Towed remotely operated vehicle system with variable operating modes

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of variable working mode towed remote control underwater robot system, including deformation underwater robot, ballast and drag, wherein the tug is connected with ballast by tow rope, ballast is connected with deformation underwater robot by mooring rope, the deformation underwater robot includes upper body, lower body and the deformation device of driving the opening and closing of the upper body and lower body, the deformation device both sides are equipped with telescopic linear drive component, and the lower end of the linear drive component is installed on the lower body, and the upper end is connected with the upper body, the upper body and lower body are closed to form a complete streamlined body.The present application can realize high-speed towed mode and disposal operation mode two kinds of working mode, both can carry out large-scale detection operation, and can also realize better deep sea operation ability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of underwater robots, specifically a towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes. Background Technology

[0002] In deep-sea target search and salvage operations, due to the unknown nature of the seabed environment and the complexity of deep-sea operations, most mainstream deep-sea unmanned equipment can only perform single-type tasks. Therefore, a complete operation usually requires the alternating use of multiple underwater equipment such as deep-towed systems, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) to complete tasks such as large-scale seabed topographic exploration, target search, and confirmation and handling of suspected targets. This not only increases the difficulty of equipment support for deep-sea search and rescue missions but also leads to low operational efficiency. Currently, hybrid deformable underwater robots are one direction for solving the above problems. Through structural deformation, a single underwater device can have multiple different working modes, thereby effectively expanding the application scenarios of a single device. Linear deformation is a commonly used method in the field of variable structure underwater robots, but existing structures have problems such as large space requirements, complex configuration, insufficient stability, mechanism interference, and limited lateral load bearing capacity. In addition, existing structures are configured with a single motor, and once the motor fails, it will seriously affect the mission execution process. Furthermore, the issue of the equipment needing to withstand extremely high pressure in the deep-sea environment must also be considered. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable working modes, which can realize two working modes: high-speed towing mode and disposal operation mode. It can perform large-scale exploration operations and achieve good deep-sea operation capabilities.

[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] A towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes includes a morphing underwater robot, a ballast, and a tugboat. The tugboat is connected to the ballast via a tow cable, and the ballast is connected to the morphing underwater robot via a mooring cable. The morphing underwater robot includes an upper body, a lower body, and a morphing device for driving the upper and lower bodies to open and close. The morphing device has retractable linear drive components on both sides, with the lower end of the linear drive component mounted on the lower body and the upper end connected to the upper body. When the upper and lower bodies are closed, they form a complete streamlined body.

[0006] The deformation device includes a first motor, a second motor, a differential, a drive shaft, a transmission box, and a linear drive assembly. The differential internally houses a planetary gear assembly and a transmission gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a ring gear, planetary gears, and an intermediate gear, with the planetary gears evenly distributed circumferentially between the ring gear and the intermediate gear. The first motor is coaxially connected to the ring gear, and the second motor is coaxially connected to the intermediate gear via a second power input shaft. The drive gear at the starting end of the transmission gear assembly is mounted on the second power input shaft, and a connecting shaft is located on the outer edge of the drive gear. Any planetary gear is mounted on the connecting shaft. The second bevel gear at the end of the transmission gear assembly is mounted on the drive shaft. Transmission boxes are located at both ends of the drive shaft, and the linear drive assemblies are respectively mounted on the corresponding transmission boxes. The two linear drive assemblies are driven to extend and retract synchronously via the drive shaft, and the drive shaft transmits torque through the transmission boxes on both sides.

[0007] The differential includes a differential housing, and a first power input shaft is provided on one side of the differential housing and a second power input shaft is provided on the other side. One end of the first power input shaft is coaxially connected to the first motor and the other end is coaxially connected to the gear ring. One end of the second power input shaft is coaxially connected to the second motor and the other end is coaxially connected to the intermediate gear. A first brake is provided on the first power input shaft and a second brake is provided on the second power input shaft.

[0008] The transmission gear assembly includes a driving gear, a transmission gear, a driven gear, a first bevel gear, and a second bevel gear, wherein the driving gear, the transmission gear, and the driven gear mesh in sequence, the driven gear is coaxially connected to the first bevel gear, and the first bevel gear meshes with the second bevel gear.

[0009] The linear drive assembly includes a drive screw, an inner piston rod, an inner cylinder, an outer piston rod, and an outer cylinder. The drive screw is located in the inner piston rod, and a nut is fitted inside the inner piston rod onto the drive screw. The inner piston rod is located in the inner cylinder, and the inner cylinder is located in the outer piston rod. The upper end of the outer piston rod is fixedly connected to the upper end of the inner piston rod. The outer piston rod is located in the outer cylinder, and the lower ends of both the inner and outer cylinders are located on the housing of the transmission box. The lower end of the drive screw extends into the transmission box and is connected to a transmission assembly located inside the transmission box. The drive screw is driven to rotate via a transmission shaft, and the transmission shaft transmits torque through the transmission assembly.

[0010] The upper end of the drive screw is provided with a piston block, and dynamic sealing rings are provided between the piston block and the inner piston rod and between the inner piston rod and the inner cylinder. The transmission box has a sealed accommodating cavity inside, and the sealed accommodating cavity communicates with the inside of the inner cylinder. The transmission assembly is located in the sealed accommodating cavity. An oil injection port is provided on one side of the box and communicates with the sealed accommodating cavity.

[0011] The upper end of the inner piston rod is provided with a through hole, the upper end of the inner cylinder is provided with an exhaust valve, and the upper end of the outer cylinder is provided with an exhaust port.

[0012] The transmission components inside the transmission box include a worm and a worm wheel that mesh with each other, wherein the worm is connected to the transmission shaft and the worm wheel is coaxially connected to the drive screw.

[0013] The worm gear has a through hole in the middle for the drive screw to pass through. The sealed cavity contains a bearing and a locking nut fitted onto the drive screw. The bearing is limited by the locking nut. The lower end of the sealed cavity has a sealing end cap.

[0014] Both the tow cable and the mooring cable are equipped with transmission cables that carry power and control signal transmission.

[0015] The advantages and positive effects of this invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. This invention can realize two working modes: high-speed towing mode and disposal operation mode. In the high-speed towing mode, the upper and lower main bodies of the deformable underwater robot are driven to close by the deformation device, and the deformable underwater robot forms a complete streamlined body, thus presenting a smaller frontal area to reduce towing resistance. At this time, the deformable underwater robot is towed by a tugboat, and large-scale exploration operations can be carried out by the underwater detection equipment carried by the deformable underwater robot without the need for human operation. In the disposal operation mode, the upper and lower main bodies are driven to separate by the deformation device to form a certain distance, increasing the center of gravity height and providing sufficient working space for underwater operation equipment and other devices, thereby achieving better deep-sea operation capabilities.

[0017] 2. The deformable underwater robot of the present invention adopts a dual-motor redundant design for its deformable device. When both motors are working normally, the differential of the deformable device can couple the inputs of the first motor and the second motor, and finally realize a single power output, avoiding the load problem caused by the rigid connection of the two motors. When either motor fails, the differential can still ensure power output, thereby ensuring that the device can still work normally.

[0018] 3. The deformable underwater robot of this invention uses a linear drive assembly consisting of an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, which can withstand lateral loads. The outer piston rod and the inner piston rod are connected together, ensuring both lifting and lowering movements and external load support. This also allows the diameter of the linear mechanism requiring oil filling to be as small as possible, reducing the amount of oil compensation needed and meeting the pressure compensation requirements of deep-sea pressure. The hollow cavity design of the inner piston rod of this invention allows seawater to be above the piston block and pressure compensation oil to be below. This design means that the volume change of the sealed cavity during mechanism movement depends on the linear movement distance of the mechanism and the wall thickness and area of ​​the inner piston rod. Compared with the common closed piston rod design, this effectively reduces the amount of compensation oil needed and also facilitates the discharge of seawater during recovery, avoiding corrosion of parts by residual seawater.

