A deep water grinder

Abstract

The present invention provides a deep-water grinder, comprising a flexible device, a grinding disc housing, a transmission gearbox, and a pressure compensator. Flexible devices are installed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gearbox. The front end of the flexible device is a spatial flexible device, and the rear end of the flexible device is an axial flexible device. The front end of the spatial flexible device is installed with a grinding disc, and the rear end of the axial flexible device is connected to a gear transmission. A grinding disc housing is installed on the outside of the grinding disc, and the grinding disc housing is fixed to both sides of the front end of the transmission gearbox. The housing and cover of the transmission gearbox are connected by screws, and a pressure compensator is installed on the right side of the rear end, which is connected to the transmission gearbox via a connecting pipe. The underwater grinder can be operated by a manned submersible robotic arm and can grind steel plates or titanium alloy plates at a depth of 4,500 meters. The flexible device enables the underwater grinder to adapt to the working conditions of uneven grinding surfaces, thereby improving the efficiency and effect of grinding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of underwater working tools, in particular to a double-grinding-head grinder operated by a manned submersible manipulator. Background Art

[0002] As ocean science research deepens, people are exploring the ocean more deeply. Deep-sea operations have become an important part of deep-sea exploration and rescue, and creating suitable underwater operation tools is becoming increasingly important. Grinders are a very practical underwater operation tool, required for unmanned submersibles, manned submersibles, and work vessels.

[0003] Underwater grinders can be used to repair and maintain marine facilities, such as cutting and grinding submarine oil and gas pipelines, marine cables, etc.; they can also be used for marine scientific research such as topographic surveys and biological surveys; they can also be used for grinding and removing obstacles during rescue and salvage operations.

[0004] Land grinders are already very mature products. Most of them are fixed grinders in factories or manual handheld angle grinders. The structure is that the motor or motor drives the grinding disc to rotate with a speed of more than 3000r / min. It can cut steel bars, cables or grind flat surfaces, chamfers, etc.

[0005] Currently, the most commonly used underwater grinder is a diver-handheld grinder. For example, Stanley's GR30 underwater grinder is designed specifically for underwater repair and cleaning work. It is handheld by a diver and can be used at depths of less than 100 meters. Ingersoll Rand's underwater grinders include both high-speed and low-speed modes, suitable for fine work such as underwater grinding, cutting, and deburring. They are handheld by a diver and can be used at depths of less than 100 meters. HAMLOR also produces underwater salvage grinders.

[0006] Most deep-water grinders are operated by ROV manipulators, such as Rustibus's QuillFalconCyclone underwater grinder, which can be used for deep-water operations and is operated by ROV manipulators for cutting and grinding.

[0007] As an essential tool for marine exploration and operations, grinders must be suited to underwater operating conditions. A good tool can make a task more efficient. The biggest difference between underwater grinders and those used on land is that most underwater grinders operate at speeds under 3,000 rpm, primarily due to sealing limitations and the high power consumption caused by the water's resistance during high-speed rotation.

[0008] The currently disclosed deep-water grinder structure is basically a hydraulic motor that drives the grinding disc to rotate, which is operated by an ROV heavy-duty manipulator. There is no need to pay attention to the operating reaction force and grinding efficiency issues.

[0009] Practice in marine operations has proven that manned submersibles offer significant advantages in deepwater salvage, such as recovering underwater aircraft and shipwrecks. Manned submersibles offer a wide field of view and flexible operation, but there are few underwater operation tools specifically designed for manned submersibles. ROV grinders rarely operate properly on deepwater manned submersibles. This is primarily due to the fact that traditional ROVs use heavy-duty underwater operation tools, while manned submersible manipulators are designed for light-duty operations. In most cases, manned submersibles are unable to overcome the reaction force generated by the ROV's underwater operation tools, making it impossible for manned submersibles to use ROV underwater operation tools for underwater operations.

[0010] In order to enable manned submersibles to better perform deep-water operations, enable them to perform high-efficiency grinding work, automatically adapt to the working conditions of uneven grinding surfaces, and autonomously eliminate grinding reaction forces during grinding to avoid affecting the safety of the manned submersible body, it is necessary to design a deep-water grinder to solve the above technical problems.

