Recovery device

Abstract

To provide a recovery device that collects a cylindrical detection device while holding a state in which the longitudinal direction of the device is parallel to the axis direction of piping.SOLUTION: A recovery device A is provided, recovering a cylindrical detection device 45 flowing inside a main pipe 41 together with liquid and detecting leakage, the recovery device A comprises a 10 which is formed from a flexible and elastic frame material 11, and which, when diametrically enlarged, is formed in appropriately circular shape having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the main pipe and, when narrowed, is formed in appropriately circular shape having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of a rise pipe 42 mounted to the main pipe; a support frame member 20 mounting the frame member to an edge and inserting the frame member from the rise pipe to the main pipe; and a collection frame member 30 which includes a guide portion 32 mounted to the frame member, and which, when the frame member having one edge of connected to the frame material, is formed to be smaller in diameter from an approximately circular shape having a slightly smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the piping toward the other edge and is longer than the length when the frame member is narrowed down, and a housing portion 31 which is connected to the other edge of the guide portion and has its tip shut up, and has a length longer than the length of the detection device and a diameter smaller than the length and larger than the outer diameter of the detection device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recovery device that is inserted through a thin tube attached to a pipe through which a liquid flows, and that recovers objects that flow inside the pipe together with the liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] Pipes are laid underground through which pressurized water, including municipal water, industrial water, and agricultural water, flows. These pipes are constantly subjected to forces caused by vibrations from vehicles traveling on the road surface, forces caused by ground subsidence, and forces acting in the direction of the pipes and / or in directions crossing the direction of the pipes during earthquakes. This can lead to gaps at the pipe joints or cracks in the pipe walls, which can cause the water to leak underground. For example, in the case of industrial or agricultural water, treating this water is expensive, and leakage results in waste.

[0003] For this reason, investigations are carried out to determine the presence and location of leaks in underground pipelines. To perform such investigations, a method has been proposed in which a spherical moving object is moved inside a pipeline through which water flows, and sounds generated inside the pipeline during the movement are collected and recorded, while the moving position is detected, thereby detecting the presence and location of leaks in the pipeline (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this detection method, for example, in a water supply pipeline through which pressurized water flows, a spherical moving object is introduced into the main pipe from a valve provided on the upstream side, and the spherical moving object is collected and recovered by a collection member inserted into the main pipe from a valve provided on the downstream side.

[0004] Patent Document 2 proposes a collection member for collecting spherical moving objects moving inside a main pipe. This collection member is configured by connecting the upper and lower ends of a pair of flexible and elastic frame members so that they can rotate. The pivotable support member connected to the lower ends is moved closer or closer to the support member connected to the upper ends, thereby bringing the pair of frame members closer together to reduce their diameter so that they can pass through the valve plug, or separating them to form a roughly circular shape that can fit around the inner circumference of the main pipe. This allows the collection of spherical moving objects moving inside the main pipe and the collection of the collected moving objects through the valve plug.

[0005] Because the spherical moving body described above rolls along the bottom of the main pipe, the sound generated when it rolls along the bottom is recorded as noise, posing a problem that it is necessary to separate this from the sound generated by the leak. For this reason, a leak detection device has been proposed in which the moving body has approximately the same specific gravity as the liquid flowing through the pipe, preventing the moving body from colliding with the pipe wall and generating sound (see, for example, Patent Document 3). The moving body described in Patent Document 3 is formed into a capsule shape by attaching hemispherical caps to both ends of a cylindrical body.

[0006] Furthermore, in order to more accurately detect the location of a leak in a pipeline, a detection method and a detection device have been proposed in which multiple sound collection elements with mutually opposite directivities are placed inside a moving body, and sound data collected by these sound collection elements can be compared and examined (see, for example, Patent Documents 4 and 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5583994 (JP 2011-196745) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-198296 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-189411 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-152450 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2021-021665 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The moving bodies constituting the detection devices described in Patent Documents 3 to 5 are formed in an elongated cylindrical shape, and their length is greater than the diameter of the valve plug portion for collecting from the main pipe. In addition, the capturing member described in Patent Document 2 does not have a shape that can capture cylindrical moving bodies because the moving bodies to be captured are spherical.

[0009] For this reason, when an attempt is made to capture the moving bodies described in Patent Documents 3 to 5 using the collection member described in Patent Document 2, a problem arises in that when the tip of the moving body comes into contact with the net, it rotates so as to cross the pipeline (the moving body intersects with the axis of the pipeline).In this case, because the longitudinal dimension of the moving body is larger than the diameter of the valve plug portion, a problem arises in that when an attempt is made to pull the collection member out of the valve plug portion, the rotated moving body interferes with the connection between the valve plug portion and the main pipe, making it unable to pass through the valve plug portion.

