Self-inflating communication buoy

Abstract

The invention provides a self-inflating communication buoy. The self-inflating communication buoy comprises an upper-section shell, a buoyancy section, a middle-section shell and an inflating equipment section, the upper section shell, the buoyancy section, the middle section shell and the inflation equipment section are fixedly connected in sequence from top to bottom; the upper section shell carries communication equipment, the buoyancy section carries an air bag, and a watertight connector is arranged in the middle section shell and used for data transmission and communication between the communication equipment and underwater equipment; automatic inflation equipment is arranged in the inflation equipment section, and when the buoy does not enter water, the air bag is in a contraction state; when the buoy enters water, the automatic inflation device is started to inflate the air bag, and therefore buoyancy is provided for the buoy. When not entering water, the buoy is small in size, the buoyancy is rapidly increased after the buoy enters water, and the buoy can float on the water surface for communication.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine environmental monitoring technology, specifically to a self-inflating communication buoy. Background Technology

[0002] Communication buoys are crucial underwater equipment accessories, serving as "information relay stations" between underwater platforms and surface or shore-based control centers. Because seawater severely attenuates radio waves (electromagnetic waves), conventional wireless communication is virtually impossible underwater; therefore, underwater equipment primarily relies on sound waves for communication. However, underwater acoustic communication is ineffective in shallow waters and suffers from drawbacks such as low data rates, high latency, susceptibility to interference, and limited transmission distance. To address these issues, surface communication buoys and underwater platforms can be connected by cables, and communication with surface or shore-based control centers can be achieved through wireless equipment mounted on the buoy, enabling "cross-boundary communication" and significantly improving communication efficiency.

[0003] Since commonly used communication equipment such as radio and BeiDou navigation systems cannot transmit signals underwater, and considering the influence of environmental factors such as sea currents, wind, and waves, communication buoys need to have sufficient buoyancy to remain afloat in order to ensure stable real-time communication. Common buoy structures, designed to provide this buoyancy, result in relatively large overall sizes, making them inconvenient to transport, deploy, and retrieve. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a self-inflating communication buoy. When not in water, the buoy is small in volume, and when in water, the buoyancy increases rapidly, enabling it to float on the water surface for communication.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A self-inflating communication buoy includes an upper shell, a buoyancy section, a middle shell, and an inflation device section; The upper shell, buoyancy section, middle shell, and inflation device section are sequentially fixedly connected from top to bottom. The upper shell carries communication equipment, the buoyancy section carries an airbag, and the middle shell contains a watertight connector for data transmission and communication between the communication equipment and underwater equipment. The inflation device section contains an automatic inflation device. When the buoy is not in the water, the airbag is in a contracted state. When the buoy enters the water, the automatic inflation device is activated to inflate the airbag, thereby providing buoyancy to the buoy.

[0006] Furthermore, the buoyancy section also includes a support structure, which is disposed inside the airbag and the two are connected as one unit by vulcanization; a pneumatic connector is installed at the lower part of the support structure for inflating and deflating the airbag.

[0007] Furthermore, the shell of the inflation equipment section is divided into an air chamber shell and a water-permeable cover, with the water-permeable cover fixed to the bottom of the air chamber shell; The air chamber shell contains a carbon dioxide cylinder, which is fixedly connected to an automatic inflation device; the automatic inflation device and the air chamber shell are sealed using a radial seal; the upper end of the water-permeable cover limits the automatic inflation device; and a counterweight is also provided inside the water-permeable cover.

[0008] Furthermore, the automatic inflation device includes a firing pin seat, a firing pin, a return spring, a limit holder, a dissolving tablet, a hammer, a firing spring, and a firing spring seat; The firing pin holder has a space for installing the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth at the top; the firing pin is placed in the middle of the firing pin holder, opposite the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth, and is used to break the sealing film of the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth; a return spring is fitted around the head of the firing pin; a limiting bracket is located in the lower part of the firing pin holder, and the tail of the firing pin is located inside one end of the limiting bracket, while the other end of the limiting bracket has a tooth structure; a dissolving tablet is fitted onto the tooth structure of the limiting bracket, restricting the tooth structure from opening outwards; the dissolving tablet dissolves upon contact with water, releasing the limiting effect on the tooth structure; the firing pin holder has a water-permeable hole; The hammer end abuts against the inner wall of the toothed structure, and the firing spring is fitted on the outer circumference of the hammer. When the buoy is not in the water, the firing spring is in a compressed state. At the same time, the firing spring is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the firing spring seat, and the firing spring seat is fixedly connected to the firing pin seat.

