A flexible, quickly installable and detachable fastening device for an underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible, quickly installable and detachable underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device, which includes a flexible tube body, a water droplet-shaped buckle assembly, a guiding mechanism and a positioning structure; the flexible tube body is used for sleeving on an underwater tow cable and fixing a flow guiding ribbon; the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies are symmetrically installed at both ends of the flexible tube body, and each water droplet-shaped buckle assembly has a proximal position and a distal position; the guiding structure guides the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies to move axially along the flexible tube body; the positioning structure is used for fixing the positions of the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies. In the flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device designed by the present invention, the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies move back and forth axially along the flexible tube body through the guiding mechanism, and the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies are in the proximal position or the distal position by relying on the positioning structure, so as to realize the clamping or contraction of the water droplet-shaped buckle assemblies, achieving the effects of easy operation, convenient disassembly and assembly, effectively decomposing the longitudinal impact force of water flow and guiding the smooth transition of transverse water flow, and reducing the resistance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of underwater tow cable installation, and particularly relates to an installation fastening device for a flexible and quickly detachable underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon. Background Art

[0002] As a key device for suppressing vortex-induced vibration, the underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon significantly improves the stability of the underwater towing system by changing the interaction mechanism between the water flow and the cable body. Its core principle lies in using the dynamic buffer interface formed on the outer surface of the ribbon to convert the high-speed water flow perpendicular to the cable body into a tangentially distributed laminar flow, thereby reducing the direct impact of the water flow on the tow cable, reducing vibration noise and absorbing vortex-induced energy. The current mainstream installation structures are mainly designed based on two major systems of flexible materials and fiber materials, and each solution faces unique technical challenges in engineering practice.

[0003] The flexible material flow guiding ribbon system adopts an automatic storage solution with electromechanical linkage. A typical example is the patent "An automatic storage system for a flexible flow guiding ribbon for suppressing vibration". This solution realizes the retraction and deployment of the ribbon through the coordinated control of sensors and motors, reducing mechanical damage to the flexible structure while ensuring the operation of detection equipment, and has the advantages of low cost and extended service life. However, its modular splicing structure has significant defects: the segmented connection results in insufficient overall flexibility, and marine sediments are likely to accumulate at the joints, accelerating material corrosion. The complex assembly process increases the construction time. More critically, the rigid end design does not consider streamline optimization, resulting in increased underwater resistance, and the reliability of the drive motor in a high-pressure seawater environment remains doubtful, with a risk of system failure.

[0004] The fiber material system has developed three different solutions: tarpaulin, hair, and braided tape. The tarpaulin-type ribbon (patent "A flow guiding ribbon") has attracted attention due to its low cost and convenient installation process. It has a good fitting effect with the surface of the tow cable, but the problem of insufficient material weather resistance is prominent: long-term immersion leads to structural embrittlement, and the attachment of microbial films and algae forms a biofouling layer, which not only reduces the flow guiding efficiency but also causes marine pollution after material degradation. The hair-type solution realizes integrated integration by directly implanting the ribbon into the cable body when braiding the tow cable. Its compact structure has less interference with signal transmission, but the hair mass structure instead becomes an ideal substrate for biological attachment, accelerating material aging. More troublesome is the problem of wear and shedding of the internal hair, making the maintenance cost remain high. In contrast, the braided tape pasting solution (patent "A paste-type flow guiding mechanism for a tow cable") adopts modular bonding technology, avoiding the risk of overall failure through a decentralized layout. Its firm bonding interface and good vibration suppression effect have certain advantages. However, the cured adhesive makes the ribbon and the cable body form a rigid combination, resulting in difficult disassembly and recycling in temporary operation scenarios. This "one-time" characteristic severely limits its application value in short-term tasks.

