Sinking and floating ocean monitoring buoy with unfolding and folding mechanism

Abstract

The invention discloses a sinking and floating ocean monitoring buoy with an unfolding and folding mechanism. The sinking and floating ocean monitoring buoy comprises the unfolding and folding mechanism, a sealing water sump mechanism, a hydraulic auxiliary element and a driving mechanism. The unfolding and folding mechanism is folded when the buoy floats or sinks, the resistance borne by the buoy is reduced, and the buoy is unfolded after reaching the target position to stabilize the buoy. The sealed water sump mechanism can change the weight of the buoy through water absorption and drainage, and floating and sinking are achieved. The hydraulic auxiliary element achieves communication and blocking between the external environment and the interior of the buoy and assists the sealing water sump in draining water when the external water pressure is too large. And the driving mechanism can realize the movement of the piston in the sealed water sump so as to control the sinking and floating movement of the buoy. The buoy can sink and float in water and is stable, and the buoy is suitable for monitoring the marine environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of environmental monitoring, and in particular to a marine environment monitoring buoy. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of marine scientific research and marine economy, the importance of marine environmental monitoring has become increasingly prominent. As a key device, ocean monitoring buoys are widely used in climate change research, marine resource development, environmental protection, and shipping safety. Its main functions include collecting ocean physical parameters (such as water temperature, salinity, current speed, etc.), chemical indicators (such as dissolved oxygen, pH value) and biological characteristics (such as plankton density). However, in the existing technology, traditional ocean monitoring buoys have exposed many problems in actual use, which restricts their further promotion and efficient application. Therefore, the research on new buoys is crucial.

[0003] In the prior art, ocean monitoring buoys generally use an airbag structure, and the volume of the airbag can be adjusted by inflation or deflation, thereby changing the buoyancy and depth of the buoy to collect data at different depths or density layers in the ocean. However, this method makes it difficult to achieve precise control of the amount of gas inflation or exhaust, making it impossible for the buoy to work at a given depth or density layer, which results in inaccurate data collected. In addition, buoys in the ocean are easily affected by water currents, making them unable to stabilize at the target position. Therefore, it is necessary to design a mechanism that can help the buoy stabilize.

[0004] Chinese patent document CN221938417U proposes an adjustable buoy for meteorological and oceanographic monitoring. Through the structural design of the airbag and the connecting plate, the buoy buoyancy is adjusted to achieve data monitoring at different ocean depths. However, no effective solution is proposed for the problem of the buoy's posture stability in the ocean.

[0005] Chinese patent document CN114435542B proposes a buoy mechanism for marine environment monitoring with peripheral components. The design is equipped with a component with a gathering function on the outside of the buoy body, which is equipped with a floating block and a power generation component, so that the buoy can float on the sea surface for long-term monitoring. Its external kit is also equipped with an anti-collision strip, which can effectively protect the buoy from damage when a ship at sea collides with the buoy. However, this design does not have a sinking and floating mechanism, so it is only suitable for monitoring work on the sea surface and cannot monitor the environment under the sea surface.

[0006] Chinese patent document CN113602430B proposes an ocean monitoring buoy with a retractable support plate. The design can adjust the support plate so that the buoy can maintain a defined position under environmental influences. The invention also designs a lifting mechanism that can adjust the depth of the monitoring mechanism in the water. However, this design cannot ensure the stability of the monitoring mechanism underwater, and during operation, the part floating on the sea surface may be affected by ships at sea. Summary of the invention

