Radial compression sealing device for sonobuoy air cell

Abstract

This application provides a radial compression sealing device for a sonar buoy's airbag, belonging to the technical field of sonar buoys. Specifically, it includes an upper sealing flange, a lower sealing flange, and an O-ring. The upper sealing flange has a radially convex inner ring on its lower inner side. The O-ring is located on the lower end face of the inner ring. The airbag neck passes through the inner ring and is fitted onto the outer periphery of the lower sealing flange. The lower sealing flange has a protruding outer ring on its outer periphery. The lower sealing flange is fixed to the upper sealing flange by moving closer to the lower end face of the inner ring. The outer ring presses the outer side of the airbag neck tightly against the O-ring. This solution improves the reliability of the sealing connection between the airbag and the surface electronics compartment sealing flange.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of sonar buoys, and more particularly to a radial compression sealing device for an airbag in a sonar buoy. Background Technology

[0002] After being deployed into the water, the sonar buoy is activated upon contact with water. The inflatable airbag then propels the buoy's surface module to the surface. The surface module consists of an airbag and a surface electronics compartment, which are sealed together with interconnected internal gases. The sealing process between the airbag and the surface electronics compartment is a crucial factor affecting the airtightness of the buoy's surface module.

[0003] Traditional sonar buoy airbags are manufactured by cutting multiple polyurethane films into airbag pieces and then welding them together on a heat-sealing machine. This process involves numerous steps and is costly. Furthermore, the seal between the airbag and the surface electronic module is typically achieved through radial bonding (cold or hot bonding). Cold bonding involves applying adhesive to the bonding area between the airbag and the electronic module, tightly fitting the airbag neck onto the bonding area, and allowing the adhesive to dry to achieve a seal. Hot bonding involves heating the adhesive film onto the bonding area of ​​the electronic module, cooling it, then tightly fitting the airbag onto the bonding area, and reheating to achieve a seal. The latest domestically produced footed buoy airbags use an end-face sealing connection between the airbag and the surface electronic module. However, the weld seam between the airbag flange and the airbag body, which is subjected to tearing forces in the water, poses a risk of leakage due to tearing at the weld seam. The existing technology involves complex processes for sealing the airbag and its connection with the surface electronic compartment, resulting in low standardization, low yield, poor reliability, poor maintainability and interchangeability, and insufficient environmental friendliness and energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a radial compression sealing device for an airbag used in a sonar buoy, which solves the problems in the prior art and improves the reliability of the sealing connection between the airbag and the sealing flange of the surface electronic compartment.

[0005] The radial compression sealing device for a sonar buoy airbag provided in this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] A radial compression sealing device for a sonar buoy airbag includes an airbag pouch and an airbag neck. The sealing device includes an upper sealing flange, a lower sealing flange, and an O-ring. The upper sealing flange has a radially convex inner ring on its lower inner side. The O-ring is located on the lower end face of the inner ring. The airbag neck passes through the inner ring and is fitted onto the outer periphery of the lower sealing flange. The lower sealing flange has a protruding outer ring on its outer periphery. After the lower sealing flange moves closer to the lower end face of the inner ring, it fixes itself onto the upper sealing flange. The outer ring presses the outer side of the airbag neck against the O-ring.

[0007] Optionally, it also includes a pressure plate, which presses the lower sealing flange into the upper sealing flange, and the pressure plate is fixedly connected to the upper sealing flange by bolts.

[0008] Optionally, the air inlet end of the airbag neck is located between the end face of the pressure plate and the sealing lower flange, and the pressure plate presses the air inlet end of the airbag neck against the end face of the sealing lower flange.

[0009] Optionally, the airbag includes a flap, the flap having a through hole at its center for connecting to the airbag neck, and the flap being bent diagonally and its connecting edges closed to form the airbag.

[0010] Optionally, one end of the airbag neck is flanged and connected to the bladder plate around the through hole.

[0011] Optionally, the airbag neck is a one-piece structure.

[0012] Optionally, the thickness of the airbag neck is greater than the thickness of the airbag sheet.

[0013] Optionally, the flange of the airbag neck and the airbag flap are welded together by heat pressing on a heat sealing machine.

[0014] In summary, this application includes the following beneficial technical effects:

[0015] The radial compression sealing method for sonar buoy airbags proposed in this application has a simple structure, simple process, convenient operation, saves labor and time, can achieve a reliable seal between the airbag and the sealing flange of the surface electronic compartment, and can achieve standardized operation, effectively reducing the impact of human factors in the processing. Therefore, it has good practicality, is easy to promote, and has great practical value. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is an assembly diagram of the radial compression sealing device for the airbag in this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an explosion diagram of the radial compression sealing device for the airbag in this application;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the balloon flap and the airbag neck of this application.

[0020] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Airbag; 2. Upper sealing flange; 21. Inner ring; 3. Lower sealing flange; 31. Outer ring; 4. O-ring seal; 5. Pressure plate; 6. Screw; 7. Airbag neck; 8. Airbag plate; 81. Through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number of aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0024] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0025] Furthermore, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the described aspects can be practiced without these specific details.

[0026] This application provides a radial compression sealing device for an airbag used in sonar buoys.

