Wet plug connector and docking method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wet plug connector and a docking method thereof, belonging to the technical field of underwater connectors, the wet plug connector comprises a male component and a female component which are arranged relatively; the male component comprises a male shell and a male guide shell, the male shell is connected to an underwater docking box, the male guide shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male shell, and is fixedly connected to the male shell; the female component comprises a female shell and a connecting tube, the female shell is arranged relatively to the male shell, and a female limit platform is arranged on the outer periphery of the female shell; the connecting tube is sleeved on the outer periphery of the female shell, the inner wall of the connecting tube is fitted with the female limit platform, and an annular spacing gap is formed between the connecting tube and the outer wall of the female shell. When the female component is docked with the male component, the first end of the male shell abuts against the female limit platform. The wet plug connector provided by the present invention can guide the docking process of the male component and the female component to prevent the occurrence of a jamming phenomenon, and has high docking efficiency, high docking accuracy and good docking effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of underwater connectors, and in particular relates to a wet plug connector and a docking method thereof. Background Art

[0002] As a node for signal and power transmission, underwater wet-plug connectors can realize the transmission of optical, electrical signals and electrical energy, as well as mechanical connection, and are one of the important components to ensure the normal operation of underwater docking boxes. At present, underwater wet-plug connectors are widely used in seabed observation networks, offshore drilling platforms, underwater robots and various marine towing equipment.

[0003] In recent years, with the construction and implementation of projects such as the National Undersea Scientific Observation Network, the demand for underwater wet-plug connectors has increased. As the construction depth of marine projects in the ocean increases, the requirements for underwater wet-plug connector docking accuracy and connection firmness have become increasingly stringent. In actual use, underwater wet-plug connectors need to be docked and separated many times, and their docking and separation are completed in a complex underwater environment. Once the underwater wet-plug connector docking accuracy is insufficient or the connection is not firm, it will directly affect the normal operation of the underwater docking box. Due to the complex underwater environment, especially in deep water environments, the maintenance cost is high and the maintenance is inconvenient. In the process of docking the male and female connectors, there will inevitably be certain coaxial deviations, inclination deviations, and rotational misalignment angle deviations, which may cause the connectors to get stuck during docking, resulting in large docking errors of underwater wet-plug connectors or loose connections after docking. At present, the docking and separation of underwater wet-plug connectors are achieved by remote-controlled unmanned submersibles (ROV robots for short). Although the automation and intelligence of ROV robots are very high, when the underwater wet-plug connectors have the above deviations or get stuck, the ROV robots still cannot operate as flexibly as humans. Therefore, the current underwater wet-plug connectors cannot meet people's actual needs well. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings existing in the related art, the present invention provides a wet-plug connector and a docking method thereof to guide and position the docking process of the male component and the female component of the wet-plug connector, prevent jamming during the docking process, and facilitate the docking of the wet-plug connector.

[0005] The present invention provides a wet plug connector, comprising:

[0006] A male header assembly comprising:

[0007] A male housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the male housing is an open end, and the second end of the male housing is connected to the underwater docking box;

[0008] The male guide shell is a structure with two ends open. The male guide shell is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male shell. One end of the male guide shell extends toward the first end of the male shell and exceeds the first end of the male shell. The other end of the male guide shell is arranged toward the second end of the male shell and is fixedly connected to the male shell. An inner wall of one end of the male guide shell away from the second end of the male shell is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of the extended end of the male guide shell.

[0009] The female head component is arranged opposite to the male head component, and the female head component includes:

[0010] A female housing has a first end and a second end, the second end of the female housing is an open end, and the second end of the female housing is arranged opposite to the first end of the male housing; a female limit platform is arranged on the outer periphery of the female housing;

[0011] A connecting tube, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the female shell and the inner wall of the connecting tube is fitted with the female limit platform, and an annular spacing gap is formed between the inner wall of the connecting tube and the outer wall of the female shell; the two ends of the connecting tube are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first end and the second end of the female shell, and the end of the connecting tube corresponding to the second end of the female shell extends beyond the second end of the female shell, and the inner wall of the end of the connecting tube extending beyond the second end of the female shell is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of one end of the connecting tube toward the male assembly, and the annular chamfer angle of the connecting tube is smaller than the annular chamfer angle of the male guide shell;

[0012] When the female assembly is docked with the male assembly, the first end of the male housing abuts against the female limiting platform and is located in the annular spacing gap.