[0011] In summary, with the booming development of deepwater submersibles, people increasingly hope that submersibles will replace humans in the high-intensity, high-risk tasks of ocean exploration and salvage. The deepwater grinder developed in this paper uses a single hydraulic motor to drive two brushes. The brushes rotate in opposite directions, offsetting each other's grinding reaction torque. The rotation speed ranges from 2000-3000 rpm, making it adaptable to deepwater environments and highly efficient. Each brush head incorporates a flexible adaptive device to adapt to the grinding needs of uneven surfaces. Operated by a manned submersible manipulator, it can perform both cutting and grinding functions. This will help promote the upgrading of key process flows for specialized marine engineering tools in the field of deepwater salvage and rescue operations. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an underwater grinder to solve the problems raised in the above background technology, such as the large grinding reaction force, large size and heavy mass of the ROV heavy-load underwater grinding tools on the current market, which cannot be used in manned submersibles, and the traditional underwater grinder cannot adapt to the grinding conditions of uneven grinding surfaces, resulting in poor grinding effects.

[0013] The objective of the present invention is achieved as follows: it comprises a double grinding disc, a flexible device, a grinding disc housing, a transmission gear box and a pressure compensator, the rear end of the flexible device is an axial flexible device, and the front end is a spatial flexible device, the front end of the transmission gear box is a transmission gear box body, and the rear end of the transmission gear box is a transmission gear box cover, the front end of the transmission gear box body has four through holes, and piston output shafts extend from the through holes on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box body, there are two through holes on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover, a pressure compensator is fixed on the right side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover, and a hydraulic motor is fixed on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover, the front end output shaft of the hydraulic motor extends into the interior of the transmission gear box through the through hole on the left side of the transmission gear box cover, and the output shaft of the hydraulic motor is connected to the main transmission shaft inside the transmission gear box through a shaft sleeve coupling, and the main transmission shaft has a large gear near the side of the output shaft of the front end of the hydraulic motor, the right side of the large gear meshes with the small gear, and the left side of the large gear meshes with the medium gear. The pinion is installed on the rear side of the piston input shaft, and the middle gear is installed on the rear side of the secondary transmission shaft. The left side of the middle gear is engaged with another pinion. The rear end of the piston input shaft is connected to the transmission gear box cover through a sliding bearing, and the piston input shaft is part of the axial flexible device and is located at the rear of the axial flexible device. The front end of the axial flexible device is a spatial flexible device. A double grinding disc is fixed at the front end of the spatial flexible device. The grinding disc housing is installed on both sides of the grinding disc and fixed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box.

[0014] Preferably, the transmission gear box body and the transmission gear box cover together form a sealed cavity, and two sealing rings are used to perform special-shaped radial sealing between the transmission gear box body and the transmission gear box cover.

[0015] Preferably, the grinding disc shell is semicircular, and the rear end covers the grinding disc, and the front end grinding surface of the grinding disc is not covered by the grinding disc shell.

[0016] Preferably, the pressure compensator is fixed to the right side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover, and the upper end of the pressure compensator is a valve cap, which is connected to the transmission gear box through a connecting pipeline.

[0017] Preferably, the rear portion of the axially flexible device is a piston input shaft, and the front portion is a piston output shaft, and a spring is provided between the piston input shaft and the piston output shaft to form a retractable structure.

[0018] Preferably, the front portion of the spatial flexible device is a grinding disc seat, and the rear portion is a piston output shaft, and a spring is provided between the grinding disc and the piston output shaft to form a torsion structure.

[0019] Preferably, the double grinding disc has two grinding discs, and the rear ends of the two grinding discs are flexible devices, and the outer ends of the two grinding discs are provided with grinding disc shells.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The underwater grinder is provided with a spatial flexible device, which is similar to a human joint. The spatial flexible device includes four parts: a grinding disc seat, a piston output shaft, a dustproof end cover and a spring. Among them, the grinding disc seat and the piston output shaft are key parts of the spatial flexible device. The rear end of the piston output shaft is a spline structure, which forms a spline fit with the axial flexible structure. The front end of the piston output shaft is a spherical surface with the center on one side of the piston output shaft, and the cross section of the spherical surface along the vertical direction of the piston output shaft axis is approximately triangular. The front end of the piston output shaft extends into the groove of the grinding disc seat. The size of the groove of the grinding disc seat is slightly larger than the size of the part of the piston output shaft extending into the grinding disc seat. The entire structure can transmit torque motion while being twisted more flexibly, and the grinding disc is fixed to the grinding disc through the inner flange and the outer flange, so that the grinding disc can adapt to the working conditions of the uneven grinding surface. A spring is located at the front of the piston output shaft and within the groove of the grinding disc seat. This prevents the grinding disc from swinging around uncontrollably when the grinder is not in use. To prevent the spring and piston output shaft from slipping out, a dustproof end cap is fixed to the rear end of the grinding disc seat groove. A dustproof ring is also added to the end cap. This ensures that even if the entire structure is exposed to seawater, it will not be affected by sand particles in the water.

