Magnetic coupling joint assembly for deep sea wet plugging

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of communication power connection, in particular to a magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep sea wet plugging, which comprises a socket component and a plug component, wireless power supply coils and communication modules are arranged at the front ends of the socket component and the plug component, and a first annular magnet array is arranged at the front end of the socket component. A second annular magnet array is arranged at the front end of the plug component, and magnetic poles at the same position of the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are oppositely arranged; and a rotary locking mechanism is arranged between the socket component and the plug component and is used for realizing mechanical locking through relative rotation after the socket component and the plug component are magnetically adsorbed. By adopting the design that the annular multi-pole magnet array and the mechanical rotary locking mechanism cooperate with each other, magnetic force provides adsorption force during butt joint and is converted into locking force after locking, self-alignment and high-reliability locking in the butt joint process are completed, and the technical effect of environment interference resistance is achieved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of communication connection technology, in particular to a magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plug. BACKGROUND

[0002] Deep-sea exploration and development activities are becoming more frequent, which puts high requirements on the reliability of power and data transmission between seabed devices. The authorized patent with application number CN201921790219.0 discloses a high-strength water-tight connector, which includes a plug and a socket connected by a locking cap. The plug includes a mounting seat, one end of the mounting seat is provided with a gold-plated terminal and a positioning needle, and the outside of the gold-plated terminal is wrapped with an insulating sleeve. The other end of the mounting seat is provided with sealing material, and the inside of the sealing material is provided with a wire, one end of the wire is in contact with the gold-plated terminal. The outside of the mounting seat and the sealing material is provided with a shell, the shell is a stepped structure, a rectangular external thread is arranged on the outer surface of the end of the shell close to the mounting seat, an English external thread is arranged on the middle part of the shell, and at least one groove is arranged on the outer surface of the end of the shell close to the sealing material, and a sealing ring is arranged in the groove. By adopting the above-mentioned structure of the high-strength water-tight connector, the problem of deformation affecting the connection strength and sealing performance of the water-tight connector due to low strength can be solved.

[0003] Traditional wet plug-in electrical connectors generally use metal contacts to directly contact and conduct electricity, and rely on mechanical threads or buckle structures for connection and locking. Such structure has inherent defects in deep-sea harsh environment: first, the metal contacts are prone to electrochemical corrosion in high-pressure and high-salinity seawater, which leads to increased contact resistance, signal attenuation, and even complete failure; second, precise alignment and screwing by mechanical claws are required during the plug-in process, which is tedious to operate, greatly burdens the remote-operated vehicle (ROV), and has low success rate; therefore, there is an urgent need in the field for a connection technology suitable for deep-sea environment, fully sealed, non-contact, supporting live operation and convenient for ROV operation. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to overcome the defects in the prior art, the purpose of the present application is to provide a magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plug, which uses magnetic coupling wireless transmission technology to complete the transmission of power and signal, and uses the design of ring-shaped multi-pole magnet array and mechanical rotating locking mechanism to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, on the one hand, the present application provides a magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plug, which includes a socket component and a plug component, the front ends of the socket component and the plug component are provided with a wireless power supply coil and a communication module, which are used to realize non-contact power transmission and data communication in the plugged state. The front end of the socket component is provided with a first annular magnet array, the front end of the plug component is provided with a second annular magnet array, the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are both annular multi-pole alternately arranged, and the number of magnets is consistent, wherein the magnetic poles of the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array at the same position are oppositely arranged; when the socket component and the plug component are at a first relative rotation angle, the opposite magnetic poles generate an attractive force to realize butt joint; when the socket component and the plug component are at a second relative rotation angle, the opposite magnetic poles generate a repulsive force to realize separation. A rotation locking mechanism is arranged between the socket component and the plug component, which is used to realize mechanical locking by relative rotation after magnetic adsorption; when the socket component and the plug component are at the second relative rotation angle, the opposite magnetic poles generate a repulsive force, at this time, the rotation locking mechanism limits the axial movement of the socket component and the plug component, and then the above-mentioned repulsive force is converted into a locking force.

[0006] The above-mentioned arrangement realizes self-alignment and high-reliability locking in the butt joint process by the design of the annular multi-pole magnet array and the mechanical rotation locking mechanism, so as to realize the technical effects of simplifying operation, improving butt joint success rate and environmental interference resistance. The magnetic force provides an attractive force in butt joint and is converted into a locking force after locking, which is a dual-purpose mechanism, and the ROV can quickly complete the connection within the tolerance range, and the operation burden is significantly reduced.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical scheme, the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array both adopt a neodymium iron boron permanent magnet material, the front end of the socket component is provided with a seat body butt joint part in a closed state, which is used to carry a wireless power supply coil, a communication module and the first annular magnet array; the front end of the plug component is provided with a head body butt joint part in a closed state, which is used to carry a wireless power supply coil, a communication module and the second annular magnet array.

