Improved antenna device of underwater vehicle

Abstract

An improved antenna device of an underwater vehicle comprises an antenna base, an antenna body rotationally connected with one end of the antenna base and a driving device arranged in the antenna base and connected with the antenna body, and horizontal movement of the driving device is converted into rotation movement of the antenna body to achieve lifting of an antenna. According to the invention, the antenna can be automatically lifted when the torpedo tube of the underwater vehicle is recycled, the integration of communication, positioning, navigation and position indication can be realized, and the interference between the antennas is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology in the field of underwater vehicles, in particular to an improved antenna device for underwater vehicles. Background Art

[0002] An unmanned underwater vehicle is an automated device that can operate autonomously or remotely underwater. It is widely used in the fields of marine scientific research, environmental monitoring, military reconnaissance, and marine resource exploration. The underwater vehicle antenna is a device specifically used for underwater communications, responsible for transmitting and receiving data in an underwater environment. When recovering the torpedo tube of an underwater vehicle, the underwater vehicle needs to accurately control its position and attitude. Traditional underwater vehicle antennas are often installed in an upright state on the back of the UUV. The mechanical movement during the recovery process may cause the antenna to collide or rub against the torpedo tube or other underwater objects, thereby damaging the antenna or reducing its performance. In addition, the underwater vehicle antenna needs to have positioning and communication functions. The positioning function of the antenna is used to determine its accurate position and attitude underwater, and the communication function of the antenna must support remote communication with the ground control center and data exchange between vehicles. In response to the above problems, traditional underwater vehicle antennas are often fixed on the back of the vehicle and cannot be raised or lowered. Existing folding antenna designs often use motors and other means to manually control the raising and lowering of the antenna. In addition, existing folding antenna designs have the problems of occupying a large space, placing the transmission device in seawater, and being unsuitable for high-pressure and strong environments. In addition, the dense arrangement of various positioning and communication modules in existing underwater vehicle antennas may cause mutual interference of signals. Summary of the invention

[0003] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention proposes an improved antenna device for an underwater vehicle, which can realize the automatic raising and lowering of the antenna when the underwater vehicle recovers the torpedo tube, and can also realize the integration of communication, positioning, navigation and position indication, while reducing interference between antennas.

[0004] The present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0005] The present invention relates to an improved antenna device for an underwater vehicle, comprising: an antenna base, an antenna body rotatably connected to one end thereof, and a driving device arranged in the antenna base and connected to the antenna body, wherein the horizontal movement of the driving device is converted into the rotational movement of the antenna body and realizes the lifting and lowering of the antenna.

[0006] The driving device includes: a cylinder, a slide rail, a gear shaft, a slider and a rack arranged on the slide rail in sequence, and a gear connected to the antenna body, wherein: the cylinder is connected to the slider to drive the rack thereon to move forward and backward, and the rack, the gear shaft and the gear are meshed in sequence to convert the forward and backward movement into the rotation of the antenna body. Technical Effects

[0007] An energy storage device is provided in the driving device of the present invention, into which gas is injected before the antenna is installed to store air pressure energy to provide power for the rotation of the antenna; in order to realize the integration of communication, positioning, navigation and position indication of the antenna, a new antenna combination scheme and position arrangement sequence are proposed, and a new signal-light display system is provided. The energy storage device in the drive device stores air pressure energy before installation. After being installed on the underwater vehicle, it does not require the power supply of the motor and the control of the solenoid valve, and can provide power for the rotation of the antenna by itself. The antenna adopts a combination of Beidou antenna, Wi-Fi antenna, Iridium antenna, and digital transmission antenna, which can realize navigation and positioning, short message communication, short-range high-speed communication, long-distance communication, and communication with the shore or mother ship. Various antennas can be used in combination according to the working scene of the underwater vehicle. Different application requirements use different communication methods, which further avoids mutual interference between multiple antennas. At the same time, the Wi-Fi antenna, digital transmission antenna, and Beidou antenna are arranged up and down, reducing the impact of digital transmission and Wi-Fi signals on Beidou. The new signal-light display system can obtain the working status of various antennas through the flashing of lights, and the antenna can be replaced according to the flashing of lights during work. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the antenna in the present invention;

[0009] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna in the present invention;

[0010] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the antenna of the present invention along the axis of the stepped shaft;

[0011] Figure 4 An exploded view of the axial direction of the antenna step axis in the present invention;

[0012] Figure 5 An exploded view of the axial direction of the antenna gear shaft and the threading device in the present invention;

[0013] Figure 6 A top view of the antenna body of the present invention;

