High-pressure-resistant underwater knob switch device

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-pressure-resistant underwater knob switch device, relates to the technical field of switch electrical equipment, and aims to solve the technical problems that an existing underwater switch is poor in sealing performance and cannot adapt to a high-pressure deepwater environment, and operating parts are prone to fatigue damage. The device comprises an end gland, a middle shell and a light-transmitting shell which are connected in sequence, a contact assembly is arranged in the light-transmitting shell, and a knob assembly is arranged at the rear end of the light-transmitting shell; a primary sealing structure composed of a double-spiral reducing spring and a forward conical rubber pad is arranged in the end gland, a secondary sealing structure composed of a reverse conical rubber pad is arranged in the middle shell, and the two-stage sealing structure is matched with a trapezoidal sealing ring between the shells to form an overall high-pressure-resistant sealing system. The knob assembly and the contact assembly are matched through non-contact magnetic attraction to realize contact on-off, and a dynamic sealing structure is omitted, so that the use reliability, safety and deepwater environment adaptability of the underwater switch are greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of switch electrical equipment technology, and relates to a switching device, specifically a high-pressure underwater rotary switch device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of society and the economy, the demand for underwater and surface equipment is increasing in fields such as aquatic resource development and underwater engineering operations, placing higher demands on the reliability and safety of such equipment. Rotary switches are commonly used control components in underwater electrical equipment, and their sealing performance directly determines the safety of the equipment and even relates to the lives of underwater operators.

[0003] Currently, most underwater switching devices use a single-cone rubber compression structure to seal the cable inlet, with a button wrapped in a rubber insulating membrane for switching operation. This structure has the following drawbacks in practical use: First, the single-cone rubber seal is a surface contact compression, resulting in relatively low compression pressure on the cable and limited sealing performance. It cannot withstand the high pressure of deep-water operations and is prone to water ingress and leakage. Second, the frequent folding and compression of the rubber insulating membrane during button operation easily leads to fatigue cracks after prolonged use. If not detected and replaced in time, water can seep into the equipment, causing short circuits, equipment damage, and even electric shock. Third, existing underwater switches lack anti-sticking design for their contact opening and closing structures. The electrical sparks generated during contact closure can easily cause contact sticking, preventing the switch from opening properly and posing a serious safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a high-pressure resistant underwater rotary switch device to solve the technical problems of poor sealing performance, inability to adapt to deep-water high-pressure environment, easy fatigue damage of operating parts, and easy adhesion failure of contacts in existing underwater switches, thereby greatly improving the sealing reliability, operational safety and environmental adaptability of underwater switch devices.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A high-pressure underwater rotary switch device includes an end cap, an intermediate housing, and a light-transmitting housing connected sequentially along the axial direction. A contact assembly is installed inside the light-transmitting housing, and a knob assembly is installed at the end of the light-transmitting housing away from the intermediate housing. The end cap is coaxially equipped with a double helical variable diameter spring, a rigid washer, and a positive conical rubber pad. The positive conical rubber pad has a through hole in the center for threading a four-core cable. The contact assembly includes a contact bracket, a fixed contact connecting plate, a moving contact assembly, and a return spring. The fixed contact connecting plate is fixed to one end of the contact bracket facing the central housing by an insulating pad and hexagonal socket head cap screws. The moving contact assembly is slidably mounted on the four support arms of the contact bracket. The return spring abuts against the moving contact assembly and the contact bracket. The fixed contact connecting plate is provided with a contact contact surface and a wire welding surface for welding cable cores. The moving contact assembly is provided with a spring plate contact that mates with the contact contact surface on one side facing the fixed contact connecting plate. A permanent magnet is fixed inside the moving contact assembly. The knob assembly includes a knob base, a knob rotatably mounted on the knob base, and a knob permanent magnet fixed to the side of the knob facing the light-transmitting housing. The knob permanent magnet is arranged opposite to the permanent magnet in the moving contact assembly. When the knob rotates, the knob permanent magnet can form a magnetic force that repels or attracts with the permanent magnet in the moving contact assembly, thereby driving the moving contact assembly to slide axially along the support arm of the contact bracket, so as to realize the contact conduction or separation between the spring plate contact and the contact contact surface.

