Work device

Abstract

To provide a work device which can discharge foreign objects remaining in a valve seat to the outside without fail.SOLUTION: A work device at least includes: a housing 3 on which a fluid pipe 2 is fitted in a sealed state; a valve body 4c (a valving element) which may open or close the housing 3; and a recessed groove part 4d (a valve seat) and can conduct work related to drilling of the fluid pipe 2 by a drill 7 in the housing 3. The housing 3 has a cylindrical part 3a intersecting with a pipe axis S1 of the fluid pipe 2. The cylindrical part 3a has a sleeve part 10 at a position away from the recessed groove part 4d in an axial direction. The sleeve part 10 can be connected with a discharge device 30, an imaging device 50, or a detection device 60 etc., each of which serves as a working tool to be inserted into the cylindrical part 3a, and guides the discharge device 30, the imaging device 50, or the detection device 60 in a direction inclining toward the recessed groove part 4d.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a working device capable of performing work relating to drilling a hole in a fluid pipe within a housing fitted around the fluid pipe. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, when performing work such as connecting an existing flow path through which water, gas, etc. flows with another flow path, for example, a case is attached to the existing fluid pipe in a sealed manner, and a working valve device that can open and close the inside is attached to the tip of the case. A drilling machine having a cutter and a drive unit is installed on the working valve device, and with the working valve open, the cutter is advanced by the drive unit to drill a part of the fluid pipe inside the case under uninterrupted flow conditions.

[0003] When drilling a portion of an existing fluid pipe using such a drilling device, instead of a drilling machine attached to the tip of the working valve device, an exhaust machine for discharging chips generated during drilling is attached to the housing, and the exhaust pipe of the exhaust machine is inserted inside the working valve device and the case, so that chips scattered inside can be sucked up and discharged to the outside along with the fluid (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] WO 2020 / 49922 (page 4, figure 6) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the drilling device described in Patent Document 1 above, the discharge pipe is connected to the working valve device and the case via a flexible tube, and by freely tilting the discharge pipe relative to the working valve device and the case, the tip of the discharge pipe can be moved to a desired position inside, making it possible to discharge chips even if they are scattered inside the working valve device and the case.

[0006] However, while it is easy to move the tip of the exhaust pipe freely within the working valve device and the case, it is difficult to reliably move the tip of the exhaust pipe toward the valve seat, where chips can easily get in and damage the valve body or affect internal closure, resulting in the problem that foreign matter such as chips that have accumulated on the valve seat cannot be adequately discharged.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a working device that can reliably discharge foreign matter that has accumulated on a valve seat to the outside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the working device of the present invention is A working device that includes at least a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, and a valve body and a valve seat that can open and close the housing, and that is capable of performing work related to drilling the fluid pipe with a drilling machine inside the housing, the housing has a cylindrical portion that intersects with a pipe axis of the fluid pipe, the cylindrical portion has a sleeve portion at a position axially spaced from the valve seat, The sleeve portion is capable of connecting a working tool inserted into the cylindrical portion, and is characterized in that it guides the working tool in a direction inclined toward the valve seat. According to this feature, a tool can be inserted into the cylindrical portion from a remote position that does not affect the closure of the valve seat by the valve body, and by inserting the tool through the sleeve portion, it can be guided in an approximately straight line toward the valve seat, so that any foreign matter that has become lodged on the valve seat can be reliably expelled from the housing.

[0009] The sleeve portion is characterized in that it is configured by a sleeve fixed obliquely to the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion. According to this feature, the sleeve portion can be easily formed by simply fixing the sleeve to the cylindrical portion at an angle.

[0010] The cylindrical portion extends in a substantially horizontal direction, The sleeve portion is characterized in that it guides the working tool in a direction inclined toward the bottom of the valve seat. According to this feature, the tool can be reliably guided toward the chips that have sunk to the bottom of the valve seat.

[0011] The sleeve portion is characterized in that it is provided on a radially opposite side to a specific position of the valve seat where the working tool is guided. According to this feature, the sleeve portion can be spaced farther from the specific position of the valve seat, thereby improving the insertion accuracy of the tool. Also, since the tool can be inclined greatly with respect to the cylindrical portion, the tool can be brought close to a deep portion of the valve seat even if the valve seat is concave.

[0012] The sleeve portion is characterized by being provided between the fluid pipe and the valve seat. According to this feature, the tool can be inserted toward the valve seat in the cylindrical portion, and can be further guided toward the downstream side in the branching direction beyond the valve seat.

[0013] The sleeve portion is characterized by having a connection portion to which the working tool can be connected. According to this feature, the tool can be easily connected to the sleeve portion.

[0014] The sleeve portion has a female thread portion that protrudes radially inward beyond the connecting portion. According to this feature, after the work using the connector is completed, a water stopper or the like can be screwed into the female threaded portion to stop the water from entering. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a working device attached to a predetermined location of a fluid pipe and a drilling machine attached to the working device. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device during drilling work by the drilling machine. FIG. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a sleeve portion and a work ball valve. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the discharge device attached thereto. [Diagram 5] 11 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device during a discharge operation by the discharge device. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a partially cutaway plan view showing the working device of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the discharge device removed. [Figure 8] 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the imaging device attached thereto; FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the detection device attached thereto. [Figure 10] 4 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a process of attaching a work ball valve to a tool. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing the process of attaching a water-stopping piece to a sleeve. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a water stop confirmation process using a water stop piece. [Figure 13] 11 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a process of removing the retaining bar from the tool. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a process of removing the working ball valve. [Figure 15] 13 is a cross-sectional view, partly broken away, showing the working device in a state where a waterproofing operation for the sleeve portion has been completed. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2A is a schematic front view showing a working device as a modified example of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A working device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the following embodiments. EXAMPLES

[0017] A working device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In the following description, the near side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the front side (front face) of the working device, and the far side will be referred to as the rear side (rear face).

