US 9,791,090 B2Granted

In-pipe moving apparatus

AssigneeHibot Corporation

InventorsShigeo Hirose, Michele Guarnieri, Paulo Debenest

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Abstract

An in-pipe moving apparatus for passing through a pipe bent in any direction without control of the attitude of the apparatus is provided. The in-pipe moving apparatus may include at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units arranged in series in a traveling direction and at least two sets of joint sections that pivotably link the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units to each other. Each of the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units includes a tire-integrated wheel, a drive section, a first frame fixed to the drive section, and at least one second frame pivotably attached to the drive section. A bending generator is provided between one of the first frames and one of the second frames in the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units and imparts tension for causing the first frames and the second frames to have a V-like bent shape.

Claims3

Dependent claims

An in-pipe moving apparatus characterized in that:

the in-pipe traveling apparatus comprises at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units arranged in series in a traveling direction;
at least two sets of joint sections that pivotably link the at least three sets of tire-integrated wheel units to each other;
at least one set of tire-integrated wheel units of the three sets of tire-integrated wheel units includes a tire-integrated wheel, a drive section that drives and rotates the tire-integrated wheel, a first frame fixed to the drive section, and at least one second frame pivotably attached to the drive section or the first frame;
a bending generator is provided between the first frame and the second frame in the at least one set of tire-integrated wheel units and imparts tension for causing the first frame and the second frame to have a V-like bent shape;
each of the two sets of joint sections is configured to be pivotable in a direction roughly perpendicular to the direction in which the second frames pivot;
the first frame in the at least one set of tire-integrated wheel units is pivotably linked to the second frame in an adjacent tire-integrated wheel unit, and the second frame in the at least one set of tire-integrated wheel units is pivotably linked to the first frame in an adjacent tire-integrated wheel unit to configure the at least two sets of joint sections.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.