[0019] 4. The linear drive component used in the deformable underwater robot of the present invention utilizes a trapezoidal lead screw for drive, and the trapezoidal lead screw, worm gear, and worm wheel in the transmission box all have good self-locking characteristics, which can work with the power failure brake to ensure the self-locking capability of the device in the non-working state. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the deformable underwater robot.

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the deformation device.

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the differential structure in the diagram.

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the power transmission principle of the deformation device.

[0025] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the linear drive component.

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the linear drive component.

[0027] In this configuration, 1 is the differential, 101 is the planetary gear assembly, 1011 is the ring gear, 1012 is the planetary gear, 1013 is the intermediate gear, 102 is the second brake, 103 is the second power input shaft, 104 is the first power input shaft, 105 is the first brake, 106 is the differential housing, 107 is the drive gear, 1071 is the connecting rod shaft, 108 is the transmission gear, 109 is the driven gear, 110 is the first bevel gear, 111 is the second bevel gear, 2 is the first motor, 3 is the linear drive assembly, 301 is the drive screw, 302 is the pin, 303 is the sliding bearing, 304 is the piston block, and 305 is the nut. 306 is the inner piston rod, 3061 is the outer stop surface, 307 is the inner cylinder, 3071 is the inner stop surface, 308 is the outer piston rod, 309 is the outer cylinder, 310 is the exhaust valve, 311 is the dynamic seal ring, 4 is the drive shaft, 5 is the second motor, 6 is the transmission box, 601 is the worm gear, 602 is the worm wheel, 6021 is the worm wheel through hole, 603 is the oil inlet, 604 is the housing, 605 is the bearing, 606 is the lock nut, 607 is the sealing end cap, 608 is the sealing ring, 7 is the deformable underwater robot, 701 is the upper body, 702 is the lower body, 8 is the mooring line, 9 is the ballast, 10 is the towing cable, and 11 is the tugboat. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figures 1-7 As shown, the present invention includes a deformable underwater robot 7, a ballast 9, and a tugboat 11, wherein the tugboat 11 is connected to the ballast 9 via a towing cable 10, and the ballast 9 is connected to the deformable underwater robot 7 via a mooring cable 8. Figure 2As shown, the deformable underwater robot 7 includes an upper body 701, a lower body 702, and a deformation device that drives the upper body 701 and the lower body 702 to open and close. In this embodiment, the upper body 701 is mainly a buoyancy material to provide buoyancy. In addition, the upper body 701 is equipped with a thruster and some underwater detection equipment. The lower body 702 is equipped with various equipment units, including underwater operation equipment, some underwater detection equipment, energy units, control units, etc. After the upper body 701 and the lower body 702 are closed, they form a complete streamlined body. Therefore, this embodiment can realize two working modes: high-speed towing mode and disposal operation mode. In this configuration, the upper body 701 and lower body 702 are closed, and the deformable underwater robot 7 presents a smaller surface area facing the current to reduce towing resistance. At this time, the deformable underwater robot 7 is towed by the tugboat 11, and can perform large-scale exploration operations using its onboard underwater detection equipment without human intervention. In the disposal operation mode, the upper body 701 and lower body 702 separate to form a certain distance, increasing the center of gravity height of the deformable underwater robot 7 and providing sufficient working space for underwater operation equipment and other devices to achieve better deep-sea operation capabilities. The ballast 9 has a large self-weight, and the mooring cable 8 forces the deformable underwater robot 7 to overcome buoyancy and sink to the seabed. In this embodiment, the towing cable 10 is an armored cable, which has high strength to withstand the weight of the underwater portion and the resistance generated by towing. The mooring cable 8 is a lightweight cable, mainly bearing the resistance generated by the deformable underwater robot 7 during towing. Furthermore, both the towing cable 10 and the mooring cable 8 have transmission cables inside to carry power and control signal transmission. The underwater operation equipment, underwater detection equipment, energy unit, control unit, etc. mentioned are all technologies known in the field.