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, a working device 1 as an embodiment of the present invention is mainly composed of a housing 3 that hermetically fits around a fluid pipe 2, and a gate valve device 4 that can open and close the inside of the housing 3, and is capable of performing various operations in response to the drilling of the fluid pipe 2, such as a drilling operation in which a drilling machine 7 drills a predetermined location of the fluid pipe 2 covered by the housing 3, operations related to the drilling of the fluid pipe 2, the discharge of cutting chips described below, and visual inspection of the inside of the housing 3.

[0019] In the following, a series of work steps will be described, in which the above-mentioned working device 1 and drilling machine 7 are used to drill a predetermined location of an existing fluid pipe 2, which is a pipeline component, inside the casing 3 under an uninterrupted flow condition, and then foreign matter C (see Figure 2) such as cutting chips and rust scattered inside the casing 3 as a result of the drilling is discharged to the outside of the casing 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, the fluid in the fluid pipe 2 is clean water, but it may be, for example, industrial water, agricultural water, sewage, or other liquid other than water, or may be gas or a gas-liquid mixture of gas and liquid. The fluid pipe 2 is a ductile cast iron pipe, and is formed into a straight pipe having a substantially circular cross section as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this embodiment, the pipe direction of the fluid pipe 2 is disposed substantially horizontally. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may be made of other metals such as cast iron and steel, or made of concrete, vinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyolefin, or the like. Furthermore, the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe may be covered with an epoxy resin layer, mortar, plating, or the like, or the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe may be covered with an appropriate material by powder coating.

[0021] When performing drilling work on the fluid pipe 2, first, the case 5 is attached in a sealed state to a predetermined position of the fluid pipe 2. The case 5 is composed of a first division body 5a disposed on the left side of the fluid pipe 2 and a second division body 5b disposed on the right side of the fluid pipe 2. The first division body 5a has a semicircular tubular covering portion 6a, and seals the left side of the outer circumferential surface of the fluid pipe 2. The second division body 5b has a semicircular tubular covering portion 6b, and seals the right side of the outer circumferential surface of the fluid pipe 2. In addition, a branch port 6c is formed penetrating the center of the covering portion 6b in the pipe axis S1 direction, and a circular tubular branch pipe portion 6d that covers the branch port 6c is extended approximately horizontally toward the right side, that is, the case 5 is formed in an approximately T-shape in a plan view. A flange 6e that protrudes in the outer diameter direction is formed on the opening periphery of the branch pipe portion 6d.

[0022] The divided structure of the case 5 may be, for example, divided in the vertical direction, or may be divided into a predetermined number of parts, such as three or more. In this embodiment, the divided parts are joined together in a sealed state by a plurality of fastening members 5c made of bolts and nuts, but this is not limiting and may be joined by welding, for example.

[0023] A communication hole 9 for inserting a discharge pipe 32 (see FIG. 5) serving as a working tool therein is formed in the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the branch pipe portion 6d, and a sleeve portion 10 is provided so as to cover the communication hole 9. The sleeve portion 10 will be described in detail later.

[0024] After the case 5 is attached to the fluid pipe 2, the gate valve device 4 is connected in a sealed manner to the open end on the right side of the branch pipe section 6d. The gate valve device 4 has a valve box 4a with a through passage formed therein penetrating in the left-right direction and with a communication port with a valve lid 4b formed on the upper part of the inner circumferential surface, a valve lid 4b connected above the valve box 4a, a valve body 4c provided movably between the valve box 4a and the valve lid 4b, and a recessed groove portion 4d serving as a valve seat for receiving the valve body 4c.

[0025] The groove 4d is recessed in the outer diameter direction from the inner peripheral surface of the valve box 4a and extends in the circumferential direction from the lower part and the front and rear parts of the inner peripheral surface (see Figs. 4 and 6), into which the lower edge part and the front and rear edges of the valve body 4c can be fitted. A copper seal member 4k extends in the circumferential direction around the opening periphery of the groove 4d, and is adapted to abut in a sealing manner against the lower edge part and the front and rear edges of the copper seal member (not shown) of the valve body 4c.

[0026] In addition, flanges 4e, 4f protruding in the outward direction are formed on the left and right opening peripheries of the valve box 4a, and the valve box 4a is hermetically connected to the right opening end of the branch pipe section 6d by fastening the flange 4e to the flange 6e of the branch pipe section 6d with a plurality of fastening members 61 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the upper end of a valve stem 4g that is screwed with a valve element 4c inside the valve cover 4b protrudes from the upper end of the valve lid 4b, and an operating handle 4h is provided at the upper end of this valve stem 4g, and the inside of the housing 3 can be opened and closed by rotating the operating handle 4h to move the valve element 4c between the valve box 4a and the valve cover 4b.

[0027] As described above, the housing 3 in this embodiment is composed of the case 5 and the valve box 4a of the check valve device 4, and the branch pipe section 6d of the second divided body 5b having a through passage formed therein and the valve box 4a form a cylindrical section 3a that is approximately perpendicular (intersects) with the pipe axis S1 that faces the front-to-rear direction of the fluid pipe 2.

