Waterless endoscope with bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle

Abstract

To provide an endoscopic device to be inserted into a pipe by a non-stop water method for imaging, such that an endoscopic cable is pushed farther into the pipe.SOLUTION: An endoscopic device comprises: a saddle assembly including a lower saddle, an upper saddle, a main block that is open at the bottom and airtightly fixed while enclosing the upper surface of the upper saddle, the main block having an upper portion with two inclined surfaces formed to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of a pipe and joined at upper ends, and two coupling blocks each having a through hole formed in the longitudinal direction, a lower portion fixed to the inclined surface, an upper portion formed with a threaded section having threads formed on an outer periphery thereof, and a ball valve formed in an intermediate portion to open and close the upper and lower portions; a bushing body having a through hole formed at the center and provided at a lower end thereof with a saddle coupling section that rotatably engages with the threaded section; an insertion pipe passing through the bushing body and provided at its upper end with a handle extending laterally; a camera head; and a cable connected to the camera head and passing through the insertion pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a non-stop water endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle. More specifically, an endoscope camera is inserted into the interior of a water supply pipe in a non-stop water (without shutting off water) manner at a maximum high pressure state of 10 bar to observe internal slime (deposits), rust scale, cracks, water leakage, etc. In an endoscope device, while having a structure in which an endoscope camera attached to the end of a semi-rigid cable is inserted into the pipeline in an inclined manner at a diagonal (obtuse angle) to the pipeline, it can be inserted in both directions, and thus relates to a non-stop water endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle developed to enable long-distance endoscope inspections.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, after 21 years or more, the interior of a water supply pipeline is inevitably subject to aging, resulting in peeling of the pipe body and water leakage. In particular, when the coating material (lining material) adhering to the surface of the pipe body peels off or falls off, a lump of rust (scale) due to oxidation appears on the surface of the cast iron pipe. As a result, when water leakage or damage to the pipe body is suspected, it is necessary to perform non-excavation rehabilitation of the pipeline or replacement of a new pipe, and to determine maintenance measures and appropriate replacement times according to the situation by measuring the flow of the fluid flowing through the pipeline (flow velocity, flow rate, etc.), grasping the loss amount or noise due to water leakage to infer the damaged location, and, if necessary, visually identifying the internal state after cutting it off by shutting off water in a planned manner.

[0003] In such a method of determining the presence or absence of abnormalities in the pipeline, the flow of the fluid flowing through the pipeline (flow velocity, flow rate, etc.) is measured, the loss amount or noise due to water leakage is grasped to infer the damaged location, and, if necessary, after shutting off water in a planned manner, it is cut off and the internal state is visually identified to determine maintenance measures and appropriate replacement times according to the situation.

[0004] However, the inspection method described above, which involves taking samples after a water outage (visual inspection of the severed pipe), inevitably requires a water outage in the case of water pipes, and it is unavoidable that water consumers will suffer damage due to the water outage for a certain period of time. As a way to avoid this, indirect investigation methods that do not involve water outages, such as correlation-type water leak detection methods for pipes and acoustic water leak detection methods, are sometimes implemented. However, although these methods can check for water leaks, they have the problem that it is difficult to accurately diagnose the degree of deterioration of the inner surface of the pipe (rust scale, detachment and damage of lining material, connection of unknown pipes, water flow obstruction, valve malfunctions, etc.).

[0005] Therefore, while precise visual inspection is essential today, as the most practical alternative to solving the problems caused by water outages and the cost and time losses associated with pipeline repairs, there is a non-stop endoscopic technique that allows for inspection of the inside of pipes by inserting an endoscope into a hole after drilling a water-free hole into the surface of the pipe, similar to the principle of laparoscopy, without interrupting the fluid flow. In the case of small to medium-sized pipes with a diameter of 80 to 300 millimeters or less, a camera similar in form to an endoscope is used to inspect the inside of the pipe.

[0006] As is evident from various prior art publications such as Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1850627, Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1035687, and Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1171289, a wide variety of methods have been developed for such waterless endoscope devices. Basically, the system involves attaching a camera to the end of a cable and moving along the pipe to photograph and inspect the inside of the pipe.

