A sonar rotatable pipeline inspection robot

Abstract

The utility model belongs to pipeline detection technical field, concretely relates to a kind of pipeline detection robot of sonar rotatable, including outer shell, camera is installed in one end of outer shell, the inside of outer shell is equipped with steering engine, controller and sonar unit, the sound wave emission and reception direction of transducer of sonar unit is located on the radial direction of outer shell, steering engine drive connection has driving gear, driving gear is engaged connection has a plurality of driven gears, driven gear is installed on connecting frame, connecting frame includes connecting rod, one end of connecting rod is fixed with driven gear and the other end of connecting rod rotates through outer shell and is connected with U-shaped frame, U-shaped frame is connected with connecting plate, and electric propeller assembly is installed on connecting plate.Electric propeller assembly can promote the stable movement of robot whole;The angle of multiple electric propeller assemblies can be changed simultaneously to promote outer shell to turn, and outer shell can be made to rotate around its axis, to quickly adjust the detection direction of sonar unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of pipeline inspection technology, specifically relating to a sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of urban infrastructure, underground pipeline systems are becoming increasingly complex and large-scale. These pipelines undertake important tasks such as water supply, drainage, and gas transmission, and their safe and stable operation is crucial for the normal functioning of the city. However, because these pipelines are buried underground for a long time, they are susceptible to problems such as rupture, leakage, and blockage due to various factors such as soil corrosion, water erosion, and geological subsidence.

[0003] Traditional pipeline inspection methods mainly consist of manual inspection and simple testing equipment. Manual inspection is inefficient, and workers face significant safety risks due to operating in narrow, harsh, and even toxic pipeline environments. Early, simple testing equipment, such as fixed-view camera devices, can only observe a limited area inside the pipeline, making it difficult to obtain comprehensive information about the overall condition of the pipeline.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, utility model patent CN221548117U discloses a sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot. A motor drives a rotating shaft to rotate the mounting frame, causing the sonar emitting element to steer in different directions, resulting in more comprehensive data. A bidirectional motor causes the connecting rod to extend the connecting frame outwards, allowing pulleys to press against the inner wall of the pipe. The movable sleeve allows the device to adapt to pipes of different sizes. The simultaneous extension of the connecting frames on both sides ensures greater stability within the pipe, preventing the device from failing to enter a water-filled pipe due to buoyancy.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned mechanism has the following problems: the device crawls on the pipe wall by means of pulleys. If a power system is added to the pulleys, the energy consumption is higher than that of the propeller-driven method when moving underwater, and it is not convenient to turn. At the same time, the turning of the sonar transmitting element uses a separate control system, which increases the control difficulty of the device. Utility Model Content

[0006] To address the above problems, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot, solving the problem that existing pipeline inspection robots cannot move and turn flexibly in underwater environments using propeller-driven methods, as well as the problem of steering control combined with sonar emitting elements.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot, comprising an outer shell, a camera mounted at one end of the outer shell, a servo motor, a controller, and a sonar unit installed inside the outer shell, the sonar unit's transducer's sound wave emission and reception directions being located in the radial direction of the outer shell, the servo motor driving a drive gear, the drive gear meshing with multiple driven gears, the driven gears being mounted on a connecting frame, the connecting frame including a connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod being fixed with a driven gear and the other end of the connecting rod rotatably passing through the outer shell and connected to a U-shaped frame, the U-shaped frame being connected to a connecting plate, and an electric propeller assembly mounted on the connecting plate, the electric propeller assembly consisting of a protective cover, a motor, and a propeller.

[0008] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: the electric propeller assembly can work under normal conditions to propel the robot to move stably as a whole; under the drive of the servo motor and the transmission of the gear structure, the angles of multiple electric propeller assemblies rotate simultaneously, thereby pushing the outer shell to turn, and the outer shell can rotate around its own axis, thereby quickly and stably adjusting the detection direction of the sonar unit and improving the comprehensiveness of data collection.

[0009] In order to enable the outer casing to rotate effectively inside the pipe under the propulsion of the electric propeller assembly;

[0010] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: the number of electric propeller assemblies is not less than three, and they are equidistantly spaced around the axis of the outer shell.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this improvement are: the arrangement of multiple electric propeller assemblies ensures that at least one electric propeller assembly is always below the water surface during the rotation of the outer casing, thereby enabling effective angle adjustment.

[0012] To ensure the stability of the connection between the electric propeller assembly and the connecting frame;

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: a motor is fixed inside the protective cover, a propeller is mounted on the output shaft of the motor, and the protective cover is connected to a connecting plate by bolts.

[0014] The beneficial effect of this improvement is that the electric propeller assembly can be stably connected to the connecting frame through a bolt structure.

