Pneumatically-driven marine flexible supporting device

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of ship construction equipment, and discloses a pneumatically-driven marine flexible supporting device which comprises a base connected with a fixed end and a lifting unit arranged above the base, and further comprises a speed reducer horizontally arranged and arranged on the vertically-arranged lifting unit and a power unit in a sleeving mode. The power unit comprises a pneumatic motor and a gas conveying pipeline, the speed reducer is fixedly connected with the pneumatic motor and the base and comprises a small gear at the input end and a large gear at the output end, and the small gear is connected with an output shaft of the pneumatic motor through a flat key. The large gear is arranged on the lifting unit in a sleeving mode and is in threaded connection with the lifting unit, and an encoder is arranged at the end, away from the pneumatic motor, of the speed reducer. The method is suitable for flexible supporting and accurate height adjustment of ship sections of 300 tons and below, and can be compatible with curved surface section construction scenes for multiple types of ships such as bulk cargo ships, container ships and oil tankers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shipbuilding equipment technology, and in particular to a pneumatically driven flexible support device for ships. Background Technology

[0002] In the shipbuilding industry, the support and adjustment of sections of ships of 300 tons and below (such as curved sections of bulk carriers and container ships) rely on traditional flexible support mechanical structures. Traditional flexible supports mostly adopt a "cut-weld-cut" arrangement mode, which has problems such as low level of automation, redundant layout, low positioning accuracy, inability to dynamically compensate for outer plate deformation, and lack of real-time monitoring of construction data. This mode originates from traditional extensive shipbuilding technology and is no longer suitable for the construction needs of complex curved sections of modern ships.

[0003] On the one hand, traditional flexible supports are custom-designed on a "one-to-one" basis, requiring separate fabrication for sections of different ship types and specifications. This results in low reusability of flexible supports, leading to significant waste of resources such as steel and labor, and requiring substantial storage space for various flexible supports, increasing operational costs for enterprises. On the other hand, the placement and adjustment of traditional flexible supports rely on manual operation. Workers need to position the sections by pushing, prying, and pulling, and then weld the flexible supports in place. The entire process is time-consuming, and the positioning accuracy is greatly affected by the workers' skill level. The section alignment error often exceeds the standard requirements, requiring significant manpower for correction, severely restricting the efficiency and quality of section construction. Furthermore, traditional flexible supports lack the ability to monitor construction process data, failing to capture key process parameters such as welding thermal deformation and support force changes in real time. This makes it difficult to predict and dynamically compensate for section deformation problems in advance. Some sections need to be reworked due to excessive deformation, and the rework cost accounts for a large proportion of the section construction cost, further exacerbating the cost pressure on enterprises. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issues of insufficient load-bearing capacity, low adjustment precision, and difficult maintenance of traditional ship segment construction jigs, this invention proposes a pneumatically driven flexible support device for ships. The aim is to provide a highly precise adjustable flexible support device compatible with various ship types, including bulk carriers, container ships, and tankers, for curved segment construction.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: it includes a base connected to a fixed end and a lifting unit disposed above the base, and a reducer horizontally disposed and sleeved on the vertically disposed lifting unit and power unit. The power unit includes a pneumatic motor and a gas delivery pipeline. The reducer is fixedly connected to the pneumatic motor and the base respectively. The reducer includes a pinion at the input end and a large gear at the output end. The pinion is connected to the output shaft of the pneumatic motor via a flat key. The large gear is sleeved on the lifting unit and threadedly connected to the lifting unit. An encoder is disposed at the end of the reducer away from the pneumatic motor, and the encoder is connected to the pinion.

[0006] As a further preferred embodiment, the lifting unit includes a trapezoidal lead screw and a modular support column, with the large gear sleeved on the trapezoidal lead screw, and the large gear having a threaded hole in the middle that matches the thread of the trapezoidal lead screw.

[0007] As a further preferred embodiment, the gas delivery pipeline includes a main pipeline, a branch pipeline and a manifold connected in sequence, and the other end of the manifold is connected to a pneumatic motor through a three-position five-way solenoid valve.

[0008] As a further preferred option, the main pipeline and branch pipelines are laid with steel, and the manifold is made of rubber hose.

[0009] As a further preferred embodiment, the encoder is fitted with an encoder protective cover that is fixedly connected to the reducer and an encoder protective cover that covers the encoder protective cover.

