Movable connector and mining device

Abstract

The invention discloses a movable connector and a mining device.The movable connector comprises a sub-pipe and a main pipe matched with the sub-pipe, the sub-pipe and the main pipe are detachably connected in an inserted mode, and the outer side of the pipe wall of the end, used for being connected with the main pipe, of the sub-pipe is concaved inwards to form a clamping groove; a through hole matched with the clamping groove is formed in the pipe wall of the end, used for being connected with the sub-pipe, of the main pipe, the main pipe is further provided with a hoop device with the free end capable of penetrating through the through hole and being embedded into the clamping groove and a driver used for driving the hoop device to move, and the driver is in signal connection with an external control system. Comprising a mother ship, an underwater relay station, an underwater mining vehicle and a conveying hose connected with the underwater mining vehicle, the mother ship and the underwater relay station are connected through a conveying pipe, a son pipe is communicated with the underwater relay station, and the end, away from the underwater mining vehicle, of the conveying hose is connected with the mother pipe. By means of the design, it is guaranteed that the mining device can be rapidly separated in emergency, and the safety and response speed of the mining device are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to the technical field of deep-sea mining, and in particular to a mobile connector and a mining device. Background Art

[0002] When conducting deep-sea mining operations, mining vehicles need to be connected to underwater relay stations via delivery hoses.

[0003] In the prior art, the connection and separation of the delivery hose and the underwater relay station usually requires underwater operation by an underwater operation-level ROV. This method is not only risky and costly, but also inefficient. More importantly, the depth of seawater in the area where deep-sea mining operations are carried out usually exceeds 5,000 meters, and the deep-sea environment has the characteristics of high pressure, low temperature, high salinity, etc. In addition, the seabed where the mining vehicle is located during deep-sea mining operations often has complex terrain, strong currents, and marine biodiversity. Combined with possible natural disasters and equipment failures, the mining vehicle may be trapped on the seabed. When an emergency occurs, it is necessary to quickly release the connection with the underwater relay station and free the mining vehicle from the dangerous area. At this time, relying on the underwater operation-level ROV for underwater operations will be difficult to meet the safety and timeliness requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the connection mechanism between the delivery hose and the underwater relay station to achieve unmanned and automated. Summary of the invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a mobile connector and a mining device.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: A mobile connector comprises a sub-tube and a mother tube adapted thereto, the two being detachably plugged in, the outer side of the tube wall of one end of the sub-tube used for connecting to the mother tube being recessed inward to form a slot; a through hole adapted to the slot is formed on the tube wall of one end of the mother tube used for connecting to the sub-tube, and the mother tube is also provided with a clamping device whose free end can pass through the through hole and be embedded in the slot, and a driver for driving the clamping device to move, and the driver is connected to an external control system signal.

[0006] In the above mobile connector, preferably, the slot is annular. When the slot is annular, the clamp mechanism can be rotated at any angle to cooperate with the slot, so that during the locking process, only the docking depth of the sub-tube and the mother tube needs to be considered, making the cooperation between the clamp device and the slot more convenient and quick.

[0007] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, one end of the sub-tube used for connecting to the mother tube is formed with a plurality of annular installation grooves, and a sealing ring for sealing the gap between the sub-tube and the mother tube is installed in the installation groove to ensure the sealing of the connection between the sub-tube and the mother tube.

[0008] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the clamp device includes a first connecting rod and a second connecting rod, which are hinged end to end; the end of the first connecting rod facing away from the second connecting rod is hinged to the movable shaft of the driver, the middle section of the second connecting rod is hinged to the support formed on the wall of the mother tube, and the end of the second connecting rod facing away from the first connecting rod is inserted into the through hole. By installing the clamp device on the outside of the mother tube wall and providing a through hole on the mother tube wall, the second connecting rod can pass through the mother tube wall through the through hole and engage with the slot, so that the mother and child tubes can be locked in their length direction. In addition, since the through hole corresponds to the position of the slot, the clamp device can be accurately embedded in the slot, simplifying the operation.