[0005] In addition, the multi-segment installation scheme proposed in the patent "An Ocean Pipeline Vortex-Induced Vibration Suppression Device with Streamers" uses the nested structure of the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder in combination with the bearing system. Although it can achieve segmented control, the complex bolt fastening process significantly increases the installation time. The cylindrical structure has poor adaptability to the bending of the cable and is only applicable to specific scenarios of straight cable laying. These technical bottlenecks together reflect the common problems of the current fairing streamer system: how to balance biofouling control, environmental adaptability, maintainability, and the life-cycle cost while ensuring structural reliability, and further reduce the drag in all directions is still the key issue restricting the in-depth application of this technology.

[0006] In summary, in the related technologies, the fairing streamer fixing device for underwater tow cables has problems of complex assembly and disassembly, poor drag reduction effect, and high operation and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to solve the structural defects and operation and maintenance problems existing in the prior art. The present invention provides a flexible and quickly installable and removable fairing streamer installation and fastening device for underwater tow cables, which can solve the technical problems of difficult installation and disassembly, poor drag reduction effect, and high operation and maintenance costs of the fairing streamer installation and fastening device in the related technologies.

[0008] To achieve the above object, the technical solution provided by the present invention is:

[0009] There is provided a flexible and quickly installable and removable fairing streamer installation and fastening device for underwater tow cables, including a flexible tube body, a water-drop-shaped buckle assembly, a guiding mechanism, and a positioning structure; the flexible tube body is used for being sleeved on the underwater tow cable with a clearance fit and for fixing the fairing streamer; the water-drop-shaped buckle assemblies are symmetrically installed at both ends of the flexible tube body, and each water-drop-shaped buckle assembly has a proximal end position close to the center of the flexible tube body and a distal end position far from the center of the flexible tube body; the guiding structure is used for guiding the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly to move axially along the flexible tube body; the positioning structure is used for positioning the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly at the proximal end position or the distal end position; when the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly is at the proximal end position, the fairing streamer installation and fastening device is locked with the underwater tow cable, and when the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly is at the distal end position, the fairing streamer installation and fastening device is unlocked from the underwater tow cable.

[0010] Furthermore, each end of the flexible tube body has two through holes evenly distributed along the circumference; the teardrop-shaped snap assembly includes two arc plates, an arc buckle plate, an outer snap ring and an inner snap ring; the two arc plates are movably arranged in the two through holes respectively, each arc plate matches the shape of the through hole, and the outer surface of each arc plate has a first arc slope that gradually decreases from the center of the flexible tube body to the end; the inner surface of each arc buckle plate has a second arc slope that matches the first arc slope; the outer snap ring is used to be mounted on the ends of the two arc buckle plates away from the center of the flexible tube body when the two arc buckle plates are buckled together; the inner snap ring is used to be mounted on the ends of the two arc buckle plates close to the center of the flexible tube body when the two arc buckle plates are buckled together.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner snap ring, the outer snap ring and the two arc-shaped buckle plates form a teardrop-shaped shell with a smooth and continuous outer surface, and the teardrop-shaped shell has a first tapered section that gradually narrows from the middle of the teardrop-shaped shell to the end away from the center of the flexible tube body, and a second tapered section that gradually narrows from the middle of the teardrop-shaped shell to the end close to the center of the flexible tube body; and the contour line slope value of the first tapered section is less than the contour line slope value of the second tapered section.

[0012] Furthermore, each through hole has a third curved slope on one side away from the center of the flexible tube body, which slopes from the outer surface to the inner surface of the flexible tube body; and the curved plate has a fourth curved slope on one side away from the center of the flexible tube body, which matches the third curved slope.

[0013] Furthermore, the through hole includes a large rectangular hole and a small rectangular hole located on the side of the large rectangular hole away from the center of the flexible tube body; the arc plate includes a large arc plate and a small arc plate located on the side of the large arc plate away from the center of the flexible tube body.

[0014] Furthermore, the guide structure includes a plurality of guide ribs distributed circumferentially at each end of the flexible tube body, and a guide groove arranged on the inner surface of the arc-shaped buckle plate and matching the guide ribs; wherein each guide rib extends axially and is located on the side of the through hole toward the center of the flexible tube body; each guide groove extends axially.

