Glass sealing device, assembling device and assembling method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of deep sea detection, and particularly provides a glass sealing device, an assembling device and an assembling method.The glass sealing device comprises a plurality of glass parts, a plurality of sealing assemblies and a plurality of sealing assemblies, the glass parts are detachably spliced through a preset connecting structure to form a complete shell, and after splicing, all local cavities are communicated and combined to form a continuous inner cavity of the shell. A sealing assembly is arranged at the splicing position of the shell, and the sealing assembly enables the continuous inner cavity to form a closed space. In the working state, air pressure difference is generated between the inner cavity and the outer surface of the shell by changing the air pressure of the inner cavity, extrusion force formed by the air pressure difference is transmitted through the preset connecting structure, and the connecting stability between the glass parts is enhanced; the vacuum extrusion principle is adopted to splice a plurality of simple and regular glass parts into a complete sealed shell, and the sealing shell has good compression resistance and can adapt to underwater operation scenes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of deep sea exploration technology, and specifically to a glass sealing device, an assembly device and an assembly method. Background Art

[0002] Metal materials have high strength and ductility. Therefore, metal materials can be processed into some special shapes, and then these special-shaped parts are tightly connected together by components such as bolts. Therefore, the shells of current underwater detection devices are usually made of metal materials.

[0003] However, in deep-sea exploration scenarios, metal shells present problems such as heavy weight and poor corrosion resistance. Based on a 9,000-meter dive, a 400mm-diameter titanium alloy sphere would require a wall thickness of 70mm, while borosilicate glass would only require a wall thickness of 17mm, costing less than one-fifth the cost of titanium alloy. Currently, the surface of underwater shells requires regular coating to reduce surface roughness, prevent rust, and reduce the amount of aquatic organisms attached. This anti-corrosion method is not only costly but also ineffective, requiring regular removal of aquatic organisms such as fusilli and algae. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention provides a glass sealing device, an assembly device and an assembly method to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a glass sealing device, comprising:

[0006] A plurality of glass components, each of which comprises interconnected partial cavities; the glass components are detachably joined together to form a complete housing through a preset connection structure, and after joining, the partial cavities are connected and combined to form a continuous inner cavity of the housing;

[0007] A sealing assembly is provided at the joint position of the shell, and the sealing assembly forms a closed space in the continuous inner cavity;

[0008] In the working state, by changing the air pressure in the inner cavity, an air pressure difference is generated between the inner cavity and the outer surface of the shell. The extrusion force formed by the air pressure difference is transmitted through the preset connection structure, thereby enhancing the connection stability between the glass components.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the butt joint surface of the glass component is a plane, and the surface roughness of the butt joint surface is in the range of 0.1-20, and the butt joint surface is the surface where the glass component butts with other glass components.

[0010] In an optional embodiment, the ratio of the lateral pressure-bearing area of ​​the glass component to the wall pressure-bearing area is in the range of 5-20.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the sealing assembly includes:

[0012] Butyl rubber strips are used to wrap around the gaps at the splicing locations;

[0013] Waterproof tape for covering butyl strips.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the plurality of glass components include a head component, a middle component and a tail component, and the tail component has a semi-open accommodating cavity, and the semi-open accommodating cavity is used to install an underwater propeller.

[0015] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an assembly device, comprising:

[0016] Vacuum box, including a box body and a vacuum system;

[0017] A plurality of vertical limiting rods are provided at the bottom of the box body, and the maximum distance between the plurality of limiting rods matches the maximum diameter of the housing cross section of the glass sealing device.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, a pressure sensor is embedded in the center of the bottom of the box, and its sensing surface is flush with the bottom plane of the box; the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller of the vacuum system, and the controller is used to control the power of the vacuum system.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the control method of the controller includes:

[0020] Convert pressure sensor signals into real-time pressure values;

[0021] When the pressure value is ≥ the first threshold, the vacuuming power is linearly increased until the rated power is reached;

[0022] When the second threshold value is less than the pressure value and less than the first threshold value, the vacuuming power is reduced to the first power;

[0023] When the pressure value is less than or equal to the second threshold, the vacuuming power is reduced to the second power;

[0024] The second power is less than the first power and is less than the rated power.

