Suspended work device and work method

Abstract

To provide a suspended work device and work method that can suppress an increase in workload and is less affected by weight limitations. [Solution] The suspended work device according to the present invention comprises a suspendable frame, a manipulator mounted on the frame and equipped with a work tool for performing predetermined work on a work object, and an overhanging member attached to the frame so as to extend from the frame, wherein the overhanging member has a contact portion that can contact the wall surface of the work object, and the contact portion is swingable along the wall surface of the work object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension type working device and a working method.

Background Art

[0002] For example, cylindrical structures such as chimneys require maintenance work such as regular inspections, substrate adjustment, painting, and repair because the painted surface of the outer wall deteriorates due to environmental influences such as high temperature, wind, rain, and dust. The maintenance work may be carried out manually, but it becomes dangerous work at height, and when performing maintenance work on the entire chimney, the working area becomes large and manual work is very inefficient. Therefore, automatic work by robots and remote operation work have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a repair device in which a lifting device is installed on the wall surface of a cylindrical structure, a robot is installed on the lifting device, and automatic work and remote operation work are performed by the robot. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a tower moving robot that can be attached to the wall surface of a cylindrical structure and performs automatic work and remote operation work on the wall surface of the cylindrical structure while adsorbing the wall surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a lifting device on the wall surface of a cylindrical structure, which requires a large-scale installation work. Further, since the lifting device cannot be easily removed after the installation work, it is necessary to stop the operation for a long time until the work is completed.

[0005] Next, in the method described in Patent Document 2, the work can be performed by attaching the self-propelled robot to the wall surface of a cylindrical structure, thus eliminating the need for large-scale installation work. However, because there is a limit to the weight that the self-propelled robot can carry, it is difficult to load the work equipment itself onto the self-propelled robot. In addition, it is necessary to supply power, air, paint, etc. necessary for the work through cables and hoses installed on the ground, but if the length of the cables etc. increases, the weight will increase, which may limit the working height.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a suspended work device and work method that can suppress an increase in workload and is less affected by weight limitations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A suspended work device as a first aspect of the present invention is (1) A suspendable frame, A manipulator mounted on the aforementioned frame and equipped with a work tool for performing predetermined tasks on an object to be worked on, The system includes an overhanging member attached to the frame so as to extend from the frame, The aforementioned overhanging member is provided with a contact portion that can come into contact with the wall surface of the work object, The contact portion is a suspended work device that can swing along the wall surface of the work object.

[0008] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (2) The aforementioned protruding member is, The arm portion fixed to the aforementioned frame, It comprises a joint connecting the contact portion and the arm portion, The contact portion is a suspended work device as described in (1) above, which is pivotable relative to the arm portion by the joint portion.

[0009] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (3) The suspended work device described in (2) above is further equipped with a swing-restricting mechanism that restricts the swing range of the contact portion relative to the arm portion.

[0010] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (4) The hanging type work device described in any one of (1) to (3) above is configured such that the overhanging member can extend and retract along the direction of overhang of the overhanging member in response to the force applied to the contact portion.

[0011] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (5) The contact portion is a suspended work device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, comprising an omniwheel or mecanum wheel capable of contacting the wall surface of the work object.

[0012] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (6) The contact portion is the suspended work device described in (5) above, comprising two omniwheels or mecanum wheels arranged side by side.

[0013] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (7) The aforementioned frame is A first group of suspension pieces, consisting of a plurality of suspension pieces arranged so that the frame is suspended in a first position, The suspension work device according to any one of (1) to (6) above, comprising: a second group of suspension pieces consisting of a plurality of suspension pieces arranged so that the frame is suspended in a second posture.

[0014] A suspended work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (8) The wall surface of the work object is a cylindrical surface parallel to the vertical direction, and it is the hanging work device according to any one of (1) to (7) above.

[0015] The hanging work device as one embodiment of the present invention is (9) The wall surface of the work object is a tapered surface whose diameter decreases upward, and it is the hanging work device according to (7) above.

[0016] The work method as the second aspect of the present invention is (10) It is a work method using the hanging work device according to any one of (1) to (9) above.

Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a hanging work device and a work method that can suppress an increase in the work load and are hardly affected by weight limitations.