[0015] Furthermore, the positioning structure includes a first spherical protrusion axially arranged at the end of the flexible tube body, and two spherical pits axially arranged on the inner surface of the arc-shaped gusset plate and matching the first spherical protrusion.

[0016] Furthermore, a connecting groove is provided between the two spherical pits to connect the two spherical pits, and the depth of the connecting groove is smaller than the depth of the spherical pits.

[0017] Furthermore, the inner surface of the arc-shaped plate has a plurality of second spherical protrusions.

[0018] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the first curved inclined surface is greater than the inclination angle of the fourth curved inclined surface.

[0019] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0020] The flexible and quickly detachable underwater towing cable guide streamer installation and fastening device designed by the present invention includes a tube body and two groups of teardrop-shaped clip assemblies respectively arranged at both ends of the tube body. The flexible tube body can be directly put on the underwater towing cable and clamped on the underwater towing cable by the two teardrop-shaped clip assemblies to fix the guide streamer on the underwater towing cable. The teardrop-shaped clip assembly moves forward and backward along the axis of the flexible tube body through a guide mechanism, and the teardrop-shaped clip assembly is placed in the proximal end position or the distal end position through a positioning structure, converting the lateral movement along the flexible tube body into contraction or loosening along the longitudinal direction, thereby realizing the locking or unlocking of the guide streamer installation and fastening device. The flexible and quickly detachable underwater towing cable guide streamer installation and fastening device of the present application is easy to operate, convenient to assemble and disassemble, can be reused, can effectively decompose the longitudinal impact force of the water flow and guide the lateral water flow to transition smoothly, and reduce resistance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily understood through the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not drawn to scale and in which some features are exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components.

[0022] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the underwater tow cable guide streamer installation and fastening device of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the flexible pipe body of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 This invention Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 4 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a teardrop-shaped buckle assembly of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the teardrop-shaped buckle assembly of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the curved plate of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the positional relationship of the small curved plate on the curved plate of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the exterior of the arc-shaped gusset plate of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure inside the arc-shaped gusset plate of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 10 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the outer retaining ring of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 11 is a schematic structural diagram of the internal snap ring of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the water droplet-shaped snap component of the present invention in a tightened state;

[0034] Figure 13 is a sectional view of the water droplet-shaped snap component of the present invention in a relaxed state;

[0035] In the figure: 1 - underwater tow cable; 2 - outer snap ring; 21 - arc-shaped groove; 3 - arc-shaped buckle plate; 31 - straight groove-shaped protrusion; 32 - straight groove-shaped groove; 33 - guiding groove; 34 - spherical pit; 35 - arc-shaped protrusion; 36 - communication groove; 37 - second arc-shaped inclined surface; 4 - arc-shaped plate; 41 - small arc-shaped plate; 42 - large arc-shaped plate; 43 - first arc-shaped inclined surface; 44 - fourth arc-shaped inclined surface; 45 - second spherical protrusion; 5 - internal snap ring; 6 - flexible tube body; 61 - guiding rib; 62 - first spherical protrusion; 63 - through hole; 64 - third arc-shaped inclined surface. Specific Embodiments

[0036] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings by means of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. It should be noted that the following detailed description of the present invention is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the present invention.

[0037] In order to solve the structural defects and operation and maintenance problems existing in the prior art, the present invention proposes a flexible and quickly detachable underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device to achieve efficient installation and dynamic adaptation of the underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon.

