Traveling device

Abstract

To provide a traveling device capable of transferring from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface without stopping.SOLUTION: A traveling apparatus (1) that travels on a surface of an inspection target for non-destructive inspection of an inspection target (P) including a magnetic body includes a front drive vehicle (11) having front wheels (16), a front drive source (17) that drives the front wheels, and a front magnet, a rear drive vehicle (12) having rear wheels (26), a rear drive source (27) that drives the rear wheels, and a rear magnet, a hinge (13) that rotatably connects the front drive vehicle and the rear drive vehicle, and a hinge wheel (15) rotatably attached to a hinge shaft (14) of the hinge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traveling device, and more particularly to a traveling device that travels on the surface of an object to be inspected for non-destructive inspection of the object, including a magnetic material. [Background technology]

[0002] Non-destructive testing is widely known for detecting defects such as scratches and corrosion on the surface and / or inside of steel structures without destroying the structure. In this non-destructive testing, a traveling device is moved over the surface of the object to be inspected, and an inspection unit mounted on the traveling device detects defects.

[0003] Known examples of the traveling device include a self-propelled traveling device in which wheels mounted on a vehicle body are driven by a motor, and a traveling device that is provided with a magnet to attract the traveling device to the object to be inspected (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-204560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There is a demand for a traveling device that can move from a horizontal plane to a vertical plane without stopping. However, in general, the moment a traveling device traveling on a horizontal plane collides with a vertical plane, the traveling device stops without being able to climb the vertical plane.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a traveling device that can be ridden on from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface without stopping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, A traveling device that travels on a surface of an object to be inspected, for non-destructive inspection of the object, including a magnetic material, comprising: a front drive vehicle having front wheels, a front drive source that drives the front wheels, and a front magnet; a rear drive vehicle having rear wheels, a rear drive source that drives the rear wheels, and a rear magnet; a hinge pivotally connecting the front drive vehicle and the rear drive vehicle; a hinge wheel rotatably attached to the hinge shaft of the hinge; A traveling device is provided, comprising:

[0008] Preferably, the hinge wheels have a smaller diameter than the front and rear wheels.

[0009] Preferably, when the distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel is at a maximum, the center of the hinge wheel is at a position lower than the centers of the front wheel and the rear wheel.

[0010] Preferably, the hinge wheels are attached to both ends of the hinge shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the center of the hinge axis is parallel to the centers of the front and rear wheels.

[0012] Preferably, the front drive vehicle has left and right front wheels and left and right front drive sources that individually drive the left and right front wheels, The rear-side drive vehicle has left and right rear wheels and left and right rear drive sources that individually drive the left and right rear wheels, The hinge wheels are attached to both left and right ends of the hinge shaft.

[0013] Preferably, the front wheels and the rear wheels are provided with ring-shaped front magnets and rear magnets, respectively, coaxially, the front magnet and the rear magnet have north and south poles on both axial end surfaces, The polarities of the front magnet and the rear magnet are the same on the end face on one side in the axial direction and the end face on the other side.

[0014] Preferably, the inspection object has a horizontal surface and a vertical surface that rises perpendicularly from the horizontal surface, When the front wheels of the front-side drive vehicle, the rear wheels of the rear-side drive vehicle, and the hinge wheels are in contact with the horizontal plane and the front ends of the front wheels abut the vertical plane, the intersection point where an imaginary line passing through the centers of the front wheels and the centers of the hinge wheels intersects with the vertical plane is located above the point of abutment between the front wheels and the vertical plane.

[0015] Preferably, the traveling device includes an inspection unit provided on at least one of the front drive vehicle and the rear drive vehicle, The inspection unit includes: a probe for contacting a surface of the object to be inspected; a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the probe; Equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present disclosure, a traveling device can be provided that can be moved from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface without stopping. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an inspection device. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the traveling device in a reference state. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the traveling device in a reference state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the traveling device in a reference state. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a wheel. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the traveling device in use. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing a simplified traveling device in a reference state. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a simplified left side view showing the traveling device in use. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing the traveling device transferring from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a left side view illustrating the advantages of the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing the traveling device of the first comparative example when it transfers from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing the traveling device of the second comparative example when it transfers from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface. [Figure 13] 1 is a left side view showing the traveling device of the present embodiment when transferring from a horizontal surface to a downward vertical surface. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a left side view showing the state when the traveling device of the present embodiment moves from the upper surface to the lower surface of the horizontal plate-shaped inspection object. FIG. [Figure 15] 10 is a left side view showing the state when the traveling device of the present embodiment changes its posture from an inverted V-shape to a V-shape. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the traveling device of the present embodiment making a tight turn. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire inspection device for performing non-destructive inspection of an object to be inspected. The object to be inspected P includes a magnetic material or is formed of a magnetic material. Specifically, the object to be inspected P is a steel structure made of steel, such as a bridge, scaffolding, gondola, piping, furnace wall, chimney, etc.