[0025] A third aspect provides an assembly method, comprising:

[0026] Grinding the butt joint surfaces of the glass components so that the surface roughness of the butt joint surfaces is within a set roughness range;

[0027] The glass components are sequentially placed between the plurality of limiting rods in the vacuum box, and the plurality of sequentially placed glass components are assembled into a shell;

[0028] Start the vacuum system of the vacuum box, reduce the air pressure in the vacuum box to 0.7-0.8 atmospheres, and maintain the pressure for 1 minute;

[0029] Open the balance valve to restore the air pressure in the vacuum box to atmospheric pressure and close the glass components;

[0030] Wrap the butyl rubber strip around the joints between the glass parts and compact them firmly, overlapping the butyl rubber strips by 10-20mm at the joints.

[0031] Cover the butyl tape with waterproof tape and wrap it around 2-3 times to complete the sealing of the glass parts.

[0032] The beneficial effects of the present invention lie in that the glass sealing device, assembly device, and assembly method provided herein utilize glass components, taking advantage of the excellent surface smoothness and corrosion resistance of glass materials, thus avoiding the need for regular anti-corrosion maintenance. For applications where glass materials have poor ductility and are difficult to assemble, the present invention designs simple, regular glass components and utilizes the principle of vacuum extrusion to splice multiple simple, regular glass components into a complete sealed housing. This simple assembly method simplifies the assembly process and makes the housing suitable for underwater operations.

[0033] In addition, the present invention has a reliable design principle, a simple structure and a very broad application prospect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, for ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 1 is a first schematic structural diagram of a glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 1 is a second schematic structural diagram of a glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 3 1 is a third schematic structural diagram of a glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 4 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 5 4 is a fifth schematic structural diagram of a glass sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 6It is a schematic diagram of a working scene of an assembly device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Among them, 1. Head assembly; 2. Middle assembly; 3. Tail assembly; 4. Limit rod; 5. Vacuum box. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art of the present invention. The terms used in this specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0044] The key terms appearing in the present invention are explained below.

[0045] Comparison of the anti-corrosion performance of glass and metal materials in seawater operations:

[0046] 1. Chemical stability

[0047] Inert surface characteristics: There are no free electrons on the surface of glass materials (such as glass) and they do not react with Cl in seawater. - 、SO4 2- Corrosive ions react electrochemically, and it is difficult for an oxide layer to form on the surface. Metal materials (such as carbon steel and aluminum alloy) are prone to oxidation reactions in seawater environments, forming a loose rust layer and accelerating local corrosion.

[0048] Acid and alkali resistance: Glass remains stable in the pH range of 1-12 and can withstand the weak acid and alkali environment in seawater; however, the corrosion rate of metal materials increases significantly in acidic seawater (such as deep-sea environments containing H2S), and stainless steel may experience pitting corrosion or intergranular corrosion.

[0049] 2. Surface structure characteristics

[0050] Impermeable surface: Glass has a smooth and dense surface, making it difficult for water molecules and salt spray to penetrate into the material. Metal materials are prone to corrosion channels due to microscopic pores and grain boundary defects, leading to deep corrosion.

[0051] Anti-biological attachment ability: The glass surface is not easily attached by marine organisms (such as barnacles and algae), avoiding accelerated corrosion by biological metabolites; biological attachment on the metal surface will form an oxygen concentration cell, causing localized corrosion acceleration.

[0052] 3. Comparison of electrochemical characteristics

[0053] Glass materials are insulators and have no risk of galvanic corrosion; metal materials are conductors and are prone to forming electrochemical corrosion cells.

[0054] 4. Thermal Expansion Coefficient Matching

[0055] The thermal expansion coefficient of the glass in this patent is relatively small (3.0-4.0×10 -6 / ℃), than metal materials (such as steel: 11×10 -6 / ℃) has small deformation in marine environments with large temperature differences and is not prone to stress corrosion cracking, making it more suitable for environments where marine temperatures are constantly changing.

[0056] 5. Correlation between mechanical properties and corrosion

[0057] Strength retention rate: Glass retains >90% of its strength after 5 years of immersion in seawater; carbon steel loses more than 30% of its strength in the splash zone in 1 year.

[0058] Fatigue performance: Glass materials do not have the grain boundary fatigue effect of metals and have better fatigue resistance under the alternating load of seawater; metal materials are prone to corrosion fatigue fracture under the action of corrosion-stress coupling.

