A rail-mounted bridge inspection robot

Abstract

The utility model discloses a track type bridge inspection robot relates to bridge detection technical field, including the inspection track, be equipped with adjusting assembly on the inspection track, be equipped with the inspection assembly below adjusting assembly, be equipped with drive assembly on the inspection assembly, adjusting assembly includes two control box, one side control box bottom and top all are equipped with the mounting slot, the other side control box bottom and top all are welded with the fixed plate, two sides mounting slot all are equipped with a plurality of mounting holes, and two sides mounting slot end all are installed with bolt no.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of bridge inspection technology, specifically to a track-mounted bridge inspection robot. Background Technology

[0002] As a core component of transportation infrastructure, bridges are subjected to long-term effects from vehicle loads, environmental erosion (such as rainwater, temperature differences, and corrosive media), and natural aging. This makes them prone to structural defects such as beam cracks, support deformation, and surface peeling. Failure to promptly inspect and maintain bridges can lead to safety accidents. Therefore, regular comprehensive inspections of bridges are crucial for ensuring their structural safety and extending their service life.

[0003] Traditional bridge inspections rely heavily on manual labor, requiring maintenance personnel to use scaffolding, aerial work platforms, or bridge inspection vehicles to conduct inspections in high-risk areas such as the bottom of beams and supports. This method is not only inefficient (inspecting a single small-to-medium span bridge takes 2-3 days) but also poses safety risks such as falls from heights and mechanical injuries. This is especially true for large-span bridges or complex structural parts (such as cable-stayed bridge towers and suspension bridge anchorages), where the coverage and accuracy of manual inspections are difficult to guarantee. With the development of automation technology, track-mounted bridge inspection robots are gradually becoming the core equipment to replace manual inspections. These robots move along pre-set tracks on the bridge, carrying detection modules (such as cameras and sensors) to achieve automated data collection, significantly improving inspection efficiency and safety.

[0004] However, existing track-based bridge inspection robots have significant technical limitations in practical applications: the inspection tracks for different types of bridges (such as highway bridges and railway bridges) or different batches of the same type of bridge often have large differences in width due to differences in design standards and load-bearing requirements (common width range is 300mm to 800mm). To adapt to different track widths, existing inspection robots need to customize special adaptation components (such as clamping structures with different spacing and connecting brackets) for the track specifications of each bridge. This results in a one-bridge-one-specification limitation, meaning that a single robot can only adapt to a track of a specific width and cannot be reused among multiple bridges of different specifications. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a track-based bridge inspection robot to solve the problem that in the prior art, a single robot can only be adapted to a track of a specific width and cannot be reused among multiple bridges of different specifications.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a track-type bridge inspection robot, including an inspection track, an adjustment component on the inspection track, an inspection component below the adjustment component, and a drive component on the inspection component;

[0007] The adjustment assembly includes two control boxes. One control box has mounting slots at its bottom and top, and the other control box has fixing plates welded to its bottom and top. Multiple mounting holes are provided on the mounting slots on both sides, and bolts are installed at the ends of the fixing plates on both sides.

[0008] The inspection component includes a robotic arm with an inspection camera mounted at its end. A base is mounted on the robotic arm, and a movable seat is mounted on the base. Two bolts are mounted on the movable seat.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes multiple drive wheels, which are symmetrically arranged on the inspection track. Each drive wheel is rotatably connected to a control box on both sides via a drive shaft. A sprocket is fixedly connected to the end of each drive shaft on both sides. A chain is provided on each sprocket, and the multiple sprockets are driven by the chain meshing. A drive component is connected to the end of a single drive shaft, and the drive component is installed inside the control box.

[0010] Furthermore, the two control boxes are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the inspection track, and multiple mounting holes are equidistantly opened inside the mounting slot.

[0011] Furthermore, multiple mounting slots and fixing plates are provided correspondingly, and multiple fixing plates are respectively inserted into the mounting slots.

[0012] Furthermore, the robotic arm is positioned below the inspection track, and the movable seat is movably mounted on the bottom fixed plate of the control box.