[0015] To ensure the structural stability of the connecting frame;

[0016] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: the connecting rod is rotatably mounted on the bracket, and the two ends of the bracket are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this improvement are: the bracket provides support for the connecting rod, further enhancing the structural stability of the connecting frame.

[0018] To effectively ensure the stable operation of the electric propeller assembly during the rotation process;

[0019] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: the connecting rod is a circular tube structure, and the U-shaped frame has a through hole that aligns with the inner wall of the connecting rod.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this improvement are: the cables inside the housing can be passed through the connecting rod and U-shaped frame and coated with a suitable sealant, which ensures the airtightness of the housing while providing stable power supply and control for the rotating electric propeller assembly.

[0021] To ensure the stability of power transmission between the driving gear and the driven gear;

[0022] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: both the driving gear and the driven gear are helical gear structures.

[0023] The beneficial effect of this improvement is that the helical gear structure enables the servo motor installed in the housing to effectively transmit power to the connecting frame.

[0024] To enable the robot to move stably in the liquid;

[0025] As a further improvement to the above technical solution: a dynamic sealing mechanism is provided at the connection between the connecting rod and the outer shell, and the outer shell is a circular tube structure with both ends blinded.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this improvement are: the cavity inside the outer shell can effectively reduce the robot's density, prevent the robot from sinking to the bottom in the liquid, and ensure the reliability of the robot's movement.

[0027] The parts of the device not covered herein are the same as or can be implemented using existing technologies. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0031] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of A in this utility model;

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Outer casing; 2. Servo motor; 3. Controller; 4. Sonar unit; 5. Camera; 6. Drive gear; 7. Driven gear; 8. Connecting frame; 81. Connecting rod; 82. Bracket; 83. U-shaped frame; 84. Connecting plate; 9. Electric propeller assembly; 91. Protective cover; 92. Motor; 93. Propeller. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description in this part is only exemplary and explanatory, and should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.

[0034] Example 1:

[0035] like Figure 1As shown in Figure 4: A sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot includes an outer shell 1. A camera 5 is mounted at one end of the outer shell 1. A servo motor 2, a controller 3, and a sonar unit 4 are installed inside the outer shell 1. The sonar unit 4's transducer emits and receives sound waves in the radial direction of the outer shell 1. The servo motor 2 drives a drive gear 6, which meshes with multiple driven gears 7. The driven gears 7 are mounted on a connecting frame 8. The connecting frame 8 includes a connecting rod 81. One end of the connecting rod 81 is fixed with a driven gear 7, and the other end of the connecting rod 81 rotatably passes through the outer shell 1 and is connected to a U-shaped frame 83. The U-shaped frame 83 is connected to a connecting... A connecting plate 84 is provided, on which an electric propeller assembly 9 is mounted. The electric propeller assembly 9 consists of a protective cover 91, a motor 92, and a propeller 93. The electric propeller assembly 9 can propel the robot's overall stable movement under normal operating conditions. Driven by the servo motor 2 and the transmission of the gear structure, multiple electric propeller assemblies 9 rotate simultaneously, thereby pushing the outer shell 1 to turn and allowing the outer shell 1 to rotate around its own axis. This allows for rapid and stable adjustment of the detection direction of the sonar unit 4, improving the comprehensiveness of data collection. The number of electric propeller assemblies 9 is no less than three, and they are equidistantly spaced around the axis of the outer shell 1. The arrangement of multiple electric propeller assemblies 9 makes the outer shell... During the rotation of body 1, at least one electric propeller assembly 9 is always below the water surface, thus enabling effective angle adjustment. A motor 92 is fixedly installed inside the protective cover 91, and a propeller 93 is mounted on the output shaft of the motor 92. The protective cover 91 is connected to a connecting plate 84 via bolts. The electric propeller assembly 9 is stably connected to the connecting frame 8 via bolts. The connecting rod 81 is rotatably clamped onto the bracket 82, and both ends of the bracket 82 are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell 1. The bracket 82 provides support for the connecting rod 81, further improving the structural stability of the connecting frame 8. The connecting rod 81 is a circular tube structure, and a through-hole is provided on the U-shaped frame 83. The inner wall of the connecting rod 81 has a through hole. The cables inside the outer shell 1 can pass through the connecting rod 81 and the U-shaped frame 83 and be coated with a suitable sealant. While ensuring the airtightness of the outer shell 1, it provides stable power supply and control for the rotating electric propeller assembly 9. The driving gear 6 and the driven gear 7 are both helical gear structures. The helical gear structure enables the servo motor 2 installed in the outer shell 1 to effectively transmit power to the connecting frame 8. A dynamic sealing mechanism is provided at the connection between the connecting rod 81 and the outer shell 1. The outer shell 1 is a circular tube structure with both ends blinded. The cavity inside the outer shell 1 can effectively reduce the density of the robot, prevent the robot from sinking to the bottom in the liquid, and ensure the reliability of the robot's movement.