[0020] The inspection device comprises a traveling device 1 that travels on the surface of the object P to be inspected, a control device 2 that receives data from an inspection unit mounted on the traveling device 1 and outputs power and control signals to the traveling device 1, a display 3 that displays an image based on the data sent to the control device 2, and a controller 4 that is connected to the control device 2 and operated by an operator S to operate the traveling device 1.

[0021] In this embodiment, the inspection device is configured to perform visual inspection and ultrasonic flaw detection inspection. As will be described in detail later, the inspection unit of the traveling device 1 includes a camera that captures the view ahead of the traveling device 1 and an ultrasonic probe that contacts the surface of the inspection object P to transmit and receive ultrasonic waves. Image or video data captured by the camera is sent to the control device 2, which displays the image captured by the camera on the display 3. While viewing this image, the worker S visually inspects the surface condition of the inspection object P and also operates the controller 4 to cause the traveling device 1 to travel along a desired route.

[0022] The inspection unit includes a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the probe. By controlling this lift mechanism, the probe is normally raised and kept above the surface. Only when necessary, the probe is lowered to contact the surface for ultrasonic testing.

[0023] The traveling device 1 is self-propelled, and travels by its wheels driven by a motor as a drive source. The traveling device 1 is also attracted to the surface of the inspection object P by a magnet. The traveling device 1 is not equipped with a battery, but is powered by external power supply from the control device 2 via a cable CB to travel. Therefore, the traveling device 1 can be made lighter by not having a battery, and can be attracted to and travel without any problems even in difficult positions, such as upside down.

[0024] Alternatively, the inspection device may be configured to perform other types of tests, such as well-known eddy current testing, and the inspection unit may also be suitable for other types of tests, such as eddy current testing, and may include a test coil suitable for such tests. Inspection may be performed on any surface of the object P.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the traveling device 1 will be described.

[0026] 2 to 4 are a left side view, a plan view, and a front view, respectively, showing the traveling device 1 in a standard state. Also, FIG. 6 is a left side view showing the traveling device 1 in use. The standard state refers to the state at the time of design, and the use state refers to the state during actual use. The traveling device 1 in the standard state is bent into a V shape and the hinge wheels 15, which will be described later, are brought into contact with the ground to enter the use state.

[0027] For convenience, the surface of the inspection object P on which the traveling device 1 travels will be referred to as the traveling surface or road surface below. The front, back, left, right, top and bottom directions of the traveling device 1 in the reference state and in the usage state are as shown in the drawings.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the traveling device 1 comprises a front-side drive vehicle 11, a rear-side drive vehicle 12, a hinge 13 that rotatably connects the front-side drive vehicle 11 and the rear-side drive vehicle 12, and a hinge wheel 15 rotatably attached to a hinge shaft 14 of the hinge 13.

[0029] Front drive vehicle 11 and rear drive vehicle 12 have substantially the same configuration and are symmetrical from front to rear, so for simplicity's sake, only front drive vehicle 11 will be described in detail.

[0030] Front-side drive vehicle 11 has front wheels 16, an electric motor 17 as a front drive source that drives front wheels 16, and a front magnet 55. Front-side drive vehicle 11 is configured symmetrically. Front wheels 16 and motors 17 are arranged on the left and right, and the left and right front wheels 16 are driven independently by the left and right motors 17.

[0031] Front-wheel drive vehicle 11 has a body for mounting left and right front wheels 16 and motor 17. Specifically, the body is formed of a chassis plate 18 that is roughly L-shaped in side view. Chassis plate 18 is formed from a metal (e.g., aluminum) or resin plate material. Motor 17 is placed and positioned on chassis plate 18, and the lower end of motor 17 is fixed to chassis plate 18 by two screws 19 and two nuts (not shown) on the lower side.

[0032] A vertical portion 20 extending in the up-down direction is formed at the front end of the chassis plate 18. An upper plate 21 is attached to the upper end of the vertical portion 20 with screws (not shown). The motor 17 is positioned by being sandwiched between the chassis plate 18 and the upper plate 21 from above and below. The upper end of the motor 17 is fixed to the upper plate 21 with two screws 22 and two nuts 23 on the upper side. In this way, the motor 17 is fixed to the vehicle body.

[0033] Motor 17 is formed by a servo motor mainly used in the fields of robots and radio-controlled vehicles, and includes a rectangular parallelepiped motor casing with a motor, a reducer, an electric circuit, etc. housed therein. Output shaft 17A of motor 17 can continuously rotate in a forward direction (forward direction) or a reverse direction (rearward direction). Output shaft 17A of motor 17 is directly connected to front wheels 16, and front wheels 16 are driven by a direct drive system.