[0013] Furthermore, the ends of the drive shafts on both sides extend into the interior of the control boxes on both sides, and multiple sprockets and chains are respectively arranged inside the control boxes on both sides.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of the track-mounted bridge inspection robot provided by this utility model are as follows:

[0015] 1. The design, which uses a combination of a fixed plate and a mounting slot with bolts for positioning, allows for flexible adjustment of the spacing between the control boxes on both sides according to the actual width of the bridge track to be inspected. This eliminates the need for custom-made adapter components for different track widths; adaptation is achieved simply by changing the depth of the fixed plate inserted into the mounting slot. This design breaks the limitation of traditional inspection equipment being one specification per bridge, enabling the reuse of a single unit across multiple bridges of different types (highway bridges, railway bridges), significantly reducing equipment procurement costs and inventory pressure, while also minimizing equipment modification cycles due to track specification differences.

[0016] 2. Through the design of the device, compared with traditional manual inspection (which requires scaffolding, the use of climbing equipment, and carries the risk of falls from heights), this device can achieve continuous inspection of designated areas of the bridge (such as beam bottoms, supports, structural connections, and other areas difficult for manual personnel to reach) through an automated process of adjusting component adaptation, driving component movement, and continuous detection by inspection components. It eliminates the need for frequent equipment start-ups and shutdowns or manual adjustment of the detection position. The drive components move the equipment at a constant speed along the track, allowing the inspection components to simultaneously complete data acquisition and image capture. At the same time, the device can replace manual labor in high-risk working environments (such as high altitudes and narrow beam bottom spaces), fundamentally reducing the safety risks of manual inspection and ensuring the personal safety of maintenance personnel.

[0017] 3. By adjusting the components using a double-support plug-in structure at the top and bottom (with mounting slots and fixing plates at both the top and bottom of the control box), and with the rigid fixing of bolts passing through the corresponding mounting holes, a dual fixing system of symmetrical constraint and bolt locking is formed. This disperses the contact stress between the equipment and the track to the upper and lower planes, avoiding equipment tilting or displacement caused by unilateral force. It can also resist vibration and impact during bridge operation (such as high-frequency vibration caused by vehicle traffic) and outdoor wind and rain erosion, preventing loosening during long-term use and meeting the reliability requirements of long-term outdoor bridge inspection. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the device provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the adjustment component structure provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the inspection component structure provided in an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the drive component structure provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a partial internal structure of the control box provided in an embodiment of this utility model.

[0024] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0025] 1. Inspection track; 2. Adjustment assembly; 3. Inspection assembly; 4. Drive assembly; 21. Control box; 22. Mounting slot; 23. Fixing plate; 24. Mounting hole; 25. Bolt 1; 31. Robotic arm; 32. Inspection camera; 33. Base; 34. Movable seat; 35. Bolt 2; 41. Drive wheel; 42. Transmission shaft; 43. Sprocket; 44. Chain; 45. Drive component. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] As attached Figure 1 To be continued Figure 5 As shown:

[0028] Example 1:

[0029] This utility model provides a track-type bridge inspection robot, including an inspection track 1 (the inspection track 1 is usually a steel track laid along the extension direction of the bridge, such as I-shaped or channel steel), an adjustment component 2 is provided on the inspection track 1, an inspection component 3 is provided below the adjustment component 2, and a drive component 4 is provided on the inspection component 3.

