A deformable underwater vehicle

Abstract

The present invention discloses a deformable underwater vehicle, comprising a main body with a cavity, wherein a main control cabin, a center of gravity adjustment cabin, a buoyancy adjustment cabin, and a vector thruster base are disposed within the cavity. A thruster is fixed to the vector thruster base and disposed outside the main body. The main body comprises a fixed portion and a deformable portion, wherein the deformable portion has a first state and a second state. When the deformable portion is in the first state, it is connected to the fixed portion to form a torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle; when the deformable portion is in the second state, it is connected to the fixed portion to form a saucer-shaped underwater vehicle. The main body also includes a deformation mechanism for controlling the deformation of the deformable portion to switch the state of the deformable portion. The deformable underwater vehicle disclosed in the present invention has a deformable function. When the underwater vehicle needs to maintain high-speed navigation, the underwater vehicle is in a torpedo shape. When the underwater vehicle needs to hover for detection, the underwater vehicle is in a saucer shape. In other words, the deformable underwater vehicle has both high-speed navigation capabilities and good hovering and detection capabilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of underwater vehicles, and in particular to a deformable underwater vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In today's society, with the increasing depletion of land resources, marine resources that store a large amount of mineral resources, chemical resources, biological resources and marine power resources have gradually become the focus of resource development.

[0003] Before developing marine resources, it is necessary to explore them. With the development of science and technology, underwater vehicles that are low-cost, safe, reliable and can work for a long time have become the first choice for exploring marine resources.

[0004] Existing underwater vehicles, such as the torpedo-shaped main body multi-degree-of-freedom control underwater vehicle disclosed in Chinese patent publication number CN110282100A, include a main cavity, controllable horizontal wings, controllable vertical wings, a ducted propeller, a hydrofoil control mechanism, and a center of gravity adjustment device. The first plate of the hydrofoil control mechanism is welded parallel to the outside of a U-shaped steel tube, and the second plate is welded perpendicularly to the inside of the U-shaped steel tube. A first electromagnet, a second electromagnet, and a third electromagnet are respectively fixed in the main cavity, wherein the second electromagnet and the third electromagnet are respectively located on the upper and lower sides of the first plate, and the third electromagnet is located on the inside of the second plate. The third plate is a long thin steel plate with a groove, which is movably connected to the end of the U-shaped steel tube, and the straight plates on both sides of the groove are fixed in the main cavity. The center of gravity adjustment device includes a stepper motor, a worm, a gear, and a weight. The stepper motor is connected to the transmission gear via a transmission shaft, the transmission gear meshes with two driven gears, the two driven gears are respectively connected to two worms, and the weight passes through the worm through a threaded hole.

[0005] The underwater vehicle provided by the above patent is in the shape of a torpedo. An underwater vehicle of this shape has a faster speed and a longer range when operating, but has weak bottom detection and steering capabilities and cannot land on the bottom.

[0006] Underwater vehicles in the prior art also include an underwater saucer-shaped vehicle disclosed in Chinese patent publication number CN104554675A, which includes a saucer-shaped cabin and a saucer upper cabin, wherein the saucer-shaped cabin includes an upper guard plate, a bottom plate, an annular guard plate and a plurality of hollow cylinders: after the plurality of hollow cylinders are fixed side by side into one body, they are covered by the upper guard plate, the bottom plate and the annular guard plate to form a saucer-shaped cabin; the surface of the upper guard plate has a smooth transition; the bottom plate is a wavy surface; the saucer upper cabin is installed on the upper guard plate, and the saucer upper cabin includes the saucer upper cabin, underwater firearms, a missile launcher, a satellite antenna and a retractable antenna; the saucer upper cabin is a hollow hemispherical body, connected to the upper guard plate, and can rotate vertically around the upper guard plate; the retractable antenna is fixedly installed on the top of the saucer upper cabin, and the satellite antenna is installed on the top of the retractable antenna; the missile launcher and the underwater machinery are installed inside the saucer upper cabin; and the saucer upper cabin has an observation window.

[0007] The underwater vehicle provided by the above patent is disc-shaped. This type of underwater vehicle has super maneuverability such as hovering characteristics, the ability to work close to the bottom and even land on the bottom. It also has the ability to detect and deal with underwater targets, and can better achieve refined detection, but the speed is slow and the range of a single charge is short. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a deformable underwater vehicle.

[0009] A deformable underwater vehicle comprises a body having a cavity, wherein a main control cabin, a center of gravity adjustment cabin, a buoyancy adjustment cabin, and a vector thruster base are disposed within the cavity; a thruster is fixed to the vector thruster base and disposed outside the body; the body comprises a fixed portion and a deformable portion connected to each other, the deformable portion comprising a first state and a second state;

[0010] The deformable portion in the first state is connected to the fixed portion to form a torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle;

[0011] The deformable portion in the second state is connected to the fixed portion to form a saucer-shaped underwater vehicle;

[0012] The underwater vehicle further includes a deformation mechanism, which is used to control the deformation of the deformation portion to switch the state of the deformation portion.

[0013] Specifically, when the underwater vehicle enters the water, it needs to sail quickly to the designated detection point, and then conduct detection after arriving at the designated detection point. Therefore, the underwater vehicle provided by this solution is in a torpedo shape when entering the water. At this time, the deformation part is in the first state. The torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle has a fast sailing speed. At the same time, the movement posture of the underwater vehicle is adjusted by adjusting the center of gravity adjustment cabin and the buoyancy adjustment cabin through the main control cabin. The main control cabin adjusts the heading direction and speed of the underwater vehicle by adjusting the rotation direction and speed of the propeller of the propeller; when the underwater vehicle moves to the designated detection point, under the control of the main control cabin, the motor starts to work and the deformation mechanism starts to move so that the deformation part switches from the first state to the second state. After the switching is completed, the underwater vehicle is deformed from the torpedo shape to the saucer shape. The saucer-shaped underwater vehicle has good hovering ability and can work close to the bottom, so it can perform fine detection near the detection point. After the detection is completed, the underwater vehicle can be recovered.

[0014] Preferably, the fixing portion includes a conical shell, and the deformable portion includes a skin and a plurality of shell pieces, each of which is movably connected to the bottom of the conical shell;

[0015] When the deformation portion is in the first state, the shells are closed, adjacent shells are in contact with each other, and the skin is located in the space formed by the closing of the shells;

[0016] When the deformation portion is in the second state, each shell piece is unfolded toward the direction close to the fixing portion, and the skin is stretched out and connected to the shell piece.

[0017] Preferably, the deformation mechanism includes a first deformation mechanism for changing the state of each shell, a second deformation mechanism for changing the state of the skin, and a motor for driving the first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism.

[0018] Preferably, the first deformation mechanism includes a screw fixed to the output shaft of the motor and a connecting rod mechanism A corresponding to the number of shell pieces, and the connecting rod mechanism A is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the shell pieces; each connecting rod mechanism A includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, and a fourth connecting rod, one end of the first connecting rod is movably fixed to the shell piece, and the other end is movably fixed to the fourth connecting rod, one end of the second connecting rod is movably fixed to the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the screw through a first ball nut, one end of the third connecting rod is movably fixed to the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the end of the screw close to the fixed part, one end of the fourth connecting rod is movably fixed to the end of the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the middle of the third connecting rod; the second connecting rod of each connecting rod mechanism A is fixed to the same first ball nut.

[0019] Specifically, when the underwater vehicle is deformed from a torpedo shape to a disc shape, the operation of the motor drives the rotation of the lead screw. When the lead screw rotates, the first ball nut drives one end of each second connecting rod to move on the lead screw toward the fixed part, and the other end of each second connecting rod and both ends of each third connecting rod and both ends of each fourth connecting rod rotate. The end of each first connecting rod movably fixed on the shell slides on the shell in the direction away from the fixed part until the first ball nut moves to the set point and the deformation is completed; since the second connecting rods of each connecting rod mechanism A are fixed on the same first ball nut, the movement of each shell is consistent; when the underwater vehicle is deformed from a disc shape to a torpedo shape, the motor reverses, the lead screw reverses, and the movement direction of each connecting rod mechanism A is opposite to the above, until the shells are closed and the adjacent shells contact each other, and the deformation is completed.

[0020] Preferably, the first connecting rod is movably fixed to the shell through a slider, and a sliding groove adapted to the slider is provided on the inner side of the shell.

[0021] Specifically, during the deformation of the underwater vehicle, one end of the first connecting rod movably fixed to the shell will slide on the shell, so it is appropriate to provide a slider and a slide groove structure to facilitate the sliding of the first connecting rod on the shell.

