145results about "Lifeboat handling" patented technology

An apparatus for launching and recovering at least one water vehicle includes a frame supported by a base. The base may be mounted to the deck of a boat. The frame includes an elongate stand for supporting the water vehicle. The frame is mounted for being moved relative to the base between a stowed position and a deployed position, so that a rear end of the stand is at a lower elevation in the deployed position than in the stowed position. A guide is carried by the frame and adapted for being moved back and forth along the stand. The guide is for mechanically guiding the water vehicle along the stand.

The present invention provides a system for supporting and releasing a twin fall lifeboat, comprising a pair of hooks releasably engaged with a corresponding pair of lifting links, and a lifeboat release assembly including a release handle, a release arm, a weighted rack, and a pair of flexible cables attached at first ends to the rack and attached at second ends to the hooks, wherein the release handle is attached to the release arm at a pivot point, wherein the release arm includes a wheel disposed within a wheel encasement attached to the weighted rack, wherein the system includes an engaged configuration in which the lifting links are secured by the hooks, and wherein the release handle is pulled by an operator, rotating the release arm about the boss, thereby lifting the weighted rack and pulling the flexible cables release the lifting links from the hooks substantially simultaneously. The hooks provide positive locking under load because of a load over center design, wherein the load is in line with the center of hook rotation, thereby preventing the hook from opening inadvertently and eliminating the need for a hydrostatic device.

The invention discloses a device for recovering an autonomous underwater vehicle by an unmanned ship based on a guide cable. The device for recovering the autonomous underwater vehicle is characterized in that the water surface unmanned ship, a recovery device carried on the water surface unmanned ship, the recovered or arranged autonomous underwater vehicle and a guide recovery control system arranged on the autonomous underwater vehicle are included; an underwater acoustic transducer is arranged at the bottom of the water surface unmanned ship and is used for underwater acoustic communication of the water surface unmanned ship and the autonomous underwater vehicle; a hydraulic telescopic rod connected with the recovery device is arranged in a cabin of the water surface unmanned ship; motion of the recovery device in the vertical direction can be achieved through the hydraulic telescopic rod; and an arc-shaped guide arm and cable fastening pliers are arranged at the top end of the bowof the autonomous underwater vehicle. The device for recovering the autonomous underwater vehicle has the beneficial effects that a USV serves as a water surface platform, and the device and method for autonomously recovering the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) through a guide cable are adopted so as to overcome the defects that in the prior technological means, water surface arrangement recovery is greatly influenced by sea wind waves, and people and equipment safety risk exists.

A system and a method for evacuating personnel from an offshore unit ar e described. The evacuation system comprises at least one submarine evacuation module attached to the offshore unit. A submarine evacuation module comprise s a submarine for transporting personnel to be evacuated and a watertight submarine bay fixed to the offshore unit for holding the submarine, the bay having a door to permit the launch of the submarine from the bay. The evacuation module bay includes a control system for flooding the submarine bay, for operating the door, and f or decoupling a hook mechanism that couples the submarine to the submarine. The evacuation module bay may also include a roller system for cradling the submarine and guiding its movement into and out of the bay, and a sonar system for detecting obstructions near the bay door outside of the bay. The method of evacuating personnel from an offshore unit having a portion adapted to be submerged bel ow the water level comprises having the personnel enter the submarine, flooding the bay, opening the door in the submarine bay and propelling the submarine from the bay to a predetermined location remote from the offshore unit.

The invention relates to a vehicle laying and retrieving method, in particular to an unmanned surface vehicle laying and retrieving method.According to the unmanned surface vehicle laying and retrieving method, the traditional mode that when an unmanned surface vehicle is laid and retracted, manual operation on the unmanned surface vehicle is needed is changed, and meanwhile damage brought by cage-type retrieving to the unmanned surface vehicle is avoided.The laying and retrieving method is easy to operate, short in laying and retrieving time and high in success rate.

A life raft canister is launched from a below deck doorway. A launcher is activated and pneumatically opens a below deck door, exposing the doorway. The same inflation tank inflates an elongated bladder that forces the life boat canister out of the doorway. The canister drops to the sea where the life boat is deployed from the canister. The life raft auto-inflates. As a result, a life raft is deployed from below-deck.