[0021] (2) The underwater grinder is provided with an axially flexible structure, which is at the rear end of the spatial flexible structure and drives the rotation of the spatial flexible structure. The axially flexible structure is divided into two parts, the front shaft is the piston output shaft, and the rear end is the piston input shaft. The rear end of the piston output shaft has a spline that can be inserted into the cavity inside the piston input shaft, and the two transmit torque and speed through the spline. The front end of the piston input shaft has an end cover to prevent the piston output shaft from being separated from the piston input shaft during rotation. The end cover is divided into two halves to achieve assembly feasibility. The piston output shaft has a guide rod to ensure that the axes of the piston input shaft and the piston output shaft are in line, while ensuring the smooth transmission and structural strength. In addition, a spring is provided at the matching part of the piston output shaft and the piston input shaft. The spring is located on the guide rod. The function of the spring is to ensure that the piston output shaft always has a force so that it always tends to extend outward to the longest. In this way, the piston output shaft can be flexible in the axial direction, and at the same time, when it rotates in the non-grinding state, it can maintain a stable position without moving back and forth.

[0022] (3) The underwater grinder is equipped with a pressure compensator, which consists of a valve cap, a cylinder, a piston, a spring, etc. The lower part of the piston is connected to the external seawater environment, while the upper part of the piston is connected to the transmission gearbox. The pressure compensator can make the internal pressure of the transmission gearbox higher than a certain external pressure, preventing the external seawater from entering the transmission gearbox and at the same time exempting the transmission gearbox housing from bearing the seawater pressure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the axonometric structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the top cross-sectional structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a rear view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a side structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the components of the space flexible device of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the components of the space flexible device of the present invention.

[0029] In the figure: 1. Double grinding disc; 11. Inner flange; 12. Outer flange; 2. Grinding disc housing; 3. Flexible device; 31. Axial flexible device; 311. Piston input shaft; 312. Spring; 313. Piston end cover; 32. Spatial flexible device; 321. Piston output shaft; 322. Grinding disc seat; 323. Dustproof end cover; 4. Transmission gearbox; 41. Transmission gearbox body; 42. Transmission gearbox cover; 43. Bushing coupling; 44. Main drive shaft; 45. Large gear; 46. Secondary drive shaft; 47. Middle gear; 48. Small gear; 5. Pressure compensation device; 51. Cylinder body; 52. Guide rod; 53. Piston; 54. Valve cap; 55. Spring; 6. ROV handle; 7. Connecting pipe; 8. Hydraulic motor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] See also Figure 1-6The present invention provides a technical solution: an underwater grinder, comprising a double grinding disc 1, a flexible device 3, a grinding disc housing 2, a transmission gear box 4, an ROV handle 6, a hydraulic motor 8, a pressure compensator 5 and a connecting pipe 7, wherein the rear end of the flexible device 3 is an axial flexible device 31, and the front end is a spatial flexible device 32, the rear end of the axial flexible device 31 is connected to the transmission gear box cover 42 through a sliding bearing, and the front end of the axial flexible device 31 is connected to the spatial flexible device 32 through a piston output shaft 321, the front end of the spatial flexible device 32 is fixed with a double grinding disc 1, the grinding disc housing 2 is installed on both sides of the double grinding disc 1, and is fixed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box 4 The front end of the transmission gearbox 4 is the transmission gearbox body 41, and the rear end of the transmission gearbox 4 is the transmission gearbox cover 42. The front end of the transmission gearbox body 41 has four through holes, and the piston output shaft 321 extends from the through holes on both sides of the front end of the transmission gearbox body 41. There are two through holes on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gearbox cover 42. A pressure compensator 5 is fixed on the right side of the rear end of the transmission gearbox cover 42, and a hydraulic motor 8 is fixed on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gearbox cover 42. The front end output shaft of the hydraulic motor 8 extends into the through hole on the left side of the transmission gearbox cover 42, and the output shaft of the hydraulic motor 8 is connected to the main transmission shaft 44 inside the transmission gearbox 4 through a shaft sleeve coupling 43.

[0032] The transmission gear box body 41 and the transmission gear box cover 42 together form a sealed cavity, and two sealing rings are used to perform special-shaped radial sealing between the transmission gear box body 41 and the transmission gear box cover 42.

[0033] The pressure compensator 5 is fixed to the right side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover 42 . The upper end of the pressure compensator 5 is a valve cap 54 , and the valve cap 54 is connected to the transmission gear box 4 through a connecting pipe 7 .

