In-pipe mobile robot

Abstract

A pipe-internal mobile robot (1) having a robot body (10) with at least three telescopic units (11), characterized by: a front end posture maintaining portion (20) having a front end body portion (21) constituting a front end of the pipe-internal mobile robot (1), and a pair of elastic bodies (22, 23) each protruding from an outer peripheral surface of the front end body portion (21) toward a radially outer side and arranged at an interval in an axial direction from each other; an elastically deformable elastic connection portion (40) provided between the front end posture maintaining portion (20) and the robot body (10); and an angle restriction joint portion (30) provided between the elastic connection portion (40) and the robot body (10) and capable of bending the front end posture maintaining portion (20) at an angle smaller than 90 degrees with respect to the robot body (10).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a pipe-moving robot that moves inside a pipe. Background Technology

[0002] A duct-moving robot is known, configured to move inside curved ducts such as air ducts for air conditioning systems installed in office buildings, factories, detached houses, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This duct-moving robot is used for various purposes such as cleaning and inspecting the inside of ducts.

[0003] (Existing technical documents)

[0004] (Patent Documents)

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-507486 Summary of the Invention

[0006] (The problem that the invention aims to solve)

[0007] As a pipeline-moving robot, there exists a robot body that moves inside the pipeline by peristaltic movement in a predetermined pattern through at least three telescopic units. The robot body has at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when fluid is supplied. In such a pipeline-moving robot, in order to smoothly pass through the curved sections of the pipeline, a tapered front end is typically provided at the front end of the robot body using a compression spring.

[0008] However, even if the front end of the robot body is designed with a tapered shape by using a compression spring, there is still a risk that the front end may get stuck on a step, preventing the robot from moving forward inside the pipe, if there are steps such as the connecting part of the bend that make up the bend on the inner circumference of the curved section of the pipe.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a pipe-moving robot that can reliably pass through the curved sections of a pipe.

[0010] (The measures taken to solve the problem)

[0011] The pipe-moving robot of the present invention has a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid. The pipe-moving robot is configured to move inside the pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern. It is characterized by having: a front-end posture maintaining part having a front-end main body forming the front end of the pipe-moving robot, and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein the pair of elastic bodies are respectively a generally annular or a regular polygonal shape centered on the axis of the front-end main body, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front-end main body, and arranged spaced apart from each other axially; an elastic connecting part that is elastically deformable and disposed between the front-end posture maintaining part and the robot body; and an angle-limiting joint part disposed between the elastic connecting part and the robot body, enabling the front-end posture maintaining part to bend relative to the robot body at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

[0012] The pipe-moving robot of the present invention has a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid. The pipe-moving robot is configured to move inside the pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern. It is characterized by having: a front-end posture maintaining part having a front-end main body forming the front end of the pipe-moving robot, and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein the pair of elastic bodies are respectively a generally annular or polygonal shape centered on the axis of the front-end main body, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front-end main body, and arranged spaced apart from each other axially; and an elastic connecting part that is elastically deformable and disposed between the front-end posture maintaining part and the robot body; the protruding portion of the front-end main body protruding further forward than the pair of elastic bodies is housed within the range of an imaginary sphere circumferentially inscribed along the outer peripheral ends of each pair of elastic bodies.

[0013] The pipe-moving robot of the present invention has a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid. The pipe-moving robot is configured to move inside the pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern. It is characterized by having: a front-end posture-maintaining part having a front-end main body forming the front end of the pipe-moving robot, and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein the pair of elastic bodies are respectively a generally annular or polygonal shape centered on the axis of the front-end main body, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front-end main body, and arranged spaced apart from each other axially; and an elastic connecting part that is elastically deformable and disposed between the front-end posture-maintaining part and the robot body; the rear elastic body is more flexible than the front elastic body.

[0014] In the above-described structure, the pipeline mobile robot of the present invention preferably has a camera disposed on the axis of the protruding portion of the front main body that protrudes further forward than the pair of elastic bodies.

[0015] In the above-described structure, the pipe-mounted mobile robot of the present invention preferably has a cover having an inner cylindrical body formed as a telescopic cylinder and an outer cylindrical body formed as a telescopic cylinder and overlapping the outer side of the inner cylindrical body. The cover is configured such that the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body is less than the frictional resistance generated between the outer cylindrical body and the inner surface of the pipe. The cover covers the angle-limiting joint.

[0016] (The effect of the invention)

[0017] According to the present invention, a pipe-moving robot capable of reliably passing through the curved sections of a pipe can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a side view of the pipeline mobile robot according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 To illustrate Figure 1 The diagram shows the motion pattern of the telescopic unit during the peristaltic movement of the robot body.

[0020] Figure 3 To be Figure 1 The enlarged side view of the main part of the mobile robot inside the pipe shown.

[0021] Figure 4 This diagram illustrates the state of a robot moving inside a pipe when the front-end posture maintenance unit moves along a curved section of the pipe.

[0022] Figure 5 Figures (a) to (f) illustrate the movement of the front-end attitude maintenance unit in the curved section of the pipe.

[0023] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the state of a robot moving within a pipe when the angle-limited joint begins to move in the curved section of the pipe.

[0024] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the state of a robot moving within a pipe when the angle-limited joint terminates its movement at a curved section of the pipe.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a side view showing the enlarged main parts of the pipe-moving robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 9 For along Figure 8 A cross-sectional view along line AA in the diagram.

[0027] Figure 10 To show Figure 9 The diagram illustrates the state of the enclosure as it passes through the bend in the pipe.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a side view showing the enlarged main parts of the pipeline mobile robot according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 (a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams showing the angle-limiting joint in the state where the position of the stop changes.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a side view showing the enlarged main parts of the pipeline mobile robot according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 14 (a) to (f) in the text respectively show Figure 13 This diagram illustrates the movement of the front-end attitude maintenance unit within the curved section of the pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following is a detailed description of the pipeline mobile robot of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 The pipe-moving robot 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown is configured to move inside curved pipes such as air ducts for air conditioning units installed in office buildings, factories, detached houses, etc.