[0013] The technical solution provides a male guide shell, which is used to limit the connection position between the female shell and the male shell, to position the female shell, and to guide the female shell to dock with the male shell; provides a connecting tube, which is used to secondary locate the connection position between the female shell and the male shell; provides an annular chamfer on the male guide shell to increase the opening size of the guide shell, to prevent the male guide shell from limiting the connection position between the female shell and the male shell too narrowly, thereby making it difficult to position the female shell and the male shell; provides an annular chamfer on the connecting tube to increase the opening size of the connecting tube, to prevent the connecting tube from limiting the connection position between the female shell and the male shell too greatly, thereby causing the female shell and the male shell to be stuck.

[0014] In some embodiments, the male component also includes a male shell sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male shell, and the outer periphery of the male shell is provided with a male first limit platform, and the male shell sleeve abuts against the male first limit platform; when the female component is docked with the male component, the end of the male shell sleeve away from the male first limit platform abuts against the female limit platform.

[0015] In some of the embodiments, the female head component also includes a locking component, which includes a locking rod and a locking hook, wherein the locking rod is parallel to the female head shell and is fixedly connected to the female head limit platform; the locking hook is an inverted triangle structure, and the locking hook is fixedly connected to one end of the locking rod away from the female head limit platform and facing the outer wall of the female head shell; when the female head component is docked with the male head component, the locking hook is engaged with the first limit platform of the male head.

[0016] In some of the embodiments, the connecting tube is provided with an avoidance groove extending longitudinally thereof, the locking connecting rod is located in the avoidance groove, and an unlocking block for releasing the locking hook from the first limit platform of the male head is provided in the avoidance groove.

[0017] In some of the embodiments, the lock hook is connected to an indicator assembly for displaying whether it is locked in place, and the indicator assembly includes an indicator rod and an indicator valve, one end of the indicator rod is connected to the lock hook, and the indicator valve is arranged at the end of the indicator rod away from the lock hook; the indicator rod and the locking rod are arranged at an angle, and the outer peripheral fixed sleeve of the connecting tube is provided with a female guide shell, the indicator rod is rotatably connected to the female guide shell through a connecting shaft, and the female guide shell is provided with a clearance hole cooperating with the indicator valve, and when the lock hook is engaged with the first limit platform of the male head, the indicator valve protrudes from the clearance hole.

[0018] In some embodiments, the male shell sleeve is provided with a guide column, and the connecting tube is provided with a guide groove extending along the axis of the connecting tube, and the end of the guide groove facing the second end of the female shell is an open end to circumferentially position the connection position of the female shell and the male shell.

[0019] In some of the embodiments, a gripper is further included, which is fixedly connected to the connecting tube and is located at the closed end of the female connector housing.

[0020] In addition, the present invention also provides a method for docking wet-plug connectors, which docks the wet-plug connectors, comprising the following steps:

[0021] One-time positioning: move the female assembly to the first end of the male housing, and make the second end of the female housing close to the end of the male guide housing extending toward the first end of the male housing, so as to use the opening of the extended end of the male guide housing to preliminarily locate the docking position of the female housing and the male housing;

[0022] Secondary positioning: place the connecting tube close to the male shell sleeve, and allow the male shell sleeve to extend into the end of the connecting tube facing the male assembly, so as to use the connecting tube to secondary position the docking position of the female shell and the male shell;

[0023] Circumferential positioning: Rotate the female housing along the axis of the male housing until the guide post and the guide groove are aligned, so that the guide post can slide along the guide groove toward the female housing;

[0024] Initial docking: Move the female shell towards the male shell and extend the male shell sleeve into the gap;

[0025] Docking and locking: When the male shell sleeve moves to abut against the female limit platform, the lock hook is engaged with the male first limit platform to complete the docking and locking of the female shell and the male shell.

[0026] In some of the embodiments, during the movement of the female shell toward the male shell, the locking hook always abuts against the outer wall of the male shell sleeve, and the indicator valve retracts from the clearance hole until the locking hook is engaged with the first limit station of the male head, and the indicator valve protrudes out of the clearance hole.

[0027] In some of the embodiments, underwater docking is performed using an underwater robot, which drives the female component to move through a gripper to complete the docking and locking of the female component and the male component.

[0028] Based on the above technical solution, the wet plug connector in the embodiment of the present invention can guide the docking process of the male component and the female component to prevent jamming, and the male component and the female component have high docking efficiency, high docking accuracy and good docking effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a wet-plug connector according to an embodiment of the present invention when a female housing and a male housing are docked;

[0032] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of a male head assembly in one embodiment of a wet plug connector of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a male head assembly in one embodiment of a wet plug connector of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of a male housing in one embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of a locking assembly in one embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention locking a female housing and a male housing in docking;

[0036] Figure 7It is a schematic structural diagram of a female housing in one embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a female head assembly in one embodiment of a wet plug connector of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of the female housing and the locking assembly in one embodiment of the wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of the assembly of a female head component and a cable shell in one embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.11 This is a schematic structural diagram of a connecting cylinder in one embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of the male head component and the female head component docking when there is an inclination error in one embodiment of the wet plug connector of the present invention;

[0042] Fig.13 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the wet-plug connector of the present invention without assembling the male guide shell and the female guide shell;

[0043] Fig.14 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the wet-plug connector of the present invention in a circumferentially positioned state but not docked;

[0044] Fig.15 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention in the docking process;

[0045] Fig.16 This is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a wet-plug connector of the present invention after docking is completed;

[0046] Fig.17 This is a schematic structural diagram of a limit ring in an embodiment of a wet plug connector of the present invention;

[0047] Fig.18 It is a schematic structural diagram of the assembly of a limit ring and a connecting cylinder in one embodiment of the wet plug connector of the present invention.

[0048] In the figure:

[0049] 1. Grip; 2. Female assembly; 3. Male assembly; 4. Bracket; 5. Cable housing; 6. Locking assembly; 7. Indicator assembly;

[0050] 21. Female connector housing; 22. Connecting tube; 23. Female connector guide housing; 211. Female connector stop platform; 221. Connecting portion; 222. Avoidance groove; 223. Guide groove; 224. Unlocking block;

[0051] 234, limiting ring; 2341, notch; 231, protrusion; 232, clearance hole; 233, connecting shaft;

[0052] 31. male housing; 32. male housing sleeve; 33. male guide housing; 34. guide column; 311. male first limit platform; 312. male second limit platform; 313. male ring groove; 331. groove;

[0053] 51. Sealing ring;

[0054] 61. Locking rod; 62. Lock hook; 63. Ball screw;

[0055] 71. Indicator valve; 72. Indicator connecting rod. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "lateral", "longitudinal", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0058] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0059] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] As attached Figure 1-Figure 3As shown, in an illustrative embodiment of the wet-plug connector of the present invention, the wet-plug connector includes a male component 3 and a female component 2. The male component 3 is arranged opposite to the female component 2. The male component 3 is connected to the underwater docking box through the bracket 4. The equipment cable passes through the inside of the bracket 4 and is connected to the male component 3. The female component 2 is connected to the external cable. The female component 2 can be plugged into the male component 3 as a whole under the action of external force. The male component 3 includes a male shell 31 and a male guide shell 33. The male shell 31 is used to connect with the female component 2 to form a connecting cavity, so that the equipment cable and the external cable can transmit signals in the connecting cavity. The male shell 31 has a first end and a second end. The first end of the male shell 31 is an open end, and the second end of the male shell 31 is connected to the bracket 4; the male guide shell 33 is used to preliminarily and roughly locate the docking position of the female component 2 and guide the male shell 31 to dock. The male guide shell 33 is open at both ends. The male guide shell 33 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male shell 31, one end of the male guide shell 33 extends toward the first end of the male shell 31 and exceeds the first end of the male shell 31, and the other end of the male guide shell 33 extends toward the second end of the male shell 31 and is fixedly connected to the male shell 33; the inner wall of the male guide shell 33 extending toward the male shell 31 is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of the male guide shell 33, so as to facilitate the preliminary positioning of the female assembly 2. Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the female head assembly 2 includes a female head shell 21 and a connecting tube 22. The female head shell 21 is used to dock with the male head shell 31 and form a connecting cavity, so that the device cable and the external cable can transmit signals in the connecting cavity. The female head shell 21 has a first end and a second end. The second end of the female head shell 21 is an open end, and the second end of the female head shell 21 is arranged opposite to the first end of the male head shell 31. A female head limit platform 211 is arranged on the periphery of the female head shell 21 to limit the connection position of the female head shell 21 and the male head shell 31. The connecting tube 22 is sleeved on the periphery of the female head shell 21. The connecting tube 2 2, the inner wall of the connecting tube 22 fits with the female stopper 211, and an annular spacing gap is formed between the inner wall of the connecting tube 22 and the outer wall of the female shell 21; the connecting tube 22 is used to guide the female shell 21 to dock with the male shell 31, and the two ends of the connecting tube 22 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first end and the second end of the female shell 21, and the end of the connecting tube 22 corresponding to the second end of the female shell 21 extends beyond the second end of the female shell 21, and the inner wall of the end of the connecting tube 22 corresponding to the second end of the female shell 21 is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of the end of the connecting tube 22 facing the male component 3. When the female component 2 is docked with the male component 3, the first end of the male shell 31 abuts against the female stopper 211, and part of the side wall of the male shell 31 is located in the annular spacing gap, and the connecting tube 22 is located inside the male guide shell 33. It should be noted that the angle of the annular chamfer of the connecting tube 22 is smaller than the angle of the annular chamfer of the male guide shell 33, so that during the docking process of the male component 3 and the female component 2, the docking position of the male component 3 and the female component 2 can be gradually reduced; it should also be noted that the end of the connecting tube 22 extending beyond the second end of the female shell 21 is arranged toward the male component 3.

