A shipboard boat launch and transfer system and method

Abstract

The application provides a ship-borne boat launching and transferring system, characterized in that the system comprises a stern ramp launching device for releasing or recovering a boat from a mother ship, a cross-deck lifting device for lifting a boat stored in the stern ramp to an upper deck or lowering a boat on the upper deck into the stern ramp, a transfer trolley, and a traction device for towing the transfer trolley to carry the boat in and out of a storage warehouse, the stern ramp launching device is arranged at the lower stern of the ship body, the cross-deck lifting device is arranged at the lower layer of the ship body, and the transfer trolley and the traction device are arranged at the upper deck of the ship body. The application is based on a unified energy supply and control system, and realizes the coordinated work of the stern ramp launching device, the cross-deck lifting device, the transfer trolley and the traction device, fully utilizes the advantages of the stern ramp launching device in quickly and accurately launching and recovering the boat, and realizes the spatial transfer of the boat by using the combination of the cross-deck lifting device, the transfer trolley and the traction device, so that the spatial resources of the mother ship are efficiently utilized, more ship-borne boats can be carried at the same time, and more abundant task modes are provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ship mechanical transfer systems, and in particular to a shipborne small boat launching, receiving, and transfer system and method. Background Technology

[0002] The characteristics of shipboard missions enable rapid response to emergencies and urgent tasks. With technological advancements, a multi-boat (manned or unmanned) formation has gradually emerged, demonstrating high efficiency. Therefore, shipboard small boats are crucial tools for naval missions. The conventional layout of shipboard small boats is an integrated deployment and storage system, where one deployment and storage device corresponds to one small boat. Once deployed, the small boat is stored on the mother ship. The advantage of this is that several small boats can be deployed and stored simultaneously for rapid response. The disadvantage is that having a dedicated deployment and storage device for each boat consumes significant overall resources. Therefore, a mother ship typically carries at most two or three shipboard small boats, making it difficult to deploy multiple small boats simultaneously and achieve the desired swarm effect in a single mission.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need on existing ships for a system that can solve the above problems, enable the mother ship to carry multiple small boats, and fully realize the launching, transfer and storage of shipborne small boats. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a system and method for launching, retrieving, and transferring shipborne small boats, so as to realize the launching, retrieving, transferring, and storing of shipborne small boats, and to efficiently utilize the space resources of the mother ship and carry more shipborne small boats at the same time.

[0005] This invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] This invention provides a shipborne small boat launching, recovery, and transfer system, characterized by comprising a stern slipway launching and recovery device for releasing or recovering small boats from the mother ship, a cross-deck hoisting device for lifting small boats stored in the stern slipway and transferring them to the upper deck or for hoisting small boats from the upper deck to the stern slipway, a transfer trolley, and a traction device for towing the transfer trolley to transport small boats in and out of the storage area. The stern slipway launching and recovery device is located at the stern of the lower deck of the ship, the cross-deck hoisting device is located on the lower deck of the ship, and the transfer trolley and traction device are respectively located on the upper deck of the ship.

[0007] According to the above technical solution, the tail slide deployment and retrieval device includes a slide, a tail gate provided at the tail of the slide, a tail gate drive device for driving the opening and closing of the tail gate, a traction winch for towing the small boat, and an electrical control system. The tail slide deployment and retrieval device can store a small boat and release the small boat from the mother ship by lowering it by its own weight or by active traction, or use a traction winch to retrieve the small boat into the tail slide.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, the cross-deck hoisting device includes bases symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lower deck of the mother ship. A gantry is hinged to one end of each base, and a swing cylinder is arranged at the other end of the base. The telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder is hinged to the gantry. The ends of the two gantry are connected by a crossbeam. A davit device is arranged in the middle of the crossbeam. An anti-sway device for preventing the small boat from swaying is also configured on the davit device. The davit device is used to hoist the small boat and is driven by a davit drive device.

[0009] According to the above technical solution, the gantry includes a front section and a rear section. The two ends of the front section are respectively hinged to the base and the telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder. The rear section is set at an angle relative to the front section. The hinge point between the swing cylinder and the other end of the base is lower than the hinge point between the front section and the base.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, the rear section of the gantry is set at an angle of 120°-150° relative to the front section of the gantry.

[0011] According to the above technical solution, the anti-sway device includes cross-shaped positioning claws connected to the crossbeam and positioned at four points for clamping the sides of the small boat.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the positioning claw includes a positioning claw body and a locking part that is angled to the positioning claw body. The upper end of the positioning claw body is connected to the crossbeam. The locking part extends vertically downward. The two locking parts of the positioning claw are used to lock the two sides of the small boat. The anti-sway device includes at least four locking parts.