[0034] Here, the center (left-right center) of the traveling device 1 in the left-right direction or vehicle width direction is represented by the symbol C1. In the left-right direction, the direction away from the left-right center C1 is referred to as the left-right outer side, and the direction approaching the left-right center C1 is referred to as the left-right inner side. The output shafts 17A of the left and right motors 17 are each directed outward in the left-right direction, and the left and right front wheels 16 are coaxially connected to these output shafts 17A. The center (center of rotation) of the front wheels 16 is represented by the symbol C2.

[0035] An undercover 24 for protecting the motor 17 and the like is attached to the underside of the front half of the chassis plate 18. A reinforcing plate 25 is attached to the underside of the rear half of the chassis plate 18.

[0036] Rear-side drive vehicle 12 is configured symmetrically with front-side drive vehicle 11 in the front-to-rear direction. Rear-side drive vehicle 12 has rear wheels 26, an electric motor 27 as a rear drive source that drives rear wheels 26, and a rear magnet 60. Rear wheels 26 and motor 27 correspond to front wheels 16 and motor 17 of front-side drive vehicle 11. Similarly, left and right rear wheels 26 are driven individually by left and right motors 27. The center (center of rotation) of rear wheels 26 is indicated by symbol C3. Centers C2, C3 of front wheels 16 and rear wheels 26 extend in the left-to-right direction.

[0037] The hinge 13 has a front hinge member 31, a rear hinge member 32, and a hinge shaft 14 that connects the front hinge member 31 and the rear hinge member 32 so that they can rotate.

[0038] The front hinge member 31 and the rear hinge member 32 are configured to be roughly symmetrical in the front-to-rear direction. The front hinge member 31 has a hinge plate 33 attached to the chassis plate 18 of the front-drive vehicle 11, and a hinge cylinder 34 provided integrally with the rear end of the hinge plate 33. The hinge plate 33 is placed on top of the rear end of the chassis plate 18 and fixed to the chassis plate 18 by two bolts 35 and two nuts 36.

[0039] Rear hinge member 32 also has a hinge plate 37 attached to chassis plate 18 of rear-drive vehicle 12, and a hinge cylinder 38 provided integrally with the front end of hinge plate 37. Hinge plate 37 is placed on the upper surface of the front end of chassis plate 18 and fixed to chassis plate 18 by two bolts 35 and two nuts 36.

[0040] The hinge cylinder 34 of the front hinge member 31 and the hinge cylinder 38 of the rear hinge member 32 are cylindrical, and the hinge shaft 14 is rotatably inserted into the hinge cylinders 34, 38. The center of the hinge shaft 14, i.e., the rotation center of the hinge 13, is indicated by the symbol C4. The center C4 of the hinge shaft 14 extends in the left-right direction and is parallel to the centers C2, C3 of the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26.

[0041] In the present embodiment, one hinge cylinder 34 of the front hinge member 31 is located in the center in the left-right direction, and two hinge cylinders 38 of the rear hinge member 32 are located at both ends in the left-right direction, with one hinge cylinder 34 sandwiched between these two hinge cylinders 38. However, the arrangement of the hinge cylinders 34, 38 is not limited to this example.

[0042] The left and right ends of the hinge shaft 14 protrude outward in the left-right direction from the left and right hinge cylinders 38. The left and right hinge wheels 15 are coaxially and rotatably attached to these protrusions. The hinge shaft 14 is rotatably inserted into a bearing (not shown) at the center of the hinge wheel 15, allowing the hinge wheel 15 to rotate freely around the hinge shaft 14. In other words, the hinge wheel 15 is a non-driven wheel that is not driven by a drive source, i.e., a driven wheel. The center C4 of the hinge shaft 14 is also the center (rotation center) of the hinge wheel 1. The hinge wheel 15 is prevented from coming off the hinge shaft 14 by a stopper (not shown). The hinge wheel 15 is made of a material that will not scratch the running surface; in this embodiment, it is made of resin, specifically hard nylon.

[0043] The front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26 have the same outer diameter D1. In contrast, the hinge wheel 15 has a smaller diameter than the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26, and has an outer diameter D2 that is smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26.

[0044] Front-side drive vehicle 11 and rear-side drive vehicle 12 can rotate relative to each other about center C4 of hinge shaft 14. When they rotate, the distance between center C2 of front wheel 16 and center C3 of rear wheel 26, i.e., the wheelbase, changes.

