Peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning

Abstract

The present application provides a peristaltic robot for pipeline cleaning, and relates to the technical field of pipeline equipment cleaning. The peristaltic robot comprises: a cleaning unit for spraying cleaning medium to clean the inner wall of a pipeline; a gas bag valve group comprising at least two gas bag valve units arranged in the axial direction of the peristaltic robot, wherein each gas bag valve unit comprises a sealed gas bag; and a control unit for controlling the supply and discharge of gas to each gas bag valve unit, respectively, wherein the gas bag valve unit expands radially by the supply of gas, and the gas bag valve unit extends axially and contracts radially by the discharge of gas.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline equipment cleaning technology, and more particularly to a peristaltic robot for pipeline cleaning. Background Technology

[0002] In industries such as petrochemicals, coal chemicals, food processing, and pharmaceuticals, pipeline systems are the core infrastructure for material transportation. During long-term operation, the inner walls of pipeline systems inevitably accumulate large amounts of contaminants such as oil, scale, polymer residues, and tar-like deposits. These contaminants not only significantly reduce pipeline transportation efficiency and increase energy consumption, but can also cause pipeline blockages, corrosion perforations, and even lead to production safety accidents and environmental pollution incidents. Regular and effective cleaning of the pipeline interior is a crucial step in ensuring production safety and improving production efficiency.

[0003] Currently, oil stain removal from pipelines mainly relies on methods such as chemical cleaning, high-pressure water jet cleaning, and robotic pipeline cleaning. Chemical cleaning dissolves or emulsifies oil stains by injecting chemical cleaning agents into the pipeline, and its cleaning effect is good. However, it requires a large amount of cleaning agent, is costly, and the waste liquid generated after cleaning is difficult to treat and can easily cause secondary pollution. High-pressure water jet cleaning uses the impact force of high-pressure water jets to peel off oil stains from the pipe walls. It is effective in cleaning hard scale layers, but its effectiveness is limited for viscous oil stains, and the equipment is bulky and difficult to penetrate complex pipelines.

[0004] In recent years, various types of pipeline robots have been developed for internal pipeline operations. A pipeline robot is a machine that can walk along the inner wall of a pipeline. Among them, wheeled and tracked pipeline robots have high movement speeds, but their drive mechanisms are limited, making them difficult to adapt to small-diameter and curved pipelines. Peristaltic robots, which adopt the principle of biomimetic peristalsis, have better pipeline adaptability compared to wheeled and tracked pipeline robots. However, the adaptability of existing peristaltic robots to pipelines with varying diameters is not ideal and cannot meet industry requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The objective of this invention is at least to provide a peristaltic robot capable of adapting to the interior of complex pipes.

[0006] The following provides a brief overview of one or more aspects to offer a basic understanding of them. This overview is not an exhaustive summary of all conceived aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or decisive elements of all aspects, nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form to prepare for the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning, the peristaltic robot comprising: The cleaning unit is used to spray cleaning media onto the inner walls of the pipes.

[0008] An airbag valve assembly includes at least two airbag valve units arranged along the axial direction of the peristaltic robot, each airbag valve unit comprising a sealed airbag.

[0009] The control unit is used to control the supply of air or the exhaust of air to each airbag valve unit, wherein the airbag valve unit expands radially by supplying air and extends axially and contracts radially by exhausting air.

[0010] In some embodiments, the peristaltic robot includes an air pump, which is independently connected to the airbags of each airbag valve unit via a first air passage pipe.

[0011] The control unit includes a controller and multiple airbag valves electrically connected to the controller. The airbag valves are respectively installed in the first air passage between the air pump and the airbag valve unit. The controller controls the airbag valves to realize the air supply or exhaust of the airbag valve unit.

[0012] In some embodiments, the peristaltic robot includes a control section and an air pump. The control section defines a control chamber, and the air pump is independently connected to the air bladders of each air bladder valve unit through a first air passage pipe. The air pump and the controller are integrated within the control chamber.

[0013] In some embodiments, at least one of the at least two airbag valve units is disposed on the axial front side of the control section, and at least one of the at least two airbag valve units is disposed on the axial rear side of the control section.

[0014] In some embodiments, the airbag valve assembly includes three airbag valve units arranged axially.

[0015] One of the three airbag valve units is located on the axial front side of the control section, and two of the three airbag valve units are located on the axial rear side of the control section.

[0016] In some embodiments, the airbag valve assembly includes five airbag valve units arranged axially.

