High-strength light-weight watertight umbilical cable device

Abstract

The invention relates to a high-strength light-weight watertight umbilical cable device which comprises a signal cable, the signal cable is matched with a steel wire assembly, the two ends of the signal cable and the steel wire assembly are connected with corresponding junction boxes, each junction box comprises a box body, and the box body is connected with a sealing cover made of high-strength aluminum alloy. Wire outlet channels are distributed at the upper end of the box body, wire inlet channels are distributed at the lower end of the box body, and first wire arranging assemblies are installed in the wire inlet channels. A spacing mechanism is distributed in the box body, the spacing mechanism divides the interior of the box body into a steel wire channel and a cable wiring area, a plurality of positioning assemblies are distributed in the steel wire channel, and the junction box is wrapped by a polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell. Therefore, collaborative optimization of light weight and high strength can be met. And the high-strength aluminum alloy sealing cover is matched with the compartment type box body. Compared with a traditional all-steel structure scheme, the overall breaking force reaches 20.5-22.3 kN, a separated bin isolation mode is achieved, and physical isolation of the steel wire assembly and the signal cable is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable device, and more particularly to a high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device. Background Art

[0002] In the field of ocean engineering, umbilical cable assemblies are required for connecting equipment such as ships, helicopters, or drones to towed signalers. However, existing umbilical cable assemblies have various defects such as large weight, easy breakage of signal cables, easy cracking at the connection between the cable and the junction box, and easy damage and water ingress.

[0003] At the same time, in a harsh marine environment, huge wave fluctuations cause large oscillatory fluctuations between the ship and the lowered signaler, which can cause the umbilical cable assembly module to break after being impacted. For this reason, there are also umbilical cable assemblies assisted by steel wires for connection. However, such cables use bolts to mesh with the steel wires for steel wire positioning, resulting in loss of steel wire strength and easy breakage at the meshing point. Moreover, the cable lacks a necessary watertight structure at the interface, which easily allows water vapor to penetrate into the junction box and shortens the service life.

[0004] Combined with the existing technology, the following defects still exist: 1. The overall weight is too large. In the prior art CN203311871U, the disclosed all-steel structure junction box uses a steel wire armor layer as the load-bearing unit, resulting in an overall density as high as 3.5 - 4.2 g / cm³, which cannot meet the lightweight requirements of shipborne equipment.

[0005] 2. There are easily cable abrasion and seal failure. In the prior art CN112489869A, the proposed tensile umbilical cable uses a compartmentalized design, but does not isolate the steel wire and signal cable channels. During use, it will still cause friction between the steel wire and the signal cable, resulting in damage to the signal cable. At the same time, only a vulcanized rubber sealing structure is used, which is easily cracked after multiple bends.

[0006] In view of the above defects, the inventor has actively carried out research and innovation in order to create a high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, making it more valuable in the industry. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device.

[0008] A high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable device of the present invention includes a signal cable, and the signal cable is equipped with a steel wire assembly. Both ends of the signal cable and the steel wire assembly are connected to corresponding junction boxes. Among them: the junction box includes a box body, and a cover made of high-strength aluminum alloy is connected to the box body. The upper end of the box body is provided with an outgoing line channel, and the lower end of the box body is provided with an incoming line channel. A first wire arranging assembly is installed in the incoming line channel; a spacing mechanism is distributed in the box body, and the spacing mechanism divides the interior of the box body into a steel wire channel and a cable routing area. A number of positioning assemblies are distributed in the steel wire channel. The lower end of the steel wire channel, the lower end of the cable routing area are communicated with the incoming line channel, and the upper end of the cable routing area is communicated with the outgoing line channel; the signal cable is connected to the first wire arranging assembly, passes through the cable routing area, and exits from the outgoing line channel, and the exiting part is connected with a watertight connector. The steel wire assembly is connected to the first wire arranging assembly, enters the steel wire channel and is connected to the positioning assembly. The junction box is wrapped with a polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell, and the thickness of the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell is 5 to 8 millimeters; the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell extends with a conical tail, and a second wire arranging assembly is wrapped in the conical tail. The conical tail partially covers the signal cable and the steel wire assembly located outside the junction box, and the conical tail forms a flexible connection structure.

