Buoy water intake self-sinking device, system and buoy self-sinking method

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of buoy water self-sinking device, system and buoy self-sinking method, belong to buoy technical field.The buoy water self-sinking device includes mounting seat, sliding plugging piece, force locking piece, elastic member and release assembly;Mounting seat is equipped with first chamber, first chamber has water inlet and water outlet;Sliding plugging piece is inserted in first chamber from water outlet to block water outlet, and sliding plugging piece is equipped with second chamber and limiting hole;Force locking piece is located in limiting hole, and its outer end is inserted in the circumferential cavity wall of first chamber;Elastic member is located in first chamber, and it is deformed along vertical to apply downward thrust to sliding plugging piece;Release assembly includes driving shaft and limiting block, limiting block is in contact with the inner end of force locking piece, and limiting block is released force locking piece by rotating along vertical relative to sliding plugging piece upward movement with the rotation of driving shaft.The buoy water self-sinking device can consider water surface, different working conditions such as great depth, good universality, with industrial application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of buoy technology, and particularly relates to a buoy self-sinking device, system and method for buoy self-sinking. Background Technology

[0002] The ocean's strategic importance is increasingly prominent globally, and ocean observation and monitoring equipment plays a crucial role in areas such as ocean security, scientific research, climate change, and marine economic development. Profiling buoys, relying on changes in their own volume to achieve unpowered submersion and ascent, automatically measure seawater temperature, conductivity (salinity), pressure, and noise data from the surface to a certain depth using the Lagrange circulation method. They are one of the core pieces of equipment for conducting ocean observation and monitoring operations. Due to economic considerations for recovery, buoys are typically single-use devices, deployed at sea and not retrieved. Therefore, when a buoy completes its intended mission, reaches its predetermined lifespan, or is abnormally retrieved, its built-in water-intake and self-sinking device will activate, breaking the buoy's shell seal and allowing seawater to enter, causing it to sink and self-destruct, ensuring data security and preventing leakage.

[0003] Because buoys (especially profiling buoys) operate in various conditions, including surface and underwater, and may require self-sinking under various conditions, self-sinking devices for buoys, particularly profiling buoys, are typically required to function in both surface and underwater environments. Traditional self-sinking devices for buoys often use pyrotechnics for propulsion. For example, patent CN109459797A discloses a self-destruct mechanism and method for a sealed underwater detector. This device relies on a shear pin to withstand external water pressure, enabling operation at great depths. During self-sinking, an ignition device is powered, causing the propellant to release high-pressure gas instantaneously, breaking the shear pin and achieving self-sinking. However, using pyrotechnics for self-sinking is impractical due to the high cost of pyrotechnics and the strict regulations governing their management and use. Furthermore, relying on pyrotechnics for propulsion poses significant safety risks during production and transportation. Patent CN120024455A provides a simple self-destruct device for drifting buoys. This device uses an electric heating wire in conjunction with a temperature-sensitive glass ball to achieve self-sinking when water is introduced. However, the temperature-sensitive glass ball cannot withstand the large axial force (usually tens of kilograms) generated by water pressure. Therefore, this device can only work on the water surface and is only suitable for drifting buoys. It cannot withstand large water pressure and therefore cannot work at great depths, resulting in poor versatility. Patent CN111071422A discloses a low-noise opening and sinking device suitable for underwater unmanned systems. It utilizes external water pressure as the main force to achieve the opening action through the cooperation of a mounting base, a load-bearing ring, a wedge-shaped opening mechanism, and a lever limiting mechanism, thereby enabling the underwater unmanned system to sink and self-destruct. However, the structure of its wedge-shaped opening mechanism and lever limiting mechanism is too complex. Its opening action requires numerous transmission actions, which poses a significant risk of failure. Moreover, its assembly is complex and not conducive to industrial application. At the same time, it relies on external water pressure as the main force, which is mainly suitable for working at great depths. In shallow water, it needs to rely on return springs, push springs, etc. to provide auxiliary driving force. The way the push spring is set further complicates its structure. Even with the auxiliary driving force provided by return springs, push springs, etc., it can only work underwater and cannot work in the absence of water pressure at the surface.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a versatile and simple buoy self-sinking device that can operate under different working conditions such as water surface and great depth is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a buoy water intake self-sinking device and method. This buoy water intake self-sinking device is reliably sealed and can withstand water pressure at great depths, thus achieving reliable water intake self-sinking at great depths. At the same time, it can also achieve reliable water intake self-sinking when there is no water pressure on the water surface. It can take into account different working conditions such as water surface and great depth, has good versatility, and has a simple structure, making it promising for industrial application.

[0006] This invention provides a buoy self-sinking device, comprising:

[0007] The mounting base is installed on the outer shell of the buoy and has a first chamber that runs vertically through the mounting base to connect the inside of the buoy with the external environment. The through-hole at the top of the first chamber is the water inlet, and the through-hole at the bottom of the mounting base is the water outlet.

