Survey instrument with picking-out function

Abstract

To greatly improve operability when picking out an object on a bottom face of a water tank or a water channel.SOLUTION: A survey instrument with a picking-out function includes: a grip part 13 operated so as to grip an object due to that a pair of finger parts 13a, 13b opened in a U shape are closed in response to drawing and operating a control lever 14 while gripping a grip part 12 in a rear end of a support pillar 11 at the tip of the support pillar 11; and an imaging unit 23 for directing an imaging direction and a lighting direction to a tip direction front face of a survey instrument 10 in a base part center of the U-shaped grip part 13. A terminal stand 26 is disposed on the upper face of the support pillar 11 adjacent to the control lever 14, an operation power supply of an imaging part 21 and an LED lighting 22 is supplied to the imaging unit 23 by a display terminal 30 having a battery power supply mounted on the terminal stand 26, and an imaged dynamic image is displayed on a display screen 30D. The lighting is applied by opening / closing the grip part 13 to image directly from the base part center of the grip part 13, i.e., a center where the pair of finger parts 13a, 13b are opened / closed to a region T to be a picking-out target of the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a search tool with a finder function. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, if you want to pick up an object that has fallen into an aquarium or waterway, you must first investigate and confirm the condition of the bottom of the aquarium or waterway.

[0003] However, not only is water accumulating in an aquarium and water flowing in a channel, but the water surface often has dynamic light reflections and floating objects, and it is difficult for light to reach the bottom of the aquarium or channel, making it impossible to carry out sufficient investigations and confirmations by visual inspection from the ground.

[0004] Conventionally, a magic hand (manipulator) and the like have been widely used as a tool for picking up fallen objects, etc. For the purpose of observing and diagnosing the state of liquids, gases, etc. stored in tanks such as liquefied gas tanks, ammonia tanks, and oxygen tanks, a manipulator for operating inside a tank equipped with a fiberscope with a light source has been devised (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-067093 [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-291225 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2010-089169 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-142308 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Conventional manipulators for operating inside a tank are equipped with a fiberscope with a light source, but the fiberscope and the fiber are provided along the outer surface of a long support rod that supports the manipulator. The state of the inside of the tank obtained by the fiberscope is sent to a television receiver installed away from the support rod and displayed.

[0007] Therefore, with conventional manipulators for operating inside tanks, the direction of light emitted by the fiberscope and the direction of imaging are oblique to the position where the object is to be picked up as the tentacles of the manipulator open and close, which not only creates a sensory discrepancy between the state of the object displayed on the television set and the object to be picked up, but also requires checking the television set installed at a distance, which hinders operability when picking up an object with the tentacles while checking the object's state.

[0008] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide an investigation tool with a pick-up function that can significantly improve operability when checking and picking up objects on the bottom of, for example, an aquarium or waterway. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The investigation device with the finding function of the embodiment includes: The pillars and a gripping portion provided at a tip of the support and capable of gripping an object by moving tips of a plurality of fingers from an open state to a closed state; An operation unit provided at a rear end of the support column for operating the gripping unit; an imaging unit provided at the center of a base portion where the multiple fingers of the gripping portion open and close, the imaging unit including an illumination unit that illuminates in a direction in which the tips of the multiple fingers close, and an imaging unit that images in the direction in which the tips of the multiple fingers close; The support pillar is provided with a display unit disposed adjacent to the operation unit, the display unit displaying a moving image captured by the imaging unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing, with a part in perspective, the external configuration of an investigation instrument 10 with a finding function according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of part A in the gripping portion 13 of the investigation instrument 10 with picking function of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB, showing the base of the gripping portion 13 of the investigation instrument with picking function 10 of FIG. 1, as viewed from the front. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing, with a part in perspective, the external configuration of an investigation instrument 10A with a finding function according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery including the gripping portion 13 at the tip of the investigation instrument with picking function 10A of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of part C of the investigation instrument 10A with a pick-up function of FIG. 4 and FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] (Configuration and operation of the first embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing, with a part in perspective, the external configuration of an investigation instrument 10 with a finding function according to the first embodiment.

[0013] The investigation tool with pick-up function 10 includes a straight support pole 11. The support pole 11 is configured, for example, as a cylinder (or a ring) with a length of about 2 to 3 m and a rectangular cross section. A grip part 12 is provided at one end (rear end) of the support pole 11, and a grasping part 13 is provided at the other end (tip end).

[0014] In the following explanation, the upper side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the rear end (rear) of the investigation instrument 10, the lower side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the tip (front or front) of the investigation instrument 10, the front side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the left side of the investigation instrument 10, the rear side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the right side of the investigation instrument 10, the left side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the top surface of the investigation instrument 10, and the right side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the bottom surface of the investigation instrument 10.