[0017] Two of the five airbag valve units are located on the axial front side of the control section, and three of the five airbag valve units are located on the axial rear side of the control section.

[0018] In some embodiments, the airbag valve unit includes a sealed airbag and a mounting flange. The sealed airbag has a cylindrical structure, and the mounting flange has a circular disc structure. The two ends of the sealed airbag along the axial direction are respectively connected to the mounting flange.

[0019] The airbag valve unit, which is axially adjacent to the control section, is connected and fixed to the control section via a mounting flange.

[0020] If there are axially adjacent airbag valve units, the axially adjacent airbag valve units are connected and fixed by mounting flanges.

[0021] In some embodiments, the airbag valve unit further includes a rigid flange, which is a ring-shaped structure. The rigid flange divides the sealed airbag into segments, and the segments of the sealed airbag are connected and fixed to each other by the rigid flange.

[0022] In some embodiments, the cleaning unit includes a cleaning nozzle and a cleaning medium reservoir, with the cleaning nozzle positioned towards the front of the peristaltic robot.

[0023] The cleaning nozzle and the cleaning medium storage unit are connected through a liquid pipeline. The liquid pipeline is equipped with a start / stop valve or the start / stop valve is integrated into the cleaning nozzle. The controller is electrically connected to the start / stop valve to start or stop the spraying of the cleaning nozzle.

[0024] In some embodiments, the cleaning medium storage device includes a medium storage tank disposed within a control chamber, or disposed within a cavity defined by an airbag valve unit.

[0025] In some embodiments, the cleaning medium reservoir includes a cleaning section defining a cleaning chamber, a cleaning nozzle disposed on the cleaning section and communicating with the cleaning chamber, and an inlet provided on the cleaning section.

[0026] In some embodiments, at least one of the mounting flange and the rigid flange is provided with a mounting hole, and the first air passage is laid on the periphery of the peristaltic robot and passes through the mounting hole for fixation.

[0027] In some embodiments, a through hole is provided on the mounting flange, and a first air passage pipe is laid in the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit and passes through the through hole for fixation.

[0028] In some embodiments, the sealed airbag is made of an elastic material, which is one of nitrile rubber, fluororubber, or polyurethane.

[0029] In some embodiments, the air pump is a miniature diaphragm pump or a miniature piston pump, and the operating pressure range of the air pump is 0.1 MPa to 1 MPa. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The above-described features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the following detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components having similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a peristaltic robot according to some embodiments.

[0031] Figure 2This is a schematic axial cross-sectional view of a peristaltic robot according to some embodiments.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic axial cross-sectional view of the control section according to some embodiments.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a partial axial cross-sectional schematic diagram of an airbag valve unit according to some embodiments.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the inflated state of the airbag valve unit according to some embodiments.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a schematic axial cross-sectional view of the cleaning section according to some embodiments.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 110-Cleaning Unit; 111 - Cleaning nozzle; 112 - Cleaning section; 1121 - Clean chamber; 113 - Hose; 114 - Second gas line pipeline; 115 - Liquid Inlet; 116-Pneumatic quick-connect plug; 117 - Active venting valve; 120-Airbag Valve Assembly; 1211-First airbag valve unit, 1212-Second airbag valve unit, 1213-Third airbag valve unit, 1214-Fourth airbag valve unit, 1215-Fifth airbag valve unit; 122 - Closed airbag; 123 - First gas line pipeline; 124 - Mounting flange; 125 - Rigid flange; 130 - Control Unit; 131 - Air pump; 132-Control section; 1321 - Control chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.

[0038] It should be understood that the terms “system,” “device,” “unit,” and / or “module” used herein are one method of distinguishing different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other words can achieve the same purpose, they may be replaced by other expressions.

[0039] It is understood that the technical terms that may be used in the description of this specification, such as “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the implementation method and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the invention.

[0040] It should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define features in this document is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding features. Unless otherwise stated, these terms have no special meaning and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention. As shown in this specification and claims, the terms "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Generally, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of explicitly identified steps and elements, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list; the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0041] In the description of this specification, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, an integral connection, or a detachable connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components, etc. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this specification according to the specific circumstances.

[0042] This specification proposes a peristaltic robot for pipeline cleaning. It uses an airbag valve assembly 120 as the walking actuator and achieves biomimetic peristaltic movement through independent inflation and deflation control. At the same time, it integrates a cleaning unit 110 to enable walking and cleaning operations to be carried out simultaneously. It has the advantages of strong pipeline adaptability, compact structure and high cleaning efficiency.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning includes a cleaning unit 110, an airbag valve assembly 120, and a control unit 130.

