Multifunctional active fair lead

Abstract

The invention discloses a multifunctional active fair lead, and relates to the technical field of fair leads. The cable guiding device comprises a cable guiding seat; the driving cable guiding device comprises a driving cable guiding module, the driving cable guiding module comprises two groups of annular track assemblies which are oppositely arranged, and the array cable is selectively pressed between the two annular track assemblies to form pushing force; one end of the active cable guide module is provided with a meter-counting cable guide wheel used for guiding an array cable, and one end of the meter-counting cable guide wheel is connected with an encoder used for metering the winding and unwinding length when the array cable passes through; the meter counting cable guide wheel is used in cooperation with the cable pressing wheel module and used for pressing the array cable to the driving cable guide module and / or the meter counting cable guide wheel. The cable pressing wheel module comprises a telescopic rod, the telescopic end of the telescopic rod is movably connected with a rotating arm, and the rotating arm is fixedly connected with a cable pressing wheel; the camera device comprises a front camera and a rear camera and is used for monitoring the state of the array cable in the fair lead and when the array cable enters a winch in real time; and the fresh water flushing device is used for automatically flushing the array cable when the array cable is recycled. The array cable take-up and pay-off efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cable guide technology, and in particular to a multifunctional active cable guide. Background Technology

[0002] A cable guide is a cable guiding device on the stern deck of a ship. It works in conjunction with a towed array sonar winch to retrieve and deploy the sonar array cable. Its main function is to support and guide the array cable as it is deployed underwater, and to assist the winch in retrieving and deploying the array cable.

[0003] In related technologies, the guide wire widely used on ships only serves a supporting and guiding function, and is a passive guide wire. When deploying the array cable, operators need to manually drag a certain length of the array cable into the sea to generate sufficient initial drag force before the guide wire can work with the winch for subsequent automatic cable deployment. The actual length of the array cable deployed into the water must be estimated entirely by the counting system at the winch end, and the data is not directly measured by the guide wire itself, which is prone to errors. When the array cable is retrieved from the sea, its surface will be covered with seawater, marine organisms, and other impurities, and the rinsing of the array cable during the retrieval process depends entirely on manual operation. During the deployment and retrieval of the array cable, the status of the array cable passing through key parts of the guide wire and its status when retrieved to the winch need to be monitored by a dedicated person standing by the guide wire. This passive guide wire results in a cumbersome and complex operation process, affecting operational efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a multifunctional active cable guide, which solves the problem of the convenience of cable guides.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution: A multi-functional active cable guide includes: Cable guides are used to securely connect to the ship's deck to provide support. An active cable guide device includes an active cable guide module, the active cable guide module including two sets of oppositely arranged annular track assemblies, optionally compressing the cable array between the two annular track assemblies to generate a pushing force; The active cable guide module is equipped with a meter-counting cable guide wheel at one end away from the direction of the pushing force, which is used to guide the array cable. An encoder is connected to one end of the meter-counting cable guide wheel, which is used to measure the length of the cable being taken up and released when the array cable passes through. The meter-counting guide wheel is used in conjunction with the cable-pressing wheel module to press the array cable to the active guide wheel module and / or the meter-counting guide wheel; the cable-pressing wheel module includes a telescopic rod, the telescopic end of which is movably connected to a rotating arm, and the rotating arm is fixedly connected to the cable-pressing wheel; The camera device includes front and rear dual cameras for real-time monitoring of the status of the array cable inside the cable guide and as it enters the winch; A freshwater rinsing device is used to automatically rinse the array cable during recovery.

[0006] Furthermore, the multi-functional active cable guide is powered and controlled by a winch.

[0007] Furthermore, the annular track assembly includes a drive motor, a drive cable guide wheel, a traction track, and a track tensioning wheel; the drive cable guide wheel is vertically arranged so that a structure is formed between the two opposing traction tracks, allowing the insertion of a cable array from the vertical direction.

[0008] Furthermore, the freshwater shower device includes a shower pipe, which is configured as an open ring structure and has multiple spray nozzles to spray water toward the center of the ring; an array cable passes through the center of the shower pipe.