[0006] Furthermore, the inner hole of the end cap is a conical hole, the outer edge of the double helical variable diameter spring fits against the inner wall of the conical hole, and the positive conical rubber pad is coaxially embedded in the inner hole of the double helical variable diameter spring; the end cap and the intermediate outer shell are coaxially connected by threads, and when the end cap is tightened, its conical hole inner wall radially presses against the double helical variable diameter spring, so that the inner wall of the positive conical rubber pad is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the inserted four-core cable, forming a primary sealing structure for the cable.

[0007] Furthermore, a reverse conical rubber pad is coaxially installed between the intermediate outer shell and the contact bracket. The inner hole of the contact bracket facing the intermediate outer shell is a conical hole, and the outer edge of the reverse conical rubber pad fits against the inner wall of the conical hole. The intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell are coaxially connected by pipe threads, and a trapezoidal sealing ring is sandwiched between them. When the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell are tightened, the reverse conical rubber pad is axially pressed so that the inner wall of the reverse conical rubber pad is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the inserted four-core cable, forming a two-stage sealing structure for the cable.

[0008] Furthermore, the moving contact assembly also includes a circuit board and an indicator light. The spring contact and the indicator light are both electrically connected to the circuit board. The light-emitting end of the indicator light is positioned facing the light-transmitting housing. When the spring contact and the contact surface make contact and conduct, the indicator light lights up simultaneously.

[0009] Furthermore, a rectangular sealing ring and an O-ring are respectively provided between the mating surfaces of the contact bracket and the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell.

[0010] Furthermore, a rotation limiting mechanism is provided between the opposite end faces of the knob and the knob seat. The rotation limiting mechanism includes a limiting groove formed on the end face of the knob seat, a limiting spring and a limiting steel ball embedded in the end face of the knob. The limiting steel ball rolls with the limiting groove under the elastic force of the limiting spring, and is used to limit the two rotation positions of the knob: on and off.

[0011] Furthermore, the primary sealing structure of the cable, the secondary sealing structure of the cable, and the trapezoidal sealing ring between the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell together constitute the overall high-pressure resistant sealing system of the switching device.

[0012] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention uses a double-helix variable diameter spring as the pressing component of the positive conical rubber pad. Compared with the traditional planar pressing structure, it can convert the axial force of the threaded tightening into a uniform radial clamping force, which greatly increases the pressing pressure of the sealing pad on the outer wall of the cable and significantly improves the sealing performance of the cable inlet under high pressure environment. It can adapt to deep water high pressure operation scenarios.

[0013] 2. The present invention sets up a primary seal composed of a positive conical rubber pad and a secondary seal composed of a reverse conical rubber pad, forming a double redundant cable sealing system. Even if the primary seal has slight leakage, the secondary seal can still achieve reliable water-proof protection, which greatly improves the reliability and safety of the cable inlet seal.

[0014] 3. The middle outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell of the present invention are connected by a pipe thread with self-sealing performance, and at the same time, they are combined with a trapezoidal sealing ring to form a double outer shell sealing structure, which effectively prevents water from seeping in from the outer shell connection surface and further enhances the overall sealing effect.

[0015] 4. This invention uses a non-contact magnetic drive structure to achieve contact on / off control. The knob assembly and the contact assembly are completely isolated by a light-transmitting shell, eliminating the need for a dynamic sealing structure. This fundamentally avoids the problem of fatigue cracking of the rubber isolation membrane in traditional push-button switches, and significantly improves the service life and operational reliability of the switching device.

[0016] 5. The present invention provides a reset spring between the moving contact assembly and the contact support. In addition to the magnetic attraction, the reset spring can provide additional reset force, which can effectively prevent the contact sticking problem caused by the high temperature of the electric spark when the contact is closed, ensure that the switch can be reliably disconnected, and eliminate safety hazards.