[0044] The cleaning unit 110 is used to spray cleaning medium onto the inner wall of the pipe. The cleaning unit 110 is located at the front end of the peristaltic robot and can be equipped with different types of spray structures according to cleaning needs, adapting to pipe cleaning scenarios with different levels of contamination.

[0045] The airbag valve assembly 120 includes components along the axial direction of the peristaltic robot (see...). Figure 2 The system comprises at least two airbag valve units, each containing a sealed airbag 122. When inflated, the sealed airbag 122 expands radially, anchoring itself against the inner wall of the pipe to achieve its current position. When deflated, the sealed airbag 122 extends axially and contracts radially, releasing the anchorage while providing extension and retraction margins for robot movement.

[0046] The control unit 130 is used to control the supply or release of air to each airbag valve unit. Through a preset inflation and deflation sequence, multiple airbag valve units are alternately anchored and extended, driving the robot as a whole to move along the pipeline in a biomimetic peristaltic motion.

[0047] Cleaning operations and movement are carried out simultaneously. The airbag valve unit uses a sealed airbag 122 made of elastic material as its core actuating component, which can adapt to pipes of different diameters and pass smoothly through special pipe sections such as bends and diameter changes. Moreover, each airbag valve unit is independently controlled, and the inflation and deflation sequence can be adjusted to adapt to different travel speeds and load requirements. The embodiments in this manual solve the problem that traditional cleaning equipment cannot adapt to complex pipes, and at the same time realize the integrated function of walking and cleaning, eliminating the need for external long power or cleaning pipelines, and meeting the autonomous cleaning needs of long-distance pipelines.

[0048] In some embodiments, the peristaltic robot is equipped with an air pump 131, which is independently connected to the airbags of each airbag valve unit via a first air passage pipe 123. The control unit 130 includes a controller and a plurality of airbag valves electrically connected to the controller. The airbag valves are respectively disposed in the first air passage pipe 123 between the air pump 131 and each airbag valve unit. The controller controls the opening and closing of the airbag valves to realize the supply or exhaust of air to the corresponding airbag valve unit.

[0049] In some embodiments, the air pump 131 is a miniature diaphragm pump or a miniature piston pump, and the operating pressure range of the air pump 131 is 0.1 MPa to 1 MPa (e.g., 0.2 MPa to 0.8 MPa). The miniature diaphragm pump has low noise and strong self-priming capability, making it suitable for scenarios where operating noise is a concern; the miniature piston pump has high output pressure, making it suitable for scenarios with large-diameter pipelines and requiring greater anchoring force.

[0050] The airbag valve unit and the air pump 131 adopt an independent air path design, and the inflation and deflation actions of each airbag valve unit do not interfere with each other. The airbag valve uses fast-response components such as solenoid valves to realize rapid switching between inflation and deflation states, ensuring the continuity of peristaltic movement and realizing independent and precise control of each airbag valve unit.

[0051] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the peristaltic robot includes a control section 132, which defines a control chamber 1321. The air pump 131 and the controller are both integrated within the control chamber 1321. The control section 132 adopts a sealed housing design, which can isolate oil and impurities in the pipeline, protect the internal electrical and power components, and is suitable for harsh working environments such as chemical pipelines.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the airbag valve unit includes a sealed airbag 122 and a mounting flange 124. The sealed airbag 122 has a cylindrical structure, and the mounting flange 124 has a circular disc structure. The two ends of the sealed airbag 122 are sealed and connected to the mounting flange 124 along the axial direction. An independent sealed air chamber is formed between the cylindrical sealed airbag 122 and the mounting flange 124, resulting in uniform circumferential force during inflation. Figure 5 As shown, the outer diameter of the inflated cylindrical airbag 122 is larger than the outer diameter of the mounting flange 124. The inflated cylindrical airbag 122 has a larger contact area with the inner wall of the pipe, resulting in more stable anchoring.

[0053] In some embodiments, the sealed airbag 122 is made of an elastic material, which is one of nitrile rubber, fluororubber, or polyurethane. Nitrile rubber has excellent oil resistance, making it suitable for general chemical oil pipeline scenarios. Fluororubber has outstanding corrosion resistance, making it suitable for special chemical pipeline scenarios involving acidic or alkaline media. Polyurethane has excellent wear resistance, making it suitable for municipal pipeline scenarios with high pipe wall roughness.