[0008] A sliding sealing component is inserted into the first chamber from the outlet. Its outer wall slides and seals against the circumferential wall of the first chamber to block the outlet. The sliding sealing component moves vertically downward relative to the mounting base to disengage from the circumferential wall of the first chamber, thus rendering the sliding seal ineffective. The sliding sealing component has a second chamber, and a limiting hole communicating with the second chamber is provided on its circumferential outer wall.

[0009] A load-bearing locking component is inserted into a limiting hole, and its outer end is inserted into the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber so that the sliding sealing component is locked in a position that forms a sliding seal with the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber.

[0010] An elastic element, located in the first chamber and installed between the top of the sliding plug and the top of the mounting base, deforms vertically to apply a downward thrust to the sliding plug; under the action of the thrust, the sliding plug tends to move downward, and the sliding plug applies a downward force to the load-bearing locking element so that the load-bearing locking element tends to move into the second chamber to release the locking of the sliding plug;

[0011] The release assembly includes a drive shaft and a limiting block; the drive shaft extends vertically through the second chamber and is rotatably connected to the sliding plug to rotate relative to the sliding plug; the limiting block abuts against the inner end of the load-bearing locking member to prevent the load-bearing locking member from moving into the second chamber; the limiting block is threaded to the drive shaft and is non-rotatably connected to the circumferential wall of the second chamber to move vertically upward relative to the sliding plug as the drive shaft rotates to release the load-bearing locking member.

[0012] In some embodiments, the outer end of the load-bearing locking member has a first frustum portion, and the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber is provided with an insertion hole that matches the shape of the first frustum portion. When the first frustum portion is inserted into the insertion hole, the hole wall of the insertion hole abuts against the circumferential side surface of the first frustum portion. The inner end of the load-bearing locking member has a second frustum portion, and the outer circumferential surface of the limiting block is provided with a limiting groove that abuts against the upper half of the second frustum portion. The limiting groove has an arc surface that matches the shape of the upper half of the second frustum portion.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second chamber has a vertically arranged axis, the limiting block, the drive shaft and the second chamber are arranged coaxially, the limiting hole is arranged radially, and there are multiple limiting holes and load-bearing locking members. The load-bearing locking members are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the limiting holes, and the multiple load-bearing locking members are distributed symmetrically with respect to the axis.

[0014] In some embodiments, the circumferential wall of the second chamber is provided with a vertically extending limiting slide, and the outer periphery of the limiting block is provided with a slider, which is slidably connected in the limiting slide so that the limiting block can move vertically relative to the sliding sealing member, but cannot rotate relative to the sliding sealing member.

[0015] In some embodiments, the buoy water intake self-sinking device further includes a motor mounting base connected to the bottom end of the sliding seal, and the release assembly further includes a drive motor installed in the motor mounting base, the output shaft of the drive motor being connected to a drive shaft to drive the drive shaft to rotate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the outer wall of the sliding seal is fitted with a first sealing ring, the circumferential wall of the first chamber has a sealing section that slides and seals with the first sealing ring, and the circumferential wall of the first chamber extends from the lower edge of the sealing section to the outlet as an enlarged section. The inner diameter of the enlarged section is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing section, so that the sliding seal fails when the first sealing ring moves to the enlarged section.

[0017] In some embodiments, a pressure plate is detachably installed at the water inlet, and an elastic element is installed in a compressed state between the top surface of the sliding sealing element and the pressure plate.

[0018] In some embodiments, the top of the sliding sealing member has an installation port communicating with the second chamber. The load-bearing locking member, the drive shaft and the limiting block are installed in the second chamber through the installation port. The top and bottom ends of the drive shaft are respectively equipped with a first bearing and a second bearing. The first bearing is sealed and installed in the installation port, and the second bearing is installed at the bottom end of the sliding sealing member.

[0019] The present invention also provides a buoy self-sinking system, comprising a buoy self-sinking device as described in any of the above technical solutions, a self-sinking control module, a power detection module for monitoring the buoy battery power, and a positioning module for obtaining buoy position information. The buoy self-sinking device is installed on the outer shell of the buoy, and the self-sinking control module, the power detection module, and the positioning module are respectively installed inside the buoy. The self-sinking control module is connected to the power detection module, the positioning module, and the drive shaft of the buoy self-sinking device to receive the buoy battery power and buoy position information and control the drive shaft of the buoy self-sinking device to rotate and release the load-bearing locking member so that the buoy self-sinks.

[0020] The self-sinking control module is configured to: compare the buoy battery power with a preset minimum power threshold; when the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, control the buoy's water intake self-sinking device to activate; obtain the buoy's movement trajectory based on the buoy's position information and calculate the buoy's moving speed; when the buoy's moving speed increases abnormally and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's movement trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, control the buoy's water intake self-sinking device to activate; and when the buoy completes its predetermined task, control the buoy's water intake self-sinking device to activate.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for a buoy to sink by itself, which uses the buoy water inlet self-sinking device described in any of the above technical solutions to sink the buoy by itself, including:

[0022] When the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, the buoy water intake and self-sinking device is controlled to release the load-bearing locking component so that the buoy can sink by itself.

[0023] Alternatively, the buoy's trajectory can be obtained based on its location information and its speed can be calculated. When the buoy's speed increases abnormally and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, it is determined that the buoy has been salvaged. In this case, the buoy's water intake and self-sinking device is controlled to release the load-bearing locking component so that the buoy can sink by water intake.

[0024] Alternatively, after the buoy completes its designated task, the buoy's water intake and self-sinking device can be controlled to release the load-bearing locking element, thereby allowing the buoy to sink by itself.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0026] 1. The buoy self-sinking device provided by the present invention uses a drive shaft and a limiting block as the release component for releasing the load-bearing locking element. The release structure is simple and easy to assemble, which is beneficial to industrial production applications. Moreover, it can directly drive the limiting block to release the load-bearing locking element by rotating the drive shaft to release the sliding sealing element from the mounting seat. This allows the sliding sealing element to detach from the mounting seat under the action of external water pressure and the thrust of the elastic element, thus achieving self-sinking during water intake. The release process of the load-bearing locking element has few transmission nodes and high release reliability.

[0027] 2. The buoy self-sinking device provided by the present invention has an elastic element installed between the top of the sliding sealing member and the top of the mounting base. The elastic element applies a downward thrust to the sliding sealing member to push the sliding sealing member away from the mounting base. Even under conditions of no water pressure on the water surface, it can still achieve self-sinking by water intake, thus taking into account different working conditions such as water surface and great depth, and has good versatility.

[0028] 3. The buoy self-sinking system provided by the present invention, through the cooperation of the buoy self-sinking device, the self-sinking control module, the power detection module and the positioning module, realizes the buoy self-sinking under three different working conditions: the buoy power is exhausted, the buoy is abnormally retrieved and the buoy completes the predetermined work task, which can effectively ensure the security of the buoy data collection.

[0029] 4. The buoy self-sinking method provided by this invention enables the buoy to sink under three different working conditions: the buoy's power is exhausted, the buoy is abnormally retrieved, and the buoy completes its predetermined work task. This effectively ensures the security of the buoy's data collection. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a buoy water inlet self-sinking device installed on a buoy according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a buoy water inlet self-sinking device in a blocked state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a buoy self-sinking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention in the self-sinking state after water intake;

[0035] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the sliding sealing component in a buoy water inlet self-sinking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the load-bearing locking component in a buoy self-sinking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, taken from a certain angle.

[0037] Figure 7 A perspective view of the load-bearing locking component in a buoy self-sinking device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from another angle.

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting base in a buoy water inlet self-sinking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the limiting block in a buoy water inlet self-sinking device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of a buoy self-sinking system provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a buoy self-sinking method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In the picture:

[0043] 100. Buoy; 200. Buoy inlet self-sinking device; 300. Self-sinking control module; 400. Power detection module; 500. Positioning module;

[0044] 101. Outer shell;

[0045] 201. Mounting base; 202. Elastic element; 203. Sliding sealing element; 204. Load-bearing locking element; 205. Release assembly; 206. Pressure plate; 207. Pressure piece; 208. First sealing ring; 209. First bearing; 210. Second sealing ring; 211. First bearing mounting base; 212. Second bearing; 213. Second bearing mounting base; 214. Locking nut; 215. Motor mounting base; 216. Third sealing ring;

[0046] 2011, Flange; 2012, Sealing section; 2013, Enlarged section; 2014, First chamber; 2015, Insertion hole; 2016, Inlet; 2017, Outlet;

[0047] 2031, Second chamber; 2032, Limiting hole; 2033, Mounting port; 2034, Limiting slide;

[0048] 2041. First frustum; 2042. Second frustum;

[0049] 2051, Limiting block; 2052, Drive shaft; 2053, Drive motor; 2054, Limiting groove; 2055, Slider;

