Grasping device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a gripping device, comprising: a first sleeve assembly and a second sleeve assembly; a driving device, movably provided in a first guide channel along a first direction; a gripping assembly, capable of opening or closing in response to the movement of the driving device to release or grip a fuel assembly; a locking device, wherein the locking device is movable along the first direction during rotation so that the locking device has a locked state and an unlocked state. The gripping device is provided with a driving device to drive the gripping assembly to open or close, thereby enabling the gripping assembly to release or grip a simulated fuel assembly; a locking device is provided to lock and unlock the driving device; and a locking device is provided at one end of the second sleeve assembly away from the gripping assembly along the first direction. The operator can remotely operate the locking device to cause the gripping assembly to release the simulated fuel assembly, thereby preventing the operator from going down to the bottom of the transfer shaft, thereby reducing the operator's safety risk.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of nuclear fuel assemblies, in particular to a gripping device. Background Art

[0002] After each nuclear power plant reactor operation cycle, some fuel assemblies need to be replaced as needed. Prior to replacement, dummy fuel assemblies are used to verify the proper functioning of the fuel handling equipment within the reactor building. These dummy fuel assemblies are typically stored in the spent fuel pool within the fuel building. They must first be lifted from the spent fuel pool to the fuel transfer unit using specialized grippers and lifting equipment. The fuel transfer unit is then transferred to the reactor building via the fuel transfer unit. The fuel transfer unit is installed at the bottom of the transfer shaft, which is exposed to radiation.

[0003] However, once the simulated fuel assembly is hoisted into the transfer shaft, an operator must descend to the bottom of the shaft to unlock and release the simulated fuel assembly using specialized grippers. However, there is no operating platform within the transfer shaft, and the high radiation dose presents a significant safety risk to the operator. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a gripping device that can be remotely unlocked to release the simulated fuel assembly to reduce the safety risks of operators.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, a gripping device is provided for handling a fuel assembly, the gripping device comprising:

[0006] A first sleeve assembly and a second sleeve assembly, wherein the second sleeve assembly is movably inserted into the first sleeve assembly relative to the first sleeve assembly along a first direction, and a first guide channel is provided through the second sleeve assembly along the first direction;

[0007] a driving device, movably disposed in the first guide channel along the first direction;

[0008] a gripper assembly rotatably disposed at one end of the second sleeve assembly along the first direction; the gripper assembly can open or close in response to movement of the drive device to grasp or release the fuel assembly; and

[0009] a locking device rotatably disposed at the other end of the second sleeve assembly along the first direction;

[0010] wherein the locking device is movable along the first direction during the rotation process, so that the locking device has a locked state and an unlocked state;

[0011] The locking device is in the locking state, the locking device abuts against an end of the driving device away from the clamping assembly, and abuts against an inner wall of the first sleeve assembly, thereby limiting the movement of the driving device;

[0012] When the locking device is in the unlocked state, the driving device can move along the first guide channel in a direction away from the clamping assembly.

[0013] The gripping device is configured to grasp simulated fuel assemblies for transport, by providing a gripping assembly to grasp them; a driving device to open or close the gripping assembly, thereby enabling the gripping assembly to grasp or release the simulated fuel assembly; and a locking device to lock and unlock the driving device, thereby controlling the movement of the driving device along the first guide channel. Thus, by positioning the locking device at one end of the second sleeve assembly, distal from the gripping assembly in the first direction, an operator can remotely operate the locking device to release the simulated fuel assembly from the gripping assembly, thereby preventing the operator from descending to the bottom of the transfer shaft and reducing safety risks for the operator.

[0014] In one embodiment, the locking device includes two locking assemblies;

[0015] The two locking assemblies are symmetrically and rotatably arranged on the second sleeve assembly along the circumference of the first sleeve assembly;

[0016] During the rotation of the two locking assemblies, the two locking assemblies can move toward or away from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the locking device is in the locked state or the unlocked state.

[0017] In one embodiment, the locking assembly includes:

[0018] a first locking member rotatably disposed in the second sleeve assembly along the second direction;

[0019] a second locking member, sleeved on the first locking member, the second locking member being located between the first sleeve assembly and the second sleeve assembly; the first locking member being capable of rotating in response to an external force to drive the second locking member to rotate; and

[0020] a first restoring member, sleeved on one end of the first locking member close to the driving device along the second direction;

[0021] Wherein, when the locking device is switched to the unlocked state, the two first locking members can move away from each other along the second direction, so that the driving device can move along the first guide channel;

[0022] During the process of the locking device switching to the locking state, the two first locking members are respectively driven by the deformation recovery force of the corresponding first reset member to move toward each other along the second direction, so as to respectively abut against the opposite sides of the driving device along the second direction, and the second locking member can be rotated to abut against the inner wall of the first sleeve assembly to limit the first locking member from moving along the second direction.