[0009] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the clamp device includes a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod and a fifth connecting rod, which are hinged end to end in sequence; the end of the third connecting rod away from the fourth connecting rod is hinged to the movable shaft of the driver, the middle section of the fifth connecting rod is hinged to the support formed on the wall of the mother tube, and the end of the fifth connecting rod away from the fourth connecting rod is inserted into the through hole; the clamp device also includes a limit seat formed on the mother tube for limiting the lateral swing of the third connecting rod, the limit seat is formed with a limit hole parallel to the length direction of the mother tube, and the third connecting rod passes through the limit hole. By installing the clamp device on the outer side of the mother tube wall and setting a through hole on the mother tube wall, the fifth connecting rod can pass through the mother tube wall through the through hole and engage with the slot, so that the mother and child tubes can be locked in their length direction. In addition, since the through hole corresponds to the position of the slot, the clamp device can be accurately embedded in the slot, simplifying the operation.

[0010] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the wall of one end of the mother tube used for connecting the child tube protrudes inward to form a stopper for limiting the insertion depth of the child tube. When the child tube is inserted into the mother tube and abuts against the stopper, the through hole formed on the wall of the mother tube is aligned with the annular groove formed on the wall of the child tube, so as to facilitate the subsequent engagement of the clamp mechanism. By setting the stopper, it is ensured that the child tube can be accurately inserted into the predetermined position, thereby achieving precise positioning.

[0011] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the mobile connector also includes a fixing frame, the fixing frame is connected to the mother tube, and a plurality of thrusters are installed on the fixing frame. By providing the thrusters, it is possible to provide power for the fixing frame and the mother tube connected thereto so as to move underwater and find the daughter tube. Moreover, the thrust generated by the thrusters can also cause the mother tube to move toward the daughter tube or the back ion tube, thereby completing the docking operation or loosening operation. When encountering an emergency, the thrusters can pull the mother tube to move upward quickly after the clamp device loosens the slot, thereby detaching from the daughter tube, ensuring the complete separation of the mother tube and the daughter tube.

[0012] In the above mobile connector, preferably, the fixing frame is also provided with an image collector, and the image collector is connected to the external control system signal. By providing the image collector, image information can be remotely obtained in an underwater unmanned environment, so that the position of the sub-tube can be accurately located in the water to ensure the success rate of re-docking.

[0013] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the plurality of groups of the clamp devices are evenly distributed along the circumference of the mother pipe, thereby ensuring the even distribution of the connection force between the mother pipe and the child pipe, and being able to enhance the stability and durability of the docking device.

[0014] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the external control system includes a sensor and an automatic control module, which realizes the automatic operation of the emergency release and re-docking process, reduces manual intervention, and improves operational efficiency and accuracy.

[0015] In the above-mentioned mobile connector, preferably, the image collector includes a high-precision camera, an image processing module, and an auxiliary light source, which can accurately locate the position of the docking tube in a complex deep-sea environment to ensure the success rate of re-docking.

[0016] In the above mobile connector, preferably, one end of the mother tube for connecting to the child tube is configured as a bell mouth, which enlarges the docking area between the mother tube and the child tube, and facilitates quick and accurate docking between the mother tube and the child tube.

[0017] The present invention also provides a mining device, including a mother ship and an underwater relay station connected via a delivery pipe, and an underwater mining vehicle and a delivery hose connected thereto, wherein the sub-pipe is connected to the underwater relay station, and the end of the delivery hose facing away from the underwater mining vehicle is connected to the mother pipe. By providing a sub-pipe connected to the underwater relay station and a mother pipe connected to the delivery hose, the delivery hose can be moved under the traction of a propeller and finally connected to the underwater relay station. Similarly, when an emergency occurs, the delivery hose can also be moved under the traction of a propeller and finally separated from the underwater relay station.