Brief Explanation of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of work performed using the hanging work device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the hanging work device shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state in which the hanging work device is hung using the first hanging piece group. [Figure 3] It is a top view showing the projecting member alone of the hanging work device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in which the contact portion swings. [Figure 5] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in which the contact portion swings when the swing range is not restricted by the swing restricting mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in which the contact portion swings when the swing range is restricted by the swing restricting mechanism. [Figure 7] It is a diagram for explaining the operation in which the projecting member expands and contracts. [Figure 8] This figure shows the suspended work device shown in Figure 1 being suspended using a second group of suspension pieces. [Figure 9] This figure shows how work is being performed on a chimney with a tapered surface using the suspended work device shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the suspended work device and work method according to the present invention will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. In each figure, identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0020] Figure 1 shows an example of work performed using a suspended work device 1, which is one embodiment of the suspended work device according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the suspended work device 1. As shown in Figure 1, the suspended work device 1 of this embodiment is used when performing predetermined work (for example, processing, painting, cleaning, inspection, etc.) on a work object 80 such as a chimney, and comprises a suspended frame 10, a manipulator 20 equipped with a work tool for performing predetermined work on the work object 80, and an overhanging member 30.

[0021] The frame 10 can be suspended by a device such as a mobile crane or a fixed crane, such as a crane 90. Specifically, the frame 10 of this embodiment comprises a rectangular parallelepiped frame 11 on which a manipulator 20 (described later) can be mounted, and four lifting pieces 12 fixed to the frame 11 to which a lifting wire 94 can be attached. The four lifting pieces 12 are provided at the four corners of the upper end of the frame 11. The frame 10 of this embodiment can be suspended by attaching the lifting wire 94, which is suspended from the hook 93 of the crane 90, to the lifting pieces 12. More preferably, the lifting pieces 12 are provided at the four corners of the upper end of the frame 11 and two or more additional locations near the center of the rear of the upper end. By using the two lifting pieces 12 near the center instead of the two lifting pieces 12 provided at the corners of the rear of the upper end, the frame 10 can be suspended at an angle. By tilting and suspending the frame 10, stable work can be performed even on workpieces with a tapered structure that narrows towards the top. Details of this will be described later. Figures 1 and 2 show the frame 10 suspended at four points by suspension wires 94. In this state, the suspended work device 1 can be raised and lowered from the ground to the height of the tip of the boom 91 of the crane 90 by winding up and down the main wire 92 that suspends the hook 93 using the crane 90. In addition to being suspended by the crane 90, the frame 10 may also be suspended by installing a lifting device on the roof of the workpiece 80, like a gondola. However, from the viewpoint of simplifying the installation work, it is preferable that the frame 10 be suspended by the crane 90. In addition to the manipulator 20 described later, the frame 10 may be equipped with work equipment (e.g., generator, painter, paint, dust collector, compressor, etc.). In this embodiment, the frame 10 is suspended at four points, but it may also be suspended at one or two points. However, in the case of one or two-point suspension, the frame 10 may rotate, tilt due to a slight shift in the center of gravity, or be more susceptible to wind. For safety reasons, it is preferable that the frame 10 be suspended at four points.

[0022] The manipulator 20 may be, for example, a vertical articulated robotic arm with 6 degrees of freedom. However, the manipulator 20 is not limited to the robotic arm described above, as long as it is capable of performing a predetermined task on the workpiece 80. When the manipulator 20 is a robotic arm, a work tool is attached to the tip of the arm to perform a predetermined task (e.g., processing, painting, cleaning, inspection, etc.) on the workpiece 80. Examples of work tools include power tools for processing, sprays, rollers and brushes for painting, high-pressure cleaning nozzles for cleaning, laser surface preparation devices, cameras, UT sensors, electromagnetic ultrasonic meters, and film thickness gauges for inspection.

[0023] Examples of the work object 80 include, but are not limited to, cylindrical structures such as chimneys, where the wall surface 81 is a cylindrical surface parallel to the vertical. The work object 80 may also be a structure with a planar wall surface, or, as will be described later, a structure in which the wall surface 81 is a tapered surface.

[0024] Thus, with the suspended work device 1, work can be performed on the work object 80 simply by suspending the frame 10, thus eliminating the need for extensive installation work on the work object 80 and suppressing an increase in workload. Furthermore, since it can be suspended by large equipment such as a crane 90, it is less affected by weight limitations compared to transporting manipulators etc. using equipment with a relatively small carrying capacity, such as a self-propelled robot. On the other hand, when performing maintenance work on the work object while the frame is suspended, the frame may rotate, making it difficult to stabilize the position of the frame relative to the work object. Therefore, the suspended work device 1 is equipped with an overhanging member 30 that is attached to the frame 10 so as to extend from the frame 10 and can contact the wall surface 81 of the work object 80. By bringing the overhanging member 30 into contact with the wall surface 81 of the work object 80, the frame 10 can be supported by the overhanging member 30, making it easier to stabilize the position of the frame 10 relative to the work object 80.

[0025] Next, further details of the protruding member 30 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8.