[0023] In one embodiment, the locking assembly further includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member;

[0024] The first limiting member is connected to the second sleeve assembly;

[0025] The second limiting member is sleeved on the first locking member;

[0026] Wherein, the first restoring member is located between the first limiting member and the second limiting member; and the second limiting member is closer to the driving device than the first limiting member.

[0027] In one embodiment, the clamping device further includes a first operating member connected to the locking device; the first operating member is used to drive the locking device to switch between the unlocked state and the locked state.

[0028] In one embodiment, the driving device includes a driving assembly and an actuating member sequentially connected along the first direction, and a second resetting member sleeved on the driving assembly;

[0029] The driving assembly can move along the first guide channel to drive the actuating member to move along the first direction, and the actuating member moves along the first direction to open or close the clamping assembly;

[0030] Wherein, when the locking device is switched to the unlocked state, the deformation recovery force of the second restoring member can drive the driving assembly and the control member to move along the first direction away from the clamping assembly.

[0031] In one embodiment, the driving device further includes a third limiting member and a fourth limiting member spaced apart from each other on the driving assembly along the first direction;

[0032] Wherein, the second restoring member is located between the third limiting member and the fourth limiting member.

[0033] In one embodiment, the gripping device further comprises a first locking member connected to the inner circumference of the first sleeve assembly; the first locking member comprises a groove section and a locking section sequentially arranged along the first direction;

[0034] The gripping device further includes a second locking member connected to the outer peripheral surface of the actuating member;

[0035] The second locking member can abut against the locking section or be located in the groove section in response to the movement of the driving device along the first direction.

[0036] In one embodiment, a first locking portion and a second locking portion are protruded from an outer circumferential surface of the second locking member at intervals along the first direction, and the second locking portion is located between the first locking portion and the clamping assembly;

[0037] When the gripping assembly is opened, the first locking portion abuts against the locking section to keep the gripping assembly open; when the gripping assembly is closed, the second locking portion abuts against the locking section, and the first locking portion is located in the groove section to keep the gripping assembly closed.

[0038] In one embodiment, the gripping device further includes a second operating member that is provided through the driving device along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

[0039] The second operating member is used to drive the driving device to move along the first guide channel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a clamping device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 a left side schematic view of the corresponding gripping device;

[0042] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the middle locking device;

[0043] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the connection between the gripping device and the upper tube seat in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of unlocking a locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a gripping assembly grabbing a simulated fuel assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a locking drive device of a locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first locking member, the second locking member and the locking section;

[0048] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a locking actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an unlocking and locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 11 For the present invention Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the left side.

[0051] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0052] 10. Clamping device; 11. First sleeve assembly; 111. First mounting cavity; 112. First section; 1121. Second through hole; 113. Second section; 114. Third section; 12. Second sleeve assembly; 121. First guide channel; 122. Fourth section; 1221. Third through hole; 123. Fifth section; 124. Sixth section; 125. First connecting member; 126. Second connecting member; 127. Third connecting member; 1271. First through hole; 128. Fourth connecting member; 1281. Second guide through hole; 13. Driving device; 131. Driving assembly; 1311. First driving section; 1311a. Clamping groove; 1311b. Slide groove; 1311c. First conical surface; 1312. Second driving section; 1312a. Clamping portion; 132. Actuating member; 1321. Abutting portion ; 133, second reset member; 134, third limit member; 135, fourth limit member; 14, gripping assembly; 141, gripping claw; 15, locking device; 151, locking assembly; 1511, first locking member; 1511a, second conical surface; 1512, second locking member; 1513, first reset member; 1514, first limit member; 1515, second limit member; 16, lifting assembly; 161, lifting ring; 162, first mounting member; 163, second mounting member; 17, second operating member; 18, first operating member; 19, pull rope; 21, first locking member; 211, groove section; 212, locking section; 22, second locking member; 221, first locking portion; 222, second locking portion; 23, positioning pin; 24, guide pin; 31, simulated fuel assembly; 32, upper tube seat;

[0053] X: first direction; Y: second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more readily apparent, a detailed description of embodiments of the clamp according to the present invention is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Numerous clamp details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways than those described herein, and those skilled in the art may make similar modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the clamp embodiments disclosed below.

