Patent Application
20250116855
The subject matter described herein relates to borescope systems.
Video inspection devices, such as video endoscopes or borescopes, can be used to take depth measurements on an object (e.g., lowest points in anomalies such as pits or dents, heights of welds, measurements of offsets or clearances between surfaces, etc.). Additionally, video inspection devices can be used to observe defects (e.g., tears, cracks, scratches, etc.) on a surface of an object (e.g., an industrial machine). In many instances, the surface of the object is inaccessible and cannot be viewed without the use of the video inspection device. For example, a video inspection device can be used to inspect the surface of a blade of a turbine engine on an aircraft or power generation unit to identify any anomalies to determine if any repair or further maintenance is required. In order to make that assessment, it is often necessary to obtain highly accurate-dimensional measurements of the surface to verify that the anomaly does not fall outside an operational limit or required specification for that object.
This disclosure relates to using force sensing to prevent borescope damage.
A borescope includes an inspection tube with the following features. The inspection tube includes an actuable portion nearer a distal of the inspection tube than a proximal end of the tube. Actuatable drive cables extend a length of the inspection tube. The actuable drive cables are attached to a distal end of the inspection tube and are arranged to transfer motion to the actuable portion. A force sensor is coupled to each of the actuable drive cables. An inspection head is attached to the distal end of the inspection tube. A control unit is at a proximal end of the inspection tube. The control unit is configured to receive a signal from the force sensor. The signal is indicative of stress within the actuable drive cables. The control unit can include a processor and a non-transient memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to actuate the actuable drive cables to provide slack in response to the signal indicating stress within the actuable drive cables exceeding a specified threshold. The actuable drive cables are actuated such that the inspection head is moved to a straight-ahead position.
In some embodiments, the actuators can be coupled to proximal ends of the actuable drive cables. The actuators can be configured to move the actuable drive cables responsive to signals received from the control unit.
In some embodiments, the inspection tube can be a first removable inspection tube, the actuable portion can be a first actuable portion, the drive cables can be a first set of drive cables, the force sensor can be a first force sensor, and the specified threshold can be a first specified threshold. The borescope can then also include a second removable inspection tube having a different size or length than the first removable inspection tube. The second removable inspection tube can include a second actuable portion nearer a distal of the second inspection tube than a proximal end of the second inspection tube. A second set of actuatable drive cables can extend a length of the second inspection tube. The second set of actuable drive cables can be attached to a distal end of the second inspection tube. The second set of actuable drive cables can be arranged to transfer motion to the second actuable portion. A second force sensor can be coupled to each of the second set of actuable drive cables. The controller can be configured to actuate the second set of actuable drive cables in response to the signal indicating stress within the actuable drive cables is above a specified threshold different than the first specified threshold.
In operation, the controller can receive a signal from the force sensor coupled to actuable drive cables within the borescope. The controller can, in some embodiments and/or instances, determine that a stress within the actuable drive cable has exceeded a specified threshold based on the signal. The controller can then, in some embodiments, actuate the actuable drive cables to provide slack such that an inspection head is moved to a straight-ahead position.
In some embodiments, actuating the actuable drive cables can include sending a signal to one or more actuators. The actuators can be adjusted responsive to the signal. A drive cable, coupled to an actuator at a first end of the drive cable and to the inspection head at a second end of the drive cable, can be adjusted by the actuator. In some embodiments and/or instances, the actuable drive cables can be actuated by the actuators such that the inspection head is moved to face a substantially upward direction.
In some embodiments, the controller can be configured to provide a warning to a user prior to actuating the actuable drive cables.
In some embodiments, a fiber optic cable can extend through an inner passage defined by the inspection tube. The fiber optic cable can extend between the inspection head and the control unit. Communication cables can also extend through the inner passage between the inspection head and the control unit.
In some embodiments, the force sensor can include a piezoelectric force sensor. Alternatively or in addition, the force sensor can include a strain gauge, a force sensitive resistor, a drive current sensor, or a torque sensor. Regardless of the type of force sensor used, the force sensor can extend between an actuator bracket and a housing of the borescope.
These and other features will be more readily understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Certain embodiments will now be described to provide an overall understanding of the principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the devices and methods disclosed herein. One or more examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the devices and methods specifically described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are non-limiting embodiments and that the scope of the present invention is defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
Further, in the present disclosure, like-named components of the embodiments generally have similar features, and thus within a particular embodiment each feature of each like-named component is not necessarily fully elaborated upon. Additionally, to the extent that linear or circular dimensions are used in the description of the disclosed systems, devices, and methods, such dimensions are not intended to limit the types of shapes that can be used in conjunction with such systems, devices, and methods. A person skilled in the art will recognize that an equivalent to such linear and circular dimensions can easily be determined for any geometric shape. Sizes and shapes of the systems and devices, and the components thereof, can depend at least on the anatomy of the subject in which the systems and devices will be used, the size and shape of components with which the systems and devices will be used, and the methods and procedures in which the systems and devices will be used.
