Measuring machine and system for measuring bending angles in pipe joints

Abstract

To provide a measuring machine that can measure the bending angle of pipe joints with higher precision and efficiency. [Solution] In the pipe joint 10, the spigot 11 of the first pipe 1 is inserted into the socket 21 of the second pipe 2. Alignment marks 13 are provided on the circumference of the reference circle 14 of the first pipe 1. The measuring device 100 includes a measuring device body 4, a measuring device-side alignment mark 43 corresponding to the alignment marks 13, a displacement meter 41, and an angle meter 42. The displacement meter 41 measures the displacement of the first pipe 1 in the axial direction from the measuring device body 4 to the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2 as the measured displacement. The angle meter 42 measures the inclination angle of the measuring device body 4 in the circumferential direction of the first pipe 1 as the measured angle. The displacement meter 41 and the angle meter 42 are aligned with each of the alignment marks 13 at three or more locations on the circumference of the reference circle 14, and measure three or more measured displacements and measured angles, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring instrument and a measuring system for the bending angle in a pipe joint.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the quality control of the joint state of a pipe joint in which the insertion port of one pipe is inserted into the receiving port of the other pipe, it is evaluated that the bending angle of the pipe joint (the bending angle in the axial direction of the other pipe with respect to one pipe) is within the allowable value. If the bending angle is used exceeding the allowable value, for example, the load on the seal member used in the pipe joint may increase and the water-stopping performance may deteriorate.

[0003] Specifically, the evaluation of the bending angle is to measure the distance between the reference circle on the outer surface of one pipe and the opening end face of the other pipe at four locations (locations equally distributed in the up, down, left, and right directions) on the pipe joint, and evaluate the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value among the measured values as a management index. That is, since it is difficult to directly obtain the bending angle at the measurement work site, the above-mentioned difference is obtained as a substitute index and this value is evaluated.

[0004] Here, as the measuring instrument for the distance, for example, a measuring instrument as described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. According to this, an alignment mark is provided on one pipe, and in a state where the measuring instrument is aligned with the alignment mark, a rod provided to be retractable in the measuring instrument is brought into contact with the opening end face of the other pipe. The measuring instrument outputs the distance between the alignment mark and the opening end face according to the length of the retracted rod.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, the measuring device described in Patent Document 1 requires the device to be positioned at four equally spaced locations on the pipe joint, both above, below, left, and right, for measurement. In this case, especially when measuring the distance directly below the pipe joint, the measurement work is difficult due to insufficient space around the pipe joint and the fact that pipe joints are often installed in dark places. This can lead to a decrease in the accuracy of the measurement results and poor measurement efficiency.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a measuring device that can accurately and efficiently measure the bending angle of a pipe joint. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, the measuring device is configured such that an insertion port formed at the end of a first pipe is inserted into a receiving port formed at the end of a second pipe. In a pipe joint in which alignment marks are provided on a reference circle located at a predetermined distance from the end of the first pipe on the outer circumference of the first pipe, A measuring device for measuring the bending angle of a second pipe relative to a first pipe, The measuring instrument body and A positioning mark on the measuring instrument body that corresponds to the positioning mark on the measuring instrument, A displacement meter measures the displacement of the first pipe in the axial direction from the measuring instrument body to the open end face of the second pipe, and An angle meter that measures the inclination angle in the circumferential direction of the first tube of the measuring instrument body as the measurement angle, It has, Displacement gauges and angle gauges are, The alignment marks on the measuring instrument are aligned with each of the three or more alignment marks on the reference circumference. This device measures displacement and angle, respectively.

[0009] According to this method, for example, with the center of the reference circle on the first pipe as the origin, at least three spatial coordinates relative to the origin of the open end face of the second pipe can be obtained. Therefore, since a plane passing through these three points can be calculated, the normal vectors of the plane containing the reference circle and the plane passing through these three points can be calculated, respectively. This allows the bending angle to be calculated with high accuracy. In this case, the three points can be any points on the reference circle, and the method can be configured to eliminate the need for measurement, especially at the point directly below the pipe joint, which is required in conventional work. Therefore, the work efficiency of the measurement work is greatly improved.

[0010] The measuring machine according to this second invention further comprises a mounting platform on which the measuring machine body is placed, When the device is placed on the mounting platform and the alignment mark on the measuring instrument is aligned with the alignment mark, The measuring instrument body is positioned so as to have a predetermined height on the outer side of the pipe diameter direction from the reference circle.

[0011] According to this, even if there is an obstacle on the outer surface of the first pipe that obstructs the measurement of displacement up to the open end face, for example, by a member connected to the open end face, the measuring instrument body placed on the mounting platform can be configured to avoid the obstacle and perform the displacement measurement by setting a predetermined height to correspond to the height of the obstacle.

[0012] The measuring device according to this third invention is provided with a pair of legs on the underside of the mounting platform that extend in the direction of displacement measurement and are arranged in parallel to each other.

[0013] According to this, the mounting platform is installed in a stable position on the outer surface of the first pipe when each of its pair of legs is in line contact with the outer surface of the first pipe, and its center of gravity is lowest. In this case, the pair of legs of the mounting platform, which extend in the direction of displacement measurement, are placed on the outer surface of the first pipe along the axial direction of the first pipe. Therefore, the direction of displacement measurement becomes parallel to the axial direction of the first pipe. As a result, the displacement sensor can measure the displacement along the axial direction of the first pipe as the measured displacement.

[0014] The measuring device according to the fourth invention is a level that can determine whether the measuring device body is in a horizontal or vertical position.

[0015] According to this, the angle meter can determine whether the measuring instrument body is in a horizontal or vertical position. Therefore, the measuring instrument can acquire three different measurement displacements and measurement angles by using a simple angle meter configuration and defining three different locations on the reference circumference as directly above (position with a tilt angle of 0°) and both sides (position with a tilt angle of 90°). This provides the same effect as the first invention.