[0050] D1, inner diameter of the sealing section; D2, inner diameter of the enlarged section. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0052] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "vertical", "radial", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0053] The terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0055] As attached Figures 1-9As shown, in an illustrative embodiment of the buoy water inlet self-sinking device 200 of the present invention, the buoy water inlet self-sinking device 200 includes a mounting base 201, a sliding sealing member 203, a load-bearing locking member 204, an elastic member 202, and a release assembly 205; the mounting base 201 is mounted on the outer shell 101 of the buoy 100, and has a first chamber 2014 that vertically penetrates the mounting base 201 to connect the interior and exterior environments of the buoy 100; the through-hole at the top of the first chamber 2011 is a water inlet 2016, and the through-hole at the bottom of the mounting base 201 is a water outlet 2017; the sliding sealing member 203 is inserted from the water outlet 2017 into the... Within the first chamber 2014, its outer wall slides and seals against the circumferential wall of the first chamber 2014 to block the outlet 2017. The sliding sealing member 203 can move vertically downward relative to the mounting base 201 to disengage from the circumferential wall of the first chamber 2014, thus disabling the sliding seal. The sliding sealing member 203 has a second chamber 2031, and its circumferential outer wall has a limiting hole 2032 communicating with the second chamber 2031. The load-bearing locking member 204 passes through the limiting hole 2032, and its outer end (i.e., the end of the load-bearing locking member 204 away from the second chamber 2031) is inserted into the circumferential wall of the first chamber 2014 to allow the sliding sealing member to... 203 is locked at a position forming a sliding seal with the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014; the elastic member 202 is located in the first chamber 2014 and is installed between the top end of the sliding plug 203 and the top end of the mounting base 201. The elastic member 202 deforms vertically to apply a downward thrust to the sliding plug 203. Under the action of the thrust, the sliding plug 203 has a tendency to move downward, and the sliding plug 203 applies a downward force to the load-bearing locking member 204, causing the load-bearing locking member 204 to move into the second chamber 2031 to release the lock on the sliding plug 203; the release assembly 205 includes a drive shaft 2052 and a limit The limiting block 2051 and the drive shaft 2052 are vertically inserted into the second chamber 2031. The drive shaft 2052 is rotatably connected to the sliding sealing member 203 so as to rotate relative to the sliding sealing member 203. The limiting block 2051 abuts against the inner end of the load-bearing locking member 204 (i.e., the end of the load-bearing locking member 204 located inside the second chamber 2031) to prevent the load-bearing locking member 204 from moving into the second chamber 2031. The limiting block 2051 is threaded to the drive shaft 2052 and is non-rotatably connected to the circumferential cavity wall of the second chamber 2031 so as to move vertically upward relative to the sliding sealing member 203 with the rotation of the drive shaft 2052 to release the load-bearing locking member 204.

[0056] The working principle of the above-mentioned buoy inlet self-sinking device 200 is as follows: Figure 3As shown, in the blocked state, the drive shaft 2052 is not working, the limiting block 2051 is stationary, and the sliding sealing member 203 is inserted into the first chamber 2014 of the mounting base 201. Under the combined action of the load-bearing locking member 204 and the limiting block 2051, the sliding sealing member 203 is locked in a position where its outer wall and the circumferential wall of the first chamber 2014 can form a sliding seal. Thus, the sliding sealing member 203 blocks the outlet 2017, allowing the float to... When the buoy 100 is isolated from the outside seawater, the vertical water pressure from the outside acts on the sliding seal 203. The sliding seal 203 transmits the water pressure through the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204 to the mounting base 201, and through the inner end of the load-bearing locking member 204 to the limiting block 2051 and the drive shaft 2052, thereby dispersing the water pressure and achieving a state of force equilibrium. This allows the buoy's self-sinking device 200 to withstand high water pressure at great depths without leakage. Figure 4 As shown, when water intake and self-sinking are required, the drive shaft 2052 rotates to drive the limiting block 2051 to move vertically upward relative to the sliding sealing member 203. At this time, the limiting block 2051 releases the load-bearing locking member 204, and the force balance state of the inner end of the load-bearing locking member 204 is broken. Under the action of the downward water pressure and the downward thrust exerted by the elastic member 202 on the sliding sealing member 203, the load-bearing locking member 204 moves into the second chamber 2031, so that the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204 disengages from the mounting base 201, releases the lock on the sliding sealing member 203, and allows the sliding sealing member to... Under the downward water pressure from the outside and the downward thrust applied by the elastic element 202, 203 moves vertically downward relative to the mounting base 201, thereby causing the sliding sealing element 203 to detach from the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014, causing the sliding seal between the sliding sealing element 203 and the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 to fail. At this time, the internal and external environments of the buoy 100 are connected through the first chamber 2014 of the mounting base 201. The outside seawater enters the first chamber 2014 through the inlet 2016 and then enters the buoy 100 through the outlet 2017, causing the buoy 100 to sink by itself.

