A cave sampling device for prospecting

Abstract

The application provides a cave sampling device for prospecting, and relates to the field of prospecting.The sampling device is mainly composed of an upper fixing disc, a lower fixing disc, a lead screw, a light screw, a motor, a sliding block, a sampling drill, a transmission mechanism, a feeding mechanism and a material receiving chute.The upper fixing disc and the lower fixing disc are used for fixing the sampling device in a cave.The sliding block, the lead screw, the light screw and the motor form a linear motion mechanism moving in the vertical direction.The feeding mechanism and the transmission mechanism are used for driving the sampling drill to sample.The material receiving chute is arranged below the sampling drill and is used for collecting the falling geological samples.The application realizes continuous sampling of the cave in a certain depth interval, and can put the drilled geological samples into the corresponding height storage compartment, so that the geological exploration personnel can intuitively and clearly establish the relationship between the sampled geological samples and the cave depth.The application has a clever and compact structure, and minimizes the outer diameter of the sampling device, thereby greatly reducing the excavation cost of the cave.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention specifically relates to a borehole sampling device for mineral exploration, and pertains to the field of mineral exploration technology. Background Technology

[0002] Mineral exploration is an engineering project based on geological investigation, with the primary task of determining the distribution of mineral resources. Traditional mineral exploration uses a method of drilling and sampling simultaneously, the biggest problem of which is the need for frequent raising, lowering, and disassembling of drill rods, resulting in low exploration efficiency. Currently, most mineral exploration methods adopt the method of drilling a borehole first and then sampling. After drilling a borehole in one go, the sampling equipment is hoisted into the borehole to collect samples from the borehole wall, which can significantly improve the excavation efficiency of the borehole.

[0003] Current cave sampling equipment mainly consists of a housing, a telescopic rod, a sampling drill, and a sample collection box. The telescopic rod secures the sampling equipment inside the cave, while the sampling drill is used to drill and collect samples from the cave wall. Existing cave sampling equipment has the following shortcomings:

[0004] 1. It can only perform sampling at a fixed depth in the exploratory cavern, resulting in low sampling efficiency;

[0005] 2. After each sampling, the sampling equipment needs to be lifted out of the tunnel to empty the sample collection box; otherwise, the geological samples will be disordered, and the exploration will lose its meaning.

[0006] 3. It cannot achieve continuous sampling, which is not conducive to identifying the distribution of mineral resources;

[0007] 4. The large diameter requires a larger tunnel diameter, which increases the excavation cost of the tunnel.

[0008] References:

[0009] Chinese Patent: CN 112729912 B

[0010] Chinese Patent: CN 118670793 B

[0011] Chinese Patent: CN 109490011 B Summary of the Invention

[0012] To overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention discloses a borehole sampling device for mineral exploration, the purpose of which is:

[0013] 1. To achieve continuous sampling of the cavern within a certain depth range;

[0014] 2. Place the geological samples into the storage compartments at the corresponding heights according to the sampling depth;

[0015] 3. Optimize the structure and reduce the diameter of the equipment.

[0016] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0017] Technical solution

[0018] A prospecting borehole sampling device includes:

[0019] The upper and lower fixing plates have multi-diameter electric push rods for fixing the sampling equipment inside the tunnel.

[0020] The lead screw and guide bar are vertically arranged between the upper and lower fixed plates; the inside of the lead screw is hollow, and multiple storage compartments for storing geological samples are equidistantly arranged in the vertical direction inside the lead screw.

[0021] The motor is mounted on the upper or lower fixed plate and is used to drive the lead screw to rotate.

[0022] The slider, together with the lead screw, guide screw, and motor, forms a linear motion mechanism that moves in the vertical direction. The slider has a feed chute that is connected to a certain storage cell. At the outlet end of the feed chute, there is a cylindrical surface that mates with the outer circular surface of the lead screw. Each time the lead screw rotates, the feed chute connects to a storage cell adjacent to the storage cell.

[0023] The transmission mechanism consists of a driving bevel gear and a driven bevel gear shaft. The driving bevel gear is slidably mounted on the lead screw via a key structure, and the driven bevel gear shaft is horizontally mounted on the slider and meshes with the driving bevel gear.

[0024] The sampling drill has a drill rod that is telescopically connected to the driven bevel gear shaft via a spline structure.

[0025] The feed mechanism, installed between the slider and the sampling drill, is used to push the sampling drill to move radially along the borehole;

[0026] The receiving chute, located below the sampling drill and connected to the feed chute, is used to collect fallen geological samples.

[0027] After implementing technical solution 1, the beneficial effects of this invention compared to the prior art are:

[0028] 1. The lead screw has a relatively long length, allowing the sampling drill to move a sufficient distance in the vertical direction. This enables continuous sampling of the borehole within a certain depth range.

[0029] 2. Since the feed chute and the storage cell are connected, the geological samples drilled during the rise or fall of the sampling drill by one pitch during each rotation of the lead screw can enter the storage cell at the corresponding height through the feed chute. This allows geological exploration personnel to intuitively and clearly establish the relationship between the sampled geological samples and the depth of the borehole, thereby obtaining detailed and reliable geological structural information.

[0030] 3. Sampling drills require a high-power motor to provide drilling power into the rock. This invention mounts the motor on an upper or lower fixed plate, minimizing the outer diameter of the sampling equipment. Furthermore, the lead screw also serves to transmit drilling power axially to the sampling drill via a driving bevel gear and a driven bevel gear. This ingenious and compact transmission structure further reduces the outer diameter of the sampling equipment. Compared to existing sampling equipment, this exploratory sampling equipment has a smaller outer diameter, which means the diameter of the exploratory tunnel can also be correspondingly reduced, significantly lowering the excavation cost of the exploratory tunnel.

[0031] Improved technical solution 2 based on technical solution 1: The sampling device further includes a reducer connected to the motor. The motor and the reducer are mounted vertically downward on the upper fixed plate, and a lifting ring is installed on the top of the motor.

[0032] The beneficial effects of implementing technical solution 2 are as follows:

[0033] To ensure a sufficiently large feed opening in the storage compartment, the lead screw pitch is set relatively large. Therefore, a speed reducer is needed to reduce the lead screw speed while increasing the driving torque applied by the lead screw to the slider and sampling drill. Mounting the lifting ring on top of the motor helps simplify the structure and improve the compactness of the equipment.

[0034] Improved technical solution 3 based on technical solution 2: The number of teeth of the driving bevel gear is greater than the number of teeth of the driven bevel gear shaft, and a thrust bearing is provided between the driving bevel gear and the slider.

[0035] After implementing technical solution 3, the beneficial effect is that, since the speed of the lead screw is very low, it is necessary to set an appropriate speed increase ratio to increase the speed of the sampling drill, so that the sampling drill has better drilling parameters.

[0036] Improved technical solution 4 based on technical solution 1: The feeding mechanism consists of a pair of feed electric push rods and a propulsion plate. The pair of feed electric push rods are symmetrically installed on both sides of the driven bevel gear shaft, and the propulsion plate is connected to the drill rod through a thrust bearing.

[0037] After implementing technical solution 4, the beneficial effects are as follows: the feed mechanism has two functions: first, it retracts the sampling drill when the sampling equipment is hoisted into and out of the exploratory borehole, so as not to hinder the entry and exit of the sampling equipment; second, it drives the sampling drill forward and achieves a certain drilling depth. A pair of feed electric actuators are used because two feed electric actuators can provide a larger and better-loaded propulsive force.

[0038] Improved technical solution 5 based on technical solution 4: The receiving chute is hinged below the push plate.

[0039] After implementing technical solution 5, the beneficial effects are: the articulated structure allows the material chute to be in a retracted state when the sampling equipment enters or exits the exploratory tunnel, and in an extended state when the sampling drill is drilling, and it is located exactly below the sampling drill.

[0040] Improved technical solution 6 based on technical solution 4: The optical bar is hollow inside, and a cable is installed inside the optical bar. The cable is electrically connected to the motor, the radial push rod, and the feed push rod, respectively, and is used to supply power to the motor, the radial push rod, and the feed push rod.

[0041] After implementing technical solution 6, the beneficial effects are as follows: Due to the long working time and high energy consumption, this sampling equipment is not suitable for using lithium batteries. The preferred implementation is to connect the power source outside the tunnel via a cable. The cable is installed inside the optical bar, with one cable supplying power to the motor and radial push rod on the upper fixed plate, another to the feed push rod on the slider, and the third to the radial push rod on the lower fixed plate, thus protecting the cable.

[0042] Improved technical solution 7 based on technical solution 1: The sampling device further includes a camera, a sensor, and a remote control system.

[0043] The beneficial effects of implementing technical solution 7 are: setting up cameras to facilitate ground exploration personnel to observe the sampling situation; setting up sensors to facilitate ground exploration personnel to know the working status of the sampling equipment; and setting up a remote control system to facilitate ground exploration personnel to operate the sampling equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0044] Appendix Figure 1 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic of the cave sampling equipment from one perspective.

[0045] Appendix Figure 2 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional structural schematic of this cave sampling equipment from another perspective.

[0046] Appendix Figure 3 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the lead screw.

[0047] Appendix Figure 4 The diagram shown is a schematic of the slider's structure.

[0048] Appendix Figure 5 The diagram shown is a schematic of the transmission mechanism.

[0049] Appendix Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the feed mechanism.

[0050] Appendix Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates the operation of this sampling device inside the cavern.

[0051] Appendix Figure 8 The attached image shows the attached image. Figure 7 A magnified view of a portion of point P in the middle.

[0052] In the attached diagram: 1. Upper fixed plate; 2. Lower fixed plate; 3. Radial push electric actuator; 4. Guide bar; 5. Lead screw; 5.1. Storage compartment; 5.2. Segmental key structure; 6. Motor; 7. Reducer; 8. Slider; 8.1. Feed chute; 8.2. Internal threaded hole; 8.3. Clear hole; 8.4. Cylindrical surface; 9. Driving bevel gear; 10. Driven bevel gear shaft; 11. Sampling drill; 12. Feed electric actuator; 13. Propeller plate; 14. Thrust bearing; 15. Receiving chute; 16. Cable; 17. Camera; 18. Lifting ring; 19. Wire rope. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these preferred embodiments are merely for explaining the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, terms such as "front," "rear," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," which indicate direction or positional relationships, are based on the direction or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. This is merely for ease of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation and positional relationship, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. It should also be noted that in the description of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, it can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] A borehole sampling device for mineral exploration is disclosed, relating to the field of mineral exploration, and is mainly used to solve the problem that existing borehole sampling devices cannot continuously sample. The composition and working principle of this sampling device are described in detail below.

[0055] See attached document Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 This caving sampling equipment mainly consists of an upper fixed plate 1, a lower fixed plate 2, a lead screw 5, a guide bar 4, a motor 6, a reducer 7, a slider 8, a sampling drill 11, a transmission mechanism, a feeding mechanism, and a receiving chute 15. The equipment is shaped like a thin strip and can be hoisted into the caving by a winch.

[0056] The upper fixed plate 1 and the lower fixed plate 2 are respectively set at the upper and lower ends of the equipment. Three radial electric push rods 3 are arranged radially inside the upper fixed plate 1 and the lower fixed plate 2. The function of the upper fixed plate 1 and the lower fixed plate 2 is to fix the sampling equipment in the tunnel by extending the radial electric push rods 3 during sampling; after sampling, the radial electric push rods 3 retract, so that the equipment can be lifted out of the tunnel by a winch.

