A device for automatic unhooking and positioning of crab cages

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for automatic unhooking and positioning of a crab cage, comprising an automatic unhooking device, a hook intercepting device and a crab cage slide. During operation, a spring hook is connected to the crab cage. Under the traction of a main cable, the spring hook passes through a one-way flap of the hook intercepting device and contacts the automatic unhooking device. Under the tension of the cable, a spring latch is compressed to open the hook, thereby realizing the unhooking of the crab cage from the main cable. After unhooking, the crab cage falls, and the hook is intercepted by the one-way flap and enters the crab cage slide along the hook intercepting device. The hook is guided by the crab cage slide to drive the crab cage into a ship's cabin, thereby completing the entire automatic unhooking and positioning process of the crab cage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a device for automatically unhooking a crab cage and conducting crab cage positioning, which realizes automatic unhooking of the crab cage from a main cable and conducts the crab cage positioning into a cabin during crab cage fishing operation, and belongs to the technical field of crab fishing. Background Art

[0002] Cage fishing for sea crabs is generally manual, with limited mechanization, automation, and integration. Crab traps are suspended from a main cable. A winch reels in the cable to retrieve the crabs. Removing the crab traps from the cable requires manual labor, and operator error can result in lost traps. The high-speed movement of the cable and crab traps poses a risk to operators, and labor costs also impact crab harvesting profitability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to propose a new device for automatic unhooking and positioning of crab cages, which can automatically remove crab cages and automatically store them inside the cabin, thereby preventing the loss of crab cages caused by human errors, reducing personnel risks, and reducing crab fishing costs.

[0004] The object of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solution: a device for automatic unhooking and positioning of a crab cage, comprising an automatic unhooking device, a hook intercepting device and a crab cage slide;

[0005] The automatic unhooking device serves as the bearing mechanism of the entire device and provides traction and guidance for the main cable; the main cable is connected to the crab cage via a spring hook; the hook intercepting device is installed below the automatic unhooking device and is used to capture the spring hook under the movement of the main cable, and the spring hook is released by the automatic unhooking device; the released spring hook is intercepted by the hook intercepting device, and the spring hook and the crab cage connected below are collected under the guidance of the crab cage slide.

[0006] Preferably, the automatic unhooking device comprises an unhooking device frame, a main pulley, a secondary pulley and a universal rotating ring;

[0007] The main pulley is used to guide the main cable to pull the crab cage out of the sea; the auxiliary pulley is used to limit the swing angle range of the main cable to prevent it from exceeding the unhooking device frame; the universal rotating ring bears the weight of the entire device and the pulling force for pulling out the crab cage, and can adjust the angle along with the change of the direction of the main cable on the sea surface to adapt to the direction of the main cable.

[0008] Preferably, the angle between the lifting point of the universal rotating lifting ring installed on the dehooking device frame and the plane where the main pulley shaft is located and the plane where the crab cage slide is located is in the range of 40° to 60°.

[0009] Preferably, the hook intercepting device includes an intercepting frame, a buffer roller, a tail limiting roller, and a one-way flap;

[0010] The interception frame is a frame structure with a central cavity; two buffer rollers are installed under the frame structure, the main cable passes between the two buffer rollers, and a tail limit roller is installed at the tail under the interception frame; the one-way flap is installed in the central cavity; the spring hook enters under the one-way flap under the guidance of the buffer roller and pushes open the one-way flap. After the spring hook passes, the one-way flap will automatically reset and close. When the spring hook falls, it will be intercepted by the closed one-way flap; the buffer roller is used to prevent the spring hook from colliding with other rigid structures of the hook interception device before passing through the one-way flap, causing the spring hook to open prematurely.

[0011] Preferably, a plurality of one-way flaps are installed in parallel along the length direction in the central cavity of the interception frame, and the length of a single one-way flap is smaller than the width of the spring hook.

[0012] Preferably, the width of the one-way flap is smaller than the width of the spring hook. Even if the main cable leans against the one-way flap and cannot be reset and closed, the spring hook cannot fall from the gap of the opened one-way flap, effectively preventing the crab cage from being lost.

[0013] Preferably, the width of the one-way flap is 5-8 mm smaller than the width of the spring hook.

[0014] Preferably, the buffer roller is supported by a stainless steel axis, and the rotatable roller shell is made of industrial plastic.