[0028] Next, the drilling machine 7 is connected in a sealed state to the open end on the right side of the valve box 4a. The drilling machine 7 is mainly composed of a mounting flange tube 71, a cutter 72 for drilling holes in the fluid pipe 2, a drive motor 74 for rotating the cutter 72 in the mounting flange tube 71, and an advance / retract mechanism 73 for moving the cutter 72 horizontally. The cutter 72 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 2, and is composed of a hole saw 72a with a cutting blade along the circumferential direction at its tip (left end in the figure), and a center drill 72b arranged coaxially with the rotating shaft 72c of the hole saw 72a and protruding beyond the cutting blade. The cutter 72 is arranged concentrically with the open end of the branch pipe section 6d of the case 5, and is inserted into the branch pipe section 6d from the open end side, and can advance at least to a position where it penetrates the pipe wall of the fluid pipe 2.

[0029] A flange 71a protruding in the outward radial direction is formed on the periphery of the left-hand opening of the mounting flange tube 71, and by fastening the flange 71a to the flange 4f of the valve box 4a with a plurality of fastening members 62 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, the drilling machine 7 is hermetically connected to the right-hand opening end of the valve box 4a.

[0030] Furthermore, the order of connecting the gate valve device 4 to the open end of the branch pipe section 6d of the case 5 and the operation of connecting the drilling machine 7 to the open end of the valve box 4a is not necessarily limited to the above-mentioned order, and the operation of connecting the gate valve device 4 may be performed after the operation of connecting the drilling machine 7, or these connection operations may be performed simultaneously in parallel, or the second partition 5b, to which the gate valve device 4 and the drilling machine 7 have already been connected, may be connected to the first partition 5a.

[0031] (Sleeve structure) Next, the sleeve portion 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] 3, a communication hole 9 is formed obliquely penetrating at approximately the center in the axial direction of the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the branch pipe section 6d of the second split body 5b, that is, at a position away from the recessed groove section 4d in the direction of the axis S2 of the cylindrical section 3a. The sleeve section 10 is made of a cylindrical sleeve 11 of a predetermined length having an internal through passage 11a penetrating obliquely with respect to the direction of the axis S2, and the lower end of the sleeve 11 is fixed in a hermetically sealed manner by welding or the like to the periphery of the communication hole 9 on the outer circumferential surface of the branch pipe section 6d.

[0033] The upper end opening 11b is perpendicular to the axis S3 of the sleeve 11 constituting the sleeve portion 10, while the lower end opening 11c is inclined. The axis S3 of the sleeve 11 faces in the left-right direction so as to overlap with the axis S2 of the cylindrical portion 3a in a plan view (see FIG. 6), and is inclined diagonally downward to the right at a predetermined angle θ (for example, θ = about 45 degrees) with respect to the axis S2 in a front view. The predetermined angle θ can be changed in various ways depending on the arrangement position of the sleeve portion 10 with respect to the recessed groove portion 4d, etc.

[0034] 4 and 6, an extension line of the axis S3 of the sleeve 11 intersects with the axis S2 of the cylindrical portion 3a at the lower part, and further downwardly extends to a specific position P1 at approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the bottom 4d' of the recessed groove portion 4d. This specific position P1 is set at the lowest part of the peripheral wall, which is radially opposite to the sleeve portion 10 provided at the uppermost part of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 3a. Therefore, as described later, the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 inserted along the axis S3 of the sleeve 11 can be guided to the specific position P1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, a female thread portion 12 is formed at the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 11 as a connection portion to which various devices (work tools) such as the discharge device 30, the imaging device 50, and the detection device 60 described below can be connected, and a female thread portion 13 having a smaller diameter than the female thread portion 12 is formed protruding in the inner diameter direction on the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve 11 below the female thread portion 12.

[0036] A work ball valve 20 is connected to the female thread portion 12 of the sleeve 11. The work ball valve 20 mainly comprises a main body portion 21 having a through passage 21a penetrating therein in an oblique vertical direction, a ball 22 as a valve body rotatably supported within the main body portion 21, an operating handle 23 for opening and closing the ball 22, and a nipple 24 screwed into the lower end of the main body portion 21. A male thread portion 25 is formed on the lower outer circumferential surface of the nipple 24, and the male thread portion 25 can be screwed into the female thread portion 12 of the sleeve 11 to connect the work ball valve 20 to the upper end of the sleeve 11 in a sealed manner.

[0037] In this way, the inside of the sleeve 11 can be opened and closed simply by connecting the work ball valve 20 to the upper end opening 11b of the sleeve 11 and opening and closing the ball 22 of the work ball valve 20. Note that Fig. 3 shows the sleeve portion 10 in a closed state. Also, a female screw portion 26 is formed at the upper end of the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion 21, and various devices (work tools) such as a discharge device 30, an imaging device 50, and a detection device 60, which will be described later, can be connected thereto.

[0038] Next, the process of forming holes in the fluid pipe 2 by the drilling machine 7 will be described.

[0039] 2, first, the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 is placed inside the valve cover 4b to open the inside of the housing 3, and the sleeve portion 10 is closed by the work ball valve 20. Next, while releasing air from an air release valve (not shown) provided at a predetermined position on the top of the housing 3, the housing 3 is filled with fluid and water pressure approximately equal to that in the fluid pipe 2 is applied to check for leakage, and then, after confirming that the air inside the housing 3 has been released, the air release valve (not shown) is closed.

[0040] Next, the cutter 72 is rotated around the rotation axis 72c by the drive motor 74 of the drilling machine 7, and the cutter 72 is advanced horizontally by the advance / retract mechanism 73, so that a hole is formed by drilling the right side of the peripheral wall of the fluid pipe 2 in an uninterrupted flow state. This drilling generates foreign matter C such as cuttings of the fluid pipe 2 and rust peeled off from the inner peripheral surface of the fluid pipe 2, which scatter inside the cylindrical part 3a filled with fluid. The hole formation may be performed by drilling the pipe wall with a cutter 72 or the like having a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 2 as in this embodiment, or may be performed by cutting or dividing a part of the pipe in the axial direction with a cutter or the like having a larger diameter than the fluid pipe 2.

