Drone for pipeline inspection

Abstract

To provide a drone for pipeline inspection that when flying and moving in a pipeline, suppresses that the drone got too close to a ceiling plane and is pulled toward the ceiling plane side of the pipeline by air stream occurring due to rotation of a propeller, and thus, cannot be controlled, and that can stably fly and move in the pipeline.SOLUTION: In a drone for pipeline inspection which flies and moves in a pipeline 20 by rotation of a propeller 2 provided on an airframe 1 and inspects the interior of the pipeline 20, the airframe 1 comprises a contact part 3 contacting a ceiling plane 21 of the pipeline 20. The contact part 3 is provided above the airframe 1 with a prescribed clearance therebetween, this clearance is configured as a clearance capable of avoiding such a situation that when the contact part 3 contacts the ceiling plane 21, the airframe 1 pulled toward the ceiling plane 21 side of the pipeline 20 by air stream occurring due to rotation of the propeller 2 and cannot be controlled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone for pipeline inspection.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, when inspecting and checking the inside of a pipeline where it is difficult for workers to enter, as shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2, operations using a drone (unmanned aerial vehicle) have been carried out.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the inspection inside a pipeline using the drone described in the above patent documents, when flying the drone inside a pipeline with a small diameter (for example, 600 mm or less), if the drone approaches the ceiling surface too much due to an operation error or the like, the drone may be attracted to the ceiling surface side by the airflow generated by the rotation of the drone's propellers and become uncontrollable.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and when the drone flies and moves inside the pipeline, it suppresses the situation where the drone approaches the ceiling surface too much and is attracted to the ceiling surface side of the pipeline by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propellers and becomes uncontrollable, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drone for pipeline inspection that can stably fly and move inside the pipeline.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The gist of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0007] A pipeline inspection drone that flies and moves in a pipeline 20 by the rotation of a propeller 2 provided on an aircraft body 1 and inspects the inside of the pipeline 20. The aircraft body 1 includes a contact portion 3 that contacts the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20. The contact portion 3 is provided at a predetermined separation distance above the aircraft body 1. The separation distance is configured to be a distance such that when the contact portion 3 contacts the ceiling surface 21, the aircraft body 1 is not drawn to the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 and becomes uncontrollable. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0008] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 1, the contact portion 3 is configured such that the separation distance from the aircraft body 1 is variable. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0009] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 1, the contact portion 3 is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1 on both the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0010] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 2, the contact portion 3 is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1 on both the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0011] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to any one of claims 2 to 4, the contact portion 3 is supported by a support portion 4 provided on the aircraft body 1, and the separation distance from the aircraft body 1 is variable by the movement of this support portion 4. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0012] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the contact portion 3 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0013] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 5, the contact portion 3 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe 1, and relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0014] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a grounding leg portion 5 is provided below the airframe 1. This grounding leg portion 5 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe 1, and is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the airframe 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0015] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 5, a grounding leg portion 5 is provided below the airframe 1. This grounding leg portion 5 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe 1, and is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the airframe 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0016] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 6, a grounding leg portion 5 is provided below the airframe 1. This grounding leg portion 5 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe 1, and is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the airframe 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

[0017] Further, in the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 7, a grounding leg portion 5 is provided below the airframe 1. This grounding leg portion 5 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe 1, and is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the airframe 1. It relates to a pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

Advantages of the Invention

[0018] Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to suppress the situation where the airframe approaches the ceiling surface of the pipeline too much and is attracted to the ceiling surface side of the pipeline by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propellers, resulting in uncontrollability, and it becomes a pipeline inspection drone that can stably fly and move inside the pipeline.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Embodiments of the present invention considered to be suitable will be briefly described with reference to the drawings to show the operation of the present invention.

[0021] In the present invention, when the contact portion 3 abuts against the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20, the separation distance between the aircraft body 1 and the contact portion 3 is configured such that the aircraft body 1 will not be uncontrollably drawn toward the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2. Therefore, when the contact portion 3 abuts against the ceiling surface 21, further approach of the aircraft body 1 to the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 is suppressed. Accordingly, the suction phenomenon in which the aircraft body 1 is drawn toward the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 does not occur, or the suction phenomenon becomes mild and does not become uncontrollable.

Embodiment

[0022] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] This embodiment is a pipeline inspection drone that flies and moves inside the pipeline 20 by the lift and thrust generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 provided on the aircraft body 1 and inspects the inside of the pipeline 20. The aircraft body 1 is provided with a contact portion 3 that abuts against the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20. The contact portion 3 is provided at a predetermined separation distance above the aircraft body 1. The separation distance is configured such that when the contact portion 3 abuts against the ceiling surface 21, the aircraft body 1 will not be uncontrollably drawn toward the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2.

