Submarine watertight cable

Abstract

The invention discloses a submarine watertight cable which comprises a cable body, a male head box, a female head box, a locking assembly and a connector base fixed to the end of the cable body. A power connection sliding disc is slidably installed in the connector base, electrode sliding rings are arranged on the surface of the power connection sliding disc, and electric connection is achieved through contact of the electrode sliding rings of the power connection sliding discs at the ends of the two cable bodies. A first pressure cabin and an air channel are arranged in the male head box and the female head box, a second pressure cabin is arranged in the connector base, and compressed air released by the trigger base drives the power connection sliding disc to be ejected out and makes contact with the other power connection sliding disc to achieve sealing. The locking assembly comprises a clamping jaw, a welding ball, a synchronous ring and a spring shaft box, the clamping jaw is matched with the locking groove to achieve mechanical locking, the welding ball and the locking groove are subjected to a corrosion reaction in the seawater environment to form solid welding, and secondary locking is achieved. The device has the characteristics of high connection strength, strong sealing performance, seabed high pressure resistance and corrosive environment resistance, and is suitable for long-term seabed operation environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of submarine cables, in particular to a submarine watertight cable. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, submarine cables usually use mechanical connection and sealing structures to achieve connection between cables. These technical solutions usually complete electrical connection and sealing through the mechanical matching of metal parts and the combination of rubber sealing rings. For example, traditional submarine cable joints mainly rely on mechanical clamping force and compression deformation of sealing rings to maintain connection strength and sealing effect. However, due to the long-term high pressure and corrosive medium in the submarine environment, this structure is prone to problems such as sealing failure, unstable electrical connection and insufficient mechanical locking strength during use, affecting the reliability and service life of the cable.

[0003] The existing technical solutions have the following main defects: Traditional technology relies solely on mechanical clamping force to fix the cable connector, but in a long-term seawater environment, the mechanical structure is susceptible to corrosion and loosening, resulting in reduced locking strength. It cannot effectively meet the high-strength connection requirements for long-term use on the seabed.

[0004] Existing technologies usually use simple mechanical seals to resist seawater pressure, but it is difficult to achieve internal positive pressure. Due to the lack of water temperature difference, internal negative pressure is generated. The cable connection part is easily attacked by external pressure in a high-pressure seawater environment, resulting in water intrusion, unstable electrical contact, and even seal failure.

[0005] Traditional sealing structures mostly rely on rubber rings or other compression seals, which are prone to failure due to aging, wear or seawater corrosion in long-term use. In addition, the sealing design without positive pressure compensation is difficult to maintain reliability for a long time in the high-pressure submarine environment, and there is a risk of seawater leakage, which in turn affects the safety and durability of the cable.

[0006] The present invention overcomes the defects of the above-mentioned traditional technologies by combining innovative designs of fusion welding, positive pressure maintenance and high sealing, significantly improves the connection strength, sealing performance and service life of the submarine cable, and adapts to the use requirements of complex submarine environments. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the problems of insufficient mechanical locking strength, lack of positive pressure holding ability and insufficient sealing performance in the prior art, thereby improving the strength, sealing and long-term stability of submarine cable connections and adapting to the use requirements of high pressure and corrosive environments on the seabed.

[0008] To this end, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a submarine watertight cable, comprising a cable body, a male head box, a female head box and a locking assembly, and a connector seat fixed to the end of the cable body; an electric connection slide plate is slidably installed on the inner side of the connector seat, and a plurality of electrode slip rings electrically connected to the cable body are provided on the surface of the electric connection slide plate, and the electrical connection of the two cable body ends is achieved through the mutual contact of the electrode slip rings on the surfaces of the two cable body end electric connection slide plates; The inner sides of the male head box and the female head box are both provided with a first ballast tank located on one side of the joint seat, and the inner sides of the male head box and the female head box are both provided with an air passage; the inner side of the joint seat is provided with a second ballast tank, and one side of the electrical sliding plate is provided with a piston ring slidably mounted on the inner side of the second ballast tank; The end of the female head box is provided with a plug stop head, and the surface of the plug stop head is provided with a plurality of trigger seats evenly distributed in the circumferential direction; one side of the male head box is provided with a connection groove matched with the plug stop head, and a packing seal is provided in the connection groove; The locking assembly includes a clamping jaw, a welding ball, a synchronization ring and a plurality of spring shaft boxes; the welding ball is arranged at one end of the clamping jaw and fits closely with the inner curvature of the locking groove of the male head box; the clamping jaw is rotatably mounted on the surface of the female head box, the synchronization ring is rotatably mounted on the inner side of the female head box, and the surface of the synchronization ring is provided with a butt protrusion abutting against the surface of the clamping jaw, and the surface of the synchronization ring is provided with a transmission tooth that is meshed with the shaft end of the spring shaft box.