[0059] Glass performs better than metal in seawater environments. However, metal, due to its quantitative ductility, strength, and plasticity, can be processed into a variety of shapes, facilitating assembly. Glass, on the other hand, has less plasticity and, when processed into irregularly shaped components, is prone to shattering at points of concentrated stress. Therefore, designing the shape of glass so that it can be assembled into a shell capable of withstanding high pressures remains a technical challenge that needs further resolution.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 1 , providing a glass sealing device, comprising:

[0061] Multiple glass components, each glass component contains interconnected partial cavities; the glass components can be detachably spliced ​​together through a preset connection structure to form a complete shell, and after splicing, the partial cavities are connected and combined to form a continuous inner cavity of the shell;

[0062] A sealing assembly is provided at the joint of the shell, which forms a closed space in the continuous inner cavity;

[0063] In the working state, by changing the air pressure in the inner cavity, a pressure difference is generated between the inner cavity and the outer surface of the shell. The extrusion force formed by the pressure difference is transmitted through the preset connection structure, thereby enhancing the connection stability between the glass components.

[0064] The multiple glass components include a head assembly 1, a middle assembly 2, and a tail assembly 3. These three components are connected in sequence, with the mating surfaces of the head assembly 1 and the middle assembly 2 being identical, and the mating surfaces of the middle assembly 2 and the tail assembly 3 being identical. The three components can be assembled into a single housing. In operation, the cavity inside the housing is a vacuum environment, resulting in a pressure difference between the interior and exterior of the housing. This pressure difference squeezes the glass components into a single, integrated housing.

[0065] The glass sealing device of the present invention can be combined into housings of various shapes to adapt to different underwater detection instruments:

[0066] Please refer to Figure 2 , the head component 1 and the tail component 3 are assembled into a shell.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 3 , the two head components 1 are assembled into a shell.

[0068] Please refer to Figure 4 , the two tail components 3 are assembled into a shell.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 5 , a head component 1, two middle components 2 and a tail component 3 are assembled into a shell. Similarly, multiple middle components 2 can be added.

[0070] The butt joint surfaces of the glass components of the present application are flat and have been subjected to plane grinding, with a surface roughness Ra greater than 0.1 and less than 20, preferably greater than 0.2 and less than 6. This can improve the splicing stability of the housing.

[0071] The ratio of the transverse pressure area of ​​the glass component to the wall pressure area is 5-20, preferably 6-18; for example: a glass component with an outer diameter of 200mm and a thickness of 6mm, the transverse pressure area of ​​the glass is 3.14*100*100=31400mm2; the pressure area is 3.14*(100-6)*(100-6)=3655mm2, and the ratio is 31400 / 3655=8.6; the larger the ratio, the higher the compressive strength requirement for the material.

[0072] To enhance the sealing performance of the housing, the sealing assembly includes a butyl rubber strip wrapped around the gap at the splicing location and waterproof tape covering the butyl strip. This sealing method allows the glass sealing device to adapt to underwater operations and maintain the vacuum level within the housing cavity.

[0073] In addition, in order to make the glass sealing device more adaptable to underwater operations, the tail assembly has an integrally formed semi-open accommodating cavity, which is used to install the underwater propeller, specifically including:

[0074] 1. Specific structure of semi-open accommodation cavity

[0075] Cavity opening design:

[0076] Front closed area: uses curved glass wall (wall thickness ≥8mm), which is formed and sintered with the tail component body in one step. The closed end is provided with a pressure test hole (aperture Φ10mm, with a self-sealing rubber plug).

[0077] Rear opening: The opening width is 1.2 times the diameter of the propeller, the opening edge is chamfered at 45°, and the chamfered surface is covered with a rubber anti-collision strip (Shore hardness 70±5).

[0078] Guide and positioning structure: Three sets of dovetail guide grooves (groove depth 5mm, inclination angle 8°) are symmetrically set on both sides, and two stainless steel positioning pins (Φ6mm, height 15mm) are arranged at the bottom.

[0079] Installation interface enhanced design:

[0080] Load-bearing frame: A titanium alloy grid bracket (grid size 50×50mm, wire diameter Φ3mm) is buried inside the open mouth and fixed to the glass substrate through a micro-fusion process.

[0081] Anti-vibration buffer layer: The surface of the bracket is covered with a silicone-graphene composite damping layer (thickness 2mm, loss factor ≥0.15).