[0057] The aforementioned buoy self-sinking device 200 uses a drive shaft 2052 and a limiting block 2051 as the release component 205 for the release force-bearing locking component 204. The release structure is simple and easy to assemble, which is beneficial for industrial production applications. Moreover, the limit block 2051 can be directly driven to release the force-bearing locking component 204 by the rotation of the drive shaft 2052, thereby releasing the sliding sealing component 203 from the mounting base 201. This allows the sliding sealing component 203 to detach from the mounting base 201 under the action of external water pressure and the thrust of the elastic component 202, achieving self-sinking during water intake. The release process of the force-bearing locking component 204 has few transmission nodes and high release reliability. Meanwhile, the aforementioned buoy water inlet self-sinking device 200 has an elastic element 202 installed between the top of the sliding sealing member 203 and the top of the mounting base 201. The elastic element 202 applies a downward thrust to the sliding sealing member 203 to push the sliding sealing member 203 away from the mounting base 201. Even under conditions of no water pressure on the water surface, it can still achieve water inlet self-sinking, thus taking into account different working conditions such as water surface and great depth, and has good versatility.

[0058] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figures 6-9 As shown, the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204 has a first frustum portion 2041, and the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 is provided with an insertion hole 2015 that matches the shape of the first frustum portion 2041. When the first frustum portion 2041 is inserted into the insertion hole 2015, the hole wall of the insertion hole 2015 abuts against the circumferential side of the first frustum portion 2041. The inner end of the load-bearing locking member 204 has a second frustum portion 2042, and the outer circumferential surface of the limiting block 2051 is provided with a limiting groove 2054 that abuts against the upper half of the second frustum portion 2042. The limiting groove 2054 has an arc surface that matches the shape of the upper half of the second frustum portion 2042. By employing the double-frustum design at the outer and inner ends of the load-bearing locking member 204, the vertical forces exerted by external water pressure and the elastic member 202 on the sliding sealing member 203 and the load-bearing locking member 204 can be decomposed under the action of the inclined arc surface where the first frustum portion 2041 at the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204 abuts against the wall of the insertion hole 2015. This allows the load-bearing locking member 204 to tend to move into the second chamber 2031 to release the locking of the sliding sealing member 203, while also reducing the shear force borne by the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204. Simultaneously, it enables… The vertical force is decomposed by the inclined arc surface where the second frustum 2042 at the inner end of the load-bearing locking member 204 abuts against the limiting groove 2054, applying an upward force to the limiting block 2051 to transmit the force to the drive shaft 2052. This allows the drive shaft 2052 to withstand the vertical water pressure, improving the pressure-bearing capacity of the buoy inlet self-sinking device 200. Furthermore, the frustum design at the end of the load-bearing locking member 204 eliminates the need to consider the installation angle of the load-bearing locking member 204 during installation, facilitating assembly. It should be noted that, as... Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the smaller end of the first frustum 2041 faces away from the second chamber 2031, while the smaller end of the second frustum 2042 faces the second chamber 2031. It should be noted that, as... Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the insertion hole 2015 extends through to the outer wall of the mounting base 201 to facilitate the positioning and installation of the load-bearing locking member 204 from the outside of the mounting base 201 during installation. It should be noted that, as... Figure 9 As shown, the limiting groove 2054 is formed on the bottom surface of the limiting block 2051 so as to abut against the upper half of the second frustum portion 2042.

[0059] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the second chamber 2031 has a vertically oriented axis. The limiting block 2051, drive shaft 2052, and second chamber 2031 are coaxially arranged. The limiting hole 2032 is radially arranged. There are multiple limiting holes 2032 and multiple load-bearing locking members 204. The load-bearing locking members 204 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the limiting holes 2032, and the multiple load-bearing locking members 204 are axially symmetrically distributed with respect to the axis. This symmetrical distribution design allows the load-bearing locking members 204 to evenly distribute the pressure when the buoy water inlet self-sinking device 200 is subjected to external water pressure, avoiding excessive local stress, thereby improving the pressure resistance and stability of the entire device. It should be noted that in this embodiment, there are specifically four limiting holes 2032 and four load-bearing locking members 204.

[0060] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 9 As shown, the circumferential wall of the second chamber 2031 is provided with a vertically extending limiting slide 2034, and the outer periphery of the limiting block 2051 is provided with a slider 2055. The slider 2055 is slidably connected within the limiting slide 2034, so that the limiting block 2051 can move vertically relative to the sliding sealing member 203, but cannot rotate relative to the sliding sealing member 203. Through the cooperation of the limiting slide 2034 and the slider 2055, the limiting block 2051 can only move vertically relative to the sliding sealing member 203, but cannot rotate relative to the sliding sealing member 203, thereby converting the rotational motion of the drive shaft 2052 into the linear motion of the limiting block 2051.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3As shown, the buoy inlet self-sinking device 200 also includes a motor mounting base 215 connected to the bottom end of the sliding sealing member 203. The release assembly 205 also includes a drive motor 2053 installed in the motor mounting base 215. The output shaft of the drive motor 2053 is connected to the drive shaft 2052 to drive the drive shaft 2052 to rotate. The drive motor 2053 can stably drive the drive shaft 2052 to rotate, which facilitates the control of the release assembly 205 to perform the action of releasing the load-bearing locking member 204.

[0062] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, a first sealing ring 208 is fitted onto the outer wall of the sliding sealing component 203. The circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 has a sealing section 2012 that slides and seals with the first sealing ring 208. The circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 extends from the lower edge of the sealing section 2012 to the outlet 2017 as an enlarged section 2013. The inner diameter D2 of the enlarged section is larger than the inner diameter D1 of the sealing section, so that the sliding seal fails when the first sealing ring 208 moves to the enlarged section 2013. Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown, it should be noted that the first sealing ring 208 is sleeved on the upper part of the sliding sealing member 203, and the limiting hole 2032 is opened on the lower part of the sliding sealing member 203; the sealing section 2012 is set near the water inlet 2016, and the position where the outer end of the load-bearing locking member 204 is inserted into the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 is located in the enlarged section 2013 (i.e., the insertion hole 2015 is opened in the enlarged section 2013). By dividing the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 into the sealing section 2012 and the enlarged section 2013 located below the sealing section 2012, the sliding seal between the sliding sealing member 203 and the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber 2014 can be quickly invalidated as the sliding sealing member 203 moves downward, thereby allowing the sliding sealing member 203 to quickly disengage from the water outlet 2017 of the first chamber 2014, achieving rapid water intake and self-sinking.

[0063] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, a pressure plate 206 is detachably installed at the inlet 2016, and an elastic element 202 is installed in a compressed state between the top surface of the sliding sealing element 203 and the pressure plate 206. The pressure plate 206 compresses the elastic element 202, ensuring that the elastic element 202 always applies a downward thrust to the sliding sealing element 203. It should be noted that the elastic element 202 is specifically a compression spring; however, those skilled in the art can use other elastic elements 202. Furthermore, a pressure plate 207 is provided between the top surface of the sliding sealing element 203 and the elastic element 202 to uniformly apply a downward thrust to the sliding sealing element 203.

[0064] In some embodiments, to facilitate the installation of the load-bearing locking member 204, the drive shaft 2052, and the limiting block 2051, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the top of the sliding sealing member 203 has an installation port 2033 that communicates with the second chamber 2031. The load-bearing locking member 204, the drive shaft 2052, and the limiting block 2051 are installed in the second chamber 2031 through the installation port 2033. The top and bottom ends of the drive shaft 2052 are respectively equipped with a first bearing 209 and a second bearing 212. The first bearing 209 is sealed and installed in the installation port 2033, and the second bearing 212 is installed at the bottom end of the sliding sealing member 203. It should be noted that the first bearing 209 is installed in the installation port 2033 through a first bearing mounting seat 211. The outer periphery of the first bearing mounting seat 211 is sealed with the installation port 2033 by a second sealing ring 210 to ensure the sealing effect of the sliding sealing member 203 on the outlet 2017. It should also be noted that the second bearing 212 is mounted on the bottom end of the sliding sealing member 203 via the second bearing mounting seat 213. The bottom end of the drive shaft 2052 passes through the second bearing 212 to connect to the drive motor 2053. The bottom end of the drive shaft 2052 is also threadedly connected to an anti-loosening nut 214, which is located below the second bearing 212 and abuts against it, so that the drive shaft 2052 is securely connected to the sliding sealing member 203. Preferably, the first bearing 209 is a sliding bearing, and the second bearing 212 is a thrust bearing to withstand axial force.

[0065] In some embodiments, the drive shaft 2052 is preferably a standard trapezoidal lead screw, and the limiting block 2051 is provided with a trapezoidal internal thread to be adapted to the standard trapezoidal lead screw.

[0066] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the top outer periphery of the mounting base 201 is provided with a flange portion 2011, which is used to mount the buoy 100 housing 101. The flange portion 2011 is provided with a third sealing ring 216 to ensure the sealing between the mounting base 201 and the buoy 100 housing 101.

[0067] Based on the above-mentioned buoy inlet self-sinking device 200, as shown in the attached... Figure 10As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a buoy self-sinking system, including the aforementioned buoy self-sinking device 200, a self-sinking control module 300, a power detection module 400 for monitoring the buoy battery power, and a positioning module 500 for acquiring buoy position information. The buoy self-sinking device 200 is installed on the outer shell 101 of the buoy 100. The self-sinking control module 300, the power detection module 400, and the positioning module 500 are respectively installed inside the buoy 100. The self-sinking control module 300 is connected to the power detection module 400, the positioning module 500, and the drive shaft 2052 of the buoy self-sinking device 200 to receive buoy battery power and buoy position information and control the buoy. The drive shaft 2052 of the self-sinking device 200 rotates to release the load-bearing locking member 204, causing the buoy 100 to sink by taking in water. The self-sinking control module 300 is configured to: compare the buoy battery power with a preset minimum power threshold; when the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, control the buoy self-sinking device 200 to operate; obtain the buoy's movement trajectory based on the buoy's position information and calculate the buoy's moving speed; when the buoy's moving speed increases abnormally and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's movement trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, control the buoy self-sinking device 200 to operate; and control the buoy self-sinking device 200 to operate after the buoy 100 completes its predetermined task.