[0026] Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, in this specification, the direction in which the overhanging member 30 extends from the frame 10 in the suspended work device 1 will be simply referred to as the "overhang direction." In this embodiment, the vertical direction relative to the state in which the frame 10 is suspended in the suspended work device 1 will be simply referred to as the "up / down direction A." In this embodiment, the overhang direction is the direction along the horizontal plane perpendicular to the up / down direction A. In this embodiment, the overhang direction in the suspended work device 1 may be referred to as the "forward direction B1," and the direction opposite to the forward direction B1 may be referred to as the "rear direction B2." Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction that combines the forward direction B1 and the rear direction B2 may be referred to as the "front / back direction B." Furthermore, in this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the up / down direction A and the front / back direction B may be referred to as the left / right direction C. The left and right sides in the left-right direction C are the same as the left and right sides when the suspended work device 1 is viewed from the front direction B1.

[0027] Figure 3 is a top view showing the protruding member 30 alone. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the swinging motion of the contact portion 31.

[0028] The suspended work device 1 includes at least one overhanging member 30. However, from the viewpoint of positional stability of the frame 10, it is preferable that the suspended work device 1 includes two overhanging members 30, as shown in Figure 2. Specifically, the suspended work device 1 of this embodiment includes two overhanging members 30 arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction C. In Figure 3, for the sake of explanation, only the right-hand overhanging member 30 of the two overhanging members 30 is shown. Note that there may be three or more overhanging members 30, provided that they are provided so as not to interfere with the operation of the manipulator 20.

[0029] The two overhanging members 30 in this embodiment are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction C. In other words, the overhanging members 30 in this embodiment are positioned at approximately the same location in the up-down direction A. The two overhanging members 30 in this embodiment are fixed to both sides of the frame 10 in the left-right direction C. The two overhanging members 30 in this embodiment are fixed to the lower end of the frame 10 in the up-down direction A, but the configuration is not limited to this. The two overhanging members 30 may be fixed to other locations on the frame 10 in the up-down direction A, for example, at the upper end of the frame 10 in the up-down direction A, as long as they do not interfere with the operation of the manipulator 20. In this embodiment, the overhanging direction of the two overhanging members 30 relative to the frame 10 is the same. Also, the positions of the front ends of the two overhanging members 30 in the front-rear direction B are approximately equal. In other words, the overhanging lengths of the overhanging portions of the two overhanging members 30 that protrude forward B1 from the frame 10 are approximately equal.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the protruding member 30 of this embodiment comprises a hand portion as a contact portion 31, an arm portion 35, and a joint portion 40.

[0031] The contact portion 31 is capable of contacting the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. The contact portion 31 is configured to swing along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. Specifically, the contact portion 31 of this embodiment is configured to swing in the circumferential direction (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "circumferential direction D") about a predetermined axis O. The axis O is an axis parallel to the vertical direction A.

[0032] The contact portion 31 of this embodiment is equipped with an omni-wheel 32 that can contact the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. The omni-wheel 32 is a wheel configured to move in any direction along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 while in contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. By providing the omni-wheel 32 to the contact portion 31, it becomes easier to move the suspended work device 1 relative to the workpiece 80 while keeping the contact portion 31 in contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. As a result, it becomes easy to alternately repeat the work performed by the manipulator 20 and the movement of the suspended work device 1 relative to the workpiece 80, thereby achieving efficient work.

[0033] The contact portion 31 of this embodiment comprises two omniwheels 32 arranged side by side. Specifically, the two omniwheels 32 are arranged in a direction along the tangent to a virtual circle centered on axis O. By providing two such omniwheels 32, the contact area between the contact portion 31 and the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 can be increased compared to the case where there is only one omniwheel 32, making it easier to maintain contact between the contact portion 31 and the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. As a result, it becomes easier to stabilize the position of the support frame 10 relative to the workpiece 80.

[0034] The contact portion 31 may, for example, be equipped with a Mecanum wheel instead of an omniwheel 32.

[0035] The arm portion 35 is fixed to the frame 10. Specifically, the arm portion 35 in this embodiment includes a fixed portion that extends linearly in the front-rear direction B and is fixed to the frame 10, and a protruding portion that extends forward B1 from the frame 10.

[0036] The joint 40 connects the contact portion 31 and the arm portion 35. The contact portion 31 is pivotable relative to the arm portion 35 by the joint 40. Specifically, the joint 40 in this embodiment is a shaft that connects the contact portion 31 and the arm portion 35. The joint 40 in this embodiment is supported by the arm portion 35 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction D about the axis O. The contact portion 31 in this embodiment is fixed to the joint 40. As a result, the contact portion 31 in this embodiment can pivot in the circumferential direction D relative to the arm portion 35 in conjunction with the rotation of the joint 40.

