Inspection and repair module
AssigneeSmart Applications Limited
InventorsMichael Trevor Zinn, Quinton Encombe Woods, Petrus Hendrik Buys
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to an inspection and repair module for an internal side wall of a vertically erected structure, with the module including a carrier for supporting at least one data recording mechanism and being securable to a hoist, and for an inspection and repair module for an internal wall of a conduit with the module including propulsion means comprising a set of driven tracked wheels controllable by a controller carried by the carrier and configured to provide, within a conduit, longitudinal forward and reverse motion.
Claims26
An inspection module for inspecting an internal side wall of a vertically erected structure, the inspection module comprising:
- a carrier;
- and
- a controller having an associated power source including a battery, the controller supported by the carrier, the controller configured to control operation of at least one data recording mechanism that includes a plurality of equidistance spaced apart range finders configured to determine a distance from the inspection module to an internal side wall of a generally vertically erected structure in which the inspection module is deployed to inspect and to relay distance measurements to the controller;
- wherein at least one of the plurality of equidistance spaced apart range finders is secured proximate to or integrated with a camera, wherein the at least one of the plurality of equidistance spaced apart range finders substantially continuously relays the distance measurements to the controller;
- wherein the inspection module is securable to a hoist by a hook for a cable at an operatively upper end of the inspection module.
An inspection module for inspecting an internal wall of a conduit, the inspection module comprising:
- a carrier for supporting at least one data recording mechanism that includes a plurality of equidistantly spaced apart range finders each of which is secured proximate to or integrated with a camera, wherein the plurality of equidistantly spaced apart range finders substantially continuously relay the distance measurements to the controller;
- an associated power source;
- and
- a plurality of sets of driven tracked wheels secured to an extension from the carrier and equidistantly spaced around the inspection module, each of the plurality of sets of driven tracked wheels arranged longitudinally in line with a longitudinal axis of the inspection module and being controllable by a controller carried by the carrier and configured to provide, within the conduit, longitudinal forward and reverse motion;
- wherein the at least one data recording mechanism includes at least one laser range finder configured to determine a distance from the inspection module to the internal side wall of the internal side wall of the conduit in which the inspection module is deployed to inspect and to relay distance measurements to the controller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.