[0009] In a preferred example, the present invention can be further configured as follows: 1. The welding ball is made of non-corrosion-resistant steel material, and forms a solid welding connection in the contact area through the seawater corrosion reaction between the locking groove, thereby realizing the secondary locking function, and the welding area has high strength and long-term stability.

[0010] 2. The compressed gas bomb of the trigger seat is filled with inert gas, which enters the first ballast chamber and the second ballast chamber in sequence through the airway after being released, forming a positive pressure effect, pushing the electrical sliding disc out, achieving electrical connection while maintaining stability and sealing.

[0011] 3. The outer edge of the joint seat is tightly fitted with the inner side of the first ballast tank, and through the design of packing seal and piston ring, efficient sealing is achieved under positive pressure to prevent seawater from infiltrating.

[0012] 4. The non-working parts of the clamping claws and the synchronous ring in the locking assembly are protected by corrosion-resistant metal or anti-corrosion coating to adapt to the corrosive influence of the long-term seabed environment.

[0013] Through the above technical solution, the present invention significantly improves the connection strength and sealing performance of the submarine cable, and can adapt to the complex submarine environment for a long time, with high reliability and broad application prospects. The beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are: 1. In the present invention, by designing a precise match between the welding ball and the locking groove, the corrosion characteristics of non-corrosion-resistant steel materials are utilized in the seawater environment to form solid welding and realize the secondary locking function. This connection method has high strength and long-term stability, and is particularly suitable for long-term use in the seabed environment.

[0014] 2. In the present invention, the compressed gas released by the trigger seat drives the sliding and ejection of the connector seat and the power connection slide plate, and at the same time, the second ballast tank and the piston ring form a positive pressure effect to ensure that the power connection slide plate maintains stability and reliability in the contact state. The design of the positive pressure system can effectively resist the external seawater pressure and further enhance the sealing effect of the cable connection.

[0015] 3. In the present invention, the plug-in matching design of packing seal and conical plug stopper is adopted, combined with the effect of positive pressure gas, to achieve efficient sealing of gas flow channel and power connection slide plate area. This structure can not only effectively prevent seawater from infiltrating, but also maintain excellent sealing effect for a long time in high pressure environment, thereby improving the durability and safety of the cable. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a male header box and a female header box according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the initial state of the male head box and the female head box being connected according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the final state of the male head box and the female head box being connected according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cable body and a connector seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a connector seat and a power connection sliding plate according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a trigger seat according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 The figure is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a locking assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 100, cable body; 110, connector seat; 120, electrical connection slide plate; 111, air hole; 121, piston ring; 200, male box; 210, locking groove; 220, packing seal; 201, first ballast tank; 202, airway; 300, female head box; 310, plug stop head; 320, trigger seat; 321, compressed gas bomb; 322, top ball; 323, needle seat; 400, locking assembly; 410, clamping claw; 420, welding ball; 430, synchronization ring; 440, spring shaft box; 431, butt protrusion; 432, transmission tooth. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] To make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clear, the present invention is further described in detail below in combination with specific implementations and with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0019] It is to be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0020] The following is combined with Figure 1-Figure 8 A submarine watertight cable is described according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] As shown in the figure, a submarine watertight cable provided by the present invention includes a cable body 100, a male head box 200, a female head box 300 and a locking assembly 400, and a connector seat 110 fixed to the end of the cable body 100.