[0055] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like to 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 limiting the present invention.

[0056] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise expressly specified.

[0057] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," and the like should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections, electrical connections; direct connections, or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components, unless otherwise specified. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand the meaning of the aforementioned terms in the present invention based on the nature of the component.

[0058] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0059] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be an intermediate element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intermediate element. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation methods.

[0060] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a clamping device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0061] See Figure 1 The present application provides a gripping device 10 for gripping a simulated fuel assembly 31. The gripping device 10 includes a first sleeve assembly 11, a second sleeve assembly 12, a driving device 13, a gripping assembly 14, and a locking device 15. The driving device 13 is used to drive the gripping assembly 14 to open or close, so that the gripping assembly 14 releases or grips the simulated fuel assembly 31. The locking device 15 has a locked state and an unlocked state. When the locking device 15 is in the locked state, the locking device 15 can limit the movement of the driving device 13. When the locking device 15 is in the unlocked state, the driving device 13 can move along the first guide channel 121 in a direction away from the gripping assembly 14, so that the gripping assembly 14 releases the simulated fuel assembly 31.

[0062] Thus, the gripping assembly 14 is provided to grip the simulated fuel assembly 31, so as to facilitate the transportation of the simulated fuel assembly 31; the driving device 13 is provided to drive the gripping assembly 14 to open or close, so that the gripping assembly 14 can release or grip the simulated fuel assembly 31; and the locking device 15 is provided to lock and unlock the driving device 13, so as to control the movement of the driving device 13 along the first guide channel 121. By providing the locking device 15 on the second sleeve assembly 12 along the first direction (such as Figure 1 The simulated fuel assembly 31 is released by the operator by operating the locking device 15, thereby preventing the operator from going down to the bottom of the transfer shaft, thereby reducing the safety risk of the operator.

[0063] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the left side of the corresponding gripping device.

[0064] See Figure 1 and Figure 2The first sleeve assembly 11 is cylindrical in structure, and its axis extends along the first direction. The first sleeve assembly 11 has a first mounting cavity 111 extending along the first direction, and the second sleeve assembly 12 is inserted into the first sleeve assembly 11 via the first mounting cavity 111 .

[0065] Specifically, the first sleeve assembly 11 includes a first section 112, a second section 113, and a third section 114, which are sequentially connected along a first direction. The second section 113 has the largest outer diameter, the first section 112 has the smallest outer diameter, and the third section 114 has an outer diameter between the outer diameters of the first section 112 and the second section 113. Optionally, the first section 112 and the second section 113, as well as the second section 113 and the third section 114, can be connected by welding or fasteners.

[0066] It can be understood that the first sleeve assembly 11 can also adopt an integrally formed structure. In the present application, the first sleeve assembly 11 is configured as a multi-section connected structure for ease of processing and more convenient connection.

[0067] In some embodiments, the gripping device 10 further includes a hoisting assembly 16, which is disposed at an end of the first sleeve assembly 11 away from the gripping assembly 14 and is configured to connect to a lifting device such as a crane to facilitate transportation of the gripping device 10. Specifically, the hoisting assembly 16 includes a lifting ring 161, a first mounting member 162, and a second mounting member 163, which are sequentially connected along a first direction. The lifting ring 161 is in an inverted "U" shape, with one end of the lifting ring 161 connected to one side of the first mounting member 162 along the first direction, the second mounting member 163 connected to the other side of the first mounting member 162 along the first direction, and the side of the second mounting member 163 facing away from the first mounting member 162 connected to the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11.

[0068] It is understandable that the first mounting member 162 and the second mounting member 163 may be an integrally formed structure, and the hanging assembly 16 may also be a structure of other forms, which are not limited here.

[0069] The second sleeve assembly 12 is cylindrical in structure, and the axes of the first sleeve assembly 11 and the second sleeve assembly 12 coincide with each other. The second sleeve assembly 12 is movably inserted into the first sleeve assembly 11 along a first direction relative to the first sleeve assembly 11. A first guide channel 121 is formed through the second sleeve assembly 12 along the first direction.