[0034] The pipeline mobile robot 1 has a robot body 10, a front posture maintenance part 20, an angle limiting joint part 30, and an elastic connection part 40.

[0035] The robot body 10, also known as an earthworm-type robot or a worm-like robot, has a slender shape extending along axis O. The robot body 10 is capable of moving axially, i.e., along axis O, inside the pipe. That is, the robot body 10 can move forward inside the pipe. Alternatively, the robot body 10 can also be configured to both move forward and backward inside the pipe.

[0036] The robot body 10 has at least three telescopic units 11 as a drive source for movement inside the pipe. In this embodiment, the robot body 10 has seven telescopic units 11. Figure 1 Only four telescopic units 11 are shown in the diagram. Furthermore, the number of telescopic units 11 on the robot body 10 can be appropriately changed, as long as it has at least three telescopic units 11.

[0037] The telescopic unit 11 is also referred to as an artificial muscle. The telescopic unit 11 has a cylindrical portion 11a formed from various elastomers such as rubber, centered on an axis O. Both ends of the cylindrical portion 11a are closed along the axial direction. Inside the cylindrical portion 11a, multiple fiber bundles (not shown) with high tensile strength are arranged axially. Thus, the cylindrical portion 11a can elastically deform by expanding radially, but elastic deformation in the axial elongation direction is limited. Therefore, when a fluid such as compressed air is supplied to the inside of the cylindrical portion 11a, the telescopic unit 11 operates by expanding radially and contracting axially simultaneously. Furthermore, when the fluid is discharged from the inside of the cylindrical portion 11a, the telescopic unit 11 recovers its original shape by contracting radially and elongating axially through the elastic force of the cylindrical portion 11a. Each telescopic unit 11 can operate independently in a predetermined pattern.

[0038] In addition, the telescopic unit 11 can be any structure, such as the so-called McKibben type, in which the outer side of a cylindrical elastomer is covered with fibers woven into a sleeve shape, as long as it is configured to expand radially and contract axially when supplied with fluid.

[0039] Adjacent telescopic units 11 are axially connected to each other via a connecting portion 12. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 12 is a universal joint. Thus, the robot body 10 can bend at a portion of the connecting portion 12. Therefore, when the robot body 10 moves inside the pipe, even if the pipe is curved, adjacent telescopic units 11 can move along the curved pipe by bending at the connecting portion 12.

[0040] In this embodiment, a universal joint is used as the connecting part 12, but it is not limited to this. It is acceptable as long as it can be bent to connect adjacent telescopic units 11.

[0041] The robot body 10 is connected to the control unit 14 via piping 13. The control unit 14 can individually supply fluid to the inside of the cylindrical portion 11a of each telescopic unit 11 in a predetermined pattern via piping 13. Because the control unit 14 supplies fluid to the inside of the cylindrical portion 11a of each telescopic unit 11 in a predetermined pattern, the multiple telescopic units 11 perform peristaltic movements in a predetermined pattern, thereby enabling the robot body 10 to move inside the pipe.

[0042] Figure 2 This illustrates the movement of the robot body 10 within the pipe 2 towards one side in the axial direction, i.e. Figure 2 An example of the peristaltic movement pattern of multiple telescopic units 11 when moving from the center to the left.

[0043] First, such as Figure 2 As shown in (a) in the figure, make Figure 2 The leftmost (front) telescopic unit 11 and the second telescopic unit 11 from the left expand radially and contract axially. The two radially expanding telescopic units 11 abut against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 around the entire circumference. Thus, the robot body 10 is held axially by the two radially expanding telescopic units 11.

[0044] Next, from Figure 2 Starting from state (a) in the diagram, as shown... Figure 2 As shown in (b), the leftmost telescopic unit 11 is restored to its original shape, while the third telescopic unit 11 from the left expands radially and contracts axially. At this time, since the second telescopic unit 11 from the left abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 and maintains its axial position, the leftmost telescopic unit 11 contracts radially and extends axially to restore its original shape. Thus, the left end (front end) of the robot body 10... Figure 2 The position shown in (a) moves to the left. Furthermore, while the second telescopic unit 11 from the left abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 and remains in an axial position, the third telescopic unit 11 from the left expands radially and contracts axially, thus the right end (rear end) of the robot body 10 also moves from... Figure 2 The position shown in (a) is moved to the left.

[0045] Next, from Figure 2 Starting from the state shown in (b), as in Figure 2As shown in (c), the second telescopic unit 11 from the left is restored to its original shape, while the fourth telescopic unit 11 from the left expands radially and contracts axially. At this time, since the third telescopic unit 11 from the left abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 and maintains its axial position, the second telescopic unit 11 from the left contracts radially and extends axially to restore its original shape. Thus, the left end (front end) of the robot body 10... Figure 2 The position shown in (b) is further moved to the left. Additionally, while the third telescopic unit 11 from the left abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 and remains in an axial position, the fourth telescopic unit 11 from the left expands radially and contracts axially, thus the right end (rear end) of the robot body 10 also moves from... Figure 2 The position shown in (b) is moved further to the left.

[0046] Subsequently, the telescopic unit 11 is operated in the same order and according to the above pattern until the rightmost telescopic unit 11 is reached. Then, when the pattern reaches the rightmost telescopic unit 11, as follows... Figure 2 As shown in (d), return to the beginning and operate the telescopic unit 11 in the above mode.

