telescopic rods in each set of radial adaptive mechanisms 2 are spaced apart along the walking direction of the walking track 301.

[0028] In some examples, a vision inspection mechanism 4 is also installed on the track frame 304 to acquire images, match them with the local data processing module, and combine the characteristics of algorithm deployment in the field of safety inspection. Through the visual target detection algorithm, the production safety situation in key areas of the factory can be monitored, including but not limited to the detection of abnormal situations such as flames, smoke, and pipeline defects.

[0029] In some examples, the second telescopic rod also includes a power source mounted on the fixed cylinder 201 for driving the flexible rope 204 to be wound up and down. The power source may be a motor, which drives the winding wheel to rotate, thereby realizing the winding up and down of the flexible rope 204. The actuating rod 202 only needs to bear the weight of its own mechanism, so its mass and inertia are greatly reduced.

[0030] In some examples, the walking wheel 302 is a Mecanum wheel with a self-driving mode. By driving automatic rotation, the robot for pipeline 5 and environmental safety inspection can move circumferentially relative to the pipeline 5, thereby realizing the detection of defects and faults in the pipeline 5 in the circumferential direction.

[0031] In some examples, quick-connect couplings 102 are connected between two adjacent sets of first telescopic rods 101. In this embodiment, one end of the quick-connect coupling 102 is fixed to the adjacent first telescopic rod 101, and the other end is quickly disconnected from the adjacent second telescopic rod via quick-release pins 103. When deploying the robot system, one of the quick-release pins 103 is opened, and the robot system is placed around the pipe 5 to be inspected. The three sets of radially adaptive mechanisms 2 evenly distributed around the inner circumference automatically fit the pipe 5 and adapt to changes in pipe diameter, bends, and obstacles.

[0032] Working principle: In use, first open the quick-release pin 103 on a quick connector 102, put the robot system on the pipe to be inspected 5, and control the extension and retraction of the first telescopic rod 101 to hold the pipe to be inspected 5. Then insert the quick-release pin 103 to form a complete circumferential cavity. Next, the motor is started, which drives the winding wheel to rotate, thereby realizing the winding and unwinding of the flexible rope 204. The position of the actuator 202 is adjusted, and the elastic force of the elastic element 203 is combined to form a radial adaptive mechanism 2. The radial adaptive mechanism 2 drives the guide walking mechanism 3 to always adhere to the surface of the pipe 5 with a constant and reliable clamping force. Then, the servo motor 303 is started, and its arm can drive the swing arm 306 to swing through the cooperation of the track frame 304 and the connecting rod 305, which can drive the walking wheel 302 to rotate within a certain range, thereby adapting to changes in pipe diameter, bends, and other parts.

[0033] The above description, based on the preferred embodiments of the present invention, provides inspiration. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this invention is not limited to the contents of the specification but must be determined according to the claims.

Claims

1. A safety inspection robot system, characterized in that: include: The circumferential adaptive mechanism (1) includes at least three sets of first telescopic rods (101) that are hinged end to end in sequence, and the at least three sets of first telescopic rods (101) enclose a circumferential cavity for circumferentially enclosing the pipe (5); The radial adaptive mechanism (2) has at least three sets and is distributed circumferentially along the circumference of the circumferential cavity. Each set of radial adaptive mechanisms (2) includes at least two second telescopic rods used in cooperation. Each second telescopic rod includes a fixed cylinder (201) hinged to the wall of the circumferential cavity, an actuating rod (202) spaced apart from the fixed cylinder (201), an elastic element (203) connecting the fixed cylinder (201) and the actuating rod (202), and a flexible rope (204) for driving the actuating rod (202) closer to the fixed cylinder (201). The guide walking mechanism (3) includes a walking track (301) hinged to the end of the actuating rod (202), walking wheels (302) installed at both ends of the walking track (301), and a linkage structure connecting the walking track (301) and the walking wheels (302).

2. The safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage structure includes a servo motor (303), a track frame (304) for mounting the servo motor (303), a link (305) hinged to the arm of the servo motor (303), and a swing arm (306) for connecting the track frame (304) and the link (305). The end of the swing arm (306) away from the link (305) is connected to the traveling wheel (302).

3. The safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic element (203) is covered by a sleeve (205), one end of which is fixedly connected to the fixed cylinder (201), and the other end is slidably inserted inside the actuating rod (202).

4. The safety inspection robot system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The sleeve (205) extends radially to form a first flange (2051), and a plurality of guide shafts (206) are fixed on the first flange (2051). The actuating rod (202) extends radially to form a second flange (2021), and a guide hole is provided on the second flange (2021) for the guide shafts (206) to pass through.

5. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radial adaptive mechanism (2) is located at the corner of the circumferential cavity.

6. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least two second telescopic rods in each radial adaptive mechanism (2) are spaced apart along the walking direction of the walking track (301).

7. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A vision inspection mechanism (4) is also installed on the track frame (304).

8. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second telescopic rod also includes a power source installed inside the fixed cylinder (201) for driving the flexible rope (204) to extend and retract.

9. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking wheel (302) is a Mecanum wheel with a self-driving mode.

10. A safety inspection robot system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A quick-connector (102) is connected between two adjacent sets of first telescopic rods (101).

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