[0030] The adjustment component 2 includes two control boxes 21. The control boxes 21 have a rectangular box structure (typically 300×200×150mm, but can be adjusted according to internal components), and are made of high-strength aluminum alloy or stainless steel (3-5mm thick), combining lightweight and corrosion resistance (suitable for the humid and dusty outdoor environment of bridges). Internally, they integrate a core control module (such as a PLC controller), a power module, and sensor interfaces (for receiving status feedback from the drive component 4 and detection data from the inspection component 3). The outer wall of the box is sealed (IP65 protection rating) to prevent rainwater and dust intrusion. The two control boxes 21 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the inspection track 1. One control box 21 has mounting grooves 22 at both the bottom and top. The mounting grooves 22 are U-shaped (100-150mm deep, and 1-2mm wider than the thickness of the fixing plate 23). The inner sidewall of the groove is smoothly polished (to reduce frictional resistance during adjustment), and the edge of the groove is rounded (to avoid scratching the operator or the surface of the fixing plate 23 during adjustment). On the other side, the bottom and top of the control box 21 are both welded with fixing plates 23. The fixing plate 23 is a long strip of steel plate (thickness 8-12mm, length 20-30mm deeper than the mounting groove 22 to ensure sufficient margin during adjustment), and the end is provided with a through hole that matches the mounting hole 24 (the hole diameter is 0.5mm larger than the nominal diameter of the bolt 25 to facilitate bolt insertion). The welding parts adopt a full welding process (weld height ≥ 5mm) and undergo stress relief treatment (to prevent cracking after long-term stress). Multiple mounting slots 22 and fixing plates 23 are correspondingly set, and multiple fixing plates 23 are inserted into the mounting slots 22 respectively. Multiple mounting holes 24 are opened on both sides of the mounting slots 22 {the mounting holes 24 are evenly distributed along the length of the mounting slots 22 (hole spacing 20-50mm, which can be designed according to the adjustment accuracy requirements). Each side of the mounting slot 22 usually has 5-8 holes (covering an adjustment range of 50-300mm). The inner wall of the holes is tapped. The thread specification of the matching bolt 25 is used. Multiple mounting holes 24 are equidistantly opened inside the mounting groove 22. Bolts 25 are installed at the ends of the fixing plates 23 on both sides. Bolts 25 are selected from M8-M12 high-strength bolts (such as 10.9 grade high-strength steel). They are used in conjunction with spring washers and lock nuts. The spring washers can offset the bolt loosening caused by vibration through elastic deformation. The lock nuts further strengthen the fixing effect through thread self-locking. The bolt head has a hexagonal groove (for easy installation and removal with a wrench). The surface is galvanized or Dacromet treated (to improve rust resistance).

[0031] Working principle: First, according to the track adaptation requirements of the bridge to be inspected or the adjustment requirements of the inspection area, the adjustment component 2 is operated: the positions of the control boxes 21 on both sides are adjusted by the insertion and cooperation of the fixing plate 23 with the mounting groove 22; according to the actual width or installation position requirements, the depth of the fixing plate 23 inserted into the mounting groove 22 is changed. After adjusting to the appropriate position, the bolts 25 are passed through the corresponding mounting holes 24 on the mounting grooves 22 and fixing plate 23 on both sides and tightened to achieve the stable assembly and position fixation of the control boxes 21 on the inspection track 1, so that the adjustment component 2 and the inspection track 1 form a reliable fit; then, the drive component 4 is started to provide the moving power for the whole device, driving the adjustment component 2 and the inspection component 3 connected to the adjustment component 2 to move smoothly along the extension direction of the inspection track 1; during the movement, the inspection component 3 continuously collects data, takes pictures or detects parameters in the designated area of ​​the bridge (such as the bridge surface, structural connection, etc.), thereby completing the preliminary inspection of the bridge.

[0032] Example 2:

[0033] This embodiment is basically the same as the previous embodiment, except that the inspection component 3 includes a robotic arm 31 {the robotic arm 31 is a 6-axis industrial-grade robotic arm 31 (a simplified 4-axis version can be used in some scenarios, depending on the required detection accuracy), with 6 degrees of freedom: shoulder rotation, upper arm swing, forearm extension and retraction, and wrist rotation / pitch / flip, enabling 360° all-round attitude adjustment to ensure that the inspection camera 32 can reach any complex inspection point on the bridge (such as the angle between the bottom of the beam and the support, the groove on the side of the pier, etc.)}. The robotic arm 31 is set below the inspection track 1, and an inspection camera 32 is installed at the end of the robotic arm 31 {the inspection camera 32 is a 4K ultra-high-definition industrial camera (resolution)}. The image quality is 3840×2160, equipped with an 8-25mm zoom lens (the focal length can be switched according to the detection distance: 25mm telephoto for close-up crack detection, and 8mm wide-angle for long-distance panoramic shooting), with a frame rate ≥30fps, ensuring clear images are captured even during dynamic movement; the lens has built-in autofocus and optical image stabilization to counteract image blur caused by slight vibrations of the robotic arm 31). The robotic arm 31 is equipped with a base 33 {the base 33 is made of one-piece cast steel (material Q235B, weight ≤8kg), with reinforcing ribs at the bottom (rib thickness 8mm, spacing 50mm) to improve bending resistance (maximum bending deformation ≤0.5mm / 1m span) to avoid damage to the robotic arm 31.} 1. During extension, the base 33 deforms due to the load. A standard flange interface (such as ISO9409-1) is provided at the top, which is precisely connected to the bottom flange of the robotic arm 31 and fixed with 4 M10 high-strength bolts (bolt preload torque 30~40 N·m) to ensure connection rigidity. A movable seat 34 is installed on the base 33. The movable seat 34 is a U-shaped channel steel structure (the channel width is 1~2 mm larger than the thickness of the bottom fixing plate 23 of the control box 21, and the channel depth is 50 mm). The inner wall is pasted with a polytetrafluoroethylene wear-resistant layer (thickness 2 mm, friction coefficient ≤0.15) to reduce frictional resistance and component wear during sliding. The fixing plate 23 is inserted into the U-shaped channel of the movable seat 34 to form a "channel-plate" sliding. The fit is ≤0.5mm to ensure smooth sliding and no lateral wobbling. The movable seat 34 is movably mounted on the bottom fixed plate 23 of the control box 21. Bolt 35 is installed on the movable seat 34. Bolt 35 is an M8×30mm high-strength stainless steel bolt (material 304 or 316L, with excellent corrosion resistance), used in conjunction with spring washers (material 65Mn, with strong elastic deformation capability) and flat washers (diameter 16mm, to distribute pressure); the bolt strength grade is 8.8 (tensile strength ≥800MPa, yield strength ≥640MPa), which can withstand the overall weight (≤15kg) of the movable seat 34 and the robotic arm 31 and the inertial force during movement.

[0034] Working principle: The inspection component 3 is connected to the bottom fixed plate 23 of the control box 21 via the movable seat 34 on the base 33. If the inspection range needs to be adjusted, the second bolt 35 can be loosened and the movable seat 34 can be slid along the extension direction of the fixed plate 23, thereby changing the lateral position of the base 33 and the robotic arm 31. After adjustment, the second bolt 35 is tightened again to fix it. At the same time, the robotic arm 31 can flexibly adjust its extension length and rotation angle according to the position requirements of the bridge parts to be inspected (such as bridge bearings, beam sides, bottom cracks, etc.), driving the inspection camera 32 at the end to move precisely to the target inspection point, realizing fine image acquisition or data detection of bridge areas at different heights and angles, and improving the coverage and detection accuracy of the inspection.

[0035] Example 3:

[0036] This embodiment is basically the same as the previous embodiment, except that the drive assembly 4 includes multiple drive wheels 41 {the drive wheels 41 adopt a double-rim design (rim height 15-20mm) to prevent the robot from derailing when moving along the track; the wheel body is a polyurethane (PU) coated structure (inner layer is 45# steel hub, outer layer is Shore 85A hardness polyurethane), which ensures wear resistance (service life ≥100km) and has a certain degree of elasticity (to buffer vibration at track joints); the wheel diameter is designed according to track specifications (usually 100-150mm), and the wheel width is 5-10mm smaller than the width of the top surface of the track (to ensure tight fit with the track and avoid side slippage)}. Multiple drive wheels 41 are symmetrically arranged on the inspection track 1. All drive wheels 41 are rotatably connected to the control boxes 21 on both sides via drive shafts 42. The ends of the drive shafts 42 on both sides extend into the interior of the control boxes 21 on both sides. Each drive shaft 42 is fixedly connected to a sprocket 43. Multiple sprockets 43 are equipped with chains 44, and the multiple sprockets 43 are driven by meshing with the chains 44. The multiple sprockets 43 and chains 44 are respectively located inside the control boxes 21 on both sides. Each drive shaft 42 is connected to a drive unit 45 {using a DC servo motor (power 300-500W), paired with a planetary reducer (reduction ratio 10:1-30:1), output torque ≥50N·m (meets starting and climbing requirements, adaptable to track slopes ≤15°); motor rated speed 3000-5000rpm, achieving 0%-100% speed adjustment through pulse width modulation (PWM), corresponding to a robot movement speed of 0.1-1m / s; control and feedback: the motor has a built-in encoder (resolution 1024 lines / revolution) for real-time speed feedback}. The drive unit 45 is installed inside the control box 21.

