Aerial close-contact damage inspection apparatus for pier

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerial close-contact damage inspection apparatus for a pier, comprising: a support frame on which inspection modules are mounted and which surrounds a pier; drones arranged at a plurality of points of the support frame such that support frame can be lifted and lowered; rolling support parts rotatably provided on the support frame in order to roll and support the support frame along the pier when the support frame is lifted / lowered by the drones; and supporters rotatably provided on the support frame, and thus the plurality of inspection modules can be lifted / lowered by the drones, the pier be can easily inspected by the inspection modules arranged at predetermined intervals, and, due to a simple structure, the inspection modules can be easily mounted and removed.

Description

Flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device, and more specifically, to a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device that can check for cracks in a bridge pier by means of a plurality of inspection modules arranged at regular intervals while ascending along a vertically erected bridge pier using a drone.

[0002] Generally, a bridge pier is a substructure of a bridge that supports the bridge girders and transmits the load from the girders to the ground.

[0003] Cracks can occur in the outer walls of these bridge piers due to concrete curing, external impacts, and the load of vehicles passing over the bridge. Previously, cranes were used to diagnose these cracks; however, it is currently difficult to diagnose cracks in cases where the piers are located in terrain inaccessible to cranes or are taller than the maximum height of a crane.

[0004] Since the early 2000s, the deterioration of concrete bridges has become severe due to changes in snow removal methods. Among the major components of bridges, concrete piers, which transmit the load of the superstructure to the foundation, are experiencing serious issues such as concrete deterioration, rebar corrosion, cracking, and spalling due to indirect contact caused by the scattering of de-icing salt water, as well as direct contact with rainwater or saltwater flowing into expansion joints and water dripping from river-type drainage pipes.

[0005] Periodic safety inspections and diagnoses are being conducted on such bridges to ensure safety.

[0006] Currently, maintenance work is carried out by using vehicle-mounted equipment such as sky lifts and lifts to inspect or repair bridge piers, or by installing scaffolding when access by such equipment is impossible.

[0007] However, in such cases, the accessibility of vehicle-mounted equipment is limited, and maintenance efficiency is very low due to the significant time and cost required for scaffolding installation. In particular, in the case of highway bridge piers, the height of the piers is very high due to environmental factors (such as mountainous terrain), posing problems such as equipment accessibility, construction difficulties (including working at heights due to the piers), and the difficulty of ensuring worker safety, which make inspection and maintenance work extremely challenging.

[0008]

[0009] For example, the following patent document 1 discloses a 'modular climbing equipment for bridge pier inspection and repair'.

[0010] The modular climbing equipment for inspecting and repairing bridge piers according to Patent Document 1 below comprises unit climbing modules that are positioned at intervals in a horizontal direction on the outer surface of a bridge pier and move up and down, unit module control units provided in each of the unit climbing modules to control the unit climbing modules, tension force generating units that control the contact force with which the unit climbing modules each adhere to the outer surface of the bridge pier by connecting two unit climbing modules adjacent to each other and adjusting the tension force of the two unit climbing modules, and a work platform supported by the unit climbing modules and moving up and down together with the up and down movement of the unit climbing modules.

[0011] The above tension generating unit includes a tension member connecting two adjacent unit climbing modules, a tension generator that adjusts the tension between the two unit climbing modules by pulling or releasing the tension member, a load sensor that detects the tension acting on the tension member, and a controller that controls the tension generator based on information detected by the load sensor.

[0012]

[0013] Patent Document 2 below discloses a ‘bridge pier safety inspection device’.

[0014] A bridge pier safety inspection device according to Patent Document 2 below comprises a fixed frame section assembled by arranging multiple connecting frames to surround the pier and connecting the connected ends in a snap-fit ​​manner; a camera section in which one or more cameras are installed in the fixed frame section to photograph the pier; first and second moving trolleys each attached to the connecting frames and configured with front and rear wheels in their bodies to move up and down along the surface of the pier together with the connecting frames; a driving trolley mounted on one of the multiple connecting frames to move up and down along the surface of the pier together with the connecting frames, with a motor mounted to drive the rear wheel while the front and rear wheels are combined in the body, and a control unit trolley mounted on one of the multiple connecting frames to move up and down along the surface of the pier together with the connecting frames, with a control box mounted on the body to drive the motor and control the camera.