[0016] The measuring machine according to the fifth invention has a mounting base that has a sliding mechanism that allows the measuring machine body to slide along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the legs extend. The alignment mark on the measuring instrument is aligned with the alignment mark, The sliding mechanism allows the measuring instrument body to slide, The measuring device itself is moved a predetermined distance from the reference circumference in the tangential direction of the reference circumference.

[0017] According to this, the measuring instrument can slide its body by a predetermined length. Therefore, for example, when the instrument is positioned at three locations directly above and to the sides of the reference circumference, even if there are obstacles that obstruct the displacement measurement, the predetermined length is set to avoid the obstacles, thereby enabling the displacement measurement while avoiding the obstacles. In this case, the circumferential angle difference at the three locations is maintained at 90°. Thus, the measuring instrument can acquire three different measurement displacements and measurement angles on the reference circumference while avoiding the obstacles, using a simple angle gauge configuration. This provides the same effects as the first invention.

[0018] The measuring machine according to the sixth invention comprises a calculation unit that calculates the bending angle from the measurement results of the measured displacement and measured angle, A display unit that shows the calculated bending angle and It possesses the following characteristics.

[0019] According to this, the bending angle is calculated from the measured displacement and the measured angle, and the result is immediately displayed on the display unit for confirmation. Therefore, the efficiency of the measurement work can be improved.

[0020] The measuring instrument according to the seventh invention includes an external terminal used by the user, the measuring instrument according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and a measurement system comprising: The measuring instrument has a transmission unit that transmits the measured displacement and the measured angle to the external terminal as measurement results, The external terminal has a reception unit that receives the measurement results from the measuring instrument, a calculation unit that calculates the bending angle from the received measurement results, and a display unit that displays the calculated bending angle, and is configured as such.

[0021] According to this, the measured displacement and the measured angle are transferred to an external terminal such as the user's mobile terminal as measurement results, and the bending angle is calculated on the external terminal and immediately displayed for the user. Therefore, the efficiency of the measurement work can be improved, and efficiency can also be improved from the viewpoints of organizing and managing the measurement results and the calculation results.

[0022] The measuring instrument or the measurement system according to the eighth invention further includes a determination unit that determines whether the calculated bending angle satisfies a predetermined condition, and the display unit displays the determination result by the determination unit together with the bending angle.

[0023] According to this, regarding the determination of whether the calculated bending angle satisfies a predetermined condition such as a reference value in quality control, the determination result is immediately displayed. Therefore, the efficiency of the measurement work can be improved.

Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, the bending angle of a pipe joint can be measured accurately and efficiently. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a pipe fitting in which a measuring instrument according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the pipe joint. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the bending angle of a pipe joint being measured using the measuring device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the bending angle of a pipe joint being measured using the same measuring instrument. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of the measuring instrument. [Figure 6] This is a front view of the measuring machine. [Figure 7] This is a side view of the measuring machine. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the measuring instrument. [Figure 9] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA, illustrating the measurement procedure. [Figure 10] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB, illustrating the measurement procedure. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for measuring the bending angle of pipe fittings using the measuring instrument. [Figure 12] This figure shows the formula for calculating the bending angle from the measurement results obtained by the same measuring instrument. [Figure 13] This figure shows an example where the calculated bending angle is displayed on the display unit. [Figure 14] This figure shows the spatial coordinates obtained from the measurement results using the same measuring instrument. [Figure 15A] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA, illustrating another example of the same measurement procedure. [Figure 15B] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB, illustrating another example of the same measurement procedure. [Figure 16]Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA, and is a diagram used to explain the measurement position of the measuring instrument. [Figure 17] This figure shows another example of the same calculation formula. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of a measuring machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 19A] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA, illustrating the procedure for measuring the bending angle of a pipe joint using the measuring instrument. [Figure 19B] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB, illustrating the measurement procedure. [Figure 20A] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line AA, illustrating another example of the same measurement procedure. [Figure 20B] Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB, illustrating another example of the same measurement procedure. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of a measuring machine according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 22] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of a measurement system equipped with a measuring instrument according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Hereinafter, a measuring machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid repetition in the description. In the following description, terms such as "up," "down," "side," and "vertical" may be used to mean position or direction. These terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the embodiment and are not limited to the position or direction in actual implementation.

[0027] <Embodiment 1> [Pipe fitting 10] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pipe joint 10 in which the measuring device 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is used will be described.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pipe fitting 10 comprises a first pipe 1 with an opening 11 formed at its tip and a second pipe 2 with a socket 21 formed at its tip into which the opening 11 is inserted, and is used, for example, buried in the ground as a water pipe. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the pipe fitting 10 is provided with an annular sealing member 8 that seals the outer surface of the opening 11 and the inner surface of the socket 21, and a circumferentially split locking ring 9 provided further inside the socket 21 than the sealing member 8.

[0029] A flange portion 22 is provided at the tip of the receiving opening 21, and multiple bolt holes 24 are formed in the flange portion 22. In this embodiment, for example, eight bolt holes 24 are formed in the flange portion 22 at positions that are equally spaced in the circumferential direction. A push ring 3, which pushes the sealing member 8 into the back of the receiving opening 21, is fitted onto the insertion opening 11 and faces the open end face 22b of the receiving opening 21 from the outside.

[0030] The thrust ring 3 has an annular body 31 and is connected to the socket 21 by a plurality (for example, 8) of T-head bolts B and nuts N. The body 31 is provided with a projection 34 on its outer circumference that protrudes radially outward. A convex portion 33 is formed at the tip of the projection 34, which protrudes toward the socket 21. The area on the outer circumference of the thrust ring 3 where there is no projection 34 is open to the outside in the radial direction of the pipe, and this area will be referred to as the opening 35 below. As shown in Figure 1, the opening 35 is configured with a height H1 in the radial direction from the outer surface of the first pipe 1.

