Water pipe leak repair method and leak repair device

Abstract

To provide a water leakage repair method and a water leakage repair device which repair leakage spots in water pipes during water flow at public water supply, reclaimed water systems, and sewers without human hands full-automatically.SOLUTION: A water leak detection method for a water pipe 1 is configured so as to move a monitoring robot 10 while sending a water leakage monitoring signal 11 toward the inner face of the water pipe 1 within the water pipe 1 and configured so that the monitoring robot 10 sends a water leakage signal 12 reflected from a water leakage spot 4 when the water leakage monitoring signal 11 is emitted to the water leakage spot 4 of the water pipe 1 and then detects the water leakage spot 4. A water leakage repair method for the water pipe 1 is configured so as to move a plurality of repair robots 30 into the water pipe 1 and to gather the repair robots 30 at the water leakage spot 4 when there is the water leakage spot 4 in the water pipe 1 and configured so that the repair robots 30 cover a water leakage hole 3 of the water leakage spot 4 and then seal the water leakage hole 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water pipe leak detection method, a leak repair method, and an apparatus for automatically detecting and repairing leaks in a water pipe without human intervention while water is flowing, like a platelet system that automatically repairs damage to a blood vessel to stop bleeding. Note that the term "waterworks" in the present invention refers to a concept including mains waterworks, grey waterworks, and sewage systems, and the term "water pipes" refers to a concept including mains waterworks pipes, grey waterworks pipes, and sewage pipes, and tap water refers to mains waterworks water, grey waterworks water, and sewage water. Here, mains waterworks water is drinking water, grey waterworks water is water that has been purified and disinfected from sewage, such as tap water for industrial or agricultural use, and sewage water is tap water that passes through a sewer pipe. [Background technology]

[0002] The first prior art for detecting water pipe leaks is JP 55-103443 A (Patent Document 1), whose invention is entitled "Sound Recording Type Water Leak Detector." Generally, water pipes buried underground are pressurized pipelines, so they emit a distinctive sound when a leak occurs. Traditionally, highly experienced experts would place a highly sensitive listening device on the ground and listen to faint sounds to determine whether there was a leak, but Patent Document 1 detects this by converting faint vibrations in the ground caused by a leak into an electrical signal.

[0003] The second prior art is JP 63-98539 A (Patent Document 2), whose invention title is "Water Leak Point Detector." This Patent Document 2 is an invention that estimates the length of a water pipe from a sound collection point of the water pipe leakage sound to the water pipe leakage point. The power of the full frequency band components and the power of the low frequency band components of the water leakage sound at the sound collection point are measured, and the pipe length is estimated based on these two power measurements, making it possible to mechanically estimate the water pipe length from the sound collection point to the water leak point.

[0004] The third prior art is JP 2013-68587 A (Patent Document 3), whose invention title is "Portable Time Integration Type Water Leak Detection Device." This Patent Document 3 is an invention in which an SD memory drive circuit, a storage device such as an SD memory, and a GPS module are built into a portable water leak detection device, and the water leak signal and location information are recorded in the SD memory or the like, which are then played back and checked by an expert at headquarters, eliminating the need for the expert to go to the site to check for water leaks, and the location of the water leak can also be accurately analyzed using GPS.

[0005] A fourth prior art is JP 2014-238380 A (Patent Document 4), whose invention title is "Water Leak Detector." Patent Document 4 is an invention of a method for easily finding the location of a water leak using a device that can remove noise even during noisy daytime hours and locations when detecting water leaks. This invention is characterized by the fact that the time difference (phase difference) between the arriving waves appears between the sensor signals by using a method of arranging multiple sensors to determine the characteristics of the directions of arrival of noise waves arriving from the horizontal direction and water leakage waves arriving from the vertical direction, and this signal is subjected to phase processing in an amplifier unit to separate the water leakage wave from the noise wave. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 55-103443 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-98539 [Patent Document 3] JP 2013-68587 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2014-238380 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In Patent Document 1, underground vibrations caused by water leaking from a water pipe are detected as electrical signals and the location of the leak must be detected manually by an electrician, and the only way to repair the leak is to dig up the ground and manually repair the leak in the water pipe.

[0008] In addition, in Patent Document 2, the length of the water pipe from the sound collection point to the leak point must be manually estimated, and even if the leak point is found, the only way to repair the leak point is to dig up the ground and manually repair the leak point in the water pipe, as in Patent Document 1.

[0009] Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, even if the location of the leak can be identified by making full use of an SD memory drive circuit, a storage device such as an SD memory, and a GPS module, the manpower of an expert is still required to find the leak, and in particular, the only way to repair the leak is to dig into the ground and repair it by hand.

