Measuring Equipment

Abstract

To provide a measuring device with which, even when the peripheral surface of a test object is dirty, it is possible to accurately measure its thickness.SOLUTION: This measuring device 10 is designed to travel along the peripheral surface of a test object and measure the thickness at a prescribed point, and comprises: a device body 11; a pair of crawlers 20, 20 arranged on both sides thereof; an ultrasonic inspection device 30 arranged between the pair of crawlers 20, 20; and a cleaning device 50 arranged between the pair of crawlers 20, 20, forward of the ultrasonic inspection device 30 in the direction of movement. The cleaning device 50 includes a first water supply path for supplying cleaning water, a cleaning brush 60 for cleaning the peripheral surface of the test object, and a squeegee 70 for scraping cleaning water after cleaning off the peripheral surface of the test object and arranged rearward of the cleaning brush 60 in the direction of movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a measuring device that travels along the peripheral surface of a tubular or cylindrical object to be inspected and measures the thickness of the object at a predetermined point. [Background technology]

[0002] When measuring the thickness of a tank, a pipe, or the like, for example, the measurement is performed manually using an ultrasonic probe, or the measurement is performed by a self-propelled measuring device equipped with an ultrasonic probe.

[0003] As an example of the latter measuring device, the following Patent Document 1 describes a plate thickness measuring device for container steel plate, which has a first traveling cart having a steering mechanism capable of changing the radius of curvature of the traveling trajectory and capable of traveling on the steel plate of the vessel mirror part, which is made of a curved surface having a predetermined curvature and has a circular projected shape; a second traveling cart equipped with a magnetic body that exerts an adhesive force on the vessel steel plate and has a traveling drive mechanism that can move forward / backward independently on the left and right, and which can travel on the steel plate of the vessel body part, which has an approximately cylindrical shape that continues in a direction approximately perpendicular to the vessel mirror part; and an ultrasonic probe unit equipped with multiple ultrasonic probes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4004503 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected, such as a tank or pipe, is dirty, the dirty area may affect the reflection of the ultrasonic waves, making it difficult to measure the thickness accurately. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected before ultrasonic measurement.

[0006] In the plate thickness measuring device of the cited document 1, if the peripheral surface of the test object is dirty, it is necessary to clean the peripheral surface of the test object by hand or machine using, for example, water before measurement, and the plate thickness measurement takes a long time.

[0007] In addition, cleaning water may remain on the peripheral surface of the test object. This type of cleaning water is dirty and contains dirt and dust, which adversely affects ultrasonic measurement. Therefore, it is necessary to drain the cleaning water from the peripheral surface of the test object, but in this case, it also takes time to measure the thickness of the test object.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a measuring device that can accurately measure the thickness of an object to be inspected even if the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected is dirty. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a measuring device that travels along the peripheral surface of a tubular or cylindrical object to be inspected and measures the thickness of the object at a predetermined point, the measuring device comprising: an apparatus main body; a pair of crawlers that are disposed on both sides of the apparatus main body and move the measuring device in a predetermined traveling direction; an ultrasonic inspection device that is disposed between the pair of crawlers of the apparatus main body; and a cleaning device that is disposed between the pair of crawlers of the apparatus main body and forward of the ultrasonic inspection device in the traveling direction, the cleaning device comprising a first water supply passage that supplies cleaning water, a cleaning brush that is rotationally driven by a drive means and cleans the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected with the cleaning water, and a squeegee that is disposed rearward of the cleaning brush in the traveling direction and scrapes off the cleaning water from the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected after cleaning the object. After washing, the washing water is discharged in a direction intersecting the traveling direction. The present invention is characterized by the above.

[0010] According to the above-mentioned invention, since the cleaning device is disposed forward of the ultrasonic inspection device in the traveling direction, the measurement portion of the test object is cleaned with cleaning water by a cleaning brush before the measurement. Furthermore, the cleaning water after the cleaning is scraped off by a squeegee and removed from the measurement portion. As a result, even if the peripheral surface of the test object is dirty, the thickness of the test object can be accurately measured without being affected by the dirt itself or the cleaning water containing the dirt.