[0031] The main body 31 is provided with a pressing surface 36 for pressing the rubber ring and a bolt insertion hole 32 through which a T-head bolt B is inserted. The bolt insertion hole 32 is provided to correspond to the bolt hole 24 of the flange portion 22, and the protruding portion 34 is provided to correspond to the bolt insertion hole 32.

[0032] A projection 15 is formed around the entire circumference of the end of the socket 11 of the first pipe 1, projecting outward. On the inner circumference of the receiving end 21 of the second pipe 2, a guide surface 26 for guiding the sealing member 8, a sealing surface 27 of the sealing member 8, and a housing groove 23 for housing the lock ring 9 are formed in an annular shape in this order from the open end face 22b of the receiving end 21 toward the back. The guide surface 26 is formed to be inclined inward in the diameter direction of the pipe toward the back from the open end face 22b of the receiving end 21, and the sealing surface 27 is formed to be connected to the back side of the guide surface 26 and to extend in the direction of the pipe axis. The inner diameter of the bottom of the housing groove 23 is configured to be larger than the inner diameter of the sealing surface 27.

[0033] When joining the pipe joint 10, first the thrust ring 3 and the sealing member 8 are fitted onto the spigot 11 of the first pipe 1 in that order. The lock ring 9 is then placed in the receiving groove 23 of the socket 21, and the lock ring 9 is expanded using a diameter expander (not shown) at one of its split sections (not shown). Then the spigot 11 is inserted into the socket 21. At this time, because the lock ring 9 has been expanded, the projection 15 of the spigot 11 passes through the inner circumference of the lock ring 9 to the back of the socket 21. After that, when the diameter expander is removed, the lock ring 9 shrinks and clings to the outer circumference of the spigot 11. As a result, the projection 15 and the lock ring 9 engage in the pipe axis direction, preventing the spigot 11 from coming out of the socket 21.

[0034] Next, the sealing member 8 is guided to the guide surface 26 of the receiving opening 21, and the pressing surface 36 of the thrust ring 3 is positioned in front of the open end surface 22b of the receiving opening 21. Then the T-head bolt B is passed through the bolt insertion hole 32 and the bolt hole 24 and screwed onto the nut N. The nut N is tightened until the protrusion 33 of the thrust ring 3 contacts the open end surface 22b. As a result, the thrust ring 3 is connected to the receiving opening 21, and the sealing member 8 is sealed between the inner surface (seal surface 27) of the receiving opening 21 and the outer surface of the insertion opening 11 by one end being pressed by the pressing surface 36 of the thrust ring 3 and the other end reaching the sealing surface 27.

[0035] With the above configuration, the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 are joined via a sealing member 8, allowing the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 to move relative to each other by a predetermined amount in the radial direction and bend (having a bending angle θ). This absorbs ground displacement during earthquakes and prevents the pipes from separating.

[0036] As shown in Figure 1, the present invention aims to accurately and efficiently measure the bending angle θ between the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 using a measuring device 100.

[0037] Specifically, the measuring device 100 includes a displacement meter 41 and an angle meter 42. A reference circle 14 is provided on the outer surface of the first pipe 1 at a predetermined distance from the tip 12 of the first pipe 1, and a strip-shaped alignment mark 13 is provided around the circumference of the reference circle 14, for example, along the entire circumference of the outer surface of the first pipe 1. A strip-shaped measuring device-side alignment mark 43 of the same width as the alignment mark 13 is provided on the outer surface of the measuring device 100, for example, at its front end.

[0038] The alignment marker 43 on the measuring machine side is provided extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the displacement meter 41 measures displacement (displacement measurement direction). When the alignment marker 43 on the measuring machine side is aligned with the alignment marker 13 (the width is the same), the displacement meter 41 measures the displacement from the measuring machine 100 to the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2 as the measured displacement at multiple positions. At the same time, the angle meter 42 measures the inclination angle in the circumferential direction of the first pipe 1 as the measured angle at multiple positions. Then, the bending angle θ is calculated using the measured displacement and the measured angle (details will be described later).

[0039] In this case, the alignment mark 43 on the measuring machine side, which extends in a direction perpendicular to the displacement measurement direction, is aligned with the alignment mark 13 provided around the entire circumference of the outer surface of the first pipe 1, so that the displacement measurement direction is along the pipe axis direction. In other words, the measured displacement is the displacement in the axial direction of the first pipe 1.

[0040] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, the first pipe 1 and the second pipe 2 are bent at a maximum angle of θ[°] in spatial coordinates, for example, by bending at θ1[°] in the horizontal direction and θ2[°] in the vertical direction.

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, the position of the measuring device 100 when it is positioned at the top of the first pipe 1 (measurement position) is referred to as the "0 o'clock position," and this measurement position is denoted as P0, and is used as the reference position during measurement. The measured displacement at measurement position P0 is denoted as Z0.

[0042] [Measuring device 100] Next, the configuration of the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the measuring machine 100 comprises a measuring machine body 4 having a displacement meter 41 and an angle meter 42 (measuring section 40), and a mounting table 6 on which the measuring machine body 4 is placed.

[0043] The displacement meter 41 is, for example, a non-contact displacement meter, and is typically an optical displacement sensor such as a laser displacement sensor. The displacement meter 41 has a light-emitting unit 41b that emits light and a light-receiving unit (not shown) that receives reflected light from the object to be measured. The amount of displacement to the object to be measured is detected from the light emitted through the hole 44 of the measuring machine body 4 and the reflected light by the principle of triangulation.

