In-Pipe Robot Wheel Layout for Stable Centered Drilling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional in-pipe robots experience instability while traveling in pipes, leading to difficulties in operations such as drilling and inspection due to uneven wheel distribution and potential deviation of the rotation axis from the pipe center, limiting their multipurpose functionality.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a chassis with side frames, first and second wheel bodies, and a rotary actuator, where intermediate wheels are raised to contact the pipe wall, ensuring equal radial distances for all wheels from the rotation axis, allowing stable travel and precise rotation alignment with the pipe center axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional in-pipe robot uses four wheels for traveling, then the robot can move in the pipe, but the traveling becomes unstable and the robot rotates around the pipe axis causing rolling
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel system is segmented into multiple wheel bodies (first wheel body, second wheel body, third wheel body) with multiple wheels (first wheels, second wheels, third wheels) distributed around the pipe circumference. This segmentation provides broader contact with the pipe wall, preventing rotation around the pipe axis and ensuring stable traveling.
2Manufacturing precision
If the rotation axis deviates from the pipe center axis due to different pipe diameters, then the drilling blade cuts unintended parts or the camera fails to photograph as intended
Solution Approach 1:
The wheel bodies are designed to be movable along the pipe circumference rather than fixed. The first, second, and third wheel bodies can adjust their positions dynamically to adapt to different pipe diameters. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the rotation axis remains aligned with the pipe center axis regardless of pipe diameter variations, maintaining drilling and photographing precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional in-pipe robot is designed for single purpose (drilling or inspection), then the structure can be simple, but one robot cannot be used for multi-purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The robot is designed with a universal platform that can perform multiple functions. The movable wheel bodies provide stable traveling capability that supports both drilling operations and inspection operations. The rotation mechanism with adjustable axis alignment enables the robot to perform drilling, inspection, and other in-pipe operations accurately. This multi-functional design allows a single robot to replace multiple specialized robots.
Data Source
AI summary
An in-pipe robot is provided with a rotary actuator 30 that rotates the drilling blade 21 in the circumferential direction of an existing pipe. A wheel body 50 provided with a traveling wheel 52 on both sides and a wheel body 70 provided with a traveling wheel 72 on both sides are supported between side frames 43 of a chassis via pins 54 and 74. The other ends of both the wheel bodies are rotatably coupled around an axle 63 of an intermediate wheel 65 as a pivot. When both the wheel bodies rotate, the intermediate wheels and the rotary actuator move above a horizontal line passing through the pin center. Each pin is disposed at the midpoint of a line connecting the center of the traveling wheel and the center of the intermediate wheel so that the rotation axis v1 of the rotary actuator coincides with the pipe center axis of the existing pipe.