JPH08310461A - Suction device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To secure stable suction force even if there is any recess on the surface of a suction object. CONSTITUTION: In this suction device which forms a vacuum chamber whose bottom part is opened, in a suction device body 1 equipped with travel wheels 2 being kept in the fixed distance with a hull outside plate, while installed with a suction fan 5 in a suction port 4 being interconnected to this vacuum chamber 3, a pressure regulating chamber 12 is installed in a side part of the vacuum chamber 3 extending over the whole circumference via a flexible wall body 11, and a spacing member 13, whose tip part comes nearer to the hull outside plate P after making the specified suction opening (d), is installed in a bottom part of this pressure regulating chamber 12, and then air is sealed up in this pressure regulating chamber 12, while the spacing member 13 is constituted so as to be projected according to a pressure rise in this pressure regulating chamber 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an adsorption device for adsorbing an object and fixing the position of a work robot or the like for performing operations such as inspection, scouring and maintenance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a suction device for holding a work robot (not shown) at a fixed position on a hull outer plate P, for example, for inspecting and maintaining a landed hull. As shown in FIG. 3, this suction device supports a robot (not shown) and is provided with traveling wheels 2 traveling on a hull skin P in three directions or at four corners via a frame 2a. 1, a negative pressure chamber 3 having an open bottom surface is formed, and a suction fan 5 is arranged in a suction port 4 formed in the top of the negative pressure chamber 3, and the suction fan 5 acts so that the suction device main body 1 Air is sucked from the suction gap d around the opening of the negative pressure chamber 3 at the bottom and discharged from the suction port 4 to generate a suction force.

[0003]

However, in the above structure, when the surface of the hull skin P is smooth, the suction gap d.
Can be maintained constant and a strong suction force can be secured. However, for example, if there is a recess on the surface of the hull skin P, the suction gap d increases and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 3 increases, so that the suction force is rapidly increased. However, there is a problem that the suction device is peeled off from the hull skin P.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide an adsorption device which can secure a stable adsorption force even if the surface of an adsorbent has a concave portion.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is directed to a negative pressure chamber having an open bottom in an adsorption device body provided with a support device which is held at a constant distance with respect to an adsorbate. In the adsorption device in which the suction device is formed at the suction port communicating with the negative pressure chamber, the pressure regulation chamber is provided on the side of the negative pressure chamber through the deformable wall body over the entire circumference. A gap member is provided at the bottom of the pressure chamber, the tip end portion of which is close to the object with a predetermined suction gap, to seal the fluid in the pressure regulation chamber and to close the gap member according to the pressure rise of the pressure regulation chamber. It is configured to project.

[0006]

In the above structure, when the suction gap between the gap member and the object is expanded and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is increased, the pressure regulation chamber is compressed via the deformable wall body, and the pressure rise chamber responds to this pressure increase. And the gap member is projected. As a result, the suction gap between the gap member and the adsorbate is reduced, the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is reduced, and the suction force is returned. As a result, the suction gap between the gap member and the adsorbate and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber are returned to near the original state, and the suction force is stably maintained.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the adsorption device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same members as those of the related art are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the negative pressure chamber 3 of the main body 1 of the adsorption device, a deformable wall body (hereinafter, referred to as "possible A flexible wall body 11 is provided, and a cylindrical pressure regulating chamber 12 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the flexible wall body 11. An elastic member such as a ring-shaped gap member 13 made of synthetic rubber is attached between the flexible wall body 11 and the adsorption device body 1 along the bottom of the pressure regulation chamber 12 to seal the pressure regulation chamber 12. Has been done. Further, in the gap member 13, a constant suction gap d is formed between the outer plate (adsorbed material) P of the hull and the gap member 13 by the traveling wheels (supporting device) 2 and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 3 is reduced. It is configured to be held constant and to be able to hold a stable suction force.

A fluid such as air is sealed in the pressure adjusting chamber 12, and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 3 is increased, whereby the flexible wall 11 is pressed from the inside and the pressure adjusting chamber 12 is flattened. The gap member 13 is crushed into a flat shape and protrudes downward.

In the above structure, during operation of the adsorption device,
When the adsorption device main body 1 is moved through the traveling wheels 2 and reaches the recess Pa on the hull outer plate P, the suction gap d is enlarged and a large amount of air flows into the negative pressure chamber 3 to generate a negative pressure. The pressure in the chamber 3 increases. Then, the flexible wall 11 is pushed outward to crush the pressure adjusting chamber 12 into a flat shape, and the gap member 13 is compressed into a flat shape and projected. As a result, the suction gap d becomes smaller and the negative pressure chamber 3 is decompressed,
The adsorption power is increased. At this time, the projecting amount of the gap member 13 is adjusted by the shape and material of the flexible wall body 11 and the gap member 13, so that the cross-sectional area of the suction gap d and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 3 are in their original states. It is returned to the vicinity of before and balanced
It is configured to maintain the suction force in a state slightly smaller than the original suction force. This is because when the entire cross-sectional area of the suction gap d is restored to the original state, the pressure in the negative pressure chamber 2 is also reduced and restored, and the pressure regulation chamber 12 and the gap member 13 are also restored. This is to prevent this from being repeated.

According to the above construction, the pressure increase in the negative pressure chamber 3 causes the pressure adjusting chamber 12 to be deformed through the flexible wall body 11 so that the gap member 13 is projected to reduce the suction gap d. Therefore, even if there is a recess Pa in the hull skin P and the intake air amount from the intake gap d increases,
The protrusion of the gap member 13 can reduce the suction gap d to prevent a sudden decrease in the suction force. With a very simple structure, the suction force can be prevented in advance without using a control device. It is possible to retain the suction force.

In the above embodiment, the deformable wall body is the flexible wall body 11 made of a flexible material. However, the pressure regulating chamber 12 is deformed according to the pressure fluctuation in the negative pressure chamber 3 to form a gap. It suffices that the member 13 can be projected, and for example, a combination of a plate member and a flexible connecting member or a bellows-shaped member can be used.

In the above embodiment, the gap member 13 has a circular cross section, but it may have another shape, such as a semicircular cross section or a crescent cross section which is easily deformed by the pressure from the pressure adjusting chamber 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, the work is performed in the atmosphere, but it can be used for work in water.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the suction gap between the gap member and the object is expanded and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is increased, the pressure regulating chamber is deformed through the deformable wall body. Is compressed, and the gap member is projected in response to this increase in pressure. As a result, the suction gap between the gap member and the adsorbate is reduced, the pressure in the negative pressure chamber is reduced, and the suction force is returned. As a result, the suction gap between the gap member and the adsorbate and the pressure in the negative pressure chamber are returned to near the original state, and the suction force is stably maintained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a central vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of an adsorption device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing the operation of the adsorption device.

FIG. 3 is a central vertical cross-sectional view showing a conventional suction device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Adsorption device main body 2 Running wheel 3 Negative pressure chamber 4 Suction port 5 Suction fan 11 Wall body 12 Pressure regulation chamber 13 Gap member P Hull outer plate Pa Recess

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A negative pressure chamber having an open bottom is formed in an adsorption device body provided with a support device that is held at a constant distance with respect to an adsorbate, and suction is performed through a suction port communicating with this negative pressure chamber. In a suction device provided with a device, a pressure regulating chamber is provided on the side of a negative pressure chamber through a deformable wall over the entire circumference, and the tip of the pressure regulating chamber has a tip portion at a predetermined suction gap for an object. An adsorbing device is characterized in that a gap member is provided so as to be close to the pressure regulating chamber to seal fluid in the pressure regulating chamber, and the gap member is projected in response to a pressure increase in the pressure regulating chamber.