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a recovery device that can capture even cylindrical detection devices while maintaining their longitudinal direction parallel to the axial direction of the piping, and can reliably pass them through thin tubes for recovery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problems, a representative recovery device according to the present invention is a recovery device for recovering a cylindrical detection device that is inserted from a tube that is attached to a pipe through which a liquid flows and is thinner than the pipe, and flows through the inside of the pipe together with the liquid to detect leakage of the liquid, and includes a frame member that is made of a flexible and elastic frame material and is configured so that when expanded, it has a substantially circular shape with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the pipe through which the liquid flows, and when contracted, it is thinner than the inner diameter of the thin tube attached to the pipe, and a frame member that is attached to an end of the frame member and is inserted into the pipe from the thin tube. the capturing member has a support member attached to the frame member, one end of which is connected to a frame material constituting the frame member, a guide section formed so that when the frame member is expanded, the diameter decreases from a substantially circular shape having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the piping toward the other end, and the length is longer than the length when the frame member is contracted; and a storage section connected to the other end of the guide section, with a closed tip and formed cylindrical, having a length longer than the length of the detection device and a diameter shorter than the length of the detection device and larger than the outer diameter of the detection device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the recovery device according to the present invention, when a detection device that has traveled through a pipe together with a liquid is captured by a capture member attached to a frame member, the longitudinal direction of the captured detection device can be held parallel to the axial direction of the pipe. Furthermore, when the captured detection device is passed through a thin pipe, the detection device does not interfere with the connection between the thin pipe and the pipe, allowing for smooth recovery.

[0013] That is, the collection member attached to the frame member has a guide portion and a storage portion continuous with the guide portion. This storage portion is longer than the length of the detection device to be collected, but shorter than the length and larger than the outer diameter of the detection device, so that when the detection device is stored in the storage portion, its longitudinal direction can be maintained parallel to the axial direction of the piping.

[0014] In particular, because the guide portion is disposed between the frame member and the storage portion, the detection device that moves with the liquid inside the piping can be guided by the guide portion and moved to the storage portion. Furthermore, because the guide portion is formed to be longer than the length of the frame member when it is narrowed, when the recovery device is detached from the piping through a thin tube, the detection device housed in the storage portion can be maintained in a position where it does not interfere with the frame material of the narrowed frame member at its end. Therefore, the detection device housed in the storage portion can be smoothly detached through the thin tube without interfering with the connection between the thin tube and the piping. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 10A and 10B are a front view and a side view of the recovery device in a state where the frame member is folded and lifted up after collecting the detection device. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view of the recovery device with the frame member open. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a collection member. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the collection member. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a detection device is collected inside a pipe through which a liquid flows. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating the state when the detection element is collected and then recovered through a thin tube. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for detecting a leak in a main pipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The configuration of the recovery device according to the present invention will be described below. The recovery device according to the present invention is a device for recovering a cylindrical detection device that moves with the liquid flowing inside a pipe (hereinafter referred to as the "main pipe") and is configured to collect and record sound during this movement. The recovery device is inserted into the main pipe through a thin tube (for example, a valve plug portion, hereinafter referred to as the "rise pipe") attached to the main pipe, and is configured to collect the detection device that has moved inside the main pipe, and then recover it outside through the riser pipe.

[0017] In the present invention, the liquid flowing in the main pipe may be any liquid that flows under pressure, such as drinking water, agricultural water, industrial water, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to such liquids, and can also be applied to oil-based liquids.

[0018] Prior to describing the recovery device A according to this embodiment, a procedure for detecting a leak 43 using a detection device 45 inserted inside a main pipe 41 will be briefly described with reference to Figure 7. A plurality of riser pipes 42, each thinner than the main pipe 41, are installed inside the main pipe 41. The target liquid flows through the main pipe 41, and the diameter is set to an optimum value depending on conditions such as the liquid and its intended use. The riser pipes 42 are fitted with valves for discharging the liquid or air flowing inside the main pipe 41, and typically have a diameter of about 75 mm.

[0019] The detection device 45 is formed in a cylindrical shape with both ends covered by hemispherical lids, and is inserted into the main pipe 41 from the upstream riser pipe 42, and moves downstream together with the liquid flowing through the main pipe 41. Inside the detection device 45 are housed a microphone that collects sound transmitted through the liquid, a recording device that records the collected sound, an accelerometer and gyro that record the movement process of the detection device 45, a clock that manages the time when the data obtained by these components is recorded, and the like.