[0061] In order to prevent the male housing 31 and the female housing 21 from being damaged by a rigid collision during the docking process, Figure 2-Figure 5As shown, the male head component 3 also includes a male head shell sleeve 32, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male head shell 31, and the outer periphery of the male head shell 31 is provided with a male head first limit platform 311, and the male head shell sleeve 32 abuts against the male head first limit platform 311 and is fixedly connected to the male head shell 31; when the female head component 2 is docked with the male head component 3, the end of the male head shell sleeve 32 away from the male head first limit platform 311 abuts against the female head limit platform 211; it should be noted that the end of the male head shell sleeve 32 away from the male head first limit platform 311 Aligned with or slightly longer than the first end of the male shell 31; it should also be noted that the male shell 31 is also provided with a male second limit platform 312, and a male ring groove 313 is provided on the outer periphery of the second end of the male shell 31, the bracket 4 is abutted against the male second limit platform 312, and a bracket sealing ring is connected in the male ring groove 313 to prevent seawater from entering the underwater docking box from the connecting gap between the bracket 4 and the male shell 31; in addition, it should be noted that the male guide shell 33, the male shell 31 and the bracket 4 are fixedly connected together by screws and other connecting parts.

[0062] In order to increase the firmness of the connection between the female component 2 and the male component 3 after docking, as Figure 6 and Fig. 9 As shown, the female head component 2 also includes a locking component 6, which includes a locking link 61 and a locking hook 62. The locking link 61 is parallel to the female head shell 21 and one end of the locking link 61 is fixedly connected to the female head limit platform 211; the locking hook 62 is an inverted triangle structure, the locking hook 62 is fixedly connected to one end of the locking link 61 away from the female head limit platform 211, and the locking hook 62 is arranged facing the outer wall of the female head shell 21; when the female head component 2 is docked with the male head component 3, the locking hook 62 is engaged with the male head first limit platform 311. It should be noted that the locking hook 62 and the locking link 61 are integrally formed, and the number of locking components 6 is preferably two, and the two locking components 6 are symmetrically arranged. Since the locking hook 62 is an inverted triangle structure, the straight-line distance between the two locking hooks 62 is variable, and the straight-line distance between the two locking hooks 62 increases as the distance from the locking hook 62 to the male shell 31 decreases; when the female assembly 2 is docked with the male assembly 3, the male shell 31 extends into the annular spacing gap, and the distance between the two locking hooks 62 increases under the action of the male shell 31, and the two locking hooks 62 abut against each other with the male shell 31. When the male shell sleeve 32 abuts against the female limit platform 211, the locking hook 62 is clamped on the male first limit platform 311, and the straight-line distance between the two locking hooks 62 is restored to the original length, so that the male shell 31 and the female shell 21 can be firmly connected as one.