[0022] An electrical connection slide 120 is slidably mounted on the inner side of the connector seat 110, and a plurality of electrode slip rings electrically connected to the cable body 100 are disposed on the surface of the electrical connection slide 120, and electrical connection between the two ends of the cable body 100 is achieved through the mutual contact of the electrode slip rings on the surface of the electrical connection slide 120 at the ends of the two cable bodies 100; a first ballast 201 located on one side of the connector seat 110 is disposed on the inner side of the male head box 200 and the female head box 300, and an air passage 202 is disposed on the inner side of the male head box 200 and the female head box 300; a second ballast is disposed on the inner side of the connector seat 110, and a piston ring 121 slidably mounted on the inner side of the second ballast is disposed on one side of the electrical connection slide 120.

[0023] Connection configuration in the initial state: Figure 3 As shown, in the initial state after the male box 200 and the female box 300 are connected, the connector seat 110 is located on the side of the male box 200 and the female box 300 close to the cable body 100, and the outer edge of the connector seat 110 abuts against the inner side of the first ballast tank 201 and is located at the port position of the airway 202, so that the port of the airway 202 is sealed. When the compressed gas bomb 321 inside the trigger seat 320 releases gas, the gas enters the first ballast tank 201 and first pushes the connector seat 110 to slide inside the first ballast tank 201. After the connector seat 110 slides to a position away from the port of the airway 202, part of the gas is introduced into the second ballast tank inside the connector seat 110 through the air hole 111. The positive pressure inside the second ballast tank pushes the piston ring 121 to move, and further pushes the power-connecting slide plate 120 out of the surface of the connector seat 110, so as to achieve the following. Figure 4In the state shown, the connector base 110 of the male connector box 200 and the female connector box 300 and the power-connecting slide plate 120 move and abut against each other under the push of positive pressure, and the electrical connection is achieved through the contact of the electrode slip ring on the surface of the power-connecting slide plate 120.

[0024] The structure and operation of the plug stopper and the trigger seat: The end of the female head box 300 is provided with a plug stopper 310, and the surface of the plug stopper 310 is provided with a plurality of trigger seats 320 evenly distributed in the circumferential direction. A connection groove matching the plug stopper 310 is provided on one side of the male head box 200, and a packing seal 220 is provided in the connection groove; a compressed gas bomb 321 is slidably installed on the inner side of the trigger seat 320, and a top ball 322 is provided at one end of the compressed gas bomb 321, and a puncture needle seat 323 is provided at the other end. When the plug stopper 310 is inserted into the connection groove on the surface of the male head box 200, the top ball 322 protruding from the surface of the plug stopper 310 contacts and abuts against the surface of the male head box 200, pushing the compressed gas bomb 321 inside the trigger seat 320 to slide, and the puncture needle seat 323 punctures the compressed gas bomb 321, releasing the compressed nitrogen inside. The gas passes through the gas flow passage connecting the inner side of the female header box 300 and the male header box 200 , enters the first ballast chamber 201 , and pushes the connector seat 110 and the power connection slide plate 120 to move.

[0025] The structure and working principle of the locking assembly: The locking assembly 400 includes a clamping jaw 410, a welding ball 420, a synchronization ring 430 and a plurality of spring shaft boxes 440. The welding ball 420 is arranged at one end of the clamping jaw 410 and fits the inner curvature of the locking groove 210 of the male head box 200; the clamping jaw 410 is rotatably mounted on the surface of the female head box 300, and the synchronization ring 430 is rotatably mounted on the inner side of the female head box 300, and the surface of the synchronization ring 430 is provided with a protrusion 431 that abuts against the surface of the clamping jaw 410.

[0026] During the engagement process of the male head box 200 and the female head box 300, the synchronizing ring 430 is manually rotated to deflect the protrusion 431 away from the clamping jaw 410, and the clamping jaw 410 can be freely deflected to expand; the deflection of the synchronizing ring 430 is meshed with the shaft end of the spring shaft box 440 through the transmission tooth 432, so that the spring inside the spring shaft box 440 stores energy. When the male head box 200 and the female head box 300 are fully engaged, the synchronizing ring 430 is released, and the spring shaft box 440 releases the stored energy to drive the synchronizing ring 430 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the protrusion 431 and the surface of the clamping jaw 410 resume the abutment state, thereby realizing the mechanical clamping and locking function.