[0011] In the measuring device of the present invention, the ultrasonic inspection device has an ultrasonic probe and a sliding mechanism for sliding the ultrasonic probe in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the measuring device, and it is preferable that the sliding range of the ultrasonic probe by the sliding mechanism is configured to fall within the lateral width of the cleaning device.

[0012] According to the above aspect, the ultrasonic probe slides in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the measuring device by the sliding mechanism, and the sliding range is limited within the lateral width of the cleaning device. This prevents measurements from being taken on uncleaned parts of the test object, thereby enabling the thickness of the test object to be measured more accurately.

[0013] In the measuring device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the ultrasonic inspection device further includes a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the ultrasonic probe so as to move it away from and toward the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected.

[0014] According to the above aspect, the ultrasonic probe can be moved away from and into contact with the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected by the lifting mechanism. Therefore, after cleaning of the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected is completed and the peripheral surface is free of post-cleaning wastewater and debris generated by cleaning, the ultrasonic probe can be brought close to the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected, making it possible to measure the thickness of the object to be inspected more accurately.

[0015] In the measuring device of the present invention, it is preferable that the ultrasonic inspection device further comprises an ultrasonic probe, an ultrasonic probe holding member for holding the ultrasonic probe, a water sealing pad made of an elastic material fixed to the ultrasonic probe holding member, surrounding the lower end of the ultrasonic probe and in close contact with the peripheral surface of the object to be inspected, a cylindrical housing with an open downward direction arranged inside the water sealing pad, and a second water supply passage for supplying inspection water, which is different from the cleaning water, from the outside of the ultrasonic probe holding member to the inside of the water sealing pad.

[0016] According to the above aspect, by supplying test water from the second water supply line into the inside of the water sealing pad, a water film is formed between the ultrasonic probe and the peripheral surface of the test object, making it possible to measure thickness by ultrasound using a local water immersion probe without controlling the water supply pressure or flow rate.

[0017] Also, the amount of water consumed can be much less than when water is continuously supplied during measurement. Furthermore, by providing a cylindrical housing inside the water sealing pad, it is possible to suppress interference from air bubbles generated inside the water sealing pad, and the thickness measurement of the test object can be performed stably. Also, since the ultrasonic probe is covered with the water sealing pad, the probe can be protected from external protrusions, etc. Furthermore, since the contact surface between the water sealing pad and the peripheral surface of the test object is formed by a water film, the frictional resistance of the contact surface between the two is reduced.

[0018] In the measuring device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the cleaning device has a lifting frame which is spaced apart from and approaches the peripheral surface of the test object, and the cleaning brush and the squeegee are attached to the lifting frame.

[0019] According to the above aspect, when cleaning the peripheral surface of the test object, the lifting frame approaches the peripheral surface of the test object, allowing the cleaning brush and squeegee to be lowered and brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the test object, thereby enabling the peripheral surface of the test object to be properly cleaned.

[0020] In addition, when the peripheral surface of the test object is not being cleaned, the lifting frame moves away from the peripheral surface of the test object, allowing the cleaning brush and squeegee to be raised and moved away from the peripheral surface of the test object.This prevents the cleaning brush and squeegee from creating frictional resistance when the measuring device is moved, and allows the measuring device to move smoothly.

[0021] Furthermore, since the cleaning brush and the squeegee are attached to the lifting frame, the two components, the cleaning brush and the squeegee, can be raised and lowered at the same time as the lifting frame is raised and lowered, thereby simplifying the lifting mechanism. In addition, the cleaning brush has a roller that extends in a direction intersecting the traveling direction in a planar view, and the squeegee is shaped like a long plate with its longitudinal direction arranged parallel to the axis of the roller in a planar view. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a measuring device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a lifting mechanism and the like of an ultrasonic inspection device constituting the measuring device. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the ultrasonic inspection device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cleaning device constituting the measuring apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the measuring device according to the present invention is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] (One embodiment of the measuring device) Hereinafter, an embodiment of a measuring device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, this measuring device 10 travels along the circumferential surface 3 of an object 1 to be inspected, such as a pipe (such as a penstock) or a cylindrical tank in, for example, a hydroelectric power plant, a thermal power plant, various plants, a radioactive waste repository, etc., and measures the thickness at a predetermined point of the object 1 to be inspected. The circumferential surface 3 of the object 1 to be inspected may be either the radially inner circumferential surface (inner circumferential surface) or the radially outer circumferential surface (inner circumferential surface). In this embodiment, the measuring device 10 that travels on its own along the inner circumferential surface of the object 1 to be inspected will be described as an example.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, the measuring device 10 of this embodiment comprises an apparatus main body 11, a pair of crawlers 20, 20 arranged on both sides of the apparatus main body 11 and driving the measuring device 10 in a predetermined traveling direction, an ultrasonic inspection device 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "inspection device 30") arranged between the pair of crawlers 20, 20 of the apparatus main body 11, and a cleaning device 50 arranged between the pair of crawlers 20, 20 of the apparatus main body 11 and forward of the inspection device 30 in the traveling direction.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling direction of the measuring device 10 is indicated by the symbol "X", and the direction perpendicular thereto is indicated by the symbol "Y".