[0010] As a further preferred embodiment, both end faces of the pinion are provided with deep groove ball bearings, and both end faces of the gear are provided with tapered roller bearings.

[0011] As a further preferred embodiment, the portion of the base covering the trapezoidal lead screw has a slot along the radial direction of the trapezoidal lead screw, and a flat connecting piece is provided at the slot, with an oil cup provided on the flat connecting piece.

[0012] As a further preferred embodiment, the bottom of the trapezoidal lead screw is fitted with an open guide ring, the outer wall of which contacts the inner wall of the base.

[0013] As a further preferred embodiment, the helix angle of the trapezoidal lead screw is 3° to 5°.

[0014] As a further preferred embodiment, the trapezoidal lead screw is also fitted with a dust cover.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0016] 1. This invention is applicable to the flexible support and precise height adjustment of ship sections of 300 tons and below, and is compatible with various ship construction scenarios such as bulk carriers, container ships, and oil tankers.

[0017] 2. In this invention, deep groove ball bearings are placed at the upper and lower ends of the pinion at the input end of the reducer, and tapered roller bearings are placed at the upper and lower ends of the large gear at the output end of the reducer. The steel balls of the deep groove ball bearings have point contact with the raceways, resulting in a friction coefficient much lower than that of the roller bearings. This is suitable for high-speed operation at the input end of the reducer. The large contact area allows it to withstand larger radial and unidirectional axial loads, making it suitable for heavy-load operation at the output end of the reducer. An oil cup is installed at the upper end of the reducer to provide continuous and quantitative lubrication, ensuring normal operation and extending service life.

[0018] 3. The marine flexible support device provided by the present invention integrates a power unit, a lifting unit, a transmission integration unit, a self-locking function, and a dust cover, which together achieve stable flexible support and reliable protection in marine scenarios.

[0019] 4. This invention features a modular support column with various length specifications, which, when assembled with a trapezoidal lead screw, can meet lifting heights from 0 to 2000 mm. The gear at the output end of the reducer has internal threads, which engage with the trapezoidal lead screw to convert the circular motion at the output end of the reducer into linear motion in the vertical direction. The outer sides of the cylinders on the upper and lower sides of the reducer output end engage with the inner holes of the tapered roller bearings to support the trapezoidal lead screw and gear, constrain the axial and radial movement of the trapezoidal lead screw, and reduce frictional losses caused by rotation. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the power unit structure of the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting unit structure of the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the reducer in the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the modular support column of the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the reducer bearing assembly of the pneumatically driven flexible support device of the present invention.

[0026] The image shows:

[0027] 1. Pneumatic motor; 2. Reducer; 3. Pinion; 4. Encoder protective cover; 5. Encoder protective cap; 6. Trapezoidal lead screw; 7. Large gear; 8. Base; 9. Oil cup; 10. Solenoid valve protective cover; 11. Flat connecting piece; 12. Modular support column; 13. Open guide ring; 201. Deep groove ball bearing; 202. Tapered roller bearing. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The advantages and features of the present invention will be illustrated and explained by the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, which are given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this invention provides a pneumatically driven flexible marine support device, including a power unit, a lifting unit, a reducer 2, and a base 8. The base 8 is connected to a fixed end, which can be a pre-embedded bar structure on the workshop floor or any fixed position in a ship hull section scenario, ensuring the overall stability of the flexible support device while allowing for adjustment. The other end of the base 8 is fixedly connected to the reducer 2. The reducer 2 is horizontally positioned and sleeved on the vertically positioned power unit and lifting unit. The power unit provides power to the flexible support device and is pneumatically driven. The lifting unit converts the power transmitted by the power unit into vertical movement, thereby enabling precise height adjustment of the flexible support device. The lifting unit is available in various length specifications to accommodate lifting heights from 0 to 2000 mm.