[0010] Furthermore, even if Patent Document 4 shows that the location of a leak can be accurately detected by using a method for arranging multiple sensors, it still requires the manpower of an expert to find the leak, and there is no way to repair the leak other than by digging up the ground and replacing the water pipes.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide an innovative water pipe leak detection method, a leak repair method, and a method for automatically detecting and repairing leaks in underground water pipes by introducing a group of robots into the water pipes, which do not require any human labor. Water leak repair The present invention provides an apparatus for detecting a The robot group is composed of a monitoring robot and a repair robot that move inside the water pipe, and the present invention is a detection method for detecting a water leak location by the monitoring robot. Related The repair method consists of covering and sealing the detected leak points using a repair robot, and at the same time water leak It consists of a repair device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a first form of the present invention is a method for detecting a water pipe leak, comprising: moving a surveillance robot inside a water pipe while transmitting a leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe; and, when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to a leak location in the water pipe, receiving a leak signal reflected from the leak location and detecting the leak location by the surveillance robot.

[0013] Second aspect of the invention (First Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention) This is a method for repairing a water pipe leak, in which a plurality of repair robots are moved inside the water pipe, and when a leak is found in the water pipe, the repair robots are assembled at the leak location, and the repair robots cover the leak hole at the leak location to seal the leak hole.

[0014] A third form of the present invention is a method for repairing a water pipe leak, comprising: moving a monitoring robot inside the water pipe while transmitting a leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe; and moving a plurality of repair robots inside the water pipe; when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to a leaking point in the water pipe, the monitoring robot receives the leak signal reflected from the leaking point and detects the leaking point; upon detection, the monitoring robot transmits a repair robot gathering signal to the repair robots; upon receiving the repair robot gathering signal, the repair robots gather at the leaking point; and the repair robots cover a leak hole at the leaking point to seal the leak hole.

[0015] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the third aspect, wherein the repair robot gathering signal is sent to the water leak point. In this method, a leak location signal indicating the location of the leak is transmitted including a leak location signal indicating the location of the leak, or a leak location signal indicating the location of the leak is transmitted simultaneously with the transmission of the repair robot assembly signal, and the repair robots assemble toward the leak location.

[0016] Fifth aspect of the present invention (Second Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention) The second to fourth forms (This divisional invention only involves the first divisional form) In any one of the above, the repair robot is adapted to gradually cover the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole while closely contacting the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole.

[0017] A sixth form of the present invention is a water pipe leak detection device comprising a surveillance robot equipped with a surveillance robot movement control device and a leak monitoring signal transmitting device, and moving within a water pipe while transmitting a leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe, and a leak signal receiving device provided on the surveillance robot for receiving a leak signal reflected from the leak location when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to the leak location in the water pipe.

[0018] Seventh aspect of the present invention (Third Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention) is a water pipe leak repair device comprising: a plurality of repair robots that move inside a water pipe using a repair robot movement control device; a leak position signal receiving device provided on the repair robot that receives a leak position signal notifying the location of the leak in the water pipe; and a water pipe leak hole closing device provided on the repair robot that assembles the repair robots at the leak position and covers the leak hole at the leak position to seal the leak hole.

[0019] Eighth aspect of the present invention (Fourth Division of the Present Divided Invention) is a water pipe leak repair device that is composed of a monitoring robot equipped with a leak monitoring signal transmitting device and that moves inside the water pipe while transmitting a leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe, and a plurality of repair robots that move inside the water pipe, wherein the monitoring robot is equipped with a repair robot gathering signal transmitting device that transmits a repair robot gathering signal to the plurality of repair robots when it discovers a leak in the water pipe by the leak monitoring signal, the repair robots are equipped with repair robot movement control devices that gather at the leak location upon receiving the repair robot gathering signal, and the repair robots cover the leak hole at the leak location to seal the leak hole.

[0020] Ninth aspect of the present invention (Fifth Division of the Present Divided Invention) In the eighth embodiment, the repair robot gathering signal is transmitted including a leak position signal of the leak location, or a leak position signal indicating the leak position is also transmitted together with the repair robot gathering signal, and the repair robots gather toward the leak position.

