Mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship

Abstract

The application relates to a mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship and relates to the technical field of ship cleaning equipment. In order to solve the problem of low underwater cleaning efficiency and high risk, the mechanical arm comprises a mechanical arm body, the mechanical arm body is provided with a walking mechanism and a rotating mechanism, the tail end of the mechanical arm body is provided with a scraper mechanism, the scraper mechanism comprises a shell, a driving motor set, a scraper shaft and a plurality of rotary scrapers, the shell is arranged on the mechanical arm body, the shell is in an open structure, the scraper shaft is rotationally connected in the shell, the driving motor set is connected on the shell, the output end of the driving motor set is connected on the end of the scraper shaft, the plurality of rotary scrapers are arranged along the axial direction of the scraper shaft, and a flushing mechanism is further arranged on the shell. The application has the effects of realizing efficient and safe underwater ship body cleaning, greatly reducing the operation risk and significantly improving the cleaning efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of ship cleaning equipment technology, and in particular to a robotic arm for underwater ship cleaning. Background Technology

[0002] As core equipment for marine transportation, resource development, and national defense, ships are constantly exposed to high-salt, high-pressure, and highly corrosive underwater environments. Critical parts such as the hull surface are highly susceptible to fouling caused by barnacles, seaweed, and other aquatic plants. Statistics show that hull fouling of an ocean-going cargo ship can lead to an increase in fuel consumption of 10%-40% and a decrease in speed of 5%-15% annually. It also accelerates the corrosion of hull metal, shortens the service life of equipment, and increases maintenance costs. Therefore, underwater cleaning of ships and marine facilities is a key link in ensuring operational efficiency and extending service life.

[0003] In related technologies, traditional underwater cleaning methods mainly rely on manual diving operations, which have problems such as low efficiency and high risk. For example, divers need to wear heavy equipment to operate high-pressure water guns or brushes in complex water currents. The time for a single operation is limited, and it is also limited by environmental factors such as water depth and visibility, making it difficult to achieve large-area efficient cleaning. Therefore, it needs to be improved. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the issues of low efficiency and high risk in underwater cleaning, this application provides a robotic arm for underwater cleaning of ships.

[0005] The robotic arm for underwater cleaning of ships provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A robotic arm for underwater cleaning of ships includes a robotic arm body, which is provided with a walking mechanism and a rotating mechanism. A scraper mechanism is provided at the end of the robotic arm body. The scraper mechanism includes a housing, a drive motor unit, a scraper shaft, and a plurality of rotating scrapers. The housing is arranged on the robotic arm body and has an open structure. The scraper shaft is rotatably connected inside the housing. The drive motor unit is connected to the housing, and the output end of the drive motor unit is connected to the end of the scraper shaft. The plurality of rotating scrapers are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the scraper shaft. A flushing mechanism is also provided on the housing.

[0007] Traditional underwater cleaning methods rely mainly on manual diving operations, which suffer from low efficiency and high risks. For example, divers need to wear heavy equipment to operate high-pressure water guns or brushes in complex water currents. The time for a single operation is limited, and environmental factors such as water depth and visibility make it difficult to achieve efficient cleaning over large areas. By adopting the above-mentioned technical solution, including a robotic arm body equipped with a walking mechanism and a rotating mechanism, a scraper mechanism is installed at the end of the robotic arm body. The scraper mechanism includes a housing, a drive motor unit, a scraper shaft, and several rotating scrapers. At the same time, a flushing mechanism is installed on the housing.

[0008] When cleaning the underwater hull of a ship, a robotic arm for underwater cleaning is pre-lifted to its installation location on the ship's deck using hoisting equipment for assembly. The robotic arm's traveling mechanism is operated via a control console, causing it to slowly move to the edge of the ship. The arm's extension mechanism then rotates, gradually extending its end below the water surface. Based on a pre-set cleaning area, sensors and cameras mounted on the robotic arm monitor its distance and relative position to the ship in real time during descent and approach, ensuring the scraper mechanism accurately reaches the cleaning area. The drive motor then rotates the scraper shaft, causing the rotating scraper to begin rotating at a specific speed. The system uses pressure to scrape and clean the attachments (such as seaweed, shellfish, rust, etc.) on the hull surface. While the scraping mechanism is working, the flushing mechanism is activated to spray high-pressure water onto the hull surface, washing away the attachments scraped off by the rotating scraper and preventing them from re-adhering to the hull surface. After cleaning a small area, the robotic arm's walking and rotating mechanisms are operated via the control console to move the end of the robotic arm along the hull surface, gradually expanding the cleaning range until the entire predetermined cleaning area is completed. Then, the robotic arm is slowly raised above the water surface, disassembled from the ship, and hoisted to a designated storage location using lifting equipment.