[0038] As Figure 1 shown, a flexible and quickly detachable underwater tow cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device includes a flexible tube body 6, a water droplet-shaped snap component, a guiding mechanism, and a positioning structure; the flexible tube body 6 is used for sleeving on the underwater tow cable 1 with a clearance fit and for fixing the flow guiding ribbon; the water droplet-shaped snap components are symmetrically installed at both ends of the flexible tube body 6, and each water droplet-shaped snap component has a proximal end position close to the center of the flexible tube body 6 and a distal end position far from the center of the flexible tube body 6; the guiding structure is used to guide the water droplet-shaped snap component to move axially along the flexible tube body 6; the positioning structure is used to position the water droplet-shaped snap component at the proximal end position or the distal end position; when the water droplet-shaped snap component is at the proximal end position, the flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device is locked with the underwater tow cable 1, and when the water droplet-shaped snap component is at the distal end position, the flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device is unlocked from the underwater tow cable 1.

[0039] Achieve the efficient installation and dynamic adaptation of the underwater towed cable fairing ribbon. The core of this device lies in the use of a flexible sleeve to integrally cover the surface of the underwater towed cable 1, with water droplet-shaped buckle structures conforming to the principles of fluid mechanics configured at both ends, forming a stable connection with the underwater towed cable 1 through a sliding deformation locking mechanism. During installation, only the flexible tube body 6 needs to be sleeved along the axial direction of the cable and the water droplet-shaped buckle assembly is slid along the cable to complete the fixation. The disassembly process can reverse the operation to release the mechanical lock, greatly simplifying the complex assembly or bonding procedures in the traditional scheme. The application of flexible materials not only endows the device with excellent bending performance, enabling it to adapt to the multi-directional deformation of the towed cable during underwater operations, but also significantly expands its application scope in complex cable laying scenarios.

[0040] At the level of hydrodynamic optimization, this device achieves drag reduction and efficiency increase through a dual mechanism: the flexible tube body 6 can effectively decompose the longitudinal impact force of the water flow, while the special contour of the water droplet-shaped buckle assembly can guide the smooth transition of the transverse water flow, forming a flow field regulation effect in all directions. Compared with the traditional rigid connection or fixed paste scheme, this split design not only avoids the risk of joint corrosion caused by multi-segment splicing, but also solves the problem of rising maintenance costs due to the difficulty of disassembling the integral structure. Particularly importantly, the reusable loading and unloading characteristics of the flexible sleeve enable it to adapt to the needs of short-term detection tasks. After recovery, it can be reused through simple cleaning and maintenance, fundamentally breaking through the technical bottleneck of the "one-time" use of traditional fairing ribbons, and providing a new technical path for reducing the operation and maintenance costs of marine equipment and reducing biological pollution.

[0041] As Figure 2 、 3 shown, each end of the flexible tube body 6 has two through holes 63 evenly distributed circumferentially; as Figure 4 、 5 shown, the water droplet-shaped buckle assembly includes two arc plates 4, an arc buckle plate 3, an outer snap ring 2, and an inner snap ring 5; as Figure 5 、 6 shown, the two arc plates 4 are respectively movably arranged in the two through holes 63, the shape of each arc plate 4 matches that of the through hole 63, and the outer surface of each arc plate 4 has a first arc-shaped inclined surface 43 that gradually decreases from the center of the flexible tube body 6 to the end; as Figure 5 、 9 shown, the inner surface of each arc buckle plate 3 has a second arc-shaped inclined surface 37 that matches the first arc-shaped inclined surface 43; as Figure 4 shown, the outer snap ring 2 is used to sleeve the ends of the two arc buckle plates 3 away from the center of the flexible tube body 6 when the two arc buckle plates 3 are buckled; the inner snap ring 5 is used to sleeve the ends of the two arc buckle plates 3 close to the center of the flexible tube body 6 when the two arc buckle plates 3 are buckled.