[0036] The working principle of this technical solution is as follows: The robot is connected to an external control terminal via a suitable communication cable for parameter setting and system initialization. The robot is then slowly placed into the starting position of the pipeline to be inspected using manual intervention or auxiliary equipment. Since the outer shell 1 is a closed-end cylindrical structure, the internal cavity provides buoyancy, preventing the robot from sinking in the liquid and facilitating placement. The operator sends a start command to the external control terminal. Upon receiving the command, the controller 3 controls the motor 92 of the electric propeller assembly 9 to start. The motor 92 drives the propeller 93 to rotate, generating thrust and propelling the robot forward within the pipeline. Multiple surrounding electric propeller assemblies 9 work together to ensure the stability of the robot's movement. During the robot's movement, the camera 5 captures real-time images of the pipeline's interior and transmits the image data to the external control terminal, allowing the operator to visually observe the pipeline's interior. The sonar unit 4 continuously emits and receives sound waves to detect the radial perimeter of the pipeline. When the sonar detection direction needs adjustment, the operator sends a steering command to the control terminal. The controller 3 controls the servo motor 2 to rotate, which in turn drives the drive gear 6. Since both the drive gear 6 and the driven gear 7 are helical gears, the drive gear... The rotation of gear 6 can efficiently drive multiple driven gears 7 to rotate synchronously. The rotation of driven gears 7 is transmitted to U-shaped frame 83 through connecting rod 81, which in turn drives connecting plate 84 and electric propeller assembly 9 to rotate. The angles of multiple electric propeller assemblies 9 change simultaneously, generating thrust in different directions, pushing the outer shell 1 to rotate around its own axis, thereby quickly and stably adjusting the detection direction of sonar unit 4 and comprehensively collecting detection data from different angles of the pipeline. When the robot needs to turn inside the pipeline, a turning command is sent through the control terminal, and servo motor 2 drives the drive gear 6 to rotate, driving driven gears 7 and connecting frame 83 to rotate. The movement causes the angles of multiple electric propeller assemblies 9 to change, generating thrust in a direction different from the forward direction, thereby pushing the outer shell 1 to turn. Since there are no fewer than three electric propeller assemblies 9 arranged in a circle, at least one electric propeller assembly 9 is always below the water surface during the turning process, ensuring the effectiveness of the turning. After the robot completes the pipeline inspection and reaches the end position, the operator sends a stop command on the control terminal to shut down the motor 92 of the electric propeller assembly 9 and remove the robot from the pipeline. The inspection data is then processed and analyzed to assess the condition of the pipeline.

[0037] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms “comprising,” “including,” or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0038] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that due to the limitations of textual expression, there are objectively infinite specific structures. For those skilled in the art, several improvements, modifications, or changes can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention, and the above technical features can also be combined in an appropriate manner. These improvements, modifications, changes, or combinations, or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, should all be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot, characterized in that: The system includes an outer casing (1), with a camera (5) mounted at one end. Inside the casing (1) are a servo motor (2), a controller (3), and a sonar unit (4). The sonar unit (4) has its transducer emitting and receiving sound waves in the radial direction of the casing (1). The servo motor (2) is driven by a drive gear (6), which meshes with multiple driven gears (7). The driven gears (7) are mounted on a connecting... On the frame (8), the connecting frame (8) includes a connecting rod (81), one end of the connecting rod (81) is fixed with a driven gear (7) and the other end of the connecting rod (81) rotatably passes through the outer shell (1) and is connected to a U-shaped frame (83). The U-shaped frame (83) is connected to a connecting plate (84). An electric propeller assembly (9) is installed on the connecting plate (84). The electric propeller assembly (9) consists of a protective cover (91), a motor (92) and a propeller (93).

2. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of electric propeller assemblies (9) is not less than three, and they are equidistantly spaced around the axis of the outer shell (1).

3. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The protective cover (91) has a motor (92) fixed inside, and a propeller (93) is installed on the output shaft of the motor (92). The protective cover (91) is connected to a connecting plate (84) by bolts.

4. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod (81) is rotatably mounted on the bracket (82), and the two ends of the bracket (82) are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the outer shell (1).

5. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rod (81) is a circular tube structure, and the U-shaped frame (83) has a through hole that aligns with the inner wall of the connecting rod (81).

6. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the driving gear (6) and the driven gear (7) are helical gears.

7. The sonar-rotatable pipeline inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: A dynamic sealing mechanism is provided at the connection between the connecting rod (81) and the outer shell (1). The outer shell (1) is a circular tube structure with both ends closed.

Images