[0013] According to the above technical solution, the transfer trolley includes a frame, a bracket matching the shape of the small boat, a wheel assembly with full rotation function that can move flexibly on the deck, a strap for securing the small boat to the frame, a towing ring for towing the transfer trolley, and a mooring ring for attaching a mooring rope to securely connect to the deck.

[0014] According to the above technical solution, the traction device includes a front winch unit, a rear winch unit, a wire rope and a pulley assembly.

[0015] A method for launching, retrieving, and transferring shipborne small boats using the aforementioned shipborne small boat launching and transfer system, characterized by comprising the following steps:

[0016] a) The small boat is retrieved from the stern slide launch and recovery device to the storage position on the stern slide, and the cross-deck hoisting device lowers the davit device and secures it to the small boat;

[0017] b) Under the action of the davit drive device, the davit device lifts the small boat upward until it contacts the anti-roll device, at which point the small boat is fixed to the hoisting device;

[0018] c) The gantry of the cross-deck hoisting device flips towards the bow under the action of the swing cylinder, crossing over to the upper helicopter deck.

[0019] d) The cross-deck hoisting device hoists the small boat above the transfer trolley. The davit drive device releases the davit device, lowers the small boat onto the transfer trolley, and releases the davit device from the small boat.

[0020] e) Complete the binding and securing of the small boat on the transfer trolley, connect the towing device to the transfer trolley, and return the cross-deck hoisting device to the storage position so that the next small boat can be transferred.

[0021] f) The traction device transfers the transfer trolley to the helicopter hangar, releases the traction, and uses tethering slings to reliably secure the transfer trolley to the tethering seat on the deck.

[0022] g) Complete the process of recovering, transferring and storing shipborne small boats; otherwise, complete the process of transferring out and releasing shipborne small boats.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0024] 1. The present invention provides a shipborne small boat launching and transfer system, which, based on a unified energy supply and control system, realizes the coordinated operation of the stern slide launching device, the cross-deck hoisting device, the transfer trolley, and the traction device. It fully leverages the advantages of the stern slide launching device in quickly and accurately launching and recovering small boats, and uses the combination of the cross-deck hoisting device, the transfer trolley, and the traction device to realize the transfer of small boats in space. It efficiently utilizes the space resources of the mother ship, enables the simultaneous carrying of more shipborne small boats, and provides a richer range of mission modes.

[0025] 2. Through the design of the specific structure of the gantry, not only is the operation of lifting small boats across the deck more convenient, but it is also more labor-saving and saves installation space;

[0026] 3. By installing an anti-sway device, the process of hoisting the small boat is made more stable, further improving the performance of this device. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] The invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0029] Figure 1This is an overall view of a shipborne small boat launching and transfer system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is the tail slide retraction and deployment device provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a top view of the cross-deck hoisting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 This is a side view of the cross-deck hoisting device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 This refers to the transfer trolley provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 This is the traction device provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0035] Figures 7a-7f This is the workflow of the shipborne small boat launching and transfer system provided in the embodiments of the present invention;

[0036] In the diagram, 1 is the tail slide deployment and retraction device, 2 is the cross-deck hoisting device, 3 is the transfer trolley, and 4 is the traction device. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0039] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product is in use. These terms are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "sag" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0042] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0043] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0044] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0045] like Figure 1-6As shown, the present invention provides an example of a shipborne small boat launching and transfer system, including a stern slipway launching and transfer device 1 for releasing or recovering small boats from the mother ship, a cross-deck hoisting device 2 for lifting small boats stored in the stern slipway and transferring them to the upper deck or for hoisting small boats from the upper deck to the stern slipway, a transfer trolley 3, and a traction device 4 for towing the transfer trolley to transport small boats in and out of the storage area. The stern slipway launching and transfer device 1 is located at the stern of the lower deck of the ship, the cross-deck hoisting device 2 is located on the lower deck of the ship, and the transfer trolley 3 and the traction device 4 are respectively located on the upper deck of the ship.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the tail slide deployment and retrieval device 1 includes a slide 13, a tail door 11 at the tail of the slide, a tail door drive device 12 for driving the tail door to open and close, a towing winch 14 for towing a small boat, and an electrical control system 15. The tail slide deployment and retrieval device can store a small boat and release the small boat from the mother ship by lowering it by its own weight or by actively towing it, or use a towing winch to retrieve the small boat into the tail slide.

