A side push cover plate device

Abstract

The application discloses a side push cover plate device, which comprises the following parts: an outer plate structure connected with the outer plate of a ship body in the region; a guide groove cylinder connected with a side push cylinder; a box-shaped shell arranged on the inner side of the outer plate structure and the side of the guide groove cylinder; cover plate blades installed on the mouth of the guide groove cylinder and divided into several pieces according to the curved surface line type of the ship body in the region, which are completely attached to the curved surface line type of the ship body in the closed state and provide flow area for the side push in the open state; an executing mechanism installed on the reinforcing structure of the box-shaped shell, which effectively transmits torque and controls the opening and closing of the cover plate blades; and a locking mechanism installed on the support of the reinforcing structure of the box-shaped shell, which is one-to-one corresponding to the executing mechanism and controls the locking of the opening and closing state of the cover plate blades. The application provides the largest possible flow area for the side push and the largest efficiency of the side push when the side push is used, closes the cover plate to keep the curved surface line type of the ship body continuous and smooth, reduces the ship resistance, lowers the energy consumption of navigation and effectively suppresses the air bubbles at the mouth of the side push tunnel when the side push is not used.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shipbuilding technology, and more specifically to a side-push cover plate device. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, due to the demands of different navigation areas and missions, and to improve ship maneuverability in situations where rudder control is not required or at low speeds with poor rudder effectiveness, as well as to achieve dynamic positioning at sea, an increasing number of ships are equipped with bow thrusters. These thrusters are mounted on a cover to indicate the ship's bow direction, facilitating berthing and unberthing at docks or positioning at sea. Among various types of bow thrusters, tunnel-type thrusters are the most common and widely used. However, the presence of the tunnel disrupts the continuous bow hull lines, significantly increasing drag and energy consumption, affecting the ship's speed and economy. Furthermore, the thruster tunnel opening generates a large number of air bubbles during navigation. These extra bubbles leak down to the hull, and for specialized research vessels equipped with acoustic equipment for water and seabed exploration, these bubbles can severely interfere with the operation of such equipment.

[0003] Therefore, an increasing number of ships are equipped with side thruster cover devices to mitigate the drawbacks of tunnel-type side thrusters. Existing side thruster cover technology, in terms of blade design, is primarily single-blade, and to accommodate the curved hull surface, the combined projection of all blades is generally oblong. Regarding the actuator, hydraulic cylinders typically drive linkage mechanisms to synchronously open the blades to the same angle. This mechanism is complex, and due to the narrow half-width at the bottom of the hull and the dense structure, it often interferes with the hull structure, compromising structural strength. To address these shortcomings of existing side thruster cover devices, there is an urgent need to design a new side thruster cover device. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a side thruster cover device that provides the largest possible flow area when the side thruster is in use, thereby maximizing the efficiency of the side thruster; and to close the tunnel entrance when the side thruster is not in use, thereby ensuring that the outer surface of the cover is smooth and consistent with the hull line, reducing ship resistance, reducing navigation energy consumption, and effectively suppressing air bubbles at the side thruster tunnel entrance.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a side-push cover plate device, comprising: an outer plate structure, a guide groove cylinder, a box-shaped shell, cover plate blades, an actuator, and a locking mechanism;

[0006] The outer plating structure is connected to the hull plating of this area;

[0007] The guide groove cylinder is connected to the side push cylinder;

[0008] The box-shaped shell is located inside the outer plate structure and on the side of the guide groove cylinder, including: a top plate, a bottom plate, side plates and a reinforcing structure; the box-shaped shell is connected to the bottom frame of the hull without damaging the local strength of the hull structure, and the actuator and locking mechanism are installed inside;

[0009] The cover plate blades are installed at the opening of the guide groove cylinder and are divided into several pieces according to the hull surface curve of the area. When closed, they are completely fitted with the hull surface curve, and when open, they provide flow area for the side thruster.

[0010] The actuator is mounted on the reinforced structure of the box-shaped housing, effectively transmitting torque and controlling the opening and closing of each blade of the cover plate. It includes: a multi-stage sealing structure, a rotating shaft, a coupling, and a hydraulic swing cylinder. The rotating shaft is connected to the cover plate blades, and the hydraulic swing cylinder outputs torque to drive the coupling and the rotating shaft to rotate.

[0011] The locking mechanism is mounted on the bracket of the box-shaped housing reinforcement structure and corresponds one-to-one with the actuation structure. It includes: a pin shaft and a hydraulic cylinder to control the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade.

[0012] In the aforementioned side-push cover device, the outer plate structure is completely smooth with the hull line of the area.

[0013] In the aforementioned side-thrust cover device, the diameter of the guide groove cylinder matches that of the side-thrust cylinder, and they are directly connected. The length of the guide groove cylinder is set considering the half-width of the ship's hull in the area and the length of the side-thrust cylinder.

[0014] In the aforementioned side-push cover device, the cover blades are angled to the horizontal plane according to the streamline angle, and each blade can be set to open at different angles according to its own surface characteristics; the angle between the rotation axis of the cover blades and the horizontal plane is designed according to the streamline angle of the ship.

[0015] In the aforementioned side-push cover plate device, the cover plate blades can rotate around their own axis in an angle range of 0 to 180°, and are independent and adjustable from one another. The opening angle of each blade is set according to the principle of minimizing its projected area in the side-push tunnel.

[0016] In the aforementioned side-push cover plate device, the actuator consists of several subsystems, the number of which is consistent with the number of cover plate blades and corresponds one-to-one. Each subsystem is driven by the direct torque output of a hydraulic swing cylinder.

[0017] In the aforementioned side-push cover plate device, the locking mechanism consists of several subsystems, the number of which is consistent with and corresponds one-to-one with the number of actuator subsystems. The locking mechanism controls the locking of each cover plate blade by inserting the control pin into the corresponding opening and closing locking position on the coupling through the hydraulic cylinder.

[0018] In the aforementioned side-push cover device, the top plate and bottom plate are connected to the main frame of the hull side, the side plate connects the top plate and the bottom plate, and the reinforcing structure is arranged in a crisscross pattern within the box-shaped shell to form a frame load-bearing structure, which can efficiently transfer external loads, ensure the integrity of the local strength of the hull, and the reinforcing structure can also serve as the mounting carrier for the actuator and locking mechanism.

[0019] In the aforementioned side-push cover plate device, the multi-stage sealing structure ensures that the through-chamber rotating shaft and its opening are watertight. The rotating shaft and the cover plate blades are connected one-to-one to form a subsystem of the actuator. In each subsystem, the hydraulic swing cylinder is installed on the reinforcing structure, outputs torque, drives the coupling, and the rotating shaft controls the cover plate blades to open at different angles. The coupling can transmit torque in the middle and make the hydraulic swing cylinder free from radial force.

[0020] In the aforementioned side-push cover plate device, the hydraulic cylinder is mounted on a reinforcing structure via a bracket, and a pin is connected to the hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic cylinder controls the pin to insert into the corresponding opening and closing locking position on the coupling, thereby controlling the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] This invention provides a side thruster cover plate device. First, by designing a guide channel cylinder that matches the diameter of the side thruster cylinder and the half-width of the hull in the area, the installation process in the shipyard is simplified, eliminating the need for intermediate transition sections. Second, the box-shaped structure design solves the problem of the hull structure being broken, effectively transferring external loads without damaging the local strength of the hull structure. Third, using the original hull outer plate curved surface at the tunnel entrance as the base surface, the number and shape of the cover plate blades are rationally divided, and the opening angle of each cover plate blade is independently controlled, so that the flow area can be provided as large as possible when the side thruster is in use, maximizing the efficiency of the side thruster. Finally, through the outer plate structure, cover plate blade design, and cover plate blade axis design that are consistent with the streamline angle and are aligned with the hull line, the tunnel entrance is closed when the side thruster is not in use. The outer surface of the side thruster tunnel entrance is consistent with the hull line, reducing ship resistance, reducing navigation energy consumption, and effectively suppressing air bubbles at the side thruster tunnel entrance. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The following embodiments and figures illustrate a side-push cover plate device of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 1 This is the front view of the invention as seen from inside the ship's hull outwards;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a top view of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a side view of the present invention;

[0027] The same or similar reference numerals in the accompanying drawings represent the same or similar parts.