[0018] In the above mining device, preferably, the end of the sub-tube used for connecting to the main tube is vertically upward, and a float is mounted on the delivery hose. Under the pulling action of the float, the end of the main tube used for connecting to the sub-tube is vertically downward. The float is provided to configure the delivery hose in water, ensure the performance and safety of the delivery hose, improve the stability of the delivery hose, and facilitate the vertical downward connection of the main tube with the sub-tube.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: The mobile connector drives the clamp device through the driver, and cooperates with the card slot through mechanical linkage to ensure the reliable connection and separation of the mobile connector, which is simple and fast to operate and easy to maintain. The mining device controls the driver to quickly separate the mobile connector through the external control system, realizing the automatic and rapid separation of the conveying hose and the underwater relay station. This design ensures that it can be quickly separated in an emergency, improves the safety and response speed of the mining device, and controls the driver through the external control system, and the conveying hose and the underwater relay station are accurately re-docking, realizing the unmanned and automated operation of the connection between the conveying hose and the underwater relay station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mobile connector; Figure 2 It is a partial schematic diagram of the daughter tube and the mother tube in the locked state in Example 1; Figure 3 It is a partial schematic diagram of the loose state of the daughter tube and the mother tube in Example 1; Figure 4 It is a partial schematic diagram of the daughter tube and the mother tube in the locked state in Example 2; Figure 5 It is a partial schematic diagram of the loose state of the daughter tube and the mother tube in Example 2; Figure 6 It is a structural diagram of a mining device.

[0021] The numbers in the figure represent: 1. sub-tube; 11. slot; 12. mounting slot; 13. sealing ring; 2. main tube; 21. through hole; 22. clamping device; 221. first connecting rod; 222. second connecting rod; 223. support; 224. third connecting rod; 225. fourth connecting rod; 226. fifth connecting rod; 227. limit seat; 2271. limit hole; 23. driver; 24. limit platform; 25. bell mouth; 3. fixing frame; 4. thruster; 5. image collector; 6. conveying pipe; 7. mother ship; 8. underwater relay station; 9. underwater mining vehicle; 10. conveying hose; 101. floating body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described more comprehensively and meticulously below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

[0023] It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed, fixed, connected or connected to" another element, it can be directly fixed, fixed, connected or connected to the other element, or it can be indirectly fixed, fixed, connected or connected to the other element through other intermediate connectors.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all the professional terms used below have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art. The professional terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] Unless otherwise specified, various raw materials, reagents, instruments and equipment used in the present invention can be purchased from the market or prepared by existing methods.

[0026] Example 1 like Figures 1 to 3 ,as well as Figure 6 As shown, the mobile connector of the present invention comprises a sub-tube 1 and a mother tube 2 adapted thereto, the two being detachably plugged, the outer side of the tube wall of one end of the sub-tube 1 used for connecting to the mother tube 2 is recessed inward to form a card slot 11; the tube wall of one end of the mother tube 2 used for connecting to the sub-tube 1 is formed with a through hole 21 adapted to the card slot 11, and the mother tube 2 is also provided with a clamping device 22 whose free end can pass through the through hole 21 and be embedded in the card slot 11, and a driver 23 for driving the clamping device 22 to move, and the driver 23 is connected to the external control system signal. When the driver 23 drives the clamping device 22 in the forward direction, the movable end of the clamping device 22 penetrates the through hole 21 and is embedded in the card slot 11 to form a lock; when the driver 23 drives the clamping device 22 in the reverse direction, the movable end of the clamping device 22 is disengaged from the annular card slot 11, so that the sub-tube 1 and the mother tube 2 can be separated. Specifically, both the sub-tube 1 and the mother tube 2 are made of hard round tubes, wherein one end of the sub-tube 1 used for connecting to the mother tube 1 is chamfered to form a conical surface, so as to improve the success rate of the sub-tube 1 being inserted into the mother tube 2. There are two groups of clamping devices 22, and the two groups of clamping devices 22 are symmetrically arranged on the tube wall of the mother tube 2. To match, two groups of through holes 21 and drivers 23 are also arranged; more specifically, the driver 23 uses a hydraulic telescopic cylinder (an electric telescopic cylinder can also be selected in other embodiments), and the two groups of drivers 23 act synchronously, so that the free ends of the two groups of clamping devices 22 can simultaneously engage the card slot 11 or simultaneously loosen from the card slot 11, thereby ensuring the uniform distribution of the connection force between the mother tube 2 and the sub-tube 1, and can enhance the stability and durability of the docking device.