[0047] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the cross-deck hoisting device 2 includes bases 21 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lower deck of the mother ship. A gantry 22 is hinged to one end of each base 21, and a swing cylinder 23 is installed at the other end of each base 21. The telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder 23 is hinged to the gantry 21. The ends of the two gantry frames are connected by a crossbeam. A davit device 25 is installed in the middle of the crossbeam. An anti-sway device 26 for preventing the small boat from swaying is also installed on the davit device. The davit device is used to hoist the small boat, and it consists of a davit... The device is driven by a winch 24, and the cross-deck hoisting device 2 is also equipped with an electrical control system 27. In the working state, the cross-deck hoisting device can lift small boats stored in the stern slide and transfer them to the upper deck through the gantry rotation movement. It can also hoist small boats from the upper deck into the stern slide. In the non-working state, the cross-deck hoisting device is laid down on both sides of the stern slide deployment and recovery device, which does not affect the movement of personnel in the small boats in the stern slide or the use of the upper deck.

[0048] In this embodiment, the gantry includes a front section and a rear section. The two ends of the front section are hinged to the base 21 and the telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder 23, respectively. The rear section is set at a 150° angle relative to the front section. The hinge point between the swing cylinder 23 and the base 21 is lower than the hinge point between the front section and the base, making this cross-deck hoisting device more labor-saving and improving operational safety. The anti-sway device includes four-point positioning claws connected to the crossbeam for clamping the sides of the small boat. Each positioning claw includes a claw body and a locking part angled to the claw body. The upper end of the claw body is connected to the crossbeam, and the locking part extends vertically downwards. The two locking parts of the claw are used to clamp the sides of the small boat. The anti-sway device includes at least four locking parts. By setting the anti-sway device, the hoisting process of the small boat is made more stable, further improving the performance of this device.

[0049] like Figure 5 As shown, the transfer trolley 3 consists of a frame 31, a bracket 32, a wheel assembly 33, a lashing strap 34, a traction ring 35, and a mooring ring 36. The bracket and lashing strap, which match the shape of the small boat, can securely fix the small boat to the frame. The wheel assembly has a full rotation function and can move flexibly on the deck. The traction ring is used to tow the transfer trolley, and the mooring ring is used to attach the mooring rope so as to securely connect it to the deck.

[0050] like Figure 6 As shown, the traction device 4 consists of a front winch unit 41, a rear winch unit 42, a wire rope 43, and a pulley assembly 44, etc. It can pull the transfer trolley to transport the small boat in and out of the storage warehouse in a constant tension state, which can avoid the small boat from going out of control due to the mother ship swaying to a certain extent.

[0051] The system provided by this invention uses a unified energy supply and achieves automated operation and full-process management through system-wide control.

[0052] like Figures 7a-7f As shown, this embodiment also provides a method for launching, recovering, and transferring shipborne small boats:

[0053] a) The small boat is retrieved from the stern slide launcher to the storage position on the stern slide, and the cross-deck hoisting device lowers the davit and secures it to the small boat.

[0054] b) Under the action of the winch, the davit device lifts the small boat upward until it contacts the anti-rolling device, at which point the small boat is fixed to the hoisting device.

[0055] c) The gantry of the cross-deck hoisting device flips towards the bow under the action of the hydraulic cylinder, crossing over to the upper helicopter deck.

[0056] d) The cross-deck hoisting device hoists the small boat above the transfer trolley, the winch releases the davit device, the small boat is lowered onto the transfer trolley, and the davit device is released from the small boat.

[0057] e) Secure the small boat to the transfer trolley and connect the towing device to the transfer trolley. The cross-deck hoisting device returns to its storage position, ready for the transfer of the next small boat.

[0058] f) The traction device transfers the transfer trolley to the helicopter hangar, releases the traction, and uses tethering slings to reliably secure the transfer trolley to the tethering seat on the deck.

[0059] g) Complete the process of recovering, transferring and storing shipborne small boats; otherwise, complete the process of transferring out and releasing shipborne small boats.

[0060] Each step of the process can be carried out sequentially, allowing for the continuous deployment, retrieval, and transfer of multiple small boats, thus improving the overall efficiency of the system.

[0061] When a ship does not need to carry helicopters but requires more shipborne small boats, the shipborne small boat launch and transfer system can make full use of the hangar space to store multiple small boats, enabling the ship to exert greater effectiveness in conjunction with its own voyage mission.

[0062] Shipborne small boat towing equipment can be adapted and improved based on helicopter towing equipment to achieve shared use. Such a towing equipment can be used for two mission scenarios, making it economical and practical.