[0008] As a further improvement of the technical scheme, the top end side wall of the seat body butt joint part is provided with a plurality of locking blocks in a ring shape and at equal intervals, a locking gap is left between the locking blocks and the seat body butt joint part, a clamping groove is formed in the top inner side of the locking block, the rotation locking mechanism comprises a locking sleeve and a plurality of clamping blocks, the plurality of clamping blocks are distributed in a ring shape and at equal intervals on the top side wall outside the locking sleeve, the locking sleeve is inserted into the locking gap, the clamping blocks are correspondingly clamped with the clamping grooves, and axial mechanical locking is realized by rotation.

[0009] As a further improvement of the technical solution, the number of locking blocks is the same as the number of the first annular magnet array, and the two are arranged in a staggered manner in the middle part, that is, the middle part of each corresponding group of locking blocks and the middle part of the magnet of the first annular magnet array are staggered.

[0010] As a further improvement of the technical solution, the rotating locking mechanism further comprises an optical indication device embedded in the locking block, for providing operation feedback when locking; the optical indication device comprises a magnetic sensor, a green LED and a sealed light window; the power of the optical indication device is provided by the electric energy generated by the wireless power coil carried by the seat body.

[0011] As a further improvement of the technical solution, when the socket component and the plug component are separated, they are returned from the second relative rotation angle to the first relative rotation angle by reverse rotation and continue to rotate until they are automatically popped open by the magnetic pole repulsion force, and the pop open distance is not less than 8cm.

[0012] As a further improvement of the technical solution, the wireless power coil adopts inductive coupling electric energy transmission technology, and the working frequency is between 20kHz-200kHz, supporting impedance automatic matching in the plugged state; the communication module adopts electromagnetic induction communication or underwater acoustic communication mode, supporting communication link establishment within 100ms after plugging.

[0013] As a further improvement of the technical solution, an LED light ring is arranged outside the plug component, for providing visual guidance in deep sea environment.

[0014] As a further improvement of the technical solution, the tail end of the locking sleeve is provided with a polygonal hole-shaped linkage sleeve, the tail end of the plug component is provided with a boss matched with the linkage sleeve, and the tail end outer wall of the locking sleeve and the tail end outer wall of the socket component are both provided with polygonal block-shaped claw blocks for docking the mechanical claw interface of the remotely operated underwater vehicle.

[0015] On the other hand, the application provides an application of the magnetic coupling joint assembly for deep sea wet plug-in and plug-out, which is an application of the magnetic coupling joint assembly for deep sea wet plug-in and plug-out in any one of the following situations: deep sea observation network power supply system, ROV charging dock and seabed drilling platform sensor access system.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the application has the following advantages: 1. This magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging utilizes a design that combines a ring-shaped multipole magnet array with a mechanical rotary locking mechanism. The magnetic force provides attraction during docking and transforms into locking force after locking, serving a dual purpose. This allows ROVs to quickly complete docking within tolerance limits, achieving self-alignment and highly reliable locking during the docking process. This simplifies operation, improves docking success rate, and enhances resistance to environmental interference. Furthermore, by employing magnetic coupling wireless transmission technology to transmit electrical energy and signals, it completely eliminates the need for physical metal contacts.

[0017] 2. This magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging achieves the technical effect of providing intuitive and reliable feedback to operators in a fully sealed structure by configuring an optical indicator device triggered by a magnetic sensor and powering it with an internal wireless power supply system to indicate the locking status.

[0018] 3. This magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging achieves safe separation while energized by setting a separation mechanism that links magnetic pole repulsion and mechanical locking. This ensures that the plug is completely separated only when it is outside the power-off distance, thus completely eliminating the risk of electric arc during energized plugging and unplugging. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Furthermore, the shapes and proportions of the components in the drawings are merely illustrative to aid in understanding the invention and do not specifically limit the shapes and proportions of the components. Those skilled in the art, guided by the teachings of this invention, will select various possible shapes and proportions to implement the invention according to specific circumstances.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of the present invention; Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 The main view; Figure 3 This is a partial exploded view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram of the socket component and plug component of the present invention in the docking state; Figure 5 This is a top view of the socket component and plug component of the present invention in a misaligned state; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the locking sleeve structure of the present invention; The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows: 100. Socket component; 101. Base mating part; 110. Locking block; 111. Slot; 120. Optical indicator device; 200, plug part; 201, boss; 210, head butt joint; 300, locking sleeve; 310, clamping block; 320, linkage sleeve; 330, clamping jaw block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The specific embodiments of the present application described herein are intended to be illustrative only and in no way limiting of the present application as recited in the claims. Those skilled in the art will be able to devise many variations that, although not explicitly described herein, embody the principles of the application and are included within its spirit and scope. The terms "mounting", "connected" should be interpreted broadly, which means direct connection or indirect connection through intermediate medium.