[0009] Furthermore, the firing pin is made of high-strength alloy steel, the limiting seat is made of plastic, and the dissolving tablet is made of water-soluble polymer.

[0010] Furthermore, the communication device is a split-type BeiDou device, including a BeiDou antenna and a main unit. The BeiDou antenna is fixed in the upper housing, and the main unit is fixed in the middle housing.

[0011] Furthermore, the communication device is a Beidou integrated device or a wireless device.

[0012] Beneficial effects: 1. This invention relates to a "small volume, high buoyancy" buoy structure. When the buoy is not submerged, the air bladder is in a contracted state, and the buoy itself is a slender rod, facilitating transportation and mounting. After the buoy enters the water, an automatic inflation device inflates the air bladder, providing buoyancy and ensuring stable floating on the water surface, thus guaranteeing stable communication for the equipment. This invention solves the problem of buoys requiring a larger overall size to achieve greater buoyancy, making this communication buoy relatively lightweight and compact for transportation and mounting.

[0013] 2. The present invention has a reasonable structural layout. A counterweight is provided at the bottom of the inflation equipment section to increase the distance between the buoy's center of gravity and its restoring torque, thus ensuring the stability of the buoy's attitude under the influence of wind and waves.

[0014] 3. The tablets of this invention dissolve in water, thereby removing the restriction on the toothed structure. This not only makes the recycling and replacement of the product more convenient, but also enables the reuse of core components, significantly improving the product's flexibility and resource utilization.

[0015] 4. The communication device of the present invention is a split-type Beidou device. Since the weight is mainly in the main device, and the main device is set in the middle shell, the distance between the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy can be further increased, thereby improving the stability of the buoy. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the buoyancy section structure.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the inflation equipment section.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an automatic inflation device.

[0020] Among them, 1-upper shell, 2-buoyancy section, 3-middle shell, 4-inflation equipment section, 5-airbag, 6-support structure, 7-pneumatic connector, 8-carbon dioxide cylinder, 9-automatic inflation equipment, 10-counterweight, 11-air chamber shell, 12-water-permeable cover, 13-firing pin seat, 14-returning spring, 15-firing pin, 16-limiting seat, 17-dissolving tablet, 18-hammer, 19-firing spring, 20-firing spring seat, 21-Beidou antenna, 22-main equipment, 23-air pipe, 24-watertight cable, 25-vent hole, 26-limiting nut, 27-water-permeable hole, 28-tooth structure. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0022] This invention provides a self-inflating communication buoy, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it mainly consists of four parts: the upper shell 1, the buoyancy section 2, the middle shell 3, and the inflation equipment section 4. The upper shell 1, the buoyancy section 2, the middle shell 3, and the inflation equipment section 4 are fixedly connected from top to bottom.

[0023] Specifically, the upper housing 1 houses the communication equipment, which can be a split-type BeiDou device, including a BeiDou antenna 21 and a main unit 22. The BeiDou antenna 21 is fixed to the upper housing 1 and can transmit and receive buoy location information in real time. It also has BeiDou short message communication and radio communication functions. The BeiDou antenna 21 is fixed to the upper structure by threads. The main unit 22 is fixed inside the middle housing 3.

[0024] In other embodiments, the communication device is a Beidou integrated machine or a wireless device.

[0025] Buoyancy section 2 provides positive buoyancy to the buoy after it enters the water, and it is fastened to the upper shell section 1 by threads. For example... Figure 2 As shown, buoyancy section 2 includes an airbag 5 and a support structure 6. The support structure 6 is located inside the airbag 5. The airbag 5 is made of rubber and high-strength fiber cloth, while the support structure 6 is made of stainless steel. The two are connected as one unit through vulcanization to ensure the airtightness of the internal space of the airbag 5. A pneumatic connector 7 is installed at the lower part of the support structure 6 for inflating and deflating the airbag 5. Before the buoy enters the water, the airbag 5 is in a contracted state without high-pressure gas. After the buoy enters the water, the automatic inflation device 9 in inflation section 4 is activated to inflate the airbag 5, causing it to expand and provide buoyancy to the buoy.