[0015] Preferably, the crab cage slide is composed of two plate-like structures with a gap in the middle, and the crab cage slide is fixed by multiple stainless steel U-shaped frames to ensure that the middle gap is transparent at the first position and the gap width does not change too much; the gap width is greater than 20 mm and less than 32 mm, which allows the spring hook to slide along the gap without falling through the gap into the sea.

[0016] Preferably, the gap between the two buffer rollers is larger than the width of the spring hook and smaller than the maximum gap width of the crab cage slide.

[0017] Preferably, a lubricating protective shell made of nylon or polyethylene with a thickness of 10 to 15 mm is installed on the upper surface of the one-way flap and the crab cage slide.

[0018] A crab pot automatic unhooking system comprises a fishing boat, a winch, a main mast, a cross mast and a device for automatic unhooking of the crab pot and positioning of the crab pot;

[0019] The device for automatically unhooking the crab cage and positioning the crab cage is hung on one end of the transverse mast, and the other end of the transverse mast is installed on the main mast. The height and inclination of the transverse mast are adjustable and used to adjust the position of the unhooking and crab cage transmission device; the winch pulls the main cable to drive the crab cage to be pulled out, and the spring hook is connected to the crab cage (6). Under the traction of the main cable, the spring hook pushes open the one-way flap and passes through the hook interception device, and contacts the bottom of the automatic unhooking device frame. Under the tension of the main cable, the spring latch on the spring hook is compressed, and the spring hook is opened, so that the crab cage is detached from the main cable. After detachment, the crab cage falls, and the spring hook is intercepted by the closed one-way flap and enters the crab cage slide along the hook interception device. The hook is guided by the crab cage slide and drives the crab cage into the cabin.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0021] (1) The present invention fully automates the crab cage picking work, saves labor and reduces costs.

[0022] (2) The present invention designs a buffer roller structure, which significantly reduces the loss of crab cages caused by accidental unhooking due to hard collisions.

[0023] (3) The present invention designs a one-way flap that is smaller than the spring hook, which effectively prevents the spring hook from falling into the sea through the gap in the opened flap, thereby preventing the crab cage from being lost.

[0024] (4) The present invention preferably installs a lubricating protective shell on the upper surface of the one-way flap and the crab cage slide to reduce the friction coefficient between the one-way flap and the crab cage slide, speed up the sliding speed of the spring hook and the crab cage, speed up the crab cage collection rhythm, reduce the loss of the spring hook, and save costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is the overall system structure diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The invention discloses a novel device for automatically unhooking crab cages and positioning crab cages, which is combined with Figure 1 , the device includes an automatic unhooking device 1, a hook intercepting device 2 and a crab cage slide 3;

[0028] The automatic unhooking device 1 includes a unhooking frame 11, a main pulley 12, a secondary pulley 13, and a universal rotating eye 14. The main cable 4 passes over the main pulley 12 to pull the crab cage 6 out of the sea. The secondary pulley 13 is used to limit the swing angle range of the main cable 4 to prevent it from exceeding the unhooking frame 11. The universal rotating eye 14 bears the weight of the entire unhooking and positioning transmission device, as well as the pulling force of the crab cage 6. It can adjust its angle to adapt to the direction of the main cable 4 as the main cable 4 changes on the sea surface. The angle between the universal rotating eye's hanging point, the plane where the main pulley's rotating shaft is located, and the plane where the crab cage slide is located is in the range of 40° to 60°. This ensures that when the vertical suspension device is in operation, the crab cage slide is tilted downward by 40° to 60°, allowing the crab cage to quickly slide down the slope under the action of gravity and enter the ship's cabin. If the inclination angle is too small, the slope of the crab cage slide will be too gentle, affecting the sliding speed of the crab cage. If the inclination angle is too large, the main cable and crab cage may not be able to accurately enter the unhooking channel.

[0029] The hook interception device 2 includes an interception frame 21, a buffer roller 22, a tail limiting roller 23, and 18 one-way flaps 24;

[0030] Two buffer rollers 22 are installed under the interception frame 21. The buffer rollers 22 are supported by a stainless steel axis and have a rotatable roller shell made of industrial plastic. The distance between the buffer rollers is slightly larger than the widest size of the spring hook. The main cable 4 passes between the two buffer rollers 22, and the spring hook 5 enters under the one-way flap 24 under the guidance of the buffer rollers 22. This can effectively prevent the spring hook 5 from colliding with other rigid structures of the hook interception device 2 before passing through the one-way flap 24, causing the hook to open prematurely and accidentally fall off from the main cable 4, resulting in the loss of the crab cage.

