JP7690376B2 - Wire Inspection Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical wire inspection device.

Conventionally, there are electric wire inspection devices. Patent Document 1 discloses an electric wire inspection device that includes a case that can move in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire, an inspection unit that is rotatably supported inside the case and rotates along the outer circumference of the electric wire to inspect the condition of the electric wire, and an inspection unit drive means.

JP 2020-14277 A

It is desirable to improve the measurement accuracy of sensors in electric wire inspection devices. For example, when inspecting an electric wire with fins, the fins may come into contact with the sensor unit, changing the distance between the electric wire and the sensor, or displacing the central axis of the sensor relative to the electric wire. This can result in a decrease in the measurement accuracy of the sensor.

The object of the present invention is to provide an electric wire inspection device that can improve the measurement accuracy for electric wires with fins.

The electric wire inspection device of the present invention comprises a roller placed on an electric wire, a cylindrical housing supported by the roller and covering the electric wire, a motor for moving the housing along the electric wire, and a sensor unit housed in the housing, having a non-contact sensor for detecting deterioration of the electric wire and capable of rotating around the electric wire relative to the housing. The sensor unit has a housing section that houses the sensor and contacts the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire to make the sensor face the electric wire, and a tracking mechanism that is guided by a fin protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire to rotate the housing relative to the housing. The tracking mechanism is characterized in that it has a pair of contact members that contact the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire so as to sandwich the electric wire, an adjustment section that positions the pair of contact members symmetrically with respect to the center of the sensor, and a spring that applies a biasing force to the pair of contact members to bring them closer to each other.

In the electric wire inspection device according to the present invention, the sensor unit has a housing that houses the sensor, and a tracking mechanism that is guided by the fin to rotate the housing relative to the housing. The tracking mechanism has a pair of contact members that contact the outer surface of the electric wire so as to sandwich the electric wire, an adjustment unit that positions the pair of contact members symmetrically with respect to the center of the sensor, and a spring that applies a biasing force to the pair of contact members to bring them closer to each other. The electric wire inspection device according to the present invention has the effect of suppressing fluctuations in the distance between the electric wire and the sensor and misalignment of the sensor relative to the electric wire, thereby improving the measurement accuracy for electric wires having fins.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric wire inspection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining inspection by the electric wire inspection device of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the electric wire inspection device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a sensor unit guided by a fin. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a sensor unit guided by a fin.

Below, an electric wire inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiment include those that a person skilled in the art would easily imagine or that are substantially the same.

[Embodiment]
An embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 9. The embodiment relates to an electric wire inspection device. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the electric wire inspection device according to the embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining inspection by the electric wire inspection device according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration of the electric wire inspection device according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sensor unit according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is a plan view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment, Fig. 6 is a side view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment, Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the sensor unit according to the embodiment, Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the sensor unit guided by a fin, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the sensor unit guided by a fin.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment has a housing 2, a roller 3, a motor 4, a sensor unit 5, a rotor 6, and a control unit 7. The electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment is a device that inspects the deterioration of so-called finned electric wires. As shown in Figure 1 etc., the electric wire 100 to be inspected has fins 120. The fins 120 can suppress the adhesion of snow to the electric wire 100. The electric wire 100 is, for example, an SN-OC electric wire (snow-resistant cross-linked polyethylene insulated electric wire for outdoor use).

The fins 120 protrude from the outer circumferential surface 110a of the insulating coating 110 of the electric wire 100. The fins 120 extend along the axial direction of the electric wire 100. The illustrated electric wire 100 has two fins 120 that are 180° out of phase with each other. That is, the two fins 120 protrude in opposite directions. The cross-sectional shape of the fins 120 is, for example, rectangular or trapezoidal. The electric wire 100 is an electric wire that is strung from a distribution substation to an electric pole, or between electric poles. In the following description, the axial direction of the electric wire 100 is referred to as the "axial direction X".

As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire inspection device 1 inspects the deterioration of the electric wire 100 while moving in the axial direction X. The illustrated electric wire 100 is strung between utility poles 140. The electric wire inspection device 1 is operated, for example, by a worker 200. The illustrated electric wire inspection device 1 is connected to an operation unit 12 via a cable 11. The cable 11 has electric wires for power supply and communication. The operation unit 12 is a device that supplies power to the electric wire inspection device 1 and controls the electric wire inspection device 1. The operation unit 12 has a function of acquiring and storing data of the detection results by the electric wire inspection device 1.

1 and 3, the housing 2 is formed in a tubular shape capable of covering the electric wire 100. The illustrated shape of the housing 2 is cylindrical. The housing 2 has a cylindrical tube portion 20 and a pair of side walls 21. The tube portion 20 has a slit 20s through which the electric wire 100 passes. The slit 20s extends from one end to the other end of the tube portion 20 along the axial direction X. The side walls 21 close the end of the housing 2 in the axial direction X. The side walls 21 have a slit 21a through which the electric wire 100 passes. The slit 21a extends in the radial direction from the outer edge of the side walls 21 to the center of the side walls 21. The slit 21a is continuous with the slit 20s of the tube portion 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, two partition walls 22 are provided inside the housing 2. The partition walls 22 are perpendicular to the axial direction X and divide the internal space of the tube portion 20. More specifically, the internal space of the tube portion 20 is divided into a first space 20a, a second space 20b, and a third space 20c. The second space 20b is a central space in the axial direction X. The first space 20a is located on one side of the second space 20b in the axial direction X, and the third space 20c is located on the other side of the second space 20b in the axial direction X. The partition wall 22 has a slit 22a through which the electric wire 100 passes. The slit 22a faces the slit 21a in the axial direction X. The slit 22a is also continuous with the slit 20s of the tube portion 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electric wire inspection device 1 has two rollers 3. The two rollers 3 are each placed on an electric wire 100 and roll on the electric wire 100. One of the two rollers 3 is a drive roller 3A, and the other is a driven roller 3B. The drive roller 3A is disposed in the first space 20a, and the driven roller 3B is disposed in the third space 20c. Tapered portions 31 are provided on both ends of the rolling surface of the roller 3. The tapered portions 31 position the roller 3 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction X, and align the center of the rolling surface of the roller 3 with the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100.

The rolling surface of the roller 3 has an elastically deformable coating. The coating elastically deforms when the roller 3 passes over the fin 120 of the electric wire 100 to prevent the roller 3 from moving up and down. The thickness of the coating is greater than the height of the fin 120. The coating is soft enough to deform according to the shape of the fin 120 and contact the outer circumferential surface 110a of the electric wire 100.

The housing 2 has a shaft support 23 supported by the roller 3. The shaft support 23 is connected to the partition wall 22 and supports the roller 3 so that it can rotate freely. The motor 4 is a rotary motor that moves the housing 2 along the electric wire 100. The motor 4 is driven by power supplied from the operation unit 12. The output shaft of the motor 4 is connected to the drive roller 3A by a belt 41. The motor 4 can rotate the drive roller 3A at any speed and in any rotation direction. The drive roller 3A rotates by the torque transmitted from the motor 4, and moves the housing 2 along the axial direction X.

The electric wire inspection device 1 has two rotating bodies 6. The two rotating bodies 6 are arranged in the second space 20b. One rotating body 6 is arranged on the partition wall 22 on the side of the first space 20a, and the other rotating body 6 is arranged on the partition wall 22 on the side of the third space 20c. The partition wall 22 supports the rotating body 6 so that it can rotate freely by a plurality of bearings 24. The rotating body 6 can rotate unlimitedly around the electric wire 100. In other words, the rotating body 6 is supported so that it can rotate multiple times relative to the housing 2 in any rotation direction.

The rotating body 6 has a slit 6a through which the electric wire 100 passes. The slits 6a of the two rotating bodies 6 face each other in the axial direction X. The rotating body 6 is fixed to the sensor unit 5. The two rotating bodies 6 are connected via the sensor unit 5.

The control unit 7 is connected to the operation unit 12 by a cable 11. The control unit 7 operates, for example, using power supplied from the operation unit 12. The control unit 7 controls each device mounted on the electric wire inspection device 1. For example, the control unit 7 controls the rotation direction and rotation speed of the motor 4 in response to commands sent from the operation unit 12. The control unit 7 also controls the sensor unit 5 to obtain data on the measurement results for the electric wire 100. The control unit 7 transmits the obtained data to the operation unit 12.

The cable reel 8 is interposed between the control unit 7 and the sensor unit 5. The cable 81 of the cable reel 8 connects the sensor unit 5 and the control unit 7. The cable 81 has electric wires for power supply and communication. The rotating body 6 has a cylindrical portion around which the cable 81 is wound. When the rotating body 6 rotates to pull out the cable 81, the pulled out cable 81 is wound around the rotating body 6. The cable reel 8 can wind up the cable 81 using a spring or the like. The cable reel 8 has a stopper that restricts the winding of the cable 81. The stopper can be manually released.

The sensor unit 5 is disposed in the second space 20b. The sensor unit 5 is located between the two rotating bodies 6 in the axial direction X and is held by the two rotating bodies 6. The sensor unit 5 cannot rotate relative to the rotating bodies 6 and rotates integrally with the rotating bodies 6.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor unit 5 has a storage section 50 and a tracking mechanism 51. The tracking mechanism 51 is a mechanism that rotates the storage section 50 relative to the housing 2 while being guided by the fin 120. The illustrated tracking mechanism 51 has a first tracking mechanism 51A and a second tracking mechanism 51B. In the sensor unit 5 of this embodiment, the first tracking mechanism 51A and the second tracking mechanism 51B have the same configuration. The first tracking mechanism 51A is disposed on one side of the storage section 50 in the axial direction X, and the second tracking mechanism 51B is disposed on the other side of the storage section 50 in the axial direction X. In other words, the two tracking mechanisms 51A and 51B are disposed in front of and behind the storage section 50 in the traveling direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the storage section 50 stores the non-contact sensor 9. The shape of the storage section 50 in this embodiment is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped. The storage section 50 is formed of a non-magnetic material having insulating properties. The storage section 50 has a storage chamber 50a that stores the sensor 9. The sensor 9 is installed on a support surface 50b at the back of the storage chamber 50a. The support surface 50b is a flat surface. As shown in FIG. 6, the storage section 50 has a contact surface 50f that contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. The contact surface 50f is a surface opposite to the support surface 50b and is a flat surface. The contact surface 50f contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100, so that the sensor 9 is positioned parallel to the outer peripheral surface 110a. As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the storage section 50 faces the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. The storage chamber 50a is closed by a lid 50c.

In the description of the sensor unit 5, the width direction of the storage section 50 is referred to as the "width direction Y." The width direction Y is perpendicular to the axial direction X. In addition, the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the "height direction Z."

The illustrated sensor 9 detects deterioration of the conductor 130 of the electric wire 100 by eddy current testing (ECT). The sensor 9 has an excitation coil 91 and a detection coil 92. The excitation coil 91 and the detection coil 92 are formed by concentrically winding a conductive metal wire (e.g., copper wire). The excitation coil 91 and the detection coil 92 are arranged side by side along the axial direction X. The central axis 91a of the excitation coil 91 and the central axis 92a of the detection coil 92 are arranged parallel to the axial direction X. In addition, a part of the excitation coil 91 and a part of the detection coil 92 overlap each other.

The tracking mechanism 51 of the sensor unit 5 is configured to align the sensor 9 with the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100. More specifically, the tracking mechanism 51 is configured to intersect the central axes 91a and 92a of the coils 91 and 92 with the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100.

The sensor 9 is connected to the control unit 7 and is controlled by the control unit 7. The control unit 7 applies an alternating current to the excitation coil 91, causing the excitation coil 91 to generate a magnetic field. This magnetic field generates an eddy current in the conductor 130 of the electric wire 100. The detection coil 92 detects a magnetic field (magnetic flux) corresponding to the eddy current generated in the conductor 130. The control unit 7 acquires and records information on the detection results by the detection coil 92. The control unit 7 can transmit the acquired information on the detection results to the operation unit 12.

As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the follow-up mechanism 51 has a first contact member 52, a second contact member 53, a gear 54, a spring 55, a first groove 56, and a second groove 57. The first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 are members that contact the outer peripheral surface of the electric wire 100 so as to sandwich the electric wire 100. The first contact member 52 has a base 52a and a contact piece 52b. The second contact member 53 has a base 53a and a contact piece 53b.

The bases 52a and 53a are slidably supported by a plate portion 50d protruding from the storage portion 50. The plate portion 50d protrudes from the side wall of the storage portion 50 along the axial direction X and has a flat plate shape. The plate portion 50d has an opposing surface 50e that faces the electric wire 100. A first groove 56 and a second groove 57 are formed in the opposing surface 50e. The first groove 56 and the second groove 57 extend from one end to the other end of the opposing surface 50e along the width direction Y. The cross-sectional shapes of the first groove 56 and the second groove 57 are approximately T-shaped, with a wide bottom. The illustrated first groove 56 and second groove 57 extend in parallel.

The bases 52a, 53a have a rectangular parallelepiped shape and have linearly extending protrusions 52c, 53c. The cross-sectional shape of the protrusions 52c, 53c is approximately T-shaped. The protrusion 52c of the first contact member 52 is inserted into the first groove 56 and is guided in the width direction Y by the first groove 56. The protrusion 53c of the second contact member 53 is inserted into the second groove 57 and is guided in the width direction Y by the second groove 57.

As shown in FIG. 7, the gear 54 is disposed between the base 52a of the first contact member 52 and the base 53a of the second contact member 53. The gear 54 is supported rotatably by the plate portion 50d. The illustrated gear 54 is a spur gear. A plurality of teeth 52d, 53d that mesh with the gear 54 are formed on the side surfaces of the bases 52a, 53a. Thus, the gear 54 links the movements of the first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 along the width direction Y. The first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 move in opposite directions to each other along the width direction Y. The follow-up mechanism 51 is configured to position the contact piece 52b of the first contact member 52 and the contact piece 53b of the second contact member 53 symmetrically with respect to the central axes 91a, 92a of the sensor 9. The bases 52a and 53a mesh with the gear 54 so that the contact pieces 52b and 53b are equidistant from the imaginary line CL2 that connects the central axes 91a and 92a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the contact piece 52b of the first contact member 52 protrudes from the base 52a in the height direction Z. Similarly, the contact piece 53b of the second contact member 53 protrudes from the base 53a in the height direction Z. The contact pieces 52b, 53b have a flat plate shape perpendicular to the width direction Y. The contact pieces 52b, 53b face each other in the width direction Y.

As shown in FIG. 7, the contact piece 52b of the first contact member 52 extends from the base 52a toward the second contact member 53. The end of the contact piece 52b overlaps with the base 53a of the second contact member 53. The contact piece 53b of the second contact member 53 extends from the base 53a toward the first contact member 52. The end of the contact piece 53b overlaps with the base 52a of the first contact member 52.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tip of the contact piece 52b, 53b has an abutment portion 52e, 53e. The abutment portion 52e, 53e is a portion that abuts against the side of the fin 120 while contacting the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. When viewed from the axial direction X, the shape of the abutment portion 52e, 53e is a tapered shape that narrows toward the tip of the abutment portion 52e, 53e. The abutment portion 52e of the first contact member 52 has an opposing surface 52f and an inclined surface 52g. The abutment portion 53e of the second contact member 53 has an opposing surface 53f and an inclined surface 53g.

The opposing surface 52f of the first contact member 52 is a surface that faces the abutting portion 53e of the second contact member 53. The opposing surface 53f of the second contact member 53 is a surface that faces the abutting portion 52e of the first contact member 52. The two opposing surfaces 52f, 53f are parallel and face each other in the width direction Y. The inclined surfaces 52g, 53g are inclined with respect to the height direction Z. The inclined surface 52g of the first contact member 52 is inclined so as to approach the opposing surface 52f as it approaches the tip of the abutting portion 52e. The inclined surface 53g of the second contact member 53 is inclined so as to approach the opposing surface 53f as it approaches the tip of the abutting portion 53e.

The spring 55 exerts a biasing force on the first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 to bring them closer to each other. The illustrated spring 55 is a coil spring that extends in the width direction Y and is connected to the contact pieces 52b and 53b in an extended state.

As shown in FIG. 8, the electric wire inspection device 1 is installed on the electric wire 100 so that the fin 120 is not located between the two abutment parts 52e, 53e. In other words, the worker 200 installs the electric wire inspection device 1 on the electric wire 100 while bringing the abutment parts 52e, 53e into contact with the portion between the two fins 120 on the outer circumferential surface 110a.

The contact surface 50f of the sensor unit 5 contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. By positioning the fin 120 on the outside of the two abutment portions 52e, 53e, the deviation of the relative position of the sensor 9 with respect to the electric wire 100 is suppressed. If the fin 120 contacts the contact surface 50f, the contact surface 50f may move away from the outer peripheral surface 110a, or the central axes 91a, 92a of the sensor 9 may deviate from the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100. As a result, the measurement accuracy of the sensor 9 may decrease. In contrast, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment can keep the distance between the sensor 9 and the electric wire 100 constant and prevent the sensor 9 from deviating from the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100.

The rotating body 6 of this embodiment holds the sensor unit 5 so that the contact surface 50f contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a. The rotating body 6 holds the sensor unit 5 so that, for example, the rolling surfaces of the two rollers 3 and the contact surface 50f are located on the same plane. When the electric wire inspection device 1 is installed on the electric wire 100, the two abutting parts 52e, 53e move in the width direction Y while stretching the spring 55 so that the contact surface 50f contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. The rotating body 6 may be configured to press the sensor unit 5 toward the electric wire 100. For example, the rotating body 6 may have a pressing member such as a spring that presses the sensor unit 5 toward the electric wire 100.

The tracking mechanism 51 is guided by the fin 120 of the electric wire 100 to rotate the storage unit 50 relative to the housing 2. The abutment portion 53e shown in FIG. 8 abuts against the fin 120. The abutment portion 53e abuts against the side of the fin 120 while contacting the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. The abutment portion 53e is guided by the fin 120 to rotate the storage unit 50 and the rotating body 6 relative to the housing 2. The storage unit 50 rotates relative to the housing 2 while sliding the contact surface 50f against the outer peripheral surface 110a. The tracking mechanism 51 rotates the storage unit 50 to tilt the height direction Z of the sensor unit 5 with respect to the vertical direction V.

In the suspended electric wire 100, the fins 120 may extend in a spiral shape. In this case, when the electric wire inspection device 1 advances along the axial direction X, the abutting portions 52e, 53e are guided by the fins 120 to rotate the storage portion 50. In other words, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment rotates the storage portion 50 following the fins 120. This allows the central axes 91a, 92a of the sensor 9 to intersect with the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100. In addition, since the fins 120 do not contact the contact surface 50f, the distance between the sensor 9 and the electric wire 100 is kept constant. Therefore, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment can improve the measurement accuracy of the sensor 9.

In this embodiment, the number of rotations of the rotating body 6 relative to the housing 2 is not limited. Therefore, the sensor unit 5 can rotate relative to the housing 2 without limit. Therefore, the electric wire inspection device 1 can make the sensor unit 5 continue to follow the fin 120 while moving from the start point to the end point of the target section of the electric wire 100.

Figure 9 shows the smallest diameter electric wire 100 among the electric wires 100 to which the electric wire inspection device 1 can be applied. In this case, the contact surface 50f of the sensor unit 5 contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100, and the two abutting portions 52e, 53e each abut against the fin 120. The spring 55 brings the two abutting portions 52e, 53e into contact with the outer peripheral surface 110a by the biasing force. The protruding length of the abutting portions 52e, 53e relative to the contact surface 50f is determined according to the minimum diameter of the electric wire 100 in question. The abutting portions 52e, 53e are guided by the fin 120 to rotate the storage portion 50.

When the inspection of the electric wire 100 is completed, the worker 200 removes the electric wire inspection device 1 from the electric wire 100. At this time, the worker 200 releases the stopper of the cable reel 8. The cable reel 8 winds up the cable 81 and rotates the rotating body 6 and the sensor unit 5 to their initial rotation positions. In other words, the cable 81 wound around the rotating body 6 is stored in the cable reel 8. This allows the electric wire 100 to pass through the slit 6a of the rotating body 6, making it possible to remove the electric wire inspection device 1 from the electric wire 100.

As described above, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment has the roller 3 placed on the electric wire 100, the cylindrical housing 2, the motor 4, and the sensor unit 5. The housing 2 is supported by the roller 3 and covers the electric wire 100. The motor 4 moves the housing 2 along the electric wire 100. The sensor unit 5 is housed in the housing 2 and has a non-contact sensor 9 that detects deterioration of the electric wire 100. The sensor unit 5 is rotatable around the electric wire 100 relative to the housing 2.

The sensor unit 5 has a storage section 50 and a tracking mechanism 51. The storage section 50 stores the sensor 9 and contacts the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100 to make the sensor 9 face the electric wire 100. The tracking mechanism 51 is guided by a fin 120 protruding from the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100 to rotate the storage section 50 relative to the housing 2.

The follow-up mechanism 51 has a pair of contact members 52, 53, a gear 54, and a spring 55. The first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 are members that contact the outer circumferential surface 110a of the electric wire 100 so as to sandwich the electric wire 100. The gear 54 is an example of an adjustment unit that positions the first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 symmetrically with respect to the center of the sensor 9. The center of the illustrated sensor 9 is the central axis 91a of the excitation coil 91 and the central axis 92a of the detection coil 92. The spring 55 applies a biasing force to the first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 to bring them closer to each other.

The electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment rotates the storage unit 50 while being guided by the fin 120, thereby preventing the storage unit 50 from riding up onto the fin 120. Thus, the distance between the sensor 9 and the electric wire 100 is maintained constant. In addition, the gear 54 as an adjustment unit positions the first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 symmetrically with respect to the center of the sensor 9. Thus, the positional deviation of the sensor 9 with respect to the central axis C1 of the electric wire 100 is prevented. Therefore, the electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment can improve the measurement accuracy for the electric wire 100 having the fin 120.

The first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 of this embodiment have abutting portions 52e, 53e that abut against the side of the fin 120 while contacting the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. The shape of the abutting portions 52e, 53e when viewed from the axial direction X of the electric wire 100 is a tapered shape in which the width becomes narrower toward the tip of the abutting portions 52e, 53e. The abutting portions 52e, 53e have opposing surfaces 52f, 53f that face the opposing abutting portions 52e, 53e of the other, and inclined surfaces 52g, 53g that are the surfaces opposite the opposing surfaces 52f, 53f. The opposing surfaces 52f, 53f are parallel to the opposing surfaces 52f, 53f of the other. The inclined surfaces 52g, 53g are inclined so as to approach the opposing surfaces 52f, 53f toward the tip of the abutting portions 52e, 53e. Contact members 52, 53 having such abutment portions 52e, 53e tend to remain in contact with the fin 120.

The electric wire inspection device 1 of this embodiment has a rotating body 6 disposed between the housing 2 and the sensor unit 5. The rotating body 6 can rotate unlimitedly around the electric wire 100 relative to the housing 2. The sensor unit 5 is held by this rotating body 6. Therefore, the sensor unit 5 of this embodiment can continue to rotate more than one turn while being guided by the fin 120.

The rotating body 6 in this embodiment rotates around the electric wire 100. The first contact member 52 and the second contact member 53 protrude toward the electric wire 100 side relative to the housing portion 50. The rotating body 6 holds the sensor unit 5 so that the electric wire 100 is inserted between the pair of contact members 52, 53 and the housing portion 50 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 110a of the electric wire 100. Thus, the rotating body 6 can rotate the housing portion 50 while keeping the housing portion 50 in contact with the outer peripheral surface 110a.

The communication between the electric wire inspection device 1 and the operation unit 12 may be wireless communication. In this case, it is preferable that the electric wire inspection device 1 is equipped with a battery. The motor 4, the control unit 7, and the sensor 9 can be operated by power supplied from the battery. The operation unit 12 controls the scanning of the control unit 7 and collects measurement data by wireless communication.

The illustrated sensor unit 5 has two sets of tracking mechanisms 51A and 51B, but is not limited to this. The sensor unit 5 may have either the first tracking mechanism 51A or the second tracking mechanism 51B. The sensor 9 is not limited to a sensor that detects deterioration of the electric wire 100 by eddy currents.

The shape of the housing 2 is not limited to the cylindrical shape shown in the example. The housing 2 may have, for example, a rectangular tube shape.

The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1 Electric wire inspection device 2: Housing 3: Roller 4: Motor 5: Sensor unit 6: Rotating body 7: Control unit 8: Cable reel 9: Sensor 11: Cable 12: Operation unit 20: Cylindrical portion 20a: First space 20b: Second space 20c: Third space 21: Side wall 21a: Slit 22: Partition wall 22a: Slit 23: Support portion 24: Bearing 50: Storage portion 50a: Storage chamber 50b: Support surface 50c: Lid 50d: Plate portion 50e: Opposing surface 50f: Contact surface 51: Tracking mechanism 51A: First tracking mechanism 51B: Second tracking mechanism 52: First contact member 52a: Base 52b: Contact piece 52c: Projection 52d: Tooth, 52e: Contact portion, 52f: Opposing surface, 52g: Inclined surface 53: Second contact member, 53a: Base, 53b: Contact piece, 53c: Projection 53d: Tooth, 53e: Contact portion, 53f: Opposing surface, 53g: Inclined surface 54: Gear, 55: Spring, 56: First groove, 57: Second groove 81: Cable 91: Excitation coil, 91a: Central axis, 92: Detection coil, 92a: Central axis 100: Electric wire, 110: Insulating coating, 110a: Outer periphery, 120: Fin 130: Conductor, 140: Utility pole 200: Worker C1: Central axis X: Axial direction, Y: Width direction, Z: Height direction

Claims (4)

A roller placed on the electric wire;
a cylindrical housing supported by the rollers and covering the electric wire;
A motor that moves the housing along the electric wire;
a sensor unit that is accommodated in the housing, has a non-contact sensor that detects deterioration of the electric wire, and is rotatable around the electric wire relative to the housing;
Equipped with
the sensor unit includes a housing portion that houses the sensor and contacts an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire to make the sensor face the electric wire, and a follow-up mechanism that rotates the housing portion relative to the housing while being guided by a fin protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the electric wire;
the tracking mechanism comprises a pair of contact members that contact an outer peripheral surface of the electric wire so as to sandwich the electric wire, an adjustment unit that positions the pair of contact members symmetrically with respect to the center of the sensor, and a spring that applies a biasing force to the pair of contact members to bring them closer to each other. Each of the contact members has a contact portion that contacts an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire and abuts against a side surface of the fin,
The shape of the abutment portion when viewed from an axial direction of the electric wire is a tapered shape whose width becomes narrower toward a tip of the abutment portion,
The contact portion has an opposing surface that faces the opposing contact portion of the other contact portion and an inclined surface that is a surface opposite to the opposing surface,
The facing surface is parallel to the facing surface of the other member,
The electric wire inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the inclined surface is inclined so as to approach the opposing surface toward the tip of the abutting portion. a rotating body disposed between the housing and the sensor unit,
the rotating body is rotatable around the electric wire relative to the housing without limit,
The electric wire inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor unit is held by the rotating body. The rotating body rotates around the electric wire,
The pair of contact members protrude toward the electric wire with respect to the housing portion,
The electric wire inspection device according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating body holds the sensor unit such that the electric wire is inserted between the pair of the contact members and the housing portion is brought into contact with an outer circumferential surface of the electric wire.

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