[0015] Grip section 12 is provided from the rear end of support column 11 to its underside in an L-shape, and is intended for a user to hold and support investigation instrument 10 with one hand facing the tip where grip section 13 is located. An operating lever 14 (operating section) for operating grip section 13 is provided on the underside of support column 11 near the base of grip section 12 relative to support column 11, within reach of the fingers of the user holding grip section 12.

[0016] The operating lever 14 is supported integrally by a lever support shaft 14s that is provided across the left and right sides of the space within the support pillar 11, and rotates in response to user operation as indicated by arrow X, with the lever support shaft 14s as a fulcrum.

[0017] A cam member 15 that rotates in the space within the support column 11 together with the lever support shaft 14s is provided on the lever support shaft 14s.

[0018] A wire 16 is stretched between the eccentric top of the cam member 15 and the gripping portion 13 through the space within the support 11, and one end (rear end) of the wire 16 is attached to the gripping portion 13 to transmit the operating force associated with the rotation of the operating lever 14.

[0019] The gripping portion 13 has a pair of fingers 13a, 13b (corresponding to the left and right sides of the U) that form a U-shape (the base of the U corresponds to the base) with the tip of the support 11 as its base, and the rear ends which form the roots of each finger 13a, 13b are supported integrally by finger support shafts 17a, 17b that are provided across the left and right side surfaces of the support 11 on the upper and lower sides, respectively, of the space along the tip within the support 11.

[0020] The finger support shafts 17a, 17b are provided with cam members 18a, 18b which are rotatable together with the finger support shafts 17a, 17b in the space within the support pillar 11. The other end (tip) of a wire 16 which is stretched between the cam member 15 of the lever support shaft 14s and which passes through the space within the support pillar 11 is branched and attached to the eccentric apex of each of the cam members 18a, 18b.

[0021] In other words, when the user pulls and rotates operating lever 14 as shown by arrow X, the tops of cam members 18a, 18b of finger support shafts 17a, 17b are pulled toward the rear end of support pillar 11 and rotate via wire 16 inside support pillar 11, and as a result, the tips of each finger portion 13a, 13b rotate about finger support shafts 17a, 17b as shown by arrow Y, closing the U-shaped opening of gripping portion 13 to clamp and grasp an object.

[0022] An elastic member LB such as flexible rubber is provided on the opposing inner surfaces of the U-shape of the gripping portion 13, i.e., the inner surfaces of the opposing finger portions 13a, 13b, to hold the gripped (clamped) object without slipping.

[0023] A latch mechanism 19 is provided on the lever support shaft 14s, which supports the operating lever 14 and rotates integrally therewith, for holding the rotated position of the lever support shaft 14s (preventing reverse rotation) when the operating lever 14 is pulled, the gripping portion 13 is closed, and high tension is applied to the wire 16. The state in which the lever support shaft 14s is prevented from reverse rotation by the latch mechanism 19 (latched state) can be released by pulling the operating lever 14 further from that state.

[0024] A light force is constantly applied to the pair of fingers 13a, 13b of gripping portion 13 in a direction to open in a U-shape, for example, by the spring force of a spring (not shown) that is provided to connect the rear ends of fingers 13a, 13b. When the latch state of latch mechanism 19 is released and operation lever 14 is not pulled, fingers 13a, 13b of gripping portion 13 operate to return to the initial U-shape position.

[0025] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial perspective view of part A in the gripping portion 13 of the investigation instrument 10 with picking function of FIG.

[0026] At the tips of a pair of fingers 13a (13b) of the gripping portion 13, a fishing hook 20a (20b) made of a material such as a magnet is provided so as to extend outward from the tips of the fingers 13a (13b) and curve toward the rear end.

[0027] In other words, the hooks 20a, 20b function to hook and acquire objects that have some kind of hook that are present around the gripping portion 13, or to adsorb and acquire objects that contain iron, depending on the operation of the user of the investigation instrument 10.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB, showing the base of the gripping portion 13 of the investigation instrument with picking function 10 of FIG. 1, as viewed from the front.

[0029] An imaging unit 23 equipped with an imaging section 21 (including an imaging lens and an imaging element) and multiple LED lights 22 (illumination section) is provided at the center of the base of the U-shaped gripping section 13, i.e., at the tip 11F of the support 11 sandwiched between the bases of the finger sections 13a, 13b.