[0022] Preferably, the second deformation mechanism includes several connecting rod mechanisms B, and each connecting rod mechanism B is connected to the skin; each connecting rod mechanism B includes a fifth connecting rod, a sixth connecting rod, a seventh connecting rod, and an eighth connecting rod, one end of the fifth connecting rod is movably fixed to the screw through a second ball nut, and the other end is movably fixed to the seventh connecting rod, one end of the sixth connecting rod is movably fixed to the screw, and the other end is movably fixed to the fifth connecting rod, one end of the seventh connecting rod is movably fixed to the end of the eighth connecting rod, and the other end extends toward the direction of the shell, one end of the eighth connecting rod is movably fixed to the seventh connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the sixth connecting rod; the fifth connecting rod of each connecting rod mechanism B is fixed to the same second ball nut.

[0023] Specifically, when the underwater vehicle transforms from a torpedo shape to a disc shape, the second ball nut moves each fifth connecting rod away from the fixed portion. Simultaneously, the other end of each fifth connecting rod, both ends of each sixth connecting rod, and both ends of each eighth connecting rod rotate. The end of the eighth connecting rod that is not fixed to the seventh connecting rod is separated from the shell until the second ball nut moves to the designated position, completing the transformation. When the underwater vehicle transforms from a disc shape to a torpedo shape, the motor rotates in the reverse direction, which in turn causes the lead screw to rotate in the opposite direction, and the movement of each connecting rod mechanism B is opposite to that described above.

[0024] Preferably, the conical shell includes side panels and a bottom plate, and the side panels and the bottom plate together form a placement cavity, and the main control cabin, center of gravity adjustment cabin, buoyancy adjustment cabin, motor and vector thruster base are all arranged in the placement cavity, and the thruster is arranged at the top of the conical shell and fixed on the vector thruster base passing through the top of the conical shell.

[0025] Preferably, the deformable underwater vehicle further includes a sensor disposed on the outside of the body for detecting water body data.

[0026] Specifically, water body data includes temperature, salinity, depth, and dissolved oxygen.

[0027] Compared with the prior art, the present invention is beneficial in that:

[0028] The body of the deformable underwater vehicle includes a fixed part, a deforming part and a deformation mechanism structure, which enables the underwater vehicle to have the function of deformation. When the underwater vehicle needs to maintain high-speed navigation, the underwater vehicle is torpedo-shaped, and when the underwater vehicle needs to hover for detection, the underwater vehicle is saucer-shaped; that is, the deformable underwater vehicle has both the ability to navigate at high speed and good hovering and detection capabilities. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 An external view of the deformable underwater vehicle provided by the present invention in a torpedo-shaped state;

[0030] Figure 2 This is an external view of the deformable underwater vehicle provided by the present invention in a saucer-shaped state;

[0031] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the deformable underwater vehicle provided by the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 A structural diagram of the deformation mechanism of the deformable underwater vehicle provided by the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the process of the deformable underwater vehicle provided by the present invention transforming from a torpedo shape to a saucer shape. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0035] like Figure 3As shown, the deformable underwater vehicle includes a body having a cavity, wherein a main control cabin 11, a center of gravity adjustment cabin 12, a buoyancy adjustment cabin 13, and a vector thruster base 14 are disposed in the cavity. A thruster 15 is fixed to the vector thruster base 14 and disposed outside the body. The body includes a fixing portion 20 and a deformable portion 30 connected to each other. The deformable portion 30 has a first state and a second state.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the deformation portion 30 in the first state is connected to the fixing portion 20 to form a torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle;

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the deformation portion 30 in the second state is connected to the fixing portion 20 to form a saucer-shaped underwater vehicle;

[0038] The underwater vehicle further includes a deformation mechanism, which is used to control the deformation of the deformation portion 30 to switch the state of the deformation portion 30 .

[0039] The fixing portion 20 includes a conical shell, and the deforming portion 30 includes a skin 32 and a plurality of shell pieces 31, each of which is movably connected to the bottom of the conical shell;

[0040] When the deformation portion 30 is in the first state, the shells 31 are closed, adjacent shells 31 are in contact with each other, and the skin 32 is located in the space formed by the closing of the shells 31;

[0041] When the deformation portion 30 is in the second state, each shell piece 31 is unfolded toward the direction close to the fixing portion 20 , and the skin 32 is stretched out and connected to the shell piece 31 .

[0042] like Figure 3 、 4 As shown, the deformation mechanism includes a first deformation mechanism for changing the state of each shell 31, a second deformation mechanism for changing the state of the skin 32, and a motor 60 for driving the first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism.