[0068] In the aforementioned buoy self-sinking system, it should be noted that the preset minimum power threshold is set based on the minimum power required for buoy 100 to operate. When the buoy battery power falls below the preset minimum power threshold, it indicates that buoy 100 is out of power, and buoy 100 needs to be self-sinked. If buoy 100 is floating on the surface or operating underwater for an extended period, and there is a possibility of it being abnormally retrieved or caught by trawlers, buoy 100 will move with the vessel. Therefore, based on the buoy's position information, its trajectory can be obtained and its speed calculated. When the buoy's speed abnormally increases and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's trajectory exhibits characteristics of human navigation, it indicates that buoy 100 has been abnormally retrieved. In this case, to ensure data security, buoy 100 needs to be self-sinked. It should also be noted that the connection between the self-descent control module 300 and the drive shaft 2052 is specifically as follows: the self-descent control module 300 connects to the drive motor 2053 to control the start and stop of the drive motor 2053, thereby controlling the rotation of the drive shaft 2052 through the drive motor 2053. Furthermore, it should be noted that the self-descent control module 300 can be a microprocessor, etc., which implements the above configuration of the self-descent control module 300 through programming. The programming process for implementing the above configuration is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here. The positioning module 500 is a conventional module in the art, such as a GPS positioning module or a Beidou positioning module. The power detection module 400 is also a conventional module in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0069] The aforementioned buoy water inlet self-sinking system, through the cooperation of the buoy water inlet self-sinking device 200, the self-sinking control module 300, the power detection module 400, and the positioning module 500, enables the buoy 100 to sink under three different working conditions: the buoy 100's power is exhausted, the buoy 100 is abnormally retrieved, and the buoy 100 completes its predetermined work task. This effectively ensures the security of the data collected by the buoy 100.

[0070] Based on the above-mentioned buoy inlet self-sinking device 200, as shown in the attached... Figure 11 As shown, this embodiment of the invention further provides a method for buoy self-sinking, which uses the above-mentioned buoy inlet self-sinking device 200 to sink the buoy 100, including:

[0071] When the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, the buoy water intake self-sinking device 200 is controlled to release the load-bearing locking member 204 so that the buoy 100 can sink by water intake.

[0072] Alternatively, the buoy's movement trajectory can be obtained based on the buoy's position information and the buoy's moving speed can be calculated. When the buoy's moving speed increases abnormally and exceeds the limit of the ocean environment current speed, or when the buoy's movement trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, it is determined that the buoy 100 has been salvaged. At this time, the buoy water intake self-sinking device 200 is controlled to release the load-bearing locking component 204 so that the buoy 100 can be water intake and sink by itself.

[0073] Alternatively, after the buoy 100 completes its predetermined task, the buoy water intake self-sinking device 200 is controlled to release the load-bearing locking member 204 so that the buoy 100 can sink by water intake.

[0074] The above-mentioned buoy self-sinking method enables the buoy 100 to sink under three different working conditions: the buoy 100's power is exhausted, the buoy 100 is abnormally retrieved, and the buoy 100 completes its predetermined work task. This method can effectively ensure the security of the data collected by the buoy 100.

[0075] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0076] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the specific implementation of the present invention or equivalent substitutions can be made to some technical features without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the technical solutions claimed in the present invention.

Claims

1. A buoy self-sinking device, characterized in that, include: The mounting base is installed on the outer shell of the buoy and has a first chamber that extends vertically through the mounting base to connect the inside of the buoy with the external environment. The opening at the top of the first chamber is the water inlet, and the opening at the bottom of the mounting base is the water outlet. A sliding sealing member is inserted into the first chamber from the water outlet, and its outer wall slides and seals against the circumferential wall of the first chamber to block the water outlet. The sliding sealing member moves vertically downward relative to the mounting base to disengage from the circumferential wall of the first chamber, thereby disabling the sliding seal. The sliding sealing member has a second chamber, and the circumferential outer wall of the sliding sealing member has a limiting hole that communicates with the second chamber. A load-bearing locking component is inserted into the limiting hole, and its outer end is inserted into the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber so that the sliding sealing component is locked at the position where it forms the sliding seal with the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber. An elastic element is located in the first cavity and installed between the top end of the sliding plug and the top end of the mounting base. The elastic element deforms vertically to apply a downward thrust to the sliding plug. Under the thrust, the sliding plug has a tendency to move downward, and the sliding plug applies a downward force to the load-bearing locking member so that the load-bearing locking member has a tendency to move into the second chamber to release the locking of the sliding plug. Release assembly, which includes a drive shaft and a limit block; The drive shaft passes vertically through the second chamber and is rotatably connected to the sliding sealing member to rotate relative to the sliding sealing member; the limiting block abuts against the inner end of the load-bearing locking member to prevent the load-bearing locking member from moving into the second chamber; the limiting block is threadedly connected to the drive shaft and is non-rotatably connected to the circumferential cavity wall of the second chamber so that it moves vertically upward relative to the sliding sealing member with the rotation of the drive shaft to release the load-bearing locking member.

2. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer end of the load-bearing locking member has a first frustum portion, and the circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber is provided with an insertion hole that matches the shape of the first frustum portion. When the first frustum portion is inserted into the insertion hole, the hole wall of the insertion hole abuts against the circumferential side of the first frustum portion. The inner end of the load-bearing locking member has a second frustum portion, and the outer circumferential surface of the limiting block is provided with a limiting groove that abuts against the upper half of the second frustum portion. The limiting groove has an arc surface that matches the shape of the upper half of the second frustum portion.

3. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second chamber has a vertically arranged axis. The limiting block, the drive shaft and the second chamber are arranged coaxially. The limiting hole is arranged radially. There are multiple limiting holes and multiple load-bearing locking members. The load-bearing locking members are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the limiting holes. The multiple load-bearing locking members are symmetrically distributed with respect to the axis.

4. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second chamber has a circumferential cavity wall with a vertically extending limiting slide. The limiting block has a slider on its outer periphery. The slider is slidably connected to the limiting slide, so that the limiting block can move vertically relative to the sliding sealing member, but cannot rotate relative to the sliding sealing member.

5. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buoy water inlet self-sinking device also includes a motor mounting base connected to the bottom end of the sliding sealing member, and the release component also includes a drive motor installed in the motor mounting base, the output shaft of the drive motor being connected to the drive shaft to drive the drive shaft to rotate.

6. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the sliding sealing component is fitted with a first sealing ring. The circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber has a sealing section that slides and seals with the first sealing ring. The circumferential cavity wall of the first chamber extends from the lower edge of the sealing section to the outlet as an enlarged section. The inner diameter of the enlarged section is larger than the inner diameter of the sealing section, so that the sliding seal fails when the first sealing ring moves to the enlarged section.

7. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A pressure plate is detachably installed at the water inlet, and the elastic element is installed in a compressed state between the top surface of the sliding sealing element and the pressure plate.

8. The buoy self-sinking device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the sliding sealing member has an installation port that communicates with the second chamber. The load-bearing locking member, the drive shaft, and the limiting block are installed in the second chamber through the installation port. The top and bottom ends of the drive shaft are respectively equipped with a first bearing and a second bearing. The first bearing is sealed and installed in the installation port, and the second bearing is installed at the bottom end of the sliding sealing member.

9. A buoy self-sinking system, characterized in that, The buoy includes a self-sinking device for water intake as described in any one of claims 1-8, a self-sinking control module, a power detection module for monitoring the battery power of the buoy, and a positioning module for obtaining buoy position information. The self-sinking device for water intake is installed on the outer shell of the buoy, and the self-sinking control module, the power detection module, and the positioning module are respectively installed inside the buoy. The self-sinking control module is respectively connected to the power detection module, the positioning module, and the drive shaft of the self-sinking device for water intake, so as to receive the battery power of the buoy and the buoy position information and control the drive shaft of the self-sinking device for water intake to rotate and release the load-bearing locking member to make the buoy sink by water intake. The self-sinking control module is configured to: compare the buoy battery power with a preset minimum power threshold; when the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, control the buoy water intake self-sinking device to activate; obtain the buoy's movement trajectory based on the buoy's position information and calculate the buoy's moving speed; when the buoy's moving speed increases abnormally and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's movement trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, control the buoy water intake self-sinking device to activate; and when the buoy completes its predetermined task, control the buoy water intake self-sinking device to activate.

10. A method for a buoy to sink by itself, characterized in that, Using the buoy self-sinking device according to any one of claims 1-8 to sink a buoy, comprising: When the buoy battery power is lower than the preset minimum power threshold, the buoy water intake and self-sinking device is controlled to release the load-bearing locking component so that the buoy can sink by water intake. Alternatively, the buoy's movement trajectory can be obtained based on its position information and its speed can be calculated. When the buoy's speed increases abnormally and exceeds the ocean current speed limit, or when the buoy's movement trajectory exhibits human navigation characteristics, it is determined that the buoy has been salvaged. At this time, the buoy's water intake and self-sinking device is controlled to release the load-bearing locking component so that the buoy can sink by water intake. Alternatively, after the buoy completes its designated task, the buoy's water intake and self-sinking device can be controlled to release the load-bearing locking element, thereby causing the buoy to sink by itself.

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