[0027] Seawater corrosion welding forms secondary locking: In a long-term seawater immersion environment, corrosion reaction occurs between the welding ball 420 and the locking groove 210 of the male head box 200, gradually forming a solid welding connection. Due to the precise matching between the welding ball 420 and the locking groove 210, the welding area has high strength and long-term stability, thereby realizing the secondary locking function.

[0028] Anti-corrosion protection: The non-working parts of the clamping jaws 410 and the synchronization ring 430 are protected by corrosion-resistant metal materials or anti-corrosion coatings to prevent corrosion during long-term use from affecting the structural integrity, further enhancing the reliability of the submarine watertight cable.

[0029] Clamping and sealing performance: Through the above structural design, the clamping jaws 410 and the male head box 200 form an initial clamping force, which, together with the packing seal 220 and the positive pressure, enables the entire connection structure to have excellent sealing performance, can adapt to the high-pressure environment of the seabed for a long time, and ensure the stability and safety of the cable connection.

[0030] The working principle and use process of the present invention: The submarine watertight cable of the present invention realizes the sealing, reliability and automatic locking function of the underwater cable connection through the synergistic effect of various components. Its working principle mainly includes the following parts: 1. Joint sliding connection and positive pressure push principle An electrical connection slide plate 120 is slidably mounted inside the connector seat 110, and an electrode slip ring is provided on the surface of the electrical connection slide plate 120, which is electrically connected to the cable body 100. During the engagement process of the male head box 200 and the female head box 300, the compressed gas bomb 321 of the trigger seat 320 is punctured by the puncture needle seat 323 to release the compressed gas.

[0031] The gas enters the first ballast chamber 201 in turn, pushing the joint seat 110 to slide and open the air channel 202, and at the same time enters the second ballast chamber in the joint seat 110 through the air channel 202 and the air hole 111, further pushing the piston ring 121 to move, so that the power-connecting slide plate 120 is ejected and contacts the electrode slip ring on the surface of the other power-connecting slide plate 120, completing the electrical connection.

[0032] 2. Trigger seat positive pressure output and sealing function The compressed gas bomb 321 of the trigger seat 320 is pre-filled with inert gas, which forms a high-pressure airflow after being released and enters the inside of the joint through the air passage 202 and the air hole 111. The packing seal 220 and the piston ring 121 are airtightly matched with the joint seat 110 to achieve internal air pressure stability and ensure a watertight sealing effect.

[0033] 3. Mechanical locking of locking components and seawater corrosion welding The locking groove 210 of the male plug box 200 is precisely matched with the welding ball 420, and the clamping jaw 410 is driven by the synchronization ring 430 to achieve preliminary mechanical locking.

