JP7736403B2 - Work equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a working device that includes at least a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, a passage that connects the inside of the housing to the outside, a valve with a valve body that can open and close the passage, and a functional part that can enter the housing through the passage.

Conventionally, when connecting an existing fluid flow path through which water, gas, etc. flows to another flow path, for example, a housing is hermetically attached to the existing fluid pipe, and a working valve device that can open and close the interior is attached to the tip of the housing. A drilling machine with a cutter and drive unit is then attached to the working valve device, and with the working valve open, the drive unit is used to advance the cutter, drilling a portion of the fluid pipe within the housing while maintaining uninterrupted flow.

When drilling a portion of an existing fluid pipe using such a drilling machine, a chip collection device with a discharge pipe for discharging chips generated during drilling can be installed in place of the drilling machine attached to the tip of the working valve device. The working valve can then be opened and the discharge pipe inserted into the working valve device and housing, allowing chips scattered inside to be sucked in through a suction port formed at the bottom and discharged to the outside along with the fluid (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Utility Model Registration No. 2535896 (pages 2 and 3, figures 1 to 3)

In the chip collection device described in Patent Document 1, chips scattered inside the housing are sucked in through the suction port of a discharge pipe inserted inside the housing. However, depending on various conditions, such as the cutting method of the fluid pipe and the type of fluid inside the pipe, the chips may be scattered widely inside the housing, or concentrated in specific areas such as the seat surface, which has a significant impact on sealing performance, or in specific areas such as corners inside the housing. In such cases, in addition to the task of sucking in the chips, other tasks must also be performed, such as cleaning specific areas and visually inspecting the inside of the housing.

However, the only work that can be performed inside the housing when the flow is uninterrupted is limited to a single process: discharging chips to the outside by suction through a discharge pipe. This creates the problem that it is not possible to perform a variety of tasks depending on the state of remaining chips.

The present invention was developed to address these issues, and aims to provide a work device that allows various functional parts to be inserted into the housing to perform a variety of tasks even when the flow is uninterrupted.

In order to solve the above problems, the working device of the present invention comprises:
A working device having at least a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, a passage that connects the inside of the housing to the outside, a valve having a valve body that can open and close the passage, and a functional part that can enter the housing through the passage,
The valve is characterized in that a sealed container portion in which the functional portion can wait is provided in a passage located outside the valve body.
According to this feature, the functional part is stored in a storage section outside the valve body of the valve and kept in a sealed state while waiting, and in this state the passage can be opened and the functional part can be inserted into the housing, so that various functional parts can be inserted inside the housing in an uninterrupted flow state to perform various tasks.

The housing has an extension portion that extends into the housing and has a tip at which the functional portion can be attached and detached, and the housing portion has a sealing portion that seals the extension portion so that it can be advanced and retreated.
According to this feature, leakage of fluid from between the extending portion that moves back and forth and the containing portion can be prevented.

The housing has an extension portion at its tip that extends into the housing and to which the functional portion can be attached and detached, and the accommodating portion is configured to be able to accommodate the tip of the extension portion and the functional portion in a sealed manner.
According to this feature, the tip of the extension part can be sealed and accommodated in the accommodation part together with the functional part, so that when the passage is opened, the functional part can be inserted into the housing via the extension part.

The valve is an operating valve having a valve body that movably houses the valve element, and the housing portion is formed within the valve body.
According to this feature, it is easy to form the accommodation portion by utilizing the internal space of the valve body that accommodates the valve body of the working valve.

The valve body is characterized in that an opening is formed in the valve body to open and close the accommodation portion.
According to this feature, the housing portion can be opened widely, making it easier to access the functional portion housed in the housing portion.

The device is characterized in that a lid capable of closing the opening is provided, and the lid is provided with an openable and closable hole.
According to this feature, it is possible to open the hole and visually check the condition inside the housing without removing the lid.

The cover portion is provided with an opening/closing valve through which the tip of the extension portion and the functional portion can be inserted and removed, and a passage located outside the valve body of the opening/closing valve has a sealed second storage portion in which the functional portion can wait.
According to this feature, the tip of the extension portion is disposed in the housing portion outside the on-off valve, making it possible to attach and detach the functional portion.

The upper surface of the valve body is formed as a flat surface.
According to this feature, the functional part can be attached and detached by utilizing the upper surface of the valve body formed into a flat surface.

The valve is an on-off valve having a main body with the valve element rotatably mounted thereon, and the accommodating portion is formed outside the valve element of the on-off valve.
According to this feature, the functional part can be accommodated in the accommodation part outside the on-off valve and kept on standby.

The valve is an operating valve having a valve body that movably houses the valve element, and the housing portion is formed in a working cylinder that communicates with the valve body.
According to this feature, the accommodation section can be formed in a working cylinder separate from the valve box, so that the size of the accommodation space can be set with a high degree of freedom.

The container is characterized in that an air vent is formed in the container.
According to this feature, air can be easily removed when filling the container with fluid.

1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a housing attached to a predetermined location on a fluid pipe, a gate valve device connected to the housing, and a drilling machine connected to the gate valve device. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing a work device to which a work control unit is attached. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device in a state in which the working member of the discharge pipe is housed in the housing portion. FIG. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway enlarged view showing the main part of FIG. 4 . FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing the work device during a discharge operation by the work control unit. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the working member pulled up and housed in the housing portion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device with the support pipe and the discharge pipe removed. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing the state in which the replaced working member is accommodated in the accommodation section and the support tube is attached to the upper connecting tube, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the state in which the accommodation section is filled with fluid and air is being removed. 1A to 1E are diagrams showing various working members. 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the working member is removed from the discharge pipe, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing a state in which a new working member is attached to the discharge pipe. FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing the working device in a state where the working cover has been removed from the valve box and a working member has been attached. 13 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing the working device in a state where the working member shown in FIG. 12 is performing work. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a low-pressure suction unit. 10 is a partially cutaway cross-sectional view showing a working device performing a discharge operation using a hose while checking with an imaging device serving as a working member. FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a working device as a modified example of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a working device as another modified example of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the working device according to the present invention.

A working device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 13. Note that in the following description, the near side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the front side (front face) of the working device, and the far side will be referred to as the rear side (back face).

The working device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is primarily composed of a housing 3 that hermetically fits over a predetermined portion of a fluid pipe 2 (see Figure 1), a gate valve device 4 that can open and close a passage connecting the inside of the housing 3 with the outside, and, as shown in Figure 2, an operation control unit 5 that controls the operation inside the housing 3. The device is capable of performing various operations associated with drilling a fluid pipe 2, such as discharging foreign matter C (see Figure 2), such as chips and rust, generated during the drilling operation in which a drilling machine 7 drills a predetermined portion of the fluid pipe 2 covered by the housing 3, and inspecting the inside of the housing 3 with a camera or the like after the drilling operation.

The following describes a series of work steps that involve drilling a predetermined location inside the housing 3 of the existing fluid pipe 2, which is a pipeline component, under uninterrupted flow conditions using the housing 3 and gate valve device 4 that form part of the work device 1, and the drilling machine 7 attached to the top of the gate valve device 4, and then using the work control unit 5 to expel foreign matter C, such as chips and rust, that has become scattered inside the housing 3 due to the drilling, to the outside of the housing 3.

In this embodiment, the fluid in the fluid pipe 2 is tap water. However, it may be, for example, industrial water, agricultural water, sewage, or other liquids other than water, or it may be gas or a gas-liquid mixture of gas and liquid. The fluid pipe 2 is a ductile cast iron pipe formed into a straight pipe with a generally circular cross section. In this embodiment, the fluid pipe 2 is disposed in a generally horizontal direction. The fluid pipe according to the present invention may also be made of other metals such as cast iron or steel, or concrete, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or polyolefin. Furthermore, the inner surface of the fluid pipe may be coated with an epoxy resin layer, mortar, plating, or the like, or the inner surface of the fluid pipe may be powder coated with an appropriate material.

When drilling a fluid pipe 2, first, the housing 3 is hermetically attached to a predetermined location on the fluid pipe 2 via a sealing member (not shown). The housing 3 consists of a lower housing 3a disposed below the fluid pipe 2 and an upper housing 3b disposed above the fluid pipe 2. The lower housing 3a is formed in a roughly T-shape when viewed from the front, with a cylindrical body 13a with a bottom extending downward and curved plate-like half arms 14a, 14a extending laterally and generally perpendicular to the body 13a, and curved in a semicircular arc when viewed axially of the fluid pipe 2. The lower housing 3a hermetically covers the lower outer periphery of the fluid pipe 2 via a sealing member (not shown). The upper housing 3b is formed in a roughly T-shape when viewed from the front, with a cylindrical, bottomed body 13b extending upward and curved plate-like half arms 14b, 14b extending laterally and generally perpendicular to the body 13b, and curved in a semicircular arc when viewed in the axial direction of the fluid pipe 2. The upper housing 3b hermetically covers the lower outer periphery of the fluid pipe 2 via a sealing member (not shown). A flange 13c protruding in the outward radial direction is formed around the periphery of the upper opening of the body 13b.

The housing 3 may be divided, for example, in the front-to-rear direction, or may be divided into a predetermined number of sections, such as three or more. In this embodiment, the sections are joined together in a sealed state using multiple fastening members (not shown) made of bolts and nuts, but this is not limiting and they may also be joined by welding, for example.

After attaching the housing 3 to the fluid pipe 2, the gate valve device 4 is hermetically connected to the upper opening of the body 13b. The gate valve device 4 comprises a cylindrical valve box 4a that penetrates vertically; a valve cover 4b that protrudes rearward (toward the back of Figure 1) from the valve box 4a and is connected to the valve box 4a via a communication port formed on its inner surface; a valve disc 4c that is movable substantially horizontally between the valve box 4a and the valve cover 4b and has a flat upper surface; and a recessed groove 4d that serves as a valve seat for receiving the valve disc 4c. The valve disc 4c can hermetically abut against the recessed groove 4d via a seal member 4g (see Figure 5).

Flanges 4e and 4f protruding outward are formed around the upper and lower opening edges of the valve box 4a. The lower flange 4e is fastened to the flange 13c of the body 13b with multiple fastening members 91 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby hermetically connecting the valve box 4a to the upper open end (opening) of the body 13b via a seal member (not shown). Although not specifically shown, the end of a valve stem protrudes from the tip of the valve cover 4b and is threadedly engaged with the valve disc 4c inside the valve cover 4b. An operating handle is attached to the end of this valve stem, and by rotating the operating handle to move the valve disc 4c between the valve box 4a and the valve cover 4b, the interior of the housing 3 can be opened and closed.

In addition, a storage section 4Sa is provided between the valve body 4c and the upper opening end of the valve box 4a, capable of storing working members 47A to 47E, which serve as functional parts described below. The inner diameter of the opening in the valve box 4a is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the opening in the housing 3.

Next, the drilling machine 7 is hermetically connected to the upper open end of the valve box 4a. The drilling machine 7 is primarily composed of a mounting flange tube 71, a cutter 72 for drilling holes in the fluid pipe 2, a drive motor 74 for rotating the cutter 72 within the mounting flange tube 71, and an advance/retract mechanism 73 for moving the cutter 72 up and down. The cutter 72 is cylindrical and has a larger diameter than the fluid pipe 2. It is composed of a hole saw 72a with a cutting blade circumferentially attached to its tip (the lower end in the figure), and a center drill 72b arranged coaxially with the rotation axis 72c of the hole saw 72a and protruding beyond the cutting blade. The cutter 72 is arranged concentrically with the upper open end of the body 13b of the housing 3. It is inserted into the body 13b from the upper open end and can be advanced at least to a position where it penetrates the wall of the fluid pipe 2.

A flange 71a protruding outward is formed around the periphery of the lower opening of the mounting flange tube 71. The flange 71a is fastened to the flange 4f of the valve box 4a with multiple fastening members 92 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby sealingly connecting the drilling machine 7 to the upper open end of the valve box 4a via a sealing member (not shown).

The order in which the gate valve device 4 is connected to the upper open end of the body 13b of the housing 3 and the drilling machine 7 is connected to the upper open end of the valve box 4a do not necessarily have to be as described above. The gate valve device 4 may be connected after the drilling machine 7 is connected, or these connection operations may be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, the upper housing 3b, to which the gate valve device 4 and drilling machine 7 have already been connected, may be connected to the lower housing 3a.

(Drilling process of fluid pipe using drilling machine)
Next, a brief description will be given of the process of drilling the fluid pipe 2 using the drilling machine 7. As shown in Figure 1, first, the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 is moved toward the valve cover 4b to open the interior of the housing 3. Next, while air is being released from an air vent valve (not shown) provided at a predetermined location on the peripheral wall of the housing 3, the housing 3 is filled with fluid and water pressure approximately equal to that in the fluid pipe 2 is applied to check for leaks, and after confirming that the air has been released from inside the housing 3, the air vent valve (not shown) is closed.

Next, the cutter 72 is rotated around the rotation axis 72c by the drive motor 74 of the drilling machine 7, and the cutter 72 is advanced downward by the advance/retract mechanism 73, drilling a hole in the upper part of the peripheral wall of the fluid pipe 2 without interrupting the flow. This drilling generates foreign matter C, such as chips from the fluid pipe 2 and rust that has peeled off the inner surface of the fluid pipe 2, which scatters inside the casing 3 filled with fluid. Note that drilling may involve cutting or dividing a portion of the pipe axially using a cutter 72 or the like with a larger diameter than the fluid pipe 2, as in this embodiment, or it may involve forming a hole in the pipe wall using a cutter or the like with a smaller diameter than the fluid pipe 2.

When the fluid pipe 2 is drilled with the cutter 72, a section (not shown) severed from the fluid pipe 2 is held within the hole saw 72a. The advance/retract mechanism 73 then retracts the cutter 72 together with the section (not shown) into the mounting flange tube 71, moving the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 toward the recessed groove portion 4d and closing the valve box 4a.

After the foreign matter C generated by drilling is scattered into the fluid in the housing 3 near the cut, some is discharged by water pressure along with the fluid in the pipe through a drain port (not shown) located at the bottom of the housing 3, while the remainder gradually sinks due to gravity over time, falling to the bottom of the housing 3 and remaining there (see Figure 2). Because foreign matter C that has become lodged at the bottom of the housing 3 in this way could flow into the fluid pipe 2 due to fluid movement, the mounting flange tube 71 is removed from the valve box 4a and the drilling machine 7 is removed. After this, the operation control unit 5 is attached to the valve box 4a, and the operation control unit 5 is used to discharge the foreign matter C to the outside.

(Work control unit)
Next, the configuration of the work control unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Figure 2, the working cover 31, flexible pipe joint 37, connecting pipe 15 including working ball valve 20, support pipe 41, and discharge pipe 42 constitute the work control unit 5 that controls the discharge of foreign matter C inside the housing 3, and the housing 3, gate valve device 4, and work control unit 5 constitute the work device 1.

After the drilling operation by the drilling machine 7 is completed, the working cover 31 serving as a cover is fastened to the flange 4f of the valve box 4a with a plurality of fastening members 93 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby hermetically closing the upper open end of the valve box 4a via the sealing member 4h (see Figure 5). The work control unit 5, which is an example of a work tool used to discharge foreign matter C, is hermetically connected to the top of the valve box 4a via the working cover 31. Furthermore, by closing the upper open end of the valve box 4a with the working cover 31, a storage section 4Sa is formed between the valve disc 4c of the valve box 4a and the working cover 31, i.e., below the working cover 31.

As shown in Figure 3, the work cover 31 is disk-shaped and has a circular insertion hole 32 that penetrates vertically at its center. Additionally, multiple (four in this example) confirmation windows 33a-33d are formed around the insertion hole 32 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each confirmation window 33a-33d is hermetically sealed with a translucent acrylic plate 35 via a sealing member (not shown), sealing the window so that the interior of the valve box 4a can be viewed through the acrylic plate 35. The acrylic plate 35 is removably attached to the confirmation windows 33a-33d.

Furthermore, multiple small holes 34a-34d (four in this example) are formed between each of the confirmation windows 33a-33d, penetrating vertically. The small holes 34a-34d are used to inject fluid into the valve box 4a and to provide an air vent valve 36 for venting air when injecting water.

As shown in Figure 2, a rubber flexible pipe joint 37 is hermetically connected to the center of the top surface of the working lid 31 via a sealing member (not shown) and communicates with the interior of the valve box 4a via an insertion hole 32. Flanges 37a, 37b that protrude outward are formed on the upper and lower opening peripheries of the flexible pipe joint 37, and the lower flange 37a is fastened to the working lid 31 with multiple fastening members 94 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby hermetically connecting the flexible pipe joint 37 to the working lid 31 via a sealing member (not shown).

A connecting pipe 15 is hermetically connected above the flexible pipe joint 37 via a sealing member (not shown) and communicates with the interior of the flexible pipe joint 37. The upper and lower opening peripheries of the connecting pipe 15 are formed with flanges 15a and 15b that protrude outward. The lower flange 15a is fastened to the upper flange 37b of the flexible pipe joint 37 with multiple fastening members 95 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby hermetically connecting the connecting pipe 15 to the flexible pipe joint 37 via a sealing member (not shown).

As shown in Figure 5, the connecting pipe 15 is composed of a lower connecting pipe 15c, an upper connecting pipe 15d, and a work ball valve 20 serving as an on-off valve that is hermetically connected between the lower connecting pipe 15c and the upper connecting pipe 15d via a sealing member (not shown). The work ball valve 20 primarily comprises a main body 21 having an internal through passage 21a that penetrates vertically, a ball 22 serving as a valve body that is rotatably supported within the main body 21, an operating handle 23 for opening and closing the ball 22, and a nipple 24 threaded into the lower end of the main body 21. The inner diameter L5 of the through passage 21a of the work ball valve 20 is smaller than the inner diameters of the openings in the housing 3 and valve box 4a. Figure 2 shows the work ball valve 20 in a closed state, and Figure 5 shows the work ball valve 20 in an open state.

As shown in Figure 2, the support pipe 41 is hermetically connected above the connecting pipe 15 via a seal member (not shown) and communicates with the interior of the connecting pipe 15. A flange 41a protruding in the outward direction is formed around the periphery of the lower opening of the support pipe 41. The flange 41a is fastened to the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15 with a plurality of fastening members 96 consisting of bolts and nuts arranged circumferentially, thereby hermetically connecting the support pipe 41 to the connecting pipe 15 via a gasket 25 (see Figure 5).

A discharge pipe 42, an extension made of metal and extending vertically, is inserted movably within the support pipe 41 and sealed via an O-ring 26 attached to the inner surface of the flange 41a (see Figure 5). A ball valve 43 is provided at the upper end of the discharge pipe 42. A flexible hose 48 is connected to the tip of the ball valve 43. A reel 45 is attached to the bottom of the support pipe 41 for winding up a wire rope 44, one end of which is anchored to the top of the discharge pipe 42. A handle 46 for gripping the discharge pipe 42 is attached to the top of the discharge pipe 42.

A working member 47A, which serves as a functional part and has a generally cylindrical shape and a suction port 47a (see Figure 5) for sucking in foreign matter C, is removably attached to the lower end of the discharge pipe 42. As shown in Figure 10(a), the working member 47A is cylindrical, with semicircular notches 47h, 47h formed on the front and rear sides of the tip (lower end). The suction port 47a of the working member 47A has a concave curve in front view (left view of Figure 10(a)) and a flat tip in side view (right view of Figure 10(a)).

When the tip of the cylindrical working member 47A is flat, the opening at the bottom becomes the suction port 47a. As described below, when the tip approaches foreign matter C accumulated (piled up) on the bottom of the housing 3, the suction port 47a may become narrow and blocked depending on the inclination of the tip, making it difficult to move the discharge pipe 42 or preventing the suction of large granular foreign matter C. Therefore, by providing notches 47h, 47h on the circumferential surface of the working member 47A to ensure a large suction port 47a, as in the case of the working member 47A, suction can be performed not only from the bottom side but also from the circumferential side when the tip of the working member 47A approaches the bottom of the housing 3, making it easier to suction foreign matter C.

Furthermore, as shown in the enlarged view of Figure 10(a), the inner diameter R2 of the cutouts 47h, 47h is larger than the inner diameter R1 of the working member 47A, so the combined area of the projected area A2 of the suction port 47a when viewed from the front and the projected area A2 of the suction port 47a when viewed from the rear of the working member 47A is equal to or greater than the area A1 of the suction port 47a when viewed from below. This prevents the suction force inside the working member 47A from being attenuated by the cutouts 47h, 47h.

Furthermore, this working member 47A is detachable by threading a female thread formed on the inner surface of the working member 47A into a male thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the discharge pipe 42, but it may also be detachable by press-fitting, using a screw member, a locking member, etc. Furthermore, the working member 47A attached to the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 can be replaced or substituted with various working members 47B to 47E (see Figures 10(b) to 10(e)) described below.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b), working member 47B uses an inclined plate 47b at its tip to sweep out and suck up foreign matter C. The inclined plate 47b has a suction port 47c and is bent sideways. As shown in FIG. 10(c), working member 47C uses wire brushes 47d at its tip to sweep out and suck up foreign matter C. The wire brushes 47d are arranged in two rows on either side of suction port 47e, inclined toward the tip of working member 47C. As shown in FIG. 10(d), working member 47D uses a rubber plate 47f at its tip to remove and suck up foreign matter C. The rubber plate 47f is wider than the outer diameter of discharge pipe 42, making it suitable for removing foreign matter C from the seat surface inside housing 3 and for cleaning foreign matter contained in treated sewage water. Additionally, as shown in Figure 10(e), working member 47E uses a magnet 47g at its tip to attract foreign matter C. This magnet 47g is formed in a roughly circular shape concentric with the discharge pipe 42, making it suitable for easily attracting chips when the fluid is gas. These working members 47A-47E constitute the functional parts of the present invention. The shape, function, type, etc. of these working members 47A-47E can be modified in various ways, and they may be replaced or substituted with working members other than those listed above.

In addition, the outer diameter L1a of the working member 47A, the maximum outer dimension L1b of the working member 47B, and the maximum outer dimension L1c of the working member 47C are smaller than the inner diameter L6 of the confirmation windows 33a to 33d, so they can be inserted and removed through the confirmation windows 33a to 33d to attach and detach them from the discharge pipe 42.

The longitudinal dimension of the discharge pipe 42 is designed to allow the working member 47A to reach near the bottom when inserted into the housing 3, as described below (see Figure 6). As shown in Figure 5, the outer diameter L1a of the working member 47A is the smallest, followed by the inner diameter L5 of the working ball valve 20, the inner diameter L4 of the connecting pipe 15, the inner diameter L6 of the inspection windows 33a-33d, the inner diameter L3 of the flexible pipe joint 37, and the inner diameter L2 of the insertion hole 32 formed in the working lid 31, in that order (L1a<L5<L4<L6<L3<L2).

The working member 47A can therefore be retracted from the accommodation section 4Sa via the insertion hole 32, through the flexible pipe joint 37, and the lower connecting pipe 15c, all the way to the upper connecting pipe 15d above the working ball valve 20. In other words, the passages within the flexible pipe joint 37, lower connecting pipe 15c, working ball valve 20, and upper connecting pipe 15d, which communicate with the accommodation section 4Sa formed in the valve box 4a via the insertion hole 32, allow the discharge pipe 42 and the working member 47A attached to the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 to pass through and can also accommodate the working member 47A, constituting the accommodation section 4Sb of the present invention. These accommodation sections 4Sa and 4Sb each have an O-ring 26 (see Figure 5) as a sealing member that seals the discharge pipe 42 so that it can be moved back and forth.

While the discharge pipe 42 and working member 47A are made of metal, they can be made of any material as long as they maintain a substantially linear shape in the longitudinal direction, and various other materials, such as vinyl chloride, are possible. Furthermore, at least a portion of the tip of the discharge pipe 42 and working member 47A may be made of flexible rubber tubing, which can prevent damage to the inner surface of the housing 3.

(Foreign matter removal work)
Next, the operation of discharging the foreign matter C will be described. As shown in Figure 2, after the drilling operation is completed and the drilling machine 7 is removed from above the gate valve device 4, a work cover 31 is attached to the upper end opening on the upper side of the valve box 4a, and a work control section 5 consisting of a flexible pipe joint 37, a connecting pipe 15 including a work ball valve 20, a support pipe 41, and a discharge pipe 42 is connected in a sealed state above the work cover 31. In this state, the work ball valve 20 is closed, and a work member 47A is accommodated in the accommodation section 4Sb consisting of the upper connecting pipe 15d above it.

Next, as shown in Figure 4, the work ball valve 20 is opened, allowing the discharge pipe 42 and the work member 47A attached to its lower end to pass through the ball 22 of the work ball valve 20. Then, when the handle 45a of the reel 45 is rotated to wind up the wire rope 44, the work member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 moves downward and is stored in the storage section 4Sa. In this state, the multiple fastening members 96 fastening the flange 41a of the support pipe 41 to the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15 are loosened (see Figure 9(b)), and the air vent valve 36 provided on the working lid 31 is opened to vent the air. While this is happening, the housing section 4Sa, flexible pipe joint 37, connecting pipe 15 including the working ball valve 20, and discharge pipe 42 are filled with fluid, and water pressure approximately the same as that in the fluid pipe 2 is applied to check for leaks. After confirming that the air has been vented from housing sections 4Sa and 4Sb, the fastening members 96 are tightened and the air vent valve 36 is closed.

Next, as shown in Figure 6, the valve element 4c of the gate valve device 4 is moved toward the valve cover 4b to open the passage within the valve box 4a, opening the interior of the housing 3. Furthermore, by opening the upper ball valve 43, the housing 3 and the outside are connected via the passages within the valve box 4a, flexible pipe joint 37, connecting pipe 15, working ball valve 20, and discharge pipe 42. Fluid within the housing 3 and valve box 4a is discharged from the ball valve 43 to the outside via the hose 48, reducing the pressure on the discharge pipe 42 from the fluid, allowing the discharge pipe 42 to be inserted smoothly into the housing 3. If the water pressure of the fluid within the fluid pipe 2 is low, the discharge pipe 42 may be inserted manually without the use of a wire rope 44, reel 45, etc.

When the working member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 reaches the bottom of the housing 3, the accumulated foreign matter C is sucked in together with the fluid through the suction port 47a (see Figure 10(a)) of the working member 47A, passes through the inside of the discharge pipe 42, and flows together with the fluid into the hose 48 through the ball valve 43. The foreign matter C is then captured by the foreign matter collector 49 attached to the tip of the hose 48, and only the fluid is discharged outside the foreign matter collector 49. The foreign matter collector 49 consists of a cylindrical container with a fine-mesh opening connected to the tip of the hose 48, and is capable of storing foreign matter C inside the cylindrical container and discharging only the fluid to the outside.

In addition, while viewing the inside of the housing 3 through the confirmation windows 33a-33d, the operator can tilt the discharge pipe 42 as desired, as shown in FIG. 6, to move the working member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 along almost the entire bottom of the housing 3, thereby evenly suctioning all foreign matter C that has accumulated at the bottom. After starting the suction and discharge of foreign matter C, the operator can lift the discharge pipe 42 upward when, by visual inspection through the confirmation windows 33a-33d or by confirmation using an imaging device (not shown) (see, for example, imaging device 89 shown in FIG. 15), foreign matter C is no longer visible in the housing 3, or there is no foreign matter C mixed in the fluid discharged from the foreign matter collector 49, or the amount of foreign matter C mixed in has become very small.

To complete the discharge of foreign matter C, the working member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 is raised above the ball 22, which is the valve body of the work ball valve 20 in the housing section 4Sb, and placed in the housing section 4Sb within the upper connecting pipe 15d. The work ball valve 20 is then closed to close the passage and close the interior of the housing 3 (see Figure 7). If a flow control valve or similar is to be installed inside the housing 3, the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 is then moved toward the valve box 4a to close it. The support pipe 41 is then removed from the upper connecting pipe 15d, and the discharge pipe 42 is removed, completing the discharge of foreign matter C (see Figure 8).

Next, we will explain the case where, after completing the operation of discharging foreign matter C using working member 47A, working member 47A is replaced with working member 47B, 47C in order to continue with another operation (for example, the operation of sweeping out foreign matter C using working members 47B, 47C). Note that the following will explain the case where working member 47A is replaced with working member 47C, and we will omit the explanation for replacing it with working member 47B.

First, if the outer diameters L1a-L1c of the working members 47A-47C are smaller than the inner diameter L5 of the through passage 21a of the work ball valve 20 (L1a-L1c < L5), the working member 47A can be passed through the through passage 21a of the work ball valve 20 and raised up to the accommodation section 4Sb within the upper connecting pipe 15d. Therefore, in this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the discharge pipe 42 and working member 47A can be raised above the ball 22, which serves as the valve body of the work ball valve 20, in the accommodation section 4Sb and accommodated in the accommodation section 4Sb within the upper connecting pipe 15d. Then, simply by rotating the ball 22, the housing 3 can be easily closed. This allows the working member 47A to be removed from the accommodation section 4Sb together with the discharge pipe 42 by removing the support pipe 41 from the upper connecting pipe 15d, as shown in FIG. 8.

Next, the work member 47A is removed from the tip of the discharge pipe 42 removed from the housing 4Sb. Another work member, such as work member 47C, that fits within the housing 4Sb is attached to the tip of the discharge pipe 42 and replaced. Then, as shown in Figure 9(a), the work member 47B attached to the tip of the discharge pipe 42 is inserted into the housing 4Sb within the upper connecting pipe 15d. The flange 41a of the support pipe 41 is placed on the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15, and multiple fasteners 96 are loosely attached. Next, as shown in Figure 9(b), the work ball valve 20 is slightly opened to allow fluid to enter the housing 4Sb. Air is then vented from the housing 4Sb by fluid leaking from the gap 110 (air vent) between the flange 41a of the support pipe 41 and the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15. Once the housing 4Sb is confirmed to be filled with fluid, the fasteners 96 are tightened. As a result, the storage section 4Sb is sealed via a gasket 25 between the flange 41a of the support pipe 41 and the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15, and an O-ring 26 attached to the inner surface of the flange 41a.

Next, the working ball valve 20 is further opened, and water pressure approximately equal to that inside the fluid pipe 2 is applied to check for leaks. Once the presence or absence of water leakage has been confirmed, the handle 45a of the reel 45 is rotated to reel in the wire rope 44, and the working member 47C at the end of the discharge pipe 42 is moved downward, passing through the storage section 4Sa and reaching the inside of the housing 3. Once this is complete, the wire brush 47d at the end is used to sweep out foreign matter C, and suction is performed through the suction port 47e. Once this is complete, the working member 47B is raised and placed inside the storage section 4Sb, and the working ball valve 20 is closed to close the inside of the housing 3. Depending on the discharge situation, further working members 47A-47C may be replaced to perform another operation, or the valve disc 4c may be slid toward the valve box 4a to close the passage and close the housing 3, completing the operation.

In this embodiment, the working member 47A is detachable from the tip of the discharge pipe 42, but if the working member 47A can be passed through the through passage 21a of the working ball valve 20 and pulled up to the upper connecting pipe 15d, the working member 47A may be fixed integrally to the tip of the discharge pipe 42 by welding or the like. In this case, the working member 47A will be replaced with various discharge pipes that already have working member 47B or working member 47C fixed to their tips.

Next, if the outer diameter dimensions L1a to L1c of the working members 47A to 47C are larger than the inner diameter dimension L5 of the through passage 21a of the working ball valve 20 (L1a to L1c > L5), the working members 47A to 47C cannot be removed through the through passage 21a of the working ball valve 20. Therefore, in this case, for example, as shown in Figure 11(a), the working member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 is pulled up to the storage section 4Sa above the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 and stored therein, and the valve body 4c is moved toward the valve box 4a to close the passage, closing the interior of the housing 3. Then, with the tip of the discharge pipe 42 and the working member 47A attached to the tip stored in the storage section 4Sa, the acrylic plate 35 attached to one or more of the confirmation windows 33a-33d is removed and placed on the top surface of the valve body 4c, and the working member 47A is removed and collected from the tip of the discharge pipe 42 stored in the storage section 4Sa by inserting a tool or hand through the confirmation window 33a-33d.

Next, as shown in Figure 11(b), for example, the working member 47C is inserted into the storage section 4Sa through the inspection windows 33a-33d and screwed onto the tip of the discharge pipe 42. In this state, the multiple fastening members 96 fastening the flange 41a of the support pipe 41 to the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15 are loosened (see Figure 9(b)), and the air vent valve 36 provided on the working cover 31 is opened to vent air. While this is happening, the storage section 4Sa, the flexible pipe joint 37, the connecting pipe 15 including the working ball valve 20, and the discharge pipe 42 are filled with fluid, and a water pressure approximately equal to that in the fluid pipe 2 is applied to check for leaks. After confirming that the air has been vented from inside the storage section 4Sa, the fastening members 96 are tightened and the air vent valve 36 is closed.

Next, the valve element 4c is moved toward the valve cover 4b to open the interior of the housing 3, and the discharge pipe 42 is then moved downward to insert the working member 47C into the interior of the housing 3, allowing the foreign matter C to be removed and suctioned (see Figure 6). After these operations are completed, the working member 47C at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 is raised and accommodated in the accommodation section 4Sa above the valve element 4c of the gate valve device 4, and the valve element 4c is then moved toward the valve box 4a to close the interior of the housing 3 (see Figure 4). For ease of explanation, the example shown here shows the working member 47A being removed and replaced with working member 47C, but it can also be replaced with working members 47B, 47D, 47E, etc.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, if foreign matter C, such as chips, becomes clogged in the suction port 47a during the suction and discharge operation of foreign matter C using the working member 47A, making suction difficult, as shown in FIG. 4, the working member 47A at the tip of the discharge pipe 42 can be raised up to the storage section 4Sa and stored there, and the valve body 4c can then be moved toward the valve box 4a to close the interior of the housing 3. Then, the acrylic plates 35 attached to one or more of the observation windows 33a-33d can be removed (see FIG. 11(a)), and the foreign matter C clogged in the suction port 47a can be removed by inserting a tool or hand through the observation window 33a-33d. Next, the observation windows 33a-33d can be closed with the acrylic plates 35, and the valve body 4c can be moved toward the valve cover 4b to open the interior of the housing 3, allowing the suction and discharge operation to be resumed.

In this way, by lifting the working member 47A up to the housing section 4Sb, which is outside the ball 22 of the working ball valve 20, and storing it there, the ball 22 closes the interior of the housing 3. The working member 47A can then be removed from the upper connecting pipe 15d, which is the housing section 4Sb, and replaced with another working member 47B, 47C, etc., or clogged suction ports 47a, 47c, 47e can be cleared. After that, by storing the working members 47A-47C back in the housing section 4Sb and leaving them on standby, water pressure approximately equal to that inside the fluid pipe 2 can be applied to check for leaks before performing another task.

Furthermore, by lifting and storing the working member 47A up to the storage section 4Sa, which is located outside the valve disc 4c in the closed position of the valve box 4a, the valve disc 4c closes the interior of the housing 3, allowing for replacement with other working members 47B, 47C or unclogging within the storage section 4Sa. Then, by storing the working members 47A-47C back in the storage section 4Sa and leaving them on standby, it is possible to apply water pressure approximately equal to that within the fluid pipe 2 to check for leaks before performing another task. Furthermore, when storing the working members 47A-47C in the storage sections 4Sa, 4Sb, the above-mentioned tasks can be performed while the discharge pipe 42 remains supported by the valve box 4a via the work cover 31. This allows for multiple steps to be performed without interrupting the flow, and allows for immediate resumption of work after replacing the working member or completing the unclogging task.

In addition, in this embodiment, the discharge operation of foreign matter C is performed using an operation control unit 5 connected via a flexible pipe joint 37 to a position corresponding to the insertion hole 32 formed in the center of the work lid 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the discharge operation may be performed by connecting the operation control unit 5 via a flexible pipe joint 37 to a position corresponding to the confirmation windows 33a to 33d, which are other than the center of the work lid 31.

Also, as shown in Figure 12, the work control unit 5 may be connected via a flexible pipe joint 37 at a position corresponding to the confirmation windows 33a-33d, and another work control unit 5A may be connected at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 32 to perform work. In other words, the number of work control units 5, 5A, etc. may be one or more, and they may be connected at any position. Furthermore, while the work control unit 5 reels in the wire rope 44 by rotating the handle 45a of the reel 45, as shown in the work control unit 5A, in cases where the water pressure is high, the support pipe 41 and discharge pipe 42 may be suspended across a chain block 53, and the chain may be reeled in using an operating handle (not shown) attached to the chain block 53.

Furthermore, in cases such as the housing 103 shown in Figure 13, where the seat surface 101 is located on the interior bottom surface, if a work member 47D (see Figure 10(d)) with a maximum outer dimension L1d larger than the inner diameter L2 of the insertion hole 32 or the inner diameter L6 of the inspection windows 33a-33d is attached to the tip of the discharge pipe 42, or if a work member 47E (see Figure 10(e)) with a maximum outer dimension L1e larger than the inner diameter L2 of the insertion hole 32 is attached, the work members 47D and 47E cannot be inserted into the valve box 4a through the insertion hole 32 or the inspection windows 33a-33d. Therefore, the work member 47D or 47E can be removed from the upper open end of the valve box 4a by suspending the work member 31 using a hoisting tool H and wire W equipped with a hook that is supported by a crane (not shown).

As shown in Figure 12, for example, after attaching a work member 47D to the tip of the discharge pipe 42 of the work control unit 5, as shown in Figure 13, the work lid 31 can be hermetically attached to the upper open end of the valve box 4a and closed, and then the work member 47D can be used to remove foreign matter C adhering to the seat surface 101. In this way, by attaching multiple work control units 5, 5A to the work lid 31 and attaching various work members 47A-47E to their tips, multiple tasks can be performed simultaneously, improving work efficiency.

Although not specifically explained or illustrated, after the above-mentioned foreign matter C has been discharged and checked, the gate valve device 4 is removed after a flow control valve or similar device is installed inside the housing 3 and the top opening of the housing 3 is sealed with a lid member (not shown).

(Actions and Effects)
As described above, the working device 1 as an embodiment of the present invention has at least a housing 3 that hermetically fits around the fluid pipe 2, a passage that connects the inside of the housing 3 with the outside, a valve (e.g., check valve device 4, working ball valve 20) that has a valve body (e.g., valve body 4c, ball 22) that can open and close the passage, and working members 47A to 47E as functional parts that can enter the housing 3 through the passage, and has sealed storage sections 4Sa, 4Sb in the passage located outside the valve body (outside when the inside of the fluid pipe 2 is used as a reference) where the working members 47A to 47E can wait.

This allows the working members 47A-47E to be stored in the storage sections 4Sa, 4Sb outside the valve body 4c of the gate valve device 4 and the ball 22 of the working ball valve 20, and to remain in a sealed (watertight) state while waiting. In this state, the passage can be opened and the working members 47A-47E can be inserted into the housing 3. Therefore, various working members 47A-47E can be inserted inside the housing 3 in an uninterrupted flow state, allowing various tasks to be performed inside the housing 3, such as discharging or sweeping out foreign matter C.

Furthermore, the discharge pipe 42 serves as an extension that extends into the housing 3 and has a lower end to which the working members 47A-47E can be attached and detached. The accommodation sections 4Sa and 4Sb have an O-ring 26 as a sealing part that seals the discharge pipe 42 so that it can move back and forth, thereby preventing fluid leakage between the discharge pipe 42, which moves back and forth, and the accommodation sections 4Sa and 4Sb. The sealing part that seals the extension so that it can move back and forth is not limited to the O-ring 26, and other sealing materials such as packing may also be used.

Furthermore, the discharge pipe 42 serves as an extension that extends into the housing 3 and has a lower end to which the working members 47A-47E can be detachably attached. The storage sections 4Sa and 4Sb are configured to hermetically store the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 and the working members 47A-47E. This allows the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 to be stored in the storage sections 4Sa and 4Sb along with the working members 47A-47E, and therefore allows the working members 47A-47E to be inserted into the housing 3 via the discharge pipe 42 when the passage is open.

In addition, the working members 47A-47E as functional parts were attached to the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 as an extension part, but if, for example, the extension part moves back and forth in a substantially horizontal direction, they may be attached to the leading end in the insertion direction rather than the lower end.

The valve is a check valve device 4 having a valve box 4a that movably houses the valve element 4c, and the housing portion 4Sa is formed within the valve box 4a, making it easy to form the housing portion 4Sa by utilizing the internal space of the valve box 4a that houses the valve element 4c.

In addition, the valve box 4a has an opening (the upper open end of the body 13b) that can open and close the storage section 4Sa. By removing the work lid 31, the storage section 4Sa can be opened wide, making it easier to access the work members 47A to 47E stored in the storage section 4Sa.

In addition, a working lid 31 is provided as a lid that can close the opening of the valve box 4a, and the working lid 31 is provided with confirmation windows 33a-33d that serve as openable and closable holes. This makes it possible to open the confirmation windows 33a-33d and visually check the status inside the housing 3 without removing the working lid 31. It also makes it possible to perform tasks such as inserting working members 47A-47C into the interior through the confirmation windows 33a-33d.

The work lid 31 is also provided with a work ball valve 20, which serves as an on-off valve through which the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 and the work members 47A-47E can be inserted and removed. A sealed second storage section 4Sb, where the work members 47A-47E can wait, is provided in a passage located outside the ball 22 of the work ball valve 20. By positioning the lower end of the discharge pipe 42 in the storage section 4Sb outside the work ball valve 20, the work members 47A-47E can be attached and detached.

Furthermore, because the upper surface of the valve disc 4c is formed flat, it can be used to attach and detach the work members 47A-47E. During work, tools and other necessary components, in addition to the acrylic plate 35, may also be placed on the upper surface of the valve disc 4c.

The valve is a work ball valve 20 having a main body 21 with a rotatable ball 22 serving as a valve element, and the storage section 4Sb is formed outside the ball 22 of the work ball valve 20, allowing the work members 47A-47C to be stored in the storage section 4Sb outside the work ball valve 20 and kept on standby.

The valve is a check valve device 4 having a valve box 4a that movably houses the valve element 4c, and the housing section 4Sa is formed within a working cylinder 61 that communicates with the valve box 4a. This allows the housing section 4Sc to be formed in a working cylinder 61 separate from the valve box 4a, allowing for a high degree of freedom in setting the size of the housing space.

In addition, the storage sections 4Sa and 4Sb are provided with air vents (for example, air vent valves 36 or gaps 110 between the flange 41a of the support pipe 41 and the upper flange 15b of the connecting pipe 15), which makes it easy to vent air when filling the storage sections 4Sa and 4Sb with fluid.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included in the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, when performing work to discharge foreign matter C by suction using the work member 47A or the like, there is no problem with the suction force when the pressure inside the fluid pipe 2 is high. However, when the pressure inside the fluid pipe 2 is low, the suction force may be weak and the foreign matter C may not be sucked up properly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, for example, suction through the discharge pipe 42 may be forcibly performed using a low-pressure suction unit 80 consisting of a strainer 81 to which the hose 48 of the work control unit 5 is connected, an electric pump 82 for sucking up wastewater, a connecting pipe 83 connecting the strainer 81 and the electric pump 82, and a water supply pipe 84 connected to a water tank (not shown) and supplying water into the connecting pipe 83.

In addition, while the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which working members 47A-47E can be attached to the tip of the discharge pipe 42, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a flexible hose 88 or the like may be attached as a functional part to the tip of the discharge pipe 42, and the hose 88 may be inserted into the fluid pipe 2 so that foreign matter C can be sucked out. Furthermore, an imaging device 89, such as a camera, may be attached as a functional part to the tip of the discharge pipe 42, and an image of the inside of the housing 3 captured by the imaging section of the imaging device may be displayed on a monitor device (not shown) or the like for confirmation. This allows for easy confirmation using the imaging device 89, even when the fluid inside the housing 3 is highly turbid and visual confirmation through the confirmation windows 33a-33d is difficult.

Furthermore, by attaching a light source (e.g., a light-emitting diode, etc.) (not shown) as a functional part to the tip of the discharge pipe 42 so that it can illuminate the inside of the housing 3, it is possible to improve visibility when visually checking the work status inside the housing 3 through the observation windows 33a-33d or when checking the status using images captured by the imaging device 89. The light source may be attached alone to the tip of the extension part, or it may be attached to the extension part together with the imaging device 89, or it may be attached to an extension part separate from the imaging device 89.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a valve having a valve element that can open and close the interior of the housing is illustrated as being a gate valve device 4 having a valve element 4c that can open and close the interior of the housing 3, and an operation ball valve 20 having a ball 22 as a valve element that can open and close the interior of the housing 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a valve having a valve element that is separate from the valve element 4c of the gate valve device 4 or the ball 22 of the operation ball valve 20 may also be applied, as long as it has a valve element that can open and close the interior of the housing.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was given in which the accommodation section 4Sa provided inside the valve box 4a and the accommodation section 4Sb consisting of the flexible pipe joint 37, lower connecting pipe 15c, working ball valve 20, and upper connecting pipe 15d were used as accommodation sections capable of accommodating the tip of the discharge pipe 42 as the extension section and the working members 47A-47E as functional sections. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the accommodation sections 4Sb, 4Sb are not limited to the above as long as they are formed outside the valve body such as the valve body 4c and ball 22.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 15, a separate working cylinder 60 or the like may be provided in a sealed state between the valve box 4a and the working cover 31 of the gate valve device 4, and a storage section 4Sc communicating with the storage section 4Sa may be provided inside this working cylinder 60. This makes it possible to store large chips and other debris that cannot be stored in the storage section 4Sa in the storage section 4Sc, or in two storage sections 4Sa and 4Sc. In this way, because the storage section 4Sc can be formed in a working cylinder 60 separate from the valve box 4a, the size of the storage space can be set with a high degree of freedom, even if it is not possible to secure a large enough space to form a storage section outside the valve disc 4c in the valve box 4a that slidably supports the valve disc 4c.

In addition, while the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the housing 3 and the valve box 4a of the gate valve device 4 are configured separately, the housing 3 and the valve box 4a of the gate valve device 4 may be integrated. In other words, the accommodation section may be provided inside the valve box 4a, such as accommodation section 4Sa in the above embodiment, or it may be provided outside the valve box 4a, such as accommodation section 4Sb provided inside the flexible pipe joint 37, lower connecting pipe 15c, working ball valve 20, and upper connecting pipe 15d that are connected in a sealed state to the valve box 4a, or accommodation section 4Sc provided inside the working cylinder 60 shown in FIG. 15.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the storage section includes storage section 4Sa inside the valve box 4a, and storage sections 4Sb and 4Sc are also provided outside the valve box 4a. In other words, while an example has been given of a configuration in which the working device 1 includes multiple storage sections 4Sa, 4Sb, and 4Sc, the present invention is not limited to this. The working device 1 only needs to include at least one of the multiple storage sections 4Sa, 4Sb, and 4Sc, whether inside or outside the valve box 4a. Furthermore, the working device 1 may include four or more storage sections.

In the above embodiment, the valve element of the valve, such as the valve element 4c of the gate valve device 4 or the ball 22 of the working ball valve 20, is provided in the valve box 4a or main body 21, which is sealed and connected to the housing 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided in the housing. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 16 , a working ball valve 120 having a ball 122 as a valve element may be sealed and provided in the housing 103A via a connecting pipe 15A. In this case, a housing section 4Sd capable of housing a functional section (e.g., a working member 47Z) may be provided outside the ball 122, and a support pipe 41 connected to the connecting pipe 15A may support a discharge pipe 42 as an extension section so that it can advance and retreat within the housing 103A.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the extension portion and functional portion are arranged so that they can be inserted from above to below the housing 3, but the direction of movement of the extension portion is not limited to the up-and-down direction, and it may be movable in a direction other than the up-and-down direction, such as a substantially horizontal direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, they may be arranged so that they can be inserted from the side of the housing 103A toward the inside.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the working device 1 is exemplified as having a gate valve device 4 with a valve body 4c and a working ball valve 20 with a ball 22 as a valve body, but the present invention is not limited to this. The working device does not necessarily have to have two or more valves as long as it has at least one valve with a valve body. Furthermore, if only one valve is provided, it may only have a working ball valve 120 as shown in Figure 16, or it may only have the gate valve device 4 of the above embodiment, and the type of valve may be different from the above valves.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a gate valve device 4 having a valve element 4c that can move between the valve box 4a and the valve lid 4b is provided separately from the housing 3, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the gate valve device 4 may be provided integrally with the housing 3. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, the valve element 4c may be provided movably in the housing 103B without providing a valve box or the like separate from the housing 103B. In this case, the storage section 4Se may be provided in the space outside the valve element 4c in the housing 103B.

In addition, in the above embodiment, examples of work related to drilling the fluid pipe 2 by the drilling machine 7 inside the housing 3 include the work of sucking and discharging foreign matter C by the work control unit 5, sweeping it out, removing it from the sheet surface, suctioning it, and taking an image of the inside of the housing 3 using the imaging device 89 to check it. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may also include work using various other tools, such as checking the water quality inside the housing 3 using a detection device (not shown) or checking for leaks before drilling the fluid pipe 2.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the work control unit 5 is illustrated as being composed of a work lid 31, a flexible pipe joint 37, a connecting pipe 15 including a work ball valve 20, a support pipe 41, and a discharge pipe 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as it has at least a support pipe 41 and a discharge pipe 42, it does not necessarily have to have a work lid 31, a flexible pipe joint 37, and a connecting pipe 15 including a work ball valve 20.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a form in which a discharge pipe 42 made of metal is used as an extension section that is capable of advancing and retreating toward the interior of the housing 3 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured from a flexible member such as a rubber hose. Furthermore, the extension section does not have to be a tubular member like the discharge pipe 42, through which foreign matter C can move, but may be configured as a simple rod member. In other words, as long as it is capable of advancing and retreating toward the interior of the housing 3, the material, function, etc. can be changed in various ways depending on the functional section attached to the tip.

In addition, the above embodiment illustrates a configuration in which a work device 1 is applied that is capable of discharging foreign matter C that occurs when a predetermined portion of a fluid pipe 2 is cut by a drilling machine 7, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any work device that is capable of discharging foreign matter C that occurs when a predetermined portion of a fluid pipe 2 is drilled by a drilling machine 7 or the like may be applied.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a valve element 4c that can open and close the interior of the housing 3 is provided as a valve element that can move horizontally relative to the valve box 4a and that closes the interior of the housing 3 when placed on the valve box 4a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a valve element that closes the interior of the housing by moving the valve element 4c vertically may also be used. Furthermore, the type of valve element is also arbitrary and can be changed in various ways.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the gate valve device 4 having the valve body 4c that can open and close the interior of the housing 3 is removed by closing the upper opening of the housing 3 with a lid member (not shown) after the foreign matter C has been discharged or checked, but the present invention is not limited to this and the device may be left in place.

1 Working device 2 Fluid pipes 3, 103, 103A, 103B Housing 4 Gate valve device (valve, working valve)
4a Valve box 4b Valve cover 4c Valve body 4d Groove portion 4Sa, 4Sd, 4Se Storage portion 4Sb, 4Sc Storage portion (second storage portion)
5, 5A Work control unit 7 Drilling machine 15, 15A Connecting pipe 15c Lower connecting pipe 15d Upper connecting pipe 20 Work ball valve (valve, on-off valve)
21 Main body (main body)
22 Ball (valve body)
26 O-ring (sealing part)
31 Work lid (lid part)
32 Insertion holes 33a to 33d Confirmation windows (holes)
35 Acrylic plate 36 Air vent valve (air vent part)
37 Flexible pipe joint 41 Support pipe 42 Discharge pipe (extension part)
47A to 47E, 47Z Working members (functional parts)
60 Working cylinder 88 Hose (functional part)
89 Imaging device (functional part)
110 Gap (air vent)
C Foreign matter

Claims (7)

A working device having at least a housing that hermetically fits a fluid pipe, a passage that connects the inside of the housing with the outside, a valve having a valve body that can open and close the passage and a valve box that movably houses the valve body, and a functional part that can enter the housing through the passage,
an extension portion that extends into the housing and at its tip is detachable from the functional portion;
The valve box has a sealed accommodation section in which the functional section can wait,
An opening/closing valve through which the tip of the extension portion and the functional portion are detachably inserted is provided on a lid portion capable of closing the opening of the valve box, and a sealed second accommodating portion in which the functional portion can wait is provided in a passage located outside the valve body of the opening/closing valve,
A working device, characterized in that a flexible pipe joint is interposed between the housing portion and the second housing portion. The work device described in claim 1, characterized in that the storage section has a sealing section that seals the extension section so that it can be moved back and forth. The working device described in claim 1, characterized in that the storage section is configured to hermetically store the tip of the extension section and the functional section. The work device described in claim 1, characterized in that the lid portion is provided with an openable and closable hole. The working device described in claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface of the valve body is formed into a flat surface. The work device described in claim 1, characterized in that the on-off valve has a main body that rotatably supports the valve body. The work device described in claim 1, characterized in that an air vent is formed in the storage section.