[0009] The robotic arm, scraper mechanism, and flushing mechanism enable efficient and safe underwater hull cleaning, replacing manual diving operations and significantly reducing operational risks. The scraper mechanism efficiently removes seaweed, shellfish, rust, and other deposits through rotating blades, while the flushing mechanism uses high-pressure water jets to prevent secondary adhesion of dirt, thus improving cleaning effectiveness. It also adapts to different water depths, currents, and visibility conditions, expanding the operational range and significantly improving cleaning efficiency to meet the needs of large-area, efficient underwater cleaning of ships.

[0010] Optionally, the rotating scraper blades extend to both sides along the axial center of the rotating scraper, and the rotating scraper has a double-wing cutting structure.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the rotating scraper blades extend to both sides along the axial center of the rotating scraper, forming a double-wing cutting structure. The rotating scraper structure expands the cutting coverage of a single rotation, generates a balanced cutting force during rotation, effectively avoids scraper deviation or local damage to the hull caused by unilateral force, and the alternating cutting of the double wings reduces the residue of the attached material, achieving efficient crushing and stripping.

[0012] Optionally, the rear section of the housing is provided with a flow guide baffle for guiding the scraped material to be discharged in a specific direction, the flow guide baffle being located behind the rotating scraper.

[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, the flow guide baffle is installed at the rear of the hull. Through the setting of the flow guide baffle, the flow guide baffle can effectively intercept various attachments scraped off by the rotating scraper, prevent them from scattering everywhere, guide them to be discharged in a specific area, prevent dirt from re-attaching to the cleaned hull surface, and improve the cleaning effect.

[0014] Optionally, the back of the flow guide baffle is provided with longitudinal ribs, and the number of longitudinal ribs is multiple.

[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, longitudinal ribs are welded and fixed to the back of the flow guide baffle. The setting of longitudinal ribs can enhance the overall rigidity and deformation resistance of the flow guide baffle, making it less prone to bending or damage when subjected to water flow impact and scraping collisions for a long time, thus effectively extending the service life of the flow guide baffle.

[0016] Optionally, the rear section of the housing is rotatably provided with a rotating shaft, and the flow guide baffle is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, the guide baffle is rotatably connected to the housing via a rotating shaft; the rotating shaft enables the guide baffle to rotate flexibly, and the angle can be dynamically adjusted according to actual operation needs to optimize the waste discharge path, ensure that the scraped material is guided to the preset collection area, and avoid secondary adhesion.

[0018] Optionally, the upper end of the flow guide baffle is provided with a base, the top of the housing is provided with an angle adjustment plate, a connecting rod is provided between the angle adjustment plate and the base, one end of the connecting rod is hinged to the base, the other end of the connecting rod passes through the angle adjustment plate, and the end of the connecting rod near the angle adjustment plate is provided with several positioning holes for fixing.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the base is welded and fixed to the flow guide baffle, the angle adjustment plate is welded and fixed to the top of the shell, one end of the connecting rod is hinged to the base, and the other end of the connecting rod passes through the angle adjustment plate. The angle adjustment plate is fixed in the corresponding positioning hole of the connecting rod by bolts. Through the setting of the base, the angle adjustment plate and the positioning hole, the angle of the flow guide baffle is accurately adjustable and securely locked. The cooperation between the angle adjustment plate and the multiple positioning holes on the connecting rod, and the bolt fixing, realizes multi-level angle locking. The inclination of the baffle can be precisely adjusted according to the sewage discharge path to ensure that the baffle angle remains stable during operation.

[0020] Optionally, the flushing mechanism includes at least two sets of high-pressure spray guns, which are distributed circumferentially along the casing, and the spray direction of the high-pressure spray guns is directed towards the contact area between the rotating scraper and the ship's surface.