[0021] A tenth aspect of the present invention (Sixth Division of the Present Divided Invention) In any one of the seventh to ninth embodiments, the repair robot is a water pipe leak repair device that gradually covers the water pipe inner surface around the leak hole while coming into close contact with the inner surface of the water pipe. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the first aspect of the present invention, a monitoring robot is moved inside a water pipe while transmitting a water leakage monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe, so that the entire inner surface of the water pipe buried underground where the monitoring robot moves is thoroughly checked, leaving no unchecked areas and completely automatic inspection without requiring any human labor. Moreover, when the water leakage monitoring signal is irradiated to the water leakage point of the water pipe, the monitoring robot receives the water leakage signal reflected from the water leakage point, so that the water leakage point is not overlooked and it is possible to automatically detect the water leakage point completely and reliably in an unmanned manner. The leakage monitoring signal can be sound waves, electromagnetic waves, light waves, or sensor signals such as tactile sensors, and more specifically, echo, radar, infrared, white light, etc. Reflected images can also be observed using video cameras or television cameras under light irradiation. The surveillance robot may move using a screw system, a flagella system, or a fish-like fin system. The robot can move not only in water by swimming, but also by moving on the inside of the water pipe using tires, caterpillars, wheels, electromagnetic movement, etc., or by using the lift of the water flow to push the robot against the inside of the water pipe. Therefore, any existing moving technology can be applied as long as it is a means for moving the robot. In this way, by incorporating AI into surveillance robots, it will be possible to identify leak locations fully automatically.

[0023] Second aspect of the invention (First Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention)According to the report, multiple repair robots are moved around inside water pipes, and if these repair robots are equipped with AI, it will be possible to repair water pipe leaks fully automatically without human intervention. When there is a leak in the water pipe, if the location of the leak can be received by some means, the repair robots can be assembled at the leak location fully automatically. By covering the leak hole at the leak location with this repair robot, the leak hole can be sealed and the leak can be repaired fully automatically, making it possible to repair the leak in the water pipe without any human intervention. If the leak is small, one repair robot can seal it, but if it is large, multiple repair robots can be stacked on top of each other to seal the leak. If an adhesive that does not dissolve in tap water is applied to the surface of the repair robot, the adhesive between the repair robots reacts with each other at the contact surface and bonds them together. This adhesion between the adhesives seals the leak. There is also a method in which adhesive is reserved inside the repair robot, and when the repair robots come into contact with each other, the adhesive is poured from the inside onto the contact surface to bond the repair robots together. Therefore, if the repair robots are attached to the inner surface of the water pipe from the periphery of the leak, and then the repair robots are gradually overlapped and attached inward, it is possible to completely seal the leak. As another method, the repair robot is formed into a flat plate of a thickness such as a triangle, square, or hexagon, and has adhesive built in. When it reaches the water leak hole, the thickness surfaces of the flat plates come into contact with each other, and a water-resistant, quick-drying, harmless adhesive seeps out from the contacting end surfaces, sealing the water leak hole in a flat shape and bonding the two plates together. The means of movement for the repair robot is not limited to underwater swimming methods such as a screw method, a flagella method, or a fish-like fin method, but also includes methods of moving on the inside of the water pipe using tires, caterpillars, wheels, etc., electromagnetic movement methods, and the robot can be moved by being pressed against the inside of the water pipe using the lift of the water flow from the tap water. Therefore, all existing movement technologies can be applied as long as they are a means for moving the robot. In addition, if monitoring robots are equipped with AI, it will be possible to repair leaks fully automatically.

[0024] According to the third aspect of the present invention, a monitoring robot is moved inside a water pipe while transmitting a leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe, so that the location of a leak can be detected fully automatically, as in the first aspect. Furthermore, since a plurality of repair robots are moved inside the water pipe, repairs can be efficiently carried out by the cooperative operation of these repair robots, as in the second embodiment. Furthermore, when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to the leaking point of the water pipe, the leak signal reflected from the leaking point is received by the monitoring robot, and the monitoring robot detects the leaking point. Then, upon detection, the monitoring robot transmits a repair robot gathering signal to the repair robots, so that the repair robots can gather at the leaking point efficiently and collectively by receiving the repair robot gathering signal. Furthermore, similar to the second embodiment, the repair robots can cover the leak hole at the leaking location, either individually or in cooperation, to completely and automatically seal the leak hole at high speed.

[0025] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the repair robot gathering signal is a leak location signal of the leak location. When the signal including the above is transmitted, not only can the repair robots collectively gather at the location of the leak, but also, because the location of the leak has been identified, a large number of repair robots can quickly gather at the location of the leak. In another embodiment, when a leak location signal indicating the leak location is transmitted at the same time as the transmission of the repair robot gathering signal, an effect is achieved in which a large number of repair robots can collectively and quickly gather toward the leak location.