[0044] The angle meter 42 is, for example, a tilt sensor, such as a vibrating gyro sensor. A vibrating gyro sensor vibrates an oscillator in a predetermined manner and detects the Coriolis force generated by the rotation of the oscillator to determine the angular velocity.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8, the measuring device body 4 includes a control unit 50, a display unit 45, a calculation unit 46, a storage unit 48, a power supply 49 such as a battery, and input buttons.

[0046] The control unit 50 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 48 includes a storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage device of the storage unit 48 stores data such as measurement results and computer programs. The processor of the control unit 50 executes the computer programs stored in the storage device of the storage unit 48 to control the display unit 45, the calculation unit 46, and the like.

[0047] The arithmetic unit 46 is a computer program and is configured to be able to calculate a desired value using arithmetic formulas, which will be described later.

[0048] The display unit 45 is a liquid crystal display or the like that displays various information from the measuring instrument 100.

[0049] The input buttons are provided, for example, on the side of the measuring instrument body 4, and receive user operations on the measuring instrument 100 as input to the control unit 50. In this embodiment, for example, a power button 51, a measurement button 52, a confirmation button 53, and a calculation button 54 are provided as input buttons. When the power button 51 is operated, the power supply 49 of the measuring instrument 100 is switched ON / OFF. When the measurement button 52 is operated, the measurement displacement and measurement angle are measured and displayed on the display unit 45. When the confirmation button 53 is operated, the measurement displacement and measurement angle displayed on the display unit 45 are stored in the storage unit 48. When the calculation button 54 is operated, a predetermined calculation is performed in the calculation unit 46 based on the information stored in the storage unit 48.

[0050] The display unit 45 may be composed of a touch panel display or the like that combines input and display functions, and may be configured to accept operations using the input buttons 51, 52, 53, and 54 described above. In that case, the measuring device 100 may be configured not to have the input buttons 51, 52, 53, and 54.

[0051] A pair of legs 61 are provided at both ends in the width direction of the lower part of the mounting base 6. The pair of legs 61 extend in the direction of displacement measurement and are arranged in parallel with each other.

[0052] In particular, as shown in Figure 5, the mounting base 6 is installed in a stable position on the outer surface of the first pipe 1 when each of the pair of legs 61 is in line contact with the outer surface of the first pipe 1 at the portion indicated by symbol C, maximizing the contact area between them and lowering their center of gravity. At this time, the mounting base 6 is installed on the outer surface of the first pipe 1 along the axial direction of the first pipe 1, with the pair of legs 61 extending in the displacement measurement direction. Therefore, the displacement measurement direction becomes parallel to the axial direction of the first pipe 1. In other words, by installing the measuring device 100 on the outer surface of the first pipe 1 in a stable position, it is naturally positioned so that the displacement measurement direction is aligned with the axial direction of the first pipe 1.

[0053] As shown in the figure, it is preferable that the lower end of the leg portion 61 has an R-shaped longitudinal cross-section. This allows the measuring device 100 to be more stably installed on the outer surface of the first pipe 1 because the outer surface of the first pipe 1 and the outer surface of the leg portion 61 come into contact with each other as curved surfaces, increasing the contact area between them.

[0054] Although not shown in the diagram, the leg portion 61 may be configured to generate magnetic force, for example, by providing a magnet inside. Alternatively, the configuration may allow switching the presence or absence of magnetic force generation by changing the arrangement of the magnets provided inside. This improves the workability and safety of the measurement work when measuring the bending angle θ at a pipe joint 10 of a metal pipe such as a ductile iron pipe, as the measuring device 100 is fixed on the pipe in the aligned position by the magnetic force generated by the leg portion 61 after it has been positioned on the outer surface of the pipe.

[0055] As described above, when the mounting base 6 is placed on the outer surface of the first pipe 1, the light-emitting part 41b of the displacement meter 41 in the measuring instrument body 4 is configured to have a predetermined height H2 outward from the outer surface of the first pipe 1, as shown in Figure 6. The predetermined height H2 is configured to be greater than the height H1 (see Figure 1) of the outer surface of the opening 35 of the thrust ring 3 in the radial direction of the pipe with respect to the outer surface of the first pipe 1. At this time, as shown in the figure, the light-emitting part 41b is positioned at a radius a from the center of the reference circle 14 (i.e., the axis O of the first pipe 1).

[0056] Although not shown in the diagram, the mounting platform 6 may be configured to have a predetermined height H2 by selecting from, for example, multiple mounting platforms 6 of different heights. This makes it easy to ensure a predetermined height H2 at the measurement site when measuring the bending angle θ for each of multiple pipe fittings 10 of different sizes and shapes by selecting a mounting platform 6 of the appropriate height.

[0057] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, when the alignment mark 43 on the measuring instrument side is aligned with the alignment mark 13, the light from the light-emitting part 41b of the displacement meter 41 is configured to start from the reference circle 14 in the axial direction of the first tube 1. In other words, the measured displacement in the displacement measurement direction is the amount of displacement with respect to the position of the reference circle 14.

[0058] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 9 (a vertical cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 4), in this embodiment, the measurement displacement and measurement angle are measured at three locations on the circumference of the first pipe 1. At that time, the alignment mark 43 on the measuring machine side is aligned with each of the three different alignment marks 13 on the circumference of the reference circle 14. In this embodiment, the three measurement positions are P0, which is the "0 o'clock position" as described above; the "first measurement position" (hereinafter referred to as measurement position P1), which is the position obtained by rotating a predetermined angle φ1 clockwise from the position of P0 in Figure 9; and the "second measurement position" (hereinafter referred to as measurement position P2), which is the position obtained by rotating a predetermined angle φ2 counterclockwise from the position of P0 in the same figure.