[0021] By adopting the above technical solution, the flushing mechanism includes at least two sets of high-pressure spray guns; the setting of high-pressure spray guns improves the efficiency of underwater cleaning, and the multiple sets of spray guns provide full coverage of the cleaning area, effectively eliminating the flushing blind spots that exist in traditional single spray guns, and ensuring that the seaweed, shellfish and rust scraped off by the rotating scraper can be immediately and thoroughly flushed off the hull surface, preventing dirt from re-attaching or clogging the scraper.

[0022] Optionally, the housing may also be equipped with a pressure sensor and an underwater camera.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, pressure sensors and underwater cameras are installed on the hull. Through the setting of pressure sensors and underwater cameras, pressure sensors can monitor the contact pressure between the rotating scraper and the hull surface in real time, accurately control the scraping force to avoid damage to the hull coating or structure due to excessive pressure, and underwater cameras provide high-definition real-time images, enabling operators to remotely observe the status of the cleaning area and accurately locate the position of stubborn deposits. The two work together to achieve adaptive and efficient cleaning in complex underwater environments.

[0024] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0025] 1. With the robotic arm body, scraper mechanism and flushing mechanism, it helps to achieve efficient and safe underwater hull cleaning, which can replace manual diving operations and greatly reduce the operation risk. The scraper mechanism uses a rotating scraper to efficiently remove seaweed, shellfish, rust and other attached materials. Combined with the high-pressure water flow of the flushing mechanism, it prevents the secondary adhesion of dirt and improves the cleaning effect. At the same time, it can adapt to different water depths, currents and visibility environments, expand the operation range, significantly improve the cleaning efficiency, and meet the needs of large-area efficient underwater cleaning of ships.

[0026] 2. By setting up a rotating scraper structure, the cutting coverage of a single rotation is expanded, and a balanced cutting force is generated during rotation. This effectively avoids scraper deviation or local damage to the hull caused by unilateral force. At the same time, the alternating cutting of the two blades reduces the residue of the attached material, achieving efficient crushing and stripping.

[0027] 3. The high-pressure spray guns improve underwater cleaning efficiency. Multiple spray guns provide full coverage of the cleaning area, effectively eliminating the blind spots that exist in traditional single spray guns. This ensures that the seaweed, shellfish, rust, and other attachments scraped off by the rotating scraper can be immediately and thoroughly washed off the hull surface, preventing dirt from re-attaching or clogging the scraper. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm for underwater cleaning of a ship, as described in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 2This is a structural schematic diagram illustrating the scraper mechanism in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the high-pressure spray gun in the embodiments of this application.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the angle adjustment plate and the connecting rod in the embodiments of this application.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Robotic arm body; 2. Scraper mechanism; 21. Housing; 22. Drive motor assembly; 23. Scraper shaft; 24. Rotating scraper; 3. Flushing mechanism; 31. High-pressure spray gun; 4. Guide baffle; 41. Longitudinal rib; 5. Base; 6. Angle adjustment plate; 7. Connecting rod; 71. Positioning hole; 8. Pressure sensor; 9. Underwater camera device; 10. Rotating shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 This application will be described in further detail.

[0034] This application discloses a robotic arm for underwater cleaning of ships. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The underwater cleaning robotic arm for ships includes a robotic arm body 1. In this embodiment, the robotic arm body 1 is installed on the ship's deck and has a walking mechanism and a rotating mechanism. The walking mechanism and rotating mechanism are existing structures of the robotic arm body 1, and robotic arm structures have extremely wide applications in ship operation scenarios. Among them, the walking mechanism, as the mobile drive unit of the robotic arm, can provide stable power support for the robotic arm body 1 on the ship's deck, enabling it to achieve flexible movement operations. The rotating mechanism, as the core drive component for adjusting the posture of the robotic arm and extending the arm, can drive the robotic arm to complete omnidirectional rotational movements and achieve orderly extension of the arm, thereby meeting the diverse task requirements in ship operations.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The robotic arm body 1 is equipped with a scraper mechanism 2 at its end. The scraper mechanism 2 includes a housing 21, a drive motor assembly 22, a scraper shaft 23, and several rotating scrapers 24. The housing 21 is mounted on the robotic arm body 1 and has an open structure. The scraper shaft 23 is rotatably mounted inside the housing 21. The drive motor assembly 22 is mounted outside the housing 21, and the output end of the drive motor assembly 22 is connected to the end of the scraper shaft 23. The drive motor assembly 22 is used to drive the scraper shaft 23 to rotate.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3All rotating scrapers 24 are mounted on scraper shaft 23. Several rotating scrapers 24 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of scraper shaft 23. The blade of each rotating scraper 24 extends to both sides along the axial center of the rotating scraper 24. The rotating scraper 24 forms a double-wing cutting structure. In this embodiment, the scraper mechanism 2 can be adjusted according to the rotating mechanism along with the robotic arm body 1. The rotating scraper 24 expands the cutting coverage of a single rotation and can generate a balanced cutting force during rotation, effectively avoiding scraper deviation or local damage to the hull caused by unilateral force. At the same time, the alternating cutting of the double wings reduces the residue of the attached material, achieving efficient crushing and stripping.

