Tow and cable laying vessel

Abstract

This application provides a towing device and a submarine cable laying vessel, relating to the field of deep-sea engineering equipment technology. The towing device includes: a frame, a towing rope, a towing assembly, a locking assembly, a force detection device, and a controller. The towing rope is attached to the towing assembly and used to connect to the laying plow. The towing assembly has a towing position state and a lifting position state, with one end rotatably connected to the frame to switch between these states. The towing position state includes a towing locked state and a towing unlocked state. The locking assembly is fixedly connected to the frame; when the towing assembly is in the towing locked state, the locking assembly is locked to the towing assembly. The force detection device is used to detect the tension of the towing rope. The controller is electrically connected to the force detection device and also connected to the towing assembly. This towing device can optimize the stress on the towing assembly, dynamically compensate for fluctuations in the towing rope tension, and mitigate load impacts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of deep-sea engineering equipment technology, and in particular to a towing device and a submarine cable laying vessel. Background Technology

[0002] During deep-sea pipeline laying or subsea facility installation, the burial plow needs to be precisely lowered from the deck to the seabed, horizontally towed, and retrieved using a towing system on the mother ship. The towing rig is the load-bearing mechanism used for lifting, towing, and retrieving the burial plow, employing a combined lifting and towing method. A single steel wire rope completes both the lifting and towing operations.

[0003] In related technologies, lifting and towing functions are achieved through a single steel wire rope, with the two ends of the steel wire rope connected to the mother ship winch and the burial plow, respectively; the towing frame switches between the towing and lifting positions by driving the boom through a hydraulic cylinder.

[0004] However, the boom cylinder of the aforementioned towing system is prone to damage due to concentrated stress when it is in the towing position, and it cannot compensate for the tension fluctuations of the wire rope. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a towing device and a submarine cable laying vessel to optimize the stress on the boom cylinder and dynamically compensate for the tension fluctuation of the wire rope, thereby mitigating load impact.

[0006] On one hand, this application provides a towing device for towing the laying plow of a submarine cable laying vessel. The towing device includes: a frame and a towing rope, a towing assembly, a locking assembly, a force detection component, and a controller.

[0007] The tow rope is attached to the towing assembly and is used to connect the laying plow. The towing assembly has a towing position and a lifting position. One end of the towing assembly is rotatably connected to the frame to switch between the towing position and the lifting position. The towing position includes a towing locked position and a towing unlocked position. The locking component is fixedly connected to the frame. When the towing assembly is in the towing locked position, the locking component is locked to the towing assembly.

[0008] The force sensor is used to detect the tension of the tow rope. The controller is electrically connected to the force sensor and to the towing assembly. The controller is configured to adjust the rotation angle of the towing assembly based on the tension when the towing assembly is in the towing unlocked state. The controller is also configured to control the locking assembly to lock into place with the towing assembly.

[0009] In the aforementioned towing device, the towing assembly includes a towing arm and a telescopic connector; the first end of the towing arm is rotatably connected to the frame, and the second end of the towing arm is selectively connected to a locking assembly; the first end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the frame, and the second end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the middle of the towing arm; the first end of the telescopic connector is higher than the first end of the towing arm.

[0010] In the above-mentioned towing device, it is possible to include a towing telescopic connector including a towing telescopic cylinder, which is electrically connected to a controller. The controller is used to control the towing telescopic cylinder to extend so that the second end of the towing arm rotates toward the side where the frame is located, or to control the towing telescopic cylinder to retract so that the second end of the towing arm rotates away from the side where the frame is located.

[0011] In the aforementioned towing device, the locking assembly includes a latch and a locking telescopic member, with a locking tongue at one end of the locking telescopic member; a locking engagement member is provided at the second end of the towing arm; when the towing assembly is in the towing locked state, the locking engagement member is embedded in the latch, and the locking tongue passes through the latch and the locking engagement member to lock the locking assembly and the towing assembly; the controller is connected to the locking telescopic member and is used to control the extension and retraction of the locking tongue.

[0012] In the aforementioned towing device, it is possible to have a magnetic component on one of the latch and the locking tongue, and a magnetic component on the other.

[0013] In the aforementioned towing device, it is possible to have an elastic element connected between the latch and the bolt, which provides an elastic force to the bolt that approaches the latch.

[0014] In the aforementioned towing device, it is possible to further include a cable guide, which is mounted on the frame and located in front of the towing assembly along the direction of the towing rope extension; the cable guide is used to suspend the submarine cable; and the second end of the towing arm is higher than the top of the cable guide.

[0015] In the aforementioned towing device, it is possible to achieve that the cable guide is rotatably connected to the frame, the cable guide rotates in the vertical direction, or the cable guide rotates in a first direction, the first direction being perpendicular to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the extension direction of the submarine cable.

[0016] On the other hand, this application provides a submarine cable laying vessel, including a hull, a laying plow, and the aforementioned towing device; wherein the laying plow is used to lay submarine cables; and the towing device is mounted on the hull for towing the laying plow.

[0017] In the aforementioned submarine cable laying vessel, it is possible to equip the laying plow with path detection components.

[0018] The towing device provided in this application embodiment is fixedly connected to the frame by setting a locking component. When the towing component is in the towing locked state, the locking component is locked to the towing component, so that the force point is concentrated on the locking component, reducing the continuous force on the towing component and extending the service life of the towing telescopic cylinder in the towing component. By setting a force detection element and a controller, when the towing component is in the towing unlocked state, the force detection element detects the tension of the towing rope, and the controller dynamically adjusts the rotation angle of the towing component according to the change of the tension of the towing rope, so as to compensate for the fluctuation of the tension of the towing rope and alleviate the impact of dynamic load. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0020] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a submarine cable laying vessel provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of the submarine cable laying vessel provided in an embodiment of this application from another perspective;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the locking component of the towing device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0024] 100. Towing device; 110. Frame; 120. Towing assembly; 121. Towing arm; 122. Towing telescopic cylinder; 123. Locking mating parts; 130. Locking assembly; 131. Lock; 132. Locking telescopic parts; 133. Locking tongue; 140. Cable guide; 200. Burying plow.

[0025] The accompanying drawings illustrate specific embodiments of this application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of this application to those skilled in the art through reference to particular embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0027] In related technologies, a single steel wire rope is used to achieve lifting and towing functions, with the two ends of the steel wire rope connected to the mother ship winch and the burial plow, respectively. The towing frame drives the boom to switch between towing and lifting positions via hydraulic cylinders. In the towing position, the hydraulic cylinder is prone to concentrated stress, which can lead to damage. In severe sea conditions, the fluctuation of steel wire rope tension caused by the movement of the mother ship lacks an adaptive buffering mechanism, which can easily lead to structural fatigue damage.

[0028] The towing device and submarine cable laying vessel provided in this application embodiment include a frame, a towing rope, a towing assembly, a locking assembly, a force detection device, and a controller. The towing rope is attached to the towing assembly and used to connect to the laying plow. The towing assembly has a towing position and a lifting position, with one end rotatably connected to the frame to switch between these states. The towing position includes a towing locked state and a towing unlocked state. The locking assembly is fixedly connected to the frame; when the towing assembly is in the towing locked state, the locking assembly is locked to the towing assembly. The force detection device detects the tension of the towing rope. The controller is electrically connected to the force detection device and is used to adjust the rotation angle of the towing assembly or to lock to the towing assembly. By fixing the locking assembly to the frame, when the towing assembly is in the towing locked state, the locking assembly is locked to the towing assembly, concentrating the force on the locking assembly, reducing the continuous stress on the towing assembly, and extending the service life of the towing telescopic cylinder in the towing assembly. By setting up a force detection device and a controller, when the towing assembly is in the towing unlocked state, the force detection device detects the tension of the towing rope, and the controller dynamically adjusts the rotation angle of the towing assembly according to the change of the towing rope tension to compensate for the fluctuation of the towing rope tension and alleviate the impact of dynamic load.