[0042] This embodiment provides an underwater towed cable fairing ribbon installation and fastening device with specific dimensions:

[0043] The total length of the device for installing and fastening the underwater tow cable fairlead is 1 m, the outer diameter of the underwater tow cable 1 is 32 mm; the inner diameter of the arc-shaped plate 4 is 31.4 mm, and the total length is 26.4 mm; the inner diameter of the flexible tube body 6 is 32.5 mm, the outer diameter is 36 mm, and the total length is 1000 mm; the inner diameter of the arc-shaped buckle plate 3 is 36 mm, the outer diameter (widest part) is 55 mm, and the total length is 57.7 mm; the inner diameter of the outer snap ring 2 (smallest end) is 33.4 mm, the outer diameter (largest end) is 48.5 mm, and the total length is 27 mm; the inner diameter of the inner snap ring 5 is 47 mm, the outer diameter (widest part) is 54 mm, and the total length is 11 mm.

[0044] As Figure 5 、 6 shown, the contact area between the arc-shaped plate 4 and the outer surface of the underwater tow cable 1 is very important, which greatly affects the upper limit of the tensile force that the droplet-shaped buckle assembly can provide for the underwater tow cable 1. However, due to the irregular cross-section of the underwater tow cable 1, the contact area between the arc-shaped plate 4 and the underwater tow cable 1 is limited. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the transverse length (that is, along the axial direction of the flexible tube body 6) and the rotation angle of the arc-shaped plate 4 are sufficient. The transverse length is related to the length of the connected underwater tow cable 1. The ratio of the sum of the transverse lengths of the two arc-shaped plates 4 to the length of the underwater tow cable 1 is greater than 1:20. If the arc-shaped plate 4 is too narrow, it is difficult to provide sufficient tensile force. For example, when the length of the underwater tow cable 1 is 80 cm, the sum of the transverse lengths of the two arc-shaped plates 4 is at least 2 cm.

[0045] Regarding the rotation angle, the rotation angle should be large enough so that the two arc-shaped plates 4 can wrap around the underwater tow cable 1 to prevent it from shifting laterally, but it cannot be too large. If the rotation angle is too large, the remaining amount after grooving the flexible tube body 6 will be too small, and the strength will be insufficient, making it easy to break. During the movement process, there will be a significant normal stress on the fairlead installation and fastening device itself (for the 3-meter fairlead installation and fastening device, when used at a speed of 6 knots, the maximum stress is 33 N). Therefore, this requires the fairlead installation and fastening device to have strong anti-tensile ability. High-strength materials should be used, or longitudinal slicing should be avoided during 3D printing to reduce the risk of the fairlead installation and fastening device breaking. This is also why the angle at the through-hole 63 of the flexible tube body 6 (the rotation angle of the arc-shaped plate 4) cannot be too large. Although a pair of arc-shaped plates 4 should wrap around the underwater tow cable 1 as much as possible, a certain strength still needs to be ensured. The arc-shaped rotation angle of the arc-shaped plate 4 is 80° - 125°. When using high-strength materials, the rotation angle of the arc-shaped plate 4 can reach 130 degrees. The specific data can be determined according to the moving speed of the underwater tow cable 1 and the strength of the material used for the flexible tube body 6, etc. For example, when using TPU95A soft rubber material and at a speed of 3 - 8 knots, considering the relatively high strength of this material, the rotation angle can be slightly larger, but it cannot be greater than 125 degrees.

[0046] As Figure 3 、 5As shown in FIGS. 9, the guiding structure includes a plurality of guiding ribs 61 circumferentially distributed at each end of the flexible tube body 6, and guiding grooves 33 provided on the inner surface of the arc-shaped clamping plate 3 and matching with the guiding ribs 61; wherein, each guiding rib 61 extends axially and is located on the side of the through hole 63 facing the center of the flexible tube body 6; each guiding groove 33 extends axially.

[0047] As Figure 2 , 3 shown, there are two through holes 63, which are evenly distributed circumferentially along the flexible tube body 6; there are a plurality of guiding ribs 61 and first spherical protrusions 62, which are evenly and staggeredly distributed circumferentially along the flexible tube body 6; the guiding ribs 61 and the small rectangular holes are both arranged axially along the flexible tube body 6 and are located on both sides of the through hole 63. In this embodiment, there are 6 groups of first spherical protrusions 62. When the number is increased to 8 groups or 12 groups, the upper limit of the tensile force can be improved; at the same time, the number of guiding ribs 61 is consistent with the number of first spherical protrusions 62. Narrowing the guiding ribs 61 can also increase more first spherical protrusions 62.

