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US 2012/0222993 A1Published application
Float for inspecting sewer systems
OwnerPhilippe Biesseinventor
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OwnerPhilippe Biesseinventor
Estimating the term…
The device used for collecting information on the condition of a sewer network. It includes a set of observation devices mounted on a floating housing (1) introduced in the sewer pipe flow and connected by the rear (8) to a check cable which the operator can unreel from the surface of an upstream manhole, and is completed by display, control and optional recording systems on the surface. The on-board devices comprise a pan and tilt surface camera housed behind a glass dome (2), a bottom camera (3), distance detectors (6 and 7), a system transmitting wireless signals (5), lights, and batteries (4). The signals run along the inside of the pipe to a receiver located at a manhole and from there are transmitted to the station on the surface. The components are compact, reliable and preferably derived from mass-produced devices such as video surveillance cameras, computers or video screens.
1/ Float for inspecting sewer systems, used for collecting information on the condition of a sewer network characterized in that it consists in a set of observation and signal transmission pieces of equipment, said pieces of equipment being battery operated and being mounted on a water tight floating housing (1) held by a check cable linked to a hook located at its rear, said check cable being controlled by an operator located at the surface of the upstream manhole in which a unit receiving the signals has been introduced, said transmission unit being in turn connected to a display unit at the surface near the manhole.
2/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according to claim no 1 characterized in that the system is completed by a visual signal recording system.
3/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that one of said observation equipment is a surface camera (2) housed in a glass dome located at the front part of said floating housing.
4/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that said front camera (2) is of pan and tilt type,
5) Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that another piece of said observation equipment is a bottom camera (3) housed behind a port view at the front of said floating housing, under the floatation line.
6) Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that another piece of said observation equipment are concentrated light beams (6), whose trace on the pipe walls give a measurement of the distance from the float,
7/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that said signals transmitted by the device use wireless support widely used for video surveillance applications.
8/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that said display unit is a dedicated standard video screen.
9/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according claims 1 to 8 characterized in that said recording and display units are a computer equipped with wireless transmission cards and recording capacity.
10/ Float for inspecting sewer systems according one of the previous claims characterized in that adequate lamps improve the visibility of the observation equipment.