[0007] In order to solve the problems existing in the prior art under complex environments, the present invention provides an ocean monitoring buoy with an expandable and retractable mechanism, the main body of which is composed of a sealed shell, a sealed water tank mechanism, a hydraulic auxiliary element and a driving mechanism, and the expansion mechanism is composed of a connecting rod, a fixing device, a spring and a flexible film. The purpose of the present invention is to design an ocean monitoring buoy that can float and sink in the ocean, and at the same time, a retractable connecting rod mechanism is installed on the outside of the buoy body, so that the buoy can be expanded when the buoy is performing monitoring work to help the buoy body stabilize its posture, and can be retracted when the buoy is floating and sinking so that the buoy can quickly reach the target position.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions: A sinkable and buoyant ocean monitoring buoy with an expansion and retraction mechanism comprises two parts, a buoy body and an expansion and retraction mechanism. The buoy body consists of a sealed shell, a sealed water tank mechanism, a hydraulic auxiliary element and a driving mechanism in the sealed shell, and has two functions of absorbing and releasing water. The weight of the buoy is controlled by changing the amount of water in the water tank, thereby realizing two actions of rising and falling of the buoy, so that the buoy changes its depth in the water. The expansion and retraction mechanism consists of a connecting rod, a fixing device, a spring and a flexible film. When the buoy is monitoring at a preset position in the water, the expansion and retraction mechanism is in an expanded state, so as to stabilize the current position of the buoy. When the buoy moves up and down, water flows are generated on both sides of the buoy to exert a force on the flexible film, and this force retracts the expansion and retraction mechanism, so that the buoy reaches the target position faster.

[0009] Furthermore, the sealed housing is a cylindrical transparent housing for accommodating other components of the buoy body. After the buoy components are installed in the sealed housing, the housing is sealed to prevent water from penetrating into the interior and damaging the components, which would cause the buoy to fail to work.

[0010] Furthermore, the sealed water tank mechanism is a cylindrical sealed water storage tank fixed in the middle part of the sealed housing, and cooperates with a piston push rod. When the piston rod moves forward, the water in the sealed water tank is discharged, and the overall weight of the buoy is reduced, and the buoy floats up. When the piston rod moves backward, the external water is sucked into the sealed water tank, and the overall weight of the buoy is increased, and the buoy sinks.

[0011] Furthermore, the hydraulic auxiliary elements are solenoid valves and pressure pumps, which are used to control the connection and blockage between the external environment and the interior of the buoy, and to assist the sealed water tank in draining water when the external water pressure is high.

[0012] Furthermore, the solenoid valve is a two-position two-way solenoid valve, which is used to control the connection between the inner and outer parts of the sealed housing, and is connected to the mounting platform fixedly connected to the lower end cover by bolts. When the buoy needs to rise or fall, the solenoid valve will be turned on, so that the sealed water tank is connected to the outside. At this time, the water tank can change the water content inside to change the weight of the buoy, thereby realizing the sinking and floating of the buoy. When the buoy is stationary in the vertical direction, the solenoid valve will close, isolating the sealed water tank from the external water surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the pressure pump is fixed between the solenoid valve and the sealed water tank by means of a fixing screw and a mounting plate, and is used to assist in discharging the water in the sealed water tank to the outside when the external water pressure is greater than the water pressure in the internal sealed water tank and it is difficult to successfully discharge the water relying solely on the motor and the push rod.

[0014] Furthermore, the driving mechanism is fixed at the rear of the sealed water storage tank through an installation platform, the piston push rod is coaxially connected to the large reduction gear, the motor is connected to the small reduction gear, the large and small gears are meshed, and when the motor rotates, the large and small reduction gears drive the screw rod to rotate, causing the piston push rod to move forward or backward, thereby controlling the amount of water in the sealed water tank and controlling the floating or sinking of the buoy.

[0015] Furthermore, the connecting rods of the deployment and retraction mechanism are each group of three connecting rods connected by parent and child rivets, with a total of six groups, which are evenly distributed and installed around the buoy body.

[0016] Furthermore, the fixing device is a ring with a mounting hole, and the root of the connecting rod is mounted on the mounting hole of the fixing device through a rivet. One of the fixing devices is composed of two semicircular rings, which are connected to the middle part of the buoy body by bolts. Another fixing device is a ring, which moves at the upper and lower ends of the buoy body.

[0017] Furthermore, the spring is installed between the fixed ring and the two movable rings. When the buoy floats up, the water flow on both sides of the buoy applies a downward force to the connecting rod of the display mechanism, the upper spring is compressed, the lower spring is relaxed, and the unfolding and retracting mechanism shrinks downward. When the buoy reaches the target position, the upper spring is reset, driving the connecting rod to re-expand the unfolding and retracting mechanism, so that the buoy quickly stabilizes.

[0018] Furthermore, the flexible film is installed at the end of the connecting rod device, and is used to stabilize the position of the buoy when the buoy is stationary. When the buoy floats up or sinks, it increases the force exerted on the connecting rod to help the deployment mechanism to be quickly retracted.

[0019] The technical solution proposed by the present invention has achieved the following technical effects compared with the prior art: (1) The water absorption and drainage system composed of a sealed water tank and a piston push rod can effectively change the weight of the monitoring buoy and achieve the effect of the buoy rising and sinking in the water.

[0020] (2) The solenoid valve is used to effectively control the connection and isolation between the sealed water tank and the external environment, improve the overall sealing performance of the monitoring buoy during stable operation, and effectively ensure that the internal components of the buoy body can work normally.

[0021] (3) A pressure pump is used to effectively discharge the water in the sealed water tank when the external water pressure is much greater than the water pressure in the sealed water tank, so that the monitoring buoy can float smoothly in the negative pressure environment of the ocean.

[0022] (4) A retractable deployment mechanism is used. When the monitoring buoy is stationary, the deployment mechanism is normally deployed, which can effectively stabilize the posture of the monitoring buoy in the water, so that the monitoring buoy can perform monitoring work in a relatively stable state. When the monitoring buoy floats up or down, the water flow generated on both sides of the buoy will cause the deployment mechanism to be retracted, so that the buoy can quickly reach the target position. After the buoy reaches the target position, the elastic element will cause the deployment mechanism to be re-deployed, so that the buoy can quickly stabilize. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0024] Figure 1 It is the overall three-dimensional structure diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the buoy body of the present invention; Figure 3 A top view of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the retractable mechanism of the present invention when it is normally unfolded; Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the retractable mechanism of the present invention when it is retracted; Figure 6It is a structural schematic diagram of the uncoated expandable and retractable mechanism of the present invention when it is retracted; Description of the accompanying drawings: 1. bolt; 2. lower end cover; 3. lower limit clamp; 4. nut; 5. sealing shell; 6. lower mounting ring; 7. mother-and-child rivet; 8. mounting hole; 9. lower connecting rod; 10. intermediate connecting rod; 11. mother-and-child rivet; 12. upper connecting rod; 13. mother-and-child rivet; 14. upper mounting ring; 15. nut; 16. upper limit clamp; 17. lower spring; 18. flexible film; 19. nut; 20. bolt; 21. intermediate clamp; 22. upper spring; 23. Bolt; 24, upper end cover; 25, wiring port; 26, solenoid valve; 27, nut; 28, mounting platform; 29, connecting screw; 30, nut; 31, connecting pipe; 32, pressure pump; 33, mounting plate; 34, connecting pipe; 35, sealed water tank; 36, piston; 37, self-tapping nut; 38, screw; 39, small gear; 40, motor; 41, large gear; 42, mounting platform; 43, battery; 44, micro switch; 45, paddle; 46, connecting screw. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0026] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sinking and floating ocean monitoring buoy with a retractable device to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. A sealed water tank and a piston push rod are used to absorb and discharge water to change its own weight to achieve the sinking and floating functions. A solenoid valve and a pressure pump are combined to enhance the performance of absorbing and discharging water in the marine environment. A retractable flexible deployment mechanism is installed on the outside of the buoy body to achieve the stability of the buoy's posture when working in the water.

[0027] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0028] like Figure 1 to Figure 6As shown, the buoy with a deployment mechanism provided by the present invention includes a buoy body and an external deployment device. The buoy body is composed of a sealed shell, a sealed water tank mechanism, a hydraulic auxiliary element and a driving mechanism in the sealed shell, and has two functions of absorbing water and releasing water. The weight of the buoy is controlled by changing the amount of water in the water tank, thereby realizing the two actions of rising and falling of the buoy, so that the buoy changes its depth in the water; the deployment mechanism is composed of a connecting rod, a fixing device, a spring and a flexible film. When the buoy is monitoring at a preset position in the water, the deployment mechanism is in an unfolded state, which is used to stabilize the current position of the buoy; when the buoy moves up and down, the water flow generated on both sides of the buoy exerts a force on the flexible film, and this force retracts the deployment mechanism, allowing the buoy to reach the target position faster.

[0029] In this specific embodiment, the unfolding and retracting mechanism is composed of a lower mounting ring 6, a lower connecting rod 9, an intermediate connecting rod 10, an upper connecting rod 12, an upper mounting ring 14, an intermediate clamp 21, a lower spring 17, an upper spring 22 and a flexible film 18. The lower connecting rod 9 is connected to the lower mounting ring 6 at the mounting hole 8 through a rivet 7, the intermediate connecting rod 10 is connected to the intermediate clamp 21 through a rivet, the upper connecting rod 12 is connected to the upper mounting ring 14 through a rivet 13, the lower connecting rod 9, the intermediate connecting rod 10 and the upper connecting rod 12 are connected through a rivet 11, and the flexible film 18 is fixed to the intermediate connecting rod 10 through a nut 19 and a bolt 20, which effectively realizes the unfolding and retracting of the unfolding and retracting mechanism. When the buoy floats up or sinks, the water flow around the buoy will generate a downward or upward force on the flexible film 18, so that the unfolding and retracting mechanism is retracted, reducing the resistance of the buoy and allowing the buoy to quickly reach the target position. The lower spring 17 and the upper spring 21 are respectively installed in the grooves of the lower mounting ring 6 and the upper mounting ring 14. After the deployment mechanism is retracted, one of the springs will be compressed. After the buoy reaches the target position, the surrounding water flow no longer exerts force on the flexible film 18. At this time, the spring will reset, realizing the automatic deployment of the deployment mechanism in the retracted state. The lower limit clamp 3 is fixed to the bottom of the sealing shell 5 by bolts 1 and nuts 4, and the upper limit clamp 16 is fixed to the top of the sealing shell 5 by bolts 23 and nuts 15, which effectively controls the maximum contraction range of the deployment mechanism.

[0030] In this specific embodiment, the buoy body includes main components such as a solenoid valve 26, a pressure pump 32, a sealed water tank 35, a piston 36, a screw 38 and a motor 40. The solenoid valve 26 is fixed on the lower end cover 2 through the mounting platform 28 to control the connection and isolation between the external environment and the inside of the buoy. The pressure pump 32 is fixed on the mounting plate 33 through the nut 27, the connecting screw 29 and the nut 30 to fix the position of the pressure pump in the sealed housing 5 and help the sealed water tank to drain when the external water pressure is too high. The solenoid valve 26, the pressure gauge 32 and the sealed water tank 35 are connected through the connecting pipes 31 and 34. The piston 36 is fixed on the screw 38 through the self-tapping nut 37. The motor 40 drives the small gear 39, which then drives the large gear 41 to rotate, realizing deceleration and torque increase. When the large gear 41 rotates, it will drive the screw 38, and the connected piston 36 will move forward or backward to achieve drainage or water absorption. The mounting platform 42 is connected to the upper end cover 24 by connecting the screw 46 to fix the position in the sealed housing 5. The screw 38 is stabilized by the mounting platform 42. The motor 40, the battery 43, the micro switch 44 and the paddle 45 are installed on the mounting platform 42. After receiving the signal, the paddle 45 will turn left or right, triggering different micro switches 44, controlling the forward and reverse rotation of the motor 40, controlling the piston 36 to move forward or backward, so that the sealed water tank 35 can drain or absorb water, and realize the floating and sinking of the buoy. The upper end cover 24 is provided with a wiring port 25 to realize the connection between the external wires and the internal components.