[0026] Fifth aspect of the present invention (Second Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention) According to the present invention, there is provided a method for repairing a water leak in a water pipe, in which the repair robot comes into close contact with the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole and gradually covers the hole inward. In more detail, adhesive is stored inside the repair robots, and when the repair robots come into contact with each other, a water-resistant, quick-drying, harmless adhesive seeps out from the inside to their contact surfaces, bonding the repair robots together. Therefore, if the repair robots are attached to the inside of the water pipe from the periphery of the leak, and then the repair robots are gradually overlapped and attached inwards, it becomes possible to completely seal the leak automatically. As described above, as an alternative, the repair robot may be formed as a flat plate of a thickness such as a triangle, a square, or a hexagon, with adhesive built in. When the repair robot reaches the leak hole, the thickness surfaces of the flat plates come into contact with each other, and the adhesive seeps out from the contacting end surfaces, sealing the leak hole in a flat manner while adhering to each other, thereby completely and automatically sealing the leak hole.

[0027] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a surveillance robot is used which is equipped with a surveillance robot movement control device and a water leak monitoring signal transmitting device and moves within a water pipe while transmitting a water leak monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe, thereby making it possible to completely and fully automatically detect leaks on the entire inner surface of the water pipe along which the surveillance robot moves. In addition, the monitoring robot is provided with a leak signal receiving device that receives a leak signal reflected from the leak location when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to the leak location in the water pipe. Therefore, when the leak monitoring signal is irradiated to the inner surface of the water pipe, it is possible to instantly determine whether there is a leak just by receiving the reflected signal, and it becomes possible to reliably detect the leak location completely and fully automatically. As described above, it goes without saying that all the functions and effects described in the first embodiment can also be used as functions and effects in the sixth embodiment.

[0028] Seventh aspect of the present invention (Third Divisional Form of the Present Divided Invention) According to the method, a plurality of repair robots that move inside the water pipe using a repair robot movement control device are used, so that the entire inner surface of the target water pipe can be thoroughly repaired. Since the repair robot is provided with a leak location signal receiving device that receives a leak location signal that notifies the location of the leak in the water pipe, a plurality of the repair robots can be collectively assembled at the leak location at high speed, and a water pipe leak repair device can be provided that can fully automatically cover the leak hole at the leak location at high speed and completely and reliably seal the leak hole automatically. The means of movement of the repair robot is not limited to underwater swimming methods such as a screw method, a flagella method, or a fish-like fin method, but also includes a moving method using tires, caterpillars, or wheels on the inside of the water pipe, an electromagnetic moving method, and the robot can be moved by being pressed against the inside of the water pipe using the lift of the water flow of the tap water. Therefore, any existing moving technology can be applied as long as it is a means for moving the robot. Furthermore, if repair robots are equipped with AI, it will be possible to repair leaks fully automatically, unmanned and without human intervention. As described above, it goes without saying that all the functions and effects described in the second embodiment can also be used as functions and effects in the seventh embodiment.

[0029] Eighth aspect of the present invention (Fourth Division of the Present Divided Invention) According to the invention, a monitoring robot is provided with a water leakage monitoring signal transmitting device and moves in a water pipe while transmitting a water leakage monitoring signal toward the inner surface of the water pipe. Since the monitoring robot is composed of a monitoring bot and a plurality of repair robots moving inside the water pipe, it is possible to completely and fully automatically detect all leaking points on the entire inner surface of the water pipe along which the monitoring robot moves, and at the same time, it is possible to completely and automatically seal and repair all leak holes in all detected leaking points by the plurality of repair robots. In addition, the monitoring robot is equipped with a repair robot gathering signal transmitting device that transmits a repair robot gathering signal to the multiple repair robots when a leak in the water pipe is discovered by the leak monitoring signal, and the repair robots are equipped with a repair robot movement control device that gathers at the leak location when they receive the repair robot gathering signal, so that a large number of repair robots can be quickly gathered at the leak location to seal and repair the leak. As described above, it goes without saying that all the functions and effects described in the third embodiment can also be used as functions and effects in the eighth embodiment.

[0030] Ninth aspect of the present invention (Fifth Division of the Present Divided Invention) According to the eighth embodiment, the repair robot gathering signal is transmitted including a leak position signal of the leak location, or a leak position signal indicating the leak position is also transmitted together with the repair robot gathering signal, thereby providing a water pipe leak repair device in which the repair robots gather toward the leak position. When the repair robot gathering signal is transmitted including the leak location signal of the leak point, not only can the repair robots collectively gather at the leak location, but also, because the leak location is identified, a large number of repair robots can quickly gather at the leak location. In addition, when a water leakage position signal indicating the water leakage position is transmitted at the same time as the transmission of the repair robot assembly signal, there is an advantageous effect that a large number of repair robots can collectively and quickly gather toward the water leakage position.