[0063] Since the male housing 31 and the female housing 21 have the connecting tube 22 and the male guide shell 33 on the outside, when the male housing 31 and the female housing 21 are docked, it is impossible to visually see whether the male housing 31 and the female housing 21 are connected in place and locked due to the blocking effect of the connecting tube 22 and the male guide shell 33. Therefore, the lock hook 62 is connected with an indicator component 7 for indicating whether it is locked in place. Figure 6-Figure 11 As shown, the indicator assembly 7 includes an indicator connecting rod 72 and an indicator valve 71, one end of the indicator connecting rod 72 is connected to the locking hook 62, and the indicator valve 71 is arranged at the end of the indicator connecting rod 72 away from the locking hook 62; a ball screw 63 is connected to the side of the locking hook 62 away from the female head shell 21, and the locking hook 62 is connected to the indicator connecting rod 72 through the ball screw 63, and there is an angle between the indicator connecting rod 72 and the locking connecting rod 61; the outer peripheral fixed sleeve of the connecting tube 22 is provided with a female head guide shell 23, and the indicator connecting rod 72 is rotatably connected to the female head guide shell 23 through a connecting shaft 233, and the female head guide shell 23 is provided with a clearance hole 232 cooperating with the indicator valve 71, and when the locking hook 62 is engaged with the male head first limit platform 311, the indicator valve 71 protrudes from the clearance hole 232. It should be noted that the outer periphery of the female guide shell 23 is provided with a protrusion 231, and the clearance hole 232 is opened on the outer wall of the protrusion 231. The interior of the protrusion 231 is a cavity to accommodate the retracted indicator valve 71; at the same time, the male guide shell 33 is provided with a groove 331 corresponding to the protrusion 231. When the locking hook 62 is engaged with the male first limit platform 311, the protrusion 231 and the groove 331 cooperate with each other to indicate that the male shell 31 and the female shell 21 are connected in place. Fig.14 As shown, when there is no external force acting on the lock hook 62, the lock hook 62 is in the original state, and the indicator connecting rod 72 is set at an angle with the lock hook 62 so that the indicator valve 71 can protrude from the clearance hole 232; Fig.15 As shown, when the male housing 31 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the female housing 21 and extends into the annular space, the lock hook 62 rotates in a direction away from the female housing 21 under the action of the male housing 31, and the end of the indicator connecting rod 72 close to the lock hook 62 also rotates in a direction away from the female housing 21. Since the indicator connecting rod 72 is rotatably connected to the female guide housing 23 through the connecting shaft 233, the end of the indicator connecting rod 72 away from the lock hook 62 rotates in a direction close to the female housing 21, causing the indicator valve 71 originally protruding from the clearance hole 232 to be retracted into the cavity of the protruding portion 231; Fig.16As shown, when the male housing 31 and the female housing 21 are docked, and the lock hook 62 is engaged with the male first limit platform 311, the lock hook 62 returns to its original state, so that the end of the indicator connecting rod 72 close to the lock hook 62 rotates toward the direction close to the female housing 21, and the end of the indicator connecting rod 72 away from the lock hook 62 rotates toward the direction away from the female housing 21, and the indicator valve 71 retracted into the cavity of the protrusion 231 protrudes from the clearance hole 232 again, thereby indicating whether the female housing 21 and the male housing 31 have completed locking. It should also be noted that the outer color of the indicator valve 71 is preferably bright yellow for easy viewing. In addition, it should also be noted that the connecting cylinder 22 is provided with an avoidance groove 222 extending along its longitudinal direction, and the locking connecting rod 61 is located in the avoidance groove 222 to prevent the connecting sleeve from interfering with the lock hook 62 to drive the indicator connecting rod 72 to move.

[0064] In order to separate the locked connector, Fig.11 As shown, the connecting tube 22 is connected with an unlocking block 224 which can contact the locking hook 62 and engage with the first limit platform 311 of the male head. The unlocking block 224 is arranged relative to the locking hook 62, and the locking hook 62 is an inverted triangle structure. The unlocking block 224 is a triangle or wedge-shaped structure and cooperates with the inverted hook 62. The unlocking block 224 is arranged in the avoidance groove 222 and is integrally formed with the outer side wall of the avoidance groove 222. When it is necessary to release the lock of the female head shell 21 and the male head shell 31, the connecting tube 22 is pulled in the reverse direction, and the unlocking block 224 interacts with the locking hook 62. Under the action of the unlocking block 224, the distance between the two locking hooks 62 increases, so that the locking hook 62 cannot be engaged with the first limit platform 311 of the male head, thereby releasing the lock of the female head shell 21 and the male head shell 31. It should be noted that when the connecting tube 22 is pulled in reverse, the connecting tube 22 will move relative to the female shell 21. This is because the female shell 21 is connected to the male shell 31, and since the connecting tube 22 is provided with an avoidance groove 222, the cylinder part of the connecting tube 22 will not interfere with the lock hook 62, the locking link 61 and the indicating assembly 7 when the connecting tube 22 moves in reverse; it should also be noted that the end of the locking link 61 connected to the female shell 21 is clamped with the end of the avoidance groove 222 away from the unlocking block 224.

[0065] In order to facilitate the operation of the female head component 2, as Fig.11 and Fig.13As shown, the wet-plug connector also includes a gripper 1, which is fixedly connected to the connecting tube 22 and located at the closed end of the female shell 21. The connecting tube 22 is provided with a connecting portion 221 for connecting the gripper 1. The connecting portion 221 is a structure with at least one end open. The gripper 1 is inserted into the opening of the connecting portion 221 and fixed with connecting parts such as screws. It should be noted that the function of the gripper 1 is to facilitate the ROV underwater machine to connect the female component 2 and the male component 1. It should also be noted that the connecting portion 221 of the connecting tube 22 is arranged corresponding to the protrusion 231 of the female guide shell 23, and the connecting portion 221 of the connecting tube 22 is located in the cavity of the protrusion 231 of the female guide shell 23.

[0066] In order to increase the sealing performance of the female connector assembly 2 to the connecting cable, Figure 1 and Fig.10 As shown, the first end of the female shell 21 is connected to the cable shell 5, the cable shell 5 abuts against the end of the female limit platform 211 away from the connecting tube 22, and the cable shell 5 and the female shell 21 are detachably connected by connecting parts such as screws; it should be noted that the female limit platform 211 is preferably located between the first end and the second end of the female shell 21, so that the female shell 21 and the connecting tube 22 can form two parts of annular spacing gaps, and the cable shell 5 and the male shell 31 are respectively located in the corresponding annular spacing gaps; it should also be noted that a sealing ring 51 is provided between the cable shell 5 and the connecting tube 22.