[0017] 6. The moving contact component of the present invention integrates an indicator light, which, together with the light-transmitting housing, allows for direct observation of the on / off status of the switch, facilitating underwater operators to monitor the equipment's operation in real time and improving operational convenience. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the present invention; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the contact assembly in this invention; Figure 4 is a structural diagram of the fixed contact connection plate in this invention; Figure 5 shows the left and right side views of the moving contact assembly in this invention; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the knob assembly in this invention.

[0019] 1-End cap, 2-Intermediate housing, 3-Contact assembly, 301-Contact bracket, 302-Rectangular sealing ring, 303-O-ring seal, 304-Insulating pad, 305-Fixed contact connecting plate, 306-Hex socket head cap bolt, 307-Reset spring, 308-Moving contact assembly, 310-Contact contact surface, 311-Wire welding surface, 312-Spring contact, 313-Circuit board, 314-Permanent magnet, 315-Indicator light, 4-Transparent housing, 5-Knob assembly, 501-Screw, 502-Knob permanent magnet, 503-Square hole washer, 504-Knob seat, 505-Limiting steel ball, 506-Limiting spring, 507-Knob, 6-Double helical variable diameter spring, 7-Rigid washer, 8-Positive conical rubber pad, 9-Trapezoidal sealing ring, 10-Reverse conical rubber pad. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-6 In this embodiment of the invention, a high-pressure underwater rotary switch device includes an end cap 1, an intermediate outer shell 2, and a light-transmitting outer shell 4, which are coaxially connected in sequence along the axial direction. The light-transmitting outer shell 4 is made of a non-metallic insulating material, which will not cause magnetic interference to the internal magnetic components and allows light transmission for observation. A contact assembly 3 is fixedly installed in the internal cavity of the light-transmitting outer shell 4, and a knob assembly 5 is installed at the end of the light-transmitting outer shell 4 away from the intermediate outer shell 2.

[0022] The inner hole of the end cap 1 is a conical hole that is narrow at the front end and wide at the rear end. Inside the end cap 1, a double-helix variable diameter spring 6, a rigid washer 7, and a positive conical rubber pad 8 are coaxially arranged in sequence. The outer edge of the double-helix variable diameter spring 6 fits against the inner wall of the conical hole. The positive conical rubber pad 8 is coaxially embedded in the inner hole of the double-helix variable diameter spring 6. A through-hole for inserting a four-core cable is opened in the center of the positive conical rubber pad 8. The rear inner wall of the end cap 1 is provided with internal threads, and the front outer wall of the intermediate housing 2 is provided with matching external threads. The end cap 1 and the intermediate housing 2 are coaxially connected by threads. When the end cap 1 is tightened, the inner wall of its conical hole will generate a radial clamping force on the double-helix variable diameter spring 6. After the double-helix variable diameter spring 6 contracts, it evenly squeezes the internal positive conical rubber pad 8, causing the inner wall of the positive conical rubber pad 8 to be tightly pressed against the outer wall of the inserted four-core cable, forming a primary sealing structure for the cable. A rigid washer 7 is placed between the end face of the double helical variable diameter spring 6 and the intermediate housing 2 to ensure the uniform transmission of the clamping force and prevent the spring from damaging the rubber pad.

