Borescope for drilled shaft inspection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for inspecting a borehole comprising:
- a portable camera for generating images of at least a portion of an interior surface of the borehole and for generating signals representative of the generated images, said camera defining a viewing area adjacent the camera from which the images are generated;
a housing for the camera, said housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole;
a sensor for use with the housing for sensing a physical characteristic of the borehole; and
a computer receiving and responsive to the signals from the camera and the sensed physical characteristic for inspecting the borehole.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Visual inspection of an interior surface of a borehole. A housing adapted to be lowered in the borehole supports a portable camera for generating images of a portion of the interior surface of the borehole and a light source for illuminating an area adjacent the camera. A monitor receives signals from the camera and, in response thereto, displays the images generated by the camera. A viewing envelope positioned adjacent the camera defines a viewing area adjacent the camera, particularly for use in visually inspecting slurry-filled boreholes.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A system for inspecting a borehole comprising:
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a portable camera for generating images of at least a portion of an interior surface of the borehole and for generating signals representative of the generated images, said camera defining a viewing area adjacent the camera from which the images are generated;
a housing for the camera, said housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole;
a sensor for use with the housing for sensing a physical characteristic of the borehole; and
a computer receiving and responsive to the signals from the camera and the sensed physical characteristic for inspecting the borehole. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of inspecting a borehole containing a slurry, said method comprising:
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lowering a camera assembly into the slurry, said camera assembly having a reference weight in air;
determining a velocity at which the camera assembly is lowered;
measuring a buoyant weight of the camera assembly in the slurry;
determining a density of the slurry as a function of a comparison between the measured buoyant weight of the camera assembly in the slurry and the reference weight of the camera assembly in air.
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17. A system for visually inspecting an interior surface of a construction borehole containing a slurry, said system comprising:
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a camera assembly, said camera assembly comprising;
a portable camera for generating images of a portion of the interior surface of the borehole and for generating signals representative of the generated images;
a light source for illuminating an area adjacent the camera thereby enabling the images of the interior surface of the borehole to be generated by the camera;
a housing for the camera and the light source, said housing providing the camera with viewing access and adapted to be lowered into the borehole;
a viewing envelope positioned adjacent the camera and external to the housing, said viewing envelope comprising a transparent shell defining a fluid chamber and defining a viewing area adjacent the camera, said light source illuminating the viewing area, and said viewing envelope having a width substantially less than a width of the construction borehole; and
a load cell for measuring a buoyant weight of the camera assembly in the slurry relative to a reference weight of the camera assembly in air; and
a computer receiving and responsive to the measured buoyant weight for determining a density of the slurry in the borehole. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A system for visually inspecting an interior surface of a construction borehole, said system comprising:
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a portable camera for generating images of a portion of the interior surface of the borehole and for generating signals representative of the generated images, said camera defining a viewing area adjacent the camera in which the images are generated;
a light source for illuminating at least a portion of the viewing area adjacent the camera thereby enabling the images of the interior surface of the borehole to be generated by the camera;
a housing for the camera and the light source, said housing adapted to be lowered into the borehole;
a probe for use with the housing for measuring a penetration of the probe on a bottom of the borehole and determining an amount of a deposit at the bottom of the borehole and wherein at least one of the images generated by the camera displays the probe; and
a monitor receiving and responsive to signals from the camera for displaying the images generated by the camera. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification