An automatic cable recovery system and recovery method for a small unmanned boat

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of automatic recovery of unmanned boats, and relates to an automatic recovery system and recovery method for a towline for a small unmanned boat. The automatic recovery system for a towline for a small unmanned boat comprises: a capture net, a hoisting cable, a fixing assembly, and a release device. The capture net is composed of a bag net, two traction ropes, and a support rod; the hoisting cable comprises five cables, four of which are fixed cables and one is a hoisting cable. One end of the five cables is knotted and connected, and the other ends of the four fixed cables are connected to the hull lifting points of the small unmanned boat. The end of the hoisting cable is installed with a hook. Compared with the existing unmanned boat recovery technology, the entire recovery process of the small unmanned boat towline automatic recovery system of the present application is fast and simple, and the structure has the effects of low cost, high efficiency, and high safety, and realizes the recovery of small unmanned boats below the fourth level of sea conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of automatic recovery of unmanned boats, and relates to an automatic recovery system and method for a towline of a small unmanned boat. Background Art

[0002] The automatic recovery and deployment technology for unmanned boats in high sea conditions is a key step in the full-process operation of small unmanned boats and is crucial for their widespread application. Currently, the deployment and recovery of unmanned boats during application and testing are mainly divided into two types: hanging-type and stern-slide-type. The hanging-type is mostly carried out from a dock or a relatively fixed hanging platform, and has a unique deployment and recovery method. If the hanging-type docking is unsuccessful, the operator must board the boat and directly hook it. This is suitable for low sea conditions, has a long process, and is risky. The stern-slide-type recovery and deployment system is fast, but the system is relatively complex and requires modification to the mother ship, which damages the mother ship's hull structure, occupies a large space, and has low compatibility with various boat types.

[0003] In recent years, an increasing number of small unmanned boats have been put into use. When used aboard motherships, these boats are typically stored and operated in side compartments. When stored, the boat brackets are placed in the side compartments, lifted out of the hatches by the mothership's crane, and lowered into the sea. Lowering or retracting the boat requires assistance from personnel aboard to hook it. In high seas, this method is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and has a low success rate and a high risk factor. Therefore, a method and operating equipment for retracting and retracting small unmanned boats that is simple and quick to operate in high seas is urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a low-cost, high-efficiency, simple and fast operation, and high-safety automatic cable recovery system and recovery method for small unmanned boats, so as to solve the technical problems of long recovery time, high cost and low success rate of small unmanned boats in high sea conditions in the existing technology.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the technical problem is:

[0006] The first aspect of the present invention is to provide an automatic cable recovery system for a small unmanned boat, including: a capture net, a hoisting cable, a fixing assembly, and a release device. The capture net is composed of a bag net, two traction ropes, and a support rod; the two traction ropes are respectively connected to the left and right sides of the bag net; the support rod is fixed to the wiring harness on one side of the bag net, and the support rod of the capture net is hung with the mother ship crane; the hoisting cable includes five cables, four of which are fixed cables and one is a hoisting cable, and one end of the five cables is knotted and connected, and the other end of the four fixed cables is connected to the hull hoisting point of the small unmanned boat, and the end of the hoisting cable is installed with a hook; the fixing assembly is installed on the top of the hull of the small unmanned boat and clamps the hoisting cable; the release device is installed on the hull of the small unmanned boat to achieve the limitation or release of the hoisting cable.

[0007] Furthermore, the fixing assembly includes a mounting flange and an opening and closing device, the mounting flange is connected to the hull of the small unmanned boat, the mounting flange is connected to the opening and closing device through a connecting rod, the opening and closing device includes a fixing groove and a fixing pin installed on the fixing groove, the tail of the fixing pin rotates around the fixing groove, and the head of the fixing pin is stuck in a groove equipped with a spring. When the small unmanned boat is in the recovery process, the upward movement of the lifting cable with a hook will drive the fixing pin to rotate, and then drive the lifting cable to disengage from the fixing groove. After disengaging from the fixing groove, the lifting cable is tightened to drive the small unmanned boat to lift up.

[0008] Furthermore, the hook has four hook angles, and the four hook angles are evenly distributed at 90°.

[0009] Furthermore, the mother ship crane is connected to the support rod of the capture net through a sling, the middle part of the support rod of the capture net is connected to the sling through a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is hung on the hook of the mother ship crane.

[0010] Furthermore, the release device consists of a buckle and a release device base. The buckle is extended and retracted through remote control. The release device base is installed on the upper shell of the small unmanned boat. The hook is fixed in the release device base through the buckle. When the buckle is controlled to extend and retract, the hook is released. The release device has a control unit, which remotely controls the opening and closing of the release device to realize the release of the hook.

[0011] The second aspect of the present invention is to provide an unmanned boat recovery method for a small unmanned boat's automatic cable recovery system, which specifically includes the following steps: the mother ship crane rotates to move the hook to the top of the capture net, one end of the capture net is connected to the sling through a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is hung on the hook of the mother ship crane, connecting the two sides of the capture net with two traction ropes, and the two traction ropes are controlled by two operators in the front and rear; the hook of the mother ship crane is controlled to rotate and move horizontally to the front of the direction of navigation of the small unmanned boat; the hook of the mother ship crane is controlled to release downward to put the capture net on the water surface, at this time the support rod of the capture net floats on the water surface, and the rest of the net sinks below the water surface; after the capture net floats on the water surface, the two operators in the front and rear adjust the position of the capture net through the traction ropes on both sides to adjust the position to the front of the small unmanned boat; the operator controls the small unmanned boat to move in the direction of the capture net, far away The program-controlled release device releases the hook on the small unmanned boat, and the hook drops below the water surface after being released; the operator controls the small unmanned boat to continue moving forward, and during the driving process, the hook below the water surface is hooked with the mesh of the bag net below the water surface of the capture net; the small unmanned boat is controlled to slow down and stop, and the hook of the mother ship crane is controlled to move up. The hook is connected to the sling and drives the capture net upward, and then the lifting cable connected to the hook is tightened, which drives the fixed pin of the fixed component to rotate, and then drives the lifting cable to disengage from the fixed groove, and drives the lifting cable on the small unmanned boat to lift the small unmanned boat out of the water. During the ascent, the traction rope is controlled to adjust the position of the small unmanned boat; the angles of the large and small arms of the mother ship crane are controlled to lift the small unmanned boat to the boat rack on the deck; the hook of the mother ship crane is separated from the capture net, the hook is separated from the capture net, and the hook is replaced in the release device, and the entire recovery process is completed.

[0012] The advantages and positive effects of the present invention are:

[0013] Compared with the existing unmanned boat recovery technology, the small unmanned boat tow cable automatic recovery system of the present application uses a support rod and a towing rope to hold the capture net on the water surface, and connects the capture net to the towing rope. The towing rope is pulled to move the capture net into position, and the hook for hanging the capture net is released under the water surface through the release device. By remotely controlling the movement of the small unmanned boat, the capture net can be quickly combined with the hook on the small unmanned boat; the mother ship crane and the capture net are connected by a sling and a movable shackle, so the small unmanned boat can be connected to the mother ship crane. The entire recovery process is quick and easy, and the structure has the effects of low cost, high efficiency and high safety, and realizes the recovery of small unmanned boats below level 4 sea conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic cable recovery system for a small unmanned boat provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the structure of a capture net provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a small unmanned boat provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the fixing assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the release device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 6-Figure 14 Schematic diagram of the steps of the unmanned boat recovery method for the automatic cable recovery system for a small unmanned boat provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0020] The above drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0021] 1-capture net; 2-mother ship crane; 3-small unmanned boat; 4-hoisting cable; 41-fixing cable; 42-hoisting cable; 5-fixing component; 6-hook; 7-release device; 8-fixing slot; 9-fixing pin; 10-mounting flange; 11-net; 12-support rod; 13-traction rope; 14-clip; 15-release device base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be further described in detail below through specific examples. The following examples are only illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of protection of the present invention cannot be limited thereto.

[0023] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0024] like Figures 1-14 As shown, the present invention provides an automatic cable recovery system for a small unmanned boat, comprising: a capture net 1, a hanging cable 4, a fixing component 5, and a releasing device 7.

[0025] like Figure 2 As shown, the capture net 1 consists of a net 11, two towing ropes 13, and a support rod 12. The two towing ropes 13 are connected to the left and right sides of the net 11. The support rod 12 is a long cylindrical strip, fixed to the harness on one side of the net 11. The support rod 12 of the capture net 1 is connected to the mother ship crane 2. It is made of a lightweight foam material. It can be deformed and bent when stored. When not stored, it can be expanded and stretched to a straight line. The support rod 12 is detachably connected to the capture net 1. When the capture net 1 is placed in the water, the support rod 12 is held open by the support rod 12. The two sides of the support rod 12 are connected to the towing ropes 13. The towing ropes 13 are used to adjust the posture and direction of the capture net 1 after being placed in the water and to reduce the shaking of the small unmanned boat 3 during the recovery and landing process. The capture net 1 is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) in a crisscross pattern. The mesh density can be adjusted according to the displacement of the small unmanned boat 3. In this embodiment, the mesh size is 200mm x 200mm, and the capture net 1 is woven into a rectangular shape. The mother ship crane 2 is connected to the support rod 12 of the capture net 1 via a sling. The middle of the support rod 12 of the capture net 1 is connected to the sling via a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is attached to the hook 6 of the mother ship crane 2. Furthermore, when the capture net 1 is released into the water, the support rod 12 and the towing rope 13 are provided to support the capture net 1 horizontally in the water.

[0026] like Figure 3 As shown, the hoisting cable 4 includes five cables, four of which are fixed cables 41 and one is a hoisting cable 42. One end of the five cables is knotted and connected, and the other end of the four fixed cables 41 is connected to the hull hanging point of the small unmanned boat 3. The end of the hoisting cable 42 is installed with a hook 6; the hoisting cable 4 is made of ultra-high molecular polyethylene; the four fixed cables 41 are of equal length, and one side of the hoisting cable 42 is knotted and connected to the four fixed cables 41; the other side is installed with a hook 6 for hanging the capture net 1, and the hook 6 is made of stainless steel and has four hook angles, and the four hook angles are evenly distributed at 90°. The hook 6 is fixed to the hull of the small unmanned boat 3 through a releasing device 7. The length of the hoisting cable 42 with the hook 6 is controlled so that after the releasing device 7 releases the hook 6, the hook 6 can be immersed in water for about 300 mm. That is, the five hoisting cables 4 on the small unmanned boat 3 are connected to the fixing assembly 5 of the hoisting cables 4, and the hook 6 is fixed to the hull of the small unmanned boat 3 through the release device 7. Two staff members are standing on the deck of the mother ship. The left towing rope 13 is connected to the bow staff, and the right towing rope 13 is connected to the stern staff.

[0027] like Figure 4As shown, a fixing assembly 5 is mounted on the top of the hull of the small unmanned boat 3, which engages the hoisting cables 4. Specifically, the fixing assembly 5 includes a mounting flange 10 and an opening and closing mechanism. The mounting flange 10 is connected to the hull of the small unmanned boat 3. The opening and closing mechanism is connected to the mounting flange 10 via a connecting rod. The opening and closing mechanism on the mounting flange 10 holds four fixing cables 41 connected to the hull's hanging points and a hoisting cable 42 with a hook 6 in position. The fixing assembly 5 is entirely made of aluminum alloy and serves to support and secure the five hoisting cables 4. Specifically, the four fixing cables 41 connected to the hull's hanging points are fixed to the hull's hanging points, and the hoisting cable 42 with a hook 6 is connected to the hook 6 via a shackle. The other ends of the five cables are also secured to the opening and closing mechanism of the fixing assembly 5 via shackles. When the hook is successfully connected to the capture net 1, driving the hoisting cables 4 upward, the hoisting cable 42 with the hook 6 straightens, releasing it from the opening and closing mechanism. The opening and closing device of the fixing assembly 5 includes a fixing groove 8 and a fixing pin 9 installed on the fixing groove 8. After the hoisting cable 4 is placed in the fixing groove 8, the tail of the fixing pin 9 rotates around the fixing groove 8, and the head of the fixing pin 9 is stuck in a groove equipped with a spring. When the small unmanned boat 3 is in the recovery process, the upward movement of the hoisting cable 42 with the hook 6 will drive the fixing pin 9 to rotate, and then drive the hoisting cable 4 to disengage from the fixing groove 8. After disengaging from the fixing groove 8, the hoisting cable 4 is tightened to drive the small unmanned boat 3 to be hoisted and lifted.

[0028] like Figure 5 As shown, a release device 7 is mounted on the hull for releasing a hook, one end of which is fixed to a cable. The release device 7 for releasing the hook 6 consists of a buckle 14 and a release device base 15. The buckle 14 can be extended and retracted by remote control. The release device base 15 is mounted on the upper shell of the small unmanned boat 3. The hook 6 is fixed within the release device base 15 via the buckle 14. When the buckle 14 is controlled to extend and retract, the hook 6 is released. The release device 7 has a control unit that can remotely control the opening and closing of the release device 7 to release the hook 6.

[0029] like Figure 3 、 Figure 5 As shown, during the recovery process of the small unmanned boat 3, when the small unmanned boat 3 is about to approach the position of the capture net 1, the buckle 14 of the release device 7 is controlled to extend and retract, causing the release device 7 of the release hook 6 to release. The hook 6 moves downward and falls into the water, and can be submerged in the water for about 300mm. When the hook 6 of the small unmanned boat 3 contacts and connects with the capture net 1, the mother ship crane 2 tightens the hook and moves it upward to prepare for the boat to rise. During the process of the hook rising, the capture net 1 and the hook 6 move upward together. When the lifting cable 4 connected to the hook 6 is tightened, it drives the fixing pin 9 to rotate, and then drives the lifting cable 4 out of the fixing groove 8. During the recovery process of the small unmanned boat 3, the towing rope 13 serves to reduce the shaking of the small unmanned boat 3.

[0030] like Figure 6-Figure 14 As shown, the following describes the unmanned boat recovery method of the automatic cable recovery system for a small unmanned boat in this embodiment, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0031] The mother ship crane 2 rotates and moves the hook to just above the deck capture net 1. One end of the capture net 1 is connected to the sling through a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is hooked to the hook of the mother ship crane 2. The two sides of the capture net 1 are connected to two traction ropes 13. The two traction ropes 13 are controlled by two operators in front and behind.

[0032] Control the hook of the mother ship crane 2 to rotate and move it to the front of the direction in which the small unmanned boat 3 is sailing;

[0033] Control the hook of the mother ship crane 2 to release downwards and place the capture net 1 on the water surface. At this time, the support rod 12 of the capture net 1 floats on the water surface, and the rest of the net 11 sinks below the water surface;

[0034] After the capture net 1 floats on the water, the two operators in front and behind adjust the position of the capture net 1 by using the towing ropes 13 on both sides, and adjust the position to be directly in front of the small unmanned boat 3;

[0035] The operator controls the small unmanned boat 3 to move toward the capture net 1, and remotely controls the release device 7 to release the hook 6 on the small unmanned boat 3. After the hook 6 is released, it drops below the water surface.

[0036] The operator controls the small unmanned boat 3 to continue moving forward, and during the movement, the hook 6 below the water surface is hooked with the mesh of the net 11 below the water surface of the capture net 1;

[0037] The small unmanned boat 3 is controlled to slow down and stop, and the hook of the mother ship crane 2 is controlled to move upward. The hook is connected to the sling and drives the capture net 1 upward. Then, when the lifting cable 4 connected to the hook 6 is tightened, the fixing pin 9 of the fixing component 5 is driven to rotate, and then the lifting cable 4 is driven to disengage from the fixing groove 8, and the lifting cable 4 on the small unmanned boat 3 is driven to lift the small unmanned boat 3 out of the water. During the ascent, the traction rope 13 is controlled to adjust the position of the small unmanned boat 3;

[0038] Control the angles of the large and small arms of the mother ship crane 2 to hoist the small unmanned boat 3 onto the davit on the deck;

[0039] The hook of the mother ship crane 2 is separated from the capture net 1, the hook 6 is separated from the capture net 1, and the hook 6 is replaced in the release device 7, and the entire recovery process is completed.

[0040] Compared with the existing unmanned boat recovery technology, the small unmanned boat tow cable automatic recovery system of the present application releases the hook 6 of the capture net 1 under the water surface through the release device 7, remotely controls the movement of the small unmanned boat 3, and quickly combines the capture net 1 with the hook 6 on the small unmanned boat 3; the small unmanned boat 3 can be connected to the mother ship crane 2. The whole recovery process is quick and simple, and the structure has the effects of low cost, high efficiency and high safety, and realizes the recovery of small unmanned boats below the fourth level of sea conditions.