[0057] The lead screw 5 and the guide rod 4 are vertically arranged between the upper fixed plate 1 and the lower fixed plate 2, with the lead screw 5 located on the center line of the equipment. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the lead screw 5 is 40mm, the pitch is 20mm, and the length is 5.3m. It is worth noting that, for ease of illustration, the length and pitch of the lead screw in the figure are distorted.

[0058] See attached document Figure 3 , attached Figure 3 The diagram shown is a partial cross-sectional view of the lead screw 5. (See attached diagram.) Figure 3 As can be seen, the lead screw 5 is hollow inside, and multiple storage compartments 5.1 for storing geological samples are equidistantly arranged vertically within the lead screw 5. The distance between two adjacent storage compartments 5.1 is equal to the pitch of the lead screw 5. The partitions of the storage compartments 5.1 can be fixed inside the lead screw by adhesive or welding. Alternatively, a plastic tube with a storage compartment structure can be used, inserted into the lead screw from the lower end, which facilitates the removal of geological samples. In addition, a segmental key structure 5.2 is provided along the axial direction of the lead screw 5, and the feed inlet of the storage compartment 5.1 is located on the plane of this key structure.

[0059] The motor 6 and reducer 7 are mounted vertically downwards on the upper fixed plate 1. The motor 6 is connected to the lead screw 5 through the reducer 7 and is used to drive the lead screw 5 to rotate. The sampling drill 11 requires a relatively high-power motor 6 to provide drilling power to drill into the rock. Mounting the motor 6 on the upper fixed plate 1 can minimize the outer diameter of the equipment.

[0060] To simplify the structure and improve the compactness of the equipment, a lifting ring 18 is installed on top of the motor 6. The lifting ring 18 is connected to the winch via a wire rope 19 for hoisting the equipment into the exploratory tunnel. To ensure that the storage compartment 5.1 has a sufficiently large feed opening, the pitch of the lead screw 5 is usually set to be relatively large. Therefore, a reducer 7 is required to reduce the speed of the lead screw 5.

[0061] See attached document Figure 4 , attached Figure 4 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of slider 8. (See attached diagram.) Figure 4 As can be seen, slider 8 has an internal threaded hole 8.2 that rotates with lead screw 5, and a smooth hole 8.3 that slides with guide rod 4. In this way, slider 8, lead screw 5, guide rod 4, and motor 6 form a linear motion mechanism that moves in the vertical direction. For every revolution of motor 6, slider 8 moves a distance of one screw pitch in the vertical direction.

[0062] In addition, a feed chute 8.1 inclined towards one end of the lead screw 5 is provided inside the slider 8. The lower inclined end (outlet end) of the feed chute 8.1 is connected to a corresponding storage cell 5.1 on the lead screw 5. A cylindrical surface 8.4 that mates with the outer circular surface of the lead screw 5 is provided at the outlet end of the feed chute 8.1. Each time the lead screw 5 rotates, the feed chute 8.1 connects to an adjacent storage cell 5.1. When the lead screw 5 rotates less than one revolution, the outlet end of the feed chute 8.1 is blocked by the outer circular surface of the lead screw 5. At this time, the geological sample in the feed chute 8.1 will not fall out and can only remain in the feed chute 8.1.

[0063] See attached document Figure 5 , attached Figure 5 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the transmission mechanism. (See attached diagram.) Figure 5 As can be seen, the transmission mechanism consists of a driving bevel gear 9 and a driven bevel gear shaft 10. The driving bevel gear 9 is mounted on the lead screw 5 and connected to the slider 8 via a thrust bearing 14. The driving bevel gear 9 has a key structure in its inner bore that mates with the segmental key structure 5.2, allowing it to move up and down with the slider 8 while rotating with the lead screw 5. The driven bevel gear shaft 10 is horizontally mounted on the slider 8 via a bearing, and the bevel gear at its inner end meshes with the driving bevel gear 9. The sampling drill 11 has a drill rod at its inner end, which is telescopically connected to the driven bevel gear shaft 10 via a spline structure. Thus, when the lead screw 5 rotates, the driving bevel gear 9 drives the sampling drill 11 to rotate via the driven bevel gear shaft 10. This transmission structure is ingenious and compact, further reducing the outer diameter of the sampling device.

[0064] Since the lead screw 5 rotates at a very low speed, an appropriate speed increase ratio needs to be set to increase the rotational speed of the sampling drill 11, thereby enabling the sampling drill 11 to have better drilling parameters. In this embodiment, the number of teeth of the driving bevel gear 9 is twice the number of teeth of the driven bevel gear shaft 10.

[0065] See attached document Figure 6 , attached Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the feed mechanism. (See attached diagram.) Figure 6 As can be seen, the feed mechanism is installed between the slider 8 and the sampling drill 11 to push the sampling drill 11 to move radially along the borehole. Specifically, the feed mechanism consists of a pair of feed electric actuators 12 and a propulsion plate 13. The pair of feed electric actuators 12 are symmetrically installed on both sides of the driven bevel gear shaft 10, and the propulsion plate 13 is connected to the drill rod of the sample drill bit through a thrust bearing 14.

[0066] The feed mechanism serves two purposes: first, it retracts the sampling drill 11 when the sampling equipment is hoisted into or out of the exploratory borehole, ensuring that the equipment's entry and exit are not obstructed; second, it drives the sampling drill 11 forward to reach a certain drilling depth. A pair of feed electric actuators 12 are used because two feed electric actuators 12 can provide a larger and better-loaded propulsive force.

[0067] The receiving chute 15 is inclined toward the slider 8 to collect geological samples dropped by the sampling drill 11 during drilling. In this embodiment, the receiving chute 15 is hinged below the propulsion plate 13 and connected to the feed chute 8.1. This hinged structure allows the chute to be in a retracted state when the sampling equipment enters and exits the exploratory tunnel, and in an extended state when the sampling drill 11 is drilling, and is located exactly below the sampling drill 11.

[0068] Because sampling requires a long time and consumes a lot of energy, this sampling equipment is not suitable for using lithium batteries as a power source. A better implementation is to connect the power source outside the tunnel via cable 16 to power the motor 6, radial push rod 3, and feed push rod 12. To protect cable 16, the inside of the light bar 4 is hollow, and cable 16 is placed inside the light bar 4. One cable 16 powers the motor 6 and radial push rod 3 on the upper fixed plate 1, another powers the feed push rod 12 on the slider 8, and the third powers the radial push rod 3 on the lower fixed plate 2.

[0069] In addition, this sampling device also includes a camera 17, sensors (not shown in the figure), and a remote control system (not shown in the figure). The camera 17 is provided to facilitate ground exploration personnel to observe the sampling process; the sensors are provided to facilitate ground exploration personnel to know the working status of the sampling device; and the remote control system is provided to facilitate ground exploration personnel to operate the sampling device.

[0070] Working principle:

[0071] See attached document Figure 7 , attached Figure 7 The diagram shown illustrates the operation of this sampling equipment inside a borehole. For example, if a borehole is 20 meters deep, and the effective stroke of the sampling drill 11 along the lead screw 5 is 5 meters, then the borehole can be sampled four times.

[0072] During sampling, a winch is first used to lower the sampling equipment into the designated depth inside the tunnel. Then, the upper diameter push rod 3 of the upper fixed plate 1 and lower fixed plate 2 is extended forward to fix the sampling equipment inside the tunnel.