An offshore depot having a vertically symmetric hull, an upper inwardly-tapered wall and a lower outwardly-tapered wall that produce significant heave damping in response to heavy wave action. Ballast is added to the lower and outermost portions of the hull to lower the center of gravity below the center of buoyancy. The offshore depot includes a tunnel formed within or through the hull at the waterline that provides a sheltered area inside the hull for safe and easy launching / docking of boats and embarkation / debarkation of personnel. When the watertight tunnel doors are all shut, the tunnel may be drained to create a dry dock environment within the hull. The offshore depot includes berthing and dinning accommodations, medical facilities, workshops, machine shops, a heliport, and the like.

Disclosed is a placement system for a free-flying kite-type wind-attacked element in a watercraft in which the kite-type wind-attacked element comprising a profiled wing is connected to the vessel body via a traction rope. Said wind-attacked element can be guided from a neutral position on board the watercraft into a raised position that is free from obstacles located at the same or a higher level. An azimuthally pivotable fixture is provided by means of which the wind-attacked element can be brought into a position in which the same is exposed to a sufficient wind effect. Furthermore, a docking receiving device is provided which is to be removably connected to the docking adapter of the wind-attacked element on the side facing away from the wind while also allowing the wind-attacked element to be furled with the aid of automatically engaging holding means.

A submarine (1) has an assembly (3) for deploying a life raft (5), the assembly (3) being located in a well (7) formed outside the submarine's pressure hull (11). The assembly includes a pressure vessel (4) for storing the life raft (5) in a pressurized state. To deploy underwater, a lid (71) covering an opening to the well (7) is released to permit the assembly (3), which is buoyant, to ascend towards the water surface. A sensor (43) determines proximity to the water surface, whereby a pneumatic ram (42) in the pressure vessel is activated to eject the life raft (5) from the pressure vessel (4).

The invention discloses a device and method for initiatively capturing an unmanned underwater vehicle on a water surface by an unmanned ship. The water surface unmanned ship, a recovery cage and an initiative capture control system are included. The water surface unmanned ship is of a double-body ship type, and an open cabin is arranged in the middle of a ship body. The recovery cage is used for capturing the unmanned underwater vehicle. The initiative capture control system is integrated in a shipborne computer of the water surface unmanned ship. The open cabin in the middle of the water surface unmanned ship is used for holding the recovery cage. The recovery cage is connected with the water surface unmanned ship through a hydraulic telescopic rod installed in the cabin. The hydraulic telescopic rod is connected with the initiative capture control system, the recovery cage is controlled by the initiative capture control system to be put into water or to be taken into the cabin, and the height of the collection cage is also adjusted precisely. The device and method has the beneficial effects that the unmanned ship and the recovery device and method thereof are provided, forced recovery can be conducted without the need for matching of the unmanned underwater vehicle, initiative capture of the uncontrollable unmanned underwater vehicle of an unknown source can be achieved, andimportant military application value is achieved.

Detailed are restraints intended principally (but not necessarily exclusively) for inflatable evacuation slides or rafts. At least one such restraint may be designed to release based on geometric shape of an object (such as a slide) rather than merely as a function of its inflation pressure or length. One version of this type of restraint includes a connector pin attached to a cord, with tensioning of the cord eventually retracting the pin to effect release of the restraint.

Detailed are restraints intended principally (but not necessarily exclusively) for inflatable evacuation slides or rafts. At least one such restraint may be designed to release based on geometric shape of an object (such as a slide) rather than merely as a function of its inflation pressure or length. One version of this type of restraint includes a connector pin attached to a cord, with tensioning of the cord eventually retracting the pin to effect release of the restraint.

A personal watercraft has a hull and a deck. The deck includes a pedestal, two gunnels, two footrests, and a rear platform. A straddle-type seat is disposed on the pedestal. A steering assembly is disposed at least in part forwardly of the seat. An engine is supported by the hull. A propulsion system is connected to the hull and is operatively connected to the engine. A ballast tank is disposed at least in part on the rear platform. The ballast tank includes a rigid ballast tank body, and at least two apertures in the ballast tank body. A connector releasably connects the ballast tank to one of the hull and the deck. A pump fluidly communicates with one of the at least two apertures in the ballast tank body. A ballast tank having a generally L-shaped rigid ballast tank body is also disclosed.