[0037] Next, an example of the oscillation of the contact portion 31 will be described with reference to Figure 4. In the example shown in Figure 4, the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 is a cylindrical surface parallel to the vertical direction. Figure 4 shows two contact portions 31 of two protruding members 30 that are spaced apart in the left-right direction C. Hereinafter, the side of one of these two contact portions 31 where the other contact portion 31 is located in the left-right direction C, and the side of the other contact portion 31 where one contact portion 31 is located in the left-right direction C, will be described as the "inside in the left-right direction C". Also, the side of one of the two contact portions 31 where the other contact portion 31 is located in the left-right direction C, and the side of the other contact portion 31 where the one contact portion 31 is located in the left-right direction C, will be described as the "outside in the left-right direction C". Before contacting the workpiece 80, the contact portion 31 is positioned at a predetermined reference position relative to the arm portion 35. In this embodiment, the reference position is the position where the direction in which the two omniwheels 32 are aligned coincides with the left-right direction C. Next, as shown in Figure 4(a), when the frame 10 is brought closer to the workpiece 80, the contact portion 31 of the overhanging member 30 comes into contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 4(a), of the two omniwheels 32 of the contact portion 31, the omniwheel 32 located on the inside in the left-right direction C comes into contact with the workpiece 80 first. Next, as shown in Figure 4(b), when the frame 10 is brought further closer to the workpiece 80 from the state shown in Figure 4(a), the contact portion 31 is pressed against the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. As a result, the contact portion 31 swings along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. Specifically, in the example shown in Figure 4(b), the contact portion 31 swings inward in the left-right direction C so that the omniwheel 32 located on the inside of the contact portion 31 in the left-right direction C contacts the workpiece 80, while the contact between the omniwheel 32 located on the outside of the left-right direction C is maintained. In other words, the swinging of the contact portion 31 results in both omniwheels 32 of the contact portion 31 being in contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. In this way, the frame 10 is supported by the overhanging member 30.

[0038] In this way, the contact portion 31 can swing along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. This makes it easier to maintain contact between the contact portion 31 and the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 compared to when the contact portion 31 does not swing. As a result, it becomes easier to stabilize the position of the support frame 10 relative to the workpiece 80.

[0039] The protruding member 30 may be equipped with a biasing member that biases the contact portion 31 toward a predetermined reference position. This makes it easy to maintain the contact portion 31 in a predetermined reference position when the contact portion 31 is not in contact with the workpiece 80. The biasing member may be, for example, a torsion spring attached to the joint portion 40. Note that the joint portion 40 does not need to be equipped with a biasing member.

[0040] Next, the oscillation restricting mechanism 50 will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the contact portion 31 when the oscillation range is not restricted by the oscillation restricting mechanism 50. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the contact portion 31 when the oscillation range is restricted by the oscillation restricting mechanism 50. Figures 5 and 6 show the contact portion 31 of the right-side overhanging member 30. The following will provide an example of how the oscillation range of the contact portion 31 of the right-side overhanging member 30 is restricted by the oscillation restricting mechanism 50, but the restriction of the oscillation range of the contact portion 31 of the left-side overhanging member 30 is similar, so the explanation will be omitted here.

[0041] Figures 5 and 6 show the internal structure of the overhanging member 30. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the overhanging member 30 is equipped with a swing restricting mechanism 50 that restricts the swing range of the contact portion 31 relative to the arm portion 35. The swing restricting mechanism 50 comprises a bone portion 51 and at least one hole 52 formed in the arm portion 35. The bone portion 51 is configured to swing in conjunction with the contact portion 31. Specifically, the bone portion 51 in this embodiment extends linearly and is elongated, with one end fixed to the joint portion 40. Therefore, as the joint portion 40 rotates in conjunction with the swing of the contact portion 31, the bone portion 51 also swings.

[0042] The arm portion 35 of this embodiment has a plurality of holes 52. Pins 55 can be inserted into the holes 52. When the contact portion 31 is swung without a pin 55 inserted into a hole 52, the contact portion 31 abuts against the arm portion 35, preventing it from swinging any further. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5(a), when the contact portion 31 is swung in one direction in the circumferential direction D (counterclockwise in Figure 5(a)), in other words, outward in the left-right direction C, without a pin 55 inserted into a hole 52, the contact portion 31 abuts against the first stopper surface 36 of the arm portion 35, preventing it from moving any further in the circumferential direction D. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the contact portion 31 is swung in the other direction of the circumferential direction D (clockwise in Figure 5(b)), in other words, inward in the left-right direction C, with the pin 55 not inserted into the hole 52, the contact portion 31 abuts against the second stopper surface 37 of the arm portion 35, and is restricted from moving further in the other direction of the circumferential direction D. That is, when the pin 55 is not inserted into the hole 52, the swing range of the contact portion 31 is not restricted by the swing restriction mechanism 50, but is restricted by the first stopper surface 36 and the second stopper surface 37 of the arm portion 35. Note that in this embodiment, the contact portion 31 is positioned in the above-described reference position when it is abutting against the first stopper surface 36.