[0037] Reference Figure 2 The shell 21 is equipped with a pressure sensor 8 and an underwater camera 9. The pressure sensor 8 can monitor the contact pressure between the rotating scraper 24 and the hull surface in real time, and accurately control the scraping force to avoid damage to the hull coating or structure due to excessive pressure. The underwater camera 9 provides high-definition real-time images, enabling operators to remotely observe the status of the cleaning area and accurately locate the position of stubborn deposits. The two work together to achieve adaptive and efficient cleaning in complex underwater environments.

[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The hull 21 is also equipped with a rinsing mechanism 3, which includes at least two sets of high-pressure spray guns 31. The high-pressure spray guns 31 are distributed around the hull 21, and the spray direction of the high-pressure spray guns 31 is directed towards the contact area between the rotating scraper 24 and the surface of the ship. In this embodiment, the preferred number of high-pressure spray guns 31 is eight sets. The high-pressure spray guns 31 have corresponding interfaces to facilitate the connection of water supply equipment. The multiple sets of spray guns provide full coverage rinsing of the cleaning area, effectively eliminating the rinsing blind spots that exist in traditional single spray guns, and ensuring that the seaweed, shellfish and rust scraped off by the rotating scraper 24 can be immediately and thoroughly flushed off the surface of the ship, preventing dirt from re-attaching or clogging the scraper.

[0039] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 A flow guide baffle 4 is installed at the rear of the housing 21. The flow guide baffle 4 is located behind the rotating scraper 24. The flow guide baffle 4 is used to guide the scraped material to be discharged in a directional manner. In this embodiment, a rotating shaft 10 is rotatably installed at the rear of the housing 21, and the flow guide baffle 4 is fixedly installed on the rotating shaft 10. The flow guide baffle 4 realizes the flexible rotation function of the flow guide baffle 4. The angle can be dynamically adjusted according to the actual operation requirements to optimize the discharge path of the dirt and ensure that the scraped material is guided to the preset collection area to avoid secondary adhesion.

[0040] Reference Figure 4The back plate of the flow guide baffle 4 is welded and fixed with longitudinal ribs 41, and there are multiple longitudinal ribs 41. The longitudinal ribs 41 can enhance the overall rigidity and deformation resistance of the flow guide baffle 4, making it less prone to bending or damage when subjected to water flow impact and scraping material collision for a long time, effectively extending the service life of the flow guide baffle 4.

[0041] Reference Figure 4 A base 5 is welded and fixed to the upper end of the flow guide baffle 4, and an angle adjustment plate 6 is welded and fixed to the top of the housing 21. A connecting rod 7 is installed between the angle adjustment plate 6 and the base 5. One end of the connecting rod 7 is hinged to the base 5, and the other end of the connecting rod 7 passes through the angle adjustment plate 6. In this embodiment, a through hole is opened on the angle adjustment plate 6 for the connecting rod 7 to pass through. At the same time, a number of positioning holes 71 are opened at the end of the connecting rod 7 near the angle adjustment plate 6. The number of positioning holes 71 are opened along the length direction of the connecting rod 7. The angle adjustment plate 6 is fixed in the corresponding positioning hole 71 of the connecting rod 7 by bolts. This realizes the precise adjustment and stable locking of the angle of the flow guide baffle 4. The cooperation between the angle adjustment plate 6 and the multiple positioning holes 71 on the connecting rod 7, and the bolt fixing, realizes multi-level angle locking. The inclination of the baffle can be precisely adjusted according to the sewage discharge path to ensure that the baffle angle remains stable during operation.