[0047] Thus, by causing the multiple telescopic units 11 to perform peristaltic movements in the manner described above, the robot body 10 can move towards the interior of the pipe 2. Figure 2 Proceed to the left in the middle. Additionally, by following the... Figure 2 The pattern shown is a left-right reversal to make multiple telescopic units 11 move, and the robot body 10 can move inside the pipe 2. Figure 2 The robot moves backward to the right within the pipe. That is, by performing the aforementioned actions, the robot body 10 can move forward and backward inside the pipe 2.

[0048] In addition, the peristaltic movement mode of the multiple telescopic units 11 in the robot body 10 is not limited to the above mode, but can also be other modes, as long as it can enable the robot body 10 and even the mobile robot 1 in the pipeline to move forward and backward.

[0049] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, a plurality of brushes 15 are provided at intervals along the axial direction of the robot body 10. More specifically, brushes 15 are provided at both ends of each telescopic unit 11 along its axial direction. Each brush 15 has a generally annular shape centered on the axis O of the robot body 10. That is, each brush 15 is configured such that multiple bristles protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the robot body 10 are arranged around the entire circumference centered on the axis O. The bristles constituting the brush 15 are, for example, soft and elastically deformable components such as synthetic resin. The outer diameter of the brush 15 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the pipe 2, which is the moving object of the pipe-moving robot 1. Preferably, the outer diameter of the brush 15 is the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe 2, which is the moving object of the pipe-moving robot 1. When the pipe-moving robot 1 moves inside the pipe 2, the brush 15 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 2 at the outer peripheral end of the pipe-moving robot 1.

[0050] The robot body 10, equipped with multiple brushes 15, can move along the pipe 2 while being supported by the brushes 15 at approximately the center of the pipe 2. Furthermore, by using the brushes 15, the robot body 10 can collect debris and other foreign objects (dirt) adhering to the inner circumference of the pipe 2, thereby cleaning the inside of the pipe 2.

[0051] In this embodiment, the robot body 10 is provided with a plurality of brushes 15, but is not limited to brushes 15. Other components such as flange-shaped or umbrella-shaped synthetic rubber can also be provided, as long as the components have a generally annular shape centered on the axis O of the robot body 10. Alternatively, the robot body 10 may be configured without the plurality of brushes 15 or with other components having a generally annular shape centered on the axis O of the robot body 10.

[0052] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, the front posture maintaining part 20, the angle limiting joint part 30, and the elastic connection part 40 are arranged on the side relative to the forward direction of the robot body 10 (in the direction of travel). Figure 3 (The middle is the left side).

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the front attitude maintenance part 20 has a front body part 21 and a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23.

[0054] The front body portion 21 is the front end (apex) of the mobile robot 1 in the pipe's forward direction. That is, the mobile robot 1 moves forward inside the pipe 2 with the front body portion 21 leading the way. The front body portion 21 has a cylindrical body 21a centered on axis O, and a dome-shaped protrusion 21b connected to the forward-direction end of the body 21a and centered on axis O, and is generally tapered at the front end. However, the shape of the front body portion 21 is not limited to the shape described above.

[0055] A pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are each configured as a generally circular or polygonal ring centered on axis O, and are arranged to protrude radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the torso 21a of the front main body 21, and are axially spaced apart from each other. In this embodiment, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are each circular (with a circular outer periphery) ring centered on axis O. The front elastic body 22 is disposed at the front end of the torso 21a of the front main body 21, and the rear elastic body 23 is disposed at a predetermined distance rearward relative to the front elastic body 22 in the torso 21a. The axial spacing of the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 can be appropriately set according to the size of the pipe to be moved, the curvature of the curved portion, etc. The pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are both capable of elastic deformation along the axial direction and radially centered on axis O.

[0056] In this embodiment, the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23 have the same shape and even structure. More specifically, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are each annular brushes centered on the axis O of the torso 21a. That is, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are each configured with multiple bristles protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the torso 21a centered on the axis O, arranged around the entire circumference. The multiple bristles constituting the elastic bodies 22 and 23 are, for example, soft and elastically deformable parts such as synthetic resin components. The outer diameter of the elastic bodies 22 and 23 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the pipe 2, which is the moving object of the pipe-moving robot 1. Preferably, the outer diameter of the elastic bodies 22 and 23 is the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the pipe 2, which is the moving object of the pipe-moving robot 1. When the pipe-moving robot 1 moves inside the pipe 2, the elastic bodies 22 and 23 contact the inner peripheral surface of the pipe 2 at the outer peripheral end of the pipe-moving robot 1.

[0057] The front-end posture maintenance unit 20, by providing a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 spaced apart axially along the front-end main body 21, can move along the pipe 2 while being supported approximately at the center of the pipe 2 by the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 when moving inside the pipe 2. Furthermore, when using a brush as the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 provided on the front-end main body 21, the front-end posture maintenance unit 20 can collect debris and other foreign matter (dirt) adhering to the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2 by the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 when moving inside the pipe 2, thereby cleaning the inside of the pipe 2.

[0058] In this embodiment, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are annular about the axis O, but are not limited to this. For example, they can be configured as a roughly annular shape, such as a D-shape formed by slightly cutting off a portion of the outer periphery, or as an annular shape with a regular polygonal outer periphery, as long as the front end posture holding part 20 can be supported at approximately the center of the pipe 2. In addition, in this embodiment, a brush is used as the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23, but is not limited to this. Other materials or structures can be used for the components, as long as they are components with an annular shape about the axis O of the front end main body 21, such as flange-shaped or umbrella-shaped synthetic rubber, which are annular and elastically deformable.