[0030] like Figures 3-7 As shown, in this embodiment, the deformation device inside the deformable underwater robot 7 includes a first motor 2, a second motor 5, a differential 1, a drive shaft 4, a transmission box 6, and a linear drive assembly 3, wherein... Figures 4-5As shown, the differential 1 internally includes a planetary gear assembly 101 and a transmission gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly 101 includes a ring gear 1011, planetary gears 1012, and an intermediate gear 1013. The planetary gears 1012 are evenly distributed circumferentially between the ring gear 1011 and the intermediate gears 1013. The first motor 2 is coaxially connected to the ring gear 1011. The second motor 5 is connected to a second power input shaft 103, and the end of the second power input shaft 103 is coaxially connected to the intermediate gear 1013. The drive gear 107 at the starting end of the transmission gear assembly is coaxially fitted with the second power input shaft 103, and a connecting rod shaft 1071 is provided on the outer edge of the drive gear 107. Any planetary gear 1012... The second bevel gear 111 at the end of the transmission gear assembly is mounted on the transmission shaft 4. Both ends of the transmission shaft 4 are provided with transmission boxes 6, and the linear drive assembly 3 is respectively mounted on the corresponding transmission box 6. The two linear drive assemblies 3 are driven to extend and retract synchronously through the transmission shaft 4, and the transmission shaft 4 transmits torque through the transmission boxes 6 on both sides. In this embodiment, the first motor 2, the second motor 5, the differential 1, the transmission shaft 4, and the transmission box 6 are all located on the lower body 702. The lower end of the linear drive assembly 3 is mounted on the lower body 702, and the upper end is connected to the upper body 701. The extension and retraction of the linear drive assembly 3 drives the upper body 701 and the lower body 702 to open and close.

[0031] like Figures 4-5 As shown, the deformation device used in this embodiment utilizes the differential 1 to couple the inputs of the first motor 2 and the second motor 5. The ring gear 101, planetary gear 1012, and intermediate gear 1013 in the planetary gear assembly 101 have the characteristic that the rotational speed of any one component can be determined by the rotational speeds of the remaining two components. Figure 5As shown, when the deformation device is working, the first motor 2 drives the gear ring 1011 to rotate, and the second motor 5 drives the intermediate gear 1013 to rotate. Any planetary gear 1012 is connected to the driving gear 107 through the connecting rod shaft 1071. In this way, when both motors are working normally, the differential 1 can couple the inputs of the first motor 2 and the second motor 5, and finally realize the single output of the second bevel gear 111, avoiding the load problem caused by the rigid connection of the two motors. When the first motor 2 fails, the intermediate gear 1013 can still be driven by the second motor 5. At the same time, the planetary gear 1012 connected to the driving gear 107 rotates between the gear ring 1011 and the intermediate gear 1013, driving the driving gear 107 to output power. When the second motor 5 fails, the first motor 2 drives the planetary gear 1012 to rotate through the gear ring 1011. The planetary gear 1012 connected to the driving gear 107 then drives the driving gear 107 to rotate to output power, thereby maintaining the normal operation of the device and realizing the redundant configuration of the motors.

[0032] like Figures 4-5 As shown, the differential 1 includes a differential housing 106, with a rotatable first power input shaft 104 on one side and a rotatable second power input shaft 103 on the other side. One end of the first power input shaft 104 is coaxially connected to the first motor 2, and the other end is coaxially connected to the gear ring 1011. One end of the second power input shaft 103 is coaxially connected to the second motor 5, and the other end is coaxially connected to the drive gear 107 and the intermediate gear 1013. The first power input shaft 103 and the second power input shaft 104 are rotatably mounted on the front and rear side walls of the differential housing 106 respectively, supported by bearings. Figure 3 As shown, the drive shaft 4 passes through the differential housing 106, and the left and right side walls of the differential housing 106 are provided with bearings to support the rotation of the drive shaft 4.