[0054] In some embodiments, see Figure 4 The airbag valve unit also includes a rigid flange 125, which has a ring-shaped structure. The rigid flange 125 segments the airbag, dividing it axially into smaller units. These segments are connected by the rigid flange 125 to enhance the rigidity of the airbag structure and facilitate maintenance and replacement. The outer diameter of the rigid flange 125 is less than or equal to the outer diameter of the mounting flange 124.

[0055] In some embodiments, at least one of the at least two airbag valve units is disposed on the axial front side of the control section 132, and at least one is disposed on the axial rear side of the control section 132.

[0056] The embodiments in this specification separate the front and rear airbag valve units through the control section 132. The front and rear airbag valve units share the weight of the control section 132, which makes the overall movement of the peristaltic robot more stable. It can also realize alternating actions of front anchoring and rear contraction, or rear anchoring and front extension, simulating the movement logic of biological peristalsis. This can avoid the problem of slipping and backing up during the robot's movement and improve the reliability of walking in oily and slippery pipes.

[0057] In some embodiments, the airbag valve assembly 120 includes three airbag valve units arranged axially, one of which is located on the axial front side of the control section 132, and the other two are located on the axial rear side of the control section 132. On the axial rear side of the control section 132, adjacent airbag valve units are connected and fixed via mounting flanges 124, with the mounting flange 124 of the last airbag valve unit serving as the rigid rear end of the peristaltic robot. The airbag valve units adjacent to the control section 132 on both axial sides are connected and fixed to the control section 132 via mounting flanges 124.

[0058] In this embodiment, more airbag valve units are arranged on the axial rear side of the control section 132, which helps to ensure the walking thrust of the peristaltic robot. In some embodiments, the airbag valve assembly 120 includes five airbag valve units arranged axially; two of them are located on the axial front side of the control section 132, and the other three are located on the axial rear side of the control section 132.

[0059] This embodiment arranges a larger number of airbag valve units, resulting in a greater travel distance per per jolt and stronger friction after anchoring, enabling it to bear more loads and adapt to the oil stain cleaning needs of long-distance chemical pipelines. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Five airbag valve units arranged axially are illustrated as an example. The number of airbag valve units is not limited to this; more or fewer airbag valve units can be set according to actual needs. For ease of explanation, the following description continues with an example of an airbag valve assembly 120 including five airbag valve units, which are sequentially arranged axially as the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214, and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215.

[0060] The cleaning unit 110 includes a cleaning nozzle 111 and a cleaning medium reservoir. The cleaning nozzle 111 is disposed at the front end of the peristaltic robot, facing forward. In some embodiments, the cleaning nozzle 111 is a multi-hole nozzle with multiple spray holes evenly distributed on its spray surface for uniformly spraying cleaning medium circumferentially onto the inner wall of the pipe. In some embodiments, the cleaning nozzle 111 is a rotary nozzle, including a fixed base and a nozzle rotatable relative to the fixed base. The nozzle has at least one spray hole and is driven to rotate by a micro motor.

[0061] The cleaning nozzle 111 is connected to the cleaning medium storage unit through a liquid pipeline. An on / off valve is installed on the liquid pipeline or an on / off valve is integrated into the cleaning nozzle 111. The controller is electrically connected to the on / off valve to start or stop the spraying of the cleaning nozzle 111.

[0062] In some embodiments, the cleaning medium storage device includes a medium storage tank disposed within the control chamber 1321, or disposed within a cavity defined by an airbag valve unit, wherein the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit refers to the cavity formed by the airbag and the mounting flange 124. The arrangement of the medium storage tank in this embodiment utilizes the unused space inside the robot to increase the carrying capacity of the cleaning medium, making it suitable for cleaning long-distance pipelines without increasing the overall outer diameter of the robot.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the cleaning medium storage device includes a cleaning section 112, which defines a cleaning chamber 1121. A cleaning nozzle 111 is disposed on the cleaning section 112 and is in communication with the cleaning chamber 1121 inside the cleaning section 112. In this embodiment, the cleaning chamber 1121 replaces the medium storage tank in the previous embodiment. In some embodiments, the liquid passage is implemented as a flexible hose 113, and the cleaning nozzle 111 is in communication with the cleaning chamber 1121 inside the cleaning section 112 through the flexible hose 113. The flexible hose 113 is a corrosion-resistant corrugated pipe or a braided hose 113, with an inner diameter of 2 mm to 10 mm. An inlet 115 is provided on the cleaning section 112.