[0059] The front-end attitude maintenance part 20 is preferably configured such that the protruding part 21b of the front-end main body 21, which protrudes further forward than the pair of elastic bodies 22, 23, is housed in an imaginary spherical surface 24 inscribed along the entire circumference of the outer peripheral ends 22a, 23a of the pair of elastic bodies 22, 23. Figure 3 Within the range indicated by a double-dotted line. The imaginary sphere 24 is a sphere centered at point 24a on the axis O between a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 arranged at intervals along the axis O, and inscribed within the outer peripheral ends 22a and 23a of each pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23. The protruding portion 21b of the front body 21 does not protrude outside the imaginary sphere 24, and is entirely disposed inside the imaginary sphere 24.

[0060] In this embodiment, in the front-end posture maintenance unit 20, a camera 25 is provided on the axis O of the protruding portion 21b of the front-end main body 21, which protrudes further forward than the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23. More specifically, the protruding portion 21b is configured as a transparent dome-shaped cover, and the camera 25 is provided on the axis O inside it. The camera 25 faces forward, and when the robot 1 moves inside the pipe 2, it can capture images of the interior of the pipe 2 on the front side of the front-end main body 21. The camera 25 can be configured, for example, to display the captured images of the interior of the pipe 2 on a monitor provided outside the pipe 2. By providing such a camera 25, the state of the interior of the pipe 2 can be confirmed by the images captured by the camera 25 when the robot 1 moves inside the pipe 2.

[0061] Alternatively, a lighting device 26 can be installed inside the protruding part 21b, and the light emitted by the lighting device 26 can be used to illuminate the interior of the pipe 2 that the camera 25 wants to photograph. For example, an LED light can be used as the lighting device 26.

[0062] An angle-limiting joint 30 is provided between the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the robot body 10. More specifically, the angle-limiting joint 30 is provided between the elastic connecting part 40, which is connected to the rear end of the front-end posture maintaining part 20, and the robot body 10. The angle-limiting joint 30 is connected in a manner that allows the front-end posture maintaining part 20 to bend relative to the robot body 10 at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

[0063] In this embodiment, the angle limiting joint 30 has a universal joint 31 and a stop 32.

[0064] Universal joint 31 is a so-called universal joint. Universal joint 31 is provided between the front fixing part 33 fixed to the rear end of the elastic connection part 40 and the rear fixing part 34 fixed to the front end of the robot body 10. The front fixing part 33 and the rear fixing part 34 are connected in such a way that they can rotate relative to each other about a front rotation axis 35 perpendicular to the axis O, and can rotate about a rear rotation axis 36 perpendicular to the axis O and the front rotation axis 35.

[0065] The stop portion 32 is supported by the universal joint portion 31 and is disposed between the front fixed portion 33 and the rear fixed portion 34. The stop portion 32 is configured to abut against the front fixed portion 33 when the front fixed portion 33 rotates less than 90 degrees relative to the axis O around the front rotation axis 35. Thus, the rotation angle, i.e., the bending angle, of the front fixed portion 33 relative to the axis O around the front rotation axis 35 is limited to less than 90 degrees by the stop portion 32. Furthermore, the stop portion 32 is configured to abut against the rear fixed portion 34 when the rear fixed portion 34 rotates less than 90 degrees relative to the axis O around the rear rotation axis 36. Thus, the rotation angle, i.e., the bending angle, of the rear fixed portion 34 relative to the axis O around the rear rotation axis 36 is limited to less than 90 degrees by the stop portion 32.

[0066] Furthermore, the angle-limiting joint 30 can be any component provided between the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the robot body 10, capable of connecting the front-end posture maintaining part 20 to the robot body 10 at an angle of less than 90 degrees. It is not limited to the structure with universal joint 31 and stop 32 described above, and can be any other structure. Alternatively, it can be configured without the angle-limiting joint 30.

[0067] An elastic connection 40 is disposed between the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the angle limiting joint part 30, connecting the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the angle limiting joint part 30. Alternatively, when the angle limiting joint part 30 is not provided, the elastic connection 40 is disposed between the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the robot body 10, connecting the front-end posture maintaining part 20 and the robot body 10.

[0068] In this embodiment, the elastic connection portion 40 is composed of a compression coil spring extending along the axis O. The elastic connection portion 40 can elastically deform in a way that contracts along the axis O. In addition, the elastic connection portion 40 can flexibly elastically deform in a way that bends relative to the axis O. Therefore, when the front end posture maintaining portion 20 reaches the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the elastic connection portion 40 elastically deforms in a way that bends relative to the axis O, thereby allowing the front end posture maintaining portion 20 to bend relative to the angle limiting joint portion 30 in the direction of the curved portion 2b.

[0069] The elastic connection part 40 is not limited to the above-mentioned compression coil spring. For example, it can be other components such as rubber tubes. As long as it is provided between the front posture maintaining part 20 and the angle limiting joint part 30 and connects the two, and can elastically deform between the front posture maintaining part 20 and the angle limiting joint part 30 in a bending manner relative to the axis O, it is acceptable.

[0070] like Figure 4As shown, even if the pipe 2 through which the in-pipe mobile robot 1 moves has a curved portion 2b between a pair of straight portions 2a, the in-pipe mobile robot 1 according to this embodiment can reliably pass through the curved portion 2b.

[0071] That is, in the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1 according to this embodiment, the front body part 21 of the front end posture maintenance part 20, which is connected or linked to the robot body 10 via the elastic connection part 40 and the angle limiting joint part 30, thus constituting the front end of the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1, is provided with a pair of elastic bodies 22, 23 arranged at intervals along the axial direction. Therefore, for example, even if there is a step 2c at the connection between the straight part 2a and the curved part 2b of the pipe 2 (see reference 2c), Figure 4 In the case of ), the front main body 21 can also move along the curved portion 2b and suppress the front main body 21 from getting stuck at the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 (it is difficult to be stuck by the step 2c, etc.).