[0059] As shown in Figure 10 (a longitudinal cross-sectional view along line BB in Figure 4), the predetermined angles φ1 and φ2 are set such that the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 41b at each measurement position P1 and P2 does not overlap with the protrusion 34 of the thrust ring 3 in the direction of the pipe axis. As a result, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 41b at the three measurement positions P0, P1, and P2 avoids the protrusion 34 and reaches the positions indicated by symbols L0, L1, and L2 on the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2. Thus, the measured displacements at the three measurement positions P0, P1, and P2 are measured as Z0, Z1, and Z2. The predetermined angles at the two measurement positions P1 and P2 are then measured as the measured angles φ1 and φ2 (see Figure 9).

[0060] In this case, the mounting base 6 is set such that the predetermined height H2 of the light-emitting unit 41b is greater than the height H1 of the outer surface of the opening 35 of the thrust ring 3 as described above, so that the measured displacement can be obtained while avoiding the thrust ring 3 in the diameter direction of the pipe.

[0061] In this embodiment, the measurement angles φ1 and φ2 are measured by the angle gauge 42. However, the measurement angles φ1 and φ2 may be calculated from information regarding the position of the measuring device 100 when it is installed at measurement position P0 and the position of the measuring device 100 when it is installed at measurement positions P1 and P2 (for example, the straight-line distance between each measurement position). This simplifies the configuration of the measuring device 100. The distance between measurement positions may be measured, for example, by a string connecting the measurement positions, or the measuring device 100 may be equipped with a moving mechanism that can move in the circumferential direction of the first pipe 1 and measure the distance traveled. The moving mechanism may consist of, for example, a rail member wrapped around the circumferential direction of the first pipe 1 and a roller member that can travel on the rail member.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the alignment mark 43 on the measuring machine side is configured as a band-shaped mark with the same width as the alignment mark 13, but it may also be configured with a different width than the alignment mark 13, and the measuring machine 100 may be configured without the alignment mark 43 on the measuring machine side. In that case, for example, the measuring position may be adjusted by aligning the edge of the front end surface of the measuring machine 100 with the alignment mark 13 when viewed from the outside in the diameter direction of the pipe.

[0063] [Method for measuring the bending angle θ using measuring instrument 100] Next, with reference to Figures 11 to 14, the procedure for measuring the bending angle θ of the pipe joint 10 in this embodiment will be described.

[0064] As shown in the flowchart of Figure 11, the control unit 50 of the measuring device 100 checks in step S11 whether the power button 51 is ON or OFF. If it is not ON (No in step S11), the process ends (END). If it is ON (Yes in step S11), the measuring device 100 is positioned at the 0 o'clock position P0 on the first pipe 1 (step S12). Specifically, the alignment mark 43 on the measuring device is aligned with the alignment mark 13 on the first pipe 1, and the measuring device 100 is set to a position where its measurement angle is zero. At this time, the measuring device 100 may be configured so that the measurement angle is displayed on the display unit 45, and the measuring device 100 is positioned while the user confirms the displayed measurement angle.

[0065] Subsequently, the user presses the measurement button 52 to measure the displacement Z0 at the reference measurement position P0 (see Figure 9) (step S13). The measuring machine 100 then accepts input from the user to operate the confirmation button 53 (step S14). If the confirmation button 53 is pressed (Yes in step S14), the measured displacement Z0 is stored in the storage unit 48 (step S15). If the confirmation button 53 is not pressed (No in step S14), the process ends (END).

[0066] Next, the measuring device 100 is positioned at the first measurement position P1 (see Figure 9) (step S16). At this time, as explained above, it is positioned so that the light from the light-emitting unit 41b does not overlap with the protruding part 34 of the push ring 3. Then the measurement button 52 is operated to measure the measurement displacement Z1 and measurement angle φ1 at the measurement position P1 (step S17). The measuring device 100 then accepts input from the user to operate the confirmation button 53 (step S18). If the confirmation button 53 is pressed (Yes in step S18), the measurement displacement Z1 and measurement angle φ1 are stored in the storage unit 48 (step S19). If the confirmation button 53 is not pressed (No in step S18), the process ends (END).

[0067] Next, the measuring device 100 is positioned at the second measurement position P2 (see Figure 9) (step S20). At this time, as explained above, it is positioned so that the light from the light-emitting unit 41b does not overlap with the protruding part 34 of the push ring 3. Then the measurement button 52 is operated to measure the measurement displacement Z2 and measurement angle φ2 at the measurement position P2 (step S21). The measuring device 100 then accepts input from the user to operate the confirmation button 53 (step S23). If the confirmation button 53 is pressed (Yes in step S23), the measurement displacement Z2 and measurement angle φ2 are stored in the storage unit 48 (step S24). If the confirmation button 53 is not pressed (No in step S23), the process ends.

[0068] The measuring machine 100 then accepts input of radius a from the user. Once the user has entered radius a (step S25), radius a is stored in the storage unit 48. The measuring machine 100 then accepts input from the user by operating the calculation button 54. Once the user has operated the calculation button 54, the measuring machine 100 calculates the bending angle θ based on equation F1 shown in Figure 12 (step S26). Specifically, the control unit 50 uses each measurement result stored in the storage unit 48 as an input value, and the calculation unit 46 processes a computer program based on equation F1 to calculate the bending angle θ as an output value.

[0069] Then, as shown in Figure 13, each measurement result and the calculated bending angle θ are displayed on the display unit 45 (step S27). The measuring machine 100 may be configured to include a determination unit that determines whether the calculated bending angle θ satisfies predetermined conditions, such as a standard value for quality control. In that case, the determination result may be displayed on the display unit 45 together with the bending angle θ.