[0045] In the reference state shown in Figure 2, the wheelbase is at its maximum. At this time, the center C4 of the hinge shaft 14 (i.e., the center of the hinge wheel 1) is located lower than the center C2 of the front wheel 16 and the center C3 of the rear wheel 26 by a very short distance Z1. At this time, in a side view as shown in Figure 2, the chassis plate 18 of the front drive vehicle 11 and the chassis plate 18 of the rear drive vehicle 12 are arranged along a horizontal straight line. The hinge plate 33 of the front hinge member 31 and the hinge plate 37 of the rear hinge member 32 are also arranged along a horizontal straight line. The angle formed by the hinge plates 33, 37 above the hinge plates 33, 37, i.e., the V-shaped angle θ1, is 180°.

[0046] The traveling device 1 is equipped with an inspection unit, which includes a camera 40 that captures the view ahead of the traveling device 1, as shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the camera 40 is formed by a wide-angle fixed CCD camera fixed to the front part of the vertical part 20 of the chassis plate 18, and is designed to capture the view directly in front of the front drive vehicle 11. The camera may also be a movable camera whose direction can be changed.

[0047] In addition, headlights 41 for illuminating the area ahead of the traveling device 1 are provided on both the left and right sides of the camera 40. The headlights 41 are made up of flat LEDs and are attached with double-sided tape or the like to the front portions of the left and right motors 17 exposed on the outside of the vertical portion 20 in the left and right directions.

[0048] 2 and 3, the inspection unit has a probe 42 for contacting the surface of the inspection object P, and a lift mechanism 43 for raising and lowering the probe 42. The probe 42 in this embodiment is an ultrasonic probe for ultrasonic flaw detection testing. In this embodiment, the probe 42 and the lift mechanism 43 are mounted on the rear-drive vehicle 12.

[0049] The lift mechanism 43 has a holder 44 that holds the probe 42 and an air cylinder 45 that raises and lowers the holder 44. The air cylinder 45 is disposed in an inverted state, and the piston rod side portion is positioned below the cylinder side portion so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0050] The cylinder side portion of the air cylinder 45 is fixed to the upper plate 21 via a clamp-type bracket 46. The holder 44 is crank-shaped in side view as shown in FIG. 2. The piston rod side portion of the air cylinder 45 is connected to the lower end of the holder 44, and the probe 42 is inserted and attached to the upper end of the holder 44. A water supply hose 47 is also inserted and attached to the upper end of the holder 44. The outlet of the water supply hose 47 is adjacent to the tip of the probe 42, which comes into contact with the road surface (inspection surface) during inspection. During inspection, water is discharged from the outlet of the water supply hose 47 and sprinkled on the inspection surface, making it easier for ultrasound to enter and cleaning the inspection surface.

[0051] As shown by the solid line in Figure 2, under normal circumstances, the air cylinder 45 is retracted and the probe 42 is in the raised position. On the other hand, during inspection, the traveling device 1 is temporarily stopped, the air cylinder 45 is extended, and the probe 42 is lowered to the lowered position as shown by the imaginary line a, where it is lightly pressed against the inspection surface (see Figure 6). When the inspection is completed, the probe 42 is raised to the raised position, and the traveling device 1 begins to travel again.

[0052] The hinge plate 37 of the rear hinge member 32, the chassis plate 18, and the reinforcing plate 25 are provided with openings 48 for allowing the probe 42, the water supply hose 47, the holder 44, and the air cylinder 45 to move up and down.

[0053] Next, the configuration related to the wheels will be described. This configuration is the same for the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26, so here, the configuration related to the right front wheel 16 will be described as a representative.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, a servo horn 50 is fitted onto the output shaft 17A of the motor 17 so that it cannot rotate relative to the motor. A wheel 51 is attached to the servo horn 50 with multiple screws. A single screw 52 fastens the wheel 51 and the servo horn 50 together to the output shaft 17A at a position on the front wheel center C2. On the outer periphery of the screw 52, ​​multiple (four) screws 53 are spaced equally apart in the circumferential direction to secure the wheel 51 to the servo horn 50.

[0055] A ring-shaped front magnet 55 is coaxially mounted on the front wheel 16. More specifically, a ring-shaped magnet fitting groove 56 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the wheel 51. A circular ring-shaped front magnet 55 is fitted into this magnet fitting groove 56. The inner end of the magnet fitting groove 56 in the left-right direction is closed, and the outer end in the left-right direction is open. The front magnet 55 is fitted into the magnet fitting groove 56 from the outer side toward the inner side in the left-right direction. The front magnet 55 has the same outer diameter as the wheel 51. In this embodiment, the front magnet 55 is made of a neodymium magnet.