[0027] The device body 11 in this embodiment has a shape that extends long along the traveling direction X (hereinafter also referred to as the "X direction") as a whole. Specifically, the device body 11 has a pair of side walls 12, 12 that extend along the traveling direction X and are arranged parallel to each other, and a plurality of partition walls 13, 14, 15 that connect the pair of side walls 12, 12 to each other. The partition walls 13, 14, 15 are arranged in order from the front of the device body 11 in the traveling direction X to the rear side of the traveling direction X.

[0028] In addition, in a space S1 surrounded by the pair of side walls 12, 12 and the partitions 14, 15, an inspection device 30 is disposed, and in a space S2 surrounded by the pair of side walls 12, 12 and the partitions 13, 14, a cleaning device 50 is disposed.

[0029] Furthermore, a linear member arrangement section 17 is provided extending from the rear end of the device body 11 for arranging control cables (not shown) for controlling the testing device 30 and the cleaning device 50, power cords for supplying electricity to both devices 30, 50, tubes for supplying testing water, cleaning water, etc. The measuring device 10 is connected to a control controller arranged outside the measuring device 10, an external power source, etc. via the above-mentioned cables, cords, etc.

[0030] Referring also to Figure 3, each crawler 20 arranged on both sides of the device body 11 consists of a wheel 21 supported for rotation on the front side of each side wall 12 of the device body 11 in the direction of travel, a wheel 22 supported for rotation on the opposite side of each side wall 12 in the direction of travel, a wheel 23 supported for rotation on each side wall 12 between and above the wheels 21, 22, and a belt 25 attached to the outer periphery of these wheels 21, 22, 23.

[0031] 2, a drive motor 27 is connected to the wheel 21. When the drive motor 27 rotates the wheel 21 in a predetermined direction, the crawler 20 rotates, and the measuring device 10 can move in the moving direction X. Furthermore, a plurality of magnets 29 are attached to the outside of the belt 25, and the measuring device 10 can move while being attracted to the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1.

[0032] The structure of the crawler is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be any structure that allows the measurement device to be moved.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection device 30 in this embodiment has an ultrasonic probe 31 (hereinafter also simply referred to as “probe 31”) that irradiates ultrasonic waves to the peripheral surface 3 of the object to be inspected 1 to measure its thickness, and a sliding mechanism that slides the probe 31 in a direction Y intersecting the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10.

[0034] The slide mechanism in this embodiment is composed of a slide rail 32 extending along a slide direction Y (hereinafter also referred to as the "Y direction") of the inspection device 30, and a slide member 33 slidably arranged on the slide rail 32 and sliding in the Y direction. In this embodiment, a screw shaft 32a is installed inside the slide rail 32, and this screw shaft 32a meshes with the teeth of the slide member 33. The screw shaft 32a is rotated by a driving means (not shown), so that the slide member 33 slides in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the probe 31 is configured to slide within the axial range of a roller 61 of a cleaning brush 60 constituting the cleaning device 50 by the slide mechanism.

[0035] The sliding range of the probe 31 by this sliding mechanism is configured to fall within the range of the lateral width of the cleaning device 50. Note that, in the present invention, the "lateral width of the cleaning device" means the length along the width direction (Y direction) that is perpendicular to the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10 when the measuring device 10 is viewed in a planar direction as shown in Fig. 2.