[0041] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the inventive concept, and these all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for recovering an unmanned boat using an automatic recovery system for a small unmanned boat, characterized in that: Automatic cable recovery system, including: A capture net (1), the capture net (1) comprising a bag net (11), two traction ropes (13), and a support rod (12); the two traction ropes (13) are respectively connected to the left and right sides of the bag net (11); the support rod (12) is fixed to a harness on one side of the bag net (11), and the support rod (12) of the capture net (1) is connected to a mother ship crane (2); A hoisting cable (4), wherein the hoisting cable (4) comprises five cables, four of which are fixed cables (41) and one is a hoisting cable (42), one end of the five cables being knotted and connected, the other ends of the four fixed cables (41) being connected to the hull hoisting points of the small unmanned boat (3), and a hook (6) being installed at the end of the hoisting cable (42); A fixing assembly (5), wherein the fixing assembly (5) is mounted on the top of the hull of the small unmanned boat (3) and is clamped to the hoisting cable (4), wherein the fixing assembly (5) comprises a mounting flange (10) and an opening and closing device, wherein the mounting flange (10) is connected to the hull of the small unmanned boat (3), and the mounting flange (10) is connected to the opening and closing device via a connecting rod, wherein the opening and closing device comprises a fixing groove (8) and a fixing pin (9) mounted on the fixing groove (8), wherein the tail of the fixing pin (9) rotates around the fixing groove (8), and the head of the fixing pin (9) is clamped in a groove provided with a spring, and when the small unmanned boat (3) is in the recovery process, the upward movement of the hoisting cable (42) with the hook (6) drives the fixing pin (9) to rotate, thereby driving the hoisting cable (4) to disengage from the fixing groove (8), and after disengaging from the fixing groove (8), the hoisting cable (4) is tightened to drive the small unmanned boat (3) to be hoisted and raised; A release device (7), the release device (7) being installed on the hull of the small unmanned boat (3) to achieve the limitation or release of the hoisting cable (42); The recycling method specifically includes the following steps: The mother ship crane (2) rotates to move the hook to the top of the capture net (1), one end of the capture net (1) is connected to the sling through a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is hooked on the hook of the mother ship crane (2), and the two sides of the capture net (1) are connected to two traction ropes (13), and the two traction ropes (13) are controlled by two operators in front and behind; Controlling the rotation of the hook of the mother ship crane (2) and translating it to the front of the direction in which the small unmanned boat (3) is sailing; Control the hook of the mother ship crane (2) to release downwards, and place the capture net (1) on the water surface, at which time the support rod (12) of the capture net (1) floats on the water surface, and the rest of the net (11) sinks below the water surface; After the capture net (1) floats on the water surface, the two operators in front and behind adjust the position of the capture net (1) through the traction ropes (13) on both sides, and adjust the position to be directly in front of the small unmanned boat (3); The operator controls the small unmanned boat (3) to move toward the capture net (1), and remotely controls the release device (7) to release the hook (6) on the small unmanned boat (3), and the hook (6) drops below the water surface after being released; The operator controls the small unmanned boat (3) to continue moving forward, and during the moving process, the hook (6) below the water surface is hooked with the mesh of the net (11) below the water surface of the capture net (1); Control the small unmanned boat (3) to slow down and stop, control the hook of the mother ship crane (2) to move upward, the hook is connected to the sling to drive the capture net (1) upward, and then the lifting cable (42) connected to the hook (6) is tightened to drive the fixed pin (9) of the fixed component (5) to rotate, and then drive the lifting cable (4) to disengage from the fixed groove (8), drive the lifting cable (4) on the small unmanned boat (3) to lift the small unmanned boat (3) out of the water, and control the traction rope (13) to adjust the position of the small unmanned boat (3) during the ascent; Control the angles of the large and small arms of the mother ship crane (2) to hoist the small unmanned boat (3) onto the cradle on the deck; The hook of the mother ship crane (2) is separated from the capture net (1), the hook (6) is separated from the capture net (1), and the hook (6) is re-placed in the release device (7), and the entire recovery process is completed.

2. The recycling method according to claim 1, wherein: The hook (6) has four hook angles, and the four hook angles are evenly distributed at 90 degrees.

3. The recycling method according to claim 2, characterized in that The mother ship crane (2) and the support rod (12) of the capture net (1) are connected via a sling, the middle portion of the support rod (12) of the capture net (1) is connected to the sling via a movable shackle, and the other end of the sling is connected to the hook (6) of the mother ship crane (2).

4. The recycling method according to claim 3, characterized in that The release device (7) is composed of a buckle (14) and a release device base (15). The buckle (14) is remotely controlled to achieve expansion and contraction. The release device base (15) is installed on the upper shell of the small unmanned boat (3). The hook (6) is fixed in the release device base (15) through the buckle (14). When the buckle (14) is controlled to expand and contract, the hook (6) is released. The release device (7) has a control unit. The control unit remotely controls the opening and closing of the release device (7) to achieve the release of the hook (6).

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