[0056] A plurality (three) of front magnets 55 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction, i.e., toward the front wheel center C2. Each of these front magnets 55 has an N pole and an S pole on both axial end surfaces. In this embodiment, the inner end surface of each front magnet 55 in the left-right direction is an S pole, and the outer end surface in the left-right direction is an N pole, but this may be reversed. When the three front magnets 55 are fitted into the magnet fitting groove 56, the outer end surface in the left-right direction of the front magnet 55 located at the outermost left-right direction is flush with the outer end surface in the left-right direction of the wheel 51.

[0057] The wheels 51 are covered with rubber tires 57. The tires 57 cover the outer peripheral surfaces of the wheels 51 and the front magnet 55 and the outer end faces of the wheels 51 and the front magnet 55 in the left-right direction. Because the rubber tires 57 run in contact with the ground, a good grip is obtained and scratches on the surface of the inspection object P can be prevented.

[0058] Resin tire covers 58 are attached to the outer left and right end faces of the tire 57. This prevents the tire 57 from twisting.

[0059] Screws 59 fasten the tire cover 58 and the tire 57 together to the wheel 51 at a plurality of (four) positions spaced at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the front wheel center C2.

[0060] 3, a ring-shaped rear magnet 60 is also provided coaxially on the rear wheel 26. When comparing the front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 on the same left and right side, the polarities of the front magnet 55 and rear magnet 60 are the same on the end faces on one axial side and the other axial side.

[0061] That is, for example, when comparing the right-side front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26, the polarities of the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 are the same, that is, north poles, at the end face on one axial side, that is, the outer side in the left-right direction, i.e., the right end face. Similarly, the polarities of the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 are the same, that is, south poles, at the end face on the other axial side, that is, the inner side in the left-right direction, i.e., the left end face.

[0062] In this embodiment, the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 and the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 are symmetrical.

[0063] 6, the inspection object P has a flat horizontal surface P1 and a flat vertical surface P2 that rises perpendicularly from the horizontal surface P1. In the traveling device 1, the front wheels 16, the rear wheels 26, and the hinge wheels 15 are in contact with the horizontal surface P1. At this time, the front-side drive vehicle 11 and the rear-side drive vehicle 12 rotate and bend about the center C4 of the hinge shaft 14 (referred to as the hinge center), so that the overall shape (shape when viewed from the side) of the traveling device 1 is V-shaped.

[0064] Meanwhile, at this time, the traveling device 1 also abuts against a vertical plane P2 located in front of it, and the front end of the front wheel 16 abuts against the vertical plane P2 at abutment point Q1. When an imaginary straight line T is imagined to pass through the center C2 of the front wheel 16 and the hinge center C4, the straight line T is inclined downward toward the rear (i.e., tilted backward), and the intersection Q2 of the straight line T with the vertical plane P2 is positioned above the abutment point Q1 of the front wheel 16.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 2, front drive vehicle 11 and rear drive vehicle 12 are provided with upper covers 61 and 62 for covering and protecting motor 17 and the like from above.

[0066] Next, the operation of the traveling device 1 will be described.

[0067] During inspection, the traveling device 1 is attracted to the surface of the inspection object P by the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60. The left and right front wheels 16 and rear wheels 26 are then rotated independently by the motors 17, and the traveling device 1 travels in four-wheel drive mode. The traveling device 1 is mainly used for forward travel, and inspection is carried out during this forward travel. By setting different rotation speeds for the left and right motors 17, the traveling device 1 can turn, enabling it to make tight turns with a very small turning radius.

[0068] If a suspicious area is found as a result of the visual inspection, the traveling device 1 is stopped, and the probe 42 is lowered by the lift mechanism 43 and brought into contact with the surface of the inspection object P. Then, an ultrasonic flaw detection test is performed. Once this is completed, the probe 42 is raised again by the lift mechanism 43, the traveling device 1 starts traveling, and the visual inspection continues.

[0069] Incidentally, there is a demand for the traveling device to be able to move from a horizontal plane P1 to a vertical plane P2 without stopping, as shown in Figure 6. However, in general, the moment the traveling device traveling on the horizontal plane P1 collides with the vertical plane P2, the traveling device stops without being able to climb up the vertical plane.

[0070] However, the traveling device 1 of this embodiment can transfer onto the vertical surface P2. This point will be explained below.

[0071] First, for ease of understanding, the traveling apparatus 1 is shown in a simplified form in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a side view showing the traveling apparatus 1 in a reference state. The chassis plate 18 of the front-side drive vehicle 11 and the members fixed thereto (such as the front hinge member 31) are considered to be a single linear link (front link) L1. Similarly, the chassis plate 18 of the rear-side drive vehicle 12 and the members fixed thereto (such as the rear hinge member 33) are considered to be a single linear link (rear link) L2. The rear end of the front link L1 and the front end of the rear link L2 are assumed to be connected to be rotatable about a hinge center C4. A front wheel 16 is assumed to be rotatable about a front wheel center C2 attached to the front end of the front link L1. Similarly, a rear wheel 26 is assumed to be rotatable about a rear wheel center C3 attached to the rear end of the rear link L2. A hinged wheel 15 is assumed to be rotatable about a hinge center C4.