[0067] In order to perform circumferential positioning for the docking of the male housing 31 and the female housing 21, as shown in FIG. Fig.13 As shown, the male shell sleeve 32 is provided with a guide column 34, and the connecting tube 22 is provided with a guide groove 223 extending along the axial direction of the connecting tube 22, and the end of the guide groove 223 facing the second end of the female shell 21 is an open end. When the male shell 31 and the female shell 21 are docked, the guide column 34 moves along the guide groove 223 to circumferentially locate the connection position of the female shell 21 and the male shell 31; it should be noted that the guide column 34 is at a certain distance from the end of the male shell sleeve 32 that abuts against the female limit platform 211; it should also be noted that, as Fig.17 and Fig.18 As shown, one end of the connecting tube 22 facing the second end of the female shell 21 is connected with an annular limiting ring 234, and the inner wall of the limiting ring 234 is also provided with an annular chamfer, and the annular chamfer of the limiting ring 234 is the same as the annular chamfer of the connecting tube 22 and cooperates with each other, and the limiting ring 234 is provided with a notch 2341 corresponding to the guide groove 223, and the size of the notch 2341 is larger than the outer diameter of the guide column 34 to increase the circumferential connection deviation between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31, and the limiting ring 234 is detachably connected to the connecting tube 22 to prevent the guide column 34 from damaging the connecting tube 22 due to positioning error when the male shell 31 is docked with the female shell 21.

[0068] In the wet-plug connector, the inner diameters of the components are arranged from large to small in the following order: male guide shell 33 > female guide shell 23 > connecting tube 22 > male shell sleeve 32 > male shell 31 > female shell 21 .

[0069] The working principle of the above-mentioned wet plug connector is as follows: the female limit platform 211 abuts against the male shell sleeve 32, and the locking hook 62 clamps the male first limit platform 311, so that the female shell 21 and the male shell 31 are locked with each other, and the indicator valve 71 changes with the distance between the locking hook 62 and the female shell 21 to indicate the locking state of the female shell 21 and the male shell 31. When it is necessary to release the lock between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31, the connecting tube 22 is pulled in the reverse direction, and the unlocking block 234 is used to separate the locking hook 62 from the male first limit platform 311 to release the lock between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31.

[0070] The wet-plug connector can guide the docking process of the male component 3 and the female component 2 to prevent jamming, and the male component 3 and the female component 2 have high docking efficiency, high docking accuracy and good docking effect.

[0071] Based on the wet-plug connector described above, the present invention further provides a method for docking a wet-plug connector, wherein the method for docking a wet-plug connector is to dock the wet-plug connector described above. The method for docking a wet-plug connector comprises the following steps:

[0072] One-time positioning: the female component 2 moves to the first end of the male shell 31, and makes the second end of the female shell 21 close to the extended end of the male guide shell 33, so as to use the opening of the extended end of the male guide shell 33 to preliminarily locate the docking position of the female component 2; it should be noted that when the female component 2 and the male component 3 are docked, the ideal state is that the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3 are collinear. In actual docking, there will be an axial deviation between the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3. The axial deviation may cause the female component 2 and the male component 3 to get stuck, such as Fig.12 As shown, the male guide shell 33 first limits the docking position of the female component 2 and the male component 3 within a larger range, that is, the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3 are limited within a certain angle range.

[0073] Secondary positioning: Place the connecting tube 22 close to the male housing sleeve 32, and extend the male housing sleeve 32 into the end of the connecting tube 22 facing the male assembly 3, so as to use the connecting tube 22 to perform secondary positioning on the male housing 31; Fig.12 As shown, the male guide shell 33 limits the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3 within a larger angle range, and the connecting tube 22 continues to limit the angle of the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3, and limits the angle of the axis of the female component 2 and the axis of the male component 3 within a smaller range;

[0074] Circumferential positioning: the female housing 21 is rotated along the axis of the male housing 31 until the guide post 34 corresponds to the guide groove 223 , so that the guide post 34 can slide along the guide groove 223 toward the female housing 21 .

[0075] Initial docking: the male housing sleeve 32 is extended into the spacing gap and moved in a direction close to the female stopper 211 .

[0076] Docking and locking: When the male shell sleeve 32 moves to abut against the female limit platform 211 , the locking hook 62 is engaged with the male first limit platform 311 to complete the docking and locking of the female shell 21 and the male shell 31 .