A system and a method for evacuating personnel from an offshore unit are described. The evacuation system comprises at least one submarine evacuation module attached to the offshore unit. A submarine evacuation module comprises a submarine for transporting personnel to be evacuated and a watertight submarine bay fixed to the offshore unit for holding the submarine, the bay having a door to permit the launch of the submarine from the bay. The evacuation module bay includes a control system, which may have hydraulic, electrical and mechanical systems, for flooding the submarine bay, for operating the door, and for decoupling a hook mechanism that couples the submarine to the submarine. The evacuation module bay may also include a roller system for cradling the submarine and guiding its movement into and out of the bay, and a sonar system for detecting obstructions near the bay door outside of the bay. The method of evacuating personnel from an offshore unit having a portion adapted to be submerged below the water level comprises having the personnel enter the submarine, flooding the bay, opening the door in the submarine bay and propelling the submarine from the bay to a predetermined location remote from the offshore unit.

The invention discloses an unmanned underwater vehicle device for storage and release of an unmanned water surface boat and relates to the technical field of unmanned boat application. The device comprises a portal frame, a first hydraulic push rod, a first driving device, a first transmission device, a second hydraulic push rod, a second driving device, a second transmission device, a base plate,a laser range finder, a controller and a clamping mechanism; the two ends of the portal frame are hinged to a first fixing hinge support; the first hydraulic push rod is hinged to a second fixing hinge support, and the first hydraulic push rod is hinged to a third fixing hinge support; the first driving device is connected with the second hydraulic push rod, the second driving device is connectedwith the base plate, the laser range finder is fixedly arranged on the base plate, and the clamping mechanism is used for clamping the unmanned underwater vehicle device; the controller is electrically connected with the first driving device, the first hydraulic push rod, the second driving device, the second hydraulic push rod, the laser range finder and the clamping mechanism. The defect of lowbutt joint efficiency of the unmanned underwater vehicle device and the unmanned water surface boat is overcome, and the butt joint efficiency of the unmanned underwater vehicle device and the unmanned water surface boat on the sea is improved.

The invention relates to an AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) recycling and releasing device guided by a horn mouth. The AUV recycling and releasing device consists of a horn mouth guiding buffer module, a clamping module, a lead screw module and a control system module. Recovery, clamping, fixing and release operations of the small AUV are integrated in one device, and meanwhile, a complex mechanical transmission mechanism is avoided, so that the device is simpler in overall structure and more convenient to manufacture and install, and the cost is also reduced. The horn guiding opening is combined with the flexible buffering guiding idler wheel, the function of a traditional single device can be enhanced, after the AUV is guided into the recycling device, the coaxiality of the AUV can be further improved, the damping and buffering effects are achieved, and the requirement for the maneuverability of the AUV is lowered. The middle clamping device can fix the recycled AUV, the guide fixing ring can increase the coaxiality of the AUV in the recycling process, meanwhile, due to the fact that the diameter of the guide fixing ring is large, a sensor and photographic equipment on an AUVshell cannot be damaged, and safety and reliability are achieved.

The present invention is one kind of elevating rail car for marine ship to setting deep sea exploration equipment on. The elevating rail car includes one fixed frame, wheels to fit the rail, one travel driving unit, one elevating seat on one elevating unit and one turnover preventing unit below the fixed frame. The fixed frame and the elevating seat have U-shaped structures corresponding to each other. The elevating rail may be moved horizontally and vertically, and has convenient use, easy maintenance, high stability and high safety.

The invention discloses an unmanned ship autonomous recovery method based on primary and secondary ships. The unmanned ship autonomous recovery method comprises the following specific steps of: 1) acquiring longitude, latitude, speed and attitude of an unmanned ship by the unmanned ship through integrated navigation; 2) establishing a mother ship-unmanned ship relative navigation coordinate system; 3) establishing a docking region for the unmanned ship to enter a mother ship dock cabin; 4) enabling the unmanned ship to sail into the docking region and kept in the docking region; 5) controllinga speed and a position of the unmanned ship to enable the unmanned ship to navigate along an x-axis course dock cabin of a relative navigation coordinate system, (6) accelerating navigation of the unmanned ship and enabling the unmanned ship to enter the mother ship dock cabin along the center line of the dock cabin, (7) acquiring the relative position of the mother ship dock cabin, (8) navigating the unmanned ship to a designated docking target point by adopting a target tracking algorithm, (9) and docking and recovering the unmanned ship.