[0022] The terms "central axis", "vertical", "horizontal", "front", "back", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like as used herein to indicate orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, are for purposes of convenience and brevity in describing the present application and its embodiments, and are not intended to be limiting of the present application. In addition, in the description of the present application, the meaning of "several" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1-6 As shown in the drawings, the present application provides a magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plug-in, which is applied in any one of the following situations: deep-sea observation network power supply system, ROV charging dock and seabed drilling platform sensor access system; comprising a socket part 100 and a plug part 200, the front ends of the socket part 100 and the plug part 200 are provided with wireless power supply coils and communication modules, which are used to realize non-contact power transmission and data communication in the plugged state; the wireless power supply coil adopts inductive coupling power transmission technology, the working frequency is between 20 kHz and 200 kHz, and impedance automatic matching in the plugged state is supported; the communication module adopts electromagnetic induction communication or underwater acoustic communication mode, and communication link establishment within 100 ms after plugging is supported.

[0024] Specifically, the first annular magnet array is arranged at the front end of the socket component 100, and the second annular magnet array is arranged at the front end of the plug component 200. The first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are both annular and are arranged in an alternating manner with the same number of poles. The poles at the same position of the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are arranged in opposite directions. The poles of the first annular magnet array are arranged as N-S-N-S...N-S, and the poles of the second annular magnet array are arranged as S-N-S-N...S-N. The first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are opposite to each other at the initial angle, and the poles of the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are opposite to each other, thereby generating a strong attractive force to achieve adsorption and initial alignment. Through the arrangement, the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 can be automatically corrected and adsorbed within 15° clockwise or counterclockwise. When the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 are at the first relative rotation angle, the opposite poles of the relative magnets generate an attractive force to achieve connection. When the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 are at the second relative rotation angle, the same poles of the relative magnets generate a repulsive force to achieve separation.

[0025] Further, the first annular magnet array and the second annular magnet array are both made of neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet material. The front end of the socket component 100 is in a closed state and is provided with a seat body connecting portion 101 for carrying a wireless power supply coil, a communication module, and the first annular magnet array. The front end of the plug component 200 is in a closed state and is provided with a head body connecting portion 210 for carrying a wireless power supply coil, a communication module, and the second annular magnet array.

[0026] When the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 are separated, they are rotated in the opposite direction to return from the second relative rotation angle to the first relative rotation angle and continue to rotate until they are automatically bounced away by the repulsive force of the poles, and the bounce distance is not less than 8 cm, thereby ensuring that the power supply link is powered off before complete separation.

[0027] Specifically, a rotating locking mechanism is arranged between the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 to achieve mechanical locking by relative rotation after magnetic adsorption. When the socket component 100 and the plug component 200 are at the second relative rotation angle, the same poles of the relative magnets generate a repulsive force. At this time, the rotating locking mechanism limits the axial movement of the socket component 100 and the plug component 200, and the above-mentioned repulsive force is converted into locking force. Because the mechanical structure locking limits the axial movement of the socket component 100 and the plug component 200, the above-mentioned repulsive force is converted into a huge locking force, so that the overall connection is more stable to resist water flow impact.

[0028] Further, the top end side wall of the seat body abutting portion 101 is annularly and equidistantly provided with a plurality of locking blocks 110, and a locking gap is left between the locking blocks 110 and the seat body abutting portion 101. The top inner side of the locking blocks 110 is provided with a clamping groove 111. The rotating locking mechanism comprises a locking sleeve 300 and a plurality of clamping blocks 310. The clamping blocks 310 are annularly and equidistantly distributed on the top side wall of the locking sleeve 300. The locking sleeve 300 is inserted into the locking gap. The clamping blocks 310 are correspondingly clamped into the clamping grooves 111, and axial mechanical locking is achieved by rotation. After adsorption, the plug part 200 of the remotely controlled submersible vehicle is rotated, for example, 15° clockwise. Since the magnets of the first and second annular magnet arrays are annular arrays, the relative positions of the magnetic poles change after rotation, from opposite poles to the same poles. At the same time, the clamping blocks 310 are clamped into the clamping grooves 111 to form a locked state.