[0033] like Figures 4-5 As shown, the differential 1 internally includes a first brake 105 and a second brake 102. The first brake 105 is mounted on the first power input shaft 104, and the second brake 102 is mounted on the second power input shaft 102. In this embodiment, both the first brake 105 and the second brake 102 are power-off brakes. When any motor fails, the control system de-energizes and locks the power-off brake corresponding to that motor. The power-off brake is a commercially available product.

[0034] like Figures 4-5As shown, in this embodiment, the transmission gear assembly includes a driving gear 107, a transmission gear 108, a driven gear 109, a first bevel gear 110, and a second bevel gear 111. The driving gear 107, the transmission gear 108, and the driven gear 109 mesh sequentially. The driven gear 109 is coaxially connected to the first bevel gear 110, and the first bevel gear 110 meshes with the second bevel gear 111.

[0035] like Figures 4-7 As shown, in this embodiment, the linear drive assembly 3 includes a drive screw 301, an inner piston rod 306, an inner cylinder 307, an outer piston rod 308, and an outer cylinder 309. The drive screw 301 is inserted into the inner piston rod 306, and a nut 305 is provided inside the inner piston rod 306 and fitted onto the drive screw 301. The inner piston rod 306 is located in the inner cylinder 307 and is driven by the drive screw 301 to move up and down along the inner cylinder 307. The inner cylinder 307 is located in the outer piston rod 308, and the outer piston rod 309... The upper end of the outer piston rod 308 is fixedly connected to the upper end of the inner piston rod 306 via a pin 302. The outer piston rod 308 is located in the outer cylinder 309 and is driven by the inner piston rod 306 to move up and down along the outer cylinder 309. The lower ends of the inner cylinder 307 and the outer cylinder 309 are both located on the housing 604 of the transmission box 6. The lower end of the drive screw 301 extends into the transmission box 6 and is connected to the transmission assembly located inside the transmission box 6. The drive screw 301 is driven to rotate via the transmission shaft 4, and the transmission shaft 4 transmits torque through the transmission assembly. The outer cylinder 309 of this invention is a linear cylinder structure with a large diameter capable of withstanding lateral loads. Furthermore, this invention uses a pin 302 to connect the outer piston rod 308 and the inner piston rod 306 together, which ensures both lifting and lowering actions and external load support, while also minimizing the diameter of the linear mechanism requiring oil filling (inner cylinder 307) to reduce the amount of oil required for compensation. When the present invention is in a deep-sea environment, the hollow cavity design of the inner piston rod 306 allows seawater to be above the piston block 304 and pressure compensation oil to be below. This design means that when the mechanism moves, the volume change of the sealed cavity depends on the linear movement distance of the mechanism and the wall thickness area of ​​the inner piston rod 306. Compared with the common closed piston rod design, it can effectively reduce the amount of compensation oil required.

[0036] like Figure 7As shown, in this embodiment, the upper end of the drive screw 301 is provided with a piston block 304, and dynamic sealing rings 311 are provided between the piston block 304 and the inner piston rod 306, and between the inner piston rod 306 and the inner cylinder 307. The housing 604 of the transmission box 6 has a sealed accommodating cavity inside, and the sealed accommodating cavity communicates with the interior of the inner cylinder 307. A sealing ring 608 is also provided between the lower end of the inner cylinder 307 and the housing 604. The upper end of the inner piston rod 306 has a through hole, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the housing 604 has an oil inlet 603 on one side that communicates with the sealed accommodating cavity. The oil inlet 603 is used to inject oil into the inner cylinder 307 to achieve pressure compensation, while the various sealing rings ensure the sealing of the inner cylinder 307. Additionally, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the inner cylinder 307 is equipped with an exhaust valve 310 at its upper end, and the outer cylinder 309 is equipped with an exhaust port at its upper end. During maintenance, compensating oil is injected into the inner cylinder 307 of the linear drive assembly 3 through the oil inlet 603, and excess gas is released through the exhaust valve 310 by the pressure difference between the inside and outside. When the mechanism is in the retracted state, the exhaust port on the outer cylinder 309 is aligned with the exhaust valve 310, which facilitates manual operation. The space between the outer cylinder 309 and the inner cylinder 307 is in communication with seawater, so there is no need to consider the pressure compensation issue. When the invention leaves the seabed, seawater is discharged through the through hole at the upper end of the inner piston rod 306. When the mechanism is retracted, the inner wall of the upper end of the inner piston rod 306 is just located on the upper plane of the piston block 304, so that the seawater in the inner piston rod 306 can flow into the outer cylinder 309 through its upper through hole, and then be discharged through the flange of the outer cylinder 309 and the drainage groove on the housing 604, thereby avoiding corrosion of the parts by residual seawater.