[0072] More specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown in (a), when the front body 21 of the front attitude maintenance unit 20 moves along the straight section 2a of the pipe 2, a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 respectively abut against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2. Thus, the front body 21 is maintained in an attitude parallel to the extension direction of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2 in the direction of its axis O while moving inside the pipe 2. Figure 5 As shown in (b), when the front end posture maintaining part 20 moves forward and the front end main body part 21 moves from the straight part 2a of the pipe 2 to the curved part 2b, the elastic body 22 on the front side abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the curved part 2b of the pipe 2, and the elastic body 23 on the rear side is in a state of abutting against the inner circumferential surface of the straight part 2a of the pipe 2. Therefore, the front end main body part 21 begins to bend along the curved part 2b while rotating around point 24a. At this time, between the front end main body part 21 and the angle limiting joint part 30, the elastic connecting part 40 elastically deforms in a way that is compressed and bent, thereby allowing the front end main body part 21 to rotate relative to the angle limiting joint part 30. Figure 5 As shown in (c), when the front attitude maintenance part 20 advances further and the elastic body 23 on the rear side reaches the curved portion 2b, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 of the front attitude maintenance part 20 abut against the inner circumferential surface of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, thereby, as Figure 5 As shown in (d), the front main body 21 rotates around point 24a while moving along the curved portion 2b inside the pipe 2. Figure 5As shown in (e), when the front end attitude maintenance section 20 advances further and the front elastic body 22 reaches the straight section 2a via the curved section 2b, the front elastic body 22 of the front end attitude maintenance section 20 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2, and the rear elastic body 23 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the curved section 2b of the pipe 2. Thus, the front end attitude maintenance section 20 gradually returns to its attitude along the straight section 2a. Then, as... Figure 5 As shown in (f), when the front end attitude maintenance part 20 advances further and the elastic body 23 on the rear side reaches the straight section 2a, a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 respectively abut against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2. As a result, the front end attitude maintenance part 20 is maintained in an attitude parallel to the extension direction of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2 in the direction of its axis O while moving inside the pipe 2.

[0073] Thus, in the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1 according to this embodiment, the front body part 21 of the front body part 20, which is connected or linked to the robot body 10 via the elastic connection part 40 and the angle limiting joint part 30 to form the front end of the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1, is provided with a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 arranged at intervals along the axial direction. When the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1 moves inside the pipe 2, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 abut against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2, thereby guiding the front body part 21 in an attitude along the pipe 2. Therefore, the front body part 21 can smoothly pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2. Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, a pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 abut against the inner circumferential surface of the pipe 2, thereby guiding the front end body 21 in a posture along the pipe 2. Therefore, it is also possible to suppress the following situation: the front end body 21 gets stuck at the bend 2b of the pipe 2 and the elastic connection 40 bends elastically in the opposite direction to the bend 2b, thereby causing the front end body 21 to be blocked at the bend 2b of the pipe 2.

[0074] Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, when the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are configured as brushes, since the front main body 21 can smoothly pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 provided on the front main body 21 can effectively clean the inner surfaces of both the outer and inner circumferences of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2. Additionally, when the protruding portion 21b is equipped with a camera 25, the axis of the camera 25 can be stably oriented in a constant direction, thereby allowing the camera 25 to capture the entire area of ​​the object to be captured inside the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2.

[0075] Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, since the front-end main body 21 can smoothly pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the following phenomenon can be suppressed: after the front-end main body 21 is stuck by the step 2c between the straight portion 2a and the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, causing the elastic connecting portion 40 to be compressed, the front-end main body 21 moves violently inside the curved portion 2b due to the spring force of the elastic connecting portion 40 as the obstruction at the step 2c is released. That is, the front-end main body 21 can smoothly pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 at a predetermined moving speed. Therefore, when the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 are set as brushes, the inner surfaces of both the outer and inner circumference sides of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 can be cleaned more effectively by the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23 provided on the front-end main body 21. In addition, when the protruding portion 21b is equipped with a camera 25, the inside of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 can be photographed by the camera 25 without image jumps.

[0076] Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, since the protruding portion 21b of the front body 21, which protrudes further forward than the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23, is housed within the range of the imaginary spherical surface 24 inscribed along the entire circumference of the outer peripheral ends of each of the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23, it is more difficult for the front body 21 to be stuck by the curved portion 2b or even the step 2c of the pipe 2.

[0077] That is, such as Figure 5 As shown, when the front-end main body 21 moves through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, it rotates around point 24a, which is the center of the imaginary sphere 24. Therefore, by retracting the protruding portion 21b within the range of the imaginary sphere 24, it is difficult for the protruding portion 21b to come into contact with the inner surface of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 when the front-end main body 21 moves through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2. This more effectively prevents the protruding portion 21b of the front-end main body 21 from violently contacting the inner surface of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, or from being blocked by the step 2c between the straight portion 2a and the curved portion 2b. Therefore, the front-end main body 21 can pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 more smoothly.

[0078] Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, since the protruding portion 21b of the front main body 21, which protrudes further forward than the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23, is housed within the range of the imaginary spherical surface 24 circumferentially inscribed along the outer peripheral ends 22a and 23a of each of the pair of elastic bodies 22 and 23, it is possible to suppress the situation where the protruding portion 21b of the front main body 21 is scratched by friction against the inner surface of the curved portion 2b when it moves through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2. Therefore, when a camera 25 is provided inside the transparent protruding portion 21b, the interior of the pipe 2 can be photographed more clearly through the camera 25 via the transparent protruding portion 21b.