[0082] 2. Underwater thruster installation process

[0083] Pre-positioning stage:

[0084] Push the pusher (diameter D) along the dovetail guide groove until the positioning pin is engaged in the bottom mounting hole. At this time, a 5mm gap is maintained between the front end of the pusher and the glass wall of the enclosed area.

[0085] Locking and sealing operation:

[0086] Radial locking: Rotate the four eccentric wheel lock buckles (eccentricity 2mm) on the propeller housing to create a 0.5-0.8mm interference fit with the inner wall of the dovetail groove.

[0087] Axial compression: Apply 20-30 N·m of torque through the tail quick-release flange (with 6 M8 bolts) to compress the silicone sealing ring (cross-sectional diameter Φ5mm) to form an axial seal.

[0088] When the inner cavity is pumped to -80kPa, the glass wall of the closed area is subjected to a compressive stress of 0.8MPa, which is dispersed to the entire tail assembly through the titanium alloy grid bracket, increasing the compressive stress of the thruster installation interface by 40%; the open mouth chamfer design causes a Bernoulli effect when water flows through the thruster, reducing the impact of axial tension on the installation structure by 30%.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 6 , this embodiment provides an assembly device, including:

[0090] Vacuum box 5, including a box body and a vacuum system;

[0091] A plurality of vertical limiting rods 4 are provided at the bottom of the box body, and the maximum distance between the plurality of limiting rods matches the maximum diameter of the housing cross section of the glass sealing device.

[0092] Conventional PID control is prone to oscillation due to nonlinear characteristics at low pressure, and always uses the rated vacuum power, which has the problem of low efficiency.

[0093] To further address these technical issues, a pressure sensor is embedded in the center of the bottom of the vacuum box of the present application, with its sensing surface flush with the bottom plane of the box. The pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller of the vacuum system, which is used to control the power of the vacuum system. The control method includes:

[0094] Convert pressure sensor signals into real-time pressure values;

[0095] When the pressure value is ≥ the first threshold, the vacuuming power is linearly increased until the rated power is reached;

[0096] When the second threshold value is less than the pressure value and less than the first threshold value, the vacuuming power is reduced to the first power;

[0097] When the pressure value is less than or equal to the second threshold, the vacuuming power is reduced to the second power;

[0098] The second power is less than the first power and is less than the rated power.

[0099] This application is fixed to low power operation when the pressure is ≤ the second threshold, avoiding the risk of control parameter mismatch, and is applicable to 10 -3Pa-level high vacuum environment. By setting the pressure threshold (first threshold, second threshold), the vacuum power can be controlled in a step-by-step manner. In the high-pressure stage (≥ first threshold), the vacuum is quickly established at the rated power, the medium-pressure stage (second threshold < pressure value < first threshold) is reduced to the first power to maintain efficiency, and the low-pressure stage (≤ second threshold) is switched to the second power for energy-saving operation. Compared with the traditional constant power mode, energy consumption is reduced by about 30%-40% (based on ANSYS Fluent simulation data). In addition, by linearly increasing the power instead of step-by-step starting, the starting current impact of the vacuum pump motor is reduced. Statistics show that the temperature rise of the motor winding is reduced by 15°C and the bearing life is extended by 2.5 times.

[0100] This embodiment provides an assembly method, including:

[0101] (1) Grinding the butt joint surfaces of the glass components to ensure that the surface roughness of the butt joint surfaces is within a set roughness range.

[0102] The glass component joint surface reserves 1-5mm grinding processing capacity. First, use 180 mesh corundum abrasive for coarse grinding. The equipment speed is 30-180r / min. Grind for 15 minutes. The glass component is loaded with a pressure of 2×10 4 Pa. Diamond wire or diamond saw blade can also be used to cut neatly instead of 180 mesh coarse grinding.

[0103] Use 320 mesh corundum abrasive for coarse grinding, the equipment speed is 30-60r / min, grinding for 15 minutes, and the glass component loading pressure is 1.5×10 4 Pa.

[0104] Use 600 mesh corundum abrasive for fine grinding, the equipment speed is 30-60r / min, grinding for 10 minutes, and the glass component loading pressure is 1.2×10 4 Pa.

[0105] The ground components were cleaned and dried at 80°C for 10 minutes.

[0106] (2) The glass components are sequentially placed among the plurality of limit rods in the vacuum box, and the plurality of sequentially placed glass components are assembled into a shell.

[0107] Arrange the glass components vertically in order, use limit rods to align the component interfaces, and place them in the vacuum box.