[0020] Since the detection device 45 contains the various equipment described above, its overall length is greater than the diameter of the riser pipe 42. In addition, the volume, weight, etc. of the detection device 45 are adjusted so that its specific gravity is equal to that of the liquid flowing inside the main pipe 41.

[0021] After starting leak detection for the target pipe 41, a recovery device A (described later) is inserted into the pipe 41 through a preset riser 42 in the pipe 41. Then, the detection device 45 moves with the liquid and reaches the recovery device A, after which it passes through the riser 42 and is recovered from the main pipe 41. After recovering the detection device 45, it is possible to detect the presence and location of a leak 43 in the main pipe 41 by extracting data such as the recorded sound, the time when this sound occurred, and accelerometer data.

[0022] The recovery device A according to this embodiment will be described below. The recovery device A is configured to include a frame member 10 consisting of a pair of frame members 11, a support member 20 that attaches the frame member 10 to a lower end portion 20a, and a collection member 30 that has a storage section 31 and a guide section 32 and is attached to the frame member 10.

[0023] The frame member 10 is attached to the support member 20 and also to the collection member 30, and has a pair of flexible and elastic frame members 11. One end (upper end) of the pair of frame members 11 is attached to a pivot piece 21 that is configured to be pivotable at a slight incline relative to the lower end 20a of the support member 20. Therefore, each frame member 11 is pivotally attached to the support member 20. The other end (lower end) of the pair of frame members 11 is attached to a hinge 12.

[0024] The frame member 10 is slightly curved in the direction of expanding in diameter in a free state, with the upper end of the frame material 11 attached to the pivot piece 21 and the lower end attached to the hinge 12. The diameter expands when a force is applied in a direction that moves the hinge 12, which is the lower end, closer to the lower end 20a of the support member 20. Therefore, by making the length of the frame material 11 correspond to the diameter of the main pipe 41 for which the recovery device A is to be used (approximately 1 / 2 the circumferential length), the frame member 10 can be made to face the inner circumferential surface of the main pipe 41 and expand in diameter in a circular shape. The diameter of the frame member 10 when expanded in a circular shape is not limited and can be set appropriately between 200 mm and 1200 mm to correspond to the inner diameter of the main pipe 41.

[0025] The material and structure of the frame material 11 that constitutes the frame member 10 are not particularly limited, and any material that is flexible and elastic and does not adversely affect the target liquid can be used. Such materials include metals such as stainless steel and spring steel, and synthetic resins. The shape of the frame material may also include plate material or rod material. In particular, when a rod material is used, it does not have to be a single rod, and multiple rods may be arranged in the direction of the liquid flow.

[0026] The material and shape of the frame material 11 are preferably selected in consideration of the structure when the collection member 30, which will be described later, is attached.

[0027] The support member 20 is formed in the shape of a pipe having a predetermined diameter and length. The length of the pipe used as the support member 20 is not particularly limited, and it is preferable that it be a value that takes operability into consideration. Furthermore, when the length of the riser pipe 42 is long, it is preferable that it be configured so that an extension pipe 25 of a unit length can be added to the upper end portion 20b.

[0028] The guide member 22 arranged at the lower end 20a of the support member 20 guides the frame member 10 so that it does not get caught on the joint between the main pipe 41 and the riser pipe 42 when the frame member 10 and the capture member 30 are pulled out of the main pipe 41 after the detection device 45 has been captured by the capture member 30. For this reason, the guide member 22 has a tapered guide piece 22a whose dimensions correspond to the diameter of the riser pipe 42.

[0029] An underwater camera 23 that monitors the capture member 30 is attached to the lower end of the guide member 22, and the images from this underwater camera 23 are displayed and recorded on a monitor installed in a control unit (not shown) installed on land via cable 23a. Reference numeral 23b denotes a protective cover for the underwater camera 23. By positioning the underwater camera 23 in this way, it is possible to monitor the behavior of the capture member 30 inserted inside the main pipe 41, and to confirm whether the detection device 45 has been captured by the capture member 30.

[0030] The flow of liquid acts on the frame member 10 and collection member 30 inserted inside the main pipe 41 in a downstream direction, and this force is received by the frame member 10. For this reason, it is preferable to insert a rod-shaped reinforcing member 24 inside the support member 20 so that its lower end can abut against the hinge 12 arranged at the lower end of the frame member 20. With this configuration, it becomes possible to withstand the load caused by the flowing liquid that occurs when the frame member 10 with the collection member 30 attached expands in diameter inside the main pipe 41.