The invention relates to a ship 10 for escaping persons during toxic and / or explosion gas exist in air, wherein the ship 10 including communicating and controlling room, engine room 24 and at least one airtight temporary asylum 11 containing sealed cabin 12, persons can enter into the temporary asylum 11 via the sealed cabin 12, the ship includes air handling system for supplying air to the temporary asylum 11, the engine room 24 includes airtight structure having air inlet and outlet and a cooling unit for cooling air and exhaust tube 29. The invention also relates to a method for operating the engine room during emergency operation modle, using following steps: closing air intake skylight 33; closing air out skylight 37; opening cycle air skylight 32 of the engine room; starting cooling unit 27, 28, 31 for cooling exhaust tube 29 and air; closing the engine room door.

The invention relates to a recovering device for recovering a UUV (underwater unmanned vehicle) on the water surface of a USV (unmanned surface vehicle) based on a flexible arm. The recovering deviceis characterized by comprising a recovering control module, an oil path control unit, a hydraulic oil filling device, a flexible capturing belt and a suspending swing arm device; the recovering control module is arranged in a cabin of the USV; one end of the suspending swing arm device is arranged on a deck on the USV, and the other end of the suspending swing arm device is connected with the hydraulic oil filling device; a rolling wheel is arranged in the center position of the hydraulic oil filling device; the flexible capturing belt is curled on the rolling wheel; the oil path control unitis arranged on the hydraulic oil filling device; the recovering control module is sequentially connected with the oil path control unit, the hydraulic oil filling device and the flexible capturing belt; and the recovering control module is connected with the suspending swing arm device. The recovering device has the following beneficial effects: the recovering method provided by the invention adopts a flexible arm technology, is suitable for recovering the revolved body type UUV, does not have any interface requirement on the UUV, avoids influence on the overall performance of the UUV and hasconcise recovering step.

The disclosure provides a vessel with a double pontoon arrangement joined together with a central bridge creating an offset “H” arrangement. The bridge spans the pontoons and includes a gantry structure on top of which sits a lifting system. Articulated tugs provide accommodation, propulsion, and power to the main part of the installation vessel. Additional lifting devices can be installed within the gantry to provide further lifting capability. At least two stabilizing legs are provided along each pontoon. Once set up onsite, the stabilizing legs can be deployed to the seabed to lift the installation vessel up a short distance to apply load stability during lifting operations. Seabed piles, mast elements, and turbine elements are delivered by barges that are temporarily moored between the pontoons for offloading and installation. Empty barges are relocated, and successive barges bring remaining elements for offloading and installation to complete the wind turbine installation.

The invention relates to an automatic catching and releasing device and method for a small boat. After the small boat rushes on a slideway of a mother ship at a certain speed, the moment of a triangular frame is caught, a tensioning oil cylinder piston rod of a blocking device passively retracts, the collision force of the small boat can be absorbed, through effective buffer, the speed of the small boat is decreased until the small boat stops, the blocking device pulls an oil cylinder for outputting pulling force, a steel wire rope is driven to pull the small boat to the placement position, and catching and taking-back are completed; when the small boat is released, the blocking device automatically releases a collection and release rope and takes back a tensioning rope, the small boat slides downwards to the catching position, a pulling rope of the automatic catching device is pulled, and the small boat is automatically unhooked for releasing. According to the device, the small boat can be automatically and quickly caught, buffered, taken back and released, the automation degree is high, and the adaptation range is wide.

A mooring system (28) of a floatable unit (20), such as life raft or platform, the floatable unit (20) having a first side (21) facing a vessel side (22) and a second side (23) facing away from the vessel side (22). The mooring system (28) comprises at least two back springs (2) which are in connection with the first side (21) of the floatable unit (20), and at least one strap (1) which is in connection with the second side (23) of the floatable unit (20), the back springs (2) and the strap (1) being connected to the vessel (30). The back springs (2) are adapted to control the floatable unit (20) in a longitudinal direction in relation to the vessel (30), and the strap (1) is adapted to control the floatable unit (20) in a transverse direction in relation to the vessel (30). The floatable unit is held in secure and fixed position alongside the vessel side, thereby enabling people evacuating from the vessel to enter the floatable unit without any high risk of injury or damage.

A small vessel dock racking system provides a three-sided cradle that is rotatably connected to two lateral supports extending outward from one side of the dock. A person in the water can float the canoe or kayak into the cradle and lift it into a secure vertical storage position on the side of the dock without having to get up on the dock. A pivot point extending out into the water has the advantages of both accommodating freeboard and minimizing the distance between the pivot and the boat's center of gravity, thereby allowing for much less effort in lifting. Depending on the depth of the vessel, the cradle can be dimensioned so that the position of the vessel's center of gravity tends to hold the cradle in a vertical alignment after it's been lifted. Where needed, a cradle latch that can be activated from the water side further secures the storage position.

A submarine (1) has an assembly (3) for deploying a life raft (5), the assembly (3) being located in a well (7) formed outside the submarine's pressure hull (11). The assembly includes a pressure vessel (4) for storing the life raft (5) in a pressurized state. To deploy underwater, a lid (71) covering an opening to the well (7) is released to permit the assembly (3), which is buoyant, to ascend towards the water surface. A sensor (43) determines proximity to the water surface, whereby a pneumatic ram (42) in the pressure vessel is activated to eject the life raft (5) from the pressure vessel (4).

The invention discloses a soft winding robot. The soft winding robot comprises a winding tube, a non-ductile layer, a non-ductile line and an expansion tube, wherein the winding tube is provided withan air charging port, a gripping surface and a connecting surface which abuts upon the gripping surface, the air charging port communicates with an inner cavity of the winding tube, and the gripping surface extends in the axial direction of the winding tube; the non-ductile layer extends in the axial direction of the winding tube and is attached to the gripping surface; the non-ductile line is spirally wound around the outer wall surface of the winding tube in the axial direction of the winding tube so that the winding tube can deform spirally after being charged with air, and the non-ductilelayer faces the spiral center line; and the expansion tube is provided with an air injection port communicating with an inner cavity of the expansion tube, the expansion tube extends in the axial direction of the winding tube and is connected to the connecting surface to deform spirally along with the winding tube, and the expansion tube is charged with air to make contact with a gripped object. According to the soft winding robot, the gripping area on the gripped object can be increased, the gripping force of the expansion tube and the winding tube on the gripped object can be controlled by controlling the pressure of the charged air, and the gripping reliability of the soft robot is improved.

Life raft (1) launched by davit (7) and comprising for this purpose hanging means (4, 5) able to be held in a hook (6) suspended from the davit (7), this raft (1) being fitted out with equipment comprising at least one load (102) that is heavy or heavier than the others, which raft is characterized in that the heavy or heavier load (102) is attached to the aforesaid raft hanging means (4, 5), as a result of which, when the raft is hoisted by the davit, the heavy load or at least the heaviest load remains suspended from the raft hanging means without touching the raft, and the raft, being much better balanced, occupies a more horizontal position.

The invention provides recovery equipment for an unmanned surface vehicle (USV). An inclined plate is arranged on a hull of a mother ship; sliding rails and a rack are arranged on the inclined plate;a conjoining device is slidably arranged on the sliding rails; a driving device is arranged between the inclined plate and the conjoining device; the conjoining device comprises a sliding frame and aguiding locking device; the guiding locking device comprises a U-shaped body; the U-shaped body comprises a connecting part and straight parts; two ends of the connecting part are separately providedwith the straight parts extending rearward; the straight parts are provided with guiding rods extending rearward and inclining outward; the top ends and the bottom ends of the sliding rails are all provided with second locking mechanisms; and a sliding plate mechanism is hinged to the bottom end of the inclined plate on the hull. When the USV is recovered, the USV firstly passes through the sliding plate mechanism; and then the USV is fastened and connected to the guiding locking mechanism and pulled back into the hull by the driving mechanism. The recovery equipment for the USV can realize automatic recovery of the USV without the need for intervention by people, and is high in safety.

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned watercraft and manned watercraft recovery, in particular to a watercraft recovery device. The watercraft recovery device comprises a net bag and an inflatable or deflatable air bag mounted along the edge of the net bag, wherein the air bag forms a floating body after being inflated; the floating body comprises a bulwark connected to the edgeof the net bag and a support frame erected on the bulwark; the support frame, the bulwark and the net bag form a holding space for holding watercraft and a tail opening for the watercraft to enter into and exit from the holding space; and the head end, opposite to the tail opening, of the floating body is connected with a main cable. When the watercraft can not be directly recovered by a mother ship under a terrible sea condition, the watercraft can be held and recovered by the watercraft recovery device and towed by the mother ship, so that the watercraft can be in a controlled state under the terrible sea condition. The watercraft can be recovered to the mother ship when the sea condition is improved, or the watercraft recovery device can be towed to the side of the mother ship as needed. The watercraft recovery device is convenient for staff on the mother ship to rescue people on the watercraft, thereby realizing the effective and step-by-step recovery of the watercraft under the terrible sea condition and ensuring the safety of watercraft recovery.