[0043] The first deformation mechanism includes a screw 41 fixed to the output shaft of the motor 60 and a connecting rod mechanism A40 corresponding to the number of shell pieces 31. The connecting rod mechanism A40 is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the shell pieces 31; each connecting rod mechanism A40 includes a first connecting rod 42, a second connecting rod 43, a third connecting rod 44, and a fourth connecting rod 45. One end of the first connecting rod 42 is movably fixed to the shell piece 31, and the other end is movably fixed to the fourth connecting rod 45. One end of the second connecting rod 43 is movably fixed to the first connecting rod 42, and the other end is fixed to the first ball nut 4 6 is movably fixed to the lead screw 41. One end of the third connecting rod 44 is movably fixed to the first connecting rod 42 and the other end is movably fixed to the end of the lead screw 41 near the fixed portion 20. One end of the fourth connecting rod 45 is movably fixed to the end of the first connecting rod 42 and the other end is movably fixed to the middle of the third connecting rod 44. The second connecting rod 43 of each connecting rod mechanism A40 is fixed to the same first ball nut 46. The first connecting rod 42 is movably fixed to the shell 31 through a slider 47. The inner side of the shell 31 is provided with a slide groove 33 adapted to the slider 47.

[0044] The second deformation mechanism includes several connecting rod mechanisms B50, and each connecting rod mechanism B50 is connected to the skin 32; each connecting rod mechanism B50 includes a fifth connecting rod 51, a sixth connecting rod 52, a seventh connecting rod 53, and an eighth connecting rod 54. One end of the fifth connecting rod 51 is movably fixed to the screw 41 through the second ball nut 55, and the other end is movably fixed to the seventh connecting rod 53. One end of the sixth connecting rod 52 is movably fixed to the screw 41, and the other end is movably fixed to the fifth connecting rod 51. One end of the seventh connecting rod 53 is movably fixed to the end of the eighth connecting rod 54, and the other end extends toward the direction of the shell 31. One end of the eighth connecting rod 54 is movably fixed to the seventh connecting rod 53, and the other end is movably fixed to the sixth connecting rod 52. The fifth connecting rod 51 of each connecting rod mechanism B50 is fixed to the same second ball nut 55.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, when the underwater vehicle is deformed from a torpedo shape to a disc shape, the operation of the motor 60 drives the rotation of the lead screw 41. When the lead screw 41 rotates, the first ball nut 46 drives one end of each second connecting rod 43 to move on the lead screw 41 in a direction close to the fixed portion 20. The other end of each second connecting rod 43, the two ends of each third connecting rod 44, and the two ends of each fourth connecting rod 45 rotate. The end of each first connecting rod 42 that is movably fixed to the shell 31 slides on the shell 31 in a direction away from the fixed portion 20 until the first ball nut 46 moves to a set point. At the same time, the second ball nut 55 drives each fifth connecting rod 51 to move in a direction away from the fixed portion 20. At the same time, the other end of each fifth connecting rod 51, the two ends of each sixth connecting rod 52, and the two ends of each eighth connecting rod 54 all rotate. The end of the eighth connecting rod 54 that is not fixed to the seventh connecting rod 53 is separated from the shell 31 until the second ball nut 55 moves to the specified position and the deformation is completed.

[0046] When the underwater vehicle transforms from a disc shape to a torpedo shape, the motor 60 reverses, the screw 41 reverses, the movement direction of each connecting rod mechanism A40 is opposite to the above, and the movement direction of each connecting rod mechanism B50 is opposite to the above, until the shells 31 are closed and adjacent shells 31 contact each other, and the deformation is completed.

[0047] The conical shell includes side panels and a bottom plate, which together form a placement cavity. The main control cabin 11, the center of gravity adjustment cabin 12, the buoyancy adjustment cabin 13, the motor 60 and the vector thruster base 14 are all arranged in the placement cavity. The thruster 15 is arranged at the top of the conical shell and fixed on the vector thruster base 14 passing through the top of the conical shell.

[0048] The deformable underwater vehicle further includes a sensor 70 disposed outside the body for detecting water body data.

[0049] Water body data includes temperature, salinity, depth, and dissolved oxygen.