[0079] In the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, the rear-side elastic body 23 can be made more flexible than the front-side elastic body 22. That is, the rear-side elastic body 23 can be configured to elastically deform more easily along the axial direction with less force compared to the front-side elastic body 22. Figure 5 (c) Figure 5 As shown in (d), when the front main body 21 moves through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the elastomer 23 located on the rear side abuts against the inner surface of the inner circumference of the curved portion 2b more strongly than the elastomer 22 located on the front side. By making the elastomer 23 on the rear side softer than the elastomer 22 on the front side, it is possible to prevent the elastomer 23 on the rear side from getting stuck at the inner surface of the inner circumference of the curved portion 2b. In particular, when the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 is a resin injection-molded product, there may be protrusions such as burrs generated during molding on the inner surface of the inner circumference of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2. Even in this case, by making the elastomer 23 on the rear side softer than the elastomer 22 on the front side, it is possible to prevent the elastomer 23 on the rear side from getting stuck by the protrusions on the inner surface of the inner circumference of the curved portion 2b. Therefore, the front main body 21 can pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 more smoothly.

[0080] Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, in addition to the elastic connection portion 40, an angle-limiting joint portion 30 is provided between the front end main body portion 21 and the robot body 10. Therefore, after the front end main body portion 21 passes through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 or during the passage, it is possible to prevent the front end of the robot body 10 from being stuck by the step 2c or protrusion of the curved portion 2b. That is, in the existing device, even if the front end portion can pass through the step, there is a risk that the front end of the robot body will be stuck by the step, and the pipe-moving robot will be unable to move forward. However, in the pipe-moving robot 1 according to this embodiment, by having an angle-limiting joint portion 30 in addition to the elastic connection portion 40 between the front end main body portion 21 and the robot body 10, this problem can be suppressed.

[0081] More specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, after the front body portion 21 passes through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the angle-limiting joint portion 30, in addition to the elastic connection portion 40, also bends along the curved portion 2b between the front body portion 21 and the robot body 10. Therefore, the portion between the front body portion 21 and the robot body 10 of the robot 1 moving within the pipe can also move smoothly inside the curved portion 2b. At this time, since the angle-limiting joint portion 30 is configured to abut against the front fixing portion 33 via the stop portion 32, limiting the bending angle of the front body portion 21 relative to the robot body 10 to less than 90 degrees, it can suppress the situation where the angle-limiting joint portion 30 bends to an excessively large angle of more than 90 degrees and becomes buckled inside the curved portion 2b. Thus, as... Figure 7 As shown, after the front main body 21 passes through the curved section 2b, it can be pushed into the straight section 2a without the angle limiting joint 30 being blocked by the step 2c. Therefore, after the front main body 21 passes through the curved section 2b, the angle limiting joint 30 and the robot body 10 can also pass smoothly through the curved section 2b.

[0082] Next, based on Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 The pipe-moving robot 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Furthermore, in Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote components or parts corresponding to the aforementioned components or parts. Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 100 according to the second embodiment, the structures of the robot body 10, the front-end posture maintaining part 20, the angle limiting joint part 30, and the elastic connection part 40 are basically the same as those of the pipe-moving robot 1 according to the first embodiment; therefore, repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0083] like Figure 8 As shown, the difference between the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 100 in the second embodiment and the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1 in the first embodiment is that it has a cover 50 with a joint portion 30 that limits the coverage angle.

[0084] like Figure 9 As shown, the cover 50 has a dual structure consisting of an inner cylindrical body 51 and an outer cylindrical body 52. ​​The inner cylindrical body 51 is formed from a stretchable material into a cylindrical shape centered on axis O, and is coaxially arranged with the angle-limiting joint 30, covering the entire outer side of the angle-limiting joint 30. The outer cylindrical body 52 is formed from a stretchable material into a cylindrical shape with a diameter larger than that of the inner cylindrical body 51 and coaxial with the inner cylindrical body 51, overlapping the outer side of the inner cylindrical body 51 and covering the entire outer side of the inner cylindrical body 51. The outer cylindrical body 52 can be configured to contact the inner cylindrical body 51, or it can be configured to have a gap between it and the inner cylindrical body 51. The folded-back portions at both ends of the cover 50, the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52, are fixed to the angle-limiting joint 30 by pressing members 53 and 54. Inclined surfaces 53a and 54a are provided between the outer peripheral surface and the side surface of the pressing members 53 and 54.

[0085] In addition, the structure for fixing the cover 50 to the angle limiting joint 30 can be modified appropriately. For example, a structure can be adopted in which the ends of the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 are directly fixed to the front fixing part 33 and the rear fixing part 34 using strapping.

[0086] In this embodiment, the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 are each made of fabric woven from nylon fibers in a predetermined pattern, and are capable of stretching and contracting along the axial direction and radially about the axis O, respectively. Since the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 are each made of nylon fabric with relatively low frictional resistance, the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 is less than the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body 51 and the angle-limiting joint 30, and between the outer cylindrical body 52 and the inner surface of the pipe 2. Thus, the cover 50 is configured such that the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 is less than the frictional resistance generated between the outer cylindrical body 52 and the inner surface of the pipe 2. In addition, it is not limited to a cloth woven from nylon fibers in a prescribed pattern; it can also be made of other fabrics or even sheet materials, as long as the cover 50 is configured such that the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body 51 and the outer cylindrical body 52 is less than the frictional resistance generated between the outer cylindrical body 52 and the inner surface of the pipe 2.

[0087] like Figure 10 As shown, in the second embodiment, when the pipe-moving robot 100 passes through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, it advances with the angle-limiting joint 30 bent. As a result, the cover 50 covering the angle-limiting joint 30 is forcefully pressed against the inner surface of the outer periphery of the pipe 2. Since the cover 50 has a dual structure with an inner cylindrical body 51 and an outer cylindrical body 52, even if the outer cylindrical body 52 is forcefully pressed against the inner surface of the outer periphery of the pipe 2 and cannot slide forward on the inner surface of the pipe 2 due to frictional resistance, the outer cylindrical body 52 can still extend axially. The inner cylindrical body 51, pressed against the outer cylindrical body 52 by the angle-limiting joint 30, slides relative to the outer cylindrical body 52, thereby allowing the angle-limiting joint 30 to advance slightly inside the pipe 2. Then, the driving force generated by this slight advance causes the outer cylindrical body 52 to slide relative to the inner surface of the pipe 2 in the forward direction, enabling the pipe-moving robot 100 to advance inside the pipe 2.