[0024] Hereinafter, each component of the configuration according to this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the aircraft body 1 of this embodiment has four propellers 2 for generating lift and thrust arranged in the front, rear, left, and right directions. Each propeller 2 is protected by a propeller guard 6 configured in an annular shape.

[0026] In this embodiment, a commercially available drone is used as the aircraft 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, an aircraft 1 (drone) having a body size of about 160 mm in the front-back, left-right, and right-left directions and a symmetric shape is used. Note that the shape, size of the aircraft 1, the number of installed propellers 2, and the shape of the propeller guard 6 are not limited to the configurations described in this embodiment and can be appropriately redesigned.

[0027] Further, at the tip of the aircraft 1, as an inspection means 7 for inspecting the inside of the pipeline 20, a camera for photographing the inside of the pipeline 20 is provided. Note that the inspection means 7 may be other than a camera, for example, an ultrasonic sensor, a laser measuring instrument, etc., or a configuration in which these are used in combination may also be adopted.

[0028] Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the contact portion 3 is composed of a rod-shaped body extending in the front-back direction of the aircraft 1 and is provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the aircraft 1.

[0029] Specifically, the contact portion 3 is made of synthetic resin or light metal, and as shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion 3a and the rear end portion 3b are each inclined downward (in this embodiment, inclined 15° with respect to the straight line portion 3c).

[0030] Also, as shown in the figure, the contact portion 3 is provided via a support portion 4 provided on the aircraft 1.

[0031] The support portion 4 is composed of two rod-shaped bodies, the contact portion 3 is continuously provided at the tip portion, the base portion 4a is provided at the base end portion, and it is provided on the attachment portions 8 provided on the left and right sides of the aircraft 1 via this base portion 4a.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 4 is provided in an inclined state (inclined 65° with respect to the horizontal plane (in this embodiment, the attachment portion 8)) such that the tip portion side where the contact portion 3 is continuously provided is located inside the aircraft 1, and the left and right support portions 4 are configured to exhibit a "H" shape in a front view. Note that reference numeral 15 in FIG. 2 indicates a battery, and reference numeral 16 indicates a control unit.

[0033] Further, the mounting portion 8 to which the contact portion 3 is attached is configured as a long strip-shaped plate in the front-rear direction, and is provided symmetrically on both the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1 so as to protrude from the side edge portions of the aircraft body 1.

[0034] Specifically, a body mounting portion 8a projects from the inner edge side of the mounting portion 8. By using the motor mounting portion 10 where a motor 9 for rotating the propeller 2 is disposed, and attaching the body mounting portion 8a to the aircraft body 1 (motor mounting portion 10) with motor fixing screws 11, the mounting portion 8 is configured to be disposed at a predetermined position.

[0035] Further, the mounting portion 8 of this embodiment is formed such that the front end portion and the rear end portion are each curved inward. For example, when weeds or the like grow in the pipeline 20, the weeds are cut at this curved portion, and it has a function like a guard portion to prevent entanglement with the aircraft body 1.

[0036] In addition, in this embodiment, grounding legs 5 are provided below the aircraft body 1. In the event that it becomes necessary to land inside the pipeline 20, even if water accumulates on the bottom surface 22 of the pipeline 20, the aircraft body 1 can land stably without being submerged.

[0037] Specifically, the grounding legs 5 are configured as rod-shaped bodies extending in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body 1, and are provided symmetrically on both the left and right sides of the aircraft body 1 with respect to the aircraft body 1.

[0038] More specifically, the grounding legs 5 are made of synthetic resin or light metal, and as shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion 5a and the rear end portion 5b are each inclined upward (in this embodiment, inclined 15° with respect to the straight portion 5c).

[0039] Also, the grounding legs 5 are configured to be provided via leg support portions 12 provided on the aircraft body 1, similar to the contact portion 3.

[0040] The leg support portion 12 consists of two rod-shaped bodies, with the grounding leg portion 5 connected to the tip portion and a base portion 12a at the base end, and is provided on the back surface of the mounting portion 8 on which the abutment portion 3 is provided, via this base portion 12a, as shown in Figure 4.