[0031] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention should not be limited to the contents disclosed in the embodiment and the drawings. Therefore, any equivalent or modification completed without departing from the spirit disclosed in the present invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A buoy for monitoring oceanographic conditions that can sink or float and has an expansion and retraction mechanism, characterized in that: It consists of two parts: the buoy body and the deployment mechanism. The buoy body is composed of a sealed shell, a sealed water tank mechanism, a hydraulic auxiliary element and a driving mechanism in the sealed shell, and has two functions of absorbing and releasing water. The weight of the buoy is controlled by changing the amount of water in the water tank, thereby realizing the two actions of rising and falling of the buoy, so that the buoy changes its depth in the water; The deployment and retraction mechanism is composed of a connecting rod, a fixing device, a spring and a flexible film. When the buoy is performing monitoring work at a preset position in the water, the deployment and retraction mechanism is in an deployed state, which is used to stabilize the current position of the buoy. When the buoy moves up and down, water flow is generated on both sides of the buoy to exert a force on the flexible film, which causes the deployment and retraction mechanism to retract, allowing the buoy to reach the target position faster.

2. A buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed shell is a transparent cylindrical shell, which is used to accommodate other components of the buoy body. After the buoy components are installed in the sealed shell, the shell is sealed to prevent water from penetrating into the interior and causing damage to the components, resulting in the buoy being unable to work.

3. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed water tank mechanism is a cylindrical sealed water storage tank fixed in the middle part of the sealed outer shell and cooperates with a piston push rod. When the piston rod moves forward, the water in the sealed water storage tank is discharged. At this time, the overall weight of the buoy is reduced and the buoy floats up; when the piston rod moves backward, external water is sucked into the sealed water storage tank. At this time, the overall weight of the buoy is increased and the buoy sinks.

4. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hydraulic auxiliary components are electromagnetic valves and pressure pumps, which are used to control the connection and blockage between the external environment and the interior of the buoy, and to assist the sealed water tank in draining water when the external water pressure is high.

5. A buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The solenoid valve is a two-position, two-way solenoid valve used to control the connection between the inner and outer parts of the sealed housing, and is connected to a mounting platform fixed to the lower end cover by bolts; when the buoy needs to rise or fall, the solenoid valve is turned on, so that the sealed water storage tank is connected to the outside. At this time, the sealed water storage tank changes the weight of the buoy by changing the internal water content, thereby realizing the sinking and floating of the buoy; when the buoy is stationary in the vertical direction, the solenoid valve is closed to separate the sealed water storage tank from the external water surface.

6. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressure pump is fixed between the solenoid valve and the sealed water storage tank by means of a fixing screw and a mounting plate, and is used to assist in discharging the water in the sealed water storage tank to the outside when the external water pressure is greater than the water pressure in the internal sealed water storage tank and it is difficult to successfully discharge the water relying solely on the motor and the push rod.

7. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism is fixed at the rear of the sealed water storage tank through an installation platform. The piston push rod is coaxially connected to the large reduction gear, and the motor is connected to the small reduction gear. The large and small gears are meshed. When the motor rotates, the large and small reduction gears drive the screw rod to rotate, causing the piston push rod to move forward or backward, thereby controlling the amount of water in the sealed water tank and controlling the floating or sinking of the buoy.

8. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting rods of the deployment and retraction mechanism are each group of three connecting rods connected by parent and child rivets, with a total of six groups, which are evenly distributed and installed around the buoy body.

9. A buoy for monitoring oceanography with a deployment mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: The fixing device is a circular ring with a mounting hole, and the root of the connecting rod is installed on the mounting hole of the fixing device through a rivet; one of the fixing devices is composed of two semicircular rings, and the two are connected to the middle part of the buoy body by bolts; the other fixing device is a circular ring, which moves at the upper and lower ends of the buoy body.

10. A buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 9, characterized in that: The spring is installed between a fixed ring and two movable rings; when the buoy floats up, the water flow on both sides of the buoy applies a downward force to the connecting rod of the display mechanism, the upper spring is compressed, the lower spring is relaxed, and the deployment mechanism contracts downward; when the buoy reaches the target position, the upper spring is reset, driving the connecting rod to redeploy the deployment mechanism, so that the buoy quickly stabilizes.

11. The buoy for monitoring the ocean with a buoyant and sinkable structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible film is installed at the end of the connecting rod device and is used to stabilize the position of the buoy when the buoy is stationary. When the buoy floats up or sinks, it increases the force applied to the connecting rod and helps the deployment and retraction mechanism to be retracted quickly.

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