[0030] The power unit includes a pneumatic motor 1 and a gas delivery pipeline. The gas delivery pipeline adopts a hierarchical layout of main pipeline-branch pipeline-manifold. The main pipeline surrounds the outer side of the flexible support device arrangement area. One end of the main pipeline is connected to the air source, and the other end is connected to a branch pipeline (there can be several or one branch pipeline). The other end of the branch pipeline is connected to the manifold, and the other end of the manifold is connected to the pneumatic motor 1 via a three-position five-way solenoid valve, which is mounted on the base 8. The main pipeline is responsible for centrally supplying compressed air to the entire flexible support device system. The branch pipelines distribute the gas to multiple sets of pneumatic motors 1 for the flexible support devices. The manifold realizes the distribution and centralized management of the air source. By adjusting the intake pressure and flow rate, the output speed and torque of the pneumatic motor 1, as well as the forward and reverse rotation of the pneumatic motor 1, are controlled, thereby controlling the lifting or lowering of the flexible support device. Preferably, the main pipeline and branch pipelines are laid with steel, and the manifold is made of rubber hose. Compressed air enters the main pipeline from the air source, passes through the branch pipe, manifold, and three-position five-way solenoid directional valve in sequence, and finally enters the pneumatic motor 1 to drive the pneumatic motor 1 to work.

[0031] The reducer 2 includes a pinion 3 at the input end and a large gear 7 at the output end. The reducer 2 is horizontally positioned, with its input end fixedly connected to the pneumatic motor 1, preferably via a set of internal hexagonal countersunk screws. The output shaft of the pneumatic motor 1 is connected to the pinion 3 via a key. The pneumatic motor 1 is preferably located on the lower side of the housing at the input end of the reducer 2, which reduces the length of the gas delivery pipeline, thus saving costs. Deep groove ball bearings 201 are placed on both end faces of the pinion 3. The steel balls and raceways of the deep groove ball bearings 201 have point contact, and their coefficient of friction is much lower than that of roller bearings, making them suitable for high-speed operation at the input end of the reducer 2. They provide support and transition for the connection and transmission between the pneumatic motor 1 and the reducer 2. An encoder is installed on the other side of the input end of the reducer 2. The encoder is a rotary encoder, which is connected to the pinion 3 of the reducer 2. The lifting distance of the trapezoidal screw 6 can be calculated by the number of rotations of the pinion 3. To prevent the encoder from being damaged or corroded by environmental contamination, an encoder protective cover 4 and an encoder protective cap 5 can be installed on the encoder. The encoder protective cover 4 is fixedly connected to the reducer 2 by bolts, and the encoder protective cap 5 covers the encoder protective cover 4. A threaded hole is opened in the middle of the large gear 7. The lifting unit passes through the large gear 7 and is connected to the large gear 7 by threads. The rotation of the large gear 7 can drive the lifting unit to move up and down. Both end faces of the large gear 7 are provided with tapered roller bearings 202. The steel balls of the tapered roller bearings 202 have a large contact area with the raceway, which can withstand large radial loads and unidirectional axial loads, suitable for heavy-load conditions at the output end of the reducer 2. Preferably, an oil cup 9 is provided at a corresponding position on the reducer 2. The oil cup 9 can provide continuous and quantitative lubrication for the operation of the reducer 2, ensuring normal operation and extending service life.

[0032] The lifting unit includes a trapezoidal lead screw 6 and a modular support column 12. A large gear 7 at the output end of the reducer 2 is fitted onto the trapezoidal lead screw 6, and the threaded hole in the middle of the large gear 7 matches the thread of the trapezoidal lead screw 6. A groove is radially formed on the base 8 corresponding to the trapezoidal lead screw 6 for mounting a planar connecting piece 11. The planar connecting piece 11 is fixed to the base 8 by bolts and equipped with an oil cup 9. A three-position five-way solenoid directional valve is also provided at the planar connecting piece 11, and a solenoid valve protective cover 10 is fitted on the outside of the solenoid directional valve. The modular support column 12 is fitted onto the end of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 away from the base 8. Preferably, an open guide ring 13 is fitted at the bottom of the trapezoidal lead screw 6, that is, an open guide ring 13 is fitted at the end of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 closest to the base 8 and the ground. The inner wall of the open guide ring 13 contacts the trapezoidal lead screw 6, which can be either threaded or sliding. The outer wall of the open guide ring 13 contacts the inner wall of the base 8. The open guide ring 13 is used to limit the radial movement of the trapezoidal lead screw 6. The modular support column 12 has various lengths, including at least 500mm, 1000mm, and 1500mm, which can be assembled with the trapezoidal lead screw 6 to meet lifting height requirements from 0 to 2000mm. The large gear 7 at the output end of the reducer 2 has threads that mate with the trapezoidal lead screw 6, converting the circular motion of the reducer 2's output end into vertical linear motion. The outer sides of the upper and lower cylindrical sections at the output end of the reducer 2 mate with the inner holes of the tapered roller bearings 202, aiming to support the trapezoidal lead screw 6 and the large gear 7, constrain the axial and radial movement of the trapezoidal lead screw 6, and reduce frictional losses caused by rotation. Preferably, the trapezoidal lead screw 6 is also equipped with a self-locking function, that is, the thread helix angle of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 is 3° to 5°, which is less than the requirement of the friction angle of the thread pair ≥ 6°. In this way, the friction force of the thread surface can be used to counteract the external force to achieve self-locking, ensuring that the flexible support device achieves stable support after reaching the specified height.