[0029] The technical solution of this application and how the technical solution of this application solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments. The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] On the one hand, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the figure, this application embodiment provides a towing device 100 for towing a laying plow 200 of a submarine cable laying vessel. The towing device 100 includes a frame 110, a towing rope, a towing assembly 120, a locking assembly 130, a force detection component, and a controller. The frame 110 serves as the main structure of the towing device 100, supporting key components such as the laying plow 200, the towing assembly 120, the locking assembly 130, and the force detection component, as well as the operational load.

[0031] For example, a submarine cable is a communication and power transmission facility that is a conductor or optical cable wrapped with insulating material and laid on the seabed. It includes submarine communication cables and submarine power cables. Submarine optical cables are the main form of communication cables and are used for long-distance communication networks. Submarine cables are used to transmit high-power electrical energy on the seabed.

[0032] In this embodiment, the tow rope is attached to the towing assembly 120 and is used to connect the burial plow 200. Exemplarily, the tow rope can be made of steel wire rope, whose wear-resistant and pressure-resistant properties effectively tow the burial plow 200. In other embodiments, synthetic fiber cables, hybrid cables, etc., can also be used. Specifically, synthetic fiber cables include high-performance, high-modulus polyethylene cables, polyester cables, etc., which have good tensile strength, are lightweight, and corrosion-resistant, reducing the load and energy consumption of the submarine cable laying vessel and adapting to different sea conditions.

[0033] The towing assembly 120 has a towing position state and a lifting position state. One end of the towing assembly 120 is rotatably connected to the frame 110 to switch between the towing position state and the lifting position state. Specifically, the towing position state is the state of the towing assembly 120 when the burying plow 200 is laying submarine cables, and the lifting position state is the state of the towing assembly 120 when the burying plow 200 is placed on the seabed or lifted from the seabed. The towing point is closer to the front end of the burying plow 200, and the lifting point is closer to the center of gravity of the burying plow 200. The towing position state includes a towing locked state and a towing unlocked state.

[0034] Locking component 130 is fixedly connected to frame 110. When towing component 120 is in towing locked state, locking component 130 is locked to towing component 120. For example, under good sea conditions, when towing component 120 is in towing locked state, specifically, when towing component 120 is positioned to lock component 130, locking component 130 locks towing component 120. This concentrates the stress on the burial plow 200 during towing on locking component 130 and the front end of burial plow 200, preventing stress on towing component 120 during towing, improving the service life of towing component 120, and benefiting the attitude of burial plow 200.

[0035] A force detection device is used to detect the tension of the tow rope. For example, the force detection device is a sensor that can detect the magnitude of the tow rope tension in real time. Specifically, the force detection device can be a pin-type tension sensor, installed at the connection point between the lifting lug at the top of the tow assembly 120 and the pulley block at the end of the tow rope. The tension of the tow rope is determined by converting the deformation of the pin into an electrical signal proportional to the tow rope tension. Alternatively, a side-pressure type tension sensor can be used, installed on the tow assembly 120 or along the path of the tow rope, to calculate the tension of the tow rope by measuring the lateral pressure on the tow rope.

[0036] The controller is electrically connected to the force sensing element and to the towing assembly 120. The controller is configured to adjust the rotation angle of the towing assembly 120 when the towing assembly 120 is in the towing unlocked state based on the tension force. The controller is also configured to control the locking assembly 130 to lock the connection with the towing assembly 120.

[0037] For example, in severe sea conditions, the up-and-down movement of the hull of the cable-laying vessel causes continuous changes in the tension of the tow rope. At this time, the force sensor can detect the tension of the tow rope in real time and transmit the tension signal to the controller, causing the controller to unlock the locking component 130. At this point, the towing assembly 120 is in the towing unlocked state. Simultaneously, the controller controls the towing assembly 120 to adjust its rotation angle in real time according to the magnitude of the tow rope tension, adapting to the tow rope tension and towing angle. This effectively mitigates the impact force caused by the up-and-down movement of swells and reduces fatigue damage to the structure caused by dynamic loads.

