US 11,892,322 B2
Inspection robot for horizontal tube inspection having sensor carriage
Kevin Low, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Edward Bryner, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Logan Mackenzie, Union City, PA (US); Joshua Moore, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Michael S. Auda, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Mark Cho, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Edwin H. Cho, Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Assigned to Gecko Robotics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Gecko Robotics, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on Mar. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/694,897.
Application 17/694,897 is a continuation of application No. 16/387,237, filed on Apr. 17, 2019, granted, now 11,307,063.
Application 16/387,237 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/853,391, filed on Dec. 22, 2017, granted, now 10,698,412, issued on Jun. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/658,827, filed on Apr. 17, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/596,737, filed on Dec. 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/438,788, filed on Dec. 23, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196445 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. G01D 11/30 (2006.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 15/00 (2006.01); G05D 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC G01D 11/30 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1679 (2013.01); B25J 15/0019 (2013.01); G01B 11/24 (2013.01); G05D 3/125 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a vertically arranged layer of tubes, comprising:
a drive module comprising a pair of wheels structured to engage a top tube of the vertically arranged layer of tubes;
at least one telescoping pole;
a sensor carriage assembly coupled to the at least one telescoping pole, the sensor carriage assembly structured to accept at least one of a plurality of sensors,
wherein the sensor carriage assembly comprises at least one guide arm structured to engage a tube of at least one of the vertically arranged layer of tubes or an adjacent vertically arranged layer of tubes;
a sensor carriage actuator operatively engaged with the sensor carriage assembly, and structured to selectively rotate the sensor carriage assembly between an inspection position and a raising/lowering position, wherein the sensor carriage assembly has a narrower vertical profile in the raising/lowering position than in the inspection position; and
a lowering mechanism operationally coupled to the at least one telescoping pole and structured to selectively extend or retract the at least one telescoping pole, thereby providing a selected vertical position of the sensor carriage assembly.