Integrated Pipe Inspection and Cleaning Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
The plumbing and drain industry lacks a practical system that can both identify and clear blockages in pipes and drains using a single device, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies due to the need for separate tools.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a flexible shaft with a distal end and a proximal end, a sheath with a flexible tube body that encases the shaft, at least one electrical conductor within the sheath, and a camera connected to the conductor, allowing for both inspection and cleaning of pipes in a single assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate tools are used for identification and clearing blockages, then each tool can be specialized and simple in design, but the overall process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines inspection and clearing functions into a single integrated device. The inspection camera and clearing mechanism (flexible shaft with cutting elements) are merged into one unit that can perform both identification and removal of blockages, eliminating the need to switch between separate tools and improving overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device performs multiple functions: inspection via camera, clearing via flexible shaft with cutting elements, and potentially localization via GPS. This multi-functional approach allows a single device to replace multiple specialized tools while maintaining the ability to perform each function effectively.
2Measurement precision
If separate tools are used for identification and clearing, then each tool can be optimized for its specific function, but accuracy in locating the blockage after identification becomes compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the inspection camera and clearing mechanism into a single integrated device, the system maintains continuous knowledge of the blockage location. The camera identifies the precise location, and the same device performs clearing at that location without requiring tool switching that would compromise location accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection camera provides real-time visual feedback on blockage location and condition. This feedback is used to guide the clearing operation, ensuring that the clearing elements are applied at the precise location identified by the camera, thereby maintaining high measurement precision throughout the process.
3Loss of time
If a combined inspection and clearing device is created, then time and effort are reduced, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated device is divided into distinct functional modules: inspection module (camera), clearing module (flexible shaft with cutting elements), and control module. This segmentation allows each module to be manufactured and tested independently, then assembled into the final integrated device, reducing overall manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection camera and other components are nested within the flexible shaft assembly. The camera is positioned within the shaft structure, and both are contained within the protective housing. This nesting approach reduces the overall device footprint and simplifies the external structure, making manufacturing more manageable despite the multiple internal functions.
4Volume of moving object
If a combined device is used, then the footprint and portability are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device components are nested within each other to minimize footprint. The camera is nested within the flexible shaft assembly, which is itself nested within the protective housing. This nested arrangement reduces the overall volume of the device while maintaining all necessary functions, making it more portable despite the integrated complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
System and methods for cleaning and inspecting a pipe are disclosed. The system may include a flexible shaft having a distal end and a proximal end opposite the distal end, a sheath comprising a flexible tube body that extends over at least part of the flexible shaft and includes a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the flexible tube body includes a bore within which the flexible shaft extends, at least one electrical conductor contained within the flexible tube body of the sheath, the at least one electrical conductor extending at least partially along a length of the flexible tube body, and a camera operatively connected to the at least one electrical conductor.