[0036] The slide structure of the slide mechanism is not particularly limited and may be, for example, an electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic actuator.

[0037] Further, a probe holding member 34 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "holding member 34") is attached to the slide member 33, and this holding member 34 holds one probe 31.

[0038] 4, the holding member 34 in this embodiment is indirectly attached to the slide member 33 via a lifting mechanism 35. The lifting mechanism 35 in this embodiment is an air cylinder, and has a rod 35a that moves up and down, and one side of the holding member 34 is connected to a lower end 35b of the rod 35a. As a result, the lifting mechanism 35 moves up and down, so that the probe 31 moves closer to and away from the peripheral surface 3 of the object 1 under test via the holding member 34.

[0039] 5 shows a detailed structure of the probe 31. The probe 31 extends in a rod shape, and a cable 31a extends from the upper end of the probe. The holding member 34 has a holding hole 34a capable of holding the probe 31, and the axial lower side of the probe 31 is inserted and held in the holding hole 34a. The lower end 31b of the probe 31 is inserted by a predetermined length from the lower end opening of the holding hole 34a. The probe 31 is held by the holding member 34 so that its axial direction is perpendicular to the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1. A pad fixing tool 36 having a circular frame shape with an open bottom is fixed to the lower part of the holding member 34.

[0040] A water sealing pad 37, which surrounds the lower end 31b of the probe 31 and can be brought into close contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test subject 1, is attached via the pad fixing device 36. The water sealing pad 37 in this embodiment is made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber, and is generally hat-shaped with an opening at the bottom and a flange portion 37a extending outward from the lower peripheral edge, and the radial peripheral edge of the flange portion 37a can be brought into close contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test subject 1. Inside the water sealing pad 37, a cylindrical housing 39, which is open at the bottom, is disposed via a housing support portion 38 at a position aligned with the lower end 31b of the probe 31.

[0041] Furthermore, in the range from the outside of the holding member 34 to the inside of the water sealing pad 37, a second water supply passage 40 is formed for supplying inspection water for ultrasonic inspection, which is different from the cleaning water supplied by the first water supply passage 75 (see FIG. 8) of the cleaning device 50. One end opening of this second water supply passage 40 communicates with the inside of the water sealing pad 37, and a water supply pipe 41 is connected to the other end opening. Therefore, the inspection water supplied from a water supply source (not shown) outside the measuring device is supplied to the inside of the water sealing pad 37 through the second water supply passage 40 via the water supply pipe 41.

[0042] The water sealing pad 37 is configured to move away from and into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 via the lifting mechanism 35 in accordance with the lifting and lowering operation of the probe 31 by the lifting mechanism 35. That is, when the measuring device 10 is moved, the water sealing pad 37 rises via the lifting mechanism 35 so as to move away from the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, whereas when the thickness of the test object 1 is measured, the water sealing pad 37 descends via the lifting mechanism 35 so that its flange portion 37a comes into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1.

[0043] Then, the water sealing pad 37 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 35, and the radial peripheral edge of the flange portion 37a of the water sealing pad 37 is elastically deformed slightly and comes into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, so that the water sealing pad 37 is tightly attached to the peripheral surface of the test object 1. As a result, an enclosed space is formed inside the water sealing pad 37, and the test water is stored in this enclosed space, making it possible to measure the wall thickness of the test object 1 by the well-known local water immersion method using the probe 31.

[0044] Furthermore, test water supplied from a water supply source outside the measuring device via a water supply pipe 41 is introduced into the water sealing pad 37 through a second water supply passage 40 and is stored in the cylindrical housing 39. As a result, the space between the lower end 31b of the probe 31 and the peripheral surface 3 of the test subject 1 is filled with the water in the cylindrical housing 39, and a certain amount of water is pressurized and sealed in the cylindrical housing 39. As a result, there is no need to constantly supply test water, making it possible to reduce the consumption of test water.