[0027] like Figure 1-3 As shown, a radial compression sealing device for a sonar buoy airbag includes an airbag 1 and an airbag neck 7. The sealing device includes an upper sealing flange 2, a lower sealing flange 3, and an O-ring seal 4. The upper sealing flange 2 has a radially convex inner ring 21 on its lower inner side. The O-ring seal 4 is located on the lower end face of the inner ring 21. The airbag neck 7 passes through the inner ring 21 and is fitted around the outer periphery of the lower sealing flange 3. The lower sealing flange 3 has a protruding outer ring 31 on its outer periphery. After the lower sealing flange 3 moves closer to the lower end face of the inner ring 21, it fixes itself onto the upper sealing flange 2. The outer ring 31 presses the outer side of the airbag neck 7 tightly against the O-ring seal 4. A vent hole is provided in the middle of the lower sealing flange 3 for ventilation between the ventilation device and the airbag 1.

[0028] The sealing device also includes a pressure plate 5, which presses the lower sealing flange 3 into the upper sealing flange 2. The pressure plate 5 is fixedly connected to the upper sealing flange 2 by bolts.

[0029] The airbag neck 7 passes through the lower sealing flange 3. An O-ring 4 is placed over the airbag neck 7, and the lower sealing flange 3 is inserted into the airbag neck 7. Utilizing the deformation characteristics of the O-ring 4, a press is used to press the airbag along with the lower sealing flange 3 into the upper sealing flange 2, thus forming a tight radial seal. The outer ring 31 presses the airbag neck 7 and the O-ring 4 onto the inner ring 21. Screws 6 are used to fasten the pressure plate 5 to the upper sealing flange 2, thereby using the boss of the pressure plate 5 to press the airbag neck 7, preventing relative displacement between the airbag body and the O-ring 4 under external force.

[0030] The air inlet end of the airbag neck 7 is located between the end face of the pressure plate 5 and the sealing lower flange 3, and the pressure plate 5 presses the air inlet end of the airbag neck 7 against the end face of the sealing lower flange 3.

[0031] The airbag includes a flap 8, with a through hole 81 at its center for connecting to the airbag neck 7. The flap 8 is square, and after being bent diagonally and the connecting edges are closed, the flap 8 forms the buoy bag 1. The airbag flap 8 is symmetrically folded and bent, and after the two sides are aligned, it is hot-pressed on a heat sealing machine to form the buoy bag 1.

[0032] One end of the airbag neck 7 is turned upside down and connected to the airbag plate 8 around the through hole 81.

[0033] The airbag neck 7 is a one-piece structure.

[0034] The thickness of the airbag neck 7 is greater than the thickness of the airbag plate 8.

[0035] The flange of the airbag neck 7 and the airbag sheet 8 are joined together by hot pressing on a heat sealing machine.

[0036] The airbag neck 7 and the airbag sheet 8 are made of two thermoplastic resin film materials of different thicknesses. The thickness of the airbag neck 7 is greater than that of the airbag sheet 8. Polyurethane film material is preferred for both. The airbag neck 7 is turned over on a heat sealing machine and then the two are fused together by hot pressing. The airbag sheet 8 is then symmetrically folded and bent, and the two sides are aligned before being hot-pressed on a heat sealing machine to form an airbag.

[0037] To overcome the problems of complex processes, low process qualification rate and reliability, high cost, poor maintainability and interchangeability in the sealing connection between the airbag and the surface sealing chamber of the existing airborne sonar buoy, this application proposes a radial compression sealing method for the airbag of the sonar buoy. This method can effectively reduce the processing cost of the airbag, improve the reliability of the sealing connection between the airbag and the sealing flange of the surface electronic compartment, and the process is simple, low in cost, and facilitates the repair or replacement of the airbag.

[0038] During the airtightness test of the sonar buoy airbag, small air holes were found on the surface of the airbag. By removing the four screws 6, the pressure plate 5 was removed, and then the airbag body, along with the lower sealing flange 3, was pushed out from the upper sealing flange 2 using a press, thereby removing the airbag for repair or replacement. This disassembly method is very simple, and the upper sealing flange 2, lower sealing flange 3, and O-ring 4 can be reused, effectively reducing the cost of airbag disassembly and assembly and improving the efficiency of disassembly and assembly.

[0039] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A radial compression sealing device for a sonar buoy airbag, the airbag comprising a bladder and an airbag neck, characterized in that, The sealing device includes an upper sealing flange, a lower sealing flange, and an O-ring. The lower inner side of the upper sealing flange is provided with a radially convex inner ring. The O-ring is located on the lower end face of the inner ring. The airbag neck passes through the inner ring and is fitted around the outer periphery of the lower sealing flange. The outer periphery of the lower sealing flange is provided with a protruding outer ring. After the lower sealing flange moves closer to the lower end face of the inner ring, it fixes the lower sealing flange to the upper sealing flange. The outer ring presses the outer side of the airbag neck against the O-ring. It also includes a pressure plate, which presses the lower sealing flange into the upper sealing flange, and the pressure plate is fixedly connected to the upper sealing flange by bolts; The air inlet end of the airbag neck is located between the end face of the pressure plate and the sealing lower flange, and the pressure plate presses the air inlet end of the airbag neck against the end face of the sealing lower flange. The airbag includes a flap, and the flap has a through hole at its center that connects to the neck of the airbag. The flap is bent along the diagonal and the connecting edges are closed to form the airbag. One end of the airbag neck is folded over and connected to the airbag plate around the through hole.

2. The radial compression sealing device for the airbag of a sonar buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbag neck is a one-piece structure.

3. The radial compression sealing device for the airbag of a sonar buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the airbag neck is greater than the thickness of the airbag sheet.

4. The radial compression sealing device for the airbag of a sonar buoy according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flap of the airbag neck and the airbag flap are welded together by hot pressing on a heat sealing machine.

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