[0009] Furthermore, one end of the active cable guide module in the direction of the pushing force is provided with a guide roller module for guiding the array cable and preventing it from bending excessively. The guide roller module includes a horizontal guide roller and a vertical guide roller, forming a trumpet-shaped cable outlet.

[0010] Furthermore, the cable guide seat is a right-angled trapezoidal frame structure; a cable guide seat reel box is fixedly connected to its inclined side for storing array cables.

[0011] Furthermore, the multifunctional active cable guide also includes a cable guide seat front support that works in conjunction with the cable guide seat, configured as an inverted T-shaped rod structure to support the guide roller module. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A perspective view of a multifunctional active cable guide provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A perspective view of another multifunctional active cable guide provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 A perspective view of an active cable guiding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an active cable guiding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 A side view of an active cable guiding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 A top view of an active cable guiding device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 A structural diagram of a cable pressing wheel module provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a perspective view of an active cable guide module provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0013] Figure label: 1. Cable guide seat; 2. Front support of cable guide seat; 3. Cable guide cover; 4. Active cable guide device; 4-1. Cable pressing wheel module; 4-1-1. Cable pressing wheel; 4-1-2. Rotating arm; 4-1-3. Telescopic rod; 4-2. Meter-counting cable guide wheel; 4-3. Encoder; 4-4. Horizontal guide roller; 4-5. Vertical guide roller; 4-6. Active cable guide module; 4-6-1. Drive motor; 4-6-2. Drive cable guide wheel; 4-6-3. Traction track; 4-6-4. Track tensioning wheel; 4-7. Structural shell; 5. Camera support frame; 6. Front and rear dual cameras; 7. Shower pipe; 8. Water pipe; 9. Shower inlet control valve; 10. Junction box; 11. Cable guide seat reel box. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention to achieve its intended purpose, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application are clearly described. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0015] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such terms can be used interchangeably where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0016] The steps described in the specification and the flowcharts in the accompanying drawings of this invention are not necessarily strictly executed according to the step numbers; the execution order of the method steps can be changed. Furthermore, certain steps can be omitted, multiple steps can be combined into one step, and / or one step can be broken down into multiple steps.

[0017] This specification provides a multifunctional active cable guide, which will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0018] Please see Figures 1-8 This application provides a multifunctional active cable guide, such as... Figures 1-8 As shown, it includes: Cable guide seat 1, used for fixed connection with the ship's deck to provide support; An active cable guide device 4 is disposed on the cable guide seat 1. It includes an active cable guide module 4-6. The active cable guide module 4-6 includes two sets of annular track assemblies arranged opposite each other. Optionally, the cable array can be pressed between the two annular track assemblies to form a pushing force. The active cable guide module 4-6 is equipped with a meter-counting cable guide wheel 4-2 at one end away from the direction of the pushing force, which is used to guide the array cable. An encoder 4-3 is connected to one end of the meter-counting cable guide wheel 4-2, which is used to measure the length of the cable being extended and retracted when the array cable passes through. The meter-counting guide wheel 4-2 works in conjunction with the cable-pressing wheel module 4-1 to press the array cable to the active guide wheel module 4-6 and / or the meter-counting guide wheel 4-2. The cable-pressing wheel module 4-1 includes a telescopic rod 4-1-3, the telescopic end of which is movably connected to a rotating arm 4-1-2. The rotating arm 4-1-2 is fixedly connected to the cable-pressing wheel 4-1-1. Driven by a motor (mounted on the rotating arm), the rotating arm 4-1-2 can rotate upwards. The cable inlet of the meter guide wheel 4-2 is used to insert the cable array, and it rotates downward to a horizontal position. The cable pressing wheel 4-1-1, driven by the telescopic rod 4-1-3, cooperates with the meter guide wheel 4-2 to press the cable array into the groove of the meter guide wheel 4-2, and / or press the cable array between the two annular track assemblies. The movement of the cable array drives the meter guide wheel 4-2 to rotate, and the encoder 4-3 records the rotation data in real time, thereby calculating the actual length of the cable array to be deployed and deployed. The camera device is installed on the cable guide seat 1 and includes front and rear dual cameras 6 for real-time monitoring of the status of the array cable inside the cable guide and when it enters the winch. Through the camera support frame 5, the field of view of the front and rear dual cameras 6 covers the working area of ​​the active cable guide device inside the cable guide and the transition area of ​​the array cable returning to the winch, respectively, so as to realize remote visual monitoring of the cable winding and unwinding process. A freshwater rinsing device is installed on the cable guide seat 1 for automatically rinsing the array cable during retrieval.

[0019] The multi-functional active cable guide is powered and controlled by a winch.

[0020] This application incorporates an active cable guide module 4-6, a meter-counting cable guide wheel 4-2, a cable-pressing wheel module 4-1, and a guide roller module in the cable guide to form a track-traction-type active drive structure. This gives the cable guide the ability to push the cable, allowing deployment operations to start from zero drag force, completely eliminating the need for manual dragging, and enabling accurate meter counting. Simultaneously, a washing function is embedded in the cable guide body, making it an automatic component of the retrieval process. Furthermore, combined with a camera device, it achieves remote, real-time, fully automatic, and safe deployment and retrieval of the array cable, greatly improving the efficiency and safety of towed array sonar operations.

[0021] Furthermore, the annular track assembly includes a drive motor 4-6-1, a drive cable guide wheel 4-6-2, a traction track 4-6-3, and a track tension wheel 4-6-4; the drive cable guide wheel 4-6-2 is vertically arranged so that a structure is formed between the two opposing traction tracks 4-6-3, allowing the insertion of a cable array from the vertical direction. The traction track 4-6-3 holds the array cable, and the drive motor 4-6-1 drives the track to rotate through the drive guide wheel 4-6-2, thereby providing an active pushing force (dragging force) for the deployment of the array cable; the track tension wheel 4-6-4 is used for tension adjustment of the traction track 4-6-3.

[0022] Furthermore, the freshwater shower device includes a shower pipe 7, which is mounted on the cable guide seat 1. The shower pipe 7 is configured as an open annular structure and is provided with multiple water nozzles to spray water towards the center of the annulus. The cable array passes through the center of the shower pipe 7. Freshwater from the ship is supplied to the shower pipe 7 through a water pipe 8 and a pipeline controlled by the shower water inlet control valve 9 to rinse the cable array.

[0023] In some possible implementations, one end of the active cable guiding module 4-6 in the direction of the pushing force is provided with a guide roller module for guiding the array cable and preventing it from bending excessively. This guide roller module includes a horizontal guide roller 4-4 and a vertical guide roller 4-5, forming a funnel-shaped cable outlet. The horizontal guide roller 4-4 and the vertical guide roller 4-5 are arranged in multiple sets, and the funnel-shaped structure formed can constrain and guide the array cable in both horizontal and vertical directions before it enters the water.

[0024] Furthermore, the cable guide seat 1 is a right-angled trapezoidal frame structure; a cable guide seat reel box 11 is fixedly connected to its inclined side for storing array cables; the cable guide seat 1 is also fixedly connected to a junction box 10 for cable connection of electrical components (motor 4-6-1, encoder 4-3, camera 6, control valve 9).

[0025] Furthermore, the multi-functional active cable guide also includes a cable guide seat front support 2 used in conjunction with the cable guide seat 1, configured as an inverted T-shaped rod structure for supporting the guide roller module; the cable guide is fixed to the ship deck by the cable guide seat 1 and the cable guide seat front support 2.

[0026] Furthermore, the active cable guiding device 4 also includes a structural housing 4-7, an active cable guiding module 4-6, a portion of the horizontal guide rollers 4-4, a portion of the vertical guide rollers 4-5, and a portion of the telescopic rods 4-1-3 disposed within the structural housing 4-7; The multi-functional active cable guide also includes a cable guide cover 3, and the meter guide wheel 4-2, encoder 4-3, etc. are covered by the cable guide cover 3.