[0063] The advantages of this invention lie in its unified energy supply and control system, which enables the coordinated operation of the stern slide launch and recovery device, the cross-deck hoisting device, the transfer trolley, and the traction device. It fully leverages the stern slide launch and recovery device's ability to quickly and accurately launch and recover small boats, and utilizes the combination of the cross-deck hoisting device, the transfer trolley, and the traction device to achieve the transfer of small boats in both plane and height. This efficiently utilizes the space resources of the mother ship, allowing more shipborne small boats (manned or unmanned) to be carried out simultaneously, and enabling the continuous launch, recovery, and transfer of multiple small boats, thus providing the mother ship with a wider range of mission modes.

[0064] The embodiments described above are some, but not all, embodiments of the present invention. The detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A shipborne small boat launching, receiving, and transfer system, characterized in that, The system includes a stern slipway deployment and retrieval device for releasing or recovering small boats from the mother ship; a cross-deck hoisting device for lifting small boats stored in the stern slipway and transferring them to the upper deck or for hoisting small boats from the upper deck to the stern slipway; a transfer trolley; and a traction device for towing the transfer trolley to move small boats in and out of the storage area. The stern slipway deployment and retrieval device is located at the stern of the lower deck of the ship. The cross-deck hoisting device is located on the lower deck of the ship. The transfer trolley and the traction device are respectively located on the upper deck of the ship. The stern slipway deployment and retrieval device includes a slipway, with a [missing information - likely a design feature] at the stern of the slipway. The system includes a stern door, a stern door drive mechanism for opening and closing the stern door, a towing winch for towing small boats, and an electrical control system. The stern slide deployment / retraction device can store one small boat and release it from the mother ship by its own weight or by active towing, or retract the small boat into the stern slide using a towing winch. The cross-deck hoisting device includes bases symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lower deck of the mother ship. A gantry is hinged to one end of each base, and a swing cylinder is installed at the other end of each base. The telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder is hinged to the gantry. The ends of the two gantry are connected via... A crossbeam is connected, and a davit device is installed in the middle of the crossbeam. The davit device is also equipped with an anti-sway device to prevent the small boat from swaying. The davit device is used to lift the small boat and is driven by a davit drive device. The gantry includes a front section and a rear section. The two ends of the front section are hinged to the base and the telescopic cylinder of the swing cylinder, respectively. The rear section is angled relative to the front section. The hinge point between the swing cylinder and the base is lower than the hinge point between the front section and the base. The anti-sway device includes four-point positioning joints connected to the crossbeam for clamping the sides of the small boat. The fork-shaped positioning claw includes a positioning claw body and a locking part set at an angle to the positioning claw body. The upper end of the positioning claw body is connected to the crossbeam. The locking part extends vertically downward. The two locking parts of the positioning claw are used to lock the two sides of the small boat. The transfer trolley includes a frame, a bracket matching the shape of the small boat, a wheel assembly with full rotation function that can move flexibly on the deck, a strap for firmly fixing the small boat to the frame, a towing ring for towing the transfer trolley, and a mooring ring for attaching a mooring rope to firmly connect to the deck.

2. The shipborne small boat launching and transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear section of the gantry is set at an angle of 120°-150° relative to the front section of the gantry.

3. The shipborne small boat launching and transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-sway device includes at least four locking parts.

4. The shipborne small boat launching and transfer system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction device includes a front winch unit, a rear winch unit, a wire rope and a pulley assembly.

5. A method for launching and transferring shipborne small boats using the shipborne small boat launching and transfer system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The process includes the following steps: a) The small boat is retrieved from the stern slide to its storage position on the stern slide by the stern slide deployment device, and the cross-deck hoisting device lowers the davit and secures it to the small boat; b) Under the action of the davit drive device, the davit lifts the small boat upward until it contacts the anti-sway device, at which point the small boat is fixed to the hoisting device; c) The gantry of the cross-deck hoisting device is tilted towards the bow under the action of the swing cylinder, crossing over to the upper helicopter deck. d) The cross-deck hoisting device lifts the small boat above the transfer trolley. The davit drive releases the davit, lowering the small boat onto the transfer trolley. The davit is then released from its attachment. e) The small boat is secured on the transfer trolley, and the towing device is connected to the transfer trolley. The cross-deck hoisting device returns to its storage position, ready for the next small boat transfer operation. f) The towing device transfers the transfer trolley to the helicopter hangar, releases the towing device, and secures the transfer trolley to the mooring seat on the deck using mooring slings. g) The process of recovering, transferring, and storing the shipborne small boat is completed. The reverse process is the process of transferring out and releasing the shipborne small boat.

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