[0007] However, existing water pipe endoscopes that do not require a water supply generally use a semi-rigid cable (hard but flexible enough to be pushed in by hand) that is very thin, around 4 mm in diameter, as the cable connected to the camera endoscope. This results in a drawback where the cable's thrust is weak, and it is typically only advanced over a short distance of up to 30 meters. The reason why a thicker cable cannot be used is that the smallest diameter of a water pipe is 80 millimeters, and when a cable with a diameter greater than 4 millimeters is used to push the endoscope into such a small pipe with a T-shaped branch saddle, the cable's bending ratio cannot be obtained, making it impossible to bend it at a right angle and push it in. For this reason, all water pipe endoscopes that do not require a water supply have been limited to a maximum thrust of 30 meters worldwide, which has limited the effectiveness of the examination.

[0008] Furthermore, the structure of existing endoscopes, with the endoscope insertion port (T-shaped branch saddle) installed at a right angle to the pipe, makes it easy to insert the endoscope into the pipe in only one direction, in the direction of the fluid flow, for smooth insertion. As a result, the distance the endoscope can be advanced is further limited, resulting in poor efficiency and cost-effectiveness for imaging work inside the pipe. Consequently, there is a growing demand from those on the front lines of maintenance for the development of a technology that allows for smooth insertion of a waterless endoscope in both directions while enabling advancement over a minimum distance of 100 meters or more. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1550674 [Patent Document 2] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1968943 [Patent Document 3] Korean Published Patent No. 10-2022-0061664 [Patent Document 4] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1850627 [Patent Document 5] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1035687 [Patent Document 6] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1171289 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] The present invention was created to solve the aforementioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a waterless endoscope device that can be easily inserted into a pipe using a waterless method for taking images from both the direction of fluid flow (forward direction) and the opposite direction, while having a much longer thrust distance, solving the problem of the cable breaking or disconnecting when it bends at a right angle during the initial process of being inserted into the pipe, and further applying a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle with a gently shaped insertion angle that allows a thick and strong endoscope cable to be pushed in a long distance.

[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a waterless endoscope device that can be advanced over even longer distances by attaching numerous protruding structures at regular intervals to the outer sheath of the semi-rigid cable of the endoscope camera, on elastic pieces that expand radially inside the pipe, in order to facilitate the advancement of the endoscope over even longer extension sections. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a saddle assembly comprising: a lower saddle surrounding the lower part of a pipe, with both sides bent and extending in the normal direction; an upper saddle surrounding the upper part of a pipe, with both sides bent and extending in the normal direction, and connected and fixed to the lower saddle by a plurality of bolts and nuts; a main block with an open lower part that seals and fixes the upper surface of the upper saddle, with two inclined surfaces formed at the top that are inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the pipe and the upper ends connected; two connecting blocks with a hole formed through the longitudinal direction, with the lower part fixed to the inclined surface, a threaded portion formed on the outer circumference of the top, and a ball valve formed in the middle that opens and closes the upper and lower parts; a bushing body with a through hole formed in the center and a saddle connecting portion at the lower end that rotates and connects with the threaded portion; an insertion pipe that penetrates the bushing body and has a handle extending laterally at the upper end; a camera head; and a cable connected to the camera head and passing through the insertion pipe.

[0013] Furthermore, one side of the main block is further provided with a bypass pipe that is in conjunction with the interior and has a valve to discharge iron powder generated during continuous water drilling to the outside.

[0014] Furthermore, the connecting block is characterized by comprising a lower block that connects to the main block and an upper block that is rotatably connected to the upper part of the lower block.

[0015] Furthermore, the bushing body is characterized by having a bypass valve mounted laterally in the middle and a water pressure measuring section.

[0016] Furthermore, the upper end of the bushing body is provided with a pipe fixing member that connects with threads formed on its outer circumference and presses against and fixes the insertion pipe as it rotates.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower end of the insertion pipe is provided with a camera mounting portion that is longitudinally slit and into which a camera head is inserted.

[0018] Furthermore, on the cable, three or more guide grooves are radially arranged on the outer peripheral surface in a shape where the entrance is narrow and the inside is wide and longitudinally extend in a long shape in the longitudinal direction, and are formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction. Fixed protrusions are formed at both ends of the guide groove into which the camera head is located and protrude on both sides and are embedded and fixed inside the guide groove, and guide protrusions that protrude on both sides and move along the guide groove are formed at the other end. When no external force acts, a plurality of elastic pieces that protrude in a parabolic curve shape and are inserted into the guide groove while the protruding portion has an elastic restoring force by an external force are provided.

[0019] In addition to these, the elastic pieces are arranged at intervals even shorter than twice the maximum bending radius of the cable.

Effects of the Invention

[0020] As described above, in the present invention, after easily attaching a saddle to which branch ports are applied in two diagonal directions so that an endoscope device can be inserted into a pipe, a perforation operation is performed so that the endoscope can be inserted. The cable of the endoscope is inserted while being bent at a maximum obtuse angle so that a thick cable with a large bending radius can be inserted, and it is possible to insert it even further and perform imaging, and it is possible to insert it in the reverse direction of the fluid flow, and there is an effect that the inside of a longer pipe can be confirmed.

[0021] Also, even if the cable is spirally deployed along the pipe surface by elastic pieces that radially expand inside the pipe, while极力 suppressing contact with the inner peripheral surface of the pipe, the frictional resistance with the inner peripheral surface is reduced, and even with a cable having the same length or the same bending radius, there is an effect that imaging can be performed by inserting it even further.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a saddle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a front view showing a saddle assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a front view showing an endoscope device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the insertion process of an endoscope device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the insertion state of an insertion pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the insertion state of a camera head according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a conceptual diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a conceptual diagram showing a cable according to still another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a usage state diagram according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Therefore, based on the accompanying drawings, in order for those skilled in the art to easily understand the configuration of the present invention and to be able to easily reproduce it, a detailed description is as follows.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a saddle assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view showing a saddle assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a front view showing an endoscope device according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a front view showing the insertion process of an endoscope device according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the insertion pipe insertion state according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the camera head insertion state according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprising a lower saddle 11 that surrounds the lower part of the pipe 100 and extends with both sides bent in the direction of the normal, an upper saddle 12 that surrounds the upper part of the pipe 100 and extends with both sides bent in the direction of the normal, and is connected and fixed to the lower saddle 11 by a plurality of bolts and nuts, and the lower part is open and sealed and fixed while enclosing the upper surface of the upper saddle 12, and the upper part is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the pipe 100 The present invention relates to a waterless endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle, comprising: a saddle assembly 1 comprising a main block 13 having two inclined inclined surfaces 131 formed thereon and connected at their upper ends; two connecting blocks 14 having holes formed through them in the longitudinal direction, with their lower ends fixed to the inclined surfaces 131, a threaded portion 141 formed on the outer circumference of the upper part having screw threads, and a ball valve 142 formed in the middle for opening and closing the upper and lower parts; a bushing body 21 having a through hole formed in the center and a saddle connecting portion 211 at its lower end that rotates to connect with the threaded portion 141; an insertion pipe 22 that passes through the bushing body 21 and has a handle 221 extending laterally at its upper end; a camera head 23; and a cable 24 connected to the camera head 23 and passing through the insertion pipe 22.

[0025] In this invention, the endoscope device, which was previously inserted in one direction, i.e., in the direction of normal fluid flow, can now be selectively inserted in the direction of fluid flow or the opposite direction, and can be inserted over longer distances for inspection. Preparation for using the endoscope device 2 is carried out by attaching the saddle assembly 1 to the existing piping 100.