[0041] When the fluid pipe 2 is perforated by the cutter 72, a piece 2d cut off from the fluid pipe 2 is held in the hole saw 72a. Thereafter, the cutter 72 is retracted into the inside of the mounting flange tube 71 together with the piece 2d by the advance / retract mechanism 73.

[0042] 2, foreign matter C generated by drilling is scattered relatively in the vicinity of the branch pipe section 6d, which is near the cut section, and is discharged by water pressure from a drain port (not shown) provided below the mounting flange cylinder 71, but since the groove section 4d is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the valve box 4a in the circumferential direction so as to cross the axis S2, foreign matter C moving in the direction of the axis S2 near the inner peripheral surface is likely to enter the groove section 4d. Moreover, foreign matter C scattered in the fluid inside the cylindrical section 3a gradually sinks due to gravity over time and falls to the bottom of the cylindrical section 3a, so it is likely to enter the bottom section 4d' of the groove section 4d, and once the foreign matter C enters the bottom section 4d', it is not easily affected by the flow of the fluid and is likely to remain there.

[0043] If foreign matter C remains in the recessed groove 4d, which serves as the valve seat, in this manner, when the interior of the housing 3 is closed, a gap will be created by the foreign matter C that has entered between the valve body 4c and the recessed groove 4d, which may cause leakage from the gap, and there is also a risk that the foreign matter C may come into contact with and damage the valve body 4c. Therefore, before the interior of the housing 3 is closed by the valve body 4c, a discharge operation is performed in which the foreign matter C scattered inside the housing 3, particularly the foreign matter C that has entered the recessed groove 4d, is discharged to the outside by the discharge device 30.

[0044] (Discharge of foreign matter) Next, the operation of discharging the foreign matter C will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, after the drilling operation is completed, a discharge device 30, which is an example of a tool for discharging the foreign matter C, is connected via a connecting pipe 15 to the upper side of the work ball valve 20 connected to the upper side of the sleeve 11.

[0045] The discharge device 30 mainly comprises a support tube 31, a discharge tube 32 movably inserted inside the support tube 31 in a sealed state, a ball valve 33 provided at the upper end of the discharge tube 32, a reel 35 for winding up a wire rope 34 attached to the support tube 31 and one end of which is hooked to the upper part of the discharge tube 32, and a handle 36 for gripping the discharge tube 32. A flange 31b projecting in the outward direction is formed on the periphery of the opening at the lower end of the support tube 31, and a flange 15b projecting in the outward direction is formed on the periphery of the opening at the upper end of the connection tube 15, and these flanges 31b, 15b are connected in a sealed state by fastening them with fastening members 63 consisting of bolts and nuts.

[0046] The connecting pipe 15 has a male thread (not shown) formed on its lower outer peripheral surface, and is connected in a sealed manner to the upper part of the work ball valve 20 by screwing the male thread (not shown) into a female thread 26 formed on the upper inner peripheral surface of the work ball valve 20. Therefore, the connecting pipe 15 connected to the work ball valve 20 and the support pipe 31 and discharge pipe 32 connected to the connecting pipe 15 are connected in a substantially straight line so as to be coaxial with the axis S3 of the sleeve 11 and the work ball valve 20.

[0047] Further, the through-passages, which are the communication hole 9, the through-passage 11a inside the sleeve 11, the through-passage 21a inside the work ball valve 20, the through-passage 15a inside the connection pipe 15, and the through-passage 31a inside the support pipe 31, constitute an insertion passage into which the discharge pipe 32 can be inserted. In this manner, the sleeve portion 10 can indirectly support the discharge device 30 in an inclined state via the work ball valve 20, since the female screw portion 12, which can be connected to the work ball valve 20 in a substantially linear manner so as to be coaxial, is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the sleeve 11. Thus, the discharge pipe 32 is supported by the sleeve portion 10 so as to be movable in a substantially linear manner in the direction of the axis S3, which is inclined downward toward the recessed groove portion 4d. Furthermore, the small-diameter female screw portion 13 formed on the inner side of the female screw portion 12 approaches or slides against the outer peripheral surface of the discharge pipe 32 during insertion, thereby guiding the discharge pipe 32 in the direction of the axis S3. Since the outer diameter of the exhaust pipe 32 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the female thread portion 13, the exhaust pipe 32 can be tilted slightly in any direction about the axis S3.

[0048] The longitudinal dimension of the discharge pipe 32 is designed to be long enough to allow the tip opening 32a to reach the vicinity of the opening of the bottom 4d' of the recessed groove 4d when inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 3a as described later, and the outer diameter dimension of the discharge pipe 32 is designed to be small enough to allow the tip opening 32a to enter the bottom 4d' of the recessed groove 4d at an angle. In addition, the tip opening 32a is located inside the connecting pipe 15 in the retracted state.

[0049] Although the discharge pipe 32 is made of a metal material, the material may be any hard material that maintains a substantially linear shape in the longitudinal direction, and may be made of various materials such as polyvinyl chloride. Also, at least a part of the tip including the tip opening 32a may be made of a flexible tube made of rubber, which can prevent damage to the inner peripheral surface of the housing 3 and allows the tip opening 32a to be moved along the recessed groove portion 4d.

[0050] Next, after connecting the discharge device 30 to the upper part of the sleeve 11 and the working ball valve 20, the working ball valve 20 is opened as shown in Fig. 5, so that the discharge pipe 32 can pass through the ball 22 of the working ball valve 20. In addition, by opening the upper ball valve 33, the fluid in the communication hole 9 and the through passages 11a, 21a, 15a, 31a is discharged to the outside from the end opening 33a of the ball valve 33, and the pressure that the discharge pipe 32 receives from the fluid is reduced, so that the discharge pipe 32 can be smoothly inserted toward the inside of the housing 3.