[0027] In this embodiment, the slot 11 is annular. In other embodiments, the slot 11 may also be square or U-shaped.

[0028] In this embodiment, a plurality of annular installation grooves 12 are formed at one end of the sub-tube 1 for connecting to the mother tube 2, and a sealing ring 13 for sealing the gap between the sub-tube 1 and the mother tube 2 is installed in the installation groove 12. Specifically, there are two installation grooves 12, which are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the sub-tube 1, and a sealing ring 13 is installed in each of the two installation grooves 12, so that two barriers can be formed, further improving the sealing performance between the sub-tube and the mother tube.

[0029] In this embodiment, the clamp device 22 includes a third connecting rod 224, a fourth connecting rod 225 and a fifth connecting rod 226, which are hinged end to end in sequence; the end of the third connecting rod 224 facing away from the fourth connecting rod 225 is hinged to the movable shaft of the driver 23, the middle section of the fifth connecting rod 226 is hinged to the support 223 formed on the wall of the mother tube 2, and the end of the fifth connecting rod 226 facing away from the fourth connecting rod 225 is inserted into the through hole 21; the clamp device 22 also includes a limit seat 227 formed on the mother tube 2 for limiting the lateral swing of the third connecting rod 224, the limit seat 227 is formed with a limit hole 2271 parallel to the length direction of the mother tube 2, and the third connecting rod 224 passes through the limit hole 2271. By installing the clamp device 22 on the outer side of the tube wall of the mother tube 2 and providing a through hole 21 on the tube wall of the mother tube 2, the fifth connecting rod 226 can pass through the tube wall of the mother tube 2 through the through hole 21 and engage with the clamping groove 11, so that the mother and child tubes can be locked in their length direction. In addition, since the through hole 21 corresponds to the position of the clamping groove 11, the clamp device 22 can be accurately embedded in the clamping groove 11, simplifying the operation.

[0030] In this embodiment, the wall of one end of the mother tube 2 for connecting the sub-tube 1 protrudes inward to form a limit platform 24 for limiting the insertion depth of the sub-tube 1. The limit platform 4 is formed by the inward contraction of the wall of the mother tube 2, and the inner diameter of the limit platform 4 is consistent with the inner diameter of the sub-tube 1, thereby avoiding a drastic change in the water flow velocity in the letter tube due to a change in the tube diameter.

[0031] In this embodiment, the mobile connector further includes a fixed frame 3, which is connected to the mother tube 2, and a plurality of thrusters 4 are installed on the fixed frame 3. An image collector 5 is also provided on the fixed frame 3, and the image collector 5 is connected to the external control system signal. The external control system includes a sensor and an automatic control module. The image collector 5 includes a high-precision camera, an image processing module, and an auxiliary light source.

[0032] The mining device of the present invention comprises a mother ship 7 and an underwater relay station 8 connected via a delivery pipe 6, and an underwater mining vehicle 9 and a delivery hose 10 connected thereto. The above-mentioned sub-pipe 1 is connected to the underwater relay station 8, and the end of the delivery hose 10 facing away from the underwater mining vehicle 9 is connected to the above-mentioned mother pipe 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, one end of the sub-tube 1 connected to the main tube 2 is vertically upward, and a float 101 is mounted on the delivery hose 10. Under the pulling action of the float 101, one end of the main tube 2 connected to the sub-tube 1 is vertically downward.

[0034] Example 2 like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the second embodiment of the present invention is basically the same as the first embodiment, except that: in this embodiment, the clamp device 22 includes a first connecting rod 221 and a second connecting rod 222, which are hinged end to end; the end of the first connecting rod 221 away from the second connecting rod 222 is hinged to the movable shaft of the driver 23, the middle section of the second connecting rod 222 is hinged to the support 223 formed on the tube wall of the mother tube 2, and the end of the second connecting rod 222 away from the first connecting rod 221 penetrates the through hole 21. By installing the clamp device 22 on the outer side of the tube wall of the mother tube 2 and providing the through hole 21 on the tube wall of the mother tube 2, the second connecting rod 222 can penetrate the tube wall of the mother tube 2 through the through hole 21 and engage with the slot 11, so that the mother and child tubes can be locked in their length direction. In addition, since the through hole 21 corresponds to the position of the slot 11, the clamp device 22 can be accurately embedded in the slot 11, simplifying the operation. Compared with the three-link clamp device 22 in Embodiment 1, the two-link clamp device 22 in this embodiment is simpler in structure and thus has relatively stronger reliability.

[0035] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the art can make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention by using the technical content disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, or modify it into an equivalent embodiment of equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mobile connector, comprising a sub-tube (1) and a mother tube (2) adapted thereto, the two being detachably plugged, characterized in that: The outer side of the tube wall of one end of the sub-tube (1) used for connecting to the main tube (2) is recessed inwards to form a groove (11); The mother tube (2) is used for connecting to one end of the daughter tube (1), and a through hole (21) adapted to the slot (11) is formed on the tube wall. The mother tube (2) is also provided with a clamp device (22) whose free end can pass through the through hole (21) and be embedded in the slot (11), and a driver (23) for driving the clamp device (22) to move. The driver (23) is connected to an external control system signal.

2. The mobile connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping groove (11) is annular.

3. The mobile connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the sub-tube (1) for connecting to the main tube (2) is formed with a plurality of annular installation grooves (12), and a sealing ring (13) for sealing the gap between the sub-tube (1) and the main tube (2) is installed in the installation groove (12).

4. The mobile connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping device (22) comprises a first connecting rod (221) and a second connecting rod (222), which are hinged end to end; one end of the first connecting rod (221) facing away from the second connecting rod (222) is hinged to a movable shaft of the driver (23), a middle section of the second connecting rod (222) is hinged to a support (223) formed on the wall of the mother tube (2), and one end of the second connecting rod (222) facing away from the first connecting rod (221) passes through the through hole (21).

5. The mobile connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping device (22) comprises a third connecting rod (224), a fourth connecting rod (225) and a fifth connecting rod (226), which are hinged end to end in sequence; the end of the third connecting rod (224) facing away from the fourth connecting rod (225) is hinged to the movable shaft of the driver (23); the middle section of the fifth connecting rod (226) is hinged to a support (223) formed on the wall of the mother tube (2); and the end of the fifth connecting rod (226) facing away from the fourth connecting rod (225) passes through the through hole (21); the clamping device (22) further comprises a limiting seat (227) formed on the mother tube (2) and used to limit the lateral swing of the third connecting rod (224); the limiting seat (227) is formed with a limiting hole (2271) parallel to the length direction of the mother tube (2), and the third connecting rod (224) passes through the limiting hole (2271).

6. The mobile connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wall of one end of the mother tube (2) used for connecting to the daughter tube (1) protrudes inwards to form a limit platform (24) used for limiting the insertion depth of the daughter tube (1).

7. The mobile connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The mobile connector further comprises a fixing frame (3), the fixing frame (3) being connected to the mother pipe (2), and a plurality of thrusters (4) being mounted on the fixing frame (3).

8. The mobile connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: An image collector (5) is also provided on the fixing frame (3), and the image collector (5) is connected to an external control system signal.

9. A mining device, comprising a mother ship (7) and an underwater relay station (8) connected via a delivery pipe (6), and an underwater mining vehicle (9) and a delivery hose (10) connected thereto, characterized in that: The sub-pipe (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is connected to an underwater relay station (8), and the end of the conveying hose (10) facing away from the underwater mining vehicle (9) is connected to the mother pipe (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The mining device according to claim 9, characterized in that: One end of the sub-tube (1) connected to the main tube (2) is vertically upwards, and a float (101) is mounted on the delivery hose (10). Under the pulling action of the float (101), one end of the main tube (2) connected to the sub-tube (1) is vertically downwards.

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