Method and apparatus for inserting movable body

Abstract

To provide a method and a device for inserting a slender moving body through a branch pipe into a pipe line in which liquid having pressure flows.SOLUTION: In order to insert an elongated moving body into a pipeline through which a liquid having a pressure flows via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline, a rod in which a container is bendably attached to a tip end is used, the elongated moving body is contained and held in the container, the container is made to substantially coincide with an extension direction of the rod, and the rod is inserted into the pipeline from the branch pipe attached to the pipeline in a state in which the container is positioned on a lower side. After the housing body is brought into contact with the bottom part of the conduit or energized by the liquid to be bent to the downstream side, the holding of the moving body held to the housing body is released to insert the moving body into the conduit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an insertion method and an insertion device for inserting an elongated movable body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows, via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline. [Background technology]

[0002] Underground pipelines are laid through which pressurized water, including municipal water, industrial water, and agricultural water, flows. These pipelines are subject to forces such as vibrations caused by vehicles traveling on the road surface, forces associated with ground subsidence, and forces acting in the direction of the pipeline and / or in directions crossing the pipeline direction during earthquakes. This can cause gaps to form at the pipe joints or cracks to form in the pipe walls, which can lead to leakage of the flowing water into the ground.

[0003] For this reason, investigations are carried out to determine whether or not there is a leak in an underground pipeline and where the leak is located. To carry out such investigations, a method has been proposed in which a moving object moving inside the pipeline collects and records sounds generated within the pipeline, and the moving position of the moving object is detected, thereby detecting the presence or absence of a leak in the pipeline and where the leak is located (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 involves, for example, introducing a moving object into the main pipe through a valve provided upstream of a pipeline through which pressurized water flows, recording the sound generated within the pipeline as the moving object flows downstream, and detecting its position. A collection member is then inserted into the main pipe through a valve provided downstream of the pipeline, capturing the flowing moving object with the collection member and removing it from the pipeline. The recorded sound is analyzed to identify the cause of the sound, and the location of the source of the sound can be identified from the moving position of the moving object.

[0005] As described in Patent Document 1, the mobile object has an elongated body consisting of a cylindrical main body and hemispherical caps attached to both ends of the main body. The leak detection device is configured by accommodating devices such as a sound-collecting microphone, a recorder, a clock, and an accelerometer inside the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-049807 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The invention described in Patent Document 1 makes it possible to detect the location of a sound in a target pipeline from sound data and position data recorded while a moving object moves through the pipeline. However, there is a problem in that it does not disclose a method or device for inserting a moving object into a pipeline through which pressurized water flows.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for inserting an elongated movable body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows, via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the method for inserting a moving body according to the present invention is a method for inserting an elongated moving body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows, via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline, and is characterized in that it uses a rod-shaped body having a bendable container attached to its tip that holds the elongated moving body and can release the hold of the moving body, and the moving body is contained and held in the container attached to the tip of the rod-shaped body, and the container is aligned approximately with the extension direction of the rod-shaped body, and the rod-shaped body is inserted into the pipeline through a branch pipe attached to the pipeline with the container positioned downward, and after the container comes into contact with the bottom of the pipeline or is forced by the liquid to bend downstream, the hold of the moving body held in the container is released, thereby inserting the moving body into the pipeline.

[0010] Furthermore, a typical moving body insertion device according to the present invention is a device for inserting an elongated moving body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline, and comprises: a rod-shaped body having a container for accommodating the elongated moving body attached to its tip via a hinge so that the container can be bent; a holding member for holding the elongated moving body accommodated in the container to prevent it from detaching from the container; a release member for releasing the hold of the moving body accommodated in the container and detaching it from the container; and an operating member for operating the release of the hold of the moving body by the release member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] In the method for inserting a movable body according to the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as the "insertion method"), a container holding a movable body is attached to the tip of a rod-shaped body and inserted into a branch pipe, and when the container is urged by the flowing liquid or when its tip comes into contact with the bottom of the pipe and bends downstream, the container can release the movable body from its hold. This release allows the movable body to separate from the container and move inside the pipe together with the flowing liquid.

[0012] Furthermore, in the movable body insertion device (hereinafter simply referred to as the "insertion device") according to the present invention, the housing that houses the movable body is attached to the tip of the rod-shaped body via a hinge. The movable body housed in the housing is restrained by a holding member and prevented from detaching from the housing. When the housing bends at a substantially right angle to the rod-shaped body, a release member releases the restraint of the movable body by the holding member, thereby allowing the movable body to be detached from the housing and inserted into the pipeline. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 10 is a diagram illustrating an insertion device in which a container is maintained in a substantially linear position relative to a rod-shaped body. FIG. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram illustrating an insertion device in which the container is bent at a substantially right angle to the rod-shaped body. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the configuration around the hinge. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a configuration when an insertion device is inserted into a duct via a branch pipe. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating changes in the posture of a container inserted into a pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An insertion method and insertion device according to the present invention will be described below. The present invention provides a method and device for inserting a moving body configured to move with the water inside a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid (e.g., water, hereinafter referred to as "water") flows, thereby enabling inspection of the state of the pipeline. Such a pipeline is provided with valve plugs B at appropriate intervals to remove air that has entered the pipeline, and the moving body 1 is configured to be inserted into the pipeline C using these valve plugs B.

