ROV plug-in connector and use method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an ROV plug-in connector and a use method thereof, the ROV plug-in connector comprises a female head assembly, a male head assembly and an ROV hand-held frame assembly, the female head assembly and the male head assembly are in threaded connection, and the female head assembly comprises a female head main body (1), a female head positioning ring (2) and a female head connection (3). The male head assembly comprises a male head main body (5) inserted in the female head main body, a male head inserting hole (6), a male head connecting pipe (7), a male head thread (8), a male head front end (9), a male head connector (10), a C-shaped ring (11), a first O-shaped ring (12), a second O-shaped ring (13), a screw rod (20), a bolt (21) and a screw plug (22); the ROV hand-held frame assembly comprises an ROV hand-held frame upper semicircle (14), an ROV hand-held frame lower semicircle (15), an ROV hand-held frame (16), an ROV hand-held frame connecting bolt (17) and an ROV hand-held frame connecting nut (18); the connector has the advantages of being convenient to install, labor-saving, efficient and the like, the male connector and the female connector can be quickly and conveniently connected in a butt joint mode, and tasks such as liquid transportation, gas transportation or chemical injection are completed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of underwater liquid or gas transportation equipment, specifically to an ROV plug-in connector and its usage method. Background Technology

[0002] Umbilical cables are highly integrated, multifunctional composite cable systems primarily used to connect surface facilities (such as platforms and ships) and subsea equipment (such as wellheads, manifolds, and control modules), providing support for subsea production systems. They enable the transmission of electricity, fiber optic signals, hydraulic power, and chemical reagents to the seabed, achieving composite transmission functions through a multi-channel composite design.

[0003] At the umbilical cable terminal, the transmitted content needs to be split. This splitting is achieved by connecting the terminal UTA to the umbilical cable, and is divided into a power connection module, an optical signal connection module, and a liquid connection module. Achieving rapid connection for liquid transfer between the umbilical cable and underwater equipment, or between devices, while ensuring connection stability, sealing, pressure resistance, and easy plugging / unplugging for replacement or recycling, has always been a pressing technical challenge in the industry. This invention is based on the above research background and aims to provide an ROV plug-in connector and its usage method to meet practical design and application requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical challenges in the prior art, this invention provides an ROV plug-in connector and its usage method. It adopts a simpler and more complete structure and has advantages such as convenient installation, labor-saving and efficient operation, and good sealing effect. It can not only quickly and easily connect the target device stably, but also facilitate disassembly, assembly, recycling and maintenance at any time.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention employs the following technical solution:

[0006] An ROV plug-in connector, characterized in that it comprises: a female connector assembly, a male connector assembly, and an ROV carrying frame assembly; the female connector assembly is connected to the target equipment to be installed for transporting hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gas-driven liquids, the target equipment including a submarine umbilical cable terminal; the female connector assembly is also threadedly connected to the male connector assembly; the ROV carrying frame assembly is detachably mounted on the male connector assembly and can be used in conjunction with an ROV manipulator.

[0007] As a further optimization of the above scheme, the female connector assembly includes a female connector body (1), a female connector positioning ring (2), and a female connector (3). One end of the female connector extends out of the inner cavity of the female connector body and is fixed to one end of the female connector body by the female connector positioning ring. The other end of the female connector is placed in the inner cavity of the female connector body. The male connector assembly includes a male connector body (5) inserted into the female connector body, a male connector hole (6), a male connector connector (7), a male connector thread (8), a male connector front end (9), and a male connector (10). ), C-ring (11), first O-ring (12), second O-ring (13), screw (20), bolt (21), screw plug (22); the front end of the male connector is threadedly connected to the front end of the male connector body; the male connector connector is fixedly set at the reserved hole position on the outer circumference of the middle part of the male connector body; the male connector connector and the male connector thread are sequentially fitted onto the male connector body near the rear end position, and the screw plug is assembled in the screw plug hole of the male connector body to abut and fix the male connector thread; the male connector insertion hole is set at the rear end of the male connector body and is connected to the male connector connector. The connection and fixation are achieved by screws and bolts; a C-ring is installed at the front end of the inner cavity of the male head body for the male head body to connect with the female head to form a first seal; a second O-ring is installed at the first sealing groove of the male head body for the male head body to connect with the female head to form a second seal; a first O-ring is installed at the second sealing groove of the male head body for the front end of the male head to connect with the female head to form a third seal; the male head thread is threaded to the female head body; the ROV carrying frame assembly includes an upper semicircle (14) of the ROV carrying frame, a lower semicircle (15) of the ROV carrying frame, an ROV carrying frame (16), an ROV carrying frame connecting bolt (17), and an ROV carrying frame connecting nut (18); wherein, the ROV carrying frame is fixedly set on the upper semicircle of the ROV carrying frame; bolt holes are provided at the corresponding ends of the upper semicircle and the lower semicircle of the ROV carrying frame, and the ROV carrying frame connecting bolt (17) passes through the bolt hole and is threadedly connected to the ROV carrying frame connecting nut to install the ROV carrying frame assembly on the male head socket.

[0008] As a further optimization of the above scheme, a female head retaining ring (4) is provided at one end of the female head body near the female head connection to limit the extension length of the female head connection; the male head thread is locked to the female head body through a trapezoidal thread.

[0009] As a further optimization of the above solution, a flange is provided at the end of the female head body near the female head connection end for connection with the target device.

[0010] As a further optimization of the above solution, an annular ring is provided at the position of the male thread corresponding to the screw plug hole. One side of the annular ring is connected to the male body, and the other side is provided with an external thread ring. The external thread ring is locked to the female body through a trapezoidal thread. The annular ring is provided with an inner groove corresponding to the screw plug hole, and the height of the inner groove is at least greater than the height of the screw plug.

[0011] As a further optimization of the above scheme, the male head is also provided with a third O-ring for connecting the male head body and the female head to form a fourth seal; the lower half circle of the ROV carrying frame is also provided with a set screw (19) for limiting the rotation of the ROV carrying frame; the male head connector is welded to the male head body, and its end is connected to the external pipeline by means of a clamp.

[0012] The method of using the above-mentioned ROV insertion connector of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0013] 1) Installation of the female connector assembly: Select the appropriate pipe end type and flange type of the female connector body according to the needs of different target equipment; pass the female connector through the female connector body and fix it with positioning ring and retaining ring to complete the installation of the female connector assembly; then install the female connector assembly on the target equipment to be connected.

[0014] 2) Installation of the male connector assembly: Secure the front end of the male connector to the male connector body using threads; install the C-ring and the first, second, and third O-rings as key sealing components inside the male connector body and the front end of the male connector; fix the male connector connector to the male connector body by welding; sequentially fit the male connector connector and male thread onto the male connector body, and screw in the threaded pre-drilled hole to secure it, preventing the male connector thread from coming off and without affecting the rotation of the male connector thread; install the male connector insertion hole at the end of the male connector thread and connect and secure it to the male connector using bolts and studs; connect and fasten the upper and lower semicircles of the ROV carrying frame to the outer circumference of the male connector insertion hole with bolts, and secure them with set screws to prevent rotation, thus completing the installation of the male connector assembly;

[0015] 3) Connection between male and female connectors: The ROV robot lifts the male connector by gripping the ROV handle and moves it to the position of the female connector for installation. The male connector thread is pushed until it contacts the female connector body. The ROV robot rotates the male connector thread from the male connector insertion hole until the threaded connection reaches its maximum stroke. At this point, the C-ring contacts the female connector connection end to form the first seal. The first, second, and third O-rings also form a three-layer seal with the outer diameter of the female connector connection. The male connector is pre-connected to the pipeline. At this point, the assembly is complete and the system is ready to transport hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gases requiring pneumatic drive.

[0016] 1) Installation of the female connector assembly: Select the appropriate pipe end type and flange type of the female connector body according to the needs of different target equipment; pass the female connector through the female connector body and fix it with positioning ring and retaining ring to complete the installation of the female connector assembly; then install the female connector assembly on the target equipment to be connected.

