Tape fed miniature air gap inspection crawler

• US 7,343,828 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: Hatley, Kenneth, Roney, Robert M., Bagley, Paul C.
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US11/420,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 738/658
• US Class Current: 73/865.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/34 Testing dynamo-electric machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 15/00 Methods or apparatus specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining or repairing of dynamo-electric machines

Abstract

An air gap inspection device. The air gap inspection device may include a mast and an inspection head attached to the mast. The mast may be in the form of a collapsible tube.

Claims

1. A system for inspecting beyond an air gap, comprising:

a mast for passing through the air gap and extending therebeyond;

the mast comprising a radially collapsible tube; and

an inspection head attached to the mast.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the mast comprises a collapsed profile and an expanded profile.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism and wherein the mast is driven by the drive mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the mast comprises spring steel, nickel alloy, or carbon fiber composites.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the mast comprises a collapsed profile with a width of about 0.05 to about 0.2 inches (about 1.3 to about five (5) millimeters).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mast comprises an expanded profile with a width of about one (1) to about 2.5 inches (about 25.4 to about 63.5 millimeters).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection head comprises a camera.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting plate and wherein the mounting plate connects the inspection head and the mast.