Abstract:
A device for entering an object into a cell comprises mainly a track for guiding the object and a lifting pod extending the track. It is then possible to use robots and lower them on the floor of the cell to carry out inspection work.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS OR PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application is a national phase of International Application No. PCT/EP2008/065075, entitled “DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING AN OBJECT INTO A COMPARTMENT”, which was filed on Nov. 6, 2008, and which claims priority of French Patent Application No. 07 58942, filed Nov. 9, 2007. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a diagram of a cell wall separating the inside of a cell and an external medium with a transport device according to an embodiment formed in a tunnel that passes through the cell wall; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a diagram of a side view of a transport device according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a diagram of a top view of a transport device according to an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a diagram of a front view of a transport device according to an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     The subject of this invention is a device for transporting an object in a cell. One principal application considered at the moment relates to the transport of mobile robots in shielded cells in which there is a hostile environment. There are few openings in such cells, possibly including narrow openings passing through the wall and extending above the floor of the cell. It is then necessary to find how to lower the object once it has passed through the opening in the wall, without any manual action being possible, even by another robot or a remote controlled tool. 
     The difficulties in entry are less severe through other types of openings, but they are not always present. Shielded doors can thus be passed through simply by rolling or across a passageway, and robots supported on a pod can be lowered through openings passing through the ceiling of the cell using a pulley block. Entries through the openings in which we are interested are usually made by instruments placed on the end of rods, but inspection possibilities are then limited because it is impossible to release the objects in the cell. 
     The invention offers a better means of inspecting such cells by making it possible to lower mobile robots or possibly other objects into them, after they have passed through the wall of the cell through an opening located above the floor, while being able to retrieve them afterwards. Vehicles must then move freely in the cell, becoming independent of the device. 
     In a general form, the invention relates to a device for transport of an object in a cell delimited by a wall through an opening in the wall, comprising a track formed in the wall and provided with a cavity for guiding the object with a lower face and side faces, support beams projecting into the cell prolonging the track, a connection between the support beams and the track, a pod under the support beams, a winch outside the cell and unwound winch cables routed along the track and the support beams, and from which the pod is suspended. 
     All this and other aspects of the invention will now be described with relation to the figures, in which  FIG. 1  shows a general view of the invention and  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4  show side, top and front views of the transport track. 
       FIG. 1  shows a cell wall  1  separating the inside of cell  2  and an external medium  3 . An opening  4  in the form of a tunnel passes through the cell wall  1  from one side to the other. A robot  5  that does not form part of the invention can be inserted into the cell  2 . Since the opening  4  is above the floor level, the robot needs to be lowered. The transport device comprises a track  7  formed in the opening  4 , two support beams  8  extending the track  7  and projecting outside the opening  4  inside the cell  2 , a pod  9  suspended from the support beams  8  and a winch  10  located in the external medium  3  and fixed to the track  7 . 
     The track  7  comprises a connection flange  13  to the winch  10 . It also comprises a connection module  14  to the support beams  8 , which comprises elbows  15  diverging from each other starting from the connection module  14  such that the support beams  8  are separated from each other more than by the width of the track  7  and are also higher than the track  7 . Finally, if necessary, the track  7  comprises an arbitrary number of extension modules  16  with possibly different lengths between the connection module  14  and the flange  13  to adapt the length of the track  7  to the length of the opening  4 . 
     The modules  14  and  16  are usually made as follows. They comprise a cavity  17  over their entire length, with dimensions adapted to the dimensions of the object (the robot  5 ) that will follow the track  7  and comprise a lower support face  18  and two side guide faces  19  and  20 . They also comprise connection flanges between modules  21  at their ends, which extend alongside the cavity  17  and under it as far as the walls of the opening  4  so as to fix the position of the track  7 . These flanges  21  comprise drillings  22  through which module assembly bolts (not shown) are inserted, a notch  23  through which the unwound cable  24  of the winch  10  passes and that will be described in more detail later, and second drillings  25  on one side of the modules and centring pins  26  on the other side engaging into the second drillings  25 . This description excludes the extreme segments of the track  7 ; the assembly flange  13  of the winch  10  projects beyond the contour of the opening  4  so as to provide a stop position to the track  7  against the wall of the cell  1 ; and the connection  27  between the connection module  14  and the support beams  8  comprises the elbows  15 , and also a sleeve  28  that can slide along the front of the opening  4  projecting more or less outside it, adapting the length of the track  7  to the length of the opening  4 . Furthermore, the connection module  14  comprises guide tubes  29  that will adjust the position of the cables  24  reaching the support beams  8 , to separate them from each other and to raise them. Two of the tubes  29  stop at the beginning of the support beams  8 , the other two go as far as their ends. The cables  24  project beyond the tubes  29  and the pod  9  is suspended from them at its four corners, extending between and under the two support beams  8 . 
     Operation of the device is simple. After having been inserted onto the track  7 , the robot  5  is started so that it runs along the track. It is guided in the cavity  17 . It passes on the pod  9  that has a cross-section similar to the cross-section of the cavity  17  and that is an extension of it at that moment. It is then stopped and the pod  9  is lowered into the cell  2  by unwinding the cables  24  of the winch  10  by a manual or mechanical action. The pod  9  reaches the floor  6  and the robot  5  is restarted to move around inside the cell  2 . It can then return and get onto the pod  9  again, and the pod is then raised. The robot then returns to the external environment  3  along the track  7 .