[0048] As Figure 9 shown, a straight groove-shaped protrusion 31 is provided on the side wall at one end of the arc-shaped clamping plate 3 in the radial direction, and a straight groove-shaped groove 32 matching with the straight groove-shaped protrusion 31 is provided on the side wall at the other end. The two arc-shaped clamping plates 3 are snap-connected into one body through the straight groove-shaped protrusion 31 and the straight groove-shaped groove 32. As Figure 4 shown, the inner clamping ring 5, the outer clamping ring 2 and the two arc-shaped clamping plates 3 form a water-drop-shaped outer shell with a smooth and continuous outer surface, and the water-drop-shaped outer shell has a first tapered section that gradually narrows from the middle of the water-drop-shaped outer shell to one end away from the center of the flexible tube body 6, and a second tapered section that gradually narrows and transitions from the middle of the water-drop-shaped outer shell to one end close to the center of the flexible tube body 6; and the slope value of the contour line of the first tapered section is less than the slope value of the contour line of the second tapered section.

[0049] As Figure 1 , 4 shown, when the underwater tow cable 1 moves to the right, the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly on the left will tend to move backward due to the frontal seawater resistance, but since the left arc-shaped plate 4 is blocked by the vertical side wall of the through hole 63 in the flexible tube body 6, the force provided by this water-drop-shaped buckle assembly is greater than the seawater friction force, so the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly on the left cannot move; the water-drop-shaped buckle assembly on the right is subject to the seawater resistance on the back, but the water-drop-shaped outer shell will greatly reduce the resistance, and this water-drop-shaped buckle assembly can be fixed on the flexible tube body 6 through the positioning structure. When the underwater tow cable 1 moves to the left, the principle is the same as above, and it can also overcome the seawater friction force, and the fastening effect is good.

[0050] As Figure 3 , 7As shown, on one side of each through hole 63 away from the center of the flexible tube body 6, there is a third arc-shaped inclined surface 64 that slopes from the outer surface of the flexible tube body 6 towards the inner surface; on one side of the arc-shaped plate 4 away from the center of the flexible tube body 6, there is a fourth arc-shaped inclined surface 44 that matches the third arc-shaped inclined surface 64. And the inclination angle of the first arc-shaped inclined surface 43 is greater than that of the fourth arc-shaped inclined surface 44. The slope of the first arc-shaped inclined surface 43 where the arc-shaped plate 4 contacts the flexible tube body 6 is larger. In this embodiment, it is selected as 20°, and the slope of the fourth arc-shaped inclined surface 44 where the arc-shaped plate 4 contacts the arc-shaped fastener plate 3 is smaller. In this embodiment, it is selected as 10°.

[0051] As Figure 3 , 6 shown, the through hole 63 includes a large rectangular hole and a small rectangular hole located on the side of the large rectangular hole away from the center of the flexible tube body 6; the arc-shaped plate 4 includes a large arc-shaped plate 42 and a small arc-shaped plate 41 located on the side of the large arc-shaped plate 42 away from the center of the flexible tube body 6. The large arc-shaped plate 42 is installed in the large rectangular hole, and the small arc-shaped plate 41 is installed in the small rectangular hole.

[0052] As Figure 3 , 9 shown, the positioning structure includes a first spherical protrusion 62 axially arranged at the end of the flexible tube body 6 and two spherical pits 34 axially arranged on the inner surface of the arc-shaped fastener plate 3 and matching the first spherical protrusion 62. During design, the distance between the center of the first spherical protrusion 62 and the outer surface of the flexible tube body 6 is controlled between 0 and 1 / 3 of the radius to make it more protruding, but the center of the sphere should not be set on the outside, otherwise there will be a risk of fracture.

