Vacuum wall walking apparatus

• US 5,839,532 A
• Filed: 03/21/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yoshiji, Takeo, Okuma, Kuniaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Douglas C.
• Application Number:
  US08/620,018
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 180/164, 180/901, 180/8.1, 180/8.6, 180/8.5, 901/1, 901/22, 901/41, 451/91, 451/92, 451/354, 451/456, 451/87, 248/205.5-206.4, 248/363, 15/98, 114/222, 318/568.12, 318/568.1, 318/568.16, 318/568.2, 182/142, 182/48, 187/401, 187/413
• US Class Current: 180/164
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 57/00 Vehicles characterised by having other propulsion or other ground- engaging means than wheels or endless track, alone or in addition to wheels or endless track sledges B62B; motor sledges B62M
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/901 Devices for traversing vertical surfaces

Abstract

A vacuum wall walking apparatus includes an annular body frame, a plurality of leg mechanisms extending downward from the body frame, and a plurality of suction cups attached to fore ends of the respective legs. The body frame is composed of a flexible member. The body frame thus constructed is bendable to conform to the profile of a curved surface when the vacuum wall walking apparatus is used with a wall having such curved surface. With this bending or deformation of the body frame, the suction cups are always able to retain an optimum posture to insure that the vacuum wall walking apparatus is stably held on the curved surface of the wall by a vacuum formed in the suction cups. The vacuum wall walking apparatus may include a surface treatment mechanism, in which instance a winch is provided to minimize or substantially eliminate the load exerted from the surface treatment mechanism to the vacuum wall walking apparatus. The surface treatment mechanism further includes a dust exhausting arrangement to secure a surface treatment operation without contamination of the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. A vacuum wall walking apparatus comprising:

(a) a support frame defining an inner opening, wherein the support frame includes at least one flexible member arranged in a generally rectangular configuration, wherein said flexible member is composed of plurality of hollow elements connected together at opposite ends by a plurality of connecting fittings so as to jointly form an annular shape;

(b) a plurality of leg mechanisms mounted on the support frame;

(c) a plurality of suction cups attached to fore ends of the respective leg mechanisms; and

(d) elastomeric means for allowing the frame to resiliently bend in general conformance to a profile defined by a curved surface traversed by the wall walking apparatus.

2. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is made from rubber or flexible resin.

3. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is resiliently bendable about first and second substantially perpendicular axes. resiliently bendable about first and second substantially perpendicular axes.

4. A vacuum wall walking apparatus comprising:

(a) a support frame defining an inner opening, wherein the support frame includes at least one flexible member arranged in a generally rectangular configuration, wherein said flexible member is composed of a plurality of hollow flexible tubes bundled together;

(b) a plurality of leg mechanisms mounted on the support frame;

(c) a plurality of suction cups attached to fore ends of the respective leg mechanisms; and

(d) elastomeric means for allowing the frame to resiliently bend in general conformance to a profile defined by a curved surface traversed by the wall walking apparatus.

5. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the support frame is made from rubber or flexible resin.

6. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the support frame is resiliently bendable about first and second substantially perpendicular axes.

7. A vacuum wall walking apparatus for walking along a surface of a wall comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of leg mechanisms mounted on the frame, the leg mechanisms including suction cups and means for propelling the frame along the surface of the wall;

a surface treatment mechanism;

means for supporting said surface treatment mechanism on said frame such that said surface treatment mechanism is movable relative to the frame in a first direction substantially parallel to the surface of the wall, and said surface treatment mechanism and said frame are relatively displaceable within a limited range of distance in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the wall; and

winding means adapted to be installed on the wall for moving said surface treatment mechanism in said first direction independently of the movement of said frame, the winding means being adapted to support a majority of the weight of the surface treatment mechanism.

8. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 7, further including position detecting means disposed on at least one of said frame and said surface treatment mechanism for detecting said surface treatment mechanism when the position of said surface treatment mechanism deviates from a reference position on said frame.

9. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said supporting means includes a guide means for guiding said surface treatment mechanism while it is moving in said first direction, and a joint means interconnecting said guide means and said frame while allowing them to move relatively to one another in said second direction within said limited range of distance.

10. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the frame defines an inner opening, and the guide means includes at least one guide rail extending across the inner opening.

11. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said joint means comprises a parallel link.

12. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said joint means comprises an elastic joint.

13. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the frame defines an inner opening and is made of an elastomeric material.

14. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the frame is generally rectangular.

15. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said frame is composed of a plurality of hollow elements connected together at opposite ends by a plurality of connecting fittings.

16. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said frame is composed of a plurality of hollow flexible tubes bundled together.

17. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said frame is made from rubber or flexible resin.

18. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said frame is bendable at least about a central portion of the frame.

19. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the surface treatment mechanism includes a vacuum box having an open side configured to cover a portion of the wall being treated, and wherein said box has a pad attached to said open side to provide a certain degree of airtightness to said box, at least one of said box and said pad having a vacuum break opening for allowing the outside air to be introduced into said box while a vacuum is formed in said box.

20. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said pad is formed from an elastic material.

21. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said box is an elongate box and contains a plurality of tools arranged in series along a longitudinal axis of said elongate box for the surface treatment of the surface of the wall.

22. A vacuum wall walking apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said surface treatment mechanism is movable in a direction relative to said vacuum wall walking apparatus, said tools being aligned in a direction transverse to said direction of movement of said surface treatment mechanism.