[0070] Specifically, the second sleeve assembly 12 includes a fourth section 122, a fifth section 123, and a sixth section 124, which are sequentially connected along a first direction. The second sleeve assembly 12 also includes a first connector 125, a second connector 126, and a third connector 127. The first connector 125 is disposed between the fourth section 122 and the fifth section 123 and within the first guide channel 121, connecting the fourth section 122 and the fifth section 123. The second connector 126 and the third connector 127 are sequentially connected along the first direction. The second connector 126 is sleeved onto the fifth section 123. One end of the fifth section 123 along the first direction is connected to one side of the third connector 127, and the side of the sixth section 124 adjacent to the fifth section 123 is connected to the other side of the third connector 127. The third connector 127 is provided with a first through hole 1271 extending along the first direction for the drive device 13 to extend therethrough. It is understood that the first connector 125 can connect the fourth section 122 and the fifth section 123 by means of fasteners, pins, threads, etc.; the second connector 126 and the third connector 127 can also be integrally formed; and the second sleeve assembly 12 can also be integrally formed. In this application, the second sleeve assembly 12 is provided in multiple structures for the convenience of connection.

[0071] The drive device 13 is movably disposed within the first guide channel 121 along a first direction. Specifically, the drive device 13 includes a drive assembly 131 and an actuator 132, which are sequentially connected along the first direction, and a second return member 133, which is sleeved on the drive assembly 131. The drive assembly 131 is movable along the first guide channel 121 to drive the actuator 132 to move along the first direction. The actuator 132 moves along the first direction to open or close the gripping assembly 14. When the locking device 15 is switched to the unlocked state, the deformation recovery force of the second return member 133 can drive the drive assembly 131 and the control member to move along the first direction away from the gripping assembly 14.

[0072] More specifically, the drive assembly 131 includes a first drive segment 1311 and a second drive segment 1312, which are connected in sequence along a first direction. The first drive segment 1311 has a slot 1311a at one end thereof, which is proximate to the gripping assembly 14, and the second drive segment 1312 has a snap-fitting portion 1312a at one end thereof, which is proximate to the first drive segment 1311. The snap-fitting portion 1312a snaps into the slot 1311a, thereby connecting the first drive segment 1311 to the second drive segment 1312. It is understood that the first drive segment 1311 and the second drive segment 1312 can also be connected in other ways; the drive assembly 131 can also be an integrally formed structure.

[0073] One end of the first driving section 1311 away from the second driving section 1312 along the first direction is along the second direction (eg Figure 2Two symmetrical sliding grooves 1311b are provided (as shown in Figure Y), and a first tapered surface 1311c corresponding to the sliding grooves 1311b is provided at one end of the first driving section 1311, away from the second driving section 1312, in the first direction. A second tapered surface 1511a corresponding to the first tapered surface 1311c is provided at one end of the first locking member 1511, closer to the driving assembly 131, in the second direction. When the locking device 15 is locked, the first tapered surface 1311c abuts against the second tapered surface 1511a, restricting movement of the driving device 13 in the first direction. When the locking device 15 is unlocked, the driving assembly 131 can move along the first guide channel 121 toward the original path of the clamping assembly 14. The dimension of the sliding groove 1311b in the first direction is the predetermined distance for grasping or releasing the clamping assembly 14, and the dimension of the sliding groove 1311b in the first direction is equal to the dimension of the third through hole 1221 in the first direction.

[0074] Furthermore, the drive device 13 includes a third stopper 134 and a fourth stopper 135 spaced apart along the first direction from the drive assembly 131. The third stopper 134 is sleeved within the second drive segment 1312, and the third stopper 134 and the second drive segment 1312 are fixedly connected. The second return member 133 is located between the third stopper 134 and the fourth stopper 135.

[0075] It should be noted that in this application, the fourth limiting member 135 is also the first connecting member 125. It is understood that the third limiting member 134 and the fourth limiting member 135 may also be formed by directly protruding two limiting portions spaced apart along the first direction on the outer circumference of the driving assembly 131, with the second return member 133 disposed between the two limiting portions. The specific structural forms of the third limiting member 134 and the fourth limiting member 135 are not further limited herein.

[0076] See Figure 2 In some embodiments, the gripping device 10 further includes a second operating member 17 that penetrates the driving device 13 along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second operating member 17 extends along the second direction and is used to drive the driving device 13 to move along the first guide channel 121. Figure 2 As can be seen, the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11 is penetrated by a second through hole 1121 along the second direction, and the fourth section 122 of the second sleeve assembly 12 is penetrated by a third through hole 1221 along the second direction, so that the second operating member 17 is inserted into the second through hole 1121 and the third through hole 1221 and is partially located outside the first section 112, so that the operator can operate the second operating member 17. In this way, the operator can drive the driving device 13 to move along the first direction by moving the second operating member 17 along the first direction, which is simple to operate.