[0043] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, for example, pins 55 are inserted into two of the multiple holes 52, and the bone portion 51 is positioned between these two pins 55. In this state, as shown in Figure 6(a), if the contact portion 31 is swung in one direction of the circumferential direction D (counterclockwise in Figure 6(a)), in other words, outward in the left-right direction C, the contact portion 31 will abut against one of the two pins 55, and further movement in that direction of the circumferential direction D is restricted. Also, as shown in Figure 6(b), if the contact portion 31 is swung in the other direction of the circumferential direction D (clockwise in Figure 6(b)), in other words, inward in the left-right direction C, the contact portion 31 will abut against the other pin 55, and further movement in that direction of the circumferential direction D is restricted. In other words, by inserting pins 55 into the holes 52, the range of motion of the contact portion 31 relative to the arm portion 35 can be narrowed. The presence of such a swing-restricting mechanism 50 prevents the contact portion 31 from swinging excessively and impairing the positional stability of the support frame 10 relative to the workpiece 80.

[0044] As described above, the arm portion 35 of this embodiment has multiple holes 52 formed therein. Therefore, by changing the arrangement of the pins 55 inserted into the holes 52, the swing range restricted by the swing restricting mechanism 50 can be adjusted as appropriate. This makes it possible to set an appropriate swing range according to the shape of the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80.

[0045] Here, when the contact portion 31 is in the reference position (see Figure 5(a)), if the inclination angle of the contact portion 31 relative to the arm portion 35 is set to 0 degrees, then when the pin 55 is not inserted into the hole 52, the contact portion 31 can swing so that the inclination angle changes within the range of 0 to 40 degrees. On the other hand, in the example shown in Figure 6, the swing range of the contact portion 31 is narrowed by the swing restricting mechanism 50, so that the inclination angle changes within the range of 10 to 30 degrees. In this embodiment, multiple holes 52 are arranged so that the upper and lower limits of the inclination angle can be changed in 5-degree increments. However, the arrangement and number of holes 52 are not limited to the configuration of this embodiment and may be changed as appropriate.

[0046] When the suspended work device 1 is used suspended by the crane 90, it is desirable to make the horizontal distance between the tip of the boom 91 of the crane 90 and the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 smaller than the length that the overhanging member 30 extends from the frame 10 in the overhanging direction. This makes it easier for the pressing force that the suspended work device 1 exerts on the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 to be greater than the reaction force received from the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 due to the work performed by the manipulator 20. As a result, the contact portion 31 is more easily maintained in a state of being pressed against the work object 80, and the overhanging member 30 is more easily able to stably support the frame 10. In addition, by setting the horizontal distance between the tip of the boom 91 of the crane 90 and the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 as described above, the center of gravity of the suspended work device 1 can be positioned B2 behind the tip of the boom 91 of the crane 90. Therefore, even if the contact portion 31 is lifted relative to the work object 80 by the reaction force received from the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 due to the work performed by the manipulator 20, gravity causes the suspended work device 1 to move toward the work object 80 (forward direction B1), so that the contact portion 31 can once again make contact with the wall surface 81 of the work object 80, and the support frame 10 can be supported by the overhanging member 30.

[0047] Furthermore, by setting the horizontal distance between the tip of the boom 91 of the crane 90 and the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 as described above, the frame 10 may be tilted vertically by, for example, 1 degree or more, while the contact portion 31 of the overhanging member 30 is in contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. In this way, sufficient pressing force on the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 by the suspended work device 1 can be ensured.

[0048] The length by which the overhanging member 30 extends from the frame 10 in the overhanging direction is not particularly limited, but may be set appropriately from the viewpoint of workability by the manipulator 20. For example, if the maximum reach length of the manipulator 20 (the upper limit of the distance between the manipulator 20 and the work object 80 at which the manipulator 20 can work on the work object 80) is 1300 mm, the length by which the overhanging member 30 extends from the frame 10 in the overhanging direction may be, for example, 700 to 1000 mm.