[0028] In the figure, 1 is the outer plate structure, 2 is the guide groove cylinder, 3 is the box-shaped shell, 31 is the top plate, 32 is the bottom plate, 33 is the side plate, 34 is the reinforcing rib, 4 is the cover plate blade, 5 is the actuator, 51 is the multi-stage sealing structure, 52 is the rotating shaft, 53 is the coupling, 54 is the hydraulic swing cylinder, 6 is the locking mechanism, 61 is the pin shaft, and 62 is the hydraulic cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following provides a further detailed description of a side-push cover device according to the present invention. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description and claims. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise ratios, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] This embodiment is a two-blade side-push cover plate device. Figure 1 This is a front view of the invention viewed from inside the ship's hull outwards. (Reference) Figure 1 The side-push cover plate device provided in this embodiment of the invention mainly consists of an outer plate structure 1, a guide groove cylinder 2, a box-shaped shell 3, cover plate blades 4, an actuator 5, and a locking mechanism 6.

[0031] The outer plate structure 1, the guide groove cylinder 2, and the box-shaped shell 3 are welded together according to specific position requirements to form the main structure of the present invention.

[0032] The box-shaped shell 3 is composed of a top plate 31, a bottom plate 32, side plates 33, and reinforcing ribs 34. The top plate 31 and bottom plate 32 are connected to the main frame of the hull side. The side plates 33 connect the top plate 31 and the bottom plate 32. The reinforcing ribs 34 are arranged in a crisscross pattern inside the box-shaped shell to form a frame load-bearing structure, which can effectively transfer external loads, ensure the integrity of the local strength of the hull, and the reinforcing ribs 34 can also serve as the mounting carrier for the actuator 5 and the locking mechanism 6.

[0033] The cover plate blade 4 is specifically composed of two curved blades of different shapes. When combined, the blades in the closed state are consistent with the hull line. In the open state, the opening angle of each blade is set according to the principle of minimizing its projected area in the side thrust tunnel.

[0034] The actuator 5 consists of a multi-stage sealing structure 51, a rotating shaft 52, a coupling 53, and a hydraulic swing cylinder 54. The multi-stage sealing structure 51 ensures that the through-chamber rotating shaft 52 and its opening are watertight. The rotating shaft 52 is connected one-to-one with the two blades of the cover plate blade 4, forming two subsystems of the actuator. In each subsystem, the hydraulic swing cylinder 54 is mounted on the reinforcing rib 34, outputs torque, drives the coupling 53 and the rotating shaft 52, and controls the two blades of the cover plate blade 4 to open at different angles. The coupling 53 can transmit torque in the middle and make the hydraulic swing cylinder 54 free from radial force, reducing its leakage risk and improving reliability.

[0035] The locking mechanism 6 consists of a pin 61 and a hydraulic cylinder 62, which correspond one-to-one with the actuating structure 5. Therefore, there are two sets in this example. In each subsystem, the hydraulic cylinder 62 is mounted on the reinforcing rib 34 through a bracket. The pin 61 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder 62. The hydraulic cylinder 62 controls the pin 61 to insert into the corresponding opening and closing locking position on the coupling 53, thereby controlling the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade 4.

[0036] The advantages of this invention are as follows: First, by designing a guide tube that matches the diameter of the thruster cylinder and the half-width of the hull in the area, the installation process at the shipyard is simplified, eliminating the need for intermediate transition sections. Second, the box-shaped structure design effectively transfers external loads without compromising the local strength of the hull structure. Third, using the curved surface of the original hull outer plate at the tunnel entrance as the base surface, the cover blades are rationally divided into three pieces with different shapes, and the opening angle of each cover blade is independently controlled, so that the flow area can be maximized during the use of the thruster, maximizing the thruster's efficiency. Finally, the outer plate structure, the curved surface design of the cover blades, and the design of the cover blade axis that matches the streamline angle, all of which are consistent with the hull lines, allow the tunnel entrance to be closed when the thruster is not in use. The outer surface of the thruster tunnel entrance is consistent with the hull lines, reducing ship resistance, lowering navigation energy consumption, and effectively suppressing air bubbles at the thruster tunnel entrance.