[0031] A tenth aspect of the present invention (Sixth Division of the Present Divided Invention) According to the above, it is possible to provide a water pipe leak repair device in which the repair robot comes into close contact with the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole and gradually covers it inward. Specifically, adhesive is stored inside the repair robots, and when the repair robots come into contact with each other, a water-resistant, quick-drying, harmless adhesive seeps out from the inside to their contacting surfaces, bonding the repair robots together. Therefore, if the repair robots are attached to the inside of the water pipe from the periphery of the leak, and then the repair robots are gradually overlapped and attached inwards, it becomes possible to completely seal the leak automatically. As described above, the repair robot is formed into a flat plate of a thickness such as a triangle, a square, or a hexagon, and has adhesive built in. When the repair robot reaches the water leak hole, the thickness surfaces of the flat plates come into contact with each other and the adhesive seeps out from the contact end surfaces, sealing the water leak hole in a flat manner and adhering them together, so that the water leak hole can be completely and fully automatically sealed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a stage of completion of water leakage repair in which a water leakage hole 3 in a buried water pipe 1 has been completely sealed in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a water leakage state of a water pipe 1 in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a leak detection stage in a leak detection method in which a monitoring robot 10 detects a leak condition in a water pipe 1 as a preliminary stage of a leak repair method according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the leak detection stage in which a leak point 4 is discovered by the above-mentioned leak detection method and a monitoring robot 10 transmits a repair robot assembly signal 13 to a repair robot 30. In FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a repair robot gathering stage in which the repair robots 30 start to gather near the water leakage location 4 in response to the repair robot gathering signal 13 transmitted by the monitor robot 10 in the above water leakage repair method. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a repair robot covering stage in which the repair robot 30 starts covering the periphery 3a of the leak hole on the inner surface 1a of the water pipe in response to the leak location signal 14 transmitted by the monitoring robot 10 in the above-mentioned water leakage repair method. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring robot 10 used in the water leakage detection method and the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation process of the monitoring robot 10 used in the water leakage detection method and the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a repair robot 30 used in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation process of the repair robot 30 used in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0033] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a water leakage detection method, a water leakage repair method, and an apparatus therefor according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a completion stage of water leakage repair in which a water leakage hole 3 in a buried water pipe 1 has been completely sealed in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. A water pipe 1 is buried underground and cannot be seen from above ground. Tap water 2 flows through this water pipe 1. A monitoring robot 10 and multiple repair robots 30 are swimming inside the water pipe 1. When the monitoring robot 10 detects (or finds) a leak 3, it transmits a repair robot gathering signal 13 and a leak location signal 14 to the surrounding area, and these signals cause multiple repair robots 30 to gather in the vicinity of the leak 3. The leak location signal 14 is a signal that pinpoints the leak 3 to the repair robots 30.

[0035] A water pipe 1 has a leak hole 3, and before repair, tap water 2 was leaking from this leak hole 3 into the ground. In order to stop the leakage, multiple repair robots 30 cover the leak hole 3 and completely seal it, and the leak repair is shown to be in a completed state. The multiple repair robots 30 bond their outer peripheries to each other from the leak hole peripheral part 3a, which is the peripheral part on the inner surface of the water pipe surrounding the leak hole 3, to the entire opening of the leak hole 3, completely sealing the leak hole 3, and the leak repair is now in a completed state.

[0036] If an adhesive that does not dissolve in tap water 2 is applied to the surface of the repair robot 30, the adhesives react with each other on the contact surfaces of the repair robots 30 and bond them together. This bonding between the adhesives allows the water leak hole 3 to be completely sealed. There is also a method in which adhesive is reserved inside the repair robot 30, and when the repair robots come into contact with each other, adhesive is discharged from the inside onto the contact surface to bond the repair robots together. Therefore, by bonding the repair robots 30 to the inner surface of the water pipe 1 from the peripheral portion 3a of the leak hole 3, and then gradually overlapping and bonding the repair robots inward, it becomes possible to completely seal the leak hole 3. As another method, the repair robot is formed into a flat plate of a thickness such as a triangle, square, or hexagon, and has adhesive built in. When it reaches the leak hole, the sides (thickness sides) of the flat plates come into contact with each other, and a water-resistant, quick-drying, harmless adhesive seeps out from the contacting end faces, sealing the leak hole in a flat shape while bonding together to completely seal it.