[0017] 2) Installation of the male connector assembly: Secure the front end of the male connector to the male connector body using threads; install the C-ring and the first, second, and third O-rings as key sealing components inside the male connector body and the front end of the male connector; fix the male connector connector to the male connector body by welding; sequentially fit the male connector connector and male thread onto the male connector body, and screw in the threaded pre-drilled hole to secure it, preventing the male connector thread from coming off and without affecting the rotation of the male connector thread; install the male connector insertion hole at the end of the male connector thread and connect and secure it to the male connector using bolts and studs; connect and fasten the upper and lower semicircles of the ROV carrying frame to the outer circumference of the male connector insertion hole with bolts, and secure them with set screws to prevent rotation, thus completing the installation of the male connector assembly;

[0018] 3) Connection between male and female connectors: The ROV robot lifts the male connector by grabbing the ROV handle and moves it to the position of the female connector for installation. It pushes the male connector thread into contact with the female connector body. The ROV robot rotates the male connector thread from the male connector insertion hole until the threaded connection between the two reaches its maximum stroke. At this time, the C-ring contacts the female connector connection end to form the first seal. The first, second, and third O-rings also form a three-layer seal with the outer diameter of the female connector connection. The male connector is connected to the pipeline in advance. At this time, the assembly is completed and the liquid transportation of hydraulic oil or chemical agents can begin.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the ROV insertion connector and its usage method of the present invention are as follows: the structural design is more reasonable, the operation is carried out by an ROV robot, eliminating the need for divers and saving manpower and resources; the male head is inserted into the female head, and the male head is screwed into the female head body through the male head thread to complete the connection, and the assembly is completed at the end of the stroke; through the innermost C-ring of the male head body, the two outer O-rings, and the O-ring at the front end of the male head, a total of four layers of sealing are formed to form a multi-layer composite sealing technology, ensuring the reliability of the seal. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a first-view side view structural diagram of an ROV insertion connector according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a second-view side view structural diagram of an ROV insertion connector according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of an ROV insertion connector according to the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pre-assembly structure of an ROV insertion connector according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4This invention provides a detailed description of an ROV insertion connector and its usage method.

[0025] An ROV plug-in connector, characterized in that it comprises: a female connector assembly, a male connector assembly, and an ROV carrying frame assembly; the female connector assembly is connected to the target equipment to be installed for transporting hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gas-driven liquids, the target equipment including a submarine umbilical cable terminal; the female connector assembly is also threadedly connected to the male connector assembly; the ROV carrying frame assembly is detachably mounted on the male connector assembly and can be used in conjunction with an ROV manipulator. The female connector assembly includes a female connector body 1, a female connector positioning ring 2, and a female connector 3. One end of the female connector extends out of the inner cavity of the female connector body and is fixed to one end of the female connector body by the female connector positioning ring. The other end of the female connector is placed inside the inner cavity of the female connector body. The male connector assembly includes a male connector body 5 inserted into the female connector body, a male connector insertion hole 6, a male connector connector 7, a male connector thread 8, a male connector front end 9, a male connector 10, a C-ring 11, a first O-ring 12, a second O-ring 13, a screw 20, a bolt 21, and a screw plug 22. The male connector front end is threadedly connected to the front end of the male connector body. The male connector connector is fixedly located at a reserved hole position on the outer circumference of the middle part of the male connector body. The male connector and the male connector thread are sequentially fitted onto the male connector body near the rear end. The screw plug is assembled into the screw plug hole of the male connector body to abut and fix the male connector thread. The male connector insertion hole is located at the rear end of the male connector body and is connected and fixed to the male connector by a screw and a bolt. A first O-ring is installed at the front end of the inner cavity of the male connector body to form a first seal when the male connector body is connected to the female connector body; a second O-ring is installed at the first sealing groove of the male connector body to form a second seal when the male connector body is connected to the female connector body; a first O-ring is installed at the second sealing groove of the male connector body to form a third seal when the front end of the male connector is connected to the female connector body; the male connector thread is threaded to the female connector body; the ROV carrying frame assembly includes an upper semicircle 14 of the ROV carrying frame, a lower semicircle 15 of the ROV carrying frame, an ROV carrying frame (16), an ROV carrying frame connecting bolt 17, and an ROV carrying frame connecting nut 18; wherein, the ROV carrying frame is fixedly set on the upper semicircle of the ROV carrying frame; bolt holes are provided at the corresponding ends of the upper semicircle and the lower semicircle of the ROV carrying frame, and the ROV carrying frame connecting bolt 17 passes through the bolt hole and is threadedly connected to the ROV carrying frame connecting nut to install the ROV carrying frame assembly on the male connector socket. A female head retaining ring 4 is provided at the end of the female head body near the female head connection to limit the extension length of the female head connection; the male head thread is locked to the female head body via a trapezoidal thread. A flange is provided at the end of the female head body near the female head connection for connection with the target equipment. An annular ring is provided at the position of the male head thread corresponding to the screw plug hole. One side of the annular ring is connected to the male head body, and the other side is provided with an external threaded ring. The external threaded ring is locked to the female head body via a trapezoidal thread; the annular ring is provided with an inner groove corresponding to the screw plug hole, and the height of the inner groove is at least greater than the height of the screw plug.The male connector is also provided with a third O-ring at the front end for connecting the male connector body and the female connector to form a fourth seal; the lower half of the ROV carrying frame is also provided with a set screw 19 for limiting the rotation of the ROV carrying frame; the male connector connector is welded to the male connector body, and its end is connected to the external pipeline by means of a clamp.