[0037] The contents not described in detail in this specification are prior art known to those skilled in the art. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims be included within the present invention.

Claims

1. A side-push cover plate device, characterized in that, include: Outer plate structure, guide groove cylinder, box-shaped shell, cover plate blades, actuator, locking mechanism; The outer plating structure is connected to the hull plating of this area; The guide groove cylinder is connected to the side push cylinder; The box-shaped shell is located inside the outer plate structure and on the side of the guide groove cylinder, including: a top plate, a bottom plate, side plates and a reinforcing structure; the box-shaped shell is connected to the bottom frame of the hull without damaging the local strength of the hull structure, and the actuator and locking mechanism are installed inside; The cover plate blades are installed at the opening of the guide groove cylinder and are divided into several pieces according to the hull surface curve of the area. When closed, they are completely fitted with the hull surface curve, and when open, they provide flow area for the side thruster. The actuator is mounted on the reinforced structure of the box-shaped housing, effectively transmitting torque and controlling the opening and closing of each blade of the cover plate. It includes: a multi-stage sealing structure, a rotating shaft, a coupling, and a hydraulic swing cylinder. The rotating shaft is connected to the cover plate blades, and the hydraulic swing cylinder outputs torque to drive the coupling and the rotating shaft to rotate. The locking mechanism is installed on the bracket of the box-shaped housing reinforcement structure and corresponds one-to-one with the actuation structure. It includes: a pin shaft and a hydraulic cylinder to control the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade. The outer plating structure is completely smooth with the hull lines of the area in which it is located; The diameter of the guide channel cylinder is matched with that of the side thrust cylinder and they are directly connected. Its length is set considering half the width of the hull in the area and the length of the side thrust cylinder. The cover blades are angled to the horizontal plane according to the streamline angle, and each blade can be set to open at different angles according to its own surface characteristics; the angle between the rotation axis of the cover blades and the horizontal plane is designed according to the streamline angle of the ship. The cover plate blades can rotate around their own axis in an angle range of 0~180°, and are independent and adjustable. The opening angle of each blade is set according to the principle of minimizing its projected area in the side-push tunnel. The locking mechanism consists of several subsystems, the number of which is consistent with the number of the actuator subsystems and corresponds one-to-one. The hydraulic cylinder controls the pin to be inserted into the corresponding opening and closing locking position on the coupling, thereby controlling the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade. The top plate and bottom plate are connected to the main frame of the hull side, and the side plates connect the top plate and the bottom plate. The reinforcing structure is arranged in a crisscross pattern within the box-shaped shell to form a frame load-bearing structure, which can efficiently transfer external loads, ensure the integrity of the local strength of the hull, and the reinforcing structure can also serve as the installation carrier for the actuator and locking mechanism. The multi-stage sealing structure ensures that the through-chamber rotating shaft and its opening are watertight. The rotating shaft and the cover plate blades are connected one-to-one to form a subsystem of the actuator. In each subsystem, the hydraulic swing cylinder is installed on the reinforcing structure, outputs torque, drives the coupling, and the rotating shaft controls the cover plate blades to open at different angles. The coupling can transmit torque in the middle and make the hydraulic swing cylinder free from radial force.

2. The side-push cover plate device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The actuator consists of several subsystems, the number of which is consistent with the number of cover plate blades and corresponds one-to-one. Each subsystem is driven by the direct torque output of a hydraulic swing cylinder.

3. The side-push cover plate device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The hydraulic cylinder is mounted on the reinforcing structure via a bracket. The pin is connected to the hydraulic cylinder, and the hydraulic cylinder controls the pin to insert into the corresponding opening and closing locking position on the coupling, thereby controlling the locking of the opening and closing state of each cover plate blade.

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