[0015] First, we will explain the configuration of the insertion device A. The insertion device A has a rod-shaped body 10, and a housing 20 that houses a moving body 1 is attached to the tip of this rod-shaped body 10 so that it can be bent via a hinge 30. The elongated moving body 1 is housed in the housing 20 and held by a holding member 25, and by operating a release member 40 with an operating member 45, the holding of the moving body 1 by the holding member 25 is released so that the moving body 1 can be inserted from the housing 20 into the pipeline C.

[0016] The rod-shaped body 10 has an outer diameter dimension set to correspond to the inner diameter of the branch pipe 50 that constitutes the valve plug portion B, and a length that corresponds to the length of the branch pipe 50. This rod-shaped body 10 is made to correspond to the length of the branch pipe 50 by connecting a plurality of hollow unit pipes 11, each having a male thread 11a formed on one end and a female thread 11b formed on the other end.

[0017] Fixed piece 31 constituting hinge 30 is connected to unit pipe 11 located at the tip of rod-shaped body 10. Furthermore, a hole (not shown) is formed on the side of unit pipe 11 constituting rod-shaped body 10, and wire 46 constituting operating member 45 is inserted into rod-shaped body 10 through this hole so that its distal end reaches the upper end of rod-shaped body 10. Therefore, wire 46 does not interfere with branch pipe 50, and smooth operation can be achieved.

[0018] The container 20 accommodates the elongated movable body 1 therein, and has an outer diameter dimension set corresponding to the inner diameter of the branch pipe 50 that constitutes the valve plug portion B, and an inner diameter dimension corresponding to the outer diameter dimension of the movable body 1 to be accommodated. The length of the container 20 is set corresponding to the length of the movable body 1 and the length of the compression spring 22 (described later) when compressed.

[0019] The container 20 has a cylindrical main body 20a, one end of which is closed by an umbrella-shaped umbrella portion 20b, and the other end is open. The main body 20a and umbrella portion 20b are formed in a basket shape so that water flowing through the pipe C can pass through smoothly.

[0020] The umbrella portion 20b side of the housing body 20 is attached to a rotating piece 32 that constitutes the hinge 30 via a compression spring mounting member 21. Therefore, the housing body 20 is configured to be bendable relative to the rod-shaped body 10 by rotating around an axis 33 of the hinge 30 as the center of rotation. A compression spring 22 is attached to the compression spring mounting member 21, and the housing body 20 is configured to be able to urge the movable body 1 housed in the housing body 20 toward the open end side of the housing body 20 by the compression spring 22.

[0021] The holding member 25, arranged on the open end side of the housing body 20, is configured to have a spring member 26 and a locking member 27 connected to each other so that they can bend. The spring member 26 is formed in a V-shape, and the end of the V-shape is attached to the surface 20c that is downward when the housing body 20 is bent at a substantially right angle to the rod-shaped body 10. In particular, the spring member 26 is able to function as a spring because the free end of the V-shape is attached to the housing body 20 with a gap in the longitudinal direction. The locking member 27 is also formed in a V-shape, and both ends of the V-shape are connected to the bent portion of the spring member 26. In particular, the holding member 25 is formed to have a length that allows the bent portion 27a of the locking member 27 to slightly protrude from the upper surface 20d of the housing body 20.

[0022] The hinge 30 is configured to include a fixed piece 31 attached to the lower end of the rod-shaped body 10, a shaft 33 arranged at the center of the fixed piece 31, and a rotating piece 32 supported by the shaft 33 and arranged rotatably relative to the fixed piece 31, and to which the container 20 is attached. The fixed piece 31 is formed with an opening 31a that opens obliquely upward in the direction in which the container 20 bends as the rotating piece 32 rotates. In addition, a pin 34 is arranged at a position spaced a predetermined distance clockwise from the opening 31a.

[0023] An arc-shaped groove 35 is formed in the rotating piece 32, with the axis 33 as its center and having a notch 35a at a position corresponding to the pin 34 arranged in the fixed piece. This arc-shaped groove 35 is formed so that when the container 20 is bent at a substantially right angle to the rod-shaped body 10, one end 35b abuts against the pin 34 and the notch 35a coincides with the opening 31a formed in the fixed piece 31. The other end 35c of the groove 35 is formed in a position that does not interfere with the opening 31a when the container 20 is bent substantially in line with the rod-shaped body 10.