[0027] In the specific implementation process of this application: The cable guide is welded to the stern deck of the ship via angle iron below the cable guide base. The cable, housed in the cable tray of the cable guide base, is connected to the winch. The winch supplies power and controls the cable guide. When deploying the sonar array cable, the winch controls the cable clamping wheel of the cable guide to rotate upwards and open. The array cable from the winch end passes through the meter-counting cable guide wheel and is placed between the traction tracks in the cable guide. The winch controls the cable clamping wheel to rotate downwards, cooperating with the meter-counting cable guide wheel to complete the cable clamping action. Simultaneously, the winch controls the traction tracks of the active cable guide device to rotate, actively pushing the array cable out into the sea. As the array cable passes through the meter-counting cable guide wheel, the encoder of the cable guide wheel can record the length of the released array cable in real time. The cable guide has multiple sets of guide rollers arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions to form a trumpet shape, avoiding large bends in the array cable after it enters the sea. When retrieving the sonar array cable from a towed array sonar, the winch controls the active cable guide device to stop rotating, keeping the array cable clamped between the tracks. Pulled by the winch turntable, the cable is retrieved through the cable guide into the winch. During retrieval, a freshwater rinsing system, consisting of a rinsing pipe, water pipe, and rinsing inlet control valve, is connected to the ship's freshwater tap to rinse and clean the retrieved cable. Front and rear dual-camera systems installed on the cable guide can monitor the cable's working status inside the guide and its retrieval status in the winch in real time, ensuring the fully automated and safe deployment and retrieval of the array cable by the active cable guide.

[0028] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0029] It is understood that the embodiments of this application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. As those skilled in the art will know, various changes or equivalent substitutions can be made to these features and embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art, under the guidance or instruction of this application, can modify these features and embodiments to adapt to specific situations and materials without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, this invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims of this application are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A multifunctional active cable guide, characterized in that, include: Cable guides are used to securely connect to the ship's deck to provide support. An active cable guide device includes an active cable guide module, the active cable guide module including two sets of oppositely arranged annular track assemblies, optionally compressing the cable array between the two annular track assemblies to generate a pushing force; The active cable guide module is equipped with a meter-counting cable guide wheel at one end away from the direction of the pushing force, which is used to guide the array cable. An encoder is connected to one end of the meter-counting cable guide wheel, which is used to measure the length of the cable being taken up and released when the array cable passes through. The meter-counting guide wheel is used in conjunction with the cable-pressing wheel module to press the array cable to the active guide wheel module and / or the meter-counting guide wheel; the cable-pressing wheel module includes a telescopic rod, the telescopic end of which is movably connected to a rotating arm, and the rotating arm is fixedly connected to the cable-pressing wheel; The camera device includes front and rear dual cameras for real-time monitoring of the status of the array cable inside the cable guide and as it enters the winch; A freshwater rinsing device is used to automatically rinse the array cable during recovery.

2. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-functional active cable guide is powered and controlled by a winch.

3. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, The annular track assembly includes a drive motor, a drive cable guide wheel, traction tracks, and track tensioning wheels; the drive cable guide wheel is vertically arranged so that a structure is formed between the two opposing traction tracks, allowing the insertion of a cable array from the vertical direction.

4. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, The freshwater shower device includes a shower pipe, which is configured as an open ring structure and has multiple spray nozzles to spray water toward the center of the ring; an array cable passes through the center of the shower pipe.

5. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the active cable guiding module in the direction of the pushing force is provided with a guide roller module for guiding the array cable and preventing it from bending excessively. The guide roller module includes a horizontal guide roller and a vertical guide roller, forming a trumpet-shaped cable outlet.

6. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable guide base is a right-angled trapezoidal frame structure; Its inclined side is fixedly connected to a cable guide plate and cable box for storing array cables.

7. The multifunctional active cable guide according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-functional active cable guide also includes a cable guide seat front support that works in conjunction with the cable guide seat, configured as an inverted T-shaped rod structure to support the guide roller module.

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