[0026] The method of using the above-mentioned ROV insertion connector of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0027] 1) Installation of the female connector assembly: Select the appropriate pipe end type and flange type of the female connector body according to the needs of different target equipment; pass the female connector through the female connector body and fix it with positioning ring and retaining ring to complete the installation of the female connector assembly; then install the female connector assembly on the target equipment to be connected.

[0028] 2) Installation of the male connector assembly: Secure the front end of the male connector to the male connector body using threads; install the C-ring and the first, second, and third O-rings as key sealing components inside the male connector body and the front end of the male connector; fix the male connector connector to the male connector body by welding; sequentially fit the male connector connector and male thread onto the male connector body, and screw in the threaded pre-drilled hole to secure it, preventing the male connector thread from coming off and without affecting the rotation of the male connector thread; install the male connector insertion hole at the end of the male connector thread and connect and secure it to the male connector using bolts and studs; connect and fasten the upper and lower semicircles of the ROV carrying frame to the outer circumference of the male connector insertion hole with bolts, and secure them with set screws to prevent rotation, thus completing the installation of the male connector assembly;

[0029] 3) Connection between male and female connectors: The ROV robot lifts the male connector by gripping the ROV handle and moves it to the position of the female connector for installation. The male connector thread is pushed until it contacts the female connector body. The ROV robot rotates the male connector thread from the male connector insertion hole until the threaded connection reaches its maximum stroke. At this point, the C-ring contacts the female connector connection end to form the first seal. The first, second, and third O-rings also form a three-layer seal with the outer diameter of the female connector connection. The male connector is pre-connected to the pipeline. At this point, the assembly is complete and the system is ready to transport hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gases requiring pneumatic drive.

[0030] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and apply the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A ROV plug-in connector, characterized in that, include: The system includes a female connector assembly, a male connector assembly, and an ROV carrying frame assembly. The female connector assembly is connected to the target equipment to be installed for transporting hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gas-driven liquids. The target equipment includes a submarine umbilical cable terminal. The female connector assembly is also threadedly connected to the male connector assembly. The ROV carrying frame assembly is detachably mounted on the male connector assembly and can be used in conjunction with the ROV manipulator.