[0024] In the hinge 30 configured as described above, by rotating the housing 20 and bending it so that it is approximately perpendicular to the rod-shaped body 10, it is possible to align the opening 31a of the fixed piece 31 with the notch 35a formed in the groove 35 of the rotating piece 32. In this state, the engaging pin 47a of the locking member 47 constituting the operating member 45 is inserted into the portion where the opening 31a and the notch 35a are aligned, and then the housing 20 is rotated so that it is approximately aligned with the rod-shaped body 10, thereby closing the opening 31a with the groove 35.

[0025] Therefore, the engaging pin 47a inserted into the opening 31a is restrained by the groove 35 and will not come out of the opening 31a. Therefore, it is possible to continue restraining the engaging member 47 unless the container 20 rotates relative to the rod-shaped body 10 until the opening 31a of the fixed piece 31 and the notch 35a formed in the groove 35 of the rotating piece 32 are aligned.

[0026] After the movable body 1 is housed in the housing body 20 and held by the holding member 25, the release member 40 releases the held state of the movable body 1 housed in the housing body 20. For this purpose, the release member 40 has an engagement rod 41 that engages with and locks the locking member 27 that constitutes the holding member 25, and this engagement rod 1 is connected to the tip of a wire 46 that serves as an operating member.

[0027] After the movable body 1 is accommodated in the accommodation body 20, the engaging rod 41 is inserted into the bent portion 27a of the locking member 27, and the biasing force of the spring member 26 acting on the locking member 27 presses the engaging rod 41 against the engaging rod 41, thereby making it possible to maintain the holding state of the movable body 1. Furthermore, by pulling out the engaging rod 41 and setting the locking member 27 in a free state, the biasing force of the spring member 26 causes the locking member 27 to move clockwise in FIG. 2, thereby opening the end of the open side of the accommodation body 20.

[0028] The wire 46 constitutes the operating member 45, and has the engaging rod 41 connected to its tip. The wire 26 passes through the housing 20 along the wire guide 20e provided on the top surface 20d of the housing 20, then passes around the hinge 30, passes through the inside of the rod-shaped body 10, and exits from the ground-side end of the rod-shaped body. In particular, the wire 46 has a length that allows the engaging rod 41 connected to its tip to protrude from the open end of the housing 20.

[0029] A wire clip 46a is disposed at a position sufficiently farther away from the tip of the engaging rod 41 of the wire 46 than the length of the housing 20. A wire 46b having a locking pin 47 attached thereto is connected to the wire clip 46a.

[0030] Next, a method for inserting the movable body 1 into the pipeline C via the valve plug part B using the insertion device A configured as described above will be described. In this embodiment, the protrusion 23 is disposed at the end of the open side of the container 20, downstream in the direction of the flow of water flowing through the pipeline C.

[0031] First, a valve plug portion B into which the movable body 1 is to be inserted is set in the pipeline C, and it is confirmed that the ball valve 55 disposed in the branch pipe 50 that constitutes this valve plug portion B is in a closed state.

[0032] Meanwhile, the housing body 20 is bent at a substantially right angle to the rod-shaped body 10, and the opening 31a formed in the fixed piece 31 of the hinge 30 is aligned with the notch 35a of the groove 35 formed in the rotating piece 32. In this state, the movable body 1 is pushed in from the open end side of the housing body 20 to compress the compression spring 22, and the open end side is closed by the spring member 26 and locking member 27 that constitute the holding member 25. Furthermore, the engaging rod 41 that constitutes the release member 40 is passed through the bent portion 27a of the locking member 27 and locked.

[0033] After fitting the engagement pin 47a of the engagement member 47 into the opening 31a and the notch 35a, which are aligned with each other, the container 20 is rotated so as to be linear with respect to the rod-shaped body 10. As a result, the engagement member 47 is restrained by the groove 35, and the engagement member 47 will not come off the hinge 30.

[0034] After the rod-shaped body 10 and the housing 20 are aligned in a generally straight line as described above, the tip of the rod-shaped body 10 is inserted into a flange 51 having a watertight packing 51a and an air vent plug, as shown in Figure 4. Next, the rod-shaped body 10 is passed through a plate member 52 having a winch 52a and an eyebolt 52b with a shackle attached to its surface. Thereafter, the rod-shaped body 10 is inserted into the branch pipe 50, starting from the housing 20, and the flange 51 and plate member 52 are attached to the flange 50a of the branch pipe 50 with bolts and nuts. As a result, the housing 20 constituting the insertion device A is inserted into the branch pipe 50 of the valve plug portion B, and the rod-shaped body 10 protrudes from the branch pipe 50.