[0072] 8 is a side view showing the traveling device 1 in use. At this time, the traveling device 1 is bent in a V shape around the hinge center C4, and the front wheels 16, rear wheels 26, and hinge wheels 15 are in contact with the horizontal plane P1 of the inspection object P.

[0073] 9 shows the traveling device 1 moving from a horizontal plane P1 onto a vertical plane P2. As shown in FIG. 9(A), first, the front wheels 16 of the traveling device 1 moving forward on the horizontal plane P1 of the inspection object P collide with the vertical plane P2. At this time, because the hinged wheels 15 have a smaller diameter than the front wheels 16, the driving force escapes upward. More specifically, the intersection Q2 of the line T passing through the centers C2 and C4 of the front wheels 16 and the hinged wheels 15 with the vertical plane P2 is located higher than the contact point Q1 of the front wheels 16. Therefore, when a forward driving force is applied to the traveling device 1, an upward force is generated that rolls the front wheels 16 up along the vertical plane P2, allowing the front wheels 16 to rise on the vertical plane P2.

[0074] After this, as shown in Figure 9(B), the front wheels 16 rise while adhering to the vertical surface P2, and the rear wheels 26 move forward while adhering to the horizontal surface P1, and the included angle of the V-shape of the traveling device 1, i.e., the V-angle θ1, decreases. Thereafter, as shown in Figure 9(C), the front wheels 16 rise further, the rear wheels 26 move forward further, and the rear wheels 26 also collide with and adhere to the vertical surface P2. The V-angle θ1 then returns to its original size. The traveling device 1 moves forward upward while adhering to the vertical surface P2.

[0075] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a traveling device 1 that allows smooth and continuous transition from the horizontal plane P1 to the vertical plane P2 without stopping.

[0076] Next, another advantage of this embodiment will be described.

[0077] 10(A), in this embodiment, when the traveling device 1 travels forward on a horizontal plane P1, the traveling device 1 travels while bent in a V-shape, and the front wheels 16, rear wheels 26, and hinged wheels 15 contact the horizontal plane P1 and roll while traveling. This allows for smooth traveling.

[0078] However, as shown in Fig. 10(B), in the case of the first comparative example in which the hinge wheel 15 is omitted from the traveling device 1, the body part, specifically the hinge 13, collides with the horizontal surface P1, and the traveling device travels while dragging the hinge 13. This increases the traveling resistance (drag) and damages the hinge 13 and the horizontal surface P1. In this embodiment, this does not happen, and the traveling device can travel smoothly without damaging the horizontal surface P1.

[0079] 11 shows the traveling device of the first comparative example when it transfers from a horizontal plane P1 to a vertical plane P2. At this time, the hinge 13 collides with the horizontal plane P1 and the vertical plane P2, causing the traveling device to move while dragging the hinge 13. In this embodiment, this does not happen, and the transfer can be performed smoothly.

[0080] 3, in this embodiment, for a pair of front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 on the same left and right side, the polarities of front magnet 55 and rear magnet 60 are the same on the outer left-right end face and the inner left-right end face. This also allows for a smooth transition from horizontal plane P1 to vertical plane P2.

[0081] 9(A) and 9(B), in the first half of the transfer, the V-shaped angle θ1 of the traveling device 1 gradually decreases, and accordingly, the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26 gradually approach each other.

[0082] In this embodiment, when the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26 approach each other, the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 act to repel each other (see dashed arrows), preventing the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26 from sticking together and allowing for smooth transfer.

[0083] 12 shows a second comparative example in which the polarity of one of the front magnets 55 and the rear magnets 60 is reversed in the traveling device 1 of this embodiment. In this second comparative example, for a pair of front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 on the same left and right side, the polarities of the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 are different between the outer end face in the left-right direction and the inner end face in the left-right direction.

[0084] In the second comparative example, as shown in the figure, when the V-angle θ1 decreases in the first half of the transfer and the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26 approach each other, the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 act to attract each other (see the dashed arrows), causing the front wheel 16 and the rear wheel 26 to attract each other. This causes the front wheel 16 to move away from the vertical plane P2, making it difficult to transfer smoothly.

[0085] In this embodiment, this does not occur, and the transfer can be performed more smoothly than in the second comparative example.

[0086] The arrangement of the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 as in this embodiment is called a same-pole arrangement, and the arrangement of the front magnet 55 and the rear magnet 60 as in the second comparative example is called a different-pole arrangement.