[0077] It is understood that the second operating member 17 can be as follows Figure 2The two-section cylindrical structure shown is symmetrically arranged. The second operating member 17 can also be a complete cylindrical structure, directly extending from one end of the first section 112 and extending from the other end. No further restrictions are made here, and the shape of the second operating member 17 is not limited to a cylinder.

[0078] The gripper assembly 14 is rotatably disposed at one end of the second quill assembly 12 along a first direction. The gripper assembly 14 can open or close in response to movement of the drive device 13 to release or grasp the simulated fuel assembly 31. Specifically, the gripper assembly 14 includes a plurality of grippers 141. All grippers 141 are spaced apart along the circumference of the second quill assembly 12 and connected to an end of the sixth section 124 of the second quill assembly 12 that is distal from the fifth section 123. All grippers 141 can synchronously rotate along the radial direction of the second quill assembly 12 toward the axis of the second quill assembly 12, or synchronously rotate along the radial direction of the second quill assembly 12 toward the axis of the second quill assembly 12, to close or open the gripper assembly 14.

[0079] It should be noted that, in the present application, an abutment portion 1321 is convexly provided on the outer peripheral surface of the actuator 132 of the driving device 13 at one end away from the driving assembly 131 along the first direction. When the driving device 13 moves along the first guide channel 121 toward the direction close to the clamping assembly 14, the abutment portion 1321 abuts against the inner wall of the claw 141 to drive the claw 141 to rotate along the radial direction of the second sleeve assembly 12 toward the direction away from the axis of the second sleeve assembly 12, thereby opening the clamping assembly 14.

[0080] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of the middle locking device.

[0081] See Figure 2 and Figure 3 The locking device 15 is rotatably mounted on an end of the second sleeve assembly 12 that is away from the gripping assembly 14 in the first direction. The locking device 15 can move in the first direction during rotation, allowing the locking device 15 to have a locked state and an unlocked state. In the locked state, the locking device 15 abuts against the end of the driving device 13 away from the gripping assembly 14 and against the inner wall of the first sleeve assembly 11, thereby restricting the movement of the driving device 13. In the unlocked state, the driving device 13 can move along the first guide channel 121 in a direction away from the gripping assembly 14.

[0082] Specifically, the locking device 15 includes two locking assemblies 151, which are symmetrically rotatably provided on the second sleeve assembly 12 along the circumference of the first sleeve assembly 11. During the rotation of the two locking assemblies 151, the two locking assemblies 151 can move toward or away from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the locking device 15 is in a locked state or an unlocked state.

[0083] Furthermore, the locking assembly 151 includes a first locking member 1511, a second locking member 1512 and a first resetting member 1513. The first locking member 1511 is rotatably provided in the second sleeve assembly 12 along the second direction. Figure 2 As can be seen, the fourth section 122 of the second sleeve assembly 12 is further connected to the end thereof that is distal from the fifth section 123 in the first direction. A second guide hole 1281 is provided through the fourth section 128 in the second direction and communicates with the first guide hole. The first locking member 1511 can extend through the second through hole 1121 of the first section 112 and pass through the second guide hole 1281. It is understood that the fourth connecting member 128 and the fourth section 122 can also be integrally formed. Thus, the second guide hole 1281 is provided to guide the movement of the first locking member 1511 in the second direction.

[0084] The second locking member 1512 is sleeved onto the first locking member 1511 and is positioned between the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11 and the fourth section 122 of the second sleeve assembly 12. The second locking member 1512 and the first locking member 1511 are fixedly connected. The first locking member 1511 can rotate in response to an external force, thereby driving the second locking member 1512 to rotate. The second locking member 1512 has an elliptical cross-section. That is, when the second locking member 1512 rotates until its longer side abuts the inner wall of the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11, the locking device 15 is locked; otherwise, the locking device 15 is unlocked. It is understood that the second locking member 1512 may alternatively be in an elongated, rectangular, or other shape, as long as the second locking member 1512 has different dimensions in two mutually perpendicular directions and the longer dimension allows the second locking member 1512 to abut against the inner wall of the first section 112.

[0085] It should be noted that, in the present application, the center of the second locking member 1512 is not on the axis of the first section 112 , but deviates from the axis of the first section 112 .