[0037] The means of movement for the monitoring robot 10 and the repair robot 30 are not limited to underwater swimming methods such as a screw method, a flagella method, or a fish-like fin method, but also include a moving method using tires, caterpillars, or wheels on the inside of the water pipe, an electromagnetic moving method, and the robot can be moved by pressing it against the inside of the water pipe using the lift of the water flow from the tap water. Therefore, all existing moving technologies can be applied as long as they are a means for moving a robot. In addition, if monitoring robots are equipped with AI, it will be possible to repair leaks fully automatically.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a leaking state of a water pipe 1 in the leak repair method according to the present invention. Tap water 2 flows through the water pipe 1, and if a leak hole 3 surrounded by a leak hole periphery 3a opens in the water pipe 1 due to a break or the like, the tap water 2 leaks from the leak hole 3 to the outside, seeps into the ground, or in some cases, gushes up to the ground. This situation is called a water leakage phenomenon, and if the water gushes up to the ground, the leak point 4 is immediately found, but if the water seeps into the ground, it is difficult to find the leak point 4. It is possible to detect the leak point 4 by measuring the leak sound or leak vibration from the outside, but this requires manual operation and a great deal of effort.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a leak investigation stage in a leak detection method in which a monitoring robot 10 detects a leak condition in a water pipe as a preliminary stage to the leak repair method according to the present invention. In this invention, a method is adopted in which the leak point 4 is automatically detected by an AI-based surveillance robot 10, rather than by human work to detect the leak point 4. The surveillance robot 10 is moved into a water pipe 1 through which tap water 2 flows. As the surveillance robot 10 moves, it transmits a leak monitoring signal 11 to its surroundings. In the state shown in Figure 3, the leak monitoring signal is merely reflected by the water pipe inner surface 1a, and the leak point 4 is not detected (discovered). However, on the left side, a leak hole 3 surrounded by a leak hole peripheral portion 3a has broken open, and a leak point 4 is present where tap water 2 is seeping out from the leak hole 3 into the ground.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the leak detection stage in which a leak point 4 is discovered by the above-mentioned leak detection method and a monitoring robot 10 transmits a repair robot assembly signal 13 to a repair robot 30. In FIG. When the surveillance robot 10 moves slightly to the left from the state shown in Figure 3, the leak monitoring signal 11 is reflected from the leak location 4, and the surveillance robot 10 receives the reflected signal, which is a leak signal 12. By receiving this leak signal 12, the surveillance robot 10 detects the leak location 4, and at the same time identifies the leak position, which is the location of the leak location 4. At the leak location 4, a large amount of tap water 2 is seeping out from a leak hole 3 into the ground. Upon discovering this leak location 4, the surveillance robot 10 transmits a repair robot gathering signal 13 to the surrounding area, and at the same time transmits a leak position signal 14 indicating the leak position to the surrounding area. The water leak location information may be incorporated into the repair robot gathering signal 13, in which case the repair robot gathering signal 13 also serves as the water leak location signal 14, and there is no need to transmit the water leak location signal 14 as a separate signal.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a repair robot gathering stage in which the repair robots 30 start to gather near the water leakage location 4 in response to the repair robot gathering signal 13 transmitted by the monitor robot 10 in the above water leakage repair method. When multiple repair robots 30 moving through the tap water 2 receive the repair robot gathering signal 13 and the leak location signal 14, the repair robots 30 begin to gather in the vicinity of the leak location 4, and naturally the repair robots 30 know the exact location of the leak from the leak location signal 14. Even at this stage, the water leakage signal 12, which is a reflected signal of the water leakage monitor signal 11, is being transmitted, so the transmission of the repair robot assembly signal 13 and the water leakage position signal 14 continues.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a repair robot covering stage in which the repair robot 30 starts covering the periphery 3a of the leak hole on the inner surface 1a of the water pipe in response to the leak location signal 14 transmitted by the monitoring robot 10 in the above-mentioned water leakage repair method. The repair robots 30 assembled around the leak location 4 first contact the leak hole periphery 3a and adhere to the water pipe inner surface 1a to reduce the size of the leak hole 3, then adhere to the inner side of the repair robots 30 to reduce the size of the leak hole 3 even further. Figure 6 shows the leak hole 3 in a reduced size state. The repair robots are repeatedly attached to each other, covering the leak hole 3 until it is completely sealed. Once complete sealing is achieved, seepage of tap water from the leak hole 3 ceases and the repair is complete. The first figure, Figure 1, shows the completed repair with a full seal.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a monitoring robot 10 used in the water leakage detection method and the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. The monitoring robot 10 is connected to a ROM 17, a RAM 18 and a CPU 19 on the right side via an I / O port circuit 16, and to a monitoring robot movement control device 20, a water leakage monitoring signal transmitting device 21, a water leakage signal receiving device 22, a repair robot gathering signal transmitting device 23 and a water leakage position signal transmitting device 24 on the left side.