[0009] Further, in the above-mentioned high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the positioning assembly includes a number of supporting columns distributed in the steel wire channel. One side of the supporting column is connected with a number of wire pressing blocks through fastening bolts. A locking mechanism is distributed below the wire pressing blocks. The steel wire assembly is wound around the supporting column, and the end of the steel wire assembly contacts the locking mechanism; the locking mechanism is a contact surface with serrated patterns.

[0010] Even further, in the above-mentioned high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the steel wire assembly is wound around the supporting column at least three times, and the winding inclination angle is 5 to 15 degrees; the inclination angle of the serrations of the serrated pattern is 45 degrees; a silica gel layer is covered on the contact surface; in the combined area of the supporting column and the box body, a number of reinforcing ribs are distributed; spiral grooves are distributed on the surface of the supporting column.

[0011] Even further, in the above-mentioned high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the signal cable has a buffer length reserved in the box body, and the buffer length is greater than or equal to eight times the diameter of the signal cable, and the buffer length is arranged in a bent state in the box body.

[0012] Even further, in the above-mentioned high-strength lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the spacing mechanism is a polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip, and the thickness of the polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip is 2 to 5 millimeters.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the first cable arranging assembly and the second cable arranging assembly both include wiring guiding plates, and a plurality of steel wire guiding holes and cable guiding holes are formed in the wiring guiding plates.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, between the cable routing area and the outlet channel, cable bundle positioning columns are distributed in pairs. A routing space is formed between the cable bundle positioning columns, and the signal cable passes through the routing space and then enters the outlet channel; the cross-section of the cable bundle positioning column is oval, and a silicone damping layer is coated on the outer surface of the cable bundle positioning column.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the box body is located outside the outlet channel, and end protection pieces are distributed in pairs.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the steel wire assembly is composed of a plurality of steel wire unit stranded wires.

[0017] Still further, in the above-mentioned high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, the extension length of the tapered tail is ≥ 30 mm of the total length of the junction box, and the taper angle is 15 to 25 degrees.

[0018] By means of the above solution, the present invention has at least the following advantages: 1. It can meet the collaborative optimization of lightweight and high strength. The high-strength aluminum alloy cover (with a density ≤ 3 g / cm³ and a tensile strength ≥ 300 MPa) is matched with the compartmentalized box body. Compared with the traditional all-steel structure solution, the overall weight is reduced by 40% - 45%, and the breaking force reaches 20.5 to 22.3 kN, meeting the dual requirements of shipborne equipment for the weight and strength of the cable assembly.

[0019] 2. It can meet multi-level stress dispersion. Through the fixing method of winding the steel wire assembly around the supporting column at an inclination angle of 5 - 15° for three circles and then crimping, compared with the direct bolt locking solution, the force uniformity of a single steel wire is increased by 70%.

[0020] 3. It realizes the compartment isolation method, meets the physical isolation of the steel wire assembly and the signal cable, and avoids the steel wire assembly from rubbing against the signal cable and causing wear.

[0021] 4. It adopts the structure of the tapered tail to realize flexible sealing, and can meet the requirement that the signal cable will not crack under a moderate bending state and no external water vapor will penetrate.

[0022] 5. The signal cable has a buffer length, can cope with sudden pulling conditions, and will not break due to abnormal tension.

[0023] 6. The overall structure is simple, facilitating the routing layout of signal cables and wire assemblies.

[0024] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to understand the technical means of the present invention more clearly and implement it according to the content of the specification, the following will describe in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the internal wiring structure of the junction box.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a front structural schematic diagram of the combination of the junction box and the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a side structural schematic diagram of the combination of the junction box and the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a front structural schematic diagram of the first cable assembly.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a combined schematic diagram of the pressure block and the wire assembly.

[0030] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device. (It should be noted that during implementation, after installation, different materials of winding tapes will be wrapped around the wire assembly and signal cables, resulting in the wire assembly and signal cables not being independently displayed) The meanings of the reference numerals in the drawings are as follows.

[0031] Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The following will further describe in detail the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the drawings and embodiments. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0032] As Figures 1 to 6A high-strength and lightweight watertight umbilical cable device, including a signal cable 1, the signal cable 1 is equipped with a steel wire assembly 2, and both ends of the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 are connected to corresponding junction boxes. In this way, the external stress is borne by the steel wire assembly 2, so as to prevent the signal cable 1 from being damaged by pulling. What makes it different is that the junction box includes a box body 3, and a cover 4 made of high-strength aluminum alloy is connected to the box body 3, and its tensile strength ≥ 300 MPa, which can adapt to the shock impact caused by huge wave fluctuations under typhoons. At the same time, considering the routing planning of the import and export of the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2, an outlet channel 5 is distributed at the upper end of the box body 3, and an inlet channel 6 is distributed at the lower end of the box body 3. During the assembly process, in order to prevent the signal cable 1 from sliding abnormally, the outlet channel 5 can be designed as an opening structure with a gradually decreasing diameter, and the inlet channel 6 adopts a conical flared structure. And, in order to realize the independent inlet guiding of the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 respectively, a first wire arranging assembly 7 is installed in the inlet channel 6.

[0033] During the implementation, in order to prevent the steel wire assembly 2 from wearing the signal cable 1 during the stress process, a spacing mechanism 8 is distributed in the box body 3, and the spacing mechanism 8 divides the interior of the box body 3 into a steel wire channel 9 and a cable routing area 10. In this way, the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 are arranged independently and will not have wear contact in the box body 3. Specifically, a number of positioning components are distributed in the steel wire channel 9, the lower end of the steel wire channel 9 and the lower end of the cable routing area 10 are communicated with the inlet channel 6, and the upper end of the cable routing area 10 is communicated with the outlet channel 5. During assembly, the signal cable 1 is connected to the first wire arranging assembly 7, passes through the cable routing area 10 in sequence, and passes out from the outlet channel 5, and the passed-out part is connected with a watertight connector 11. The model of the watertight connector 11 is such as a multi-core interface, etc., and it is adapted according to the actual number of signal cables 1. The steel wire assembly 2 is connected to the first wire arranging assembly 7 and is connected to the positioning components after entering the steel wire channel 9.

[0034] In order to achieve overall watertight protection and meet the use environment requirements under greater pulling stress, a polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell 12 is wrapped outside the junction box, and the thickness of the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell 12 is 5 to 8 mm. At the same time, in order to protect the connection part of the relatively weak signal cable 1, the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell 12 extends a conical tail 13. And, a second wire arranging assembly 14 is wrapped in the conical tail 13 to prevent the conical tail 13 from bulging abnormally due to improper routing and then cracking. During manufacturing, the conical tail 13 partially covers the signal cable 1 and the steel wire assembly 2 located outside the junction box, and the conical tail 13 constitutes a flexible connection structure.

[0035] In view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning component adopted includes a number of supporting columns 15 distributed in the steel wire channel 9. At the same time, a number of wire pressing blocks 16 are connected to one side of the supporting column 15 through fastening bolts 23. In order to effectively bind and limit the end of the steel wire assembly 2, a locking mechanism 17 is distributed below the wire pressing block 16. During installation, the steel wire assembly 2 is wound around the supporting column 15, and the end of the steel wire assembly 2 contacts the locking mechanism 17. In order to increase the extrusion friction force on the outside of the steel wire assembly 2, the locking mechanism 17 has a contact surface with serrated patterns and will not slip after locking. During installation, the steel wire assembly 2 is wound around the supporting column 15 at least three times, and the winding inclination angle is 5 to 15 degrees. In this way, multi-point fixation can be achieved, avoiding single-point concentrated stress on the steel wire assembly 2 and reducing the risk of being broken under tension. At the same time, the inclination angle of the serrations of the serrated pattern is 45 degrees, which can just clamp the steel wire assembly 2. For some special anti-slip requirements, a silica gel layer can also be covered on the contact surface to increase the contact damping. Moreover, a number of reinforcing ribs (not shown in the figure) are distributed in the joint area between the supporting column 15 and the box body 3. In this way, the overall load-bearing effect of the supporting column 15 can be improved, and abnormal deformations such as bottom bending will not occur under extreme loading conditions. Furthermore, in order to guide the steel wire assembly 2 to wind at a suitable inclination angle and number of turns, spiral grooves (not shown in the figure) are distributed on the surface of the supporting column 15. In this way, as long as the steel wire assembly 2 is located in the spiral groove during winding, its winding layout of three turns at 45 degrees can be satisfied. Of course, for some special application environments, the winding angle and number of turns of the steel wire assembly 2 can also be adjusted adaptively, such as an inclination angle of 30 degrees, four turns, etc. After installation, it can be ensured that each steel wire assembly 2 is evenly stressed, and the tension is jointly borne by the fastening bolt 23 and the supporting column 15, and it can withstand a greater tension.

[0036] Furthermore, a buffer length 22 is reserved for the signal cable 1 in the box body 3, and the buffer length 22 is not less than eight times the diameter of the signal cable 1. Moreover, the buffer length 22 is arranged in a bent state in the box body 3. In this way, even if the signal cable 1 is straightened due to sudden external stress, the maximum tensile deformation of the cable can be offset by the buffer length 22, and the signal cable 1 in the upper and lower end regions of the box body 3 will not be overstressed. Of course, different buffer lengths 22 can be reserved according to the actual application environment of the watertight umbilical cable device, such as directly reserving 100 millimeters or more than 10 times the diameter of the signal cable.

[0037] In view of the actual implementation, the spacer mechanism 8 adopted is a polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip, and the thickness of the polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip is 2 to 5 millimeters. In this way, it has appropriate support and anti-wear effects. From the optimized implementation, a mesh reinforcement strip can be distributed on the surface of the polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip. At the same time, in order to facilitate the independent insertion guidance of each wire assembly 2 and signal cable 1 during assembly, the first wire arranging assembly 7 and the second wire arranging assembly 14 adopted in the present invention both include a wiring guide plate, and a plurality of wire guide holes 18 and cable guide holes 19 are formed on the wiring guide plate. In this way, different types of signal cables 1 can be inserted into the corresponding cable guide holes 19 in sequence according to the setting. The wire assembly 2 can also be inserted into the corresponding wire guide holes 18 according to the actual reserved length or diameter to ensure that there is no misassembly and meet the wiring guidance.

[0038] Furthermore, in order to realize the centralized outlet guidance of the signal cable 1, cable bundle position columns 20 are distributed in pairs between the cable routing area 10 and the outlet channel 5, and a routing space is formed between the cable bundle position columns 20. During assembly, the signal cable 1 passes through the routing space and then enters the outlet channel 5. At the same time, the cross-section of the cable bundle position column 20 is oval, and a silicone damping layer is coated on the cable bundle position column 20. In this way, after the signal cable 1 is assembled, it is not easy to retract inward, avoiding unnecessary dragging stress on the signal cable 1 itself during use. And, in order to provide appropriate protection for the joint of the watertight connector 11 and the signal cable 1, end protection pieces 21 are distributed in pairs outside the outlet channel 5 of the box body 3.

[0039] At the same time, in order to cope with the stress received during the use of the drag-type signaler, the breaking force of the wire assembly 2 is not less than 20 kN, and it is composed of a plurality of wire unit strands. And, the extension length of the tapered tail 13 is ≥30 millimeters of the total length of the junction box, and the taper angle is 15 to 25 degrees. In this way, it can meet the requirements of appropriate flexible connection, improve the bending life of the tapered tail 13, and reduce the risk of its cracking. Furthermore, the thickness of the cover 4 can be 3 to 5 millimeters, and the surface is anodized. A labyrinth seal groove is provided on the joint surface of the cover 4 and the main body, and finally they are locked and combined by screws, which is not easy to loosen and has an appropriate watertight effect. Considering that the wire assembly 2 can always protect the signal cable 1 from being pulled and broken under the state of large tensile force, the tensile force ratio of the wire assembly 2 to the signal cable 1 is 10:1 to 15:1.

[0040] The working principle of the present invention is as follows: The polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell 12 adopts a fully enclosed scheme, which can effectively prevent foreign substances such as external water vapor from penetrating into the inside of the junction box. At the same time, it also takes into account a moderate compressive effect and can meet the usage requirements at different water depths in the marine engineering field. When docking with devices such as ships, helicopters or drones for a towed signaler, normal and stable use can be ensured. If huge wave fluctuations occur under a typhoon, resulting in huge shock fluctuations between the ship and the lowered signaler, a multi-strand wire assembly can be used to bear the external stress. And an intermittent design is adopted, so that even if the wire assembly is deformed, it will not wear the signal cable.