[0086] The first return member 1513 is sleeved on one end of the first locking member 1511 that is close to the driving device 13 along the second direction, and the first return member 1513 is located in the second guide channel. In the process of switching the locking device 15 to the unlocked state, the two first locking members 1511 can move away from each other along the second direction to allow the driving device 13 to move along the first guide channel 121; in the process of switching the locking device 15 to the locked state, the two first locking members 1511 are respectively driven by the deformation recovery force of the corresponding first return member 1513 to move towards each other along the second direction to respectively abut against the opposite sides of the driving device 13 along the second direction, and the second locking member 1512 can rotate until it abuts against the inner wall of the first sleeve assembly 11 to limit the movement of the first locking member 1511 along the second direction.

[0087] Furthermore, the locking assembly 151 also includes a first limiting member 1514 and a second limiting member 1515. The first limiting member 1514 is connected to one end of the fourth connecting member 128 of the second sleeve assembly 12 along the second direction, close to the second locking member 1512, and is located within the second guide channel. The second limiting member 1515 is sleeved on the first locking member 1511 and is fixedly connected to the first locking member 1511. The first return member 1513 is located between the first limiting member 1514 and the second limiting member 1515, and the second limiting member 1515 is closer to the drive device 13 than the first limiting member 1514.

[0088] See Figure 1 In some embodiments, the gripping device 10 further includes a first operating member 18 connected to the first locking member 1511 of the locking device 15. The first operating member 18 is used to switch the locking device 15 between an unlocked state and a locked state. Specifically, the first operating member 18 is an operating lever, and a pull rope 19 is connected to the end of the first operating member 18 away from the first locking member 1511. The pull rope 19 may be a steel wire rope or other material. By providing the pull rope 19 and the first operating member 18, an operator can remotely control the pull rope 19 to cause the first operating member 18 to rotate the locking device 15, avoiding the operator having to descend to the bottom of the transfer shaft to perform operations.

[0089] See Figure 2 The gripping device 10 further includes a first locking member 21 connected to the inner circumference of the third section 114 of the first sleeve assembly 11. The first locking member 21 includes a groove section 211 and a locking section 212 sequentially arranged along the first direction. The gripping device 10 further includes a second locking member 22 connected to the outer circumference of the actuating member 132. The second locking member 22 can abut against the locking section 212 or be located within the groove section 211 in response to movement of the driving device 13 along the first direction.

[0090] Specifically, the outer circumference of the second locking member 22 is provided with a first locking portion 221 and a second locking portion 222 spaced apart along the first direction. The second locking portion 222 is located between the first locking portion 221 and the gripping assembly 14. When the gripping assembly 14 is opened, the first locking portion 221 abuts against the locking section 212, keeping the gripping assembly 14 open. When the gripping assembly 14 is closed, the second locking portion 222 abuts against the locking section 212, and the first locking portion 221 is located within the groove section 211, keeping the gripping assembly 14 closed.

[0091] It can be understood that the first locking member 21 and the second locking member 22 are both rotating body structures, and the outer peripheral surface of the second locking member 22 can be provided with multiple first locking parts 221 and multiple second locking parts 222 at intervals along the circumference of the second sleeve assembly 12 to increase the locking force.

[0092] See Figure 2 In some embodiments, the gripping device 10 further includes a positioning pin 23 and two guide pins 24 spaced apart in the sixth section 124 of the second sleeve assembly 12. The simulated fuel assembly 31 is mounted on an upper tube base 32, which has a positioning hole and two guide holes. The positioning pin 23 is inserted into the positioning hole to facilitate positioning of the gripping device 10, and the two guide pins 24 are inserted into corresponding guide holes to guide the movement of the gripping device 10. This helps improve the accuracy of the gripping device 10.

[0093] For ease of understanding, the following describes the operating steps of the gripping device 10 using a simulated fuel assembly 31 as the operating object.

[0094] First, the gripping device 10 grabs the simulated fuel assembly 31. Specifically, the following steps are included:

[0095] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the connection between the clamping device and the upper tube seat in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0096] See Figure 4 The nuclear power plant crane transports the gripping device 10 to the top of the simulated fuel assembly 31 by connecting the lifting assembly 16; the crane lowers the gripping device 10 until the guide pin 24 and the positioning pin 23 are correspondingly inserted into the upper tube seat 32; during this process, the locking assembly 151 is in a locked state, and the gripping assembly 14 is closed with the cooperation of the first locking member 21 and the second locking member 22.

[0097] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of unlocking the locking assembly in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0098] See Figure 5, the locking assembly 151 is controlled to be unlocked, and the crane continues to lower the gripping device 10. When the bottom of the third section 114 of the first sleeve assembly 11 abuts against the sixth section 124 of the second sleeve assembly 12, the crane stops descending. At this time, the first locking portion 221 and the second locking portion 222 of the second locking member 22 are both located in the groove section 211 of the first locking member 21, that is, the actuator 132 is not locked.