[0030] The imaging unit 23 has an imaging surface with the imaging section 21 at the center and multiple LED lights 22 arranged evenly and in a circular shape around it, and is arranged so that the imaging surface is exposed flush with the surface of the tip 11F of the support 11 with the center Z of the imaging section 21 coinciding with the center of the base of the gripping portion 13.

[0031] In other words, the finger portions 13a, 13b of the grip portion 13 are positioned symmetrically with respect to the center Z of the imaging portion 21, and when the finger portions 13a, 13b are closed as indicated by the arrow Y in response to the operation of the operating lever 14, the center of the closed finger portions 13a, 13b coincides with the center Z of the imaging portion 21, and illumination from the multiple LED lights 22 is evenly directed toward the space between the finger portions 13a, 13b.

[0032] An imaging unit signal line 24 for supplying power to the imaging unit 23 and extracting an imaging signal from the imaging unit 23 is led out from the rear end of the imaging unit 23, passed through the space within the support 11, and connected to an imaging unit input / output terminal 25 provided on the side (here, the left side) of the support 11 adjacent to the tip side of the operating lever 14, as shown in FIG.

[0033] A terminal stand 26 is provided on the side surface (here, the upper surface) of the support 11 near where the imaging unit input / output terminal 25 is provided. The terminal stand 26 is for detachably supporting a display terminal 30 (display unit) such as a smartphone, and is provided so that a display screen 30D of the display terminal 30 attached to the terminal stand 26 faces rearward of the support 11, that is, in the direction viewed by the user.

[0034] The imaging unit input / output terminal 25 of the investigation tool 10 and the input / output terminal 31 of the display terminal 30 are connected via a connection cable 32 such as a USB cable.

[0035] The display terminal 30 supplies power (operating power) to the imaging unit 23 from a built-in rechargeable battery power source via a connection cable 32 and a signal line 24 for the imaging unit, and also inputs moving images captured by the imaging section 21 of the imaging unit 23 as an imaging signal and displays them on the display screen 30D.

[0036] That is, the investigation tool 10 and its imaging unit 23 operate to capture moving images while illuminating directly in the direction of the tip of the investigation tool 10, i.e., toward the area T directly in front of the gripping portion 13 including the tips of each finger portion 13a, 13b, and to display the moving images on the display screen 30D of the display terminal 30.

[0037] (Summary of the first embodiment) According to the first embodiment of the investigation instrument with finding function 10, a gripping portion 13 is provided at the tip of a support pole 11 having a length of, for example, 2 to 3 m. In response to holding a grip portion 12 at the rear end of the support pole 11 and pulling an operating lever 14, a pair of fingers 13a, 13b open in a U-shape close to grasp an object, and an imaging unit 23 is provided at the center of the base of the U-shaped gripping portion 13, with the imaging direction and illumination direction facing directly ahead toward the tip of the investigation instrument 10.

[0038] A terminal stand 26 is provided on the upper surface of the support 11 adjacent to the tip side of the operating lever 14, and a display terminal 30 having a battery power source attached to the terminal stand 26 supplies operating power for the imaging unit 23 to its imaging section 21 and LED lighting 22, and displays the captured moving image on the display screen 30D.

[0039] This allows illumination to be shone directly onto and imaged from the center of the base of gripping portion 13, i.e., the center where the pair of finger portions 13a, 13b open and close, in area T centered on the position where the object is to be picked up by opening and closing gripping portion 13, and the condition of the bottom surface of, for example, an aquarium or waterway, and the condition of the object, which are displayed on the display screen 30D of the display terminal 30 attached to the support pole 11 in the user's hand, can be clearly investigated and confirmed, including the positional relationship with the finger portions 13a, 13b.

[0040] This makes it possible to greatly improve operability when picking up an object such as a dropped object while checking the condition of the bottom of, for example, an aquarium or waterway.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment of the survey instrument 10 with the finding function, the display terminal 30 may be shared by multiple survey instruments 10, or a display terminal 30 owned by an individual user may be used, and the survey instrument 10 with the finding function can be constructed at low cost.

[0042] (Configuration and Operation of the Second Embodiment) FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing, with a part in perspective, the external configuration of an investigation instrument 10A with a finding function according to the second embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of the periphery including the gripping portion 13 at the tip of the investigation instrument with picking function 10A of FIG.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing an enlarged view of part C of the investigation instrument 10A with a pick-up function of FIG. 4 and FIG.

[0045] In the second embodiment of the investigation tool with finding function 10A shown in Figures 4 to 6, parts that are configured in the same way as the investigation tool with finding function 10 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 are given the same symbols and their descriptions are omitted.

