Moving device and moving method of moving device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10359060-B2
Application number	US-201715686941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2017
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A moving device includes an elastic tube, a sectional shape of which is elastically deformable according to an internal pressure given by fluid, a slider unit capable of moving forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube according to a change in the sectional shape of the elastic tube, a brake provided in the slider unit and configured to be deformed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube to be capable of coming into sliding contact with a target object, and a fluid adjusting section configured to supply air to or discharge air from the elastic tube respectively via first and second fluid supply pipes that respectively communicate with insides on a distal end side and a proximal end side of the elastic tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A moving device comprising:
an elastic tube, a sectional shape of which is elastically deformable according to an internal pressure given by fluid;
a slider unit capable of moving forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the elastic tube according to a change in the sectional shape of the elastic tube;
a brake provided in the slider unit and configured to be deformed in a radial direction of the elastic tube to be capable of coming into sliding contact with a target object;
a first fluid supply pipe configured to communicate with an inside on a distal end side of the elastic tube;
a second fluid supply pipe configured to communicate with an inside on a proximal end side of the elastic tube; and
a fluid adjusting section configured to supply the fluid to or discharge the fluid from the elastic tube respectively via the first fluid supply pipe and the second fluid supply pipe.

2. The moving device according to claim 1 , wherein
the slider unit includes:
a first slider configured to partially restrict expansion of the elastic tube to form a first pressure chamber communicating with the first fluid supply pipe on the distal end side of the elastic tube and receive pressure from the first pressure chamber to be capable of moving on the elastic tube; and
a second slider configured to partially restrict the expansion of the elastic tube to form a second pressure chamber communicating with the second fluid supply pipe on the proximal end side of the elastic tube and receive pressure from the second pressure chamber to be capable of moving on the elastic tube, and

the brake includes a brake member configured to be displaced to project in the radial direction of the elastic tube when a relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is narrow and displaced to retract along a radial direction of the elastic tube when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is wide.

3. The moving device according to claim 2 , further comprising a flexible tube inserted through the elastic tube, wherein
the first slider brings an inner circumferential surface of the elastic tube into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the flexible tube to thereby form the first pressure chamber, and
the second slider brings the inner circumferential surface of the elastic tube into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the flexible tube to thereby form the second pressure chamber.

4. The moving device according to claim 3 , wherein the flexible tube includes leak holes for discharging the fluid in the elastic tube at a flow rate smaller than a flow rate of the fluid allowed by the first fluid supply pipe and the second fluid supply pipe.

5. The moving device according to claim 3 , further comprising a stopper configured to restrict movement of the slider unit with respect to the elastic tube, wherein
the stopper is disposed between the elastic tube and the flexible tube.

6. The moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the brake member is a brake belt that bends to project in a diameter expansion direction of the elastic tube when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is narrowed and extends to retract along a radial direction of the elastic tube when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is widened.

7. The moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the brake member includes a swinging body, a free end side of which is displaced to project in a diameter expansion direction of the elastic tube by swinging when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is narrowed and is displaced to retract along a radial direction of the elastic tube by the swinging when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is widened.

8. The moving device according to claim 7 , wherein
the slider unit includes a guide groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the elastic tube, and
a fixed end side of the swinging body is supported via a shaft section movable along the guide groove.

9. The moving device according to claim 7 , wherein the brake member includes a contact member projecting from the free end side of the swinging body.

10. The moving device according to claim 9 , wherein
the brake member includes a plurality of locking claw sections having different projecting lengths as the contact member, and
among the plurality of locking claw sections, the locking claw section having a shorter projecting length is disposed further on an outer side in the diameter expansion direction on the free end side of the swinging body.

11. The moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the brake member includes a contact member configured to be displaced to project in a diameter expansion direction of the elastic tube by a link mechanism when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is narrowed and displaced to retract along a radial direction of the elastic tube by the link mechanism when the relative interval between the first slider and the second slider is widened.

12. The moving device according to claim 11 , wherein the contact member is a brake plate having rigidity.

13. The moving device according to claim 12 , wherein a friction member is provided on a surface side of the brake plate.

14. The moving device according to claim 12 , wherein the contact member is a locking claw section.

15. The moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mesh tube interposed between the elastic tube and the slider unit and configured to limit elastic deformation of the elastic tube.

16. The moving device according to claim 2 , wherein the slider unit includes an urging member configured to urge the first slider and the second slider in separating directions.

17. The moving device according to claim 16 , wherein the urging member is a coil spring interposed on an outer circumference side of the elastic tube between the first slider and the second slider.

18. The moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of driving units respectively including the elastic tube, the slider unit, and the brake in plurality and provided to lie in a row in a front-rear direction, wherein
the first fluid supply pipe is disposed in plurality to respectively communicate with insides on distal end sides of the elastic tubes of the respective driving units,
the second fluid supply pipe is disposed in plurality to respectively communicate with insides on proximal end sides of the elastic tubes of the respective driving units, and
the fluid adjusting section individually supplies the fluid to or discharges the fluid from insides of the elastic tubes of the respective driving units respectively via the first fluid supply pipe and the second fluid supply pipe.

19. The moving device according to claim 18 , further comprising:
a guide tube continuously provided on a proximal end side of the driving unit located at a most proximal end; and
an endoscope inserted through insides of the respective driving units and the guide tube.

20. The moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide tube continuously provided on a proximal end side of a driving unit including the elastic tube, the slider unit, and the brake; and
an endoscope inserted through insides of the driving unit and the guide tube.

21. The moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an insertion section conti

Assignees

• Olympus Corp
• Npo Int Rescue System Institute
• Univ Tohoku
• Nipo Int Rescue System Institute

Inventors

• Kobayashi Eiichi
• Hirata Yasuo
• Tadokoro Satoshi
• Yamamoto Tomonari
• Konyo Masashi
• Tadakuma Kenjiro

Classifications

• G02B23/24

  Instruments {or systems} for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes · CPC title

• F16D65/22

  adapted for pressing members apart {, e.g. for drum brakes} · CPC title

• F16D63/008

  Brakes acting on a linearly moving member · CPC title

• F16D51/06

  fluid actuated · CPC title

• F16D2125/14

  Fluid-filled flexible members, e.g. enclosed air bladders · CPC title