[0045] In the inspection device 30 in this embodiment, one probe 31 is attached to one slide member 33 via the slide member 33 and the holding member 34, etc., and is configured to slide in the Y direction, but the structure of the ultrasonic inspection device is not limited to this form. For example, multiple probes may be slid in the Y direction by multiple slide mechanisms. In addition, the sliding direction of the ultrasonic probe may be set appropriately, and further, a configuration may be adopted in which no slide mechanism or lifting mechanism is provided. In addition, the lifting mechanism may be a hydraulic cylinder, a linear actuator, or the like, other than an air cylinder.

[0046] Next, the cleaning device 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS.

[0047] This cleaning device 50 has a first water supply passage 75 (see Figure 8) for supplying cleaning water, a cleaning brush 60 that is rotationally driven by a drive means and cleans the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1 with the cleaning water, and a squeegee 70 that is positioned adjacent to the cleaning brush 60 on the rear side in the traveling direction X and scrapes off the cleaning water from the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1 after cleaning the test piece 1.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 6, the cleaning device 50 is disposed in the space S2 of the measuring device 10, and has a lifting frame 51 spaced and close to the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1. The lifting frame 51 is disposed on both sides in the Y direction, and has a pair of side walls 52, 52 extending parallel to each other along the X direction, a front wall 53 connecting the ends of the pair of side walls 52, 52 on the X direction side, and a rear wall 54 connecting the ends of the pair of side walls 52, 52 on the opposite side to the X direction. In addition, as shown in Fig. 7, the pair of side walls 52, 52 are also connected at their heightwise intermediate portions by a support wall 55.

[0049] A cleaning brush 60 is disposed between the pair of side walls 52, 52 and below the support wall 55. As shown in Fig. 7, the cleaning brush 60 extends a predetermined length in the Y direction of the measuring device 10, and includes a roller 61 whose axial ends are rotatably supported by the pair of side walls 52, 52 via bearings 61a, 61a, and bristles 62 standing up from the outer periphery of the roller 61. As shown in Fig. 6, the roller 61 is disposed such that its axis C is oriented along the Y direction of the measuring device 10. A plurality of bristles 62 are disposed on the outer periphery of the roller 61 via brackets 63 fixed to the outer periphery of the roller 61.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 7, a driving source 65 such as a motor is placed on the support wall 55, and a driving unit 66 incorporating a plurality of gears (not shown) is fixed to one side wall 52. The driving source 65 and the driving unit 66 constitute the "driving means" of the present invention. One axial end of the roller 61 is connected to the driving unit 66 via a bearing 61a.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8, when cleaning water is supplied to the cleaning brush 60, the drive source 65 is driven, whereby the roller 61 rotates in a predetermined direction via the drive unit 66, so that the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 can be cleaned with the cleaning water.

[0052] The squeegee 70 is a long plate made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber. As shown in FIG. 8, the squeegee 70 is fixed to the lower end of the rear wall 54 constituting the lifting frame 51, and the lower end of the squeegee 70 protrudes from the rear wall 54. The squeegee 70 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the axis C of the roller 61 (see FIG. 6). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the squeegee 70 is arranged on the opposite side of the cleaning brush 60 to the moving direction X of the measuring device 10, and adjacent to the outer periphery of the cleaning brush 60 with a certain gap therebetween. The squeegee 70 in this embodiment extends longer than the axial length of the roller 61, and can cover the entire axial range of the roller 61 (see FIG. 6).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 9, after cleaning the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 with the cleaning brush 60, the squeegee 70 can scrape off the cleaning water that accumulates on the peripheral surface 3 and drain (drain) the water from the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1. As a result, it is possible to prevent the cleaning water from becoming submerged in the inspection device 30, which is located behind the cleaning device 50 in the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10 after cleaning.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 8, the lifting frame 51 has a standing wall 56 erected at a predetermined height on the back side (opposite side to the traveling direction X) of the rear wall 54. This standing wall 56 is fixed to a lifting means (not shown) such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a linear actuator, etc., and can be raised and lowered. A ceiling portion 57 is fixed to the upper end of the standing wall 56. One end side of this ceiling portion 57 is fixed to the upper end of the standing wall 56, and a shaft portion 58 is vertically extended from the other end side. A spring receiving portion 59 is arranged on the lower end side of this shaft portion 58 so as to be able to be raised and lowered.