[0099] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a gripping assembly grabbing a simulated fuel assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] See Figure 6 The operator pushes the second operating member 17 downward and moves it along the first guide channel 121 toward the grasping assembly 14 to the grasping position. The grasping position refers to the second operating member 17 driving the driving device 13 to move downward by a preset distance, and the abutting portion 1321 of the actuator 132 pushes the multiple claws 141 of the grasping assembly 14 to open to grasp the simulated fuel assembly 31; at this time, the first locking member 21 and the second locking member 22 are both located in the groove section 211 and are in an unlocked state.

[0101] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a locking drive device of a locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 For the present invention Figure 7 A partially enlarged schematic diagram of the first locking member, the second locking member and the locking section.

[0102] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 The operator rotates the first operating member 18 downward to the locking position. The locking position means that the first operating member 18 drives the first locking member 1511 to rotate 90 degrees, and the first locking member 1511 drives the second locking member 1512 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the second locking member 1512 abuts against the inner wall of the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11, thereby locking the driving device 13 to prevent the driving device 13 from moving upward under the drive of the deformation recovery force of the second reset member 133.

[0103] Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a locking actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] See Figure 9 The crane lifts the gripping device 10 and moves upward. When the top of the third section 114 of the first sleeve assembly 11 abuts against the third connecting member 127 of the second sleeve assembly 12, the locking section 212 abuts against the first locking member 21 to lock the actuator 132.

[0105] It should be noted that when the second locking member 1512 abuts against the inner wall of the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11, the abutting force is small, so when the first sleeve assembly 11 moves upward, the second locking member 1512 and the first section 112 can slide relative to each other, and the material of the second locking member 1512 is wear-resistant material.

[0106] The crane continues to lift the gripping device 10 upward, lifting the simulated fuel assembly 31 and hoisting it into the fuel transfer device carrier located in the transfer shaft. Throughout the entire lifting process, the first locking portion 221 abuts against the locking section 212, locking the actuator 132. This locks the gripping claw 141 in its open position, preventing it from accidentally loosening during the lifting process.

[0107] Next, the gripping device 10 releases the simulated fuel assembly 31. This specifically includes the following steps:

[0108] See again Figure 7 and Figure 8 After the simulated fuel assembly 31 is lifted by the crane in the nuclear power plant and placed in place on the carrier in the transfer shaft, the crane controls the gripping device 10 to continue moving downward. When the bottom of the third section 114 of the first sleeve assembly 11 abuts against the sixth section 124 of the second sleeve assembly 12, the crane stops driving the gripping device 10 downward. At this time, the first locking portion 221 and the second locking portion 222 of the second locking member 22 are both located in the groove section 211 of the first locking member 21, that is, the actuator 132 is unlocked.

[0109] It should be noted that the fuel transfer device is located in the transfer well and includes a carrier for storing fuel assemblies. The underwater fuel storage racks are installed in the spent fuel pool. The fuel assemblies are generally stored on the underwater fuel storage racks in the spent fuel pool. Before use, the fuel assemblies need to be lifted from the spent fuel pool to the fuel transfer device, and then transferred to the reactor building through the fuel transfer device.

[0110] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of an unlocking and locking device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 For the present invention Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the left side.

[0111] See Figure 10 and Figure 11The operator remotely operates the pull rope 19, and the pull rope 19 pulls the first operating member 18 to rotate upward to the unlocked position. The unlocked position means that the first operating member 18 drives the first locking member 1511 to rotate 90 degrees, and the first locking member 1511 drives the second locking member 1512 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the second locking member 1512 does not contact the inner wall of the first section 112 of the first sleeve assembly 11, thereby unlocking the driving device 13, so that the driving device 13 moves upward under the drive of the deformation recovery force of the second reset member 133.

[0112] The driving assembly 131 moves upward under the driving force of the deformation recovery force of the second restoring member 133 , driving the actuating member 132 to move upward, so that the clamping assembly 14 closes, thereby releasing the simulated fuel assembly 31 .

[0113] The crane lifts the gripping device 10. When the top of the third section 114 of the first sleeve assembly 11 abuts against the third connecting member 127 of the second sleeve assembly 12, the first locking portion 221 is located in the groove section 211, and the second locking portion 222 abuts against the locking section 212 to lock the actuator 132, thereby locking the closed state of the claw 141 to prevent the claw 141 from shaking during lifting.