[0041] In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the leg support parts 12 in this embodiment are inclined (inclined at 65° with respect to the horizontal plane (in this embodiment, the mounting part 8)) so that the tip side to which the ground-contacting leg part 5 is connected is located inside the aircraft body 1, and the left and right leg support parts 12 are configured to have an inverted U shape when viewed from the front.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the above-mentioned abutment portion 3, support portion 4 and base portion 4a are molded integrally to form the upper attachment portion 13, and the ground contact leg portion 5, leg support portion 12 and base portion 12a are molded integrally to form the lower attachment portion 14, and these upper attachment portion 13 and lower attachment portion 14 are connected via the mounting portion 8, so that when the aircraft 1 is viewed from the front, the upper attachment portion 13 and lower attachment portion 14 located on the left side form a U-shape, and the upper attachment portion 13 and lower attachment portion 14 located on the right side form an inverted U-shape.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 are each configured symmetrically in the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 3, are provided on the mounting portion 8 so as to be freely attached and detached, and can be attached to the mounting portion 8 even when rotated horizontally 180 degrees so that the front-to-back positions are reversed (from the state in Figure 2 to the state in Figure 6 or Figure 7).Furthermore, they are configured so that they can be attached by swapping the left and right positions (from the state in Figure 2 to the state in Figure 6 or Figure 7), and the shape can be changed by changing the attachment direction of the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, when the aircraft body 1 is viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 2, the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the left side form a reverse L shape, and the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the right side form an L shape. Also, the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 are respectively configured to be located inside the aircraft body 1 in a first form; as shown in FIG. 6, the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the left side form a straight line sloping downward to the right, and the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the right side form a straight line sloping downward to the left. Also, the contact portion 3 is located outside the aircraft body 1, and the grounding leg portion 5 is located inside the aircraft body 1 in a second form; as shown in FIG. 7, the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the left side form a reverse L shape, and the upper attachment portion 13 and the lower attachment portion 14 located on the right side form an L shape. Also, the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 are respectively configured to be located outside the aircraft body 1 in a third form. It is configured to be deformable into three forms.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 8(a) to (c), for the first form, the second form, and the third form, the size of the circumscribed circle S formed by connecting four points of the left and right contact portions 3 and the grounding leg portions 5 is different. The first form is the form with the smallest circumscribed circle S among the three forms. In the aircraft body size (about 160 mm / about 160 mm) of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, it has a shape and size suitable for a pipeline 20 with a diameter of φ200 mm.

[0046] Also, for the second form, the circumscribed circle S has a larger diameter than that of the first form and has a shape and size suitable for a pipeline 20 with a diameter of φ250 mm to φ300 mm. For the third form, the circumscribed circle S has a larger diameter than that of the second form and has a shape and size suitable for a pipeline 20 with a diameter of φ300 mm or more (preferably φ300 mm to φ600 mm).

[0047] FIG. 10(a) shows a state where the contact portion 3 is in contact with the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 in the first form in a pipeline 20 with a diameter of φ300 mm, and FIG. 10(b) shows a state where the contact portion 3 is in contact with the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 in the third form in a pipeline 20 with a diameter of φ300 mm.

[0048] As described above, in the second and third forms, since the left and right contact portions 3 are located outside the aircraft body 1, in the circular pipeline 20, when the aircraft body 1 approaches the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20, as shown in FIG. 10, compared with the first form in which the left and right contact portions 3 are located inside the aircraft body 1, the left and right contact portions 3 contact the ceiling surface 21 (inner wall surface) of the pipeline 20 at an earlier timing, and the distance d between the aircraft body 1 and the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 becomes larger than that in the first form.

[0049] That is, in this embodiment, when used in a pipeline 20 with a large pipe diameter, by adopting the second or third form, the distance d between the aircraft body 1 and the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 becomes larger, and it becomes difficult for the aircraft body 1 to be attracted to the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 (it cannot be attracted, or is slightly attracted but does not become uncontrollable).

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the support portion 4 may be configured to be extendable, and the separation distance between the contact portion 3 and the aircraft body 1 may be configured to be variable. By adopting such a configuration, when used in a large-diameter pipeline 20 that allows a person to enter, it is possible to prevent the aircraft body 1 from approaching the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 too much, and it is possible to reduce the occurrence of a suction phenomenon in which the aircraft body 1 is attracted to the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2.

[0051] The functions and effects of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

[0052] This embodiment includes a contact portion 3 that contacts the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20. The contact portion 3 is provided at a predetermined separation distance above the aircraft body 1. This separation distance is configured such that when the contact portion 3 contacts the ceiling surface 21, the aircraft body 1 will not be drawn towards the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 and become uncontrollable. Therefore, when the contact portion 3 contacts the ceiling surface 21, further approach of the aircraft body 1 to the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 is suppressed. Thus, the suction phenomenon in which the aircraft body 1 is drawn towards the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 does not occur, or the suction phenomenon becomes mild and does not result in a state of being uncontrollable (a state where the adjustment of lift and thrust cannot be well controlled).

[0053] Therefore, even when the aircraft body 1 approaches and moves towards the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 due to pilot error or the like, it is possible to easily correct the trajectory to a predetermined flight altitude and continue the flight movement within the pipeline 20.