[0031] The one-way flap 24 on the hook interception device 2 is equipped with a torsion spring and can be opened upward and automatically reset. When closed, there is a gap of about 30 mm between the one-way flap 24 and the interception frame 21, forming a channel connecting to the crab pot slide 3. When open, there is a gap of about 70 mm between the one-way flap 24 and the interception frame 21, which ensures the smooth passage of the spring hook 5. When the spring hook 5 rises with the main cable 4, it can push open the one-way flap 24. After the spring hook 5 passes through, the one-way flap 24 automatically resets and closes. When the spring hook 5 falls after breaking away from the main cable, it is intercepted by the closed one-way flap 24 and slides into the crab pot slide 3 through the gap between the closed flap 24 and the interception frame 21.

[0032] Under certain working conditions, the main cable 4 will stay at the position of the one-way flap 24, making it impossible for a certain one-way flap 24 to be closed. The width of a single one-way flap 24 is designed to be smaller than the width of the spring hook 5. Even if the main cable 4 makes it impossible for a certain one-way flap 24 to be reset and closed, the spring hook 5 cannot fall from the gap of the opened one-way flap 24, effectively preventing the crab cage from being lost.

[0033] During operation, the spring hook 5 is connected to the crab cage 6. Under the traction of the main cable 4, the spring hook 5 pushes open the one-way flap 24 and passes through the hook interception device 2, contacting the bottom of the automatic unhooking device frame 11, and compresses the spring lock under the tension of the main cable 4 to open the hook 5, so that the crab cage 6 can fall off from the main cable 4. After falling off, the crab cage falls, and the spring hook 5 is intercepted by the closed one-way flap 24 and enters the crab cage slide 3 along the hook interception device 2. The hook is guided by the crab cage slide 3 to drive the crab cage 6 into the cabin, completing the entire automatic unhooking and crab cage positioning and transmission process.

[0034] In one embodiment, a lubricating protective shell made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with a thickness of 11 mm is installed on the upper surface of the one-way flap 24 and the crab cage slide 3. This reduces the friction coefficient between the one-way flap 24 and the crab cage slide 3, speeds up the sliding speed of the spring hook 5 and the crab cage 6, and accelerates the crab cage collection cycle. This also prevents hard collisions between the crab cage hook and the metal flap, strengthens the protection of the spring hook 5, extends the service life of the spring hook 5, reduces the need for component replacement, and reduces costs. In a preferred embodiment, a silicone protective cover can be added to the outlet of the crab cage slide 3 to prevent the outlet from colliding with personnel in the cabin and causing injuries, thereby improving the safety of the device.

[0035] Example

[0036] A specific example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0037] This example focuses on the automatic dehooking operation of crab cages on swimming crab cage fishing vessels in Daishan County, Zhejiang Province, ensuring a crab cage dehooking success rate of ≥97% and a cage loss rate of ≤0.5%. It is suitable for crab cage fishing vessels.

[0038] This embodiment comprises a crab pot fishing boat 31, a winch 32, a main mast 33, a cross mast 34, an automatic crab pot unhooking and crab pot positioning transmission device 35, a main cable 36, and a crab pot 37. The automatic crab pot unhooking and crab pot positioning transmission device 35 is suspended from a hanging hole at one end of the cross mast 34, which is mounted on the main mast 33 at its other end. The height and inclination of the cross mast 34 are adjustable to adjust the position of the unhooking and crab pot transmission device 35.

[0039] During operation, the winch 32 pulls the main cable 36, driving the crab cage 37 to pull out. The spring hook 5 is connected to the crab cage 6. Under the traction of the main cable 4, the spring hook 5 pushes open the one-way flap 24 and passes through the hook interception device 2, contacting the bottom of the automatic unhooking device frame 11. Under the tension of the main cable 4, the spring latch is compressed to open the hook 5, so that the crab cage 6 falls off from the main cable 4. After falling off, the crab cage falls, and the spring hook 5 is intercepted by the closed one-way flap 24 and enters the crab cage slide 3 along the hook interception device 2. The hook is guided by the crab cage slide 3 to drive the crab cage 6 into the cabin, completing the entire automatic unhooking and crab cage positioning and transmission process.

[0040] By adopting the crab cage automatic unhooking and crab cage positioning transmission device of the present invention, the crab cage unhooking automation is realized, the labor cost is saved, the number of crab cage losses is reduced, and the efficiency of the crab catching operation is not affected in any way during the unhooking process.