[0055] Also, a coil spring 59a is interposed on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 58 between the ceiling portion 57 and the spring receiving portion 59. As a result, the spring receiving portion 59 is biased in a direction away from the ceiling portion 57 by the coil spring 59a. Also, an upper end portion of the rear wall 54 constituting the lifting frame 51 is connected to the spring receiving portion 59. As a result, when the standing wall 56 is lifted and lowered by a lifting means (not shown), the entire lifting frame 51 is lifted and lowered via the ceiling portion 57, the spring receiving portion 59, the rear wall 54, etc.

[0056] The cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 attached to the lifting frame 51 are configured to move away from and into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 as the lifting frame 51 moves up and down. That is, when the measuring device 10 moves, the lifting frame 51 moves up, and the cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 move away from the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 via the lifting frame 51. On the other hand, when cleaning the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, the lifting frame 51 moves down, and the cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 come into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 via the lifting frame 51.

[0057] As described above, the spring support portion 59 is biased by the coil spring 59a. Therefore, when the lifting frame 51 is lowered and the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 are in contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, even if there are unevenness or the like on the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 can move slightly in the vertical direction via the rear wall 54, support wall 55, etc., so that the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 can be maintained in contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1.

[0058] 8, a water supply pipe 76 having a first water supply passage 75 formed therein for supplying cleaning water is disposed above the support wall 55 constituting the lifting frame 51 and on the rear wall 54 side. Furthermore, a discharge nozzle 77 having an outlet (not shown) facing downward is fixedly disposed below the support wall 55 and on the rear wall 54 side. This outlet nozzle 77 communicates with the first water supply passage 75 inside the water supply pipe 76. As a result, cleaning water supplied from a water supply source outside the measuring device passes through the first water supply passage 75 and is discharged in a spray form from an outlet (not shown) of the outlet nozzle 77.

[0059] In addition, the cleaning device 50 in this embodiment has a configuration in which a single roller 61 extending long in the axial direction has countless bristles 62 arranged on its outer circumference and can be raised and lowered via the lifting frame 51, but the cleaning device is not limited to this form. For example, a plurality of narrow rollers may be arranged side by side in the Y direction of the measuring device, or a plurality of rollers extending long in the Y direction of the measuring device similar to this embodiment may be arranged in parallel in the X direction of the measuring device. In addition, the location and number of squeegees can be appropriately selected accordingly. Furthermore, the cleaning device may be configured without a lifting mechanism.

[0060] (Action and effect) Next, the effects of the measuring device 10 having the above configuration will be described.

[0061] When using this measuring device 10 to measure the wall thickness of the test object 1, the measuring device 10 is placed on the peripheral surface 3 (here, the inner peripheral surface) of the test object 1, as shown in Fig. 1. Then, the pair of crawlers 20, 20 are attracted to the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 by the magnets 29 provided on the crawlers 20.

[0062] When moving the measuring device 10, the probe 31, the water sealing pad 37, etc. are raised via the lifting mechanism 35 to separate them from the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1, and the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 are separated from the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1 via the lifting frame 51. In this state, the measuring device 10 is moved in the traveling direction X via the pair of crawlers 20, 20 until it reaches a desired thickness measurement point on the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1.

[0063] Thereafter, the cleaning device 50 is operated to clean the measurement portion of the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1. That is, the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 are lowered via the lifting frame 51 to contact the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, and the cleaning brush 60 is rotated while cleaning water is supplied to the outer periphery of the cleaning brush 60 via the first water supply passage 75, etc., thereby cleaning the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 and making the measurement portion of the test object 1 clean. At this time, even if the cleaning water after cleaning tries to flow toward the inspection device 30, it is blocked by the squeegee 70 and flows in a direction intersecting the traveling direction X of the measurement device 10 as shown by the arrow in FIG. 9, so that the cleaning water after cleaning can be prevented from entering the inspection device 30.

[0064] Thereafter, by further moving the measuring device 10 in the traveling direction X, the cleaning water after cleaning is scraped off by the squeegee 70 and drained in a direction intersecting the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10, as shown by arrow F in FIG. 9, so that the cleaning water can be drained from the peripheral surface 3 of the test piece 1.

