Underwater mechanical release structure

Abstract

The underwater mechanical release structure comprises a shell, a motor is arranged in the shell, the motor is externally connected with a power source through a watertight connector, a front end cover is arranged at the end of the shell, a lock groove is formed in the front end cover, a cam disc is movably arranged in the front end cover, the cam disc is in driving connection through the motor, and the lock groove is formed in the front end cover. And a lock hook is arranged on the cam disc and is matched with the lock groove to lock or release the underwater machine. The motor is controlled to drive the cam disc to rotate, the lock hook on the cam disc is separated from the equipment steel rope locked in the lock groove, then the release action on the underwater equipment is achieved, influences of environmental factors such as water conductivity and water temperature are avoided, and the underwater equipment releasing device can be applied to any water environment.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of underwater geological exploration, in particular to a kind of underwater mechanical release structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] As the key equipment of marine geophysical exploration, the core workflow of bottom seismograph includes equipment bottom launching, bottom seismic data acquisition at a predetermined time, ballast weight release and equipment buoyancy recovery, wherein the release mechanism for discarding ballast weight is the core component to ensure the completion of exploration task and successful recovery of bottom seismograph. The mainstream release mechanism of bottom seismograph currently adopts electrochemical corrosion method, and the core structure of the release mechanism is designed based on the electrochemical corrosion characteristics of specific metal materials (such as magnesium alloy). By applying electricity to the metal material, accelerated electrochemical corrosion occurs in seawater, and then the pin or rope connecting the ballast weight is corroded and broken, finally the release is realized.

[0003] Although the above-mentioned electrochemical corrosion method release mechanism technology has been mature, there are many defects in practical application, which seriously limits the application effect and application range of bottom seismograph: first, the environmental dependence is extremely high. Since the electrochemical corrosion reaction can only occur effectively in the conductive electrolyte environment, the release mechanism cannot be used in fresh water environment (such as rivers and lakes), which greatly reduces the exploration application scene of bottom seismograph; second, the release reliability is difficult to guarantee. The corrosion process is easily affected by many environmental factors such as seawater salinity, temperature, flow rate and electrode surface attached organisms, so that the corrosion time has significant uncertainty, which may cause the risk of release failure or early release, affecting the smooth completion of exploration task and equipment safety; third, the system complexity is high. In order to ensure that the metal material can be reliably corroded within a predetermined time, a complex current control circuit needs to be equipped, which not only increases the manufacturing cost of the release mechanism, but also increases the system fault point and reduces the overall stability. Therefore, there is an urgent need in the field to develop a new type of release mechanism that is not affected by water salinity, has reliable release action, simple structure and light weight, to solve the above problems existing in the prior art. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above shortcomings of the prior art, the underwater mechanical release structure is provided to solve the problems that the release mechanism in the prior art depends on water salinity, can only be used in seawater, and is greatly affected by the environment and has low reliability.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical scheme adopted by the present application is as follows:

[0006] An underwater mechanical release structure includes a housing, a motor installed inside the housing, the motor being connected to an external power source via a watertight connector, a front cover at one end of the housing, a locking groove on the front cover, a cam disk movably installed inside the front cover, the cam disk being driven by the motor, and a locking hook on the cam disk cooperating with the locking groove to lock or release the underwater machinery.

[0007] With the above structural design, the release mechanism controls the rotation of the cam disk by a motor, causing the locking hook on the cam disk to disengage from the equipment steel cable locked in the locking groove, thereby realizing the release action of the underwater equipment. This mechanism is independent of the conductivity of the water and can be applied to any aquatic environment. Furthermore, the use of mechanical release improves the reliability of the release action.

[0008] Preferably, the cam disk is further provided with an arc-shaped convex surface for pushing the fixed steel rope of the extrusion underwater machinery.

[0009] With the above structural design, when the motor drives the cam disc to open the locking hook, the lower arc-shaped convex surface can push the steel rope out of the locking groove to prevent release failure and further improve the reliability of release.

[0010] Preferably, the front cover has locking grooves on both sides, and the cam disc has a corresponding locking hook and arc-shaped convex surface on the other side.

[0011] With the above structural design, the underwater machinery can be locked from either side.

[0012] Preferably, the housing is provided with a mounting base, the front end cover includes a body and a protective cover, the upper and lower ends of the body and the protective cover are fixedly mounted on the mounting base, a movable groove is formed between the body and the protective cover, and the cam disk is rotatably disposed in the movable groove.

[0013] Preferably, the motor is rotatably connected to the cam disk via a drive shaft, and a thrust bearing is provided inside the housing and sleeved on the drive shaft to reduce the rotational friction of the drive shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the motor is a DC geared motor.