[0041] The above description is only the best specific implementation method of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements that can be easily thought of by any technician familiar with this technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] The contents not described in detail in the specification of the present invention belong to the common knowledge of professionals in this field.

Claims

1. A device for automatic unhooking of crab cages and positioning of crab cages, characterized by: Includes automatic unhooking device, hook interception device and crab pot slide; The automatic unhooking device serves as the supporting mechanism of the entire device, providing traction and guidance for the main cable; the crab pot is connected to the main cable via a spring hook; the hook intercepting device is installed below the automatic unhooking device, and is used to capture the spring hook under the movement of the main cable, and the automatic unhooking device completes the release of the spring hook; the released spring hook is intercepted by the hook intercepting device, and the spring hook and the crab pot connected below are collected under the guidance of the crab pot slide; The hook interception device includes an interception frame, a buffer roller, a tail limiting roller, and a one-way flap; The interception frame is a frame structure with a central cavity; two buffer rollers are installed under the frame structure, the main cable passes between the two buffer rollers, and a tail limit roller is installed at the tail below the interception frame; the one-way flap is installed in the central cavity; the spring hook enters under the one-way flap under the guidance of the buffer roller and pushes the one-way flap open. After the spring hook passes, the one-way flap automatically resets and closes. When the spring hook falls, it will be intercepted by the closed one-way flap; the buffer roller is used to prevent the spring hook from colliding with other rigid structures of the hook interception device before passing through the one-way flap, causing the spring hook to open prematurely; A plurality of one-way flaps are installed in parallel in the central cavity of the interception frame along the length direction, and the length of a single one-way flap is smaller than the width of the spring hook.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic unhooking device includes an unhooking device frame, a main pulley, a secondary pulley and a universal rotating ring; The main pulley is used to guide the main cable to pull the crab cage out of the sea; the auxiliary pulley is used to limit the swing angle range of the main cable to prevent it from exceeding the unhooking device frame; the universal rotating ring bears the weight of the entire device and the pulling force for pulling out the crab cage, and can adjust the angle along with the change of the direction of the main cable on the sea surface to adapt to the direction of the main cable.

3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle between the lifting point of the universal rotating lifting ring installed on the unhooking device frame, the plane where the main pulley rotating shaft is located, and the plane where the crab cage slideway is located is in the range of 40° to 60°.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the one-way flap is smaller than that of the spring hook. Even if the main cable leans against the one-way flap and the one-way flap cannot be reset and closed, the spring hook cannot fall from the gap of the opened one-way flap, effectively preventing the crab cage from being lost.

5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The width of the one-way flap is 5-8 mm smaller than the width of the spring hook.

6. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer roller is supported by a stainless steel axis, and an industrial plastic is used as a rotatable roller shell.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The crab cage slide consists of two plate-like structures with a gap in the middle. The crab cage slide is fixed by multiple stainless steel U-shaped frames to ensure that the gap in the middle is transparent at the beginning and the gap width does not change too much. The gap width is greater than 20mm and less than 32mm, allowing the spring hook to slide along the gap without falling through the gap into the sea.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gap between the two buffer rollers is larger than the width of the spring hook and smaller than the maximum gap width of the crab cage slide.

9. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A lubricating protective shell made of nylon or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene with a thickness of 10 to 15 mm is installed on the upper surface of the one-way flap and the crab cage slide.

10. An automatic decoupling system for crab cages, characterized by: The invention comprises a fishing boat, a winch, a main mast, a cross mast and a device for automatically unhooking a crab pot and positioning the crab pot according to any one of claims 1 to 9; The device for automatically unhooking the crab cage and positioning the crab cage is hung on one end of the transverse mast, and the other end of the transverse mast is installed on the main mast. The height and inclination of the transverse mast are adjustable and used to adjust the position of the unhooking and crab cage transmission device; the winch pulls the main cable to drive the crab cage to be pulled out, and the spring hook is connected to the crab cage (6). Under the traction of the main cable, the spring hook pushes open the one-way flap and passes through the hook interception device, and contacts the bottom of the automatic unhooking device frame. Under the tension of the main cable, the spring latch on the spring hook is compressed, and the spring hook is opened, so that the crab cage is detached from the main cable. After detachment, the crab cage falls, and the spring hook is intercepted by the closed one-way flap and enters the crab cage slide along the hook interception device. The hook is guided by the crab cage slide and drives the crab cage into the cabin.

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