The borescope 100 can include a probe driver 109 coupled to the conduit section 104. The probe driver 109 can include actuators (not shown) configured to translate and/or rotate one or more of the sections 104, 106, 108 (e.g., to facilitate insertion of the inspection head 108 into the target). Additionally or alternatively, orientation/position of a portion of the inspection head 108 (e.g., camera, light source, etc.) can be varied to acquire an inspection region image (e.g., RGB image, IR image, etc.). The control unit 102 can include a control unit housing 110, a controller 112, a directional input 114, and a screen 116. The controller 112 can include a processor 118 and a readable memory 120 containing computer readable instructions which can be executed by the processor 118 in order to actuate the borescope 100. The computer readable instructions can include an inspection plan based on which the borescope 100 or a portion thereof (e.g., a conduit section 104, a bendable articulation section 106, and an inspection head 108) can be translated/rotated (e.g., by the probe driver 109). In some implementations, the operation of the probe driver 109 can be based on a control signal (e.g., generated by the controller 204 based on the inspection plan/user input via GUI display space on screen 116 or a computing device, etc.).
The controller 112 can be communicatively coupled to the control unit 102 via one or more cables 121. The controller 112 can also be arranged within the control unit housing 110, or can be arranged outside the control unit housing 110. On some implementations, the directional input 114 can be configured to receive user input (e.g., direction controls) to the control unit 102 for actuation of the borescope 100. The screen 116 can display visual information being received by the camera (including an optical sensor) arranged in the inspection head 108, which can allow the user to better guide the borescope 100 using the directional input 114. The directional input 114 and the screen 116 can be communicatively coupled to the controller 112 via the one or more cables 121, which can be a hard-wired connection or a wireless signal, such as WI-FI or Bluetooth. In one implementation, inspection data and/or notifications (e.g., notifications based on inspection data as described above) can be provided on the screen 116. More details on the controller 112 are described later in this disclosure.
The conduit section 104 can include a tubular housing 122 including a proximal end 124 and a distal end 126. The tubular housing 122 can be a flexible member along its whole length, or can be rigid at the proximal end 124 and become more flexible travelling down the length of the conduit section 104 towards the distal end 126. In certain embodiments, the tubular housing 122 can be formed from a non-porous material to prevent contaminants from entering the borescope 100 via the conduit section 104.
The control unit 102 can be arranged at the proximal end 124 of the tubular housing 122, and the bendable articulation section 106 can be arranged at the distal end of the tubular housing 122. The bendable articulation section 106 can include a bendable neck 128 and washers 130. The bendable neck 128 can be arranged at the distal end 126 of the tubular housing 122, and is able to be actuated 360° in the Y-Z plane. The bendable neck 128 can be wrapped in a non-porous material to prevent contaminants from entering the borescope 100 via the bendable articulation section 106.
The inspection head 108 can include a light source 134 (e.g., LEDs or a fiber optic bundle with lights at the proximal end), a camera 136 (or multiple cameras such as visible-light camera, IR camera, etc.), and one or more sensors 138 that can be configured to collect data about the surrounding environment. Details about example sensors 138 are described later within this disclosure. The camera 136 of the borescope 100 can provide images and video suitable for inspection to the screen 116 of the control unit 102. The light source 134 can be used to provide for illumination when the inspection head 108 is disposed in locations having low light or no light. The sensor 138 can record data including temperature data, distance data, clearance data (e.g., distance between a rotating element and a stationary element), flow data, and so on.
In certain embodiments, the borescope 100 includes one or more replacement inspection heads 108. The inspection head 108 can include tips having differing optical characteristics, such as focal length, stereoscopic views, 3-dimensional (3D) phase views, shadow views, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the inspection head 108 can include a removable and replaceable portion of the inspection head 108. Accordingly, the head sections 108, bendable necks 128, and conduit section 104 can be provided at a variety of diameters from approximately one millimeter to ten millimeters or more.
During use, the bendable articulation section 106 and the probe driver 109 can be controlled, for example, by the control inputs (e.g., relative control gestures, physical manipulation device) from the directional input 114 and/or control signals generated by the controller 112. The directional input can be a joystick, D-pad, touch pad, trackball, optical sensor, or a touchscreen over the screen 116. The directional input 114 can also be a similar device that is located outside the control unit housing 110 and connected by wire or wireless means. In particular, a set of control inputs can be used to control the bendable articulation section 106 and/or the probe driver 109. The bendable articulation section 106 can steer or “bend” in various dimensions, while the conduit section 104 can translate and/or rotate, using any combination of actuators and wires arranged within the control unit 102, to adjust the orientation (e.g., a positioning) of the inspection head 108. In some implementations, the control inputs/direction input 114 can be generated by the controller based on an inspection plan.