[0070] As described above, once the measurement results and the value of radius a are determined, the relative spatial vectors of L0, L1, and L2 with respect to the origin at the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2, with the center of the reference circle 14 as the origin, can be determined as shown by equation F2, as shown in Figure 14. Therefore, since the plane passing through L0, L1, and L2 can be calculated, the normal vectors of the plane containing the reference circle 14 and the plane passing through the three points can be calculated, respectively. From this, the bending angle θ can be calculated as shown by equation F1 in Figure 12.

[0071] By accurately and directly determining the bending angle θ and directly evaluating it, it becomes possible to perform more precise quality control of the pipe joint 10 compared to the conventional method of evaluating a surrogate index for the bending angle θ (the difference between the maximum and minimum displacement values ​​at four equally spaced positions). Furthermore, it becomes possible to install the pipe joint 10 more safely compared to conventional methods.

[0072] Furthermore, the measurement positions P1 and P2 can be any location (where the light from the light-emitting unit 41b does not overlap with the protruding portion 34 of the thrust ring 3). Therefore, the work efficiency of the measurement work is greatly improved compared to conventional work where four equally spaced locations are measured. In particular, the work efficiency of the measurement work is greatly improved because it eliminates the need to measure at the location directly below the pipe joint 10, as is done in conventional work. In this embodiment, the system is configured to measure at measurement position P1 and then at measurement position P2, but it may also be configured to measure at measurement position P2 and then at measurement position P1.

[0073] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the measurement angle at measurement position P0 (reference position) is configured to be zero. However, as shown in Figure 15A, for example, the measurement angle at the reference position may be configured to be φ0, which is not zero. In this case, if the measurement angles at measurement positions P1 and P2 are φ1 and φ2, then the bending angle θ may be calculated by replacing φ1 and φ2 in equation F1 in Figure 12 with, for example, φ1' and φ2', and setting φ1' = φ1 + φ0 and φ2' = φ2 - φ0.

[0074] As a result, as shown in Figure 15B, even if the protrusion 34 of the thrust ring 3 is located at the top of the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2, the light from the light-emitting unit 41b reaches L0, L1, L2 of the open end face 22b while avoiding the protrusion 34 of the thrust ring 3, just as in the first embodiment described above, and the measured displacements Z0, Z1, Z2 are obtained, and the bending angle θ is calculated.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, if the measurement position symmetric to the origin of the reference circle 14 at measurement position P0 is defined as the "6 o'clock position" and designated as P6, and the measured displacement at measurement position P6 is defined as Z6, then the measuring machine 100 may be configured to calculate the measured displacement Z6 from each measurement result using, for example, the equation F3 shown in Figure 17. In that case, the vertical bending angle θ1 may be, for example, θ1 = tan -1 It may also be configured to be calculated as ((Z0-Z6) / 2a). In this case, the bending angle θ can also be calculated using the calculated measured displacement Z6, for example, using equation F4 shown in Figure 17.

[0076] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16, if the measurement position P0 is rotated 90° clockwise around the origin of the reference circle 14 (i.e., the axis O of the first pipe) and the resulting measurement position is designated as the "3 o'clock position" (P3) and the measurement position rotated 90° counterclockwise is designated as the "9 o'clock position" (P9), then, similar to the case of the measurement displacement Z6 described above, the system may be configured to calculate the measurement displacements Z3 and Z9 at each measurement position P3 and P9 from the respective measurement results (the calculation formula is not shown). In that case, the horizontal bending angle θ2 may be, for example, θ2 = tan -1It may be configured to be calculated as ((Z3-Z9) / 2a).

[0077] Alternatively, the system may be configured to calculate the bending angle θ by combining the vertical bending angle θ1 and the horizontal bending angle θ2 calculated as described above (the calculation formula is not shown).

[0078] Furthermore, as described above, when the measured displacements Z0, Z3, Z6, and Z9 are calculated, the system may be configured to calculate the conventional control index (the difference between the maximum and minimum displacement values ​​at four equally spaced positions). In that case, the system may also be configured to output a judgment result indicating whether the calculated control index satisfies the standard value of the conventional control index. This allows for accurate calculation of the bending angle θ and enables quality control in accordance with the conventional control index.

[0079] In recent years, pipe joints 10 equipped with the thrust ring 3 described above have been proposed, particularly from the viewpoint of facilitating construction management. However, when measuring displacement using the measuring instrument described in Patent Document 1 described above, for example, the thrust ring 3 gets in the way, making it difficult to measure the displacement at the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2. The present invention is configured as described above to be able to handle displacement measurement in pipe joints 10 equipped with the thrust ring 3.

[0080] In other words, as explained above, the measuring device 100 is equipped with a mounting base 6, and the light-emitting section 41b of the measuring device 100 is configured to have a predetermined height H2, so that the measuring device 100 can measure the displacement while avoiding the main body 31 of the thrust ring 3 in the diameter direction of the pipe. Furthermore, since the measurement position can be any three locations in the circumferential direction of the pipe joint 10, the measuring device 100 can measure the displacement while avoiding the protruding portion 34 of the thrust ring 3 in the circumferential direction of the pipe (at the opening 35). As a result, even if the pipe joint 10 is equipped with a thrust ring 3, the measuring device 100 can accurately and efficiently determine the bending angle θ of the pipe joint 10 as explained above.

[0081] On the other hand, the measuring device 100 may be configured without a mounting base 6. In the case of a pipe joint 10 that does not have the thrust ring 3 described above, the bending angle θ can be determined accurately and efficiently by the procedure described above, even without a mounting base 6.

[0082] <Embodiment 2> Next, with reference to Figures 18 to 20B, the measuring machine 200 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described. As shown in the figures, the measuring machine 200 according to Embodiment 2 has a spirit level 242 instead of the angle gauge 42 of the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1. The spirit level 242 determines whether the inclination angle of the measuring machine body 4 is horizontal or vertical. Specifically, the spirit level 242 is provided at both ends in the width direction of the measuring machine 100, with spirit levels 242c and 242d provided at the end where the light-emitting section 41b is not provided in the displacement measurement direction.