[0031] The capture member 30 is attached to the frame member 10 and captures the detection device 45 moving inside the pipe 41. The capture member 30 is configured to have a storage section 31 that stores the detection device 45, and a guide section 32 that has one end connected to the storage section 31 and the other end connected to the frame material 11 of the frame member 10. The overall length of the capture member 30 made up of the storage section 31 and the guide section 32 is not particularly limited, but is preferably set to a range of two to three times the inner diameter of the target main pipe 41.

[0032] The storage section 31 has a length longer than the length of the detection device 45, and a diameter shorter than the length and larger than the outer diameter of the detection device 45. Therefore, when the detection device 45 moving with the liquid inside the main pipe 41 is collected, it can be stored in a state approximately parallel to the axis of the piping 41. There are no limitations on the shape of the storage section 31. However, within the above-mentioned dimensional range, it is preferable that the storage section 31 be approximately cylindrical or tapered with a small angle.

[0033] The guide section 32 is formed in a tapered shape with a diameter that decreases from the frame member 10 to the storage section 31. This makes it possible to smoothly guide the detection device 45, which is moving inside the main pipe 41 together with the liquid, into the storage section 31. The guide section 32 is also formed to be longer than the length of the frame member 10 when it is narrowed. This makes it possible to position the storage section 31 containing the detection device 45 below the hinge 12 of the frame member 10 when passing through the riser pipe 42 after collecting the detection device 45, and as a result, the collection member 30 can pass through the riser pipe 42 smoothly.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, the collection member 30 has a shape in which a substantially cylindrical storage section 31 is connected to a conical guide section 32. However, as shown in the figure, it is not necessarily preferable for the angle between the storage section 31 and the guide section 32 to change suddenly at the connection point, and the connection point between the two may be a curved shape with a gentle angle.

[0035] When the detection device 45 is retrieved, the collection member 30 is urged downstream by the flowing liquid when inserted into the main pipe 41, so it must be configured so as not to impede the flow of the liquid despite being urged by the liquid. For this reason, the collection member 30 is preferably configured in a mesh shape.

[0036] The fibers that make up the net are unlikely to stretch even when tension is applied in the longitudinal direction. However, if the net is formed in a cone shape with diamond-shaped mesh, when the force associated with the flow of liquid or the force of the inflowing detection element acts, the longitudinal dimension of the cone may increase, and deformation such that the diameter of the cone decreases (hereinafter referred to as "stretching of the collection element 30, or stretching of the shape, or stretching"). Furthermore, when the detection device collides with the net, deformation such that the net stretches locally in the lateral direction may occur.

[0037] If the shape of the capture member 30 is stretched, there is a risk that the detection device 45 that has entered the guide section 32 will not be smoothly guided into the storage section 31. For this reason, the capture member 30 needs to be configured so that it will not be stretched by the flow of liquid or the force acting when the detection device 45 is captured.

[0038] The means for preventing stretching of the capture member 30 is not particularly limited, and for example, as shown in Figure 3, the mesh of the storage section 31 and the guide section 32 may be rectangular and made up of vertical fibers arranged along the longitudinal direction of the capture member 30 and horizontal fibers woven into loops around the vertical fibers. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4, a non-stretchable band may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the capture member 30. In this case, the band is preferably a thin sheet or cloth that is impermeable or has low water permeability.

[0039] If a non-stretchable band is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the collection member 30 to prevent stretching, the area where this band is arranged will obstruct the passage of liquid and at the same time act as a force that spreads outward the guide section 32. For this reason, when a diamond-shaped net is used (see Figure 4), by joining the net to the band in a state where it is spread out in the vertical and horizontal directions during the production stage of the collection member 30, it will be possible to further reduce stretching.

[0040] As described above, it is preferable that the collection member 30 has passage sections 34 made of a mesh through which liquid can easily pass and inhibition sections 35 (bands 35) made of bands that inhibit the passage of liquid, alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and that the two sections be integrated by means such as stitching. The number of bands 35 arranged in the collection member 30 is preferably about four to six, corresponding to the dimensions of the frame member 10 when expanded, and the ratio of the guide section 32 to the surface area is preferably in the range of 1 / 4 to 1 / 2. By configuring the collection member 30 in this manner, it is possible to achieve a smooth flow of liquid. The collection member 30 configured in this manner will not elongate even when subjected to the force of the liquid flow or the force exerted when the detection member 45 is housed.

[0041] The structure for attaching the collection member 30 to the frame member 10 is not particularly limited, and any structure is sufficient as long as it can be attached with sufficient strength to the frame material 11 of the frame member 10. For example, in this embodiment, as an example of such a structure, a fastener 33 is attached to the end of the guide portion 32, and a fastener is also attached to the frame member 10. However, it goes without saying that a string may also be used for attachment.