[0035] A cap 54 is placed on the end of the rod-shaped body 10 protruding from the branch pipe 50, and a wire 53 is stretched from the eyebolt 51b to the cap 54 and winch 52a. Then, the ball valve 55 is opened, and the winch 52a is operated to move the storage device A into the pipeline C.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, the insertion device A enters the pipeline C with the container 20 at the front, and therefore, a downstream force is applied to the container 20 that has entered the pipeline C by the water flowing through the pipeline C. When the protrusion 23 protruding from the open end side of the container 20 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the pipeline C, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the force acting by the water and the force acting on the rod-shaped body 10 act synergistically, causing the container 20 to rotate downstream.

[0037] As shown in Figure 5(c), due to the additional force acting on the rod-shaped body 10, the container 20 is pressed against the bottom surface of the pipeline C in a state where it is bent at approximately a right angle to the rod-shaped body 10. The reaction force at this time is transmitted to the operator of the winch 52a, and the investigator recognizes that the container 20 has been bent at approximately a right angle to the rod-shaped body 10 and that the wire 46 of the operating member 45 can be operated.

[0038] The operator then performs an operation to pull out the wire 46 exposed above ground through the rod-shaped body 10. As the wire 46 is pulled out, first the engaging member 47 is pulled out from the hinge 30, and then the engaging rod 41 constituting the release member 40 is pulled out from the locking member 27, thereby releasing the closure of the open end side of the housing body 20 by the holding member 25. Then, the biasing force of the spring 22 causes the movable body 1 to be released from the housing body 20 into the pipeline C.

[0039] The moving body 1 created in the pipeline C moves downstream together with the water flowing through the pipeline C, and during this movement it becomes possible to perform the intended work.

[0040] After releasing the moving body 1, the insertion device A can pull up the rod-shaped body 10, causing it to pass through the ball valve 55 of the branch pipe 50, and then detach it from the valve plug portion B by following the steps in reverse to those described above. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] The method and device for inserting a moving body according to the present invention can be used when inserting a moving body that flows with a fluid under pressure into a water supply pipeline, an agricultural water pipeline, or an industrial water pipeline. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] A Insertion Device B Valve plug part C conduit 1. Mobile 10 Rod-shaped body 11 Unit Tube 11a male thread 11b female thread 20 Containment Unit 20a Main body 20b Umbrella section 20c bottom side 20d top surface 20e Wire Guide 21 Compression spring mounting member 22 Compression spring 23 Protrusion 25 Retaining member 26 Spring member 27 Locking member 27a Bend part 30 Hinge 31 Fixed piece 31a opening 32 Pivot piece 33 axes 34-pin 35 Groove 35a Notch 35b end 40 Release member 41 Engagement rod 45 Operating member 46, 46b wire 46a Wire Clip 47 Locking member 47a Engagement pin 50 branch pipes 50a flange 51 flange 51a Gasket 51b Air vent valve 52a winch 52b eyebolt 52 Plate members 53 Wire 54 Cap 55 Ball Valve

Claims

1. A method for inserting an elongated movable body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows, via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline, comprising: A rod-shaped body is used, the tip of which holds an elongated moving body and to which a container that can release the holding of the moving body is attached so as to be bendable, The moving body is accommodated and held in a housing attached to the tip of the rod-shaped body, and the housing is aligned with the extension direction of the rod-shaped body; A method for inserting a movable body, characterized in that the rod-shaped body is inserted into the pipeline from a branch pipe attached to the pipeline with the container positioned below, and after the container comes into contact with the bottom of the pipeline or is forced by the liquid to bend downstream, the movable body held in the container is released, thereby inserting the movable body into the pipeline.

2. A device for inserting an elongated movable body into a pipeline through which a pressurized liquid flows via a branch pipe attached to the pipeline, comprising: a rod-shaped body having a housing body for housing an elongated moving body attached to its tip via a hinge so as to be bendable; a holding member that holds the elongated movable body housed in the housing so as to prevent it from coming off the housing; a release member that releases the hold of the movable body contained in the container and removes it from the container; an operating member for operating to release the holding of the movable body by the release member; A moving body insertion device comprising:

3. the operating member has an engagement pin at a predetermined position, and the hinge has a fitting portion into which the engagement pin is fitted, When the engaging pin is fitted into the fitting portion, When the angle of the bent state of the container relative to the rod-shaped body is obtuse, the engaged state of the engaging pin is maintained to continue holding the moving body, A movable body insertion device as described in claim 2, characterized in that when the container is bent at approximately a right angle to the rod-shaped body, the engagement pin is released from its engaged state and the operating member is operated so that the release member can release the retention of the movable body.

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