[0033] The trapezoidal lead screw 6 is also covered with a dust cover. The dust cover can effectively block dust and iron filings during the shipbuilding process, preventing iron filings from falling and causing the trapezoidal lead screw 6 to jam during transmission. The protective cover is easy to install and facilitates inspection and replacement of the trapezoidal lead screw 6. The protective cover of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 is fitted onto the exposed part of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 and is connected to the upper housing of the output end of the reducer 2 with bolts.

[0034] The flexible support device also includes a transmission integration unit, which consists of various flat keys and threaded connections. These primarily include the flat key connection between the pneumatic motor 1 and the pinion 3, and the threaded connection between the large gear 7 and the trapezoidal lead screw 6. The side of the flat key is the working surface. During assembly, both sides of the key are tightly fitted with the inner groove of the pinion 3 and the shaft groove of the pneumatic motor 1, respectively, ensuring precise coaxiality between the shafts of the pinion 3 and the pneumatic motor 1. Then, countersunk head hexagonal screws are used to fix the pneumatic motor 1 to the housing at the input end of the reducer 2.

[0035] The present invention provides a pneumatically driven marine flexible support device that integrates a power unit, a lifting unit, a transmission unit, a self-locking function, and a dust cover, which can work together to achieve stable support and reliable protection in marine scenarios.

[0036] The lifting motion of a pneumatically driven marine flexible support device provided by this invention is achieved by centrally supplying compressed air to the entire flexible support device through a main air supply pipeline. Branch pipelines distribute air to multiple pneumatic motors 1 within the flexible support device. Ultimately, the pneumatic motors 1 drive manifolds to achieve centralized air supply distribution and management. The output speed and torque are controlled by adjusting the intake pressure and flow rate. After being reduced in speed and increased in torque by a reducer 2, the torque is transmitted to the transmission integration unit. An open-type guide ring 13 and a tapered roller bearing 202 ensure the stable upward movement of the trapezoidal lead screw 6 along its thread. An oil cup 9 mounted on the flat connecting piece 11 provides continuous and metered lubrication for the threaded transmission between the trapezoidal lead screw 6 and the large gear 7 at the output end of the reducer 2, ensuring normal operation and extending service life.

[0037] When the modular support column 12 reaches the target height or receives a stop command, the pneumatic motor 1 cuts off its power supply, immediately interrupting the power output. The moment the trapezoidal screw 6 stops rotating, the friction self-locking mechanism takes effect: the segmented load borne by the modular support column 12 is converted into axial pressure on the trapezoidal screw 6, increasing the normal pressure between the threaded surfaces and simultaneously increasing the static friction, forming a self-locking torque that completely prevents the large gear 7 from sliding along the trapezoidal screw 6, instantly locking the support height without delay or gap. Under heavy load, the static friction increases proportionally to the normal pressure, and the self-locking torque increases accordingly, achieving an adaptive reinforcement effect where "the greater the load, the stronger the locking."

[0038] The compressed air changes its intake direction during descent, causing the pneumatic motor 1 to start in reverse and output reverse rotational power. This reverse power is transmitted to the transmission integration unit via the reducer 2. The descent rate is controlled by adjusting the exhaust flow rate to prevent excessively rapid descent due to gravity, ensuring a smooth and controllable descent process until the modular support column 12 is reset or the target descent height is reached.