[0015] A first and second battery unit bogie, each attached to a portion of the aforementioned multiple connecting frames and equipped with a battery to supply power to a motor and a control box while the body is combined with front and rear wheels so as to move up and down along the surface of the bridge pier together with the connecting frames; a connecting pipe, each inserted into the bodies of the first and second moving bogies, the driving bogie, the first and second battery unit bogies, and the control unit bogie, with a length adjustment bolt having a connecting hook attached to one end and a connecting hook attached to the other end of the two ends protruding on both sides, so as to maintain the state in which the front and rear wheels are in contact with the surface of the bridge pier by elastic force after assembly by connecting the first and second moving bogies, the driving bogie, the first and second battery unit bogies, and the control unit bogie, by means of elastic force; a spring each located between the connecting pipes; and a spring whose two ends are connected to the connecting hook, thereby connecting the first and second moving bogies, the driving bogie, the first and second battery unit bogies, and the control unit bogie by means of elastic force and pulling by elastic force. It includes a close pressure part that maintains the state.

[0016] The objective of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems by providing a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device that enables inspection of cracks in a bridge pier by using a drone to raise and lower an inspection module along the bridge pier.

[0017] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device capable of inspecting cracks in a bridge pier simultaneously by the lifting and lowering of an inspection robot by arranging a plurality of inspection modules at regular intervals according to the width of the bridge pier.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device capable of inspecting cracks in a bridge pier while maintaining a constant distance between the bridge pier and the inspection robot by means of a wheel that moves up and down along the bridge pier.

[0019] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to the present invention comprises: a support frame surrounding a bridge pier with an inspection module mounted thereon; a drone positioned at a plurality of points on the support frame to enable the raising and lowering of the support frame; a rolling support part rotatably provided on the support frame to roll and support the bridge pier when the support frame is raised and lowered by the drone; and a supporter rotatably provided on the support frame; wherein, when the support frame (10) is positioned at an inspection point by the drone, the supporter is rotated so that the supporter comes into contact with the bridge pier and fixes the position of the support frame.

[0020] The rolling support member according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a first support member rotatably connected to the support frame, a wheel connected to the end of the first support member and in contact with the outer wall surface of the bridge pier, and a first actuator provided on the support frame for controlling the rotation of the first support member.

[0021] The supporter according to the present invention is characterized by comprising a second support member rotatably connected to the support frame and a second actuator provided on the support frame for controlling the rotation of the second support member.

[0022] The first actuator of the rolling support member and the second actuator of the supporter according to the present invention further include a gearbox configured to be mounted on the support frame and interconnected.

[0023] The end of the second support member according to the present invention is further provided with a friction member for preventing slippage when in contact with the bridge pier.

[0024] The support frame according to the present invention is composed of a plurality of subframes to be connected via the drone, and the subframes further include an adjustment part that enables length adjustment according to the size of the bridge pier.

[0025] The first and second actuators according to the present invention are characterized by being controlled to enable automatic alignment in response to the inclination of the bridge pier or irregular shape.

[0026] The inspection module according to the present invention further comprises an inspection sensor unit equipped with at least one of a camera, a thermal imaging camera, an ultrasonic sensor, and a LiDAR, wherein the inspection sensor unit is configured to be replaceable.

[0027] The present invention is characterized by the fact that data acquired in real time by the inspection sensor unit of the inspection module according to the present invention is collected and stored in a management server, and the management server transmits analysis information to a remote manager's mobile app or web platform through the analysis of the collected data to enable real-time monitoring by the remote manager.

[0028] The management server according to the present invention is characterized by further including a cloud-based server.

[0029] The present invention is characterized by further providing a rope for raising and lowering the support frame when there is no inspection path on the bridge pier according to the present invention.

[0030] When reaching the upper position of the bridge pier according to the present invention, the inspection device is fixed at the upper position through the locking function of the suction part provided on the support frame or the motor drive part of the drone.