[0050] During specific use, the underwater vehicle needs to quickly sail to the designated detection point when entering the water, and then conduct detection after arriving at the designated detection point. Therefore, the underwater vehicle provided in this embodiment is in a torpedo shape when entering the water. At this time, the deformable portion 30 is in the first state. The torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle has a fast sailing speed. At the same time, the main control cabin 11 adjusts the center of gravity adjustment cabin 12 and the buoyancy adjustment cabin 13 to adjust the movement posture of the underwater vehicle. The main control cabin 11 adjusts the heading direction and speed of the underwater vehicle by adjusting the rotation direction and speed of the propeller 16 of the thruster 15. When the underwater vehicle moves to the designated detection point, under the control of the main control cabin 11, the motor 60 starts to operate, and the deformable mechanism starts to move to switch the deformable portion 30 from the first state to the second state. After the switching is completed, the underwater vehicle transforms from the torpedo shape to the saucer shape. The saucer-shaped underwater vehicle has good hovering ability and can work close to the bottom, so it can perform fine detection near the detection point. After the detection is completed, the underwater vehicle can be recovered.

Claims

1. A deformable underwater vehicle, comprising a body with a cavity, wherein a main control cabin, a center of gravity adjustment cabin, a buoyancy adjustment cabin, and a vector propeller base are arranged in the cavity, a propeller is fixed on the vector propeller base, and the propeller is arranged outside the body, characterized in that: The body includes a fixing portion and a deforming portion connected to each other, and the deforming portion includes a first state and a second state; The deformable portion in the first state is connected to the fixed portion to form a torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle; The deformable portion in the second state is connected to the fixed portion to form a saucer-shaped underwater vehicle; The underwater vehicle further includes a deformation mechanism, wherein the deformation mechanism is used to control the deformation portion to deform so as to switch the state of the deformation portion; The deformable portion includes a skin and a plurality of shells, each of which is movably connected to the bottom of the conical shell; when the deformable portion is in a first state, the shells are closed, adjacent shells are in contact with each other, and the skin is located in a space formed by the closed shells; when the deformable portion is in a second state, the shells are unfolded toward the fixed portion, and the skin is stretched and connected to the shells; The conical shell includes side panels and a bottom panel, which together form a placement cavity. The main control cabin, center of gravity adjustment cabin, buoyancy adjustment cabin, motor, and vector thruster base are all arranged in the placement cavity. The thruster is arranged at the top of the conical shell and fixed on the vector thruster base passing through the top of the conical shell. The deformation mechanism includes a first deformation mechanism for changing the state of each shell, a second deformation mechanism for changing the state of the skin, and a motor for driving the first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism; The first deformation mechanism includes a screw fixed to the output shaft of the motor and a connecting rod mechanism A corresponding to the number of shell pieces, and the connecting rod mechanism A is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the shell pieces; each connecting rod mechanism A includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, and a fourth connecting rod, one end of the first connecting rod is movably fixed to the shell piece through a slider, a sliding groove adapted to the slider is provided on the inner side of the shell piece, the other end of the first connecting rod is movably fixed to the fourth connecting rod, one end of the second connecting rod is movably fixed to the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the screw through a first ball nut, one end of the third connecting rod is movably fixed to the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the end of the screw near the fixed part, one end of the fourth connecting rod is movably fixed to the end of the first connecting rod, and the other end is movably fixed to the middle part of the third connecting rod; the second connecting rod of each connecting rod mechanism A is fixed to the same first ball nut; The second deformation mechanism includes a plurality of link mechanisms B, each of which is connected to the skin; each link mechanism B includes a fifth link, a sixth link, a seventh link, and an eighth link, one end of the fifth link is movably fixed to the lead screw through a second ball nut, and the other end is movably fixed to the seventh link; one end of the sixth link is movably fixed to the lead screw, and the other end is movably fixed to the fifth link; one end of the seventh link is movably fixed to the end of the eighth link, and the other end extends toward the shell; one end of the eighth link is movably fixed to the seventh link, and the other end is movably fixed to the sixth link; the fifth link of each link mechanism B is fixed to the same second ball nut; During use, the underwater vehicle is in the shape of a torpedo when entering the water. At this time, the deformation part is in the first state. The torpedo-shaped underwater vehicle has a fast sailing speed. At the same time, the movement posture of the underwater vehicle is adjusted by adjusting the center of gravity adjustment cabin and the buoyancy adjustment cabin through the main control cabin. The main control cabin adjusts the heading direction and speed of the underwater vehicle by adjusting the rotation direction and speed of the propeller of the thruster; when the underwater vehicle moves to the designated detection point, under the control of the main control cabin, the deformation mechanism starts to move so that the deformation part switches from the first state to the second state. After the switching is completed, the underwater vehicle is deformed from the torpedo shape to the saucer shape. After the saucer-shaped underwater vehicle hovers, it works close to the bottom and performs detailed detection near the detection point.

2. The underwater vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformable underwater vehicle further includes a sensor disposed outside the body for detecting water body data.

Images