[0034] The rear portion of the axially flexible device 31 is a piston input shaft 311 , and the front portion is a piston output shaft 321 . A spring 312 is provided between the piston input shaft 311 and the piston output shaft 321 to form a retractable structure.

[0035] The front portion of the spatial flexible device 32 is a grinding disc seat 322 , and the rear portion is a piston output shaft 321 . A spring is provided between the grinding disc seat 322 and the piston output shaft 321 to form a torsionally movable structure.

[0036] The double grinding disc 1 has two grinding discs, and the rear ends of the two grinding discs are flexible devices 3, and the outer ends of the two grinding discs are provided with grinding disc shells 2.

[0037] The outer shell of the grinding disc is semicircular, and the rear end covers the grinding disc. The front grinding surface of the grinding disc is not covered by the grinding disc outer shell. The grinding disc outer shell can control the water flow speed and direction, and guide the water flow to the part that needs to be processed on the double grinding disc, thereby reducing the interference caused by the impact of water flow and improving the processing quality and grinding efficiency.

[0038] The pressure compensator has a valve cap at its top, and a piston and guide rod inside. The guide rod is fixed to the bottom of the piston, and a spring is attached to the bottom of the guide rod. The valve cap is located below the cylinder, which is connected to the outside world. The valve cap is connected to the transmission gearbox via a connecting pipe. This ensures that the internal pressure of the transmission gearbox is always higher than the external pressure, preventing external seawater from entering the transmission gearbox, eliminating the transmission gearbox housing from bearing seawater pressure, and reducing the material requirements of the grinder.

[0039] The axially flexible mechanism has a piston input shaft at the rear and a piston output shaft at the front. A spring forms a retractable structure between the two shafts. The piston output shaft has a spline at the end, enabling it to transmit high-torque rotational motion. The spline is easily disassembled, reducing maintenance costs. The piston output shaft also offers axial flexibility, allowing for expansion and contraction.

[0040] The front part of the space flexible device is a grinding disc seat, and the rear part is a piston output shaft. A spring is arranged between the grinding disc and the piston output shaft to form a torsion structure. The grinding disc seat can be twisted around the piston output shaft.

[0041] Working principle: When using the underwater grinder, first, according to Figure 1-6 As shown, the underwater grinder is operated by a manned submersible manipulator holding the underwater grinder ROV handle. The multi-degree-of-freedom twisting of the manipulator makes the grinding disc of the underwater grinder flush with the grinding surface. The hydraulic motor drives the transmission shaft to rotate. One side of the transmission shaft transmits the rotational motion to the output shaft through gear transmission, and the other side transmits the rotational motion to the next-level transmission shaft through gear transmission, and then transmits it to the other output shaft through gear transmission. The two output shafts rotate in opposite directions, and the grinding surface is polished by the high-speed rotation of the grinding disc. The double grinding discs rotate in opposite directions, and the torques cancel each other out. During the grinding process, the double grinding discs drive the water flow to rotate. At the same time, under the guidance and control of the grinding disc housing, the water flow rotates around the double grinding discs, reducing the impact and interference of the water flow on the double grinding discs, reducing energy loss, and improving grinding efficiency.

[0042] The rear end of the double grinding disc is a spatial flexible device, and the rear end of the spatial flexible device is an axial flexible device. Since the contact surface of the two key parts of the spatial flexible device is a spherical surface with the center on one side of the piston output shaft, and the transverse direction of the sphere is cut into an approximately triangular shape, the piston output shaft extends into the grinding disc seat, and the groove size of the grinding disc seat is slightly larger than the part of the piston output shaft extending into the grinding disc seat, and axial displacement can occur between the piston output shaft and the piston input shaft. Therefore, during the rotation of the grinding disc, the flexible grinding disc can twist around the protruding head of the piston output shaft and telescopic movement along the axial direction of the piston output shaft under uneven force, thereby adapting to the working conditions of uneven grinding surfaces, making the grinding depth uniform, and improving the grinding effect. The lower end of the pressure compensator piston is connected to the external water environment, and the upper end is connected to the transmission gearbox. A spring is installed between the piston and the cylinder. The piston can adjust the pressure difference between the transmission gearbox and the external environment by moving axially along the cylinder, so that the internal pressure of the transmission gearbox is always higher than the external pressure. This prevents external seawater from entering the transmission gearbox, affecting the transmission mechanism of the transmission gearbox and reducing the pressure resistance of the transmission gearbox. Matters not described in detail in this specification belong to the prior art known to professionals skilled in the art.