[0037] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the lower part of the inner piston rod 306 is provided with an outer stop surface 3061, and the upper end of the inner cylinder 307 is provided with an inner stop surface 3071. The outer stop surface 3061 and the inner stop surface 3071 cooperate to prevent the inner piston rod 306 from disengaging, and at the same time limit the rising height of the inner piston rod 306.

[0038] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, a sliding bearing 303 is provided between the upper end of the outer cylinder 309 and the outer piston rod 308 to ensure that the two are slidably connected.

[0039] like Figures 5-7As shown, in this embodiment, the transmission components in the transmission box 6 include a worm 601 and a worm wheel 602 that mesh with each other. The worm 601 is connected to the transmission shaft 4, and the worm wheel 602 is coaxially connected to the drive screw 301. In addition, in this embodiment, the drive screw 301 is a trapezoidal screw. The trapezoidal screw, as well as the worm 601 and the worm wheel 602, have good self-locking characteristics and can cooperate with the power failure brake to ensure the self-locking capability of the present invention in the non-working state.

[0040] like Figure 7 As shown, the worm 601 and worm wheel 602 are both located in a sealed accommodating cavity inside the housing 604. The worm wheel 602 has a worm wheel through hole 6021 in the middle for the drive screw 301 to pass through. The sealed accommodating cavity contains a bearing 605 and a locking nut 606, which are fitted onto the drive screw 301. The bearing 605 is positioned by the locking nut 606. The lower end of the sealed accommodating cavity is provided with a sealing end cap 607 to ensure the cavity is sealed.

[0041] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0042] This invention can achieve two working modes: high-speed towing mode and disposal operation mode. In the high-speed towing mode, the upper body 701 and the lower body 702 are closed, and the deformable underwater robot 7 forms a complete streamlined body, thus presenting a smaller frontal area to reduce towing resistance. At this time, the deformable underwater robot 7 is towed by the tugboat 11, and can carry out large-scale exploration operations through the underwater detection equipment carried by the deformable underwater robot 7 without human control. In the disposal operation mode, the upper body 701 and the lower body 702 are separated to form a certain distance, increasing the center of gravity height of the deformable underwater robot 7 and providing sufficient working space for underwater operation equipment and other devices to achieve better deep-sea operation capabilities. The ballast 9 has a large self-weight, which forces the deformable underwater robot 7 to overcome buoyancy and sink to the seabed through the mooring cable 8.

[0043] Furthermore, the upper body 701 and lower body 702 of the deformable underwater robot 7 are driven to open and close by a deformation device, such as... Figures 3-7As shown, when the deformation device is working, the first motor 2 drives the gear ring 1011 in the planetary gear assembly 101 to rotate, and the second motor 5 drives the intermediate gear 1013 in the planetary gear assembly to rotate. Any one of the planetary gears 1012 is connected to the driving gear 107 via the connecting rod shaft 1071. Thus, when both motors are working normally, the differential 1 can couple the inputs of the first motor 2 and the second motor 5, ultimately achieving a single output from the second bevel gear 111 and driving the transmission shaft 4 to rotate, avoiding the load problem caused by the rigid connection of the two motors. When the first... When motor 2 fails, the intermediate gear 1013 is driven by the second motor 5. Simultaneously, the planetary gear 1012, connected to the drive gear 107, rotates between the ring gear 1011 and the intermediate gear 1013, driving the drive gear 107 to output power. When the second motor 5 fails, the first motor 2 drives the planetary gear 1012 to rotate via the ring gear 1011. The planetary gear 1012, connected to the drive gear 107, then drives the drive gear 107 to rotate, thus outputting power and maintaining normal operation of the device, achieving redundant motor configuration. Furthermore, the differential 1 contains a first brake 105 and a second brake 102. When either motor fails, the control system de-energizes and locks the corresponding brake.