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, the cleaning section 112 is also equipped with a pneumatic quick-connect plug 116 and an active venting valve 117. The pneumatic quick-connect plug 116 is connected to the air pump 131 through a second air passage pipe 114. A control valve is installed on the second air passage pipe 114, and a controller is electrically connected to the control valve to start or stop the second air passage pipe 114. When the gas delivered by the second air passage pipe 114 pressurizes the interior of the cleaning chamber 1121 through the pneumatic quick-connect plug 116, the cleaning medium is pressurized and sprayed out from the cleaning nozzle 111. The active venting valve 117 installed on the cleaning section 112 is used to release pressure when the pressure inside the cleaning chamber 1121 is too high.

[0065] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the cleaning section 112 is connected and fixed to the mounting flange 124 at the front end of the first airbag valve unit 1211. The cleaning section 112, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212, the control section 132, the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214, and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are connected in series along the axial direction.

[0066] The embodiments in this specification improve the robot's long-distance operation capability by using a built-in cleaning medium reservoir, eliminating the need for an external liquid supply line. Furthermore, the cleaning and walking actions are coordinated by the same controller, which can automatically adjust the spray flow rate according to the walking speed, avoiding problems such as waste of cleaning medium or insufficient cleaning.

[0067] In some embodiments, at least one of the mounting flange 124 and the rigid flange 125 is provided with a mounting hole, which is axially oriented. The second air passage 114 and the first air passage 123 are laid on the outer periphery of the peristaltic robot and are fixed by passing through the mounting hole. The second air passage 114 and the first air passage 123 are laid on the outer periphery, which facilitates the inspection and replacement of the pipeline. Moreover, the second air passage 114 and the first air passage 123 are installed through the mounting flange 124 and / or the rigid flange 125 without occupying additional space on the outer periphery of the peristaltic robot, which facilitates the movement of the peristaltic robot inside the pipeline.

[0068] In some embodiments, a through hole is provided on the mounting flange 124, located within the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit. The second air passage pipe 114 and the first air passage pipe 123 are laid axially within the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit and are fixed by passing through the through hole. This avoids direct contact between the pipes and the inner wall of the pipes or oil stains, reducing the risk of pipe wear and corrosion, while not increasing the overall outer diameter of the robot, further improving the passability of small pipes.

[0069] The peristaltic movement of the robot described in the embodiments of this specification is achieved through a timing control program for the inflation and deflation of airbags built into the controller. This program consists of nine stages: In the first stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214, and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are all inflated, and the robot is anchored to the inner wall of the pipe.

[0070] In the second stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211 is deflated, while the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 remain inflated. At this time, the front of the robot extends forward.

[0071] In the third stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211 and the second airbag valve unit 1212 are deflated, while the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 remain inflated, and the robot continues to extend forward.

[0072] In the fourth stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212 and the third airbag valve unit 1213 are deflated, while the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 remain inflated, allowing the robot to extend further forward.

[0073] In the fifth stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are inflated, while the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213 and the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 remain in the deflated state. At this time, the front end is re-anchored and the rear end remains anchored.

[0074] In the sixth stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211 and the second airbag valve unit 1212 are inflated, while the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are deflated.

[0075] In the seventh stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212 and the third airbag valve unit 1213 are inflated, while the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are deflated.

[0076] In the eighth stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213 and the fourth airbag valve unit 1214 are inflated, and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 is deflated.

[0077] In the ninth stage, the first airbag valve unit 1211, the second airbag valve unit 1212, the third airbag valve unit 1213, the fourth airbag valve unit 1214, and the fifth airbag valve unit 1215 are all inflated and restored to their initial state, completing a full peristaltic cycle.

[0078] During the aforementioned peristaltic movement, the controller synchronously controls the start / stop valve to open, and the cleaning nozzle 1111-1 draws cleaning medium from the cleaning chamber 1121 through the hose 113 and sprays it onto the inner wall of the pipe to treat oil stains. After the robot completes one peristaltic cycle, it repeats the above nine stages to achieve continuous peristaltic movement and synchronous cleaning operations.

[0079] This manual integrates the peristaltic walking mechanism and the oil stain removal mechanism through the aforementioned structural design and timing control, simultaneously completing the spray cleaning of oil stains on the pipe wall while the robot moves. Each airbag valve unit adopts a composite structure of rigid components and airbags, ensuring both structural strength and anchoring and walking functions. Through nine stages of wave-like peristaltic control, the movement is smooth and the thrust is large, effectively adapting to the bending and diameter changes of chemical pipelines. The built-in cleaning medium storage device is directly connected to the nozzle, eliminating the need for external cleaning medium pipelines and improving the robot's autonomous operation capability in long-distance, complex pipelines.