[0054] Also, in this embodiment, the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 are each located inside the aircraft body 1, and there is a first form in which the circumscribed circle S circumscribing the quadrilateral formed by the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 is the smallest; a second form in which the contact portion 3 is located outside the aircraft body 1 and the grounding leg portion 5 is located inside the aircraft body 1, and the circumscribed circle S has a larger diameter than in the first form; and a third form in which the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 are each located outside the aircraft body 1, and the circumscribed circle S has a larger diameter than in the second form. Since it is configured to be deformable into these three forms, it can be deformed into an appropriate form according to the pipe diameter of the pipeline 20. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, in a large-diameter pipeline 20, in the first form, the distance d between the aircraft body 1 and the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 becomes small (narrow), and there is a risk of becoming uncontrollable due to the suction phenomenon. However, by deforming it into the third form (or the second form), the distance d between the aircraft body 1 and the ceiling surface 21 of the pipeline 20 can be increased (widened). The suction phenomenon in which the aircraft body 1 is drawn towards the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 does not occur, or the suction phenomenon is reduced and does not become uncontrollable, and it is possible to correct to a predetermined flight altitude and continue the flight movement within the pipeline 20 without crashing.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, since the front end portion 3a and the rear end portion 3b of the contact portion 3 are inclined downward, and the front end portion 5a and the rear end portion 5b of the grounding leg portion 5 are inclined upward, it is difficult for the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 to get caught on the ceiling surface 21 or the bottom surface 22 of the pipeline 20, and problems such as falling or toppling due to getting caught are less likely to occur.

[0056] Moreover, in this embodiment, since the tip end portion and the rear end portion of the attachment portion 8 are each formed in a shape that curves inward, for example, when weeds or the like grow in the pipeline 20, the weeds are cut at this curved portion, preventing entanglement with the airframe 1, and falling due to entanglement with grass or the like is prevented as much as possible.

[0057] In this way, in this embodiment, by changing the positions of the contact portion 3 and the grounding leg portion 5 and deforming them into three different forms with different sizes, even when the airframe 1 approaches and moves toward the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20 due to an operation error or the like for pipelines 20 with various pipe diameters, the airframe 1 will not be sucked in by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller 2 and pulled toward the ceiling surface 21 side of the pipeline 20, or the suction phenomenon will be reduced and not become uncontrollable, and it can continue to fly and move in the pipeline 20 by correcting to a predetermined flight height without falling, becoming an epoch-making drone for pipeline inspection.

[0058] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the specific configurations of each component can be designed appropriately.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0059] 1 Airframe 2 Propeller 3 Contact portion 4 Support portion 5 Grounding leg portion 20 Pipeline 21 Ceiling surface

Claims

1. A drone for pipeline inspection that flies and moves within a pipeline by the rotation of a propeller provided on the airframe and inspects the inside of the pipeline. The airframe includes a contact portion that contacts the ceiling surface of the pipeline. The contact portion is provided at a predetermined distance above the airframe. The distance is configured such that when the contact portion contacts the ceiling surface, the airframe is not drawn toward the ceiling surface side of the pipeline by the airflow generated by the rotation of the propeller and becomes uncontrollable. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

2. The drone for pipeline inspection according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is configured such that the distance from the airframe is variable. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

3. The drone for pipeline inspection according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is provided symmetrically with respect to the airframe on both the left and right sides of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

4. The drone for pipeline inspection according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion is provided symmetrically with respect to the airframe on both the left and right sides of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

5. In the drone for pipeline inspection according to any one of claims 2 to 4, the contact portion is supported by a support portion provided on the airframe, and the distance from the airframe is variable by the movement of this support portion. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

6. In the drone for pipeline inspection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the contact portion is constituted by a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

7. The drone for pipeline inspection according to claim 5, wherein the contact portion is constituted by a rod-shaped body extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

8. In the drone for pipeline inspection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, grounding legs are provided below the airframe. The grounding legs are constituted by rod-shaped bodies extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe and are provided symmetrically with respect to the airframe on both the left and right sides of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

9. The drone for pipeline inspection according to claim 5, wherein grounding legs are provided below the airframe. The grounding legs are constituted by rod-shaped bodies extending in the front-rear direction of the airframe and are provided symmetrically with respect to the airframe on both the left and right sides of the airframe. A drone for pipeline inspection, characterized in that.

10. In the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 6, grounding legs are provided below the fuselage, and the grounding legs are composed of rod-shaped bodies extending in the front-rear direction of the fuselage, and are provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the fuselage. A pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

11. In the pipeline inspection drone according to claim 7, grounding legs are provided below the fuselage, and the grounding legs are composed of rod-shaped bodies extending in the front-rear direction of the fuselage, and are provided symmetrically with respect to the left and right sides of the fuselage. A pipeline inspection drone characterized by this.

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