2. The ROV insertion connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, in, The female connector assembly includes a female connector body (1), a female connector positioning ring (2), and a female connector (3). One end of the female connector extends out of the inner cavity of the female connector body and is fixed to one end of the female connector body by the female connector positioning ring. The other end of the female connector is placed in the inner cavity of the female connector body. The male connector assembly includes a male connector body (5) inserted into the female connector body, a male connector insertion hole (6), a male connector connector (7), a male connector thread (8), a male connector front end (9), a male connector (10), a C-ring (11), a first O-ring (12), a second O-ring (13), a screw (20), a bolt (21), and a screw plug (22). The male connector front end is threadedly connected to the front end of the male connector body. The male connector connector is fixedly installed at the reserved hole position on the outer circumferential surface of the middle part of the male connector body. The male connector and the male connector thread are sequentially fitted onto the male connector body near the rear end. The screw plug is assembled into the screw plug hole of the male connector body to abut and fix the male connector thread. The male connector insertion hole is located at the rear end of the male connector body and is connected to the male connector by a screw and a bolt. The connection is fixed; a C-ring is installed at the front end of the inner cavity of the male head body for the male head body to connect with the female head to form a first seal; a second O-ring is installed at the first sealing groove of the male head body for the male head body to connect with the female head to form a second seal; a first O-ring is installed at the second sealing groove of the male head body for the front end of the male head to connect with the female head to form a third seal; the male head thread is threaded to the female head body; the ROV carrying frame assembly includes an upper semicircle (14) of the ROV carrying frame, a lower semicircle (15) of the ROV carrying frame, an ROV carrying frame (16), an ROV carrying frame connecting bolt (17), and an ROV carrying frame connecting nut (18); wherein, the ROV carrying frame is fixedly set on the upper semicircle of the ROV carrying frame; bolt holes are provided at the corresponding ends of the upper semicircle and the lower semicircle of the ROV carrying frame, and the ROV carrying frame connecting bolt (17) passes through the bolt hole and is threadedly connected to the ROV carrying frame connecting nut to install the ROV carrying frame assembly on the male head socket.

3. The ROV insertion connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The female head body is also provided with a female head retaining ring (4) at one end near the female head connection to limit the extension length of the female head connection; the male head thread is locked to the female head body by a trapezoidal thread.

4. The ROV insertion connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The end of the female connector body near the female connector connection end is provided with a flange for connection to the target device.

5. The ROV insertion connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: An annular ring is provided at the position of the male thread corresponding to the screw plug hole. One side of the annular ring is connected to the male body, and the other side is provided with an external thread ring. The external thread ring is locked to the female body through a trapezoidal thread. An inner groove corresponding to the screw plug hole is provided on the annular ring, and the height of the inner groove is at least greater than the height of the screw plug.

6. The ROV insertion connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The male connector is also provided with a third O-ring at the front end for connecting the male connector body and the female connector to form a fourth seal; the lower half of the ROV carrying frame is also provided with a set screw (19) for limiting the rotation of the ROV carrying frame; the male connector is welded to the male connector body, and its end is connected to the external pipeline by means of a clamp.

7. A method of using the ROV insertion connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The usage method includes the following steps: 1) Installation of the female connector assembly: Select the appropriate pipe end type and flange type of the female connector body according to the needs of different target equipment; pass the female connector through the female connector body and fix it with positioning ring and retaining ring to complete the installation of the female connector assembly; then install the female connector assembly on the target equipment to be connected. 2) Installation of the male connector assembly: Secure the front end of the male connector to the male connector body using threads; install the C-ring and the first, second, and third O-rings as key sealing components inside the male connector body and the front end of the male connector; fix the male connector connector to the male connector body by welding; sequentially fit the male connector connector and male thread onto the male connector body, and screw in the threaded pre-drilled hole to secure it, preventing the male connector thread from coming off and without affecting the rotation of the male connector thread; install the male connector insertion hole at the end of the male connector thread and connect and secure it to the male connector using bolts and studs; connect and fasten the upper and lower semicircles of the ROV carrying frame to the outer circumference of the male connector insertion hole with bolts, and secure them with set screws to prevent rotation, thus completing the installation of the male connector assembly; 3) Connection between male and female connectors: The ROV robot lifts the male connector by gripping the ROV handle and moves it to the position of the female connector for installation. The male connector thread is pushed until it contacts the female connector body. The ROV robot rotates the male connector thread from the male connector insertion hole until the threaded connection reaches its maximum stroke. At this point, the C-ring contacts the female connector connection end to form the first seal. The first, second, and third O-rings also form a three-layer seal with the outer diameter of the female connector connection. The male connector is pre-connected to the pipeline. At this point, the assembly is complete and the system is ready to transport hydraulic oil, chemical agents, or gases requiring pneumatic drive.

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