Electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10096980-B2
Application number	US-201514969922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

An electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines, includes a body; a running mechanism mounted to the body, comprising a front wheel and a rear wheel connected by a cross beam and rolling on the cable; an obstacle sensor and a cam rotatably mounted to the cross beam, the cam rotating to roll onto the cable after an obstacle is detected on the cable such that the front wheel is raised to a position above the cable, and the cam continuing rolling on the cable after the front wheel passes the obstacle such that the front portion of the cross beam falls back downwards and the front wheel then falls back onto the cable, a hanging seat rotatably hanging to the body and a control device at least partially disposed in the hanging seat and comprising a braking device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines, used for routing inspection along multiple divided cables of high-voltage power transmission lines comprising:
a body;
a running mechanism mounted to the body, comprising a front wheel and a rear wheel connected by a cross beam and rolling on the cable, the front and rear wheels each having an annular groove on its circumferential rim for receiving the cable therein; an obstacle sensor directing forward with respect to the front wheel; and a cam rotatably mounted to the cross beam, the cam rotating to roll onto the cable after an obstacle is detected on the cable within an effective range in front of the front wheel by the obstacle sensor, to support a front portion of the cross beam upwards such that the front wheel is raised to a position above the cable, and the cam continuing rolling on the cable after the front wheel passes the obstacle such that the front portion of the cross beam falls back downwards and the front wheel then falls back onto the cable, wherein two of the running mechanisms are running on two parallel cables, respectively;
a hanging seat rotatably hanging to the body, below the running mechanisms; and
a control device at least partially disposed in the hanging seat and comprising a braking device, the braking device having a braking block able to detachably press against a lower surface of the cable and/or the front wheel and/or the rear wheel;
wherein each of the two running mechanisms is mounted to the body by a respective hanging arm; and
each hanging arm has a lower end mounted to the body and an upper end above the cable for mounting the running mechanism, at least one of the hanging arms is movable, with its lower end rotatably mounted to the body such that the two hanging arms can rotate with respect to each other to be in a close state or an open state, wherein in the close state, the front and rear wheels of the two running mechanisms are mounted and positioned on the cables; and
wherein at least one of the two hanging arms has a telescopic portion in the direction of the length such that the upper end of the hanging arm has an adjustable elevation.

2. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein
the upper end of one of the hanging arms bends towards the other hanging arm and then bends back downwards to form an “n” shaped structure for enclosing the front wheel or rear wheel, wherein the “n” shaped structure has an opening which is opened downwards; and
the hanging arm is provided with a closing structure at the opening of the “n” shaped structure for at least partially closing the opening.

3. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein the braking device comprises:
a braking lever comprising a pivot connection rotatably mounted to the body, as well as an inner end and an outer end positioned at opposite sides of the pivot connection;
a braking block mounted on the inner end of the braking lever and positioned below a portion of the cable where the front wheel or rear wheel is positioned;
a manipulating member connected to the outer end of the braking lever;
a spring connected between the braking lever and the body, with a connection point of the spring to the braking lever being apart from the pivot connection of the braking lever;
wherein when the manipulating member is activated, the outer end of the braking lever is rotated downwards and the braking block on the inner end of the braking lever is driven to move upwards to press against the lower surface of the cable for braking operation; and wherein when the manipulating member is deactivated, the braking lever is rotated in an opposite direction due to a restoring force of the spring such that the braking block is detached from the cable.

4. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein
the braking block has a braking face for pressing against the lower surface of the cable and the braking face has a recessed shape corresponding to the contour of the cable;
or
the braking block has a braking face for pressing against the lower surface of the cable and the braking face has a groove extending along the extension direction of the cable.

5. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein
the obstacle sensor comprises a tactile sensor or an optical sensor.

6. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 5 , wherein
the tactile sensor comprises a telescopic probe directing forward with respect to the front wheel and the probe can retract when contacting an obstacle in front of it.

7. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein
the cam is provided on its circumferential rim with a plurality of mini-wheels whose rotation axes are parallel to a rotation axis of the cam, and each mini-wheel is radially recessed on its circumferential rim.

8. The electric vehicle for routing inspection of power transmission lines according to claim 1 , wherein
the multiple divided cables are four divided cables, or three divided cables, or two divided cables.

Assignees

• State Grid Corp China
• Wuxi Electric Power Company Of Jiangsu Electric Power Corp

Inventors

• Huang Liping
• Weng xu
• Shen Haiping
• Jiang Wenjun
• Liu Ting
• Liu Kai
• Tang Pan
• Chen Hongjun

Classifications

• B61B12/02

  Suspension of the load; Guiding means, e.g. wheels; Attaching traction cables · CPC title

• G01R31/085

  in power transmission or distribution lines, e.g. overhead · CPC title

• H02G1/02 Primary

  for overhead lines or cables · CPC title

• B61B3/02

  with self-propelled vehicles · CPC title

• B61F13/00

  Rail vehicles characterised by wheel arrangements, not otherwise provided for · CPC title