[0043] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for those skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or to make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features therein. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention. The present invention discloses an underwater grinder, comprising a flexible device, a grinding disc housing, a transmission gear box and a pressure compensator. Flexible devices are installed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box, the front end of the flexible device is a spatial flexible device, and the rear end of the flexible device is an axial flexible device. A grinding disc is installed on the front end of the spatial flexible device, and the rear end of the axial flexible device is connected to a gear transmission. A grinding disc housing is installed on the outside of the grinding disc, and the grinding disc housing is fixed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box. The box body and the box cover of the transmission gear box are connected by screws, and a pressure compensator is installed on the right side of the rear end, and the pressure compensator is connected to the transmission gear box through a connecting pipe. The underwater grinder can be operated by a manned submersible robotic arm and can grind steel plates or titanium alloy plates 4,500 meters underwater. The flexible device enables the underwater grinder to adapt to the working conditions of uneven grinding surfaces, thereby improving the efficiency and effect of grinding.

Claims

1. A deep water sander, characterized by: It includes a double grinding disc, a flexible device, a grinding disc housing, a transmission gear box and a pressure compensator. The rear end of the flexible device is an axial flexible device, and the front end is a spatial flexible device. The front end of the transmission gear box is a transmission gear box body, and the rear end of the transmission gear box is a transmission gear box cover. The front end of the transmission gear box body has four through holes, and the through holes on both sides of the front end of the transmission gear box body extend with piston output shafts. There are two through holes on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover. A pressure compensator is fixed on the right side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover, and a hydraulic motor is fixed on the left side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover. The front end output shaft of the hydraulic motor extends into the interior of the transmission gear box through the through hole on the left side of the transmission gear box cover, and the front end output shaft of the hydraulic motor passes through The shaft sleeve coupling is connected to the main transmission shaft inside the transmission gearbox, and the main transmission shaft is provided with a large gear on the side of the front output shaft close to the hydraulic motor, the right side of the large gear is meshed with the small gear, and the left side of the large gear is meshed with the medium gear, the small gear is installed on the rear side of the piston input shaft, and the medium gear is installed on the rear side of the secondary transmission shaft, the left side of the medium gear is meshed with another small gear, the rear end of the piston input shaft is connected to the transmission gearbox cover through a sliding bearing, and the piston input shaft is part of the axial flexible device and is located at the rear of the axial flexible device, the front end of the axial flexible device is a space flexible device, and the front end of the space flexible device is fixed with a double grinding disc, the grinding disc housing is installed on both sides of the grinding disc, and is fixed on both sides of the front end of the transmission gearbox; When in use, the double grinding discs are flush with the grinding surface, and the hydraulic motor drives the main transmission shaft to rotate. One side of the main transmission shaft transmits the rotational motion to the piston output shaft through gear transmission, and the other side transmits the rotational motion to the secondary transmission shaft through gear transmission, and then transmits it to the other piston output shaft through gear transmission. The two piston output shafts rotate in opposite directions, and the grinding surface is polished by the high-speed rotation of the grinding discs. The double grinding discs turn in opposite directions, and the torques cancel each other out. During the polishing process, the double grinding discs drive the water flow to rotate. At the same time, under the guidance and control of the polishing disc housing, the water flow rotates around the double grinding discs, reducing the impact and interference of the water flow on the double grinding discs, reducing energy loss, and improving polishing efficiency.

2. A deep water sander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The double grinding disc has two grinding discs, and the rear ends of the two grinding discs are flexible devices, and the outer ends are provided with grinding disc shells.

3. A deep water sander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission gear box body and the transmission gear box cover together form a sealed cavity, and the transmission gear box body and the transmission gear box cover are radially sealed by two sealing rings.

4. A deep water sander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell of the grinding disc is semicircular, and the rear end covers the grinding disc, while the front end grinding surface of the grinding disc is not covered by the outer shell of the grinding disc.

5. The deep water sander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure compensator is fixed on the right side of the rear end of the transmission gear box cover. The upper end of the pressure compensator is a valve cap, which is connected to the transmission gear box through a connecting pipeline.

6. The deep water sander according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear part of the axial flexible device is the piston input shaft, and the front part is the piston output shaft, and a spring is arranged between the piston input shaft and the piston output shaft to form a retractable structure; the front part of the spatial flexible device is the grinding disc seat, and the rear part is the piston output shaft, and a spring is arranged between the grinding disc and the piston output shaft to form a torsional structure.

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