The actuators can be electric, pneumatic, or ultrasonically operated motors or solenoids, shape alloy, electroactive polymers, dielectric elastomers, polymer muscle material, or other materials. For example, the bendable articulation section 106 and the probe driver 109 can enable movement of the inspection head 108 in an X-Y plane, X-Z plane, and/or Y-Z plane. Indeed, the directional input 114 can be used to perform control actions suitable for disposing the inspection head 108 at a variety of angles, such as the depicted angle α. In this manner, the inspection head 108 can be positioned to visually inspect desired locations.
Once the inspection head 108 is in a desired position, the camera 136 can operate to acquire, for example, a stand-still visual image or a continuous visual image, which can be displayed on the screen 116 of the control unit 102, and can be recorded by the borescope 100. In embodiments, the screen 116 can be multi-touch touch screens using capacitance techniques, resistive techniques, infrared grid techniques, and the like, to detect the touch of a stylus and/or one or more human fingers. Additionally or alternatively, acquired visual images can be transmitted into a separate storage device for later reference.
In some embodiments, the inspection tube 103 can be removable and interchangeable, for example, with inspection tubes of different lengths, materials, or diameters.
The communication cable 220 can be configured to connect, for example, a camera in the sensor within the inspection head 108 to the electronics of the control unit 102 in order to produce an image. In some embodiments, the jacket 222 can be made from Teflon.
The sheathed actuable drive cables 210 can be arranged to articulate the articulation section 106. The drive cables 210 can connect the sensing head 108 to a sensing end actuator within the borescope control unit 102. In some embodiments, the actuators within the driver 109 can include one or more cams or reels that the drive cables 210 can be wound around. The driver can be controlled by a controller 112 within the borescope control unit 102. The controller 112 can provide control signals to the sensing end actuator to cause the drive cables 210 to be wound around the cams/reels. By winding the drive cables 210 around their respective cam/reel more or less than others, a user can produce different levels of tension within the actuable section 106 and cause bending of the articulating section 106 in a controlled articulation manner. In some embodiments, the drive cables 210 can be made from tungsten. Additionally, in some embodiments, the cable sheaths 212 can be made from stainless steel. While the illustrated embodiment illustrates three actuable drive cables 210, other counts of actuable drive cables can be used without departing from this disclosure, for example, two or four actuable drive cables can be used.
The fiber optic cable 250 can be configured to transmit information in the form of light, from the sensor 138 on the sensing head 108 to a computing system of the borescope control unit 102. In some embodiments, the fiber optic cable jacket 252 can be made from a PVC or similar material.
During inspection operations the section 106 can be used to bend the inspection head 108 around a corner to observe one or more items on the other side of an obstruction, such as a wall 302 shown in
As previously discussed, inspection tubes 103 can be removable and interchangeable with different properties, such as diameter and length. As such, different inspection tubes 103 can have different stress threshold values at which the actuator cables 210 are relaxed.
In some implementations, the driver 109 can include one or more servos similar to the servo 402 shown in
Alternatively or in addition, as shown in
While primarily described and illustrated as using piezoelectric sensors to determine actuator cable tension, other sensors, such as load cells can be used without departing from this disclosure. An example bench-top set-up 600, Shown in
The controller 112 can be implemented with various levels of autonomy. For example, in some instances, the controller 112 determines a stress within one or more of the drive cables exceeds a pre-set threshold, and sends signals to the actuators within the driver 109 to provide slack in the cables and move the inspection head 108 into a straight-ahead position with no input from the operator. Alternatively or in addition, the controller 112 can determine a stress within one or more of the drive cables exceeds a pre-set threshold, and inform an operator that the threshold has been exceeded. The operator can then act on the warning or choose to ignore the warning. The operator can act on the warning, for example, by providing a user input directing the controller 112 to control the driver 109 to provide slack in the cables and move the inspection head 108 into a straight-ahead position.
The method 800 shown in
At 804, a stress within the actuable drive cable is determined to have exceeded a specified threshold based on the signal. In some implementations, a warning can be provided to a user at this point. The user can, in some embodiments, turn off any automation that may occur as a result of the subject matter described herein. Such an override can be used, for example, to rotate a compressor section using the inspection tube 103 during a gas-turbine inspection.
At 806, the actuable drive cables are actuated to provide slack such that an inspection head is moved to a straight-ahead position. Such movement can be done, in some embodiments, by sending a signal to the one or more actuators within the driver 109. The actuators can then be adjusted responsive to the signal. The drive cables 210, coupled to respective actuators within the driver 109 at a first end of each drive cable 210 and to the inspection head 108 at a second end of each drive cable 210, can then be adjusted by the actuators within the driver 109. The result is the inspection head being moved to a relaxed, straight-ahead position that allows the flexible section 106 to bend as needed in response to outside forces or interferences.
In some embodiments, actuating the actuable drive cables can include sending a signal to one or more actuators, for example, servo 402, 502, or 602. The actuators can then be adjusted responsive to the signal. A drive cable, coupled to an actuator at a first end of the drive cable and to the inspection head at a second end of the drive cable, is then adjusted by the actuator.
While this disclosure contains many specific embodiment details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.
Thus, particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results.
Other embodiments can be within the scope of the following claims.