[0083] According to this, by using each of the spirit levels 242, the measuring device 200 can determine whether the inclination angle of at least the measuring device body 204 is horizontal or vertical. That is, as shown in Figure 19A, the measurement position P0 can be aligned by confirming from above that the spirit level 242b is horizontal. The measurement positions P1 and P2 can be aligned by confirming from above that the spirit levels 242c and 242d, respectively, are horizontal.

[0084] Therefore, the angle gauge 42 can be aligned at three locations, with measurement positions P0, P1, and P2 being the top position on the circumference of the reference circle 14 (i.e., the 12 o'clock position P0) and both sides (positions where measurement angles φ1 and φ2 are 90°, i.e., the 3 o'clock position P3 and the 9 o'clock position P9).

[0085] This allows us to obtain three different measurement displacements Z0, Z1 (i.e., Z3), and Z2 (i.e., Z9) at each measurement position, as shown in Figure 19B. In other words, by setting φ1 and φ2 to 90° in equation F1 in Figure 12 and inputting each measurement result, the bending angle θ can be calculated.

[0086] Furthermore, by using Equation 5 shown in Figure 17, the measured displacement Z6 when the measurement position is at the 6 o'clock position P6 can be easily calculated from the measured displacements Z0, Z3, and Z9. Note that Equation F5 is the same as Equation F3 in the same figure, but with the measurement angles φ1 and φ2 set to 90°.

[0087] This allows for the determination of measurement displacements at four equally spaced locations, making it possible to calculate the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​among the four measured values, which is a conventional control indicator. In this case, measurement at position P6, which is directly below the pipe joint 10, is unnecessary, significantly improving the efficiency of the measurement work. Therefore, the quality control of the pipe joint 10 can be efficiently performed with a simple configuration for the measuring device 200.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 18, the legs 261 of the measuring machine 200 have a sliding mechanism 65 in addition to the legs 61 of the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown by dashed lines in the figure, the sliding mechanism 65 is configured to allow the measuring machine body 204 to slide along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the legs 61 extend. When the alignment mark 43 on the measuring machine side is aligned with the alignment mark 13, and the measuring machine body 4 is slid by the sliding mechanism 65, the measuring machine body 4 is moved from the circumference of the reference circle 14 in the tangential direction of the circumference of the reference circle 14.

[0089] According to this, by using the sliding mechanism 65, the measuring machine 100 can be slid and shifted in the tangential direction of the reference circle 14 after the alignment to the measurement positions P0, P1 (i.e., P3) and P2 (i.e., P9) is completed using the spirit level 242 as described above. As a result, for example, as shown in Figure 20A, when the measuring machine body 4 slides to the right in the figure by a predetermined length L from the measurement positions P0, P3, and P9, the angle difference in the circumferential direction of the first pipe 1 at each measurement position remains 90°, and the light-emitting part 41b at each measurement position rotates Δφ around the center of the reference circle 14, so that the distance (radius) from the center of the reference circle 14 becomes a'. Therefore, the bending angle θ is calculated by setting the measurement angles φ1 and φ2 in equation F1 in Figure 12 to 90° and the radius a = a'.

[0090] As a result, even if the protrusion 34 of the thrust ring 3 is located at the top of the open end face 22b of the second pipe 2, as shown in Figure 20B, the light from the light-emitting unit 41b reaches L0, L1, L2 of the open end face 22b while avoiding the protrusion 34 of the thrust ring 3, thereby obtaining the measured displacements Z0, Z1, Z2 and calculating the bending angle θ. As described above, the measuring machine 200 according to this embodiment, while having a simple configuration, can accurately and efficiently determine the bending angle θ of the pipe joint 10, similar to the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1. Note that the measuring machine 200 may be configured without the slide mechanism 65.

[0091] <Embodiment 3> Next, with reference to Figure 21, a measuring machine 300 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The measuring machine 300 is equipped with a displacement meter 341 and / or an angle meter 342 in place of the displacement meter 41 and / or angle meter 42 of the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1. The displacement meter 341 and angle meter 342 are configured to be detachable from the measuring machine body 304. This allows the displacement meter 341 and / or angle meter 342 to be removed from the measuring machine body 304 at the measurement site and used as individual measuring machines, and also allows the measuring machine 300 to measure the bending angle θ of the pipe joint 10 by being attached to the measuring machine body 304. Thus, the versatility of the measuring machine 300 is improved. The measuring machine 300 may also be configured to be equipped with a spirit level 242 and / or a sliding mechanism 65 of the measuring machine 200 according to Embodiment 2.

[0092] <Embodiment 4> Next, with reference to Figure 22, a measurement system 401 comprising a measuring instrument 400 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention will be described. The measurement system 401 comprises a measuring instrument 400 and an external terminal 7. The measuring instrument 400 has a measuring unit 40 (displacement meter 41 and angle meter 42), a communication unit 47, a control unit 50, and input buttons 51, 52, 53, and 54. The external terminal 7 has a terminal input display unit 75, a terminal calculation unit 76, a terminal communication unit 77, a terminal storage unit 78, and a terminal control unit 70.

[0093] The external terminal 7 is an information processing device used by the user, such as a PC (Personal Computer), tablet, or smartphone. The communication unit 47 of the measuring instrument 400 is connected to the terminal communication unit 77 via any means of communication. The communication means between the communication unit 47 and the terminal communication unit 77 may be configured as a communication means such as wired LAN, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi Direct® communication, or Bluetooth® communication.