[0049] Figure 7 illustrates the operation of the extension member 30 as it expands and contracts. Figure 7 shows a side view of the extension member 30 as seen along the left-right direction C. As shown in Figure 7, it is preferable that the extension member 30 is able to expand and contract along the extension direction in response to the force applied to the contact portion 31. Specifically, the arm portion 35 of this embodiment comprises a main body portion 38 and a movable portion 39 that is connected to the main body portion 38 in the forward direction B1 and is movable in the front-rear direction B relative to the main body portion 38. Furthermore, the arm portion 35 of this embodiment includes a biasing portion 60 that is sandwiched between the main body portion 38 and the movable portion 39 and biases the movable portion 39 in the forward direction B1 relative to the main body portion 38. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(a), when an external force greater than a predetermined amount is applied to the contact portion 31 in the rearward direction B2, the movable portion 39 can move in the rearward direction B2 against the biasing force of the biasing portion 60. In other words, when a force greater than a predetermined amount is applied to the contact portion 31 in the rearward direction B2, the arm portion 35 can be retracted in the rearward direction B2. On the other hand, when the contact portion 31 is released from the above-mentioned external force, the arm portion 35 extends in the forward direction B1 due to the biasing force of the biasing portion 60. By configuring the overhanging member 30 in this way, the impact generated by bringing the overhanging member 30 into contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 can be mitigated. This prevents the suspended work device 1 from being damaged due to the above-mentioned impact. Furthermore, even if there are irregularities on the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80, the retractable nature of the overhanging member 30 makes it easy to move the contact portion 31 along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 while maintaining contact between the contact portion 31 and the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80. Moreover, even if an external force is applied to the workpiece 80 or the suspended work device 1 during work, the contact portion 31 can be prevented from lifting up relative to the workpiece 80.

[0050] As the biasing part 60, for example, a coil spring, a damper, etc., can be used. In this embodiment, the biasing part 60 is positioned at the tip of the arm portion 35 (the front end of the arm portion 35 in this embodiment). As a result, the weight of the mechanism that extends and retracts the arm portion 35, including the biasing part 60, is added to the tip of the arm portion 35, so the center of gravity of the suspended work device 1 can be brought closer to the tip of the arm portion 35 compared to when the biasing part 60 is positioned at the base end of the arm portion 35 (the rear end of the arm portion 35 in this embodiment). As a result, the load of the suspended work device 1 is more easily applied as a pressing force to the wall surface 81 of the work object 80, making it easier to secure the pressing force of the work object 80 on the wall surface 81 by the suspended work device 1. However, the arrangement of the biasing part 60 is not limited to this, and the biasing part 60 may also be positioned at the base end of the arm portion 35. If the biasing portion 60 is located at the base end of the arm portion 35, the maintainability of the biasing portion 60 is improved.

[0051] The manipulator 20 may be configured to perform work on the workpiece 80 by automatic operation or remote control. Remote control may be performed, for example, by a master-slave system using so-called bilateral control, in which the manipulator 20 is controlled by the operating axis of a master operating device.

[0052] The suspended work device 1 of this embodiment is designed to work on cylindrical structures and the like. Specific examples of the work object 80 include chimneys, tanks, bridge piers, wind turbine towers, pipelines, and the like. In particular, tall chimneys sometimes have sides that are inclined with respect to the vertical. Specifically, the sides of a chimney may be tapered surfaces that narrow in diameter as they extend upwards. In other words, the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 may be a tapered surface that narrows in diameter as it extends upwards. The angle of inclination of such a tapered surface with respect to the vertical is often between 1 and 3 degrees. In one example of work performed using the suspended work device 1, the tip of the jib of the crane 90 is brought close to the top of the chimney, and the wheels (omniwheels 32 in this embodiment) at the tip of the overhanging member 30 of the suspended work device 1 are brought into contact with the chimney surface (side) of the chimney, which is the work object 80, near the ground. The main wire 92 is then wound up, moving the suspended work device 1 upward from the ground to near the top while keeping the tip of the overhanging member 30 in contact with the chimney surface. At this time, in order to keep the inclination angle of the frame 10 with respect to the vertical constant, the distance between the chimney surface near the top and the tip of the jib of the crane 90 (the tip of the boom 91), and the distance between the chimney surface and the suspension position of the frame 10 at the position where the frame 10 is suspended, must always be constant. However, if the distance between the chimney surface near the top and the tip of the crane 90's jib is greater than the distance between the chimney surface and the suspension position of the suspended frame 10 (or hook 93) at the position of the suspended frame 10, the frame 10 will detach from the chimney near the top. Therefore, for safety reasons, in practice, the distance between the chimney surface near the top and the tip of the crane 90's jib must be smaller than the distance between the chimney surface and the suspension position of the suspended frame 10 at the position of the suspended frame 10. In this state, when the suspended work device 1 is moved to near the top of the chimney, the frame 10 tilts counterclockwise from the viewpoint shown on the right side in Figure 9. The suspended work device 1 becomes unable to work when the frame 10 is tilted by ±5 degrees or more relative to the chimney surface. Therefore, it is necessary to tilt the support structure 10 several degrees clockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9 near the ground, and then adjust it so that when it moves to near the top of the chimney, the tilt of the support structure 10 is several degrees counterclockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, when suspending the frame 10, by using the two suspension pieces 12 located closer to the center instead of the two suspension pieces 12 located at the rear corners of the upper end, the frame 10 can be suspended at an angle of several degrees clockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9. In Figure 9, when suspending the support frame 10, instead of using the two suspension pieces 12 located at the rear corners of the upper end, the two suspension pieces 12 located closer to the center are used, and the suspended support frame 10 is moved along the chimney surface, tilted a few degrees clockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9. In the example shown in Figure 9, the side surface of the chimney 82, which is an example of the work object 80, is a tapered surface that is inclined with respect to the vertical, and the support frame 10 is suspended in such a position that the distance between the chimney surface near the top and the tip of the crane 90's jib is always smaller than the distance between the chimney surface at the position of the suspended support frame 10 and the suspension position of the support frame. Near the ground, the support frame 10 is suspended so as to be tilted no more than 5 degrees clockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9, and as it moves along the chimney surface, the tilt is kept within 5 degrees counterclockwise from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9 even near the top. This allows for stable work.

