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US 12,638,122 B1Granted
Integrated flex-shaft camera system
AssigneeSeescan, Inc.
InventorsAlexander L. Warren, Michael J. Martin, Mark S. Olsson, Jeffery D. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Cable handling devices, methods, and systems for securing and deploying or retracting one or more cables or hoses into or out of a pipe or cavity allowing inspection of the pipe or cavity are disclosed.
Claims10
A method for using a cable handling device, comprising:
- attaching a first cable with a camera disposed at a distal end of the cable by inserting it through the center of a first cable guide;
- attaching a second flex-shaft with a cutting mechanism disposed at a distal end of the second flex-shaft through a second cable guide removably attached to the first cable guide, wherein the second cable guide is remotely controlled to provide clamping and/or unclamping of the second power flex cable;
- sending a control signal to a sensor attached to the second cable guide to securely clamp the second flex-shaft;
- deploying both the first cable and the second flex-shaft into a pipe or cavity by feeding the first cable into the pipe or cavity until a desired location inside the pipe or cavity is reached as determined by viewing images of at least a partial blockage of the pipe or cavity provided by the camera;
- sending a control signal to the second cable guide to unclamp the second flex-shaft thereby allowing it to move freely relative to the first cable;
- separating the camera and the cutting mechanism by moving at least one of the first cable and/or the second flex-shaft until the desired separation distance between the camera and the cutting mechanism is achieved;
- and
- removing at least part of the partial blockage by the pipe or cavity using the cutting mechanism.
5 more elements
A cable handling device for inspection of pipes or cavities, comprising:
- a housing for at least partially enclosing one or more cables or hoses;
- a coupling mechanism integrally attached to the housing;
- and
- a coupling control for coupling and decoupling the one or more cables or hoses;
- wherein:
- the cable handling device and the one or more cables or hoses are couplable and can be moved together;
- the cable handling device and the one or more cables or hoses can be decoupled, enabling the cable handling device and the one or more cables or hoses to move independently of each other;
- wherein at least one of the one or more cables is operatively connected to a camera disposed at a distal end of the at least one cable;
- and
- wherein the cable handling device is configured to deploy and retract the one or more cables or hoses into or out of a pipe or cavity and to control separation between the camera and a cutting mechanism disposed at a distal end of at least one of the cables or hoses.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.