[0037] Working principle: When the entire device needs to be moved, the drive component 45 (such as a motor) inside the control box 21 is activated, and its output power is transmitted to the single drive shaft 42 directly connected to it, causing the drive shaft 42 to rotate around its own axis. The sprocket 43 at the end of the drive shaft 42 rotates synchronously with the drive shaft 42, and forms a meshing transmission with other sprockets 43 in the control boxes 21 on both sides through the chain 44, driving all sprockets 43 and the drive shafts 42 connected to them to rotate synchronously. Finally, each drive shaft 42 drives the drive wheels 41 at both ends to roll synchronously on the inspection track 1, thereby smoothly driving the adjustment component 2 and the inspection component 3 to move along the inspection track 1. Through the transmission cooperation of the sprockets 43 and the chain 44, the synchronicity of the rotation of the drive wheels 41 on both sides is ensured, avoiding the device deviation due to the imbalance of power on one side, ensuring the stability of the overall movement during the inspection process, and providing reliable mobile support for the inspection component 3 to continuously and accurately complete the bridge inspection.

[0038] The foregoing description only illustrates certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A track-type bridge inspection robot, comprising an inspection track (1), characterized in that, An adjustment component (2) is provided on the inspection track (1), an inspection component (3) is provided below the adjustment component (2), and a drive component (4) is provided on the inspection component (3); The adjustment assembly (2) includes two control boxes (21). One control box (21) has mounting slots (22) at the bottom and top. The other control box (21) has fixing plates (23) welded to the bottom and top. Multiple mounting holes (24) are provided on the mounting slots (22) on both sides. Bolts (25) are installed at the ends of the fixing plates (23) on both sides. The inspection component (3) includes a robotic arm (31), an inspection camera (32) is installed at the end of the robotic arm (31), a base (33) is installed on the robotic arm (31), a movable seat (34) is installed on the base (33), and a bolt (35) is installed on the movable seat (34).

2. The track-mounted bridge inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly (4) includes multiple drive wheels (41), which are symmetrically arranged on the inspection track (1). The multiple drive wheels (41) are rotatably connected to the control boxes (21) on both sides via drive shafts (42). The ends of the drive shafts (42) on both sides are fixedly connected to sprockets (43). The multiple sprockets (43) are provided with chains (44), and the multiple sprockets (43) are meshed and driven by the chains (44). The end of a single drive shaft (42) is connected to a drive component (45), which is installed inside the control box (21).

3. The track-mounted bridge inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two control boxes (21) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the inspection track (1), and the multiple mounting holes (24) are equidistantly opened inside the mounting groove (22).

4. The track-mounted bridge inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple mounting slots (22) and fixing plates (23) are provided correspondingly, and multiple fixing plates (23) are respectively inserted into the mounting slots (22).

5. A track-mounted bridge inspection robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The robotic arm (31) is located below the inspection track (1), and the movable seat (34) is movably mounted on the bottom fixing plate (23) of the control box (21).

6. A track-mounted bridge inspection robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The ends of the drive shafts (42) on both sides extend into the interior of the control boxes (21) on both sides, and the multiple sprockets (43) and chains (44) are respectively arranged inside the control boxes (21) on both sides.

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