[0026] In other words, the lower saddle 11 and the upper saddle 12 are connected and fixed to the pipe 100 with multiple pairs of bolts and nuts, and the ball valve 142 is opened to perform drilling work in the pipe 100. At this time, in the present invention, one side of the main block 13 is provided with a valved bypass pipe 132 that is in conjunction with the interior, so that iron powder, burrs, etc. that may be generated by the drilling work can be discharged together with the fluid discharged by the pressure of the pipe 100 through the open ball valve 142 and the bypass pipe 132.

[0027] Once the drilling is complete, the endoscope device 2 is fixed in the direction to be inserted by connecting the screw portion 141 and the saddle coupling portion 211, and the insertion pipe 22 is pushed in.

[0028] In this case, it is preferable that the bushing body 21 is equipped with a bypass valve 212 mounted laterally in the middle and a water pressure measuring unit 213 as means for discharging the remaining fluid and measuring the pressure, and that the upper end of the bushing body 21 is equipped with a pipe fixing member 214 that connects with threads formed on the outer circumference and presses against and fixes the insertion pipe 22 as it rotates, so that the insertion pipe 22 is held in a fixed state under normal conditions.

[0029] In other words, the lower end of the insertion pipe 22, which is inserted at an angle in this manner, is provided with a camera loading section 222 that is cut in the longitudinal direction and into which the camera head 23 is fitted, thereby protecting the camera head 23 during the insertion operation.

[0030] Next, when the operator pushes in the cable 24, the camera head 23 moves along the pipe 100, and the cable 24, which serves as a means for the endoscope device 2 to measure longer distances, has semi-rigid properties that prevent it from bending beyond its maximum bending radius, and as the maximum bending radius increases, that is, as it becomes less bendable, it can be inserted over even longer distances.

[0031] Figure 7 is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment of the present invention, in which the coupling block 14 is characterized by comprising a lower block 143 that is coupled to the main block 13, and an upper block 144 that is rotatably coupled to the upper part of the lower block 143.

[0032] When the cable 24 is inserted, its property of bending in response to resistance causes it to adhere tightly to the inner wall surface of the pipe 100, extending into a spring-like shape. Initially, it is bent to allow it to move along the pipe 100 after being inserted, but as the angle increases, a cable 24 with an even larger bending radius can be used, making it possible to insert it over even longer distances.

[0033] Therefore, by forming the upper block 144 and lower block 143 with a rotatable structure so that the input angle can be adjusted, it becomes possible to observe even longer distances.

[0034] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a cable according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a diagram showing a usage state according to yet another embodiment of the present invention, characterized in that the cable 24 has guide grooves 241 formed at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction, with three or more arranged radially on the outer surface and extending in an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction, with a narrow entrance and a wide incision on the inside, and fixed projections 242 are formed at the end facing the direction in which the camera head 23 is located, protruding on both sides and embedded and fixed inside the guide grooves 241, and guide projections 243 are formed at the other end, protruding on both sides and moving along the guide grooves 241, and the cable 24 has a plurality of elastic pieces 244 that protrude in a parabolic curve when no external force is applied, and the protruding portion is fitted into the guide grooves 241 while having an elastic restoring force when an external force is applied.

[0035] As mentioned above, the cable 24 extends in a shape that wraps around the inner wall surface of the pipe 100 depending on the resistance, and this shape is a major reason why the distance over which the cable 24 is introduced into a structure that increases the resistance force generated by the close contact between the cable 24 and the pipe 100 is limited.

[0036] Therefore, the elastic piece 244 presented in this invention prevents the cable 24 from coming into close contact with the inner wall surface of the pipe 100, minimizing contact resistance and enabling the cable to be inserted over even longer distances.

[0037] In this case, if the elastic pieces 244 are arranged at intervals shorter than twice the maximum bending radius of the cable 24, the cable 24 will not come into contact with the pipe 100.

[0038] In this case, it is even more advantageous for the elastic piece 244 to have a curved shape, as shown in the figure, with a concave shape at the bottom in the rising and falling portions, rather than a normal parabola, i.e., a curve realized by a quadratic equation, so that the elastic piece 244 can be fitted into the insertion pipe 22 as it enters the cable 24 during the process of retrieving the cable 24, by the guide projection 243 moving along the guide groove 241.