[0014] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the positions of various antennas in the antenna body of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of an antenna installed on an underwater vehicle in an upright state in the present invention;

[0016] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the antenna of the present invention installed on the underwater vehicle in a folded state;

[0017] Fig.10It is a schematic diagram of the automatic folding of the antenna when the underwater vehicle in the present invention recovers the torpedo tube;

[0018] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the antenna signal-light display system in the present invention;

[0019] In the figure: 1 antenna base, 2 antenna body, 3 antenna lampshade, 4 threading device, 5 driving device, 6 underwater vehicle, 7 mother boat, 11 shell, 12 sealing gasket, 13 base, 21a first end cover, 21b second end cover, 22a first clamping wheel, 22b second clamping wheel, 23 Beidou antenna, 24 Wi-Fi antenna, 25 Iridium antenna, 26 data transmission antenna, 31 first O-ring, 32 LED lamp group, 41 threading bolt, 42 tightening nut, 43 sealing ring, 44 fourth O-ring, 45 threading Nut, 46 third O-ring, 47 antenna bottom cover, 51 cylinder, 511 piston rod, 512 support, 513 joint, 514 pin, 52 slide rail, 521 slider, 522 rack, 53 gear shaft, 531a first bearing, 531b second bearing, 532 bearing end cover, 533 second O-ring, 54 gear, 541 stepped shaft, 542 flat key, 543 bushing, 544a third bearing, 544b fourth bearing, 545 rotating seal ring, 546 bearing cover, 71 torpedo tube track. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment relates to an improved antenna device for an underwater vehicle, comprising: an antenna base 1, an antenna body 2 rotatably connected to one end thereof, and a driving device 5 arranged in the antenna base 1 and connected to the antenna body 2, wherein the horizontal movement of the driving device is converted into the rotational movement of the antenna body 2 and realizes the lifting and lowering of the antenna.

[0021] The antenna base 1 comprises: a housing 11 and a base 13 connected by screws to form a closed space. After the antenna is assembled, it is directly installed on the underwater vehicle to avoid watertightness and structural stability problems caused by installing the antenna assembly alone on the underwater vehicle.

[0022] like Figure 2 As shown, the driving device 5 includes: a cylinder 51 arranged in the antenna base 1, a slide rail 52, a gear shaft 53, a slider 521 and a rack 522 arranged on the slide rail in sequence, and a gear 54 connected to the antenna body 2, wherein: the cylinder 51 is connected to the slider 521 to drive the rack 522 thereon to move forward and backward, and the rack 522, the gear shaft 53 and the gear 54 are meshed in sequence to convert the forward and backward movement into the rotation of the antenna body 2.

[0023] The cylinder 51 is connected to the base 13 via a support 512. The cylinder 51 includes a piston rod 511. Compressed gas with a certain pressure is injected into one side of the cylinder to provide power for the entire drive device. The piston rod compresses the gas and the gas pushes the piston rod to move to realize the lifting and lowering movement of the antenna. The piston rod 511 is connected to the joint 513 via threads.

[0024] The slide rail 52 is connected to the base 13 by screws, and the slider 521 is connected to the joint 513 by a latch 514, which converts the horizontal movement of the piston rod into the horizontal movement of the slider.

[0025] The slider 521 is provided with a slot for fixing the rack 522 so that the rack can move horizontally together with the slider.

[0026] The gear shaft 53 is meshed with the rack 522, which converts the horizontal movement of the rack into the rotational movement of the gear shaft. The gear 54 is meshed with the gear shaft 53 to form a first-stage reduction with a transmission ratio of 1:2, which transmits the rotational movement of the gear shaft to the gear. The first-stage reduction is beneficial to the adjustment of the antenna lifting speed, and can also avoid the collision between the antenna and the underwater vehicle due to the antenna rising too fast.

[0027] The gear 54 is rotatably connected to the antenna body 2 via a stepped shaft 541 with a flat key 542, and the rotational motion of the gear 54 is transmitted to the stepped shaft.

[0028] Both ends of the stepped shaft 541 are connected to the antenna body 2 through a first clamping wheel and a second clamping wheel respectively, so that the rotational motion of the stepped shaft is converted into the rotational motion of the antenna body.

[0029] like Figure 3-Figure 5As shown, the first bearing and the second bearing are used at both ends of the gear shaft 53 to fix the axial position. A circular stepped groove is provided on one side of the housing 11 of the antenna base 1, and a circular opening is provided on the other side to support and position the first bearing and the second bearing. One side of the first bearing contacts the gear shaft 53, and the other side contacts the bearing end cover 532. This can make the structure compact and facilitate the installation of the gear shaft, the first bearing, and the second bearing. The bearing end cover 532 is connected to the housing 11 by screws. The stepped shaft 541 cooperates with the gear 54 at the shaft head, and both ends of the stepped shaft 541 contact the third bearing. The third bearing and the fourth bearing are connected to fix the axial position of the stepped shaft. The third bearing and the gear 54 are positioned using a sleeve 543. Circular openings are provided on both sides of the housing 11 to support and position the third bearing and the fourth bearing. At the same time, both ends of the stepped shaft 541 can pass through the housing 11. One side of the third bearing is in contact with the bearing cover 546. The bearing cover 546 is connected to the housing 11 by screws. The bearing cover can facilitate the installation of the stepped shaft, gear, third bearing, fourth bearing, and sleeve. The use of a stepped shaft can facilitate the installation and positioning of axial parts, making the structure more compact. One side of the antenna body 2 is fitted with the outer shell 11, and the other side is fitted with the bearing cover 546. Openings are provided on both sides of the antenna body 2 at the coaxial center of the stepped shaft 541, so that the stepped shaft 541 can pass through the openings. Slots are provided on both sides of the antenna body 2, and the first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel can be embedded in the slots. The two ends of the stepped shaft 541 are regular hexagonal cross-sections, which can cooperate with the first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel. The stepped shaft can rotate together with the antenna body. The first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel are respectively connected to the first end cover and the second end cover, and the first end cover and the second end cover are connected to the antenna body 2 by screws.

[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, the antenna body 2 is provided with a threading device 4, which includes: a threading bolt 41, a tightening nut 42, a sealing ring 43, a threading nut 45 and an antenna bottom cover 47, wherein: the antenna bottom cover 47 is connected to the antenna body 2 by screws, and the antenna bottom cover can facilitate the installation of the entire threading device, the threading bolt 41 passes through the round hole on the antenna bottom cover 47, the threading nut 45 is tightened with the threading bolt 41 through a thread, and fits with the antenna bottom cover 47, the sealing ring 43 is connected to the threading bolt 41, the tightening nut 42 is tightened with the threading bolt 41, and Fitting with the sealing ring 43, the threading device can extend the cables inside the antenna body to the outside through the threading holes of the threading bolts, and then connect the cables to the internal devices of the underwater vehicle. At the same time, it can avoid the problem of cables getting entangled with each other during the lifting and lowering of the antenna. The entire threading device always remains sealed. A third O-ring is used to seal between the antenna bottom cover 47 and the antenna body 2, and a fourth O-ring is used to seal between the threading nut 45 and the antenna bottom cover 47. A sealing ring is installed in the threading bolt and tightened by tightening the nut to prevent water from entering the antenna due to a gap between the cable and the threading hole.

[0031] like Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, the antenna base 1 is a sealed space, a rectangular sealing gasket 12 is provided at the connection between the shell 11 and the base 13, a second O-ring is used to seal between the bearing end cover 532 and the shell 11, and two rotating sealing rings 545 are used respectively on the two contact surfaces of the shell 11 and the stepped shaft 541. The antenna body 2 is a sealed space, and a first O-ring is provided at the connection between the antenna lampshade 3 and the antenna body 2. A third O-ring is used to seal between the antenna bottom cover 47 and the antenna body 2, and a fourth O-ring is used to seal between the threading nut 45 and the antenna bottom cover 47, so as to ensure that there is no water leakage when the antenna is working normally.

[0032] The antenna body 2 is made of polymethyl methacrylate material, and the antenna lampshade 3 is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) material has good light and wave transmission properties, which is more conducive to signal transmission and positioning. Polymethyl methacrylate material has high-strength pressure resistance.

[0033] The device works in the following way: before the underwater vehicle recovers the torpedo tube, Figure 8 As shown, the right side of the cylinder is filled with compressed gas with a certain pressure. The compressed gas will push the piston rod to move, and the antenna will rotate counterclockwise and rise through the driving device. When the antenna is upright, the whole mechanism reaches a balanced state. When the underwater vehicle recovers the torpedo tube, Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, when the underwater vehicle enters the torpedo tube, the antenna will contact the torpedo tube. As the recovery proceeds, the antenna will be subjected to the resistance of the torpedo tube and rotate clockwise to descend. The antenna will be retracted. At this time, the piston rod in the cylinder moves in the opposite direction to compress the gas, and the pressure of the gas will increase. When the underwater vehicle is launching the torpedo tube, the underwater vehicle enters the water from the torpedo tube, and the resistance of the torpedo tube to the antenna will disappear. At this time, the compressed gas will push the piston rod to move, and the antenna will rotate counterclockwise and rise to an upright state through the driving device.