[0031] As described above, according to the flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device of the present invention, a plurality of inspection modules can be raised and lowered by a drone, and the bridge pier can be simply inspected by inspection modules arranged at regular intervals, and the inspection modules can be simply installed and disassembled due to the simple structure.

[0032] In addition, by photographing the bridge pier at a distance set by the cloud support, it is possible to provide clear image quality to the remote display device, and when installed vertically on the support frame, it serves to stabilize the center of gravity when the support frame rises, and as the friction member causes friction with the bridge pier, it is possible to control the rising speed of the support frame, i.e., the inspection module.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a state in which a flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed on a bridge pier.

[0036] FIG. 4 is an enlarged three-dimensional view illustrating a state in which a flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed on a bridge pier.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for automatic alignment according to the present invention,

[0038] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a systematized inspection module according to the present invention.

[0039] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the invention.

[0040] However, since the description of the present invention is merely an example for structural or functional explanation, the scope of the rights of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the examples described in the text.

[0041] For example, since the embodiments can be modified in various ways and can take various forms, the scope of the present invention should be understood to include equivalents capable of realizing the technical concept.

[0042] Furthermore, since the purposes or effects presented in this invention do not imply that specific embodiments must include all of them or include only such effects, the scope of the rights of this invention should not be understood as being limited by them.

[0043] In this specification, the embodiments provided are intended to make the disclosure of the invention complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. The invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0044] Accordingly, in some embodiments, well-known components, well-known operations, and well-known techniques are not specifically described to avoid the invention being interpreted ambiguously.

[0045] Meanwhile, the meaning of the terms described in this invention is not limited to their dictionary meanings and should be understood as follows.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0047] Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

[0048]

[0049] A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0050] A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a support frame (10) that surrounds a bridge pier (1) and is equipped with an inspection module (3), a drone (20) that is positioned at multiple points on the support frame (10) to enable the raising and lowering of the support frame (10), a rolling support part (30) that is rotatably provided on the support frame (10) to roll and support the bridge pier when the support frame (10) is raised and lowered by the drone (20), and a supporter (40) that is rotatably provided on the support frame (10). When the support frame (10) is at an inspection point position by the drone (20), the supporter (40) is rotated so that the supporter (40) comes into contact with the bridge pier (1) and fixes the position of the support frame (10).

[0051] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged three-dimensional view illustrating a part of the flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with a support frame (10) with a length corresponding to the width of the bridge pier (1) so as to install a plurality of inspection modules (3), and each support frame (10) is arranged in a rectangular shape so as to wrap around the four sides of the bridge pier (1).

[0053] That is, the support frame (10) is composed of a plurality of subframes (11), and each subframe (11) can be formed with the same length or a different length depending on the width of the bridge pier (1).

[0054] In addition, a plurality of inspection modules (3) are installed at regular intervals on the subframe (11), and it goes without saying that the inspection modules (3) can be installed at different intervals depending on the interval of the bridge pier (1) to be inspected.

[0055] Meanwhile, the support frame (10) is composed of a plurality of subframes (11) to be connected via the drone (20), and the subframes (11) further include an adjustment part that enables length adjustment according to the size of the bridge pier (1).

[0056] That is, the subframe (11) constituting the support frame (10) may be divided into two or three parts, and the spacing between them may be adjusted so as to correspond to bridge piers (1) of different sizes.

[0057] The above drone (20) raises and lowers the support frame (10) and the inspection module (3), and the drone (20) is installed at each corner of the support frame (10). Since a conventional drone (20) is used, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] A rolling support member (30) that comes into close contact with the pier (1) when moving along the pier (1) is installed on the subframe (11). The rolling support member (30) may be installed on both sides of the subframe (11) or multiple members may be installed depending on the length of the subframe (11).

[0059] The above-mentioned cloud support member (30) includes a first support member (31) rotatably connected to the support frame (10), a wheel (33) connected to the end of the first support member (31) and in contact with the outer wall surface of the bridge pier (1), and a first actuator provided on the support frame (10) for controlling the rotation of the first support member (31).

[0060] The first support member (31) is rotatably coupled to the subframe (11) of the support frame (10), allowing the first support member (31) to be adjusted to a desired position.

[0061] In addition, a wheel (33) that contacts the outer wall surface of the pier (1) is installed at the end of the first support member (31), and the wheel (33) rises while in contact with the pier (1) when the support frame (10) is raised.

[0062] A first actuator (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the first support member (31) is installed in the above-mentioned cloud support member (30).

[0063] The supporter (40) is rotatably installed on the support frame (10), and the supporter (40) includes a second support member (41) rotatably connected to the support frame (10), and a second actuator provided on the support frame (10) for controlling the rotation of the second support member (41).

[0064] The second support member (41) of the above supporter (40) is installed in a vertical direction, but can be brought into contact with the bridge surface by a second actuator (not shown).

[0065] The second support member (41) is rotatably installed on the subframe (11) of the support frame (10) and is rotatably installed by the second actuator.

[0066] The second support member (41) is formed with a predetermined length, and a friction member (43) is provided at the tip of the second support member (41) to prevent slipping when in contact with the bridge pier (1).

[0067] In addition, the first actuator of the above-mentioned cloud support member (30) and the second actuator of the above-mentioned supporter (40) are mounted on the support frame (10), and a gearbox (not shown) may be further included so that the first actuator and the second actuator can be interconnected.

[0068]

[0069] FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view showing the state in which a flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed on a bridge pier, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged three-dimensional view showing the state in which a flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is installed on a bridge pier.

[0070] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support frame (10) is provided with a subframe (11) corresponding to the outer surface of the bridge pier (1), and a plurality of inspection modules (3) are installed in the subframe (11) to detect cracks in the bridge pier (1).

[0071] The image captured by the inspection module (3) can be transmitted to a remote display device.

[0072] The support frame (10) is raised vertically by the driving of the drone (20) installed at each corner, and the inspection module (3) is raised together with the support frame (10) to capture the bridge pier (1) in video.

[0073] At this time, the first support member (31) of the above-mentioned cloud support member (30) is installed horizontally with respect to the bridge pier (1), and the wheel (33) rises while rotating along the bridge pier (1) as the drone (20) rises.

[0074] In this way, the inspection module (3) has the effect of providing clear image quality to the remote display device by photographing the bridge pier (1) at a distance set by the cloud support (30).

[0075] In addition, when the supporter (40) is installed vertically on the support frame (10), it serves to stabilize the center of gravity when the support frame (10) rises, and when it comes into contact with the bridge pier (1) by the second actuator, the friction member (43) causes friction with the bridge pier (1), thereby obtaining the effect of controlling the rising speed of the support frame (10), i.e., the inspection module (3).

[0076]

[0077] Meanwhile, the present invention can be equipped with a function capable of automatic alignment in response to the inclination or irregular shape of the bridge pier to enable inspection of various types of bridge piers.

[0078] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the control unit (50) for this purpose can control the first actuator (35) of the rolling support unit and the second actuator (45) of the supporter to be linked.

[0079] That is, when the bridge has an inclination, the control unit (50) can control the rotational speed of the first actuator (35) located at multiple points to be different or stop the operation of some actuators. At the same time, the control unit can control the second actuator (45) so that the rotational angle of the supporter corresponds to the angle of inclination.

[0080] In addition, even if the shape of the bridge pier is irregular, the control unit can perform automatic alignment by controlling the first actuator and the second actuator.

[0081] Additionally, sensors can be mounted at multiple points on the support frame, although not shown in the attached drawings, to detect the inclination of the bridge piers or irregular shapes.

[0082]

[0083] Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the inspection module (3) according to the present invention may further include an inspection sensor unit (5) equipped with at least one of a camera, a thermal imaging camera, an ultrasonic sensor, and a LiDAR. In this case, the inspection sensor unit (5) may be provided so as to be replaceable from the support frame.

[0084] That is, the inspection module (3) can inspect the exterior or interior of the bridge in various ways through various inspection sensor parts, and by selecting and using a suitable sensor according to the inspection method, effective operation of the device can be made possible.