[0054] In other words, the frame 10 of this embodiment comprises a first suspension piece group and a second suspension piece group. The first suspension piece group consists of a plurality of suspension pieces 12 arranged so that the frame 10 is suspended in a first position. The second suspension piece group consists of a plurality of suspension pieces 12 arranged so that the frame 10 is suspended in a second position. With the above configuration, the suspension position of the frame 10 can be adjusted according to the structure of the work object 80, and stable work can be achieved using the suspension type work device 1.

[0055] More specifically, the first suspension piece group of this embodiment consists of four suspension pieces 12 positioned at the four corners of the upper end of the frame portion 11 of the frame 10. For the sake of convenience, of the four suspension pieces 12 constituting the first suspension piece group, the two front suspension pieces 12 will be referred to as "front suspension pieces 12a," and the two rear suspension pieces 12 will be referred to as "rear suspension pieces 12b." The second suspension piece group of this embodiment consists of two front suspension pieces 12a and two suspension pieces 12 positioned between the two rear suspension pieces 12b in the left-right direction C (hereinafter referred to as "center suspension piece 12c" for the sake of convenience). In other words, in this embodiment, the two front suspension pieces 12a are used for both the first and second suspension piece groups. Furthermore, the four lifting pieces 12 of the first lifting piece group in this embodiment are arranged such that, when suspended by a lifting wire 94 suspended from the hook 93 of the crane 90, the frame 10 is in a position parallel to the vertical direction (first position), as shown in Figure 2. Also, the four lifting pieces 12 of the second lifting piece group in this embodiment are arranged such that, when suspended by a lifting wire 94 suspended from the hook 93 of the crane 90, the frame 10 is in a position tilted clockwise with respect to the vertical direction from the viewpoint shown in Figure 9 (second position), as shown in Figure 8. Note that "position parallel to the vertical direction" means a position where the overhang direction coincides with the horizontal direction.

[0056] As described above, in this embodiment, two front suspension pieces 12a are used for both the first suspension piece group and the second suspension piece group, but this is not the only way to do so. The first suspension piece group and the second suspension piece group may each be composed of separate suspension pieces 12. However, by configuring some of the suspension pieces 12 to be used for both the first and second suspension piece groups, as in this embodiment, the configuration of the support frame 10 can be simplified.

[0057] As described above, by using the suspended work device 1 of this embodiment, a work method including the following steps (I) to (III) can be implemented.

[0058] (I) Suspension process for suspending the frame 10 (see Figure 1). (II) A contact step in which the contact portion 31 of the protruding member 30 is brought into contact with the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80, and the contact portion 31 is swung along the wall surface 81 of the workpiece 80 (see Figures 1 and 4). (III) A work process in which the manipulator 20 performs a predetermined operation on the work object 80 while the contact portion 31 of the protruding member 30 is in contact with the wall surface 81 of the work object 80 (see Figure 1).