[0108] The detection instrument can be placed into the housing during the assembly process.

[0109] (3) Start the vacuum system of the vacuum box, reduce the air pressure in the vacuum box to 0.7-0.8 atmospheres, and maintain the pressure for 1 minute.

[0110] (4) Open the balance valve to restore the air pressure in the vacuum box to atmospheric pressure and close the glass components.

[0111] (5) Wrap the butyl rubber strip around the joints between the glass parts and compact it. The butyl rubber strips should overlap by 10-20mm at the joints.

[0112] Take out the sealing assembly, wrap the butyl rubber strip (10-30mm wide, 2-5mm thick) around the joint and compact it, with the butyl rubber strip overlapping by 10-20mm at the joint.

[0113] (6) Cover the butyl rubber strip with waterproof tape for 2-3 times to complete the sealing of the glass parts.

[0114] Cover the butyl tape with waterproof tape (10-30mm wider than the butyl tape) and wrap it around the butyl tape for 2-3 times to complete the sealing of the glass assembly.

[0115] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, persons of ordinary skill in the art may make various equivalent modifications or substitutions to the embodiments of the present invention, and such modifications or substitutions shall be within the scope of the present invention. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by persons skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention shall be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A glass sealing device, characterized in that: include: a plurality of glass components, each of the glass components comprising interconnected partial cavities; The glass parts are detachably connected to form a complete shell through a preset connection structure, and after the connection, the local cavities are connected and combined to form a continuous inner cavity of the shell; A sealing assembly is provided at the joint position of the shell, and the sealing assembly forms a closed space in the continuous inner cavity; In the working state, by changing the air pressure in the inner cavity, an air pressure difference is generated between the inner cavity and the outer surface of the shell. The extrusion force formed by the air pressure difference is transmitted through the preset connection structure, thereby enhancing the connection stability between the glass components.

2. The glass sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that The butt joint surface of the glass component is a plane, and the surface roughness of the butt joint surface is in the range of 0.1-20. The butt joint surface is the surface where the glass component butts with other glass components.

3. The glass sealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio of the lateral pressure-bearing area of ​​the glass component to the wall pressure-bearing area is in the range of 5-20.

4. The glass sealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing assembly comprises: Butyl rubber strips are used to wrap around the gaps at the splicing locations; Waterproof tape for covering butyl strips.

5. The glass sealing device according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of glass components include a head component, a middle component and a tail component. The tail component has a semi-open receiving cavity, and the semi-open receiving cavity is used for installing an underwater propeller.

6. An assembly device, characterized in that: Used for assembling the glass sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the assembling device comprising: Vacuum box, including a box body and a vacuum system; A plurality of vertical limiting rods are provided at the bottom of the box body, and the maximum distance between the plurality of limiting rods matches the maximum diameter of the housing cross section of the glass sealing device.

7. The assembly device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A pressure sensor is embedded in the center of the bottom of the box, and its sensing surface is flush with the plane of the bottom of the box; the pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller of the vacuum system, and the controller is used to control the power of the vacuum system.

8. The assembly device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control method of the controller includes: Convert pressure sensor signals into real-time pressure values; When the pressure value is ≥ the first threshold, the vacuuming power is linearly increased until the rated power is reached; When the second threshold value is less than the pressure value and less than the first threshold value, the vacuuming power is reduced to the first power; When the pressure value is less than or equal to the second threshold, the vacuuming power is reduced to the second power; The second power is less than the first power and is less than the rated power.

9. An assembly method, characterized in that: For assembling the glass sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the method comprises: Grinding the butt joint surfaces of the glass components so that the surface roughness of the butt joint surfaces is within a set roughness range; The glass components are sequentially placed between the plurality of limiting rods in the vacuum box, and the plurality of sequentially placed glass components are assembled into a shell; Start the vacuum system of the vacuum box, reduce the air pressure in the vacuum box to a negative pressure of 0.7-0.8 atmospheres, and maintain the pressure for 1 minute; Open the balance valve to quickly restore the air pressure in the vacuum box to atmospheric pressure, closing the glass components; Wrap the butyl rubber strip around the joints between the glass parts and compact them firmly, overlapping the butyl rubber strips by 10-20mm at the joints. Cover the butyl tape with waterproof tape and wrap it around 2-3 times to complete the sealing of the glass parts.

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