[0038] In one feasible implementation, the towing assembly 120 includes a towing arm 121 and a telescopic connector; a first end of the towing arm 121 is rotatably connected to the frame 110, and a second end of the towing arm 121 is selectively connected to the locking assembly 130; a first end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the frame 110, and a second end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the middle of the towing arm 121; the first end of the telescopic connector is higher than the first end of the towing arm 121.

[0039] As one feasible implementation, the telescopic connector includes a towing telescopic cylinder 122, which is electrically connected to a controller. The controller is used to control the towing telescopic cylinder 122 to extend so that the second end of the towing arm 121 rotates toward the side where the frame 110 is located, or to control the towing telescopic cylinder 122 to retract so that the second end of the towing arm 121 rotates away from the side where the frame 110 is located.

[0040] For example, the towing telescopic cylinder 122 is a hydraulic cylinder, a device that converts the pressure energy of hydraulic oil into the mechanical energy of linear reciprocating motion. Specifically, it includes a cylinder barrel, a piston rod, and seals. The cylinder barrel is the main body of the hydraulic cylinder, with a smooth inner wall, providing guidance and containing hydraulic oil for the reciprocating motion of the piston. The piston drives the piston rod to perform linear reciprocating motion within the cylinder barrel. The seals are made of wear-resistant materials, specifically polyurethane sealing rings, which improve the sealing performance during frequent piston rod extension and retraction, and also reduce the frequency of replacement.

[0041] In this embodiment, one end of the towing boom 121 and the towing telescopic cylinder 122 are rotatably connected to the frame 110, and the other end of the towing telescopic cylinder 122 is rotatably connected to the towing boom 121. The towing telescopic cylinder 122 is electrically connected to the controller. The controller controls the extension and retraction of the piston rod in the towing telescopic cylinder 122 to adjust the rotation angle of the towing boom 121, absorbing impact energy and thus switching between the towing and lifting states. Furthermore, the controller can adjust the rotation angle of the towing boom 121 in real time according to changes in the tension of the towing rope, keeping the towing assembly 120 in the towing unlocked state, thereby improving operational efficiency.

[0042] As one feasible implementation method, refer to Figure 3 As shown, the locking assembly 130 includes a latch 131 and a locking telescopic member 132. The end of the locking telescopic member 132 is provided with a locking tongue 133. For example, the locking telescopic member 132 can be understood as a locking telescopic cylinder, and its structure is consistent with the aforementioned towing telescopic cylinder 122, also being a hydraulic cylinder, which will not be described in detail here. The locking tongue 133 of the locking telescopic member 132 can be understood as the piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder. The second end of the towing arm 121 is provided with a locking mating member 123. When the towing assembly 120 is in the towing locked state, the locking mating member 123 is embedded in the latch 131, and the locking tongue 133 passes through the latch 131 and the locking mating member 123 to lock the locking assembly 130 and the towing assembly 120. In this way, the tension of the towing rope can be concentrated on the locking telescopic member 132, preventing the towing telescopic cylinder 122 from being continuously stressed, thereby extending the service life of the towing telescopic cylinder 122 and the seals. In addition, the locking tongue 133, the locking buckle 131 and the locking mating part 123 form a three-point locking system, which can improve the stability of the towing assembly 120 in the towing state and reduce damage caused by structural fatigue.

[0043] The controller is connected to the locking telescopic member 132 and is used to control the extension and retraction of the locking tongue 133. In this embodiment, when in severe sea conditions, the controller controls the locking tongue 133 in the locking telescopic member 132 to retract, and simultaneously controls the towing telescopic cylinder 122, so that the towing telescopic cylinder 122 drives the towing arm 121 to rotate, putting the towing assembly 120 in the towing unlocked state. It can be understood that by switching between the locking and adaptive modes of the towing assembly 120, it adapts to different sea conditions; specifically, the locking mode is used in calm sea conditions, and the adaptive mode is used in severe sea conditions, thereby improving operational efficiency.

[0044] In another embodiment, an energy accumulator is integrated into the towing telescopic cylinder 122 and the locking telescopic component 132 to convert the impact energy caused by the movement of the submarine cable laying vessel into hydraulic energy for storage. This energy is then released during subsequent operations to drive the hydraulic cylinder, reducing hydraulic system energy consumption, improving energy efficiency, and reducing the load and heat generation of the hydraulic pump. In yet another embodiment, a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor are embedded in the locking component 130 to monitor the locking status (such as embedding depth and force distribution) in real time and upload the data to the vessel's control system. If the locking tongue 133 is not fully embedded, an early warning of locking device malfunction can be provided, preventing structural damage due to locking failure and improving system reliability.

[0045] In other embodiments, multiple locking components 130 may be provided between the towing boom 121 and the frame 110. Multiple locking is achieved by hydraulic cylinders that are inserted synchronously at multiple points, which improves the reliability of the locking components 130. Even if one locking component 130 fails, the locking state can still be maintained through redundant points, reducing failure under extreme sea conditions.

[0046] In one feasible implementation, one of the latch 131 and the bolt 133 is provided with a magnetic attracting element, and the other of the latch 131 and the bolt 133 is a magnetic element. Exemplarily, the latch 131 is a magnetic attracting element, and the bolt 133 is a magnetic element; the magnetic attracting element and the magnetic element can form an electromagnetic lock or a permanent magnet lock. When the locking engagement 123 is embedded in the latch 131, putting the towing assembly 120 in a towing locked state, the bolt 133 is inserted into the lock hole by magnetic force. This enhances the response speed and stability of the locking process and reduces the load on the towing assembly 120 during frequent switching of towing states. In other embodiments, the latch 131 can also be a magnetic element, and the bolt 133 can be a magnetic attracting element.

[0047] As one feasible implementation, an elastic element is connected between the latch 131 and the bolt 133, and the elastic element provides an elastic force to the bolt 133 near the latch 131. For example, when the towing assembly 120 is in the towing locked state, the elastic element uses its own elastic force to insert the bolt 133 into the latch 131, thereby locking the towing assembly 120 in the towing state and further improving the locking efficiency of the locking assembly 130.

[0048] As one possible implementation, it also includes a cable guide 140, which is disposed on the frame 110 and located in front of the towing assembly 120 along the extension direction of the towing rope; the cable guide 140 is used to suspend the submarine cable; the second end of the towing arm 121 is higher than the top of the cable guide 140.

[0049] Exemplarily, the cable guide 140 is installed in a specific operating area. In this embodiment, it is installed at the tail of the submarine cable burial site, providing a controlled, safe, and low-wear path for the submarine cable exiting the cable magazine. The top of the cable guide 140 is configured with an arc-shaped bending structure, the radius of which is much larger than the minimum permissible bending radius of the submarine cable. The submarine cable is restricted to bending along the arc, changing direction with a preset bending radius, smoothly transitioning from horizontal delivery to vertical or inclined water entry, and finally reaching the seabed. The arc-shaped structure design can avoid sharp bends or angles in the submarine cable path, not only reducing wear on the outer sheath of the submarine cable, but also limiting the lateral swing or jumping of the submarine cable during the deployment process, reducing dynamic stress.

[0050] In other embodiments, the cable guide 140 is also provided with guide wheels, specifically multiple fixed pulleys, which can transform the sliding friction between the submarine cable and the cable guide 140 into rolling friction between the cable and the pulleys, further reducing wear on the submarine cable.