[0080] The basic concepts have been described above. It is clear that the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification, especially for those skilled in the art. Furthermore, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of elements and sequences, the use of numbers and letters, or other names in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods described herein. Although various examples of currently considered useful embodiments of the invention have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the substance and scope of the embodiments described herein.

Claims

1. A peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning, characterized in that, The peristaltic robot includes: The cleaning unit is used to spray cleaning media onto the inner walls of the pipes. An airbag valve assembly includes at least two airbag valve units arranged along the axial direction of the peristaltic robot, each airbag valve unit including a sealed airbag. A control unit is configured to control the supply of air or the exhaust of air to each of the airbag valve units, wherein the airbag valve unit expands radially by supplying air and extends axially and contracts radially by exhausting air.

2. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 1, characterized in that, The peristaltic robot includes an air pump, which is independently connected to the airbags of each of the airbag valve units via a first air passage pipe. The control unit includes a controller and a plurality of airbag valves electrically connected to the controller. The airbag valves are respectively disposed in the first air passage between the air pump and the airbag valve unit. The controller controls the airbag valves to realize the air supply or exhaust of the airbag valve unit.

3. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 2, characterized in that, The peristaltic robot includes a control section and an air pump. The control section defines a control chamber. The air pump is independently connected to the air bladders of each air bladder valve unit through the first air passage pipe. The air pump and the controller are integrated in the control chamber.

4. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one of the at least two airbag valve units is disposed on the axial front side of the control section, and at least one of the at least two airbag valve units is disposed on the axial rear side of the control section.

5. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 3, characterized in that, The airbag valve assembly includes three airbag valve units arranged along the axial direction. One of the three airbag valve units is located on the axial front side of the control section, and the other two airbag valve units are located on the axial rear side of the control section.

6. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 3, characterized in that, The airbag valve assembly includes five airbag valve units arranged along the axial direction. Two of the five airbag valve units are located on the axial front side of the control section, and three of the five airbag valve units are located on the axial rear side of the control section.

7. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The airbag valve unit includes the sealed airbag and the mounting flange. The sealed airbag has a cylindrical structure, and the mounting flange has a circular disc structure. The two ends of the sealed airbag along the axial direction are respectively connected to the mounting flange. The airbag valve unit, which is axially adjacent to the control section, is connected and fixed to the control section via the mounting flange. If there are axially adjacent airbag valve units, the axially adjacent airbag valve units are connected and fixed through the mounting flange.

8. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 7, characterized in that, The airbag valve unit also includes a rigid flange, which is a ring-shaped structure. The rigid flange divides the sealed airbag into sections, and the sections of the sealed airbag are connected and fixed to each other through the rigid flange.

9. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 8, characterized in that, The cleaning unit includes a cleaning nozzle and a cleaning medium storage container, with the cleaning nozzle positioned facing the front of the peristaltic robot. The cleaning nozzle is connected to the cleaning medium storage device through a liquid pipeline. The liquid pipeline is equipped with a start / stop valve or the start / stop valve is integrated into the cleaning nozzle. The controller is electrically connected to the start / stop valve and is used to start or stop the spraying of the cleaning nozzle.

10. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cleaning medium storage device includes a medium storage tank, which is disposed in the control chamber or in the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit.

11. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 9, characterized in that, The cleaning medium storage device includes a cleaning section that defines a cleaning chamber. The cleaning nozzle is disposed on the cleaning section and communicates with the cleaning chamber. An inlet is provided on the cleaning section.

12. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 8, characterized in that, At least one of the mounting flange and the rigid flange is provided with a mounting hole, and the first air passage pipe is laid on the outer periphery of the peristaltic robot and passes through the mounting hole for fixation.

13. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 8, characterized in that, The mounting flange is provided with a through hole, and the first air passage pipe is laid in the cavity defined by the airbag valve unit and passes through the through hole for fixation.

14. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The sealed airbag is made of an elastic material, which is one of nitrile rubber, fluororubber, or polyurethane.

15. The peristaltic robot for pipe cleaning according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air pump is a miniature diaphragm pump or a miniature piston pump, and the working pressure range of the air pump is 0.1 MPa to 1 MPa.

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