[0026] The mid-section hull 3 is fastened to the buoyancy section 2 with screws. The mid-section hull 3 is mainly used to house the Beidou main unit 22 and the watertight connector. The underwater equipment transmits data and communicates with the communication equipment inside the buoy via the watertight cable 24 and the watertight connector.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, the inflation equipment section 4 is equipped with a carbon dioxide cylinder 8, an automatic inflation device 9, and a counterweight 10. The shell of the inflation equipment section 4 is divided into an air chamber shell 11 and a water-permeable cover 12, with the water-permeable cover 12 fixed to the bottom of the air chamber shell 11.

[0028] A carbon dioxide cylinder 8 is housed within the gas chamber shell 11 and is fixedly connected to an automatic inflation device 9 via threads. The automatic inflation device 9 and the gas chamber shell 11 are sealed radially. A water-permeable cover 12 is connected to the gas chamber shell 11 via threads and is engaged with the automatic inflation device 9 for positioning. A counterweight 10 is installed inside the water-permeable cover 12 to increase the distance between the buoy's center of gravity and its restoring torque, ensuring the buoy's stability under the influence of wind and waves. The counterweight 10 can be a lead block. The carbon dioxide cylinder 8 contains high-pressure liquid carbon dioxide. When the sealing film at the cylinder opening is damaged, the liquid carbon dioxide will rapidly vaporize, producing a large amount of gas.

[0029] like Figure 4 As shown, the automatic inflation device 9 includes a firing pin seat 13, a firing pin 15, a return spring 14, a limit seat 16, a dissolving tablet 17, a hammer 18, a firing spring 19, and a firing spring seat 20.

[0030] The firing pin holder 13 has a space at the top for installing the neck of the carbon dioxide cylinder 8. The firing pin 15 is made of high-strength alloy steel, possessing high hardness and strength. The firing pin 15 is positioned in the middle of the firing pin holder 13, opposite the neck of the carbon dioxide cylinder 8, and is used to break the sealing film of the neck of the carbon dioxide cylinder 8. The firing pin holder 13 has a sliding groove, and the firing pin 15 has an annular boss for sliding engagement with the sliding groove of the firing pin holder 13. A limiting nut 26 is provided at the end of the sliding groove for engaging with the end face of the annular boss of the firing pin 15 to limit its downward displacement. A return spring 14 is fitted around the head of the firing pin 15. A vent 25 communicating with the interior of the gas chamber shell 11 is provided at the upper outer periphery of the sliding groove, allowing gas to smoothly enter the gas chamber shell 11 after the sealing film of the carbon dioxide cylinder 8 neck is punctured.

[0031] The limiting holder 16 is located inside the lower part of the firing pin holder 13, and the tail of the firing pin 15 is located inside one end of the limiting holder 16. The other end of the limiting holder 16 is a locking tooth structure 28. The limiting holder 16 is made of plastic, and its locking tooth structure 28 can open to a certain extent. The dissolving tablet 17 is fitted onto the locking tooth structure 28 of the limiting holder 16, restricting the locking tooth structure 28 from opening outward. The main materials of the dissolving tablet 17 are water-soluble polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC). In a dry state, the tablet structure is hard and can lock the locking tooth structure 28 of the limiting holder 16 to prevent it from opening outward. The dissolving tablet 17 dissolves when it comes into contact with water, thereby releasing the restriction on the locking tooth structure 28. The firing pin holder 13 is provided with a water-permeable hole 27.

[0032] The end of the hammer 18 abuts against the inner wall of the toothed structure 28. The firing spring 19 is fitted on the outer circumference of the hammer 18. When the buoy is not in the water, the firing spring 19 is in a compressed state. At the same time, the firing spring 19 is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the firing spring seat 20. The firing spring seat 20 and the firing pin seat 13 are fixedly connected by threads.