[0051] In this embodiment, the second end of the towing boom 121 is higher than the top of the cable guide 140. Specifically, along the height direction, the inclination angle between the second end of the towing boom 121 and the top of the cable guide 140 can be 8-12°, specifically 10°. This increases the distance between the towing rope and the submarine cable when they enter the burial plow 200, maintaining a safe distance between them during the water entry phase. This avoids cross-contact between the towing rope and the submarine cable, preventing direct friction between the towing rope and the outer sheath of the submarine cable and the formation of concentrated compressive stress at the intersection point. This prevents mechanical damage and failure of the submarine cable, ensuring communication security and system reliability. Furthermore, it allows the towing rope and the submarine cable to operate independently along their respective preset paths, and allows the force detection device and controller to independently detect and control the tension and path of the towing rope and the submarine cable.

[0052] In one possible implementation, the cable guide 140 is rotatably connected to the frame 110. The cable guide 140 rotates in the vertical direction, or the cable guide 140 rotates in a first direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the extension direction of the submarine cable.

[0053] For example, when the submarine cable sways due to the impact of seawater on the cable-laying vessel, the cable guide 140 can dynamically adjust its angle according to the direction of the cable tension, concentrating the stress point of the cable near the center of the arc-shaped structure of the cable guide 140, thus reducing wear between the cable and the edge of the cable guide 140. The rotation of the cable guide 140 can further adjust the angle at which the cable enters the water, ensuring the cable is in a favorable stress state and guided path.

[0054] On the other hand, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the illustration, this application also provides a submarine cable laying vessel, including a hull, a laying plow 200, and the aforementioned towing device 100; wherein the laying plow 200 is used for laying submarine cables; and the towing device 100 is mounted on the hull for towing the laying plow 200. Exemplarily, the submarine cable laying vessel can perform submarine cable laying operations in water depths greater than 1000 meters.

[0055] It is understood that the submarine cable laying vessel of this application adopts the technical solution of the above-mentioned towing device 100 embodiment, and therefore has at least the technical effects brought about by the technical solution of the above-mentioned towing device 100 embodiment, which will not be described in detail here.

[0056] In this embodiment, the hull serves as the traction power for the laying plough 200. The plough 200 is towed along the seabed by a tow rope. The traction force must match the traction resistance of the plough 200 to ensure it can successfully create trenches on the seabed for laying submarine cables. Furthermore, the hull is equipped with a cable storage compartment to carry a large number of cables, meeting the material requirements for long-distance cable laying. The laying plough 200 is used in submarine cable laying operations to create trenches and lay cables on the seabed. It is towed by the hull and can adapt to different water depths and seabed geology.

[0057] As one feasible implementation, the laying plough 200 is equipped with a path detection device. For example, the path detection device can be an orientation and attitude sensor, used to acquire real-time data such as the position, attitude, and speed of the laying plough 200, and calculate the actual laying path of the submarine cable using this data. Simultaneously, it can provide information to the ship, enabling operators on board to quickly judge and control the attitude of the laying plough 200, promptly correct any deviations, and prevent the submarine cable from deviating from the preset route, thereby preventing laying failures caused by collisions or friction between the cable and seabed obstacles due to path deviations.

[0058] In this embodiment, the specific process of laying submarine cables is as follows: Before operation, the laying plow 200 is deployed to a preset position on the seabed via a towing device 100 on the ship's frame 110. The operator adjusts the angle of the laying plow 200 by controlling the angle of the towing device 100, and determines the working position of the plow blades according to the preset laying depth. During operation, the mother ship tows the laying plow 200 forward. For example, the angle at which the towing rope pulls the laying plow 200 can be 20°-50°, and the ratio of water depth to towing rope can be 0.4-0.8. The bottom tip of the laying plow 200 first cuts into the seabed, the plowshare of the laying plow 200 turns the soil to both sides, and the plow blades of the laying plow 200 quickly form a trench. Simultaneously, the laying plough 200 smoothly transports the submarine cable to the top of the trench and presses it into the bottom of the trench to prevent the cable from shifting due to ocean currents and other factors. The tail of the laying plough 200 pushes the soil on both sides back into the trench, completing the laying operation of the submarine cable. After the operation, the towing device 100 lifts the laying plough 200 onto the hull of the ship.