[0029] Further, the number of locking blocks 110 is the same as the number of the first annular magnet array, and the two are arranged in a staggered manner in the middle. That is, the middle of each corresponding group of locking blocks 110 along the axial direction of the socket part 100 and the middle of the magnets of the first annular magnet array are staggered. The number of clamping blocks 310 is the same as the number of the second annular magnet array, and the two are arranged in an aligned manner in the middle. That is, the middle of each corresponding group of clamping blocks 310 along the axial direction of the plug part 200 and the middle of the magnets of the second annular magnet array are aligned. After the socket part 100 and the plug part 200 are attracted to each other, the clamping blocks 310 and the locking blocks 110 are in a staggered state, so as to rotate one of the socket part 100 or the plug part 200, and the clamping blocks 310 are turned into the inner side of the locking blocks 110 to form a clamped state, and the repulsive force of the magnets forms a locked state to resist water flow impact and ensure stable docking.

[0030] Further, the rotating locking mechanism further comprises an optical indication device 120 embedded in the locking block 110, for providing operation feedback when locking; the optical indication device 120 comprises a magnetic sensor, a green LED and a sealed light window; the magnetic sensor, preferably a Hall sensor, is used to non-contact sense whether the rotating locking mechanism reaches the locking position and trigger the green LED to emit light; the sealed light window is used to display the light emitted by the green LED to the outside world; since the optical indication device 120 is close to the seat body docking part 101, it is more reasonable to provide power for the optical indication device 120 by the electric energy generated by the wireless power coil carried by the seat body docking part 101. The outer wall of the clamping block 310 of the rotating locking mechanism is embedded with a trigger magnet. When rotated to the locking position, the trigger magnet is aligned with the Hall sensor, and the Hall sensor outputs a signal to the control chip, which in turn drives the green LED to emit constant green light, which is displayed to the outside through the sealed light window, prompting the operator that the connection is completed. The circuit of the optical indication device 120 is connected with the power management circuit inside the socket, and the power source thereof is the electric energy received by the wireless power coil, thereby providing visual guidance in the deep sea environment.

[0031] Further, the tail end of the locking sleeve 300 is provided with a polygonal hole-shaped linkage sleeve 320, and the tail end of the plug part 200 is provided with a boss 201 matched with the linkage sleeve 320, so as to ensure that the locking sleeve 300 and the plug part 200 are stably sleeved, and facilitate to determine the corresponding position of the clamping block 310 and the magnets of the second annular magnet array; the tail end outer wall of the locking sleeve 300 and the tail end outer wall of the socket part 100 are both provided with polygonal block-shaped clamping jaw blocks 330, which are used to dock the mechanical jaw interface of the remote control unmanned underwater vehicle, so as to clamp the rotating socket part 100 and the plug part 200 for plug-in and plug-out operation.

[0032] The magnetic coupling joint assembly for deep-sea wet plug-in and plug-out of the application starts the plug-in and plug-out operation, the ROV mechanical jaw clamps the clamping jaw block 330 at the tail of the plug part 200, and roughly aligns it with the socket part 100; when the two are close to each other, the second annular magnet array at the front end of the plug part 200 and the first annular magnet array at the front end of the socket part 100 generate magnetic attraction force due to opposite poles, automatically adsorb the plug to the socket, and automatically correct the angle within a tolerance range of ± 15°, and complete the preliminary docking.

[0033] After adsorption, the ROV mechanical claw continues to apply torque, rotates the plug component 200 clockwise, and this rotation process triggers two synchronous changes: first, the clamping block 310 on the locking sleeve 300 rotates and moves into the clamping slot 111 on the inner side from the position offset from the locking block 110, realizing mechanical interlocking; second, on the magnetic circuit, due to the annular multi-pole alternating arrangement of the magnet, rotation causes the relative position of the first and second annular magnet arrays to change from opposite poles to the same poles, thereby generating an axial repulsive force; this repulsive force is limited by the mechanical locking structure, and is further converted into a huge locking force, making the connector combination extremely stable and effectively resisting the impact of deep-sea water flow.

[0034] When rotated to the locking position, the trigger magnet on the clamping block 310 aligns with the Hall sensor embedded in the locking block 110, the Hall sensor is triggered, sends a signal to control the green LED to emit constant green light, which is displayed outward through the sealed light window, providing clear visual feedback to the operator, indicating that the connection is completed and the locking is reliable; At the same time, the wireless power supply coil in the plug-in state automatically completes impedance matching through inductive coupling, establishing an efficient energy transmission channel; the communication module quickly establishes a communication link within 100ms, realizing data intercommunication.