[0051] Then, when the handle 35a of the reel 35 is rotated to wind up the wire rope 34, the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 passes through the through passage 21a of the work ball valve 20, the through passage 11a of the sleeve 11, and the communicating hole 9 and enters the cylindrical portion 3a of the housing 3.

[0052] A portion of the discharge pipe 32 is inserted in a sealed manner into the communicating hole 9 and the through passages 11a, 21a, 15a, and 31a extending in the axial direction S3 via an annular sealing material (not shown), so that the discharge pipe 32 moves stably along the axis S3 and the tip opening 32a is guided in an approximately straight line toward a specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the groove portion 4d (see Figure 6).

[0053] 5 and 6, when the tip opening 32a reaches a specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the recessed groove 4d, the foreign matter C that has stayed at and near the specific position P1 in the recessed groove 4d is sucked in from the tip opening 32a together with the fluid, passes through the inside of the discharge pipe 32, and is discharged together with the fluid to the outside from the end opening 33a of the ball valve 33. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, by slightly tilting the discharge pipe 32 about the axis S3, the tip opening 32a can be moved along the circumferential direction in the recessed groove 4d, and a wide area can be sucked in.

[0054] Next, after starting the suction and discharge of the foreign matter C, when there is no more foreign matter C mixed in the discharged fluid or when the amount of foreign matter C mixed in has decreased, the discharge pipe 32 is pulled up. Then, when the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 is retracted into the through passage 15a of the connecting pipe 15, the work ball valve 20 is closed. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the connecting pipe 15 is removed from the work ball valve 20, the discharge device 30 is removed, and the discharge operation of the foreign matter C is completed.

[0055] (Verification work) Next, a description will be given of the confirmation work performed after the discharge work of the foreign matter by the discharge device 30. After the discharge work is completed, an imaging device 50, which is an example of a tool for performing the confirmation work, is connected via a connecting pipe 15 to the upper part of the work ball valve 20, which is connected to the upper part of the sleeve 11, as shown in Fig. 8.

[0056] The imaging device 50 mainly comprises a support tube 51, an insertion tube 52 inserted movably and in a sealed state inside the support tube 51, a chain block 53 suspended between the support tube 51 and the insertion tube 52, and an operation handle 53a for operating the chain block 53. An imaging unit 52a consisting of a camera or the like is attached to the tip of the insertion tube 52. A male screw portion (not shown) is formed on the lower end of the outer circumferential surface of the support tube 51, and is connected to the upper part of the work ball valve 20 in a sealed state by screwing it into the female screw portion 26 of the work ball valve 20.

[0057] The support tube 51 connected to the work ball valve 20 is connected in a substantially straight line so as to be coaxial with the axis S3 of the sleeve 11 and the work ball valve 20. In addition, the communication hole 9, the through passage 11a inside the sleeve 11, the through passage 21a inside the work ball valve 20, and the through passage 51a inside the support tube 51 form an insertion passage into which the insertion tube 52 can be inserted.

[0058] The longitudinal dimension of the insertion tube 52 is designed to be a length that allows the imaging section 52a at the tip to reach the recessed groove section 4d when inserted into the inside of the cylindrical section 3a. In order to achieve the reachable length, the insertion tube 52 may be formed so as to be extendable or may be formed in a wire shape. In addition, in the retracted state, the imaging section 52a is disposed inside the support tube 51.

[0059] After connecting the imaging device 50 to the upper part of the sleeve 11 and the working ball valve 20, the working ball valve 20 is opened as shown in FIG. 8, thereby allowing the insertion tube 52 to pass through the ball 22.

[0060] Then, when the operating handle 53a of the chain block 53 is operated to wind up the chain, the imaging section 52a at the tip of the insertion tube 52 passes through the through passage 21a of the work ball valve 20, the through passage 11a of the sleeve 11, and the communicating hole 9 and enters the cylindrical section 3a of the housing 3.

[0061] The insertion tube 52, with a portion of the insertion tube 52 inserted into the communication hole 9 and the through passages 11a, 21a, 51a extending in the direction of the axis S3 (see FIG. 4), moves stably along the axis S3, and the imaging unit 52a is guided in a substantially linear manner toward the specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the groove 4d (see FIG. 6). The imaging unit 52a captures the specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the groove 4d and its vicinity, and the image is displayed on a display device (not shown) such as a monitor electrically connected to the imaging device 50, allowing the user to check whether the foreign body C has been removed or remains.

[0062] After confirmation, the insertion tube 52 is pulled up, and when the imaging unit 52a is retracted into the through passage 51a of the support tube 51, the work ball valve 20 is closed. Then, if the foreign object C has been sufficiently removed, the support tube 51 is detached from the work ball valve 20, the imaging device 50 is removed, and the work of discharging the foreign object C is completed. On the other hand, if the foreign object C remains, the discharge device 30 is reconnected to the work ball valve 20 and the above-mentioned discharge work is performed, and after the discharge work is completed, the confirmation work is performed.

[0063] 9, after the confirmation work is completed, a detection device 60 may be connected in a sealed state above the working ball valve 20, and then the working ball valve 20 may be opened to bring a detection element (not shown) of the detection device 60 into contact with the fluid inside the housing 3, thereby performing a detection work for detecting the turbidity, etc. of the fluid. By detecting the turbidity of the fluid in this way, it is possible to confirm whether the inside of the housing 3 has been cleaned by the operation of discharging the foreign matter C, etc.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the above confirmation or detection work is completed, the work ball valve 20 is removed using the tool 100 described below, and a water stop block 80 is attached as a closing member inside the sleeve portion 10 to close the inside of the sleeve portion 10, thereby completing the series of work. Note that the work ball valve 20 may be left as it is.