[0088] Thus, in the pipe-moving robot 100 according to the second embodiment, since the cover 50 is configured to have a cover angle limiting joint 30, the pipe-moving robot 100 can reliably move forward even when the angle limiting joint 30 is forcefully pressed into the inside of the pipe 2 when the pipe-moving robot 100 passes through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2.

[0089] In addition, since the pressing member 53 for fixing the cover 50 is provided with an inclined surface 53a, the pressing member 53 can cross the step 2c at the inclined surface 53a, thereby enabling the moving robot 100 in the pipe to move forward more reliably.

[0090] Next, based on Figure 11 , Figure 12 The pipe-moving robot 200 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Furthermore, in Figure 10 , Figure 11 In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to mark the components or parts that correspond to the aforementioned components or parts. Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 200 according to the third embodiment, the structure of the robot body 10, the front-end posture maintaining part 20, and the elastic connecting part 40 is basically the same as the structure of the robot body 10, the front-end posture maintaining part 20, and the elastic connecting part 40 of the pipe-moving robot 1 according to the first embodiment; therefore, repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0091] like Figure 11 As shown, the difference between the pipe-moving robot 200 in the third embodiment and the pipe-moving robot 1 in the first embodiment is that the angle limiting joint 30 has a stop position changing device 60 that changes the axial position of the stop 32.

[0092] In this embodiment, the stop position changing device 60 includes a cylinder 61 and a connecting body 62 fixed to the cylinder 61 and a piston rod 61a. The connecting body 62 is connected to the stop 32, and the stop 32 and the connecting body 62 move integrally. The stop position changing device 60, through the action of the cylinder 61, can change the position of the stop 32 in stages. Figure 12 The position closest to the front fixing part 33 is shown in (a) in the figure. Figure 12 The position shown in (b) is farther away from the front fixing part 33 compared to the position closest to the front fixing part 33, and Figure 12 The position shown in (c) is the furthest from the front fixing part 33. In this way, by changing the position of the stop part 32 using the stop part position changing device 60, the distance between the stop part 32 and the front fixing part 33 is changed, thereby allowing the bending angle of the angle limiting joint 30 to be changed to multiple angles less than 90 degrees according to the shape of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2.

[0093] Furthermore, the position of the stop 32 changed by the stop position changing device 60 is not limited to the above three positions, and can be set appropriately.

[0094] The stop position changing device 60 can be configured to determine the bending angle of the curved portion 2b based on the image of the inside of the pipe 2 captured by the camera 25 in the control device (not shown), and automatically control the action of the cylinder 61 through the control device according to the determination result, so that the stop portion 32 is in a position corresponding to the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2.

[0095] Alternatively, the stop position changing device 60 can be configured so that the cylinder 61 is not used, but the connector 62 is manually operated to position the stop 32 corresponding to the bend 2b of the pipe 2. In this case, the connector 62 can be manually operated only before the pipe-moving robot 1 is inserted into the pipe 2.

[0096] Next, based on Figure 13 , Figure 14 The pipe-moving robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Furthermore, in Figure 13 , Figure 14 In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote components or parts corresponding to the aforementioned components or parts. Furthermore, in the pipe-moving robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment, the structure of the robot body 10, the angle-limiting joint 30, and the elastic connection 40 is basically the same as the structure of the robot body 10, the angle-limiting joint 30, and the elastic connection 40 of the pipe-moving robot 1 according to the first embodiment; therefore, repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0097] like Figure 13 As shown, the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 1 according to the first embodiment in that, in addition to the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23, the front posture maintaining part 20 also has an intermediate elastic body 27 between the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23. More specifically, in the pipe-in-the-pipe mobile robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment, the front elastic body 22 is disposed at the front end of the front main body 21, and the rear elastic body 23 is disposed at the rear end of the front main body 21. An intermediate elastic body 27 is disposed between the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23, spaced apart from both the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23. The outer diameter of the intermediate elastic body 27 is the same as that of the elastic bodies 22 and 23.

[0098] In the pipeline mobile robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment, such as Figure 14As shown in (a), when the front body 21 of the front attitude maintenance unit 20 moves within the straight section 2a of the pipe 2, a pair of elastic bodies 22, 23 and elastic body 27 respectively abut against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2. Thus, the front body 21 is maintained in an attitude parallel to the extending direction of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2 in the direction of its axis O while moving inside the pipe 2. Figure 14 As shown in (b), when the front end attitude maintenance part 20 moves forward and the front end main body part 21 moves from the straight part 2a of the pipe 2 to the curved part 2b, the elastic body 22 on the front side abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the curved part 2b of the pipe 2, and the front end main body part 21 begins to bend along the curved part 2b while rotating around point 24a. Then, as shown in (b), Figure 14 (c) and Figure 14 As shown in (d), when the front end attitude maintenance part 20 advances further, the intermediate elastic body 27 is held in place by the inner surface of the inner circumference of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, thus promoting the rotation of the front end main body 21 around point 24a. Figure 14 As shown in (e), when the front end attitude maintenance unit 20 advances further and the front elastic body 22 reaches the straight section 2a via the curved section 2b, the obstruction of the middle elastic body 27 at the inner circumferential surface of the curved section 2b is released. The front elastic body 22 of the front end attitude maintenance unit 20 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2, and the rear elastic body 23 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the curved section 2b of the pipe 2, thereby gradually restoring the attitude along the straight section 2a. Then, as... Figure 14 As shown in (f), when the front end attitude maintenance part 20 advances further and the elastic body 23 on the rear side reaches the straight section 2a, a pair of elastic bodies 22, 23 and elastic body 27 respectively abut against the inner circumferential surface of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2. The front end attitude maintenance part 20 is maintained in an attitude parallel to the extension direction of the straight section 2a of the pipe 2 in the direction of its axis O while moving inside the pipe 2.