[0035] When separated, the ROV mechanical claw rotates the plug component 200 counterclockwise, and the rotation angle is twice the clockwise rotation angle, the rotation releases the mechanical locking, and after the repulsive force is formed on the magnetic pole, the plug component 200 is automatically bounced away to more than 8cm, ensuring that the power supply link is completely disconnected before physical separation, realizing absolutely safe live separation.

[0036] It should be noted that the fixed connection of the present application is realized by using conventional fixing means such as bolt connection or welding. The above-mentioned embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and characteristics of the present application, and the purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present application and implement it, and cannot limit the protection scope of the present application. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit and essence of the present application should be covered within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging, comprising a socket component and a plug component, wherein the front ends of the socket component and the plug component are provided with a wireless power supply coil and a communication module for realizing non-contact power transmission and data communication in the plugged state; Its features are: The socket component has a first annular magnet array at its front end, and the plug component has a second annular magnet array at its front end. Both the first and second annular magnet arrays are arranged in annular multi-pole alternating patterns, and the number of magnets is the same. The magnetic poles at the same position in the first and second annular magnet arrays are arranged oppositely. When the socket component and the plug component are at a first relative rotation angle, the opposite poles of the relative magnets generate an attractive force and connect. When the socket component and the plug component are at a second relative rotation angle, the same poles of the relative magnets generate a repulsive force and separate. A rotary locking mechanism is provided between the socket component and the plug component to achieve mechanical locking through relative rotation after they are magnetically attracted. When the socket component and the plug component are at the second relative rotation angle, the same poles of the relative magnets generate a repulsive force. At this time, the axial movement of the socket component and the plug component is restricted by the rotary locking mechanism, and the repulsive force generated above is converted into a locking force.

2. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first and second annular magnet arrays are made of neodymium iron boron permanent magnet material. The front end of the socket component is closed and has a seat docking part for carrying the wireless power supply coil, the communication module and the first annular magnet array. The front end of the plug component is closed and has a head docking part for carrying the wireless power supply coil, the communication module and the second annular magnet array.

3. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 2, characterized in that: The top sidewall of the seat docking part is provided with a plurality of locking blocks at equal intervals in a ring. A locking gap is left between the locking blocks and the seat docking part. A slot is opened on the inner side of the top of the locking block. The rotary locking mechanism includes a locking sleeve that is oriented and fitted with the plug component and a plurality of locking blocks. The plurality of locking blocks are distributed in a ring at equal intervals on the outside of the top sidewall of the locking sleeve. The locking sleeve is inserted into the locking gap, and the locking blocks are engaged with the slots. Axial mechanical locking is achieved by rotation.

4. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 3, characterized in that: The number of locking blocks is the same as the number of the first annular magnet array, and the two are arranged in a staggered manner in the middle, that is, the middle of each group of locking blocks and the middle of the magnets of the first annular magnet array are staggered along the axial direction of the socket component; the number of clamping blocks is the same as the number of the second annular magnet array, and the two are arranged aligned in the middle, that is, the middle of each group of clamping blocks and the middle of the magnets of the second annular magnet array are aligned along the axial direction of the plug component.

5. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 4, characterized in that: The rotary locking mechanism also includes an optical indicator embedded in the locking block for providing operational feedback during locking; the optical indicator includes a magnetic sensor, a green LED, and a sealed light window; the power of the optical indicator is provided by the power generated by a wireless power supply coil carried on the docking part of the base.

6. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 5, characterized in that: When the socket component and the plug component are separated, they are rotated in opposite directions to return from the second relative rotation angle to the first relative rotation angle and continue to rotate until they automatically spring open through magnetic repulsion, and the spring-opening distance is not less than 8cm.

7. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 6, characterized in that: The wireless power supply coil adopts inductive coupling power transmission technology, with an operating frequency between 20kHz and 200kHz, and supports automatic impedance matching in the plug-in state; the communication module adopts electromagnetic induction communication or underwater acoustic communication, and supports the establishment of a communication link within 100ms after plugging in.

8. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 7, characterized in that: The plug component has an LED halo on its outer side to provide visual guidance in deep-sea environments.

9. The magnetic coupling connector assembly for deep-sea wet plugging and unplugging according to claim 8, characterized in that: The locking sleeve has a polygonal hole-shaped linkage sleeve at its tail end, and the plug component has a boss at its tail end that matches and engages with the linkage sleeve. The outer wall of the tail end of the locking sleeve and the outer wall of the tail end of the socket component both have polygonal block-shaped claw blocks for docking with the mechanical claw interface of the remotely operated unmanned underwater vehicle.

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