[0053] The spherical pits 34 on the arc-shaped fastener plate 3 cooperate with the first spherical protrusion 62 on the flexible tube body 6 for snap connection, and can fix the drop-shaped buckle assembly on the flexible tube body 6 in the proximal position. At this time, the diversion ribbon installation fastening device is locked with the underwater cable 1.

[0054] As Figure 9 shown, whether to design a communication groove 36 between the two spherical pits 34 on the rear annular installation platform of the arc-shaped fastener plate 3 can be determined according to different levels of tensile force requirements. If the length from the center of the spherical pit 34 to the inner surface of the rear annular installation platform is less than the radius of the spherical pit 34, there is a communication groove 36 connecting the two spherical pits 34 between the two spherical pits 34. The groove depth of the communication groove 36 is less than the depth of the spherical pit 34, and the width of the communication groove 36 is less than or equal to the diameter of the spherical pit 34; if the length from the center of the spherical pit 34 to the inner surface of the rear annular installation platform is greater than the radius of the spherical pit 34, and at this time the spherical surface is not particularly prominent, the communication groove 36 may not be provided between the two spherical pits 34.

[0055] As Figure 7As shown, the inner surface of the arc-shaped plate 4 has a plurality of second spherical protrusions 45 for increasing the friction with the underwater tow cable 1. When the cross-sectional shape of the underwater tow cable 1 is slightly irregular, the above structure can appropriately increase the friction. If the outer diameters of each part of the underwater tow cable 1 measured by a vernier caliper are very close, then the second spherical protrusions 45 can be appropriately reduced or even completely removed. The second spherical protrusions 45 can also be made smoother.

[0056] As Figure 8 shown, the outer surfaces at the front and rear ends of the arc-shaped fastener plate 3 are respectively provided with a plurality of arc-shaped protrusions 35 evenly along the circumferential direction, as Figure 10 , 11 shown, the inner surfaces of the outer snap ring 2 and the inner snap ring 5 are provided with a plurality of arc-shaped grooves 21 matching the arc-shaped protrusions 35.

[0057] As Figure 3 shown, the cross-section of the guiding rib 61 is an isosceles triangle, and the apex angle is greater than or equal to 30°, ensuring that it will not age and break. In this embodiment, the cross-section of the guiding rib 61 is set as an equilateral triangle.

[0058] Figure 12 , 13 are respectively the cross-sectional views of the tightening and loosening states of the water droplet-shaped snap component. From the loosening state to the tightening state, it moves 2 mm in the radial direction of the flexible pipe body 6 and 8.4 mm in the axial direction of the flexible pipe body 6.

[0059] The underwater tow cable diversion ribbon installation fastening device designed in this embodiment can be fastened only by being sleeved on the underwater tow cable 1 and through the water droplet-shaped snap components at both ends, and the operation is simple; and it uses flexible materials, has better bending performance, and a wider application range. The device can be fixed on the underwater tow cable 1 through the water droplet-shaped snap components, converting the lateral movement of the flexible pipe body 6 into longitudinal contraction or loosening. When moving underwater, the water droplet-shaped snap components at both ends have better drag reduction effects in both the longitudinal (radial) and axial (lateral) directions compared with the traditional basic structure of a cylinder.