[0042] The implementation principle of the underwater cleaning robotic arm for ships in this embodiment is as follows: When cleaning the underwater hull of a ship, the underwater cleaning robotic arm is pre-lifted to the installation position on the ship's deck using hoisting equipment for assembly. The robotic arm's walking mechanism is operated via a control console, causing it to slowly move to the edge of the ship. The arm's extension function is activated, gradually extending the end of the robotic arm below the water surface. Based on a pre-set cleaning area location, sensors and cameras installed on the robotic arm monitor the distance and relative position between the robotic arm and the ship's hull in real time during the descent and approach process, ensuring that the scraper mechanism 2 accurately reaches the cleaning area. The drive motor 22 drives the scraper shaft 23 to rotate, thereby causing the rotating scraper 24 to begin... The rotating scraper 24 scrapes and cleans the attachments (such as seaweed, shellfish, rust, etc.) on the hull surface at a certain speed and pressure. While the scraper mechanism 2 is working, the flushing mechanism 3 is activated to spray high-pressure water onto the hull surface, washing away the attachments scraped off by the rotating scraper 24 and preventing them from re-adhering to the hull surface. After cleaning a small area, the robotic arm's walking and rotating mechanisms are operated through the control console to move the end of the robotic arm along the hull surface, gradually expanding the cleaning range until the cleaning operation of the entire predetermined cleaning area is completed. Then, the robotic arm is slowly raised above the water surface, disassembled from the ship, and hoisted to the designated storage location using hoisting equipment.

[0043] The robotic arm body 1, scraper mechanism 2, and flushing mechanism 3 facilitate efficient and safe underwater hull cleaning, replacing manual diving operations and significantly reducing operational risks. The scraper mechanism 2 efficiently removes seaweed, shellfish, rust, and other attached materials through rotating scraper 24, while the flushing mechanism 3 uses high-pressure water flow to prevent secondary adhesion of dirt and improve cleaning effectiveness. It can also adapt to different water depths, currents, and visibility environments, expanding the operating range and significantly improving cleaning efficiency to meet the needs of large-area, efficient underwater cleaning of ships.

[0044] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship, comprising a mechanical arm body provided with a walking mechanism and a rotating mechanism, characterized in that: The robotic arm body is equipped with a scraper mechanism at its end. The scraper mechanism includes a housing, a drive motor assembly, a scraper shaft, and several rotating scrapers. The housing is arranged on the robotic arm body and has an open structure. The scraper shaft is rotatably connected inside the housing. The drive motor assembly is connected to the housing, and the output end of the drive motor assembly is connected to the end of the scraper shaft. Several rotating scrapers are arranged at intervals along the scraper shaft axis. A rinsing mechanism is also provided on the housing.

2. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating scraper blades extend to both sides along the axial center of the rotating scraper, and the rotating scraper has a double-wing cutting structure.

3. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear section of the housing is provided with a flow guide baffle for guiding the scraped material to be discharged in a specific direction, and the flow guide baffle is located behind the rotating scraper.

4. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 3, characterized in that: The back of the flow guide baffle is provided with longitudinal ribs, and there are multiple longitudinal ribs.

5. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rear section of the housing is rotatably provided with a rotating shaft, and the flow guide baffle is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

6. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 5, characterized in that: The upper end of the flow guide baffle is provided with a base, the top of the housing is provided with an angle adjustment plate, a connecting rod is provided between the angle adjustment plate and the base, one end of the connecting rod is hinged to the base, the other end of the connecting rod passes through the angle adjustment plate, and the end of the connecting rod near the angle adjustment plate is provided with several positioning holes for fixing.

7. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flushing mechanism includes at least two sets of high-pressure spray guns, which are distributed circumferentially along the shell, and the spray direction of the high-pressure spray guns is directed towards the contact area between the rotating scraper and the surface of the ship.

8. A mechanical arm for underwater cleaning of a ship according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shell is also equipped with a pressure sensor and an underwater camera.

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