[0034] In a long-term seawater environment, the surface of the welding ball 420 and the inner surface of the locking groove 210 undergo seawater corrosion reaction, gradually forming a solid welding connection, thereby achieving a secondary locking function and providing a high-strength stable connection. In the locking assembly, the clamping claw 410, the abutting protrusion 431, and the synchronization ring 430 ensure long-term stability through mechanical design and the application of anti-corrosion materials.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A submarine watertight cable, characterized in that: It comprises a cable body (100), a male head box (200), a female head box (300), a locking assembly (400), and a connector seat (110) fixed to the end of the cable body (100); An electrical connection slide plate (120) is slidably mounted on the inner side of the connector seat (110); a plurality of electrode slip rings electrically connected to the cable body (100) are disposed on the surface of the electrical connection slide plate (120); the ends of the two cable bodies (100) are connected by mutual contact of the electrode slip rings on the surface of the electrical connection slide plate (120); a second ballast is disposed on the inner side of the connector seat (110); a piston ring (121) slidably mounted on the inner side of the second ballast is disposed on one side of the electrical connection slide plate (120); The inner sides of the male head box (200) and the female head box (300) are both provided with a first ballast chamber (201) located on one side of the connector seat (110), and the inner sides of the male head box (200) and the female head box (300) are both provided with an air passage (202); The end of the female head box (300) is provided with a plug stop head (310), and the surface of the plug stop head (310) is provided with a plurality of trigger seats (320) evenly distributed in a circumferential direction; one side of the male head box (200) is provided with a connection groove matched with the plug stop head (310), and a packing seal (220) is provided in the connection groove; The locking assembly (400) comprises a clamping jaw (410), a welding ball (420), a synchronizing ring (430) and a plurality of spring shaft boxes (440); the synchronizing ball (420) is arranged correspondingly at one end of the clamping jaw (410) and fits closely with the inner curvature of the locking groove (210) of the male head box (200); the clamping jaw (410) is rotatably mounted on the surface of the female head box (300), the synchronizing ring (430) is rotatably mounted on the inner side of the female head box (300), and the surface of the synchronizing ring (430) is provided with a butting protrusion (431) that abuts against the surface of the clamping jaw (410), and the surface of the synchronizing ring (430) is provided with a transmission tooth (432) that is transmission-engaged with the shaft end of the spring shaft box (440).

2. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The male head box (200) and the female head box (300) are made of corrosion-resistant metal materials to adapt to high pressure and corrosive conditions in a long-term seabed environment.

3. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The packing seal (220) is made of a high-strength, wear-resistant fluororubber material, and the plug stop head (310) is in a conical ring shape to ensure air tightness between the plug stop head (310) and the male head box (200).

4. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The welding ball (420) is spherical, and the curvature of the inner side of the locking groove (210) matches the curvature of the surface of the welding ball (420); the welding ball (420) is made of non-corrosion-resistant steel material, and the welding ball (420) and the inner side of the locking groove (210) are welded in the contact area through seawater corrosion, thereby achieving a welding locking effect; the surface of the welding ball (420) is subjected to a sandblasting or oxidation treatment process to control the corrosion rate and corrosion uniformity.

5. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the clamping jaws (410) and the synchronizing ring (430) are protected by corrosion-resistant metal materials or anti-corrosion coatings to prevent corrosion of non-working parts from affecting overall performance; the number of the clamping jaws (410) and the abutting protrusions (431) is several and they are evenly distributed in a circumferential direction on the surfaces of the female head box (300) and the synchronizing ring (430).

6. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surfaces of the abutting protrusions (431) are arranged tangentially, and a planar spiral spring is provided inside the spring shaft box (440), and a key shaft is provided on the surface of the spring for transmission engagement with the surface of the transmission teeth (432).

7. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection point between the clamping jaw (410) and the surface of the female head box (300) is located between the welding ball (420) and the synchronization ring (430), so that the clamping jaw (410) can be lever-deflected on the surface of the female head box (300); the relative contact surfaces of the clamping jaw (410) and the abutting protrusion (431) are both frosted surfaces, which are used to increase the contact friction between the surfaces of the clamping jaw (410) and the abutting protrusion (431) and maintain the stability of the synchronization ring (430).

8. A submarine watertight cable according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the male head box (200) and the female head box (300) are in a non-connected state, the connector seat (110) is located inside the male head box (200) and the female head box (300) on a side close to the cable body (100), and the outer edge of the connector seat (110) abuts against the inner side of the first ballast chamber (201) and is located at the port of the airway (202) to block the airway (202); after the gas inside the compressed gas bomb (321) escapes, the gas enters the first ballast chamber (201) and the airway (202) is sealed. 1) The joint seat (110) is pushed to slide inside the first ballast chamber (201), and after the joint seat (110) is separated from the port of the air passage (202), part of the gas is introduced into the second ballast chamber inside the joint seat (110) through the air hole (111), and the positive pressure inside the second ballast chamber pushes the piston ring (121) to move, so that the power-connecting sliding plate (120) is pushed out from the surface of the joint seat (110), so that the electrode slip rings on the surfaces of the two power-connecting sliding plates (120) are in contact.

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