[0046] In the investigation instrument with finding function 10A of the second embodiment, the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the support pole 11 is configured to be extendable and retractable via one or more extension poles 11a, 11b. Here, the tip side of the support pole 11 having the gripping portion 13 is referred to as the tip side support pole 11p, and the rear end side of the support pole 11 having the grip portion 12, the operating lever 14, and the terminal stand 26 is referred to as the rear side support pole 11h.

[0047] In addition, the power for rotating the pair of fingers 13a, 13b of the gripping portion 13 is obtained by small motors 41a, 41b (rotation drive units), and as shown in Figures 4 and 5, finger support shafts 17a, 17b, which serve as fulcrums for rotating the fingers 13a, 13b, are configured as shafts of the small motors 41a, 41b (rotation drive units).

[0048] The small motors 41a, 41b (rotation drive units) may be supplied with power (operating power source) from a battery power source BT such as a rechargeable battery that is detachably built into the grip unit 12, as shown in FIG.

[0049] The power output line 42B from the battery power source BT and the power supply line 42 for the small motors 41a, 41b are connected via a latch switch mechanism 19SW that operates in conjunction with the rotation of the operating lever 14 and its lever support shaft 14s. The latch switch mechanism 19SW is the latch mechanism 19 of the first embodiment with the addition of an on-off switch.

[0050] When the user pulls and rotates the operating lever 14 as indicated by the arrow X, the latch switch mechanism 19SW turns the on-off switch on in conjunction with the rotation of the lever support shaft 14s, connects the power output line 42B of the battery power source BT to the power supply line 42 of the small motors 41a, 41b, and prevents reverse rotation of the lever support shaft 14s (latched state). The latched state in which the on-off switch is turned on by the latch switch mechanism 19SW can be released by pulling the operating lever 14 further from that state.

[0051] When operating power is supplied to the small motors 41a, 41b in the on state (latched state) of the latch switch mechanism 19SW due to operation of the operating lever 14, the finger support shafts 17a, 17b are rotated by the small motors 41a, 41b, and as in the first embodiment, the tips of the fingers 13a, 13b rotate around the finger support shafts 17a, 17b as shown by arrow Y, closing the U-shaped opening of the gripping portion 13 to clamp and grip an object.

[0052] In the second embodiment of the investigation instrument with detection function 10A, the signal line 24 for the imaging unit and the power supply line 42 are embedded through the same position when viewed from the cross section of the pillar 11 (11p, 11h, 11a, 11b) in each of the tip pillar 11p, the rear end pillar 11h, and the extension pillars 11a, 11b that make up the pillar 11, as shown in Figure 6, for example.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the connection portion between the rear end column 11h and the extension column 11a, and the connection portion between the front end column 11p and the extension column 11b are both configured similarly to the connection portion between the extension columns 11a, 11b.

[0054] That is, a connecting protrusion 43v, which is a protrusion with a rectangular cross section, is integrally provided at the center of the tip of the extension pillar 11a, and a connecting recess 43c, which is a recess, is provided at the center of the rear end of the extension pillar 11b, into which the connecting protrusion 43v of the extension pillar 11a is precisely inserted, as shown by arrow R, so that the outer peripheral side surfaces of the extension pillars 11a, 11b are continuous on the same plane.

[0055] Further, a signal line connection pin 24p that electrically exposes the imaging unit signal line 24 in the extension column 11a, and power connection pins 42pa, 42pb that electrically expose the power supply line 42 in the extension column 11a are provided on an outer ring surface surrounding the connecting protrusion 43v at the tip of the extension column 11a. Opposite to this, a signal line connection terminal 24i and power connection terminals 42ia, 42ib are provided on an outer ring surface surrounding a connecting recess 43c at the rear end of the extension column 11b, into which the signal line connection pin 24p and the power connection pins 42pa, 42pb at the tip of the extension column 11a are inserted and which are electrically connected to the imaging unit signal line 24 and the power supply line 42 in the extension column 11b.

[0056] In addition, a locking protrusion 44r is provided at the tip of the extension pillar 11a to maintain the connected state between the extension pillar 11a and the extension pillar 11b, and a locking hole 44d having a groove into which the wedge-shaped portion of the locking protrusion 44r fits is provided at the rear end of the extension pillar 11b opposite to this.

[0057] The lock protrusion 44r moves up and down in conjunction with a lock release button 45 that is provided on the top surface of the tip side of the extension pole 11a so as to be movable up and down as indicated by an arrow M by, for example, the force of a spring (not shown).

[0058] When the unlock button 45 is not pressed in, the lock protrusion 44r fits into the groove of the lock hole 44d in response to the connection between the extension posts 11a and 11b, thereby entering a locked state. When the unlock button 45 is pressed in, the lock protrusion 44r comes out of the groove of the lock hole 44d, thereby entering a state in which the connection between the extension posts 11a and 11b can be released.