[0044] The ROM 17 is a memory that stores a surveillance robot program, which is a program that controls the operation of the surveillance robot 10. The RAM 18 is a memory that stores temporary information generated during the operation control process and stores rewritten information. The CPU is the central processing unit of the surveillance robot 10. The surveillance robot movement control device 20 controls the driving section of the surveillance robot 10 to control the movement, stopping, and movement speed of the surveillance robot 10. The water leakage monitoring signal transmitting device 21 is a device that transmits a water leakage monitoring signal 11 to the surrounding area to find the location of a water leak. The water leakage signal receiving device 22 is a device that receives a water leakage signal 12, which is a reflected signal of the water leakage monitoring signal 11 by the water pipe inner surface 1a or the water leakage location 4. The water leakage location 4 is detected by receiving this water leakage signal 12. When the leak signal 12 is received and the leak location 4 is detected, the repair robot assembly signal transmitting device 23 transmits a repair robot assembly signal 13 to the surrounding repair robots 30 to gather at the leak location 4. When the leak signal 12 is received and the leak location 4 is detected, the leak location signal transmitting device 24 transmits the location of the leak, i.e., the location coordinates, to the repair robots 30 as a leak location signal 14. When the leak position, i.e., the leak position coordinates, are incorporated into the repair robot gathering signal 13, it is sufficient to transmit the repair robot gathering signal 13, and it can be considered that transmission of the leak position signal 14 is unnecessary.

[0045] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation process of the monitoring robot 10 used in the water leakage detection method and the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. The operation process A of the surveillance robot 10 is made up of five steps, namely, operation processes A1 to A5. In operation process A1, the surveillance robot 10 is put into tap water 2 in a water pipe 1. In operation process A2, the monitoring robot 10 moves within the water pipe 1 with the drive unit controlled by the monitoring robot movement control device 20 while transmitting the water leakage monitoring signal 11 to the surrounding area in the tap water 2 using the water leakage monitoring signal transmitting device 21. In operation process A3, the monitoring robot 10 receives a leakage signal 12 that is a leakage monitoring signal 11 reflected from the leakage point 4, detects the leakage point 4 that is the position of the leakage, and simultaneously identifies the size of the leakage hole 3. In operation process A4, the monitor robot 10 stays near the leak location 4 and transmits a repair robot assembly signal 13 to the periphery inside the water pipe 1 using the repair robot assembly signal transmission device 23. In operation process A5, the leak position signal 14 indicating the leak position obtained when the leak point 4 was identified, particularly the coordinates of the leak position, is transmitted to the surrounding area by the leak position signal transmitter 24. However, if the leak position is incorporated into the repair robots gathering signal 13 and transmitted as the repair robots gathering signal 13, operation process A5 is not necessary. In operation process A6, multiple or many repair robots 30 are assembled near the leak location 4, and the repair robots 30 are attached inward from the peripheral portion 3a of the leak hole 3 to cover and completely seal and block the leak hole 3. This complete sealing completes the repair, and a repair completion signal is transmitted.

[0046] FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram of a repair robot 30 used in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. The repair robot 30 is connected to a ROM2 (32), a RAM2 (35), and a CPU2 (36) on the right side via an I / O port circuit 31, and is connected to a repair robot gathering signal receiver 33, a leak location signal receiver 34, a repair robot movement control device 37, and a water pipe leak hole closing device 38 on the left side.

[0047] ROM2 (32) is a memory that stores a repair robot program, which is a program that controls the operation of the repair robot 30. RAM2 (35) is a memory that stores temporary information generated during the operation control process and stores rewritten information. CPU2 (36) is the central processing unit of the repair robot 30. The repair robot gathering signal receiving device 33 is a device that receives a repair robot gathering signal 13 transmitted by the monitoring robot 10 inside the water pipe 1. The leak location signal receiving device 34 is a device that receives a leak location signal 14, which is the location coordinates of the leak hole 3, transmitted by the monitoring robot 10 inside the water pipe 1. The repair robot movement control device 37 controls the drive unit of the repair robot 30, and executes control of the movement, stopping, and movement speed of the repair robot 30 so that it can move to the leak location 4. The water pipe leak hole sealing device 38 is a device for sealing the leak hole 3 using a repair robot 30, and first a repair robot 30 is attached to the peripheral portion 3a of the leak hole, and then another repair robot 30 is attached to this repair robot 30 and extended further inward into the leak hole 3, and this process is repeated until the leak hole 3 is completely sealed.