[0023] The rear end of the intermediate outer shell 2 and the front end of the light-transmitting outer shell 4 are coaxially connected by a tapered pipe thread. A trapezoidal sealing ring 9 is sandwiched between the connecting end faces of the two. The pipe thread itself has sealing performance, and together with the trapezoidal sealing ring 9, a double-shell water-proof sealing structure is formed, effectively preventing water from seeping in from the outer shell connection surface. A reverse conical rubber pad 10 is coaxially installed between the internal cavity of the intermediate outer shell 2 and the front end of the contact bracket 301. The inner hole of the contact bracket 301 facing the intermediate outer shell 2 is a conical hole that is wider at the front end and narrower at the rear end. The outer edge of the reverse conical rubber pad 10 fits against the inner wall of the conical hole. When the intermediate outer shell 2 and the light-transmitting outer shell 4 are tightened, an axial clamping force is generated on the reverse conical rubber pad 10. The conical hole converts the axial force into a radial clamping force, so that the inner wall of the reverse conical rubber pad 10 is tightly pressed against the outer wall of the inserted four-core cable, forming a two-stage sealing structure for the cable. The aforementioned primary and secondary sealing structures of the cable, together with the trapezoidal sealing ring 9 on the outer shell connection surface, constitute the overall high-pressure resistant sealing system of the switchgear, which can achieve reliable water-proof protection in deep-water and high-pressure environments.

[0024] The contact assembly 3 includes a contact bracket 301, a rectangular sealing ring 302, an O-ring 303, an insulating pad 304, a fixed contact connecting plate 305, an internal hex bolt 306, a return spring 307, and a moving contact assembly 308. The contact bracket 301 is fixedly installed in the internal cavity of the light-transmitting housing 4. A rectangular sealing ring 302 and an O-ring 303 are respectively provided between the contact bracket 301 and the mating surfaces of the intermediate housing 2 and the light-transmitting housing 4, further enhancing the sealing performance of the contact assembly mounting area. The insulating pad 304 and the fixed contact connecting plate 305 are coaxially fixed to the end of the contact bracket 301 facing the intermediate housing 2 by the internal hex bolt 306. The insulating pad 304 provides electrical insulation between the fixed contact connecting plate 305 and the contact bracket 301. The front end face of the fixed contact connecting plate 305 has a wire welding surface 311 for welding four-core cable cores, and the rear end face has a contact contact surface 310.

[0025] The rear end of the contact bracket 301 is provided with four axial support arms evenly distributed circumferentially. The moving contact assembly 308 is slidably mounted on the four support arms and can slide freely along the axial direction of the support arms. The return spring 307 is coaxially sleeved on the outside of the support arm, and its two ends abut against the end faces of the moving contact assembly 308 and the contact bracket 301, respectively, providing a rearward return force for the moving contact assembly 308. A spring contact 312 corresponding to the position of the contact surface 310 is fixedly installed on the side of the moving contact assembly 308 facing the fixed contact connection plate 305. A circuit board 313, a permanent magnet 314, and an indicator light 315 are fixedly installed inside the moving contact assembly 308. The spring contact 312 and the indicator light 315 are both electrically connected to the circuit board 313. The light-emitting end of the indicator light 315 is set facing the rear end of the light-transmitting housing 4. When the spring contact 312 contacts and conducts with the contact surface 310, the indicator light 315 lights up simultaneously. The light can be observed from the outside through the light-transmitting housing 4, which makes it easy for operators to monitor the on / off status of the switch in real time.

[0026] The knob assembly 5 includes a knob base 504, a knob 507, a knob permanent magnet 502, a screw 501, a square hole washer 503, a limiting steel ball 505, and a limiting spring 506. The knob base 504 is coaxially fixed to the rear end of the light-transmitting housing 4. The knob 507 is rotatably mounted on the knob base 504 via a shaft hole. The knob permanent magnet 502 is coaxially fixed to the end face of the knob 507 facing the light-transmitting housing 4 via the screw 501 and the square hole washer 503. The knob permanent magnet 502 and the permanent magnet 314 in the moving contact assembly 308 are axially opposite each other. When knob 507 is rotated, it drives knob permanent magnet 502 to rotate synchronously, so that knob permanent magnet 502 and permanent magnet 314 in moving contact assembly 308 form a positional relationship of like poles facing each other or unlike poles facing each other, thereby generating magnetic force cooperation of repulsion or attraction: when the two like poles face each other, the mutual repulsion magnetic force drives moving contact assembly 308 to slide forward along the support arm, so that spring plate contact 312 is in close contact with contact surface 310, realizing circuit conduction; