PACKER FOR PIPE AND SEWER REHABILITATION

Abstract

A packer for pipe and sewer rehabilitation, including a front and a rear flange, between which an expandable sleeve which can be filled with a pressure medium is arranged, wherein the rear and the front flange have lead-through openings which are connected by a hollow lead-through element within the sleeve, so as to be sealed in relation to the sleeve, and through which a feed line to a camera arrangement that is arranged adjoining the lead-through opening in the front flange and that includes a camera is guided, wherein the camera arrangement includes an extension element which is bendable in a radial direction and at the front end of which the camera is arranged, wherein the extension element is assigned an adjusting device for setting the radial bending thereof.

Claims

1. A packer for pipe and sewer rehabilitation, comprising a front and a rear flange, between which an expandable sleeve which can be filled with a pressure medium is arranged, wherein the rear and the front flange have lead-through openings which are connected by a hollow lead-through element within the sleeve, so as to be sealed in relation to said sleeve, and through which a feed line to a camera arrangement that is arranged adjoining the lead-through opening in the front flange and that comprises a camera is guided, wherein the camera arrangement comprises an extension element which is bendable in a radial direction and at the front end of which the camera is arranged, wherein the extension element is assigned an adjusting device for setting the radial bending thereof.

2. The packer according to claim 1, wherein the camera arrangement with the adjusting device is configured as part of a guide device for guiding the packer into a branch, and/or the adjusting device, in particular through selection of the length and/or radial bendability of the extension element, is configured in such a way that the camera can be pivoted radially further than the radius of a line in which the packer is moved, in particular into the branch of the line.

3. The packer according to claim 1, wherein the feed line is mounted in the lead-through element in a displaceable manner and the adjusting device comprises a fastening means which connects a first fastening point that is spaced apart from the front flange and that is in particular arranged at the front end of the extension element to a second fastening point radially spaced apart from the lead-through opening in the front flange.

4. The packer according to claim 3, wherein the fastening means is a wire and/or a chain and/or a tear-resistant thread.

5. The packer according to claim 1, wherein the feed line is extended as far as a distal operating portion, which has to be arranged at least partially outside the pipe or sewer.

6. The packer according to claim 1, wherein a pressure medium connection for the pressure medium is provided on the rear flange, said pressure medium connection comprising a coupling means for coupling of an operating means which is to be used at least to rotate the packer.

7. The packer according to claim 1, wherein the feed line comprises a fiberglass rod within the lead-through element, said fiberglass rod comprising cable connections to the camera and in particular delimiting the longitudinal expansion of the packer.

8. The packer according to claim 7, wherein the fiberglass rod is connected to a supply line of the feed line by plug-in connections, said supply line adjoining the rear flange and/or the front flange.

9. The packer according to claim 1, wherein at least one UV light source of a curing device is arranged within the transparent sleeve, in particular on the lead-through element, said at least one UV light source being able to be operated via cable connections within the feed line.

10. The packer according to claim 1, wherein the stiffness of the hollow lead-through element is selected such that the spacing between the two flanges during movement and/or filling with the pressure medium remains at least substantially constant.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0033] In the drawing:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a packer according to the invention in a basic state,

[0035] FIG. 2 shows the first exemplary embodiment in a state in which the orientation of the camera has changed,

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a second exemplary embodiment of a packer according to the invention, and

[0037] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a pipe and/or sewer rehabilitation arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a packer 1 according to the invention. The packer 1 comprises exactly one sleeve 2 in the form of an inflation hose which serves as outer shell and which is of hose-like configuration and consists of an expandable fabric-free or at least partially fabric-reinforced material. Exactly one flange 3, 4 is arranged at each of the two end portions of the sleeve 2, the sleeve 2 being firmly connected to the flanges 3, 4 by means of clamping rings 5, 6. The flanges 3, 4 each comprise an encircling groove (not shown in any more detail), in order to avoid slipping of the sleeve 2, and also, on their inner side, a conical portion 7, 8 against which the sleeve 2 bears. On the outer side, a respective clamp 9, 10 is attached at this location.

[0039] The rear flange 3 illustrated on the left in FIG. 1 comprises an axial lead-through opening 11 which transitions into a cylindrical, hollow lead-through element 12 in the interior of the packer 1. The other end of the lead-through element 12 is adjoined by a through-opening 13 in the front flange 4, said through-opening in the present case having the same diameter as the through-opening 11 in the rear flange 3. A respective collar 14, 15 may be present on the outer sides of the flanges 3, 4.

[0040] The leadthrough formed by the lead-through openings 11, 13 and the lead-through element 12 is used to guide a feed line 16 to a camera 17 of a camera arrangement 18 in a displaceable manner. This feed line 16 contains, in particular, the cable connections 19 to the camera 17, for example two wires for supplying power and a wire for transmitting image data and/or controlling the camera 17. Furthermore, said feed line may also contain cable connections to UV LEDs (not illustrated) of a curing device which are arranged within the, in this case, transparent sleeve 2.

[0041] The camera arrangement 18 comprises a camera head 20 with greatly rounded edges which contains the camera 17 in a central and preferably set-back manner, said camera being oriented toward the front along the longitudinal direction in the basic state shown in FIG. 1. In addition, an illuminant which can be operated via the feed line may also be present, in order to illuminate the field of view of the camera 17. The camera head 20, which may consist, for example, of plastic or metal, is connected to the feed line 16 by way of an extension element 21, here a tightly wound metal spring, the windings of which bear against one another, and a connecting element 22. The extension element 21 is of bendable design. Even though in FIG. 1 the basic state with camera 17 directed straight ahead is shown in such a way that a part of the feed line 16 projects out of the lead-through opening 13, preferred configurations in which the connecting element 22, the diameter of which is greater than that of the lead-through opening 13, bears directly against the lead-through opening 13 are nevertheless also possible. In both cases, a delimitation for a sliding distance of the feed line 16 is formed, which can be extended from the rear end as far as an operating portion outside the pipe system and/or sewer system. Along this extension which is also indicated in FIG. 1, a further delimitation may be provided by means of a clamp 23 or the like.

[0042] By means of a fastening means 24, here a wire and/or a chain and/or a thread, in particular Perlon thread, the camera arrangement 18 is coupled to the front flange 4, specifically between a first fastening point 25 at or adjacent to the front end of the extension element 21, in particular at the camera head 20, and a second fastening point 26 on the radially outer periphery of the rear side of the front flange 4. On account of this coupling, when the feed line 16 is slid out, as shown in FIG. 2, the extension element 21 bends toward the side of the second fastening point 26, with the result that the orientation of the camera 17 changes, specifically the camera 17 is pivoted to the side.

[0043] Since the length of the camera arrangement 18 is 20 cm in this exemplary embodiment, the camera head 20 can also be pivoted into lines that branch off and, when held in such a position, guides the entire packer 1 therein. This is simplified by the rounded edges of the camera head 20.

[0044] Furthermore, the packer 1 also comprises a pressure medium connection 27 in order to supply pressure medium into the sleeve. In the present case, the pressure medium connection is also provided with a coupling means 28, here a rotary linkage and push-rod linkage connection, in order to connect a rotary linkage and push-rod linkage, which also leads to outside the pipe and sewer system to form an operating means in order to rotate and to slide/retract the packer 1. Rotation of the packer 1 makes it possible to set different viewing directions of the camera 17.

[0045] In this way, the movement travel of the packer 1 in the pipe and sewer system can thus be monitored and the location to be rehabilitated can be reliably located. In addition, the adjustable camera arrangement 18 also makes navigation easier, as described, both with regard to branches and with regard to bends to be passed through. In particular, the lead-through element 12 may also be designed such that it can be bent radially in the interior of the sleeve 2, but maintains the spacing between the flanges 3, 4 on account of its stiffness. It is thus also possible for bends to be passed through in a simple manner, in particular without kinking.

[0046] After the location to be rehabilitated has been reached, the interior of the sleeve 2 is filled with a pressure medium such as air or water via a pressure medium connection 27, as a result of which a laminate, which is wound onto the sleeve 2 and which is not illustrated in the figures, is pressed against the pipe wall and/or sewer wall. The laminate is impregnated with a synthetic resin or a similar material which cures due to a supply of heat, in particular by means of the UV LEDs, or after a predefined time. After the curing operation has ended, the pressure medium is discharged and the packer 1 is pulled back again by means of the linkage coupled to the pressure medium connection 27. Lines and sewers which are accessible only from one side can also be rehabilitated using the packer 1.

[0047] In order to make it possible for any waste water or other liquids to flow away during the rehabilitation operation, the packer 1 comprises an axial through-opening 29 for waste water which—like the leadthrough also—is sealed in relation to the interior of the sleeve 2.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a packer 1′ which is modified slightly in relation to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in which, for the sake of simplicity, corresponding components are denoted by the same reference signs. In contrast to the packer 1, in which the lead-through openings 11 and 13 are provided centrally, the lead-through opening 11 is provided radially outwardly here and the pressure medium connection 27 centrally, in order to permit easier rotation and sliding/pulling by means of the operating means. The lead-through element 12 thus runs at an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction, but still allows the feed line 16 to be displaced.

[0049] FIG. 4 schematically shows the packer 1, 1′ in a pipe system and/or sewer system 30 at a branch 31. The operating portion 32 for the camera arrangement 18 has been slid forward, such that said camera arrangement projects into the branch 31. By means of the operating means 33, the packer 1, 1′ can then also be slid into the branch 31. Also shown is an output device 34, here a display 35, for images of the camera 17, which output device may be arranged, for example, on the operating arrangement with the operating portion 32 and the operating means 33.

[0050] In all the exemplary embodiments, the feed line 16 may comprise a “pipe eel”, in which the cable connections are guided. As an alternative or in addition, it is conceivable to use a fiberglass rod within the lead-through element 12, said fiberglass rod containing the cable connections. Said fiberglass rod may be connected, in particular on both sides, to further-conducting supply lines by way of corresponding plug-in connections, for example 6 pole plug-in connections if the cable connections 19 for the camera 17 and for the UV LEDs are contained.

[0051] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.