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the operation process of the repair robot 30 used in the water leakage repair method according to the present invention. The operation process B of the repair robot 30 is made up of four steps, operation processes B1 to B4. In operation process B1, the repair robot 30 is put into the tap water 2 inside the water pipe 1. In operation process B2, when the repair robot 30 receives the repair robot assembly signal 13 inside the water pipe 1, the repair robot 30 moves in the direction where the monitor robot 10 is located, that is, in the direction of the leak location 4. In operation process B3, upon receiving the water leak location signal 14, the repair robots 30 gather near the water leak location, i.e., the water leak point 4. However, if the water leak location has been incorporated into the repair robots gathering signal 13 and transmitted as the repair robots gathering signal 13, the water leak location can be obtained from the repair robots gathering signal 13, and operation process B3 is not necessary. In operation process B4, the repair robot 30 uses the water pipe leak hole sealing device 38 to adhesively bond the periphery of the leak hole 3 inward, continuing until the entire surface of the leak hole 3 is completely sealed, and then the entire process is completed by sealing the entire hole.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications and changes in design are possible without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention relates to a water pipe leak detection method, a water pipe leak repair method, and the like, which automatically detect and automatically repair leaks in water pipes while water is flowing using AI-based monitoring robots and repair robots without human intervention, similar to a platelet system that automatically repairs blood vessel damage in a living body to stop bleeding. Water leak repairThe present invention provides a device for detecting water leakage and a device for repairing water leakage. In the present invention, the term "waterworks" refers to a concept including mains waterworks, grey waterworks, and sewerage, while the term "water pipes" refers to a concept including mains waterworks pipes, grey waterworks pipes, and sewerage pipes, and tap water refers to a concept including mains waterworks water, grey waterworks water, and sewerage water. Here, mains water is drinking water, grey water is clean water made by purifying and disinfecting sewage, such as tap water for industrial or agricultural use, and sewerage water is tap water that passes through sewerage pipes. Therefore, an innovative method and apparatus are provided for detecting and repairing water pipe leaks completely automatically, without any human intervention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1. Water Pipes 1a Water pipe inner surface 2. Tap water 3 Water leak hole 3a Edge of leak hole 4. Leaking Location 10. Surveillance Robot 11 Water leakage monitoring signal 12 Water leak signal 13 Repair robot assembly signal 14 Water leak location signal 16 I / O port circuits 17 ROM 18 RAM 19 CPU 20 Surveillance robot movement control device 21 Water leakage monitoring signal transmitter 22 Water leakage signal receiving device 23 Repair robot assembly signal transmitter 24 Leak location signal transmitter 30 Repair Robot 31 I / O port circuit 32 ROM2 33 Repair robot assembly signal receiver 34 Leak location signal receiving device 35RAM2 36 CPU2 37 Repair robot movement control device 38 Water pipe leakage hole blocking device A. Surveillance robot operation processing A1 Motion Processing A2 Operation Processing A3 Operation Processing A4 Operation Processing A5 Operation Processing B Repair robot operation processing B1 Motion processing B2 Operation Processing B3 Operation Processing B4 Operation Processing

Claims

1. By moving multiple repair robots inside the water pipe, When a water leak is detected in the water pipe, the repair robots are assembled at the water leak location; A method for repairing a water pipe leak, characterized in that the repair robot covers the leak hole at the leaking location to seal the leak hole.

2. 2. The method for repairing a water pipe leak according to claim 1, wherein the repair robot gradually covers the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole while closely contacting the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole.

3. The system is made up of multiple repair robots that move inside the water pipes using a repair robot movement control device. a leak location signal receiving device for receiving a leak location signal notifying a leak location of the water pipe is provided on the repair robot; A water pipe leak repair device characterized in that the repair robot is provided with a water pipe leak hole closing device that assembles the repair robot at the leak location and covers the leak hole at the leak location to seal the leak hole.

4. a monitoring robot equipped with a water leakage monitoring signal transmission device and moving within the water pipe while transmitting a water leakage monitoring signal toward an inner surface of the water pipe; a plurality of repair robots that move inside the water pipe; the monitoring robot includes a repair robot assembly signal transmitting device that transmits a repair robot assembly signal to the plurality of repair robots when a water leak point in the water pipe is detected by the water leakage monitoring signal, The repair robot includes a repair robot movement control device that assembles at the water leakage location upon receiving the repair robot assembly signal, The water pipe leak repair device is characterized in that the repair robot covers the leak hole at the leaking location to seal the leak hole.

5. The water pipe leak repair device according to claim 4, wherein the repair robot gathering signal is transmitted including a leak position signal of the leak location, or a leak position signal indicating the leak position is also transmitted together with the repair robot gathering signal, and the repair robots gather toward the leak position.

6. 6. The water pipe leak repair device according to claim 3, wherein the repair robot gradually covers the inner surface of the water pipe around the leak hole while closely contacting the inner surface of the water pipe.

Images