[0039] During descent, the self-locking mechanism is released, and the pneumatic motor 1 starts in reverse, outputting a reverse torque that is transmitted to the trapezoidal screw 6 via the reducer 2. The reverse torque is greater than the friction self-locking torque, driving the trapezoidal screw 6 to rotate in reverse, overcoming the static friction of the thread surface and unlocking the friction self-lock. After the self-lock is unlocked, the trapezoidal screw 6 rotates in reverse, driving the large gear 7 and the modular support column 12 to descend smoothly. During the descent, the self-locking mechanism is always in a standby state. If extreme situations such as air supply interruption or power system failure occur midway, the locking can be triggered immediately to lock the current height.

[0040] Performance test results

[0041] Load adaptability test: Simulating a 300-ton container ship section support scenario, 150 devices were distributed in a grid layout, with a single flexible support device load set at 10t. The test showed that the load fluctuation range was 9.8-10.2t, with a maximum deviation of ≤0.2t, and no single-point overload phenomenon. During the lifting and lowering process of the trapezoidal screw 6, the transmission integrated unit showed no abnormal noise, and the bearing temperature remained stable at 45-50℃, proving that the load transmission was uniform and the power matching was reasonable.

[0042] Comprehensive accuracy test: Using the pre-set reference points of the segmented curved surface as targets, after the control device completed the height adjustment, the actual position was detected using a total station. The results showed that the height error of the 20 reference points was between -0.8 and +0.7 mm, with a maximum error of ≤0.8 mm, meeting the design requirement of ≤1 mm.

[0043] Environmental tolerance test: Continuous operation for 72 hours in a typical marine workshop environment. Post-test inspection showed no peeling of the anti-corrosion coating, no leaks at the gas line seals, normal sensor signal acquisition, and the overall structure met the requirements for adapting to harsh working conditions.

[0044] Durability testing: 500 complete support-adjustment-unloading cycles were completed, and key components were disassembled after the test. The results showed that the wear of the trapezoidal lead screw thread 6 was ≤0.01mm, and the overall structure met the design standard of 10,000 hours of service life, making it suitable for long-term continuous construction needs.

[0045] In addition to the above embodiments, the present invention may have other implementation methods. All technical solutions formed by equivalent substitution or equivalent transformation fall within the protection scope claimed by the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatically driven marine flexible support device, comprising a base (8) connected to a fixed end and a lifting unit disposed above the base (8), characterized in that: It also includes a reducer (2) that is horizontally set and sleeved on the vertically set lifting unit and power unit. The power unit includes a pneumatic motor (1) and a gas delivery pipeline. The reducer (2) is fixedly connected to the pneumatic motor (1) and the base (8) respectively. The reducer (2) includes a small gear (3) at the input end and a large gear (7) at the output end. The small gear (3) is connected to the output shaft of the pneumatic motor (1) by a flat key. The large gear (7) is sleeved on the lifting unit and threadedly connected to the lifting unit. An encoder is provided at the end of the reducer (2) away from the pneumatic motor (1). The encoder is connected to the small gear (3).

2. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting unit includes a trapezoidal lead screw (6) and a modular support column (12). The large gear (7) is sleeved on the trapezoidal lead screw (6), and the large gear (7) has a threaded hole in the middle that matches the thread of the trapezoidal lead screw (6).

3. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas delivery pipeline includes a main pipeline, a branch pipeline and a manifold connected in sequence, and the other end of the manifold is connected to a pneumatic motor (1) through a three-position five-way solenoid valve.

4. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The main pipeline and branch pipelines are laid with steel, and the manifolds are made of rubber hoses.

5. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The encoder is fitted with an encoder protective cover (4) that is fixedly connected to the reducer (2) and an encoder protective cover (5) that covers the encoder protective cover (4).

6. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Both end faces of the pinion (3) are provided with deep groove ball bearings (201), and both end faces of the gear (7) are provided with tapered roller bearings (202).

7. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The portion of the base (8) covering the trapezoidal lead screw (6) has a slot along the radial direction of the trapezoidal lead screw (6), and a flat connecting piece (11) is provided at the slot. An oil cup (9) is provided on the flat connecting piece (11).

8. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom of the trapezoidal lead screw (6) is fitted with an open guide ring (13), and the outer wall of the open guide ring (13) is in contact with the inner wall of the base (8).

9. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The helix angle of the trapezoidal lead screw (6) is 3° to 5°.

10. The pneumatically driven marine flexible support device according to any one of claims 3 to 9, characterized in that: The trapezoidal lead screw (6) is also fitted with a dust cover.

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