[0059] According to the work method of the present invention, the suspended work device 1, including the frame 10, can be suspended without attaching it to the work object 80, and positioned relative to the work object 80 using the contact portion 31 of the overhanging member 30, thereby allowing the manipulator 20 to perform work on the work object 80. Therefore, the large-scale installation work of the suspended work device 1 can be omitted, and the increase in workload can be suppressed. In addition, since the frame 10 can be suspended by a large device such as a crane 90, it is less affected by weight limitations compared to transporting the manipulator using a device with a relatively small carrying capacity, such as a self-propelled robot. [Examples]

[0060] The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0061] A collaborative robot was used as the manipulator, which is a vertical articulated robot with 6 degrees of freedom, a body weight of 40 kg, a maximum reach of 1300 mm, and a maximum payload of 12 kg. The object to be worked on was a chimney with a diameter of 10 m, whose walls were cylindrical surfaces parallel to the vertical. The manipulator's tools included an ultrasonic thickness gauge for inspection, a rotary blast nozzle, an electric scraping tool, a paint sprayer, and a paint roller. The manipulator's tools were changed manually depending on the task. In addition to the manipulator, the stand was equipped with a generator, a pressurized tank, a small compressor, a dust collector, a painter, and paint pails. The overhanging member extended 1000 mm from the stand in the overhanging direction.

[0062] A 25-ton mobile crane was prepared. The frame was suspended by attaching four lifting wires, suspended from the crane's hook, to lifting pieces at the four corners of the frame's structure. The crane's jib tip was brought within 500 mm of the chimney, bringing the contact point of the overhanging member into contact with the chimney wall and causing the contact point to swing along the chimney wall. At this time, a guide rope was wrapped around the frame, and the orientation of the suspended work device was manually adjusted by manipulating the guide rope from the ground.

[0063] By operating the manipulator automatically or remotely while the contact point was in contact with the chimney wall, it was confirmed that inspection, scraping, and painting work could be performed with almost no shaking during the operation. Furthermore, after raising the platform by winding up the crane's main wire, the manipulator was used again. In this way, it was confirmed that efficient work could be achieved by repeatedly alternating between moving the platform and working with the manipulator.

[0064] The suspended work device and work method according to the present invention are not limited to the specific configurations shown in the embodiments and examples described above, and various modifications, changes, and combinations are possible as long as they do not depart from the scope of the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] The present invention relates to a suspended work device and a work method. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1: Suspended work device 10: Stand 11: Frame 12: Hanging piece 12a: Front suspension piece 12b: Rear suspension piece 12c: Central suspension piece 20: Manipulator 30: Overhanging member 31: Contact area 32: Omniwheel 35: Arm section 36: First stopper surface 37: Second stopper surface 38: Main body 39: Mobile Unit 40: Joints 50: Oscillation control mechanism 51: Bone part 52: Hole 55: Pin 60: Encouraging part 80: Object to be worked on 81: Wall surface 82: Chimney 90: Crane 91: Boom 92: Main wire 93: Hook 94: Suspension wire A: Up and down direction B: Anteroposterior direction B1:Forward direction B2: Back direction C: Left / right direction D: Circumferential direction O: Axis line

Claims

1. A suspendable frame, A manipulator mounted on the aforementioned frame and equipped with a work tool for performing predetermined tasks on an object to be worked on, The system includes an overhanging member attached to the frame so as to extend from the frame, The aforementioned overhanging member is provided with a contact portion that can come into contact with the wall surface of the work object, The contact portion is a suspended work device that can swing along the wall surface of the work object.

2. The aforementioned protruding member is, The arm portion fixed to the aforementioned frame, It comprises a joint connecting the contact portion and the arm portion, The suspension-type work device according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is pivotable relative to the arm portion by the joint portion.

3. The suspended work device according to claim 2, further comprising a swing-restricting mechanism for restricting the swing range of the contact portion relative to the arm portion.

4. The hanging work device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the overhanging member is configured to extend and retract along the direction of overhang of the overhanging member in response to the force applied to the contact portion.

5. The suspension work device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the contact portion comprises an omniwheel or mecanum wheel capable of contacting the wall surface of the work object.

6. The suspension work device according to claim 5, wherein the contact portion comprises two omniwheels or mecanum wheels arranged side by side.

7. The aforementioned frame is A first group of suspension pieces, consisting of a plurality of suspension pieces arranged so that the frame is suspended in a first position, A suspension work device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a second group of suspension pieces consisting of a plurality of suspension pieces arranged so that the frame is suspended in a second posture.

8. The hanging work device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the wall surface of the work object is a cylindrical surface parallel to the vertical direction.

9. The hanging work device according to claim 7, wherein the wall surface of the work object is a tapered surface that decreases in diameter as it goes upward.

10. A work method using a suspended work device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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