초록 ▼

A robotic vehicle (10) for travel through an enclosed or partially enclosed conduit or pipe including vertical and/or horizontal conduit or pipe. The robotic vehicle (10) comprises forward and rear housings (32 and 12) each provided with a surface engaging mechanism for selectively engaging the wall

A robotic vehicle (10) for travel through an enclosed or partially enclosed conduit or pipe including vertical and/or horizontal conduit or pipe. The robotic vehicle (10) comprises forward and rear housings (32 and 12) each provided with a surface engaging mechanism for selectively engaging the walls of the conduit through which the vehicle is travelling, whereby the housings (32 and 12) are selectively held in a stationary position within the conduit. The vehicle (10) also includes at least three selectively extendable members (46), each of which defines a cavity (56) therein. The forward end portion (50) of each extendable member (46) is secured to the forward housing (32) and the rear end portion (48) of each housing is secured to the rear housing (12). Each of the extendable members (46) is independently extendable from a retracted position to an extended position upon the injection of a gas under pressure into the cavity (56) of the extendable member such that the distance between the forward housing (32 ) and the rear housing (12) can be selectively increased. Further, each of the extendable members (46) is independently retractable from the extended position to the retracted position upon the application of a vacuum to the cavity (56) of the extendable member (46) such that the distance between the forward housing (32) and the rear housing (12) can be selectively decreased.

대표청구항 ▼

A robotic vehicle for travel through a conduit, said robotic vehicle comprising: a forward housing provided with surface engaging means for selectively engaging at least one wall of said conduit, whereby said forward housing is selectively held in a stationary position within said conduit by said su

A robotic vehicle for travel through a conduit, said robotic vehicle comprising: a forward housing provided with surface engaging means for selectively engaging at least one wall of said conduit, whereby said forward housing is selectively held in a stationary position within said conduit by said surface engaging means, said surface engaging means including an expandable bladder surrounding the perimeter of said forward housing and defining an internal cavity; a rear housing provided with surface engaging means for selectively engaging at least one wall of said conduit, whereby said rear housing is selectively held in a stationary position within said conduit by said surface engaging means, said surface engaging means including an expandable bladder surrounding the perimeter of said rear housing and defining an internal cavity; at least three selectively extendable tubular bellows members, each said tubular bellows member defining a cavity therein and defining a forward end portion secured to said forward housing and a rear end portion secured to said rear housing; pressurizing means for selectively pressurizing gas into the cavity of a selected one of said expandable bladders so as to expand said one of said expandable bladders, whereby said one of said expandable bladders selectively engages walls of said conduit, and for selectively pressurizing gas into the cavity of a select one of said tubular bellows members for extending said one of said tubular bellows members and increasing the distance between said forward end portion of said one of said tubular bellows members and said rear end portion of said one of said tubular bellows members; evacuating means for selectively evacuating gas from the cavity of a selected one of said tubular bellows members for retracting said one of said tubular bellows members and decreasing the distance between said forward end portion of said one of said tubular bellows members and said rear end portion of said one of said tubular bellows members; and umbilical cable means for connecting said cavities of said expandable bladders of said forward housing and said rear housing, and said cavities of said tubular bellows members to said pressurizing means and said evacuating means.