[0077] It should be noted that, during the movement of the male shell sleeve 32, the lock hook 62 always abuts against the outer wall of the male shell sleeve 32, and the indicator valve 71 retracts from the clearance hole 232; when the lock hook 62 is engaged with the male first limit platform 311, the indicator valve 71 protrudes out of the clearance hole 232. It should also be noted that in actual use, the wet plug connector is docked underwater using an underwater robot, which drives the female component 2 to move through the gripper 1 to complete the docking and locking of the female component 2 and the male component 3.

[0078] The following takes the example that the annular chamfer of the inner wall of the extending end of the male guide shell 33 is 30° and the annular chamfer of the inner wall of the end of the limiting ring 234 facing the male component 3 is 5°, and the docking method of the above-mentioned wet plug connector is described in detail.

[0079] The above-mentioned wet-plug connector docking method comprises the following steps:

[0080] S1. The underwater robot drives the female component 2 to move towards the male component 3 through the gripper 1, and places the end of the female component 2 that is not connected to the cable opposite to the first end of the male shell 31, and uses the opening of the male guide shell 33 away from the end of the bracket 4 to position the female component 2, and limits the connection position between the female component 2 and the male component 3 to a deviation of ±30° of the axis of the male shell 31, so as to perform the first positioning of the female component 2.

[0081] S2. Move the limiting ring 234 close to the male shell sleeve 32, and extend the male shell sleeve 32 into the connecting tube 22 toward one end of the male component 3, so as to use the limiting ring 234 to perform a second positioning on the male shell 31, so that the connection position between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31 is limited to a deviation of ±5° of the axis of the male shell 31.

[0082] S3. Rotate the female shell 21 along the axis of the male shell 31 until the guide post 34 corresponds to the guide groove 223, so that the guide post 34 can slide along the guide groove 223 toward the female shell 21 to circumferentially position the connection position between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31.

[0083] S4. The male shell sleeve 32 extends into the gap and moves in the direction close to the female limit platform 211; the guide column 34 also enters the guide groove 223 through the notch 2341 of the limit ring 234, and then moves along the guide groove 223 in the direction close to the female limit platform 211 to perform preliminary docking between the female shell 21 and the male shell 31. At this time, the indicator valve 71 retracts from the clearance hole 232 into the cavity of the protrusion 231.

[0084] S5. When the male shell sleeve 32 moves to abut against the female limit platform 211, the locking hook 62 engages with the male first limit platform 311 to complete the docking and locking of the female shell 21 and the male shell. At this time, the indicator valve 71 in the cavity of the retracted protrusion 231 protrudes from the clearance hole 232 again.

[0085] It should be noted that when the above-mentioned wet plug connector separates the female component 2 from the male component 3, the gripper 1 pulls the connecting cylinder 22 in the reverse direction, and the connecting cylinder 22 and the unlocking block 224 arranged on the connecting cylinder 22 move in the direction away from the male component 3. Since the locking hook 62 is engaged with the male first limit platform 311, the female housing 21 and the locking hook 62 are connected to the male component 3. As the unlocking block 224 moves in the reverse direction, the unlocking block 224 contacts the locking hook 62. Since the unlocking block 224 is a wedge-shaped structure, as the unlocking block 224 moves in the reverse direction, the distance between the two locking hooks 62 (that is, the distance between the locking hook 62 and the male first limit platform 311) gradually increases. When the locking hook 62 is no longer in contact with the male first limit platform 311, the locking hook Under the action of the unlocking block 224, 62 moves in the opposite direction together with the unlocking block 224, and the female shell 21 connected to the locking hook 62 also moves in the opposite direction, so that the lock of the female shell 21 and the male shell 31 is released, and then the female component 2 is separated from the male component 3; it should also be noted that the female guide shell 23, the connecting tube 22 and the gripper 1 are fixedly connected as a whole, and the three always move synchronously; when the female component 2 and the male component 3 are docked, since the end of the locking link 61 connected to the female shell 21 is clamped with the end of the avoidance groove 222 away from the unlocking block 224, therefore, under the action of the connecting tube 22, the locking link 61 and the female shell 21 connected to the locking link 61 move with the connecting tube 22 toward the direction close to the male component 3.

[0086] The docking method of the wet-plug connector is simple and easy to operate, and the docking effect of the female component 2 and the male component 3 is good, the docking efficiency is high, and the firmness after docking is high.

