Self-propelled vehicle within pipe
US6123027A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 16, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 16, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16L55/28
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A running apparatus within a pipe runs such that a center axis of a main body of the running apparatus is automatically coincided with a center axis of the pipe during running, and smoothly runs within a curved pipe. The running apparatus comprises two pairs of wheel supporting arms (3a, 3a', 3b, 3b') having an end rotatably fixed to an end portion of the main body (1) of the running apparatus, a wheel for driving the running (5) fixed to each of the other ends of two pairs of wheel supporting arms and rotated by a drive mechanism (a motor), an interlocking mechanism (a slider and a link) provided with a spring for urging two pairs of wheel supporting arms to which the wheels for driving the running are fixed in such a manner as to open around the one end of the main body of the running apparatus, a rotational potentiometer for measuring an angle of incline of each of two pairs of wheel supporting arms so as to output a data of an angle of incline and an attitude control portion (20) for returning an attitude of the main body of the running apparatus to a normal attitude state by controlling the drive mechanism on the basis of the data of the angle of incline with respect to each o…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.