[0059] (Summary of the second embodiment) According to the second embodiment of the investigation instrument with picking function 10A, as with the first embodiment of the investigation instrument with picking function 10, the area T centered on the position where an object is to be picked up by opening and closing the gripping portion 13 can be illuminated and imaged straight from the center of the base of the gripping portion 13, i.e., the center where the pair of finger portions 13a, 13b open and close, and the condition of the bottom surface of, for example, an aquarium or waterway, and the condition of the object, can be clearly investigated and confirmed, including the positional relationship with the finger portions 13a, 13b, displayed on the display screen 30D of the display terminal 30 attached to the support 11 in the user's hand.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment of the investigation instrument with pick-up function 10A, the support pole 11 is configured to be extendable and retractable via one or more extension poles 11a, 11b, so that the support pole 11 can be adjusted to an appropriate length depending on the depth of, for example, an aquarium or waterway in which the investigation instrument 10A is used.

[0061] This makes it possible to greatly improve operability when picking up an object such as a dropped object while checking the condition of the bottom of, for example, a water tank or a waterway.

[0062] In addition, in the investigation instrument with finding function 10 of the first embodiment, the display terminal 30 may be switched from the off state to the on state in conjunction with the latch state of the latch mechanism 19, and in the investigation instrument with finding function 10A of the second embodiment, the display terminal 30 may be switched from the off state to the on state in conjunction with the latch state of the latch switch mechanism 19SW, to start the operation of the imaging unit 23 and display the captured moving image on the display screen 30D.

[0063] Furthermore, the gripping portion 13 of the investigation instrument with pick-up function 10 (10A) is configured to include a pair of fingers 13a, 13b, but may be configured to include three or more fingers to make it easier to grip an object.

[0064] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10... Investigation tool with pick-up function (first embodiment), 11... Support, 12... Grip portion, 13... Grasping portion, 13a, 13b... Finger portion, LB... Elastic member, 14... Operating lever (operating portion), 14s... Lever support shaft, 16... Wire (for transmitting operating force), 17a, 17b... Finger portion support shaft, 19... Latch mechanism, 20a, 20b... Hook (magnetic material), 21... Imaging portion, 22... LED lighting (lighting portion), 23... Imaging unit, T... Area (lighting / imaging target), 24... Signal line for imaging unit, 25... Input / output terminal for imaging unit, 26...terminal stand, 30...display terminal (display unit), 30D...display screen, 31...input / output terminal, 32...connection cable, 10A...investigation instrument with search function (second embodiment), 11h...rear end support, 11p...tip end support, 11a, 11b...extension support, 19SW...latch switch mechanism, 41a, 41b...small motor (rotating drive unit), BT...battery power source, 42B...power output line, 42...power supply line, 43v...connecting convex portion, 43c...connecting concave portion, 44r...locking protrusion, 44d...locking hole, 45...lock release button.

Claims

1. The pillars and a gripping portion provided at a tip of the support and capable of gripping an object by moving tips of a plurality of fingers from an open state to a closed state; An operation unit provided at a rear end of the support column for operating the gripping unit; an imaging unit provided at the center of a base portion where the multiple fingers of the gripping portion open and close, the imaging unit including an illumination unit that illuminates in a direction in which the tips of the multiple fingers close, and an imaging unit that images in the direction in which the tips of the multiple fingers close; a display unit provided adjacent to the operation unit of the support pillar and displaying a moving image captured by the imaging unit; A survey device with a finding function.

2. the display unit is a display terminal having a display screen, a terminal stand for detachably supporting the display terminal on the support pole; displaying a moving image captured by the imaging unit on a display screen of the display terminal; 2. The investigation tool with a find function according to claim 1.

3. the display terminal has a battery power source; a battery power source of the display terminal supplies operating power to the illumination unit and the imaging unit of the imaging unit; 3. The investigation tool with a finding function according to claim 2.

4. the imaging unit has an imaging surface on which the illumination units are arranged annularly and evenly around the imaging unit, and the imaging surface is arranged so as to face a direction in which the tips of the finger units are closed with the center of the imaging unit coinciding with the center of the base of the grip unit; 3. An investigation instrument with a finder function according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A hook-like hook is provided at the tip of the finger portion.

3. An investigation instrument with a finder function according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The support has one or more extension supports connected to the middle of the support in the longitudinal direction to extend or contract the support.

3. An investigation instrument with a finder function according to claim 1 or 2.

Images