[0059] During the laying operation, path detection devices on the laying plow 200 collect data on its attitude, burial depth, and traction resistance in real time and transmit this information to the vessel. This improves the measurement accuracy of the cable laying path and reduces potential problems in deep sea conditions such as low signal transmission efficiency and inaccurate positioning. Dynamically adjusting the attitude of the laying plow 200 ensures it remains in a precise working state, achieving efficient and safe cable laying and improving the overall quality of the cable laying.

[0060] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an 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.

[0061] Finally, it should be noted that other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This invention is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein, and is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A towing device, characterized in that, A laying plow (200) for towing a submarine cable laying vessel, the towing device (100) comprising: Frame (110) and tow rope; A towing assembly (120) is provided, with a towing rope attached to it. The towing rope is used to connect the burying plow (200). The towing assembly (120) has a towing position state and a lifting position state. One end of the towing assembly (120) is rotatably connected to the frame (110) to switch between the towing position state and the lifting position state. The towing position state includes a towing position locked state and a towing position unlocked state. A locking component (130) is fixedly connected to the frame (110). When the towing assembly (120) is in the towing locked state, the locking component (130) is locked to the towing assembly (120) so that the force point is concentrated on the locking component (130) and the towing assembly (120) is not subject to towing force. A force detection device, wherein the force detection device is used to detect the tension of the tow rope; A controller electrically connected to the force detection element and connected to the towing assembly (120), the controller being configured to adjust the rotation angle of the towing assembly (120) when the towing assembly (120) is in the towing unlocked state according to the tension force; the controller is also configured to control the locking assembly (130) to lock the towing assembly (120) in a locked connection; The towing assembly (120) includes a towing arm (121) and a telescopic connector; The first end of the towing arm (121) is rotatably connected to the frame (110), and the second end of the towing arm (121) is selectively connected to the locking assembly (130). The first end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the frame (110), and the second end of the telescopic connector is rotatably connected to the middle of the towing arm (121); the first end of the telescopic connector is higher than the first end of the towing arm (121). The locking assembly (130) includes a latch (131) and a locking telescopic member (132), the end of which is provided with a locking tongue (133). The second end of the towing arm (121) is provided with a locking engagement (123); when the towing assembly (120) is in the towing locked state, the locking engagement (123) is embedded in the latch (131), and the locking tongue (133) passes through the latch (131) and the locking engagement (123) to lock the connection between the locking assembly (130) and the towing assembly (120). The controller is connected to the locking telescopic member (132) and is used to control the extension and retraction of the locking tongue (133); It also includes a cable guide (140), which is disposed on the frame (110) and located in front of the towing assembly (120) along the extension direction of the towing rope; The cable guide (140) is used to suspend the submarine cable; the second end of the towing boom (121) is higher than the top of the cable guide (140).

2. The towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The telescopic connector includes a towing telescopic cylinder (122), which is electrically connected to the controller. The controller is used to control the towing telescopic cylinder (122) to extend so that the second end of the towing arm (121) rotates toward the side where the frame (110) is located, or to control the towing telescopic cylinder (122) to retract so that the second end of the towing arm (121) rotates away from the side where the frame (110) is located.

3. The towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the latch (131) and the bolt (133) is provided with a magnetic element, and the other of the latch (131) and the bolt (133) is a magnetic element.

4. The towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, An elastic element is connected between the latch (131) and the bolt (133), and the elastic element provides an elastic force to the bolt (133) close to the latch (131).

5. The towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable guide (140) is rotatably connected to the frame (110). The cable guide (140) rotates in the vertical direction, or the cable guide (140) rotates in a first direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the extension direction of the submarine cable.

6. A submarine cable laying vessel, characterized in that, include: hull; A burial plow (200) is used for burying submarine cables; The towing device (100) according to any one of claims 1-5 is disposed on the hull and is used to tow the burying plow (200).

7. The submarine cable laying vessel according to claim 6, characterized in that, The burying plow (200) is equipped with a path detection device.

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