[0034] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the antenna body 2 includes: Beidou antenna 23, Wi-Fi antenna 24, Iridium antenna 25, and data transmission antenna 26. The Wi-Fi antenna, Iridium antenna, and data transmission antenna are installed in a circular distribution in the antenna body, and the Beidou antenna is installed below the three antennas. In this way, the integration of navigation, positioning, communication, and position indication functions can be achieved. The Beidou antenna 23 is used to collect satellite signals to achieve navigation and positioning, and can also perform short message communication; the Wi-Fi antenna 24 and the data transmission antenna 26 can achieve short-range high-speed communication, and the Iridium antenna 25 is suitable for long-distance communication. When the underwater vehicle is in the open sea area, it can communicate with the shore or mother ship through the Iridium antenna 25. For ship communication, the three antennas can be used in combination according to the working scenario of the underwater vehicle. Different application requirements use different communication methods, which further avoids mutual interference between multiple antennas; at the same time, the Wi-Fi antenna 24, the digital transmission antenna 26, and the Beidou antenna 23 are arranged up and down, reducing the impact of digital transmission and Wi-Fi signals on Beidou; the digital transmission antenna frequency is 902-928MHz, and the Wi-Fi antenna frequency is 5.5GHZ. The frequency distribution of the two is far away, which can reduce mutual interference between the two; a bandpass filter is added to the input / output end of the digital transmission module, Wi-Fi module and Iridium module, so that each module only receives and transmits the required frequency band signal.

[0035] like Fig.11 , the LED light group 32 can display the working status of each antenna, and the working status of the antenna can be judged according to the flashing of the light. For example, the data transmission antenna 26 receives and sends radio frequency signals, which are processed and output by the data transmission module. The data transmission module transmits the communication status to the MCU through the serial port (such as UART), and the MCU processes the signal to control the LED drive circuit and drive the operation of the LED light group. The display logic of the light group is: green is always on during normal operation; green flashes during data transmission; red is displayed when the signal is weak or lost. The same is true for the lighting control of the Wi-Fi antenna 24 and the Iridium antenna 25. At the same time, the LED light group can emit bright lights to help operators quickly locate the UUV under low light conditions.

[0036] The above-mentioned specific implementation can be partially adjusted in different ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and purpose of the present invention. The protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the claims and shall not be limited by the above-mentioned specific implementation. Each implementation scheme within its scope shall be subject to the constraints of the present invention.

Claims

1. An improved antenna device for an underwater vehicle, characterized in that: include: An antenna base, an antenna body rotatably connected to one end thereof, and a driving device disposed in the antenna base and connected to the antenna body, wherein the horizontal movement of the driving device is converted into the rotational movement of the antenna body and the lifting and lowering of the antenna is realized; The driving device includes: a cylinder, a slide rail, a gear shaft, a slider and a rack arranged on the slide rail in sequence, and a gear connected to the antenna body, wherein: the cylinder is connected to the slider to drive the rack thereon to move forward and backward, and the rack, the gear shaft and the gear are meshed in sequence to convert the forward and backward movement into the rotation of the antenna body.

2. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna base comprises: a shell and a base connected by screws to form a closed space. After the antenna is assembled, it is directly installed on the underwater vehicle, avoiding watertightness and structural stability problems caused by installing the antenna component alone on the underwater vehicle.

3. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder is connected to the base through a support, and the cylinder includes a piston rod. Compressed gas with a certain pressure is injected into one side of the cylinder to provide power for the entire drive device. The piston rod compresses the gas and the gas pushes the piston rod to move to realize the lifting movement of the antenna. The piston rod is connected to the joint through a threaded connection.

4. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide rail is connected to the base by screws, and the slider is connected to the joint by a latch, which converts the horizontal movement of the piston rod into the horizontal movement of the slider; The slider is provided with a slot for fixing the rack, so that the rack and the slider can move horizontally at the same time; The gear shaft is meshed with the rack, which converts the horizontal motion of the rack into the rotational motion of the gear shaft. The gear is meshed with the gear shaft to form a first-stage reduction. The gear is rotatably connected to the antenna body via a stepped shaft with a flat key, and the rotational motion of the gear is transmitted to the stepped shaft.

5. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the stepped shaft are connected to the antenna body through a first clamping wheel and a second clamping wheel respectively, so that the rotational motion of the stepped shaft is converted into the rotational motion of the antenna body.

6. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first bearing and the second bearing are used to fix the axial position at both ends of the gear shaft. A circular step groove is provided on one side of the shell of the antenna base, and a circular opening is provided on the other side to support and position the first bearing and the second bearing. One side of the first bearing contacts the gear shaft, and the other side contacts the bearing end cover, which makes the structure compact and facilitates the installation of the gear shaft, the first bearing, and the second bearing. The bearing end cover is connected to the shell by screws, and the stepped shaft cooperates with the gear at the shaft head. The two ends of the stepped shaft are connected to the third bearing and the fourth bearing to fix the axial position of the stepped shaft. The third bearing and the gear are positioned using a shaft sleeve. Circular openings are provided on both sides of the shell to support and position the third bearing and the fourth bearing. At the same time, the two ends of the stepped shaft can pass through the shell, and the third bearing One side is in contact with the bearing cover, and the bearing cover is connected to the housing by screws. The bearing cover is convenient for the installation of the stepped shaft, gear, third bearing, fourth bearing, and sleeve, and the use of the stepped shaft is convenient for the installation and positioning of the axial parts, making the structure more compact. One side of the antenna body is in contact with the housing, and the other side is in contact with the bearing cover. Openings are provided on both sides of the antenna body at the coaxial position of the stepped shaft, so that the stepped shaft passes through the openings. Slots are provided on both sides of the antenna body, and the first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel are embedded in the slots. The two ends of the stepped shaft are regular hexagonal cross-sections, which cooperate with the first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel. The stepped shaft rotates together with the antenna body, and the first clamping wheel and the second clamping wheel are respectively connected to the first end cover and the second end cover, and the first end cover and the second end cover are connected to the antenna body by screws.

7. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna body is provided with a threading device, which includes: a threading bolt, a tightening nut, a sealing ring, a threading nut and an antenna bottom cover, wherein: the antenna bottom cover is connected to the antenna body by screws, the antenna bottom cover facilitates the installation of the entire threading device, the threading bolt passes through the round hole on the antenna bottom cover, the threading nut is tightened in cooperation with the threading bolt through a thread and fits with the antenna bottom cover, the sealing ring is connected to the threading bolt, the tightening nut is tightened in cooperation with the threading bolt and fits with the sealing ring, the threading device extends the cable inside the antenna body through the threading hole of the threading bolt to the outside, and then connects the cable to the internal device of the underwater vehicle, while avoiding the problem of cables being entangled with each other during the lifting process of the antenna, the entire threading device always maintains a sealed state, a third O-ring is used to seal between the antenna bottom cover and the antenna body, a fourth O-ring is used to seal between the threading nut and the antenna bottom cover, a sealing ring is installed in the threading bolt and tightened using the tightening nut to prevent the gap between the cable and the threading hole from causing water to enter the antenna; The antenna body includes: Beidou antenna, Wi-Fi antenna, Iridium antenna, data transmission antenna, Wi-Fi antenna, Iridium antenna, data transmission antenna installed in a circular distribution.

8. The improved antenna device for underwater vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that: The antenna base is a sealed space, a rectangular sealing gasket is provided at the connection between the shell and the base, a second O-ring is used for sealing between the bearing end cover and the shell, two rotating sealing rings are used respectively on the two contact surfaces of the shell and the stepped shaft, the antenna body is a sealed space, a first O-ring is provided for sealing at the connection between the antenna lampshade and the antenna body, a third O-ring is used for sealing between the antenna bottom cover and the antenna body, and a fourth O-ring is used for sealing between the threading nut and the antenna bottom cover, so as to ensure that there will be no water leakage when the antenna is working normally.

9. A control method for an improved antenna device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Before the underwater vehicle recovers the torpedo tube, the right side of the cylinder is filled with compressed gas that pushes the piston rod to move, and the antenna is rotated counterclockwise and raised through the driving device. When the antenna is upright, the entire mechanism reaches a balanced state; when the underwater vehicle recovers the torpedo tube, the underwater vehicle enters the torpedo tube, and the antenna comes into contact with the torpedo tube. As the recovery proceeds, the antenna is resisted by the torpedo tube and rotates clockwise and descends, and the antenna is retracted. At this time, the piston rod in the cylinder moves in the opposite direction to compress the gas, and the pressure of the gas increases; when the underwater vehicle launches the torpedo tube, the underwater vehicle enters the water from the torpedo tube, and the resistance of the torpedo tube to the antenna disappears. At this time, the compressed gas pushes the piston rod to move, and the antenna is rotated counterclockwise and raised to an upright state through the driving device.

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