[0087] Finally, it should be noted that: the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0088] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, ordinary technicians in the field should understand that the specific implementation methods of the present invention can still be modified or some technical features can be replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit of the technical solution of the present invention, which should be included in the scope of the technical solution for protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wet-plug connector, characterized in that: include: A male header assembly comprising: A male housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the male housing is an open end, and the second end of the male housing is connected to the underwater docking box; A male guide shell, which is open at both ends, is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male shell, one end of the male guide shell extends toward the first end of the male shell and exceeds the first end of the male shell, and the other end of the male guide shell is arranged toward the second end of the male shell and is fixedly connected to the male shell; an inner wall of one end of the male guide shell away from the second end of the male shell is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of the extended end of the male guide shell; A female head component is arranged opposite to the male head component, and the female head component comprises: A female housing having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end of the female housing is an open end and the second end of the female housing is arranged opposite to the first end of the male housing; a female stopper is arranged on the outer periphery of the female housing; A connecting tube, which is sleeved on the outer circumference of the female shell and the inner wall of the connecting tube is fitted with the female limit platform, and an annular spacing gap is formed between the inner wall of the connecting tube and the outer wall of the female shell; the two ends of the connecting tube are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first end and the second end of the female shell, and the end of the connecting tube corresponding to the second end of the female shell extends beyond the second end of the female shell, and the inner wall of the end of the connecting tube extending beyond the second end of the female shell is provided with an annular chamfer to increase the opening size of one end of the connecting tube toward the male assembly, and the annular chamfer angle of the connecting tube is smaller than the annular chamfer angle of the male guide shell; Wherein, when the female head component is docked with the male head component, the first end of the male head shell abuts against the female head limiting platform and is located in the annular spacing gap.

2. The wet-plug connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The male head component also includes a male head shell sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the male head shell, and the outer periphery of the male head shell is provided with a male head first limit platform, and the male head shell sleeve abuts against the male head first limit platform; when the female head component is docked with the male head component, the end of the male head shell sleeve away from the male head first limit platform abuts against the female head limit platform.

3. The wet-plug connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The female head assembly further comprises a locking assembly, the locking assembly comprising a locking link and a locking hook, the locking link is parallel to the female head housing and the locking link is fixedly connected to the female head limiting platform; The locking hook is an inverted triangle structure, and is fixedly connected to one end of the locking link away from the female limit platform and arranged facing the outer wall of the female shell; when the female assembly is docked with the male assembly, the locking hook is engaged with the first limit platform of the male.

4. The wet-plug connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The connecting tube is provided with an escape groove extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, the locking connecting rod is located in the escape groove, and an unlocking block for releasing the locking hook from the first limiting platform of the male head is provided in the escape groove.

5. The wet-plug connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lock hook is connected with an indicator assembly for displaying whether it is locked in place, and the indicator assembly includes an indicator connecting rod and an indicator valve, one end of the indicator connecting rod is connected with the lock hook, and the indicator valve is arranged at the end of the indicator connecting rod away from the lock hook; the indicator connecting rod and the lock connecting rod are arranged at an angle, and the outer peripheral fixed sleeve of the connecting tube is provided with a female guide shell, the indicator connecting rod is rotatably connected with the female guide shell through a connecting shaft, and the female guide shell is provided with a clearance hole matched with the indicator valve, and when the lock hook is clamped with the first limit platform of the male head, the indicator valve protrudes from the clearance hole.

6. The wet-plug connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The male shell sleeve is provided with a guide column, and the connecting tube is provided with a guide groove extending along the axis of the connecting tube. The end of the guide groove facing the second end of the female shell is an open end to circumferentially locate the connection position of the female shell and the male shell.

7. The wet-plug connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a gripper, which is fixedly connected to the connecting tube and is located at the closed end of the female head shell.

8. The method for docking wet-plug connectors according to claim 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Primary positioning: moving the female assembly to the first end of the male housing, and making the second end of the female housing close to the end of the male guide housing extending toward the first end of the male housing, so as to preliminarily locate the docking position of the female housing and the male housing by using the opening of the extended end of the male guide housing; Secondary positioning: the connecting tube is brought close to the male shell sleeve, and the male shell sleeve can be extended into one end of the connecting tube facing the male assembly, so as to use the connecting tube to secondary position the docking position of the female shell and the male shell; Circumferential positioning: rotating the female housing along the axis of the male housing until the guide post corresponds to the guide groove, so that the guide post can slide along the guide groove toward the female housing; Initial docking: moving the female housing toward the direction close to the male housing, and extending the male housing sleeve into the spacing gap; Docking and locking: when the male shell sleeve moves to abut against the female limit platform, the locking hook is engaged with the male first limit platform to complete the docking and locking of the female shell and the male shell.

9. The method for docking wet-plug connectors according to claim 8, characterized in that: During the movement of the female shell toward the male shell, the locking hook always abuts against the outer wall of the male shell sleeve, and the indicator valve retracts from the clearance hole until the locking hook is engaged with the first limit platform of the male head, and the indicator valve protrudes out of the clearance hole.

10. The method for docking wet-plug connectors according to claim 9, characterized in that: Underwater docking is performed using an underwater robot, which drives the female head component to move through the gripper to complete the docking and locking of the female head component and the male head component.

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