[0065] Next, the probe 31, water sealing pad 37, etc. are lowered via the lifting mechanism 35 so that the peripheral portion of the flange portion 37a of the water sealing pad 37 comes into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, and test water is filled into the water sealing pad 37 via the second water supply passage 40, etc., after which the thickness of a specified point on the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 can be measured using the probe 31.

[0066] In this measuring device 10, the cleaning device 50 is disposed further forward in the traveling direction X than the inspection device 30, so that the measurement portion of the test object 1 is cleaned with cleaning water by the cleaning brush 60 before the thickness measurement, and after the cleaning water is cleaned, it is scraped off by the squeegee 70 and removed from the measurement portion. As a result, even if the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 is dirty, the thickness of the test object 1 can be accurately measured without being affected by the dirt itself or the cleaning water containing the dirt.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the inspection device 30 has a probe 31 and a sliding mechanism that slides the probe 31 in a direction Y intersecting the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10, and further, the sliding range of the probe 31 by the sliding mechanism is configured to fall within the lateral width of the cleaning device 50.

[0068] As described above, the probe 31 slides in a direction intersecting the traveling direction X of the measuring device 10 by the sliding mechanism, and the sliding range is limited within the lateral width range of the cleaning device 50. This prevents measurement from being performed on an uncleaned portion of the test object 1, and enables the thickness of the test object 1 to be measured more accurately.

[0069] 4, in this embodiment, the inspection device 30 has a lifting mechanism 35 that lifts and lowers the probe 31 so as to move it away from and toward the peripheral surface 3 of the inspection object 1. That is, the probe 31 can be moved away from and into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the inspection object 1 by the lifting mechanism 35. Therefore, after the cleaning of the peripheral surface 3 of the inspection object 1 is completed, and after the peripheral surface 3 is free of post-cleaning wastewater (cleaning water after cleaning) and dust generated by cleaning, the probe 31 can be brought close to the peripheral surface 3 of the inspection object 1, and the thickness of the inspection object 1 can be measured more accurately.

[0070] In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 35 is an air cylinder. By using an air cylinder for the lifting mechanism 35 in this manner, the probe 31 can be pressed against the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 with an appropriate contact pressure, so that the accuracy of the thickness measurement of the test object 1 can be improved.

[0071] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the inspection device 30 further includes a probe 31, a holding member 34 that holds the probe 31, a water sealing pad 37 made of an elastic material that is fixed to the holding member 34, surrounds the lower end 31b of the probe 31, and is in close contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the object to be inspected 1, a cylindrical housing 39 that is open downward and is arranged inside the water sealing pad 37, and a second water supply passage 40 that supplies inspection water, separate from cleaning water, from the outside of the holding member 34 to the inside of the water sealing pad 37.

[0072] According to the above embodiment, test water is supplied from the second water supply passage 40 into the inside of the water sealing pad 37, so that a water film is formed between the probe 31 and the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 (see Figure 5), making it possible to perform ultrasonic thickness measurement using a local water immersion type probe without controlling the water supply pressure or flow rate.

[0073] Also, the amount of water consumed can be much reduced compared to when water is continuously supplied during measurement. Furthermore, by providing the cylindrical housing 39 inside the water sealing pad 37, it is possible to suppress interference from air bubbles generated inside the water sealing pad 37, and the thickness measurement of the test object 1 can be performed stably. Also, since the periphery of the probe 31 is covered with the water sealing pad 37, the probe 31 can be protected from external protrusions and the like. Furthermore, since the contact surface between the water sealing pad 37 and the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 is formed by a water film, the frictional resistance of the contact surface between the two is reduced.

[0074] Also, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, in this embodiment, the cleaning brush 60 comprises a roller 61 rotatably supported at both axial ends on either side of the device body 11, and bristles 62 standing up from the outer periphery of the roller 61, and the probe 31 is configured to slide within the axial range of the roller 61 by the sliding mechanism.

[0075] According to the above embodiment, the sliding range of the probe 31 is limited to within the axial range of the roller 61, thereby preventing measurement from being performed on an uncleaned portion of the test piece 1, thereby suppressing inaccurate thickness measurements.

[0076] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the cleaning device 50 has a lifting frame 51 that is spaced apart and close to the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, and a cleaning brush 60 and a squeegee 70 are attached to the lifting frame 51.