[0015] Preferably, one end of the housing with a watertight connector has a rear end cover. One end of the watertight connector is connected to an external power source via a wire, and the other end is threaded onto the rear end cover and abuts against the motor. The other end of the motor is fixedly connected to the housing with screws.

[0016] Preferably, the ends and openings of the locking hook and locking groove are all machined with arc-shaped chamfers to facilitate the release of the steel rope.

[0017] Preferably, the device further includes a controller electrically connected to the motor.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] 1、 The present application controls the rotation of the motor-driven cam disc, the locking hook on the cam disc is separated from the device steel rope locked in the locking groove, and then the release action of the underwater device is realized, which is not dependent on the influence of environmental factors such as water conductivity and water temperature, and can be applied to any water environment;

[0020] 2、 The present application sets an arc convex surface on the cam disc, when the locking hook of the cam disc driven by the motor is opened, the arc convex surface below can push the steel rope outward to resist the locking groove, preventing release failure, and further improving the reliability of release;

[0021] 3、 The present application sets a thrust bearing on the transmission shaft, which can solve the friction problem under high pressure in deep sea, and can use a smaller torque, smaller size and power consumption motor, realizing the lightweight structure and reducing the influence on the overall buoyancy of the ocean bottom seismograph to the lowest;

[0022] 4、 The present application does not need to calculate the corrosion current and time, and the control logic is extremely simplified, only an electrical signal needs to be provided to the motor to complete the release, reducing the burden and complexity of the controller. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the present application;

[0024] Figure 2 is a partial exploded view of the present application;

[0025] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the present application;

[0026] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the cam disc in the present application;

[0027] Figure 5 is a state diagram before release of the present application;

[0028] Figure 6 is a state diagram during release of the present application;

[0029] Figure 7 is a state diagram after release of the present application.

[0030] In the drawings:

[0031] Housing 1, mounting seat 1a, motor 2, water-tight connector 3, front end cover 4, body 4a, protective cover 4b, movable groove 4c, locking groove 5, cam disc 6, locking hook 6a, arc convex surface 6b, transmission shaft 7, thrust bearing 8, rear end cover 9, sealing ring 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] To describe the technical solutions, structural features, purposes and effects of the present application in detail, the following will be described in detail in combination with the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The technical solutions of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all the other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present application. In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present application.

[0034] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 An underwater mechanical release structure includes a shell 1 made of high-strength, corrosion-resistant titanium alloy material to provide protection and support for the entire release structure. A motor 2 is installed inside the shell 1, which is powered by an external power supply through a water-tight connector 3. The front end of the shell 1 is provided with a front end cover 4, and the front end cover 4 is provided with a lock slot 5. A cam disc 6 is movably installed in the front end cover 4, which is drivenly connected to the motor 2, and the cam disc 6 is provided with a lock hook 6a cooperating with the lock slot 5 to lock or release the underwater machine. The release mechanism further includes a controller electrically connected to the motor 2. When the equipment needs to be recovered, the controller only needs to send a driving signal to the motor 2, and the motor 2 can drive the cam disc 6 to rotate clockwise, so that the steel rope of the underwater machine is separated from the lock slot 5.

[0035] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In addition, the cam disc 6 is also provided with an arc convex surface 6b for pushing the fixed steel rope of the underwater machine. In the initial state, the steel rope is located in the lock slot 5 and locked by the lock hook 6a. When the steel rope needs to be released, the motor 2 drives the cam disc 6 to rotate, at which time the lock hook 6a rotates clockwise to form an opening, and the arc convex surface 6b rotates to the upper side and contacts the steel rope, and pushes the steel rope outward to make it separate from the lock slot 5, preventing the steel rope from being stuck.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the two sides of the front end cover 4 are symmetrical structures, and both sides are provided with a lock slot 5. The other side of the cam disc 6 is provided with a lock hook 6a and an arc convex surface 6b correspondingly.

[0037] Further, the shell 1 is provided with a mounting seat 1a, the front end cover 4 comprises a body 4a and a protective cover 4b, the upper and lower ends of the body 4a and the protective cover 4b are fixedly arranged on the mounting seat 1a through screws, and a movable groove 4c is formed between the body 4a and the protective cover 4b, and the cam disc 6 is rotatably arranged in the movable groove 4c.