[0073] See attached document Figure 8 , attached Figure 8 The attached image shows the attached image. Figure 7A magnified view of a portion of point P. The motor 6 and feed actuator 12 are started, causing the sampling drill 11 to drill into the tunnel wall and move upwards along the vertical direction of the tunnel. During the drilling process, geological samples falling through the sampling drill 11 enter the feed chute 8.1 via the receiving chute 15. Before the lead screw 5 completes one revolution, the geological samples remain inside the feed chute 8.1 because the outlet end of the feed chute 8.1 is blocked by the outer surface of the lead screw 5. When the lead screw 5 completes one revolution, the feed chute 8.1 connects with the uppermost storage cell 5.1, at which point the geological samples in the feed chute 8.1 slide into that storage cell 5.1. In this way, with each revolution of the lead screw 5, the geological samples drilled during the rise of the sampling drill 11 by one pitch can enter the corresponding storage compartment 5.1 through the feed chute 8.1. This allows geological exploration personnel to intuitively and clearly establish the relationship between the sampled geological samples and the depth of the borehole, thereby obtaining detailed and reliable geological structural information. Furthermore, due to the relatively long length of the lead screw 5, continuous sampling of the borehole by the sampling drill 11 is achieved within a certain depth range.

[0074] This equipment can perform reciprocating sampling. After sampling upwards, it can change the angle and sample downwards again until sufficient geological samples are collected in each storage cell (5.1). Compared with existing sampling equipment, this tunnel sampling equipment has a smaller outer diameter, which means that the tunnel diameter can also be reduced accordingly, significantly lowering the excavation cost of the tunnel.

[0075] It is worth noting that the content not described in detail in the above embodiments is prior art. It is also worth noting that any additions, subtractions, substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art based on the structure and principles of this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A prospecting borehole sampling device, characterized in that: include: The upper and lower fixing plates have multi-diameter electric push rods for fixing the sampling equipment inside the tunnel. The lead screw and guide bar are vertically arranged between the upper and lower fixed plates; the inside of the lead screw is hollow, and multiple storage compartments for storing geological samples are equidistantly arranged in the vertical direction inside the lead screw. The motor is mounted on the upper or lower fixed plate and is used to drive the lead screw to rotate. The slider, together with the lead screw, guide screw, and motor, forms a linear motion mechanism that moves in the vertical direction. The slider has a feed chute that is connected to a certain storage cell. At the outlet end of the feed chute, there is a cylindrical surface that mates with the outer circular surface of the lead screw. Each time the lead screw rotates, the feed chute connects to a storage cell adjacent to the storage cell. The transmission mechanism consists of a driving bevel gear and a driven bevel gear shaft. The driving bevel gear is slidably mounted on the lead screw via a key structure, and the driven bevel gear shaft is horizontally mounted on the slider and meshes with the driving bevel gear. The sampling drill has a drill rod that is telescopically connected to the driven bevel gear shaft via a spline structure. The feed mechanism, installed between the slider and the sampling drill, is used to push the sampling drill to move radially along the borehole; The receiving chute, located below the sampling drill and connected to the feed chute, is used to collect fallen geological samples.

2. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sampling device also includes a reducer connected to the motor. The motor and reducer are mounted vertically downwards on the upper fixed plate, and a lifting ring is installed on the top of the motor.

3. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The number of teeth on the driving bevel gear is greater than the number of teeth on the driven bevel gear shaft, and a thrust bearing is provided between the driving bevel gear and the slider.

4. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism consists of a pair of feed electric actuators and a propulsion plate. The pair of feed electric actuators are symmetrically installed on both sides of the driven bevel gear shaft, and the propulsion plate is connected to the drill pipe through a thrust bearing.

5. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The receiving chute is hinged below the push plate.

6. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The inside of the light bar is hollow, and cables are installed inside the light bar. The cables are electrically connected to the motor, the radial push rod, and the feed push rod, respectively, to supply power to the motor, the radial push rod, and the feed push rod.

7. The prospecting borehole sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The sampling equipment also includes a camera, sensors, and a remote control system.

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