[0044] The linear drive assembly 3 of the deformation device adopts a set design of an outer cylinder 309 and an inner cylinder 307. The outer cylinder 309 is a linear cylinder structure with a larger diameter to withstand lateral loads. Furthermore, the invention utilizes a pin 302 to connect the outer piston rod 308 and the inner piston rod 306, ensuring both lifting and external load support, while minimizing the diameter of the linear mechanism requiring oil filling (inner cylinder 307) to reduce the amount of oil required for compensation. When the invention is in a deep-sea environment, the hollow cavity design of the inner piston rod 306 allows seawater to be above the piston block 304 and pressure compensation oil to be below. This design ensures that the volume change of the sealed cavity during mechanism movement depends on the linear movement distance of the mechanism and the wall thickness area of ​​the inner piston rod 306. Compared to the common closed piston rod design, this effectively reduces the amount of compensation oil required. During maintenance, compensation oil is injected into the inner cylinder 307 of the linear drive assembly 3 through the oil inlet 603 on the transmission box 6, and excess gas is expelled through the exhaust valve 310 by the pressure difference between the inside and outside. Released, the space between the outer cylinder 309 and the inner cylinder 307 is connected to seawater, so there is no need to consider the pressure compensation issue. When the deformable underwater robot 7 leaves the seabed for recovery, the seawater is discharged through the upper end of the inner piston rod 306. After the mechanism is retracted, the upper inner wall of the inner piston rod 306 is just located on the upper plane of the piston block 304, so that the seawater in the inner piston rod 306 can flow into the outer cylinder 309 through its upper end through the through hole, and then be discharged through the flange of the outer cylinder 309 and the drainage groove on the housing 604, thereby avoiding the corrosion of the parts by the residual seawater.

[0045] The deformation device uses a drive screw 301 to drive the linear drive assembly 3 to lift and lower, ensuring reliable operation. The drive screw 301 is a trapezoidal screw, and the trapezoidal screw, worm 601 and worm wheel 602 have good self-locking characteristics, which can work with the power failure brake to ensure the self-locking capability of the invention in the non-working state.

Claims

1. A towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes, characterized in that: The system includes a deformable underwater robot (7), a ballast (9), and a tugboat (11). The tugboat (11) is connected to the ballast (9) via a towing cable (10), and the ballast (9) is connected to the deformable underwater robot (7) via a mooring cable (8). The deformable underwater robot (7) includes an upper body (701), a lower body (702), and a deformation device that drives the upper body (701) and the lower body (702) to open and close. The deformation device has retractable linear drive components (3) on both sides. The lower end of the linear drive component (3) is mounted on the lower body (702), and the upper end is connected to the upper body (701). When the upper body (701) and the lower body (702) are closed, they form a complete streamlined body. The deformation device includes a first motor (2), a second motor (5), a differential (1), a drive shaft (4), a transmission box (6), and a linear drive assembly (3). The differential (1) is equipped with a planetary gear assembly (101) and a transmission gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly (101) includes a gear ring (1011), planetary gears (1012), and intermediate gears (1013). The planetary gears (1012) are evenly distributed along the circumferential direction between the gear ring (1011) and the intermediate gears (1013). The first motor (2) is coaxially connected to the gear ring (1011). The second motor (5) is connected to the intermediate gear (1013) through a second power input shaft (103). 13) Coaxial connection, the drive gear (107) at the starting end of the transmission gear assembly is mounted on the second power input shaft (103), the outer edge of the drive gear (107) is provided with a connecting rod shaft (1071), any planetary gear (1012) is mounted on the connecting rod shaft (1071), the second bevel gear (111) at the end of the transmission gear assembly is mounted on the transmission shaft (4), both ends of the transmission shaft (4) are provided with transmission boxes (6), and the linear drive components (3) are respectively installed on the corresponding side transmission boxes (6). The two linear drive components (3) are driven to extend and retract synchronously through the transmission shaft (4), and the transmission shaft (4) transmits torque through the transmission boxes (6) on both sides; The differential (1) includes a differential housing (106), and a first power input shaft (104) is provided on one side of the differential housing (106) and a second power input shaft (103) is provided on the other side. One end of the first power input shaft (104) is coaxially connected to the first motor (2) and the other end is coaxially connected to the gear ring (1011). One end of the second power input shaft (103) is coaxially connected to the second motor (5) and the other end is coaxially connected to the intermediate gear (1013). A first brake (105) is provided on the first power input shaft (104) and a second brake (102) is provided on the second power input shaft (103).

2. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable working modes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission gear assembly includes a driving gear (107), a transmission gear (108), a driven gear (109), a first bevel gear (110), and a second bevel gear (111). The driving gear (107), the transmission gear (108), and the driven gear (109) mesh sequentially. The driven gear (109) is coaxially connected with the first bevel gear (110), and the first bevel gear (110) meshes with the second bevel gear (111).

3. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable working modes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linear drive assembly (3) includes a drive screw (301), an inner piston rod (306), an inner cylinder (307), an outer piston rod (308), and an outer cylinder (309). The drive screw (301) is located in the inner piston rod (306), and a nut (305) is provided inside the inner piston rod (306) and fitted onto the drive screw (301). The inner piston rod (306) is located in the inner cylinder (307), and the inner cylinder (307) is located in the outer piston rod (308). 08) The upper end is fixedly connected to the upper end of the inner piston rod (306), the outer piston rod (308) is located in the outer cylinder (309), and the lower ends of the inner cylinder (307) and the outer cylinder (309) are both located on the housing (604) of the transmission box (6). The lower end of the drive screw (301) extends into the transmission box (6) and is connected to the transmission assembly located inside the transmission box (6). The drive screw (301) is driven to rotate through the transmission shaft (4), and the transmission shaft (4) transmits torque through the transmission assembly.

4. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The upper end of the drive screw (301) is provided with a piston block (304), and dynamic sealing rings (311) are provided between the piston block (304) and the inner piston rod (306) and between the inner piston rod (306) and the inner cylinder (307). The transmission box (6) has a sealed accommodating cavity inside its housing (604), and the sealed accommodating cavity communicates with the inside of the inner cylinder (307). The transmission assembly is located in the sealed accommodating cavity. An oil inlet (603) is provided on one side of the housing (604) and communicates with the sealed accommodating cavity.

5. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner piston rod (306) has a through hole at its upper end, the inner cylinder (307) has an exhaust valve (310) at its upper end, and the outer cylinder (309) has an exhaust port at its upper end.

6. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission assembly inside the transmission box (6) includes a worm (601) and a worm wheel (602) that mesh with each other, wherein the worm (601) is connected to the transmission shaft (4), and the worm wheel (602) is coaxially connected to the drive screw (301).

7. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes according to claim 6, characterized in that: The worm gear (602) has a worm gear through hole (6021) in the middle for the drive screw (301) to pass through. The sealed accommodating cavity is provided with a bearing (605) and a locking nut (606) fitted on the drive screw (301). The bearing (605) is limited by the locking nut (606). The lower end of the sealed accommodating cavity is provided with a sealing end cap (607).

8. The towed remotely operated underwater robot system with variable operating modes according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the tow cable (10) and the mooring cable (8) are equipped with transmission cables that carry power and control signal transmission.

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