[0065] (Removal of the work ball valve and waterproofing of the sleeve) The removal of the work ball valve 20 and the waterproofing operation of the sleeve portion 10 will be described below with reference to Figs.

[0066] As shown in Figure 10, a tool 100 for removing the work ball valve 20 and for performing water-stopping work on the sleeve portion 10 mainly comprises a first support portion 101, a second support portion 102 spaced apart from the first support portion 101, connecting members 103, 103 connecting both ends of the first support portion 101 and the second support portion 102, an insertion rod 104 that is inserted in a sealed manner through the first support portion 101 and the second support portion 102 and supported so as to be axially movably, a cover body 105 that is removably attached to the upper portion of the second support portion 102, and a ball valve 106 that communicates with the inside of the cover body 105.

[0067] A cylindrical portion 107 protrudes from the lower end of the first support portion 101, and a water stop block 80 can be accommodated within the cylindrical portion 107. A male threaded portion 107a is formed on the outer circumferential surface so that it can be connected to the work ball valve 20 in a sealed manner by screwing it into the female threaded portion 26 of the work ball valve 20.

[0068] A retaining rod 110 is disposed inside the insertion rod 104, with its upper end fixed to a predetermined position inside the insertion rod 104. A male screw portion (not shown) is formed at the lower end of the retaining rod 110, and the water stop piece 80 can be held at the lower end of the insertion rod 104 by screwing the male screw portion (not shown) into a screw hole (not shown) formed in the upper surface of the water stop piece 80. The inner peripheral surface of the lower end of the insertion rod 104 is formed in a hexagonal shape. In addition, an operating handle 111 is attached between the first support portion 101 and the second support portion 102 on the outer periphery of the insertion rod 104.

[0069] As shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 15, the water stop piece 80 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a male screw portion 81 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part, and the inside of the sleeve part 10 can be closed by screwing it into the female screw portion 13 formed inside the sleeve 11. A flange portion 82 having a larger diameter than the male screw portion 81 is formed in an annular shape on the upper part of the male screw portion 81, and an O-ring 83 made of a rubber material is attached to the flange portion 82 side of the male screw portion 81. A convex portion 84 having a hexagonal outer peripheral surface protrudes from the upper surface, and a screw hole (not shown) into which a male screw portion (not shown) formed at the lower end of the holding rod 110 can be screwed is formed in the center of the upper surface of the convex portion 84.

[0070] Next, a method for removing the work ball valve 20 and for sealing off the water in the sleeve portion 10 will be described.

[0071] 10, the lower end of the holding rod 110 of the tool 100 is screwed into a threaded hole (not shown) on the upper surface of the protrusion 84 of the water stop piece 80, and the lower end of the insertion rod 104 is fitted into the protrusion 84 to attach the water stop piece 80, and the water stop piece 80 is housed in the cylindrical part 107. In this state, the male threaded part 107a of the cylindrical part 107 is screwed into the female threaded part 26 of the work ball valve 20, thereby connecting the tool 100 to the top of the work ball valve 20 in a sealed manner.

[0072] Next, as shown in Fig. 11, the working ball valve 20 is opened to allow fluid to enter the cylindrical portion 107. Then, the operating handle 111 is moved to insert the insertion rod 104 toward the inside of the sleeve portion 10. After that, when the water stop piece 80 enters the inside of the sleeve 11 and reaches the female thread portion 13, the operating handle 111 is operated to rotate the insertion rod 104 engaged with the convex portion 84 of the water stop piece 80, so that the male thread portion 81 of the water stop piece 80 is screwed into the female thread portion 13 of the sleeve 11. Then, the insertion rod 104 is rotated and tightened until the flange portion 82 presses the O-ring 83 against the step portion above the female thread portion 13, thereby hermetically closing the inside of the sleeve portion 10.

[0073] Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the ball valve 106 is opened and the water stop state by the water stop block 80 is checked. If a water leak or the like is detected, the insertion rod 104 is tightened and the water stop state is checked again.

[0074] If there is no problem with the water-stopping condition provided by the water-stopping piece 80, as shown in Figure 13, remove the cover body 105 from the second support part 102, open the operating part 110a provided at the upper end of the retaining rod 110, operate the operating part 110a with a tool (not shown) or the like to rotate the retaining rod 110, remove the lower end of the retaining rod 110 from the water-stopping piece 80, pull out the lower end of the insertion rod 104 from the convex part 84 of the water-stopping piece 80, and pull the insertion rod 104 upward while leaving the water-stopping piece 80 inside the sleeve part 10.

[0075] 14, the tool 100 is removed from the work ball valve 20, and then the work ball valve 20 is removed from the sleeve portion 10. The tool 100 and the work ball valve 20 may be removed from the sleeve portion 10 together.

[0076] 15, a bottomed cylindrical plug 90 having a male thread portion 90a formed on its outer circumferential surface is attached to the top opening of the sleeve 11, and the male thread portion 90a of the plug 90 is screwed into the female thread portion 12 of the sleeve 11, thereby closing the top opening of the sleeve 11 with the plug 90. This completes the removal of the work ball valve 20 and the waterproofing operation of the sleeve portion 10.

[0077] Thereafter, although not shown, the valve body 4c is lowered to a closed position in the valve box 4a by an operation to close the inside of the cylindrical portion 3a, thereby making it possible to remove the drilling machine 7. In addition, since the foreign matter C has been removed by the discharge operation, damage to the valve body 4c due to the foreign matter C when it is fitted into the recessed groove portion 4d and the occurrence of water leakage due to the foreign matter C are suppressed.

[0078] (Action and effect) As described above, the working device 1 as an embodiment of the present invention at least comprises a housing 3 that hermetically fits around the fluid pipe 2, and a valve body 4c and a groove portion 4d (valve seat) that can open and close the housing 3, and is capable of performing work related to drilling the fluid pipe 2 using a drilling machine 7 inside the housing 3, and the housing 3 has a tubular portion 3a that intersects with the pipe axis S1 of the fluid pipe 2, and the tubular portion 3a has a sleeve portion 10 at a position axially spaced from the groove portion 4d, and the sleeve portion 10 is connectable to a discharge device 30, an imaging device 50, a detection device 60, etc. as working tools to be inserted into the tubular portion 3a, and guides the discharge device 30, the imaging device 50, and the detection device 60 in a direction inclined toward the groove portion 4d.

[0079] According to this, the discharge device 30 etc. can be inserted into the inside of the cylindrical portion 3a from a remote position that does not affect the closure of the groove portion 4d by the valve body 4c, and the discharge pipe 32 etc. of the discharge device 30 can be inserted through the sleeve portion 10 and guided in an approximately straight line toward the groove portion 4d, so that the foreign matter C retained in the groove portion 4d can be reliably discharged to the outside of the housing 3.

[0080] Furthermore, by providing the sleeve portion 10 at a position away from the groove portion 4d in the peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion 3a in the axial S2 direction, it is not necessary to form communication holes 9 or the like in the peripheral wall of the groove portion 4d in the valve box 4a, so there is no risk of interference with opening and closing the housing 3, and the sleeve portion does not get in the way when connecting a drilling machine 7 or the like to the opening end of the housing 3.

[0081] Furthermore, since the sleeve portion 10 is composed of the sleeve 11 fixed at an angle to the peripheral wall of the tubular portion 3a, the sleeve portion 10 can be easily formed simply by fixing the sleeve 11 at an angle to the tubular portion 3a.

[0082] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 3a extends in an approximately horizontal direction, and the sleeve portion 10 guides the discharge device 30, etc. in a direction inclined toward the bottom 4d' of the groove portion 4d, thereby enabling the discharge device 30, etc. to be reliably guided toward the chips that have sunk to the bottom 4d' of the groove portion 4d.

[0083] In addition, since the sleeve portion 10 is provided at the uppermost portion of the peripheral wall of the branch pipe portion 6d, which is on the radially opposite side to the specific position P1 of the groove portion 4d where the discharge device 30, etc. are guided, the sleeve portion 10 can be spaced a large distance from the specific position P1 of the groove portion 4d, thereby improving the insertion accuracy of the discharge device 30, etc. In addition, since the discharge pipe 32 of the discharge device 30 can be greatly inclined with respect to the cylindrical portion 3a, the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 can be inserted deep into the valve seat even if the valve seat is concave like the groove portion 4d.

[0084] In this embodiment, the sleeve portion 10 is provided at the top of the peripheral wall of the branch pipe portion 6d, which is radially opposite the specific position P1 of the groove portion 4d, but the present invention is not limited to this. The sleeve portion does not necessarily have to be disposed on the radially opposite side of the specific position P1 as long as it is provided at a position axially spaced from the valve seat.

[0085] Specifically, for example, as shown in Figures 16(a) and (b), the sleeve portion 10 may be provided at a lower position of the branch pipe portion 6d, away from the uppermost part of the peripheral wall, which is on the radially opposite side of the specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the recessed groove portion 4d, which is the valve seat, in the downward direction. In this way, the sleeve portion can be disposed closer to the specific position P1, making it easier to guide the tool toward the specific position P1. Also, the mounting position and inclination angle of the sleeve portion 10 relative to the cylindrical portion 3a can be variously changed.

[0086] In addition, since the sleeve portion 10 is provided between the fluid pipe 2 and the groove portion 4d, it is possible to insert the discharge device 30 toward the groove portion 4d in the tubular portion 3a and further guide it toward the downstream side in the branching direction from the groove portion 4d.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the sleeve portion 10 is provided closer to the fluid pipe 2 than the groove portion 4d, i.e., closer to the perforation site of the fluid pipe 2. Therefore, when the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 is guided from the communicating hole 9 to the specific position P1, it moves obliquely from top to bottom within the branch pipe portion 6d, which contains a relatively large amount of foreign matter C, so that the foreign matter C scattered within the branch pipe portion 6d can be sucked up and discharged to the outside.

[0088] Furthermore, the sleeve portion 10 has the female screw portion 12 as a connection portion to which the discharge device 30 can be connected, so that the discharge device 30 can be easily connected to the sleeve portion 10.

[0089] In addition, since the sleeve portion 10 has a female thread portion 13 that protrudes in the inner diameter direction further than the female thread portion 12, after work using the discharge device 30 is completed, a water stopper or the like can be screwed into the female thread portion 13 to stop the water flow.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0091] For example, in the above embodiment, an embodiment in which the branch pipe portion 6d of the case 5 and the valve box 4a of the gate valve device 4 are configured separately has been exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cylindrical portion may be configured by a cylindrical body in which the branch pipe portion 6d of the case 5 and the valve box 4a of the gate valve device 4 are integrated together. In addition, a separate short pipe (not shown) or the like may be connected between the branch pipe portion 6d of the case 5 and the valve box 4a of the gate valve device 4, and in this case, this short pipe also configures a part of the cylindrical portion 3a of the housing 3.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the sleeve portion 10 is provided in the branch pipe portion 6d, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the sleeve portion 10 is provided in a predetermined position in the housing 3, it may be provided in the valve box 4a, or in a short pipe (not shown) connected between the branch pipe portion 6d and the valve box 4a as described above. The sleeve portion 10 may be provided in multiple positions in the housing 3. In this case, the discharge operation may be performed simultaneously in multiple sleeve portions, or the discharge operation may be performed in one of the multiple sleeve portions while the checking operation or the like is performed simultaneously in the other sleeve portions.