[0033] Because the dissolving tablet 17 restricts the outward deformation of the locking tooth structure 28 of the limiting seat 16, the hammer 18 is restricted by the locking tooth structure 28 and cannot move towards the firing pin 15. Therefore, the firing spring 19 is compressed, generating a large elastic potential energy.

[0034] The working principle of this communication buoy is as follows: When the buoy is not placed in water, the air bladder 5 is not inflated and is in a contracted state. The buoy itself is a long, thin rod, which is convenient for transportation and mounting. When the buoy is placed in water, water flows in through the water-permeable hole 27 of the automatic inflation device 9. The dissolving tablet 17 dissolves rapidly upon contact with water, releasing the limiting tooth structure 28 of the limiting seat 16. Under the action of the hammer 18 and the firing spring 19, the tooth structure 28 deforms outward. The hammer 18 strikes the firing pin 15. The sharp head of the firing pin 15 breaks the sealing film of the carbon dioxide cylinder 8. The liquid carbon dioxide inside the cylinder rapidly vaporizes, producing a large amount of gas, which is then inflated into the air bladder 5 through the air pipe 23 and the pneumatic connector 7. The air bladder 5 expands and increases the overall buoyancy of the buoy, causing it to float on the water surface.

[0035] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-inflating communication buoy, characterized in that, It includes the upper shell, buoyancy section, middle shell, and inflation equipment section; The upper shell, buoyancy section, middle shell, and inflation device section are sequentially fixedly connected from top to bottom. The upper shell carries communication equipment, the buoyancy section carries an airbag, and the middle shell contains a watertight connector for data transmission and communication between the communication equipment and underwater equipment. The inflation device section contains an automatic inflation device. When the buoy is not in the water, the airbag is in a contracted state. When the buoy enters the water, the automatic inflation device is activated to inflate the airbag, thereby providing buoyancy to the buoy.

2. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The buoyancy section also includes a support structure, which is located inside the airbag and the two are connected as one unit by vulcanization; a pneumatic connector is installed at the lower part of the support structure for inflating and deflating the airbag.

3. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shell of the inflation equipment section is divided into an air chamber shell and a water-permeable cover, with the water-permeable cover fixed to the bottom of the air chamber shell; The air chamber shell contains a carbon dioxide cylinder, which is fixedly connected to an automatic inflation device; the automatic inflation device and the air chamber shell are sealed using a radial seal; the upper end of the water-permeable cover limits the automatic inflation device; and a counterweight is also provided inside the water-permeable cover.

4. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The automatic inflation device includes a firing pin holder, a firing pin, a return spring, a limit holder, a dissolving tablet, a hammer, a firing spring, and a firing spring holder; The firing pin holder has a space for installing the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth at the top; the firing pin is placed in the middle of the firing pin holder, opposite the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth, and is used to break the sealing film of the carbon dioxide cylinder mouth; a return spring is fitted around the head of the firing pin; a limiting bracket is located in the lower part of the firing pin holder, and the tail of the firing pin is located inside one end of the limiting bracket, while the other end of the limiting bracket has a tooth structure; a dissolving tablet is fitted onto the tooth structure of the limiting bracket, restricting the tooth structure from opening outwards; the dissolving tablet dissolves upon contact with water, releasing the limiting effect on the tooth structure; the firing pin holder has a water-permeable hole; The hammer end abuts against the inner wall of the toothed structure, and the firing spring is fitted on the outer circumference of the hammer. When the buoy is not in the water, the firing spring is in a compressed state. At the same time, the firing spring is fixed to the inner bottom surface of the firing spring seat, and the firing spring seat is fixedly connected to the firing pin seat.

5. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The firing pin is made of high-strength alloy steel, the limiting seat is made of plastic, and the dissolving tablet is made of water-soluble polymer.

6. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The communication device is a split-type BeiDou device, including a BeiDou antenna and a main unit. The BeiDou antenna is fixed in the upper housing, and the main unit is fixed in the middle housing.

7. The self-inflating communication buoy as described in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The communication equipment is either a Beidou integrated device or a wireless device.

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