[0114] The crane continues to lift the gripping device 10 and transports the gripping device 10 to a storage location for storage.

[0115] It should be noted that in the above operation steps, upward refers to the direction along the first direction, the clamping assembly 14 points to the locking device 15, and downward refers to the direction along the first direction, the locking device 15 points to the clamping assembly 14.

[0116] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0117] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gripping device for handling fuel assemblies, characterized in that: The gripping device comprises: A first sleeve assembly and a second sleeve assembly, wherein the second sleeve assembly is movably inserted into the first sleeve assembly relative to the first sleeve assembly along a first direction, and a first guide channel is provided through the second sleeve assembly along the first direction; a driving device, movably disposed in the first guide channel along the first direction; a gripper assembly rotatably disposed at one end of the second sleeve assembly along the first direction; the gripper assembly can open or close in response to movement of the drive device to grasp or release the fuel assembly; and a locking device rotatably disposed at the other end of the second sleeve assembly along the first direction; wherein the locking device is movable along the first direction during the rotation process, so that the locking device has a locked state and an unlocked state; The locking device is in the locking state, the locking device abuts against an end of the driving device away from the clamping assembly, and abuts against an inner wall of the first sleeve assembly, thereby limiting the movement of the driving device; The locking device is in the unlocked state, the driving device can move along the first guide channel in a direction away from the clamping assembly, and the locking device includes two locking assemblies; The two locking assemblies are symmetrically and rotatably arranged on the second sleeve assembly along the circumference of the first sleeve assembly; During the rotation of the two locking assemblies, the two locking assemblies can move toward or away from each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, so that the locking device is in the locked state or the unlocked state; The locking assembly comprises: a first locking member rotatably disposed in the second sleeve assembly along the second direction; a second locking member, sleeved on the first locking member, the second locking member being located between the first sleeve assembly and the second sleeve assembly; the first locking member being capable of rotating in response to an external force to drive the second locking member to rotate; and a first restoring member, sleeved on one end of the first locking member close to the driving device along the second direction; Wherein, when the locking device is switched to the unlocked state, the two first locking members can move away from each other along the second direction, so that the driving device can move along the first guide channel; During the process of the locking device switching to the locking state, the two first locking members are respectively driven by the deformation recovery force of the corresponding first reset member to move toward each other along the second direction, so as to respectively abut against the opposite sides of the driving device along the second direction, and the second locking member can be rotated to abut against the inner wall of the first sleeve assembly to limit the first locking member from moving along the second direction.

2. The gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The locking assembly further includes a first limiting member and a second limiting member; The first limiting member is connected to the second sleeve assembly; The second limiting member is sleeved on the first locking member; Wherein, the first restoring member is located between the first limiting member and the second limiting member; and the second limiting member is closer to the driving device than the first limiting member.

3. The gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping device further includes a first operating member connected to the locking device; the first operating member is used to drive the locking device to switch between the unlocking state and the locking state.

4. The gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device includes a driving assembly and an actuating member connected in sequence along the first direction, and a second resetting member sleeved on the driving assembly; The driving assembly can move along the first guide channel to drive the actuating member to move along the first direction, and the actuating member moves along the first direction to open or close the clamping assembly; Wherein, when the locking device is switched to the unlocked state, the deformation recovery force of the second restoring member can drive the driving assembly and the actuating member to move along the first direction away from the clamping assembly.

5. The gripping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The driving device further includes a third limiting member and a fourth limiting member spaced apart from each other on the driving assembly along the first direction; Wherein, the second restoring member is located between the third limiting member and the fourth limiting member.

6. The gripping device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gripping device further includes a first locking member connected to the inner circumference of the first sleeve assembly; the first locking member has a groove section and a locking section sequentially arranged along the first direction; The gripping device further includes a second locking member connected to the outer peripheral surface of the actuating member; The second locking member can abut against the locking section or be located in the groove section in response to the movement of the driving device along the first direction.

7. The gripping device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A first locking portion and a second locking portion are protruded from an outer circumferential surface of the second locking member at intervals along the first direction, and the second locking portion is located between the first locking portion and the clamping assembly; When the gripping assembly is opened, the first locking portion abuts against the locking section to keep the gripping assembly open; when the gripping assembly is closed, the second locking portion abuts against the locking section, and the first locking portion is located in the groove section to keep the gripping assembly closed.

8. The gripping device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripping device further includes a second operating member that is provided through the driving device along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; The second operating member is used to drive the driving device to move along the first guide channel.

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