[0099] Thus, in the pipe-moving robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment, since the front posture maintaining part 20 is configured to have an intermediate elastic body 27 between the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23, in addition to the front elastic body 22 and the rear elastic body 23, the front posture maintaining part 20 can pass through the curved portion 2b more smoothly. As a result, the pipe-moving robot 300 can pass through the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2 more reliably.

[0100] In the pipe-moving robot 300 according to the fourth embodiment, it is preferable that the front-side elastic body 22 and the rear-side elastic body 23 have the same hardness or even softness, and the middle elastic body 27 can elastically deform more softly than the front-side elastic body 22 and the rear-side elastic body 23. Thus, as... Figure 14 (c) and Figure 14 As shown in (d), when the intermediate elastic body 27 is stuck on the inner surface of the inner circumference side of the curved portion 2b of the pipe 2, the intermediate elastic body 27 can reliably pass through the curved portion 2b while promoting the rotation of the front main body 21 around point 24a, thereby enabling the moving robot 300 inside the pipe to pass through the curved portion 2b more reliably.

[0101] This invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from its spirit.

[0102] For example, in the first embodiment, the front body portion 21 of the front posture maintenance portion 20 is configured to have a protruding portion 21b, but the front body portion 21 may not be provided.

[0103] (Explanation of the labels in the attached diagram)

[0104] 1: Robot moving inside the pipe; 2: Pipe; 2a: Straight section; 2b: Curved section; 2c: Step;

[0105] 10: Robot body; 11: Telescopic unit; 12: Connecting part; 13: Piping; 14: Control unit;

[0106] 15: Brush; 20: Front posture maintenance part; 21: Front main body part; 21a: Torso;

[0107] 21b: Protruding part; 22: Elastic body; 23: Elastic body; 24: Imaginary sphere; 24a: Point;

[0108] 25: Camera; 26: Lighting device; 27: Elastomer; 30: Angle-limiting joint;

[0109] 31: Universal joint; 32: Stop; 33: Front fixing part; 34: Rear fixing part;

[0110] 35: Front rotating shaft; 36: Rear rotating shaft; 40: Flexible connecting part; 50: Cover;

[0111] 51: Inner cylindrical body; 52: Outer cylindrical body; 53: Pressing member; 53a: Inclined surface;

[0112] 54: Pressing component; 54a: Inclined surface; 60: Stop position changing device; 61: Cylinder;

[0113] 61a: Piston rod; 62: Connector; 100: In-pipe mobile robot; 200: In-pipe mobile robot;

[0114] 300: Mobile robot inside the pipeline; O: Axis.

Claims

1. A pipe-moving robot, comprising a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid, the pipe-moving robot being configured to move inside a pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern, characterized in that... have: The front posture maintenance part has a front body part constituting the front end of the mobile robot in the pipe and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein the pair of elastic bodies are respectively a generally circular ring or a regular polygonal ring centered on the axis of the front body part, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front body part, and are arranged spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. An elastic connecting portion, which is elastically deformable and disposed between the front-end posture maintaining portion and the robot body; and An angle-limiting joint is disposed between the elastic connection and the robot body, enabling the front posture maintaining part to bend relative to the robot body at an angle of less than 90 degrees.

2. A pipe-moving robot, comprising a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid, the pipe-moving robot being configured to move inside the pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern, characterized in that... have: A front-end attitude maintenance unit includes a front-end main body constituting the front end of the mobile robot within the pipe, and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein each pair of elastic bodies is a generally annular or polygonal ring centered on the axis of the front-end main body, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front-end main body, and arranged spaced apart from each other in the axial direction; and An elastic connection portion, which is elastically deformable and disposed between the front end posture maintaining portion and the robot body; The protruding portion of the front body that protrudes further forward than the pair of elastomers is housed within the range of an imaginary sphere inscribed around the outer periphery of each of the pair of elastomers.

3. A pipe-moving robot, comprising a robot body having at least three telescopic units, each of which expands radially and contracts axially when supplied with fluid, the pipe-moving robot being configured to move inside the pipe under the action of the telescopic units performing peristaltic motion in a predetermined pattern, characterized in that... have: A front-end attitude maintenance unit includes a front-end main body constituting the front end of the mobile robot within the pipe, and a pair of elastic bodies, wherein each pair of elastic bodies is a generally annular or polygonal ring centered on the axis of the front-end main body, protruding radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the front-end main body, and arranged spaced apart from each other in the axial direction; and An elastic connection portion, which is elastically deformable and disposed between the front end posture maintaining portion and the robot body; The elastomer on the rear side is softer than the elastomer on the front side.

4. The pipeline mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, A camera is disposed on the axis of the protruding portion of the front main body that protrudes further forward than the pair of elastomers.

5. The pipeline mobile robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: A cover having an inner cylindrical body formed as a telescopic cylinder and an outer cylindrical body formed as a telescopic cylinder and overlapping the outer side of the inner cylindrical body, the cover being configured such that the frictional resistance generated between the inner cylindrical body and the outer cylindrical body is less than the frictional resistance generated between the outer cylindrical body and the inner surface of the pipe, the cover covering the angle-limiting joint.

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