[0087] 13 shows the traveling device 1 of this embodiment moving from a horizontal surface P1 onto a downward vertical surface P2. The inspection object P here has a flat horizontal surface P1 and a flat vertical surface P2 that drops down perpendicularly from the horizontal surface P1.

[0088] As shown in Figure 13(A), the traveling device 1 travels forward on a horizontal plane P1 toward a vertical plane P2. When the front wheel 16 approaches the end of the horizontal plane P1, the front wheel 16 moves forward while adhering from the horizontal plane P1 to the vertical plane P2, as shown in Figure 13(B). Accordingly, the V-shaped angle θ1 of the traveling device 1 increases and becomes larger than 180°.

[0089] At this time, in the case of the first comparative example described above, which does not have hinge wheel 15, the body part, specifically hinge 13, may collide with corner P3 where horizontal plane P1 and vertical plane P2 intersect, causing hinge 13 to get caught and preventing smooth transfer.

[0090] In this embodiment, this does not happen, and the hinge wheel 15 rolls on the corner P3, so that the transfer can be performed more smoothly than in the first comparative example.

[0091] Eventually, as shown in FIG. 13(C), when the rear wheel 26 transfers from the horizontal plane P1 to the vertical plane P2, the transfer of the traveling device 1 is completed.

[0092] 14 shows the traveling device 1 of this embodiment moving from the upper surface P4 to the lower surface P5 of a horizontal plate-like object under inspection P. The object under inspection P here has an upper surface P4 that is a flat horizontal surface, a lower surface P5 that is also a flat horizontal surface, and a flat vertical surface P6 that connects the upper surface P4 and the lower surface P5. The height of the vertical surface P6 is sufficiently smaller than the overall length (front-to-rear length) of the traveling device 1.

[0093] 14(A), the traveling device 1 travels forward on an upper surface P4 toward a vertical surface P6. Thereafter, the traveling device 1 advances toward the vertical surface P6 and a lower surface P5 while adhering to the surface of the inspection object P with the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26 (see FIGS. 14(B) to 14(D)), and finally reaches an upside-down state in which both the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26 are adsorbed to the lower surface P5.

[0094] During this process, the vehicle passes through an upper corner P7 where the upper surface P4 and the vertical surface P6 intersect, and a lower corner P8 where the vertical surface P6 and the lower surface P5 intersect, and at this time, the hinge wheel 15 abuts against the upper corner P7 (see FIG. 14(B)), and the hinge wheel 15 abuts against the lower corner P8 (see FIG. 14(C)). Therefore, the hinge 13 is not caught on the upper corner P7 or the lower corner P8, preventing the vehicle from being impeded in its progress, and the vehicle can smoothly move from the upper surface P4 to the lower surface P5.

[0095] It will be easily understood that by rotating FIG. 14 by 90 degrees, it is possible to smoothly move from one side surface of the vertical plate-shaped inspection object P to the other side surface.

[0096] Next, Figure 15 shows the state when the traveling device 1 of this embodiment is positioned on a horizontal plane P1. However, the traveling device 1 shown in Figure 15(A) is not V-shaped, but rather bent in the opposite direction to form an inverted V-shape (or a V-shape). In this position, it is essentially impossible to transfer from the horizontal plane P1 to the vertical plane P2 as shown in Figure 9. Therefore, in this embodiment, control is executed to return the inverted V-shaped traveling device 1 to a V-shape as shown in Figure 15(B).

[0097] Specifically, with the rear wheels 26 stopped (the rear wheel motors 17 turned off), only the front wheels 16 are driven to rotate in the forward direction, thereby reducing the V-shaped angle θ1 and lowering the hinged wheels 15, returning the traveling device 1 to its V-shape.

[0098] Alternatively, only the rear wheels 26 may be driven to rotate in the backward direction while the front wheels 16 are stopped (the front wheel motors 17 are turned off). Such attitude return control can be performed with a single touch by operating a dedicated switch on the controller 4, for example.

[0099] 16 shows the traveling device 1 of this embodiment making a sharp turn on a horizontal plane P1. In the illustrated example, the traveling device 1 is making a sharp turn clockwise in a plan view seen from above.

[0100] At this time, the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 (shown) are rotated forward, and the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 (shown) are rotated backward. As a result, the traveling device 1 forms an inverted V shape with a very large V-shaped angle θ1, and makes tight turns almost in a fixed position. This is extremely practical as it allows the traveling device 1 to change direction in a very narrow space. At this time, the front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 approach each other, but the same-polarity arrangement of the front magnet 55 and rear magnet 60 described above reliably prevents the front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 from attracting each other.