[0038] Please continue to see Figure 3 The motor 2 is rotatably connected with the cam disc 6 through a transmission shaft 7, one end of the transmission shaft 7 is connected with an output shaft of the motor 2, and the other end is fixedly connected with the cam disc 6 outside the shell 1, so that the transmission shaft 7 can withstand a large external water pressure, and it is difficult to realize pressure balance in the inside, and rotation of the transmission shaft 7 can cause a large friction force, thereby affecting driving of the motor 2. In the application, the transmission shaft 7 is sleeved with a thrust bearing 8 arranged in the shell 1, so as to reduce the rotational friction force of the transmission shaft 7, and then a motor 2 with smaller driving torque and power can be selected, so as to reduce the equipment cost and service life of the motor 2.

[0039] In the embodiment, the motor 2 is a direct-current speed reduction motor.

[0040] Further, one end of the water-tight connector 3 arranged on the shell 1 is provided with a rear end cover 9, one end of the water-tight connector 3 is connected with an external power supply through an electric wire, the other end is threadedly arranged on the rear end cover 9 and abuts against the motor 2, and the other end of the motor 2 is fixedly connected with the shell 1 through a screw. Therefore, the above mounting mode can improve the stability of the motor 2.

[0041] In order to ensure the safety of the motor 2 in the shell 1, a sealing ring 10 is arranged between the shell 1 and the body 4a of the front end cover 4, double sealing rings 10 are arranged between the transmission shaft 7 and the body 4a, a sealing ring 10 is arranged between the water-tight connector 3 and the rear end cover 9, and a sealing ring 10 is arranged between the rear end cover 9 and the shell 1.

[0042] In the embodiment, the locking hook 6a and the end and notch of the locking groove 5 are all arc chamfered, so as to facilitate release of the steel rope.

[0043] The working principle of the application is as follows:

[0044] When the underwater machinery (submarine seismograph) is launched, the steel rope of the equipment is installed in the lock slot 5, at this time the motor 2 drives the cam plate 6 to rotate counterclockwise, and the lock hook 6a completes the locking of the steel rope. The equipment is placed at a designated position under water for data collection, and when the data collection is completed, the equipment needs to be released for recovery. At this time, the controller issues an instruction, the motor 2 drives the cam plate 6 to rotate clockwise by a certain angle, at this time the lock hook 6a is opened, and at the same time the arc convex surface 6b rotates outward to push the steel rope outward, ensuring that the steel rope is completely separated from the lock slot 5. After the steel rope is separated from the lock slot 5, the equipment returns to the water surface for recovery by relying on its own buoyancy.

[0045] According to the disclosure and teaching of the above description, those skilled in the art of the present application can also make changes and modifications to the above embodiments. Therefore, the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and described above, and some modifications and changes of the present application should fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present application. In addition, although some specific terms are used in the specification, these terms are only for convenience of description and do not constitute any limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. An underwater mechanical release structure, characterized in that, Includes a housing (1), a motor (2) is installed inside the housing (1), the motor (2) is connected to an external power source through a watertight connector (3), a front cover (4) is provided at the end of the housing (1), a locking groove (5) is provided on the front cover (4), a cam disk (6) is movably installed inside the front cover (4), the cam disk (6) is driven and connected by the motor (2), and a locking hook (6a) is provided on the cam disk (6) to cooperate with the locking groove (5) to lock or release the underwater machinery.

2. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cam disk (6) is also provided with an arc-shaped convex surface (6b) for pushing the fixed steel rope of the extrusion underwater machinery.

3. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front cover (4) is provided with locking grooves (5) on both sides, and the cam disk (6) is provided with a locking hook (6a) and an arc-shaped convex surface (6b) on the other side.

4. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (1) is provided with a mounting base (1a). The front cover (4) includes a body (4a) and a protective cover (4b). The upper and lower ends of the body (4a) and the protective cover (4b) are fixedly mounted on the mounting base (1a). A movable groove (4c) is formed between the body (4a) and the protective cover (4b). The cam disk (6) is rotatably disposed in the movable groove (4c).

5. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor (2) is rotatably connected to the cam disk (6) via the transmission shaft (7), and a thrust bearing (8) is provided inside the housing (1) and sleeved on the transmission shaft (7) to reduce the rotational friction of the transmission shaft (7).

6. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The motor (2) is a DC geared motor.

7. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing (1) is provided with a watertight connector (3) at one end, which is provided with a rear end cover (9). One end of the watertight connector (3) is connected to an external power source via a wire, and the other end is threaded onto the rear end cover (9) and abutted against the motor (2). The other end of the motor (2) is fixedly connected to the housing (1) via screws.

8. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ends and openings of the locking hook (6a) and locking groove (5) are all machined with arc chamfers to facilitate the release of the steel rope.

9. The underwater mechanical release structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a controller, which is electrically connected to the motor (2).

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