[0039] Such an embodiment has the advantage that, in situations where it is difficult to deploy a powered endoscope device during a continuous water supply process, the cable 24 moves along the center of the pipe 100 with minimal frictional force without being bent to its maximum extent, allowing it to be deployed over a longer distance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1. Saddle Assembly 11. Lower saddle 12 Upper saddle 13 Main Block 131 Slope 132 Bypass pipe 14 Joint Blocks 141 Threaded section 142 Ball valve 143 Lower Block 144 Upper Block 2 Endoscopic equipment 21 Bushing body 211 Saddle connection 212 Bypass valve 213 Water pressure measurement section 214 Pipe fixing member 22 Insertion pipe 221 Handle 222 Camera mounting section 23 Camera Head 24 Cables 241 Guide groove 242 Fixed protrusion 243 Guide projection 244 Elastic pieces 100 piping

Claims

1. A saddle assembly (1) is composed of: a lower saddle (11) surrounding the lower part of the pipe (100) and extending with both sides bent in the direction normal; an upper saddle (12) surrounding the upper part of the pipe (100) and extending with both sides bent in the direction normal, and connected and fixed to the lower saddle (11) by a plurality of bolts and nuts; a main block (13) whose lower part is open and is sealed and fixed while enclosing the upper surface of the upper saddle (12), with two inclined surfaces (131) formed at the top that are inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the pipe (100) and whose upper ends are connected; and two connecting blocks (14) with holes formed that penetrate in the longitudinal direction, with the lower part fixed to the inclined surfaces (131), a threaded portion (141) formed on the outer circumference of the upper part having screw threads, and a ball valve (142) formed in the middle that opens and closes the upper and lower parts. An endoscope device (2) comprises a bushing body (21) having a through hole formed in the center and a saddle coupling portion (211) at its lower end that rotates to connect with the screw portion (141), an insertion pipe (22) that passes through the bushing body (21) and has a handle (221) extending laterally at its upper end, a camera head (23), and a cable (24) connected to the camera head (23) and passing through the insertion pipe (22), A waterless endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle, characterized by having the following features.

2. The waterless endoscope device with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle according to claim 1, further comprising a bypass pipe (132) on one side of the main block (13) that is in conjunction with the interior and has a valve to discharge iron powder generated during waterless perforation to the outside.

3. The coupling block (14) is characterized by comprising a lower block (143) that is coupled to the main block (13), and an upper block (144) that is rotatably coupled to the upper part of the lower block (143), as described in claim 1, a non-stop water-operating endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle.

4. A non-stop water-cutting endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that a bypass valve (212) mounted laterally and a water pressure measuring unit (213) are provided in the middle of the bushing body (21).

5. The waterless endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper end of the bushing body (21) is provided with a pipe fixing member (214) that connects with threads formed on the outer circumference and presses against and fixes the insertion pipe (22) as it rotates.

6. The waterless endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower end of the insertion pipe (22) is provided with a camera mounting section (222) which is cut in the longitudinal direction and into which a camera head (23) is fitted.

7. The cable (24) has guide grooves (241) formed at regular intervals along its longitudinal direction, with three or more grooves arranged radially on its outer surface and extending in a long lengthwise direction, with a narrow entrance and a wide inner surface. A waterless endoscope device equipped with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is fitted into the guide groove (241), and has fixing projections (242) formed at the tip in the direction in which the camera head (23) is positioned, projecting on both sides and being embedded and fixed inside the guide groove (241), and has guide projections (243) formed at the other tip, projecting on both sides and moving along the guide groove (241), and has a plurality of elastic pieces (244) that project in a parabolic (curved) shape when no external force is applied, and the part that projects outwards has an elastic restoring force and is fitted into the guide groove (241) when an external force is applied.

8. The waterless endoscope device with a bidirectional diagonal endoscope insertion saddle according to claim 7, characterized in that the elastic pieces (244) are arranged at intervals shorter than twice the maximum bending radius of the cable (24).

Images