[0101] It is of course possible to make a relatively wide turn with the traveling device 1. For example, to make a wide turn with the traveling device 1 to the right, the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 and the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 are rotated forward while the rotational speed of the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 is made faster than the rotational speed of the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26. In this case, the traveling device 1 can turn while maintaining its V-shape.

[0102] Although the above description is given for the case of turning right, the same applies to the case of turning left.

[0103] Incidentally, the V-shaped angle θ1 is 180° in the standard state shown in Fig. 2, and is less than 180° in the usage state shown in Fig. 6. In this embodiment, the hinged wheels 15 have a diameter that is appropriately smaller than the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 26, so the V-shaped angle θ1 can be set to an angle close to 180° even in the V-shaped usage state shown in Fig. 6. Therefore, even if the probe 42 is lowered to abut against the inspection surface in the usage state, the probe 42 can be brought into contact with the inspection surface almost perpendicularly, allowing for reliable inspection.

[0104] The probe 42 moves up and down while maintaining a perpendicular state with respect to the hinge plate 37 of the rear hinge member 32. If necessary, rotation control of the front wheels 16 and rear wheels 26 may be added so that the V-shaped angle θ1 becomes 180° when the probe 42 is lowered. For example, it is conceivable to drive the front wheels 16 in the forward direction and the rear wheels 26 in the reverse direction to set the traveling device 1 to the reference state.

[0105] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, various other embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure are possible.

[0106] (1) For example, a reducer may be interposed between the output shaft 17A of the motor 17 and the front and rear wheels 16 and 26.

[0107] (2) In the above embodiment, the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 and the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 are symmetrical. However, because the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 and the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 are relatively far apart, there is little risk of them attracting each other. Therefore, alternatively, the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 may be the same as the polarity of the magnets 16, 26 of the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26. That is, for example, if the magnets 16, 26 of the right front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 are arranged so that their right sides have north poles, the magnets 16, 26 of the left front wheel 16 and rear wheel 26 may also be arranged so that their right sides have north poles.

[0108] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and all modifications, applications, and equivalents encompassed within the spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the claims are included in the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited, and can be applied to any other technology that falls within the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1 Running gear 11 Front-wheel drive vehicles 12 Rear-drive vehicles 13 Hinge 14 Hinge axis 15 Hinge Wheel 16 front wheels 17 Motor 26 rear wheel 27 Motor 42 Probe 43 Lift mechanism 55 Front magnet 60 Rear magnet P Inspection object P1 horizontal plane P2 Vertical plane T straight line Q1 Contact point Q2 intersection

Claims

1. A traveling device that travels on a surface of an object to be inspected, for non-destructive inspection of the object, including a magnetic material, comprising: a front drive vehicle having front wheels, a front drive source that drives the front wheels, and a front magnet; a rear drive vehicle having rear wheels, a rear drive source that drives the rear wheels, and a rear magnet; a hinge pivotally connecting the front drive vehicle and the rear drive vehicle; a hinge wheel rotatably attached to the hinge shaft of the hinge; A traveling device comprising:

2. The hinge wheels have a smaller diameter than the front and rear wheels. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

3. When the distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel is maximum, the center of the hinge wheel is located lower than the centers of the front wheel and the rear wheel. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

4. The hinge wheels are attached to both ends of the hinge shaft. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

5. The center of the hinge axis is parallel to the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

6. The front-side drive vehicle has left and right front wheels and left and right front drive sources that individually drive the left and right front wheels, The rear-side drive vehicle has left and right rear wheels and left and right rear drive sources that individually drive the left and right rear wheels, The hinge wheels are attached to both the left and right ends of the hinge shaft. The traveling device according to claim 5.

7. The front wheels and the rear wheels are provided with ring-shaped front magnets and rear magnets, respectively, which are coaxially arranged, the front magnet and the rear magnet have north and south poles on both end surfaces in the axial direction, The polarities of the front magnet and the rear magnet are the same on the end face on one side of the axial direction and the end face on the other side. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

8. the inspection object has a horizontal surface and a vertical surface that rises perpendicularly from the horizontal surface, When the front wheels of the front drive vehicle, the rear wheels of the rear drive vehicle, and the hinge wheels are in contact with the horizontal plane and the front ends of the front wheels abut on the vertical plane, the intersection of an imaginary line passing through the centers of the front wheels and the hinge wheels and the vertical plane is located above the point of abutment between the front wheels and the vertical plane. The traveling device according to claim 1 .

9. an inspection unit provided in at least one of the front drive vehicle and the rear drive vehicle; The inspection unit includes: a probe for contacting a surface of the object to be inspected; a lift mechanism for raising and lowering the probe; Equipped with The traveling device according to claim 1 .

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