[0042] In the recovery device A configured as described above, as shown in Figure 5, the frame member 10 is inserted into the main pipe 41 in a narrowed state into a predetermined riser pipe 42 of the main pipe 41, and the diameter is expanded by pressing the hinge 12 against the handle of the main pipe 41. Then, as the diameter of the frame member 10 expands, the capture member 30 spreads downstream together with the liquid, completing preparations for capturing the detection device 45.

[0043] As described above, the detection device 45 is inserted into the main pipe 41 from the riser pipe 42 formed on the upstream side of the main pipe 41, and records the sound transmitted through the liquid as it moves downstream together with the liquid flowing inside the main pipe 41. The detection device 45 then flows into the collection member 30 of the recovery device A located at a predetermined position, moves downstream through the guide section 32, and is stored in the storage section 31. The situation in which the detection device 45 flows into the collection member 30 and is stored in the storage section 31 is monitored by the underwater camera 23.

[0044] After it is confirmed by the underwater camera 23 that the detection device 45 has been accommodated in the accommodation section 31 of the collection member 30, the recovery member A is removed through the riser pipe 42. At this time, even if the support member 20 is displaced from the center of the riser pipe 42, the guide piece 22a of the guide member 22 contacts the attachment portion of the riser pipe 42 relative to the main pipe 41, guiding the support member 20 to move toward the center of the riser pipe 42. Therefore, the frame member 10 is smoothly guided into the riser pipe 42.

[0045] As the support member 20 is removed, the frame member 10 is narrowed, and the detection device 45 housed in the housing portion 31 of the capture member 30 hangs down below the hinge 12 (see FIG. 1). Furthermore, because the guide portion 32 is formed longer than the narrowed frame member 10, the captured detection member 45 can pass smoothly through the riser pipe 42 without interfering with it.

[0046] After the detection device 45 is removed from the main pipe 41, the location of the leak 43 in the main pipe 41 can be detected by removing the equipment contained in the detection device 45 and examining various data. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] The recovery device according to the present invention can be used to recover a detection device for detecting leakage from a pipe through which various liquids flow under pressure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] A Recovery Device 10 Frame members 11 Frame material 12 hinges 20 Support member 20a Lower end 20b Upper end 21 Rotating piece 22 Guide member 22a Guide 23 Underwater Camera 23a cable 23b Protective cover 24 Reinforcement member 25 Extension tube 30 Collection member 31 Storage area 32 Guidance part 33 Zipper 34 Passage section 35 Inhibition zone (belt) 41 Main 42 riser pipe 43 Leaking part 45 Detection Device 47 lines

Claims

1. A recovery device for recovering a cylindrical detection device that is inserted into a pipe that is thinner than a pipe through which a liquid flows and flows through the inside of the pipe together with the liquid to detect leakage of the liquid, a frame member made of a flexible and elastic frame material, which when expanded has a substantially circular shape with a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of a pipe through which a liquid flows, and when contracted has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of a thin tube attached to the pipe; a support member for attaching the frame member to an end portion and inserting the frame member into the piping from the thin tube; a collection member having: a guide portion attached to the frame member, one end of which is connected to a frame material constituting the frame member, and which is formed so that when the frame member is expanded, the guide portion is formed so that the diameter decreases from a substantially circular shape having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the piping toward the other end and is longer than the length when the frame member is contracted; and a storage portion connected to the other end of the guide portion, with a closed tip portion, formed cylindrically, and having a length longer than the length of a detection device, a diameter shorter than the length of the detection device and larger than the outer diameter of the detection device; A recovery device comprising:

2. The recovery device described in claim 1, characterized in that the collection member is formed in a mesh shape consisting of vertical fibers arranged in the longitudinal direction and horizontal fibers arranged independently at multiple positions in the longitudinal direction of the vertical fibers and woven into a loop shape with the vertical fibers.

3. 2. The recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the collection member has a passage portion through which the liquid passes and an obstruction portion that obstructs the passage of the liquid, and the passage portion and the obstruction portion are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

4. A recovery device as described in claim 3, characterized in that the passage portion of the capture member is formed in a mesh shape having a diamond-shaped mesh formed by the intersection of diagonally arranged fibers, and the inhibition portion is constituted by an inelastic band arranged along the longitudinal direction of the capture member.

5. The recovery device described in claim 1, characterized in that the frame material constituting the frame member is made up of a pair of opposing flexible and elastic pieces, one end of which is connected to the support member via an upper hinge and the other end of which is connected to each other via a lower hinge, and the lower hinge is connected to a reinforcing member arranged along the support member.

Images