[0085] In addition, data acquired in real time by the inspection sensor unit (5) of the inspection module according to the present invention is collected and stored in a management server, and the management server transmits analysis information to a remote manager's mobile app, terminal app, or web platform (9) through analysis of the collected data, thereby enabling real-time monitoring by the remote manager. In this case, the management server may include a cloud-based cloud server (7). Therefore, the remote manager can comprehensively control the movement of the inspection device and the inspection process through real-time monitoring of the inspection device.

[0086]

[0087] Meanwhile, in cases where there is no inspection path on the pier according to the present invention, the inspection device may require a simple inspection path to replace the temporary pier inspection path.

[0088] To this end, a rope may be provided to raise and lower the support frame. This rope is connected to the support frame, and a winding roller capable of winding the rope may be provided on the top of the pier or the upper part of the bridge. Therefore, by winding and unwinding the rope from the winding roller, the inspection device can be stably raised and lowered even in the absence of an inspection walkway.

[0089] In addition, when the inspection device reaches the upper position of the bridge pier, the support frame may be equipped with a suction part to secure the inspection device at that upper position. This suction part attaches to the surface of the bridge pier to fix the position of the inspection device. Furthermore, as a function for securing the inspection device, it is also possible to secure the inspection device at the upper position by utilizing the locking function of the drone's motor drive unit.

[0090] As mentioned above, in cases where there is no bridge pier inspection walkway, efficient operation of the device can be achieved by inspecting the exterior of the bridge using a rope, a suction part, or a locking function as described above.

[0091]

[0092] Although the invention made by the inventors has been specifically described according to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof.

Claims

1. A support frame surrounding the pier and equipped with an inspection module; A drone positioned at multiple points of the support frame to enable the raising and lowering of the support frame; A rolling support member rotatably provided on the support frame to provide rolling support while riding on the bridge pier when the support frame is raised or lowered by the drone; and It comprises a supporter rotatably provided on the above support frame; A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by rotating the supporter when the support frame (10) is positioned at the inspection point by the drone, so that the supporter comes into contact with the bridge pier and fixes the position of the support frame.

2. In claim 1, the rolling support A first support member rotatably connected to the above support frame, and A wheel connected to the end of the first support member and in contact with the outer wall surface of the bridge pier, and A bridge pier leveling inspection robot characterized by comprising a first actuator provided on the support frame for rotational control of the first support member.

3. In Clause 2, the supporter A second support member rotatably connected to the above support frame, and A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by comprising a second actuator provided on the support frame for rotational control of the second support member.

4. In Paragraph 3, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by further including a gearbox configured such that the first actuator of the above-mentioned rolling support member and the second actuator of the above-mentioned support member are mounted on the above-mentioned support frame and interconnect with each other.

5. In Paragraph 3, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by further providing a friction member at the end of the second support member to prevent slipping when in contact with the bridge pier.

6. In Paragraph 1, The above support frame is composed of a plurality of subframes so as to be connected via the drone, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by further including an adjustment part in the above subframe that enables length adjustment according to the size of the bridge pier.

7. In Paragraph 4, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by the first and second actuators being controlled to enable automatic alignment in response to the inclination or irregular shape of the bridge pier.

8. In Paragraph 1, The above inspection module further includes an inspection sensor unit equipped with at least one of a camera, a thermal imaging camera, an ultrasonic sensor, and a LiDAR, wherein A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by the above-mentioned inspection sensor unit being replaceable.

9. In Paragraph 8, Data acquired in real time by the inspection sensor unit of the above inspection module is collected and stored in the management server, and A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by the above-mentioned management server transmitting analysis information to a remote manager's mobile app or web platform through the analysis of collected data to enable real-time monitoring by a remote manager.

10. In Paragraph 9, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by the above-mentioned management server further including a cloud-based server.

11. In Paragraph 1, A flying type bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by having a rope further provided for raising and lowering the support frame when there is no inspection path on the bridge pier.

12. In Paragraph 11, A flying bridge pier contact damage inspection device characterized by fixing the inspection device to the upper position through a locking function of an adsorption part provided on the support frame or a motor drive part of the drone when reaching the upper position of the bridge pier.

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