[0060] Finally, it should be noted that the features mentioned and / or shown in the above description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be combined in the same or similar manner into one or more other embodiments, combined with the features in other embodiments or replace the corresponding features in other embodiments. The technical solutions obtained by such combination or replacement should also be regarded as being included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible, quickly installable and detachable underwater tow cable fairing ribbon installation and fastening device, characterized in that Comprising: A flexible tube body (6) for being sleeved on an underwater towing cable (1) with a clearance fit and for fixing a flow guiding streamer; A water-drop-shaped snap component symmetrically installed at both ends of the flexible tube body (6), each water-drop-shaped snap component having a proximal position close to the center of the flexible tube body (6) and a distal position far from the center of the flexible tube body (6); each end of the flexible tube body (6) has two through holes (63) evenly distributed in the circumferential direction; the water-drop-shaped snap component includes two arc-shaped plates (4), an arc-shaped buckling plate (3), an outer snap ring (2) and an inner snap ring (5); The two arc-shaped plates (4) are respectively movably arranged in the two through holes (63), the shape of each arc-shaped plate (4) matches the shape of the through hole (63), and the outer surface of each arc-shaped plate (4) has a first arc-shaped inclined surface (43) gradually decreasing from the center of the flexible tube body (6) to the end; the inner surface of each arc-shaped buckling plate (3) has a second arc-shaped inclined surface (37) matching the first arc-shaped inclined surface (43); the outer snap ring (2) is used for sleeving on the ends of the two arc-shaped buckling plates (3) far from the center of the flexible tube body (6) when the two arc-shaped buckling plates (3) are buckled; the inner snap ring (5) is used for sleeving on the ends of the two arc-shaped buckling plates (3) close to the center of the flexible tube body (6) when the two arc-shaped buckling plates (3) are buckled; The inner snap ring (5), the outer snap ring (2) and the two arc-shaped buckling plates (3) form a water-drop-shaped outer shell with a smooth and continuous outer surface, and the water-drop-shaped outer shell has a first tapered section gradually narrowing from the middle of the water-drop-shaped outer shell to one end far from the center of the flexible tube body (6), and a second tapered section gradually narrowing and transitioning from the middle of the water-drop-shaped outer shell to one end close to the center of the flexible tube body (6); and the slope value of the contour line of the first tapered section is less than the slope value of the contour line of the second tapered section; A guiding structure for guiding the axial movement of the water-drop-shaped snap component along the flexible tube body (6); And a positioning structure for positioning the water-drop-shaped snap component at the proximal position or the distal position; Wherein, when the water-drop-shaped snap component is at the proximal position, the flow guiding streamer installation fastening device is locked with the underwater towing cable (1), and when the water-drop-shaped snap component is at the distal position, the flow guiding streamer installation fastening device is unlocked from the underwater towing cable (1).

2. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One side of each through hole (63) facing away from the center of the flexible tube body (6) has a third arc-shaped inclined surface (64) inclined from the outer surface of the flexible tube body (6) to the inner surface; one side of the arc-shaped plate (4) facing away from the center of the flexible tube body (6) has a fourth arc-shaped inclined surface (44) matching the third arc-shaped inclined surface (64).

3. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The through hole (63) includes a large rectangular hole and a small rectangular hole located on the side of the large rectangular hole facing away from the center of the flexible tube body (6); The arc-shaped plate (4) includes a large arc-shaped plate (42) and a small arc-shaped plate (41) located on the side of the large arc-shaped plate (42) facing away from the center of the flexible tube body (6).

4. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guiding structure includes a plurality of guiding ribs (61) circumferentially distributed at each end of the flexible tube body (6), and guiding grooves (33) provided on the inner surface of the arc-shaped buckle plate (3) and matching the guiding ribs (61); Wherein, each of the guiding ribs (61) extends axially and is located on the side of the through hole (63) facing the center of the flexible tube body (6); each of the guiding grooves (33) extends axially.

5. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning structure includes a first spherical protrusion (62) axially provided at the end of the flexible tube body (6), and two spherical pits (34) axially provided on the inner surface of the arc-shaped buckle plate (3) and matching the first spherical protrusion (62).

6. The underwater towed cable diversion ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A communication groove (36) communicating the two spherical pits (34) is provided between the two spherical pits (34), and the groove depth of the communication groove (36) is less than the depth of the spherical pits (34).

7. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 1, characterized in that The inner surface of the arc-shaped plate (4) has a plurality of second spherical protrusions (45).

8. The underwater towed cable flow guiding ribbon installation and fastening device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inclination angle of the first arc-shaped inclined surface (43) is greater than the inclination angle of the fourth arc-shaped inclined surface (44).

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