Robot vehicle for hot-line job

• US 6,325,749 B1
• Filed: 05/17/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki, Kyushu Electric Power Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki, Kyushu Electric Power Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Yamada, Hiromichi, Hashiguchi, Yukio, Murai, Shinji, Yamashita, Osamu, Hirano, Yusuke, Matsuzaki, Mitsuhiro, Motomura, Youichi, Nakamura, Yoshikatsu, Harada, Shinji, Imai, Kazutoshi, Inokuchi, Hirofumi, Tsuruta, Kengo, Mishima, Akihiko, Yurita, Yoshihiro, Haga, Yoshiaki, Tomiyama, Toshihide, Maruyama, Yoshinaga, Yano, Kyoji, Nakashima, Moriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): BRIGGS, WILLIAM R
• Application Number:
  US09/284,674
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 483/1, 483/54, 483/55, 483/901, 483/902, 483/14, 483/13, 901/1, 901/8, 182/2, 182/11, 182/287, 182/285, 182/288, 182/290, 212/284, 212/331, 212/332, 212/232, 248/49, 414/728, 318/34
• US Class Current: 483/13
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/04 with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/06 Manipulators combined with a control cab for the operator
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0084 comprising a plurality of manipulators
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 11/046 of the telescoping type
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/02 for overhead lines or cables
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/15 with means to condition or adjust tool or tool support

Abstract

A robot vehicle for hot-line job for transmission and distribution lines which comprises an insulating boom formed of an insulating material at a tip end stage of multiple stage booms, a base end of which is supported on an elevated work vehicle to be capable of swinging, pivoting up and down, and extending and contracting, and a frame provided on the tip end of the insulating boom, the frame mounting thereon double arm manipulators of multishaft construction for performing a distribution work, a slide device for sliding independently these right and left double arm manipulators front to rear, and lifting arms of multishaft construction having a function of lifting a heavy article, so as to allow an operator to perform remote control. An electric actuator is used for driving the double arm manipulators and the slide device, and hydraulic manipulators for driving the lifting arms. Accordingly, a robot vehicle for hot-line job is provided to mount thereon a third arm which enables highly accurate positioning of the manipulators, remote control by an operator and automatic operation through a teaching-playback, has a function of lifting a heavy article, and is small-sized and lightweight.

Claims

1. A robot vehicle for working on live transmission and distribution wires or for hot-line jobs comprising an insulated boom constituted by an insulator which is on the end stage of a multi-stage boom rotatably, elevatably and extendably supported at the base thereof on a vehicle for high-place work, two manipulators having a multi-shaft configuration for effecting wiring operations, sliding devices for sliding back and forth said manipulators independently left and right, a suspender arm in a multi-shaft configuration having a function of suspending a heavy object to be supported on an electric wire to allow remote operations by an operator, said manipulators, sliding devices and suspender arm being driven by actuators, characterized in that:

the actuators for driving said manipulators and said sliding devices being electrically powered, and the actuators for elevating and lowering the suspender arm being hydraulically powered.

2. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, wherein an actuator for driving said suspender arm for pivoting is powered electrically.

3. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, wherein an umbrella having a gutter to collect rain is mounted on an end of said insulated boom.

4. A robot vehicle for hot-line job according to claim 1, wherein an air gap of 60 mm or more is maintained between an inner wall of an insulated protective cover covering an exposed metal portion of the manipulators and actuators and a conductive portion for a robot vehicle for working on a hot lines which handles distribution wires in a 20 kV class.

5. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises robot controllers for controlling said two manipulators and generators for supplying power to the robot controllers each provided independently to prevent phase shorting accidents which occur when the two manipulators may touch hot lines in different phases simultaneously and in that the robot controllers and said generators are secured to said base constituted by an insulator and signals are transmitted and received between the two separate robot controllers using an optical cable to provide electrical insulation between the two manipulators.

6. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, comprising an earth interlock device which has two conductors provided with connection fittings connectable and securable to a grounding wire on the end thereof and insulated from each other, one or two probes for containing said two conductors having a structure in which said two connecting fittings are insulated from each other, a coil magnetized when said two connecting fittings are connected to the grounding wire, an electromagnetic contactor having a contact capable of enabling operational circuits of electronic devices when said coil is magnetized and a battery for supplying power to said electromagnetic contactor and in which said connection fittings, electromagnetic contactor and battery are connected in series to one of said conductor.

7. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, wherein said two sliding devices are mounted in an arrangement such that the interval spacing from each other is increased toward an end travel.

8. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, comprising an automatic tool changer for automatically changing tools required for the operation of said two-armed manipulators provided on said base, wherein the automatic tool changer comprises:

a tool attaching and detaching portion having a key for positioning a tool in a key groove on a manipulator and a clamp button for securing a tool operable in a radial direction and having a restoring force in the direction of moving away from a center axis;

a rack portion having a cylinder for pressing said clamp button when a tool is attached and detached; and

a pneumatic pressure circuit capable of varying the thrust force of said cylinder.

9. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, wherein said base comprises a work tool supplying device comprising:

a stand for positioning and holding each work tool;

an intermediate base on which said stand is disposed as required in advance depending on the work;

a general-purpose base common to all kinds of work on and from which a plurality of intermediate bases can be positioned and removed at equal angles or equal intervals; and

a driving portion to and from which both of said intermediate base and general-purpose base can be attached and detached for driving said general-purpose base for angular indexing.

10. A robot vehicle for hot-line job according to claim 1, comprising a socket changing device which is a tool for fastening and loosening of a bolt or the like performed by said manipulators, for pushing a predefined part of a attaching/detaching portion when the tool and a socket are attached together or detached in an axial direction to allow the robot to replace a socket attachable to and detachable from the main body of the tool automatically, wherein the socket changing device comprises:

a cylindrical base for pushing said attaching/detaching portion;

a nut engaging with a polygonal hole of said socket; and

a shaft into which the nut is screwed and which is supported in the base with a spring to be slidable in an axial direction.

11. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, comprising a socket changing device which is a tool for fastening and loosening of a bolt or the like performed by said two-armed manipulators, for pushing a predefined part of a attaching/detaching portion when the tool and a socket are attached together or detached in an axial direction to allow the robot to change a socket attachable to and detachable from the main body of the tool automatically, wherein the socket changing device comprises:

a base for urging the attaching/detaching portion at the end of the tool;

a nut having a configuration to engage with a polygonal hole of said socket;

a shaft engaged with the nut so as to allow the same to rotate; and

a cylinder coupled to said shaft to force said nut and shaft to move to a predefined attaching/detaching position.

12. A robot vehicle for hot-line jobs according to claim 1, wherein the actuator for driving said suspender arm for pivoting is powered hydraulically.