[0077] According to the above embodiment, when cleaning the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, the lifting frame 51 approaches the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, thereby allowing the cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 to be lowered and brought into contact with the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, thereby allowing the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 to be properly cleaned.

[0078] In addition, when the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1 is not being cleaned, the lifting frame 51 moves away from the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1, thereby allowing the cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 to be raised and moved away from the peripheral surface 3 of the test object 1. This prevents the cleaning brush 60 and squeegee 70 from creating frictional resistance when the measuring device 10 is moving, and allows the measuring device 10 to move smoothly.

[0079] Furthermore, since the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70 are attached to the lifting frame 51, the two components, the cleaning brush 60 and the squeegee 70, can be raised and lowered at the same time as the lifting frame 51 is raised and lowered, thereby simplifying the lifting mechanism.

[0080] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modified embodiments are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, and such embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1 inspected object, 3 peripheral surface, 10 measuring device, 11 device body, 12 side wall, 13, 14, 15 partition wall, 17 linear member arrangement section, 20 crawler, 21, 22, 23 wheel, 25 belt, 27 drive motor, 29 magnet, 30 ultrasonic inspection device (inspection device), 31 ultrasonic probe (probe), 31a cable, 31b lower end, 32 slide rail, 32a screw shaft, 33 slide member, 34 probe holding member (holding member), 34a retaining hole, 35 lifting mechanism, 35a rod, 35b lower end, 36 pad fixing device, 37 water sealing pad, 37a flange portion, 38 housing support portion, 39 cylindrical housing, 40 second water supply passage, 41 water supply pipe, 50 cleaning device, 51 lifting frame, 52 side wall, 53 front wall, 54 rear wall, 55 support wall, 56 standing wall, 57 ceiling portion, 58 shaft portion, 59 spring receiving portion, 59a coil spring, 60 cleaning brush, 61 roller, 62 bristles, 63 bracket, 65 drive source, 66 drive portion, 70 squeegee, 75 first water supply passage, 76 water supply pipe, 77 discharge nozzle

Claims

1. A measuring device that travels along a peripheral surface of a tubular or cylindrical test object and measures a thickness of the test object at a predetermined point, A device body, A pair of crawlers are disposed on both sides of the device body and move the measuring device in a predetermined traveling direction; An ultrasonic inspection device disposed between the pair of crawlers of the device body; a cleaning device disposed between the pair of crawlers of the device body and forward of the ultrasonic inspection device in the traveling direction, The cleaning device has a first water supply passage for supplying cleaning water, a cleaning brush that is rotationally driven by a drive means and cleans the peripheral surface of the test object with the cleaning water, and a squeegee that is positioned rearward of the cleaning brush in the direction of travel and scrapes the cleaning water from the peripheral surface of the test object after cleaning the test object, and is characterized in that the cleaning water after cleaning is discharged in a direction intersecting the direction of travel.

2. The ultrasonic inspection device includes: An ultrasonic probe; a slide mechanism for sliding the ultrasonic probe in a direction intersecting a direction of travel of the measuring device, 2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein a sliding range of the ultrasonic probe caused by the sliding mechanism is configured to fall within a lateral width range of the cleaning device.

3. The ultrasonic inspection device includes:

3. The measuring apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an elevation mechanism for raising and lowering the ultrasonic probe so as to move it away from and toward the peripheral surface of the object under test.

4. The ultrasonic inspection device includes: An ultrasonic probe; an ultrasonic probe holding member that holds the ultrasonic probe; a water sealing pad made of an elastic material that is fixed to the ultrasonic probe holding member, surrounds a lower end of the ultrasonic probe, and is in close contact with a peripheral surface of the test object; A cylindrical housing having an opening at the bottom and disposed inside the water sealing pad; The measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second water supply passage for supplying inspection water other than the cleaning water from the outside of the ultrasonic probe holding member to the inside of the water sealing pad.

5. the cleaning device has a lifting frame that moves away from and toward a peripheral surface of the object to be inspected; 5. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning brush and the squeegee are attached to the lift frame.

6. The cleaning brush has a roller extending in a direction intersecting the traveling direction in a plan view, 2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the squeegee is in the form of a long plate, the longitudinal direction of which is arranged parallel to the axis of the roller in a plan view.

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