[0041] In addition, the orientation or positional relationship described in the present invention is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or structure referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0042] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. It should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the technical principle of the present invention, several improvements and modifications can be made, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device, comprising a signal cable (1), wherein the signal cable (1) is equipped with a steel wire assembly (2), and both ends of the signal cable (1) and the steel wire assembly (2) are connected to corresponding junction boxes, characterized in that: The junction box comprises a box body (3), a sealing cover (4) made of a high-strength aluminum alloy is connected to the box body (3), an outlet channel (5) is distributed at the upper end of the box body (3), an inlet channel (6) is distributed at the lower end of the box body (3), and a first cable arrangement component (7) is installed in the inlet channel (6); a spacing mechanism (8) is distributed inside the box body (3), and the spacing mechanism (8) divides the inside of the box body (3) into a steel wire channel (9) and a cable routing area (10), and a plurality of positioning components are distributed inside the steel wire channel (9), the lower end of the steel wire channel (9) and the lower end of the cable routing area (10) are connected to the inlet channel (6), and the upper end of the cable routing area (10) is connected to the outlet channel (5); The signal cable (1) is connected to the first wiring assembly (7), passes through the cable routing area (10), and passes out from the outlet channel (5), and the passing part is connected to a watertight connector (11); the steel wire assembly (2) is connected to the first wiring assembly (7), enters the steel wire channel (9), and is connected to the positioning assembly; the outside of the junction box is wrapped with a polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell (12), and the thickness of the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell (12) is 5 to 8 mm; the polyurethane vulcanized rubber shell (12) extends with a conical tail (13), and the second wiring assembly (14) is wrapped in the conical tail (13); the conical tail (13) partially covers the signal cable (1) and the steel wire assembly (2) located outside the junction box, and the conical tail (13) constitutes a flexible connection structure.

2. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning assembly comprises a plurality of supporting columns (15) distributed in the steel wire channel (9); one side of the supporting column (15) is connected to a plurality of wire pressing blocks (16) via a fastening bolt (23); a locking mechanism (17) is distributed below the wire pressing block (16); the steel wire assembly (2) is wound around the supporting column (15), and the end of the steel wire assembly (2) is in contact with the locking mechanism (17); the locking mechanism (17) is a contact surface with a serrated pattern.

3. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The steel wire assembly (2) is wound at least three times on the supporting column (15), and the winding angle is 5 to 15 degrees; the sawtooth pattern has a sawtooth inclination angle of 45 degrees; the contact surface is covered with a silicone layer; a plurality of reinforcing ribs are distributed in the joint area between the supporting column (15) and the box body (3); and spiral grooves are distributed on the surface of the supporting column (15).

4. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal cable (1) has a buffer length (22) reserved in the box body (3); the buffer length (22) is greater than or equal to eight times the diameter of the signal cable (1); and the buffer length (22) is arranged in a curved state in the box body (3).

5. The high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spacing mechanism (8) is a polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip, and the thickness of the polytetrafluoroethylene isolation strip is 2 to 5 mm.

6. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first wiring assembly (7) and the second wiring assembly (14) both include a wiring guide plate, and the wiring guide plate is provided with a plurality of steel wire guide holes (18) and cable guide holes (19).

7. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Cable tie posts (20) are distributed in pairs between the cable routing area (10) and the cable outlet channel (5); a routing space is formed between the cable tie posts (20); the signal cable (1) enters the cable outlet channel (5) after passing through the routing space; the cross-section of the cable tie posts (20) is elliptical, and the cable tie posts (20) are coated with a silicone damping layer.

8. The high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body (3) is located outside the outlet channel (5) and is provided with end protection sheets (21) in pairs.

9. A high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steel wire assembly (2) is composed of a plurality of steel wire unit twisted wires.

10. The high-strength, lightweight, watertight umbilical cable device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The extension length of the tapered tail (13) is ≥30 mm of the total length of the junction box, and the tapered angle is 15 to 25 degrees.

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