A long-distance, high-precision underwater transport platform device

Abstract

This invention relates to an underwater long-distance, high-precision transport platform device, comprising: a mounting base including two rows of parallel mounting columns fixedly installed on the bottom of the water body, each row including multiple mounting columns, guide rail supports, and rack supports; a transport platform for transporting a test mechanism, movable relative to the mounting base; a drive mechanism including an underwater actuator mounted on the transport platform and an active gear ring driven by the underwater actuator, the drive mechanism also including an active rack; and a guide mechanism including a guide rail fixedly installed on the mounting base and a slider fixedly installed on the transport platform and movable along the guide rail. This invention solves the problems of complex installation and maintenance, limited length, and low movement accuracy of existing underwater towed platforms, providing an underwater long-distance, high-precision transport platform device whose installation does not require a hoisting mechanism, can be extended to the required length, and improves the movement accuracy of the test object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater towing test platforms, and more particularly to an underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in still waters, surveying and transportation typically employ either underwater vehicles (underwater robots) or underwater towed test platforms. Underwater towed test platforms offer the following advantages over underwater robots:

[0003] (1) The test object structure of the underwater towing test platform is relatively simple and highly maintainable. Its platform-like structure carries the test object and various sensors, sonar or underwater cameras to conduct tests and collect data. (2) The underwater towing test platform has a wider working range, longer working time and higher efficiency; it is usually used as a test foundation built in still waters, and its movement can be controlled by humans on land, and the speed and direction of the test object can also be controlled according to the actual underwater conditions.

[0004] However, traditional underwater towing test platforms are often complex to install. First, underwater guide rails need to be installed on a flat surface such as the pool bottom. Then, a gantry crane is needed to lift the entire towing platform to the pool bottom for docking, mounting on the rails, and locking. Therefore, a lifting and lowering mechanism must be designed during installation, and the installation process is complex. Furthermore, maintenance requires lifting the entire machine out, resulting in unnecessary manpower and financial expenditures. Additionally, due to the complexity of the underwater environment, the impact of underwater visibility, and the need to facilitate maintenance and replacement of the test subject, the method often involves installing sliding rails and pulleys in the water and using a towing mechanism on land for propulsion. This method results in low movement accuracy of the test subject, which in turn affects the test data. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention solves the problems of complex installation and maintenance, limited length, and low movement accuracy of existing underwater towing platforms. It provides an underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device that does not require a hoisting mechanism for installation and can improve the movement accuracy of the test object.

[0006] The underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device of the present invention includes:

[0007] The installation foundation includes two rows of parallel installation columns fixedly installed at the bottom of the water area. Each row includes multiple installation columns. The installation foundation also includes guide rail supports and rack supports fixed to the installation columns. The guide rail supports and rack supports are spliced ​​together from multiple U-shaped channel steel sections. Each U-shaped channel steel section spans two adjacent installation columns in the same row. The U-shaped channel steel section of each rack support is back-to-back with the U-shaped channel steel section of the guide rail support, and their bottom walls are attached and fixed to each other.

[0008] A mobile transport platform for transporting the testing facility, which is movable relative to the mounting base;

[0009] The drive mechanism includes an underwater drive mounted on the mobile platform and an active gear ring driven to rotate by the underwater drive. The drive mechanism also includes an active rack fixed to the mounting column and capable of engaging with the active gear ring.

[0010] The guiding mechanism includes a guide rail fixedly installed on the mounting base and a slider fixedly installed on the transport platform and slidable along the guide rail. The length direction of the guide rail is parallel to the length direction of the rack, and the guide rail is formed by inserting multiple guide rail segments.

[0011] Preferably, the underwater drive is an underwater motor. The drive mechanism further includes a drive bearing housing fixed to the transport platform and a drive shaft passing through the drive bearing housing and engaging with the drive bearing therein. The drive bearing housing is located on the side of the motor with an output shaft. The drive gear ring is tensioned and fixed to the drive shaft. The drive mechanism also includes a universal coupling. One end of the universal coupling is connected to the other end of the drive shaft, and the other end of the universal coupling is connected to the output shaft of the underwater motor.

[0012] Preferably, the drive mechanism further includes a bearing housing fixed to the transport platform and located on the opposite side of the output shaft of the underwater motor, a bearing shaft passing through the bearing housing and cooperating with the bearing bearing therein, and a bearing gear ring rotating under the drive of the bearing shaft. The bearing gear ring is tensioned and fixed to the bearing shaft, and the mounting base is provided with a bearing rack that cooperates with the bearing gear ring.

[0013] Preferably, both the drive bearing and the load bearing are double-row angular contact bearings, with one side of the inner ring of the drive bearing and the load bearing blocked by the shoulder of the drive shaft or the load bearing, and the other side blocked by a retaining ring.

[0014] Preferably, the active gear ring and the active rack, and the load-bearing gear ring and the load-bearing rack, are fitted with a tooth-back clearance-free connection.

[0015] Preferably, the drive bearing housing and the load bearing housing are installed on the lower side of the transport platform, and gaskets are provided between the drive bearing housing and the transport platform and / or between the load bearing housing and the transport platform.

[0016] Preferably, a plurality of the sliders are fixed to the lower side of the transport platform, and a gasket is provided between one or more of the sliders and the transport platform.

[0017] Preferably, the slider is further provided with a roller and forms a rolling line contact with the guide rail through the roller, and the slider has an adjustment structure for adjusting the radial clearance between its roller and the guide rail.

[0018] Preferably, the guiding mechanism further includes a guide rail base fixed to the mounting column, the top of the guide rail base having a V-shaped groove, the bottom of the guide rail being located within the V-shaped groove, and each guide rail segment being fixed to the guide rail base.

[0019] Preferably, the device further includes an auxiliary measuring mechanism for determining the position of the testing mechanism, the auxiliary measuring mechanism including a wire displacement sensor fixed to one end of the mounting base.

[0020] Preferably, the auxiliary measuring mechanism further includes a scale fixed to the mounting base with its length direction parallel to the length direction of the guide rail, and an underwater camera fixed to the transport platform for capturing images of the scale.

[0021] Compared with existing technologies, this invention offers the following advantages: The underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device of this invention forms a modular installation foundation and guide rails through multiple mounting columns, multiple U-shaped channel steel sections, and multiple guide rail sections. During installation, modular installation can be carried out at the bottom of the water body, eliminating the need for hoisting mechanisms and greatly simplifying the installation process. Furthermore, since hoisting is not required, the length of the platform can be adjusted and expanded as needed, without being limited by the need for hoisting. During maintenance, only the faulty module needs repair, eliminating the need to lift the entire platform, reducing maintenance difficulty and procedures, and making maintenance simpler. Simultaneously, the cooperation of the gear ring and rack allows for more precise displacement of the testing mechanism, thereby improving the accuracy of the test data. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram of the underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device from the main view.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the installation foundation for the underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the guiding mechanism of the underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device.

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the drive mechanism and the mobile transport platform of the underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device.

[0028] Figure Labels

[0029] 1. Installation foundation; 11. Installation column; 12. Guide rail support; 13. Rack and pinion support.

[0030] 2. Transport mobile platform;

[0031] 3 Drive mechanism, 31 Underwater actuator, 32 Drive gear ring, 33 Drive rack, 34 Drive bearing housing, 35 Drive shaft, 36 Universal coupling, 37 Bearing bearing housing, 38 Bearing gear ring, 39 Bearing rack, 3a Bearing shaft;

[0032] 4. Guide mechanism; 41. Guide rail; 42. Slider; 43. Guide rail base;

[0033] 5. Auxiliary measuring mechanism, 51. Wire displacement sensor, 52. Ruler, 53. Underwater camera. Detailed Implementation

[0034] This invention provides an underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device, such as... Figure 1-3 As shown, the device includes: a mounting base 1, a transport platform 2, a drive mechanism 3, and a guide mechanism 4. The mounting base 1 provides stable support for the entire device. Figure 4 As shown, the installation base 1 includes two rows of parallel installation columns 11 fixedly installed on the bottom of the water area. Each row of installation columns 11 includes multiple installation columns 11. In this embodiment, the installation columns 11 adopt an H-shaped channel steel structure, and the multiple installation columns 11 in each row are evenly spaced. The installation base 1 also includes guide rail supports 12 and rack supports 13 fixed to the installation columns 11. In this embodiment, as shown... Figure 4As shown, the guide rail support 12 is located on the outer side, and the rack support 13 is located on the inner side. The guide rail support 12 and the rack support 13 are composed of multiple U-shaped channel steel sections spliced ​​together. Each U-shaped channel steel section has the same length and spans two adjacent mounting columns 11 in the same row. Each U-shaped channel steel section of the rack support 13 is arranged back-to-back with the U-shaped channel steel of the guide rail support 12, with their bottom walls touching and fixed by bolts. Each U-shaped channel steel section is fixed to the mounting column 11 by bolts. In this embodiment, the guide rail support 12 uses 304 stainless steel channel 14b, where 14b is the model and specification, and the rack support 13 uses No. 8 channel steel. The steel transport platform 2 is used to transport the testing mechanism and can move relative to the mounting base 1.

[0035] like Figure 6 As shown, the drive mechanism 3 includes an underwater actuator 31 mounted on the transport platform 2 and an active gear ring 32 driven by the underwater actuator 31 to rotate. The drive mechanism 3 also includes an active rack 33 fixed to the mounting column 11 and capable of engaging with the active gear ring 32. The guide mechanism 4 includes a guide rail 41 fixedly mounted on the mounting base 1 and a slider 42 fixedly mounted on the transport platform 2 and capable of sliding along the guide rail 41. In this embodiment, the guide rail 41 is a linear optical axis guide rail, and the slider 42 is an RGB (product series code of Weihai AMS linear guide rail slider 42) slider 42. The length direction of the guide rail 41 is parallel to the length direction of the rack, and the guide rail 41 is formed by inserting multiple guide rail segments.

[0036] The underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device of the present invention drives the active gear ring 32 to rotate through the underwater driver 31. The active gear ring 32 cooperates with the active rack 33 to move along the rack, thereby enabling the mobile platform to carry the test mechanism to move.

[0037] The underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device of this invention forms a modular installation base 1 and guide rail 41 through multiple mounting columns 11, multiple U-shaped channel steel sections, and multiple guide rail sections. During installation, modular installation can be carried out at the bottom of the water body, eliminating the need for hoisting mechanisms and greatly simplifying the installation process. Furthermore, since hoisting is not required, the length of the platform can be adjusted and extended as needed, without being limited by the need for hoisting. During maintenance, only the faulty module needs repair, eliminating the need to lift the entire platform, reducing maintenance difficulty and procedures, and making maintenance simpler. Simultaneously, the cooperation of the gear ring and rack allows for more precise displacement of the testing mechanism, thereby improving the accuracy of the test data.

[0038] In this embodiment, the underwater drive 31 is an underwater motor, such as... Figure 6As shown, the underwater motor is mounted on the transport platform 2 via a motor mounting bracket. The drive mechanism 3 also includes a drive bearing housing 34 fixed to the transport platform 2 and a drive shaft 35 passing through the drive bearing housing 34 and engaging with the drive bearing therein. The drive bearing housing 34 is located on the side of the underwater motor with an output shaft. The drive gear ring 32 is tensioned and fixed to the drive shaft 35 and rotates under the drive of the drive shaft 35. The drive mechanism 3 also includes a universal coupling 36. One end of the universal coupling 36 is connected to the other end of the drive shaft 35 via a flat key, which serves to transmit torque and improve rotational stability. The other end of the universal coupling 36 is connected to the output shaft of the underwater motor. The universal coupling 36 can eliminate slight misalignment problems that may exist between shafts, reduce installation difficulty, and improve the reliability of the transmission system. In this embodiment, all bearing housings, bearings, shafts, and snap rings are made of 304 stainless steel to adapt to the underwater environment.

[0039] like Figure 6 As shown, the drive mechanism 3 also includes a bearing housing 37 fixed to the transport platform 2 and located on the opposite side of the output shaft of the underwater motor, a bearing shaft 3a passing through the bearing housing 37 and cooperating with the bearing bearing therein, and a bearing gear ring 38 rotating under the drive of the bearing shaft 3a. In this embodiment, both the drive gear ring 32 and the bearing gear ring 38 are CRA (a product model in the "TCG roller rack" series of KAMO) gear rings. The bearing gear ring 38 is tensioned and fixed to the bearing shaft 3a, and the bearing gear ring 38 drives the bearing shaft 3a to rotate. Figure 4 As shown, the rack support 13 of the mounting column 11 on the left is equipped with an active rack 33, and the rack support 13 of the mounting column 11 on the right is equipped with a load-bearing rack 39. Furthermore, the mounting columns 11 on both sides are each equipped with a guide rail support 12, supporting a guide rail 41, thus providing two parallel "track constraints" for the mobile transport platform 2. When the platform travels a long distance, the drive side provides forward power, while the load-bearing side continuously corrects the platform's yaw trend through the meshing of the gear ring and rack, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the mobile transport platform 2's movement.

[0040] In this embodiment, both the drive bearing and the load-bearing shaft 3a are double-row angular contact bearings. One side of the inner ring of the bearing is blocked by the shoulder of the drive shaft 35 or the load-bearing shaft 3a, and the other side is blocked by a retaining circumferential spring. The shoulder and the retaining circumferential spring are located on both sides of the inner ring of the bearing, respectively, and together they axially fix the inner ring of the bearing to the shaft. In this embodiment, the widths of the drive gear ring 32 and the load-bearing gear ring 38 are slightly larger than the widths of the drive rack 33 and the load-bearing rack 39, which can prevent the gear ring from scraping against the rack when slight tilting occurs, thereby improving the stability of the device.

[0041] During installation, the driving rack 33 and the load-bearing rack 39 are first fixed to the rack support 13 using stainless steel bolts, thus securing the racks. Next, when installing the driving gear ring 32 and the load-bearing gear ring 38 (whether to replace them with a load-bearing gear ring is debatable), the relative positions of the gear ring and the rack are first adjusted, including the axial and radial positions of the gear ring. Then, the driving gear ring 32 is tensioned to the driving shaft 35, and the load-bearing gear ring 38 is tensioned to the load-bearing shaft 3a. In this embodiment, the drive bearing housing 34 and the load-bearing bearing housing 37 are installed on the lower side of the transport platform 2, and shims are provided between the drive bearing housing 34 and the load-bearing bearing housing 37 and the transport platform 2, and between the load-bearing bearing housing 37 and the transport platform 2. The radial positions of the gear ring and the rack can be adjusted using these shims.

[0042] In this embodiment, two RGB sliders 42 are mounted on each linear optical axis guide rail 41. The sliders 42 are fixed to the lower side of the transport platform 2, and shims are provided between one or more sliders 42 and the transport platform 2. The levelness of the transport platform 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the number and thickness of the shims, thereby ensuring that the measuring mechanism is in a horizontal state.

[0043] In this embodiment, the slider 42 is also provided with a roller and forms a rolling line contact with the guide rail 41 through the roller. The slider 42 itself has an adjustment structure for adjusting the radial gap between its roller and the guide rail 41 to adapt to the underwater environment, avoid foreign object intrusion, prevent foreign object jamming, and thus improve the accuracy of guidance.

[0044] In this embodiment, the active gear ring 32 and the active rack 33, and the load-bearing gear ring 38 and the load-bearing rack 39, are toothless backlash fits. Toothless backlash fits can be achieved using existing technologies, which will not be described in detail here. The toothless backlash fit eliminates the backlash of traditional gear drives, resulting in no idle travel when the underwater motor starts, stops, or reverses. This allows the transport platform to accurately respond to control commands, achieving millimeter-level high-precision positioning and greatly improving the data accuracy of the mounted testing equipment.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the guiding mechanism 4 also includes a guide rail base 43 fixed to the mounting column 11. The top of the guide rail base 43 has a V-shaped groove, and the bottom of the guide rail 41 is located within the V-shaped groove. Each guide rail segment is fixed to the guide rail base 43. The guide rail 41 is fastened to the guide rail base 43 with screws to ensure line contact support between the V-shaped groove and the guide rail 41. After assembling the guide rail 41 and installing the guide rail 41 and the guide rail base 43, the guide rail base 43 is fixed to the guide rail support 12 with bolts through the waist holes. The fixed position can be adjusted through the waist holes.

[0046] Auxiliary measuring mechanism 5 is used to determine the position of the testing mechanism. In this embodiment, for example... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the auxiliary measuring mechanism 5 includes a pull-wire displacement sensor 51 fixed to one end of the mounting base 1, a scale 52 fixed to the mounting base 1 with its length direction parallel to the length direction of the guide rail 41, and an underwater camera 53 fixed to the transport platform 2 for capturing images of the scale 52. The underwater pull-wire displacement sensor 51 is installed at the starting point of the travel and can be used for estimation when the water visibility is poor or when high accuracy is not required. In this embodiment, the scale 52 is fixed to the guide rail support 12, and the underwater camera 53 is installed on one side of the scale 52 and is used to observe the scale 52 reading when the water visibility is good. When measuring the distance to the transport platform 2, the underwater pull-wire displacement sensor 51 is used for estimation first, and then the underwater camera 53 is used for precise positioning. This method can be widely used in different water environments, providing the possibility for high-speed and accurate underwater transportation.

[0047] The above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the claims. Various modifications or equivalent substitutions made by those skilled in the art to the present invention within its spirit and scope of protection also fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater long-distance high-precision transport platform device, characterized in that, include: The installation foundation includes two rows of parallel installation columns fixedly installed at the bottom of the water area. Each row includes multiple installation columns. The installation foundation also includes guide rail supports and rack supports fixed to the installation columns. The guide rail supports and rack supports are spliced ​​together from multiple U-shaped channel steel sections. Each U-shaped channel steel section spans two adjacent installation columns in the same row. The U-shaped channel steel section of each rack support is back-to-back with the U-shaped channel steel section of the guide rail support, and their bottom walls are attached and fixed to each other. A mobile transport platform for transporting the testing facility, which is movable relative to the mounting base; The drive mechanism includes an underwater drive mounted on the mobile platform and an active gear ring driven to rotate by the underwater drive. The drive mechanism also includes an active rack fixed to the mounting column and capable of engaging with the active gear ring. The guiding mechanism includes a guide rail fixedly installed on the mounting base and a slider fixedly installed on the transport platform and slidable along the guide rail. The length direction of the guide rail is parallel to the length direction of the rack, and the guide rail is formed by inserting multiple guide rail segments.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The underwater drive is an underwater motor. The drive mechanism also includes a drive bearing housing fixed to the transport platform and a drive shaft passing through the drive bearing housing and engaging with the drive bearing therein. The drive bearing housing is located on the side of the motor with an output shaft. The drive gear ring is tensioned and fixed to the drive shaft. The drive mechanism also includes a universal coupling. One end of the universal coupling is connected to the other end of the drive shaft, and the other end of the universal coupling is connected to the output shaft of the underwater motor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive mechanism also includes a bearing housing fixed to the transport platform and located on the opposite side of the output shaft of the underwater motor, a bearing shaft passing through the bearing housing and cooperating with the bearing bearing therein, and a bearing gear ring rotating under the drive of the bearing shaft. The bearing gear ring is tensioned and fixed to the bearing shaft, and the mounting base is provided with a bearing rack that cooperates with the bearing gear ring.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the drive bearing and the load bearing are double-row angular contact bearings. One side of the inner ring of the drive bearing and the load bearing is blocked by the shoulder of the drive shaft or the load bearing, and the other side is blocked by a snap ring.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The active gear ring and the active rack, as well as the load-bearing gear ring and the load-bearing rack, are fitted with a tooth-back clearance-free connection.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drive bearing housing and the load bearing housing are installed on the lower side of the transport platform, and gaskets are provided between the drive bearing housing and the transport platform and / or between the load bearing housing and the transport platform.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple sliders are fixed to the lower side of the transport platform, and a gasket is provided between one or more sliders and the transport platform.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slider is also provided with a roller and forms a rolling line contact with the guide rail through the roller. The slider has an adjustment structure for adjusting the radial clearance between its roller and the guide rail.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding mechanism also includes a guide rail base fixed to the mounting column. The top of the guide rail base has a V-shaped groove, the bottom of the guide rail is located in the V-shaped groove, and each guide rail segment is fixed to the guide rail base.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device also includes an auxiliary measuring mechanism for determining the position of the testing mechanism, the auxiliary measuring mechanism including a wire displacement sensor fixed to one end of the mounting base.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that, The auxiliary measuring mechanism also includes a scale fixed to the mounting base with its length direction parallel to the length direction of the guide rail, and an underwater camera fixed to the transport platform for capturing images of the scale.

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