[0093] In addition, in the above embodiment, the sleeve portion 10 is exemplified as guiding the tip opening 32a of the discharge pipe 32 toward a specific position P1 at the bottom 4d' of the groove portion 4d, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the specific position P1 is not limited to the central position in the fore-and-aft direction at the bottom 4d', but may be at the front or rear side, or may be at the front or rear of the groove portion 4d.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the sleeve portion 10 is formed of a cylindrical sleeve 11 fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the branch pipe portion 6d, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sleeve portion may be formed of a protrusion or the like protruding from the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface of the branch pipe portion 6d. Also, the sleeve portion may include not only the sleeve 11 but also the work ball valve 20.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the valve body 4c is provided as a valve body capable of opening and closing the inside of the housing, and is movable in the vertical direction relative to the cylindrical portion 3a, and closes the inside of the housing by moving downward. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the valve body 4c may be moved upward or to one side to close the inside of the housing. The type of the valve body is also arbitrary and can be changed in various ways.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the groove 4d is applied as an example of the valve seat, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the valve seat does not necessarily have to be formed in a groove shape like the groove 4d into which the peripheral edge of the valve body 4c can be fitted, and may be a flat valve seat against which the peripheral edge of the valve body 4c can abut, or may be a stepped valve seat protruding in the inner diameter direction so that the peripheral edge of the valve body 4c can easily abut. In addition, the groove 4d is provided in the circumferential direction on the lower and side parts of the inner wall of the cylindrical part 3a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is sufficient that the groove 4d is formed in at least a part of the circumferential direction, and the location of the groove 4d is arbitrary.

[0097] In addition, in the above embodiment, the check valve device 4 having a valve body and valve seat that can open and close the housing is illustrated as being used while remaining connected to the case 5 without being removed even after the discharge work and inspection work of the foreign matter C are completed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and as a valve device having a valve body and valve seat, it is also possible to apply a working valve device having a working valve body and working valve seat that is used only when performing drilling work, discharge of foreign matter and inspection work, etc., and is removed after various operations are completed.

[0098] In addition, in the above embodiment, as an example of a valve body capable of opening and closing the inside of the housing, a form in which a valve body 4c (gate valve) that is movably arranged between the valve box 4a and the valve cover 4b is applied is exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a valve body other than the above-mentioned gate valve may be applied as long as the valve body is arranged to be able to approach and separate from the valve seat, for example, a so-called butterfly valve that opens and closes the inside of the housing by rotating around a valve stem (not shown) provided in the valve box.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the cylindrical portion 3a is generally perpendicular to the axis S1 of the fluid pipe 2 and extends laterally, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cylindrical portion may extend upward as in the conventional example. Also, the cylindrical portion may cross the axis of the fluid pipe at an angle.

[0100] In addition, in the above embodiment, as an example of work related to drilling the fluid pipe 2 by the drilling machine 7 inside the housing 3, a form in which the discharge of foreign matter C by the discharge device 30, the inspection work inside the housing 3 by the imaging device 50, the water quality inspection work inside the housing 3 by the detection device 60, etc. are applied is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may include work using various other tools than those mentioned above, such as a water leakage check work performed before drilling the fluid pipe 2. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1 Work equipment 2 Fluid tube 3. Chassis 3a Cylindrical part 4. Gate valve device 4a Valve box (casing, cylindrical part) 4b Opercle 4c Valve body 4d Concave groove (valve seat) 4d' bottom 5 Case (Housing) 5a 1st division body 5b Second division body 6a, 6b Covering part 6c Branch Exit 6d Branch pipe section (cylindrical section) 7 Drilling machine 9 Communication hole 10 Sleeve section 11 Sleeve 11a Passageway 11b Top opening 11c Bottom opening 12 Female thread part (connection part) 13 Female thread 15 Connecting pipe 15a Passageway 20. Working ball valve 21 Main body 21a Passageway 30 Discharge device (work tool) 31 Support pipe 31a Passageway 32 Discharge pipe 32a Tip opening 33 Ball valve 50 Imaging device (work tool) 51 Support pipe 51a Passageway 52 Insertion tube 52a Imaging unit 60 Detection device (work tool) 80 Water Stop 90 Plug 100 tools C Foreign matter P1 Specific position

Claims

1. A working device that includes at least a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, and a valve body and a valve seat that can open and close the housing, and that is capable of performing work related to drilling the fluid pipe with a drilling machine inside the housing, the housing has a cylindrical portion that intersects with a pipe axis of the fluid pipe, the cylindrical portion has a sleeve portion at a position axially spaced from the valve seat, The working device, characterized in that the sleeve portion is connectable to a working tool inserted into the cylindrical portion and guides the working tool in a direction inclined toward the valve seat.

2. 2. The working device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve portion is configured by a sleeve fixed obliquely to a peripheral wall of the cylindrical portion.

3. The cylindrical portion extends in a substantially horizontal direction, The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve portion guides the working tool in a direction inclined toward a bottom of the valve seat.

4. The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve portion is provided on a radially opposite side of the specific position of the valve seat where the working tool is guided.

5. 2. The working device according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve portion is provided between the fluid pipe and the valve seat.

6. The working device according to claim 1 , wherein the sleeve portion has a connection portion to which the working tool can be connected.

7. The working device according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve portion has a female thread portion that protrudes radially inward beyond the connecting portion.

Images