[0094] The configuration of the measuring device 400, excluding the communication unit 47, is the same as that of the measuring device 100 described above, so the same reference numerals are used and detailed explanations are omitted. Also, the terminal input display unit 75, terminal calculation unit 76, terminal storage unit 78, and terminal control unit 70 of the external terminal 7 have the same configuration as the display unit 45, calculation unit 46, storage unit 48, and control unit 50 of the measuring device 100 described above, so detailed explanations are omitted by referring to the above explanation.

[0095] The measurement system 401 takes over the functions performed by the storage unit 48, calculation unit 46, and display unit 45 of the measuring machine 100 according to Embodiment 1, using the terminal storage unit 78, terminal calculation unit 76, and terminal input display unit 75 of the external terminal 7. Since the measurement procedure for the bending angle θ in the measurement system 401 is the same as the measurement procedure in the measuring machine 100, we will refer to Figure 11 again to explain the measurement procedure for the bending angle θ in the measurement system 401.

[0096] Steps S11-S13, S16-S17, and S20-S21 are the same as the processes described above, so their explanation will be omitted by referring to the above.

[0097] In step S14, the measurement system 401 accepts input from the user regarding the operation of the confirmation button 53. If the confirmation button 53 is pressed (Yes in step S14), the measured displacement Z0 is transmitted from the communication unit 47 to the terminal communication unit 77 and stored in the terminal storage unit 78 (step S15). Similarly, if the confirmation button 53 is pressed in steps S18 and S23, the measurement system 401 transmits the measured displacement Z1 and measured angle φ1, and the measured displacement Z2 and measured angle φ2 from the communication unit 47 to the terminal communication unit 77 and stores them in the terminal storage unit 78, respectively (steps S19 and S24).

[0098] Then, in step S25, the measurement system 401 receives input of radius a from the user at the terminal input display unit 75. Once the user has finished inputting radius a, radius a is stored in the terminal storage unit 78.

[0099] The measuring device 400 then accepts input from the user via the calculation button 54. Once the user has completed the calculation button 54, the measuring system 401 calculates the bending angle θ. Specifically, the terminal control unit 70 uses the measurement results stored in the terminal storage unit 78 as input values, and the terminal calculation unit 76 processes a computer program based on equation F1 in Figure 12 to calculate the bending angle θ as an output value. Then, as shown in Figure 13, each measurement result and the calculated bending angle θ are displayed on the terminal input display unit 75.

[0100] According to this system, each measurement result is sequentially transmitted to an external terminal 7, such as the user's mobile device, where the bending angle θ is calculated and immediately displayed to the user. This improves the efficiency of the measurement process, as well as the organization and management of measurement and calculation results.

[0101] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. The drawings schematically show each component in order to facilitate understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each component shown may differ from the actual dimensions due to the convenience of drawing creation. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, etc. of each component shown in the above embodiments are examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the configuration of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 10 Pipe fittings 1. First tube 11 Socket 13 Alignment Marks 14 base yen 2. The second tube 21 socket 22b Open end face 3. Pressing ring 34 Protrusion 35 Opening 4. Measuring instrument body 41 Displacement meter 41b Light-emitting section 42 Angle Gauge 43. Alignment marks for the measuring instrument. 6. Mounting platform 61 Legs

Claims

1. An opening formed at the end of the first pipe is inserted into a socket formed at the end of the second pipe. In a pipe joint in which alignment marks are provided on a reference circle located at a predetermined distance from the end of the first pipe on the outer circumference of the first pipe, A measuring device for measuring the bending angle of a second pipe relative to a first pipe, The measuring instrument body and A positioning mark on the measuring instrument body that corresponds to the positioning mark on the measuring instrument, A displacement meter measures the displacement of the first pipe in the axial direction from the measuring instrument body to the open end face of the second pipe, and An angle meter that measures the inclination angle in the circumferential direction of the first tube of the measuring instrument body as the measurement angle, It has, Displacement gauges and angle gauges are, A measuring machine that aligns its alignment marks with three or more alignment marks on the circumference of a reference circle, and measures the measured displacement and measured angle, respectively.

2. It further has a mounting platform on which the measuring instrument body is placed, When the device is placed on the mounting platform and the alignment mark on the measuring instrument is aligned with the alignment mark, The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device body is positioned such that it has a predetermined height on the outer side in the diameter direction of the pipe from the reference circumference.

3. The measuring machine according to claim 2, wherein the lower surface of the mounting platform is provided with a pair of legs that extend in the direction of displacement measurement and are arranged in parallel with each other.

4. The measuring machine according to claim 3, wherein the angle meter is a spirit level capable of determining whether the measuring machine body is in a horizontal or vertical position.

5. The mounting platform has a sliding mechanism that allows the measuring instrument body to slide along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the legs extend. The alignment mark on the measuring instrument is aligned with the alignment mark, The sliding mechanism allows the measuring instrument body to slide, The measuring machine according to claim 4, wherein the measuring machine body is moved by a predetermined distance from the reference circumference in the tangential direction of the reference circumference.

6. A calculation unit that calculates the bending angle from the measurement results of the measured displacement and measured angle, A display unit that shows the calculated bending angle and A measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having the following features.

7. External devices used by the user, A measuring machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and A measuring system comprising, The measuring instrument is, It has a transmission unit that transmits the measured displacement and measured angle as measurement results to an external terminal. External devices are, A receiving unit that receives measurement results from the measuring instrument, A calculation unit that calculates the bending angle from the received measurement results, A display unit that shows the calculated bending angle, A measuring system having the following features.

8. It further includes a determination unit that determines whether the calculated bending angle satisfies predetermined conditions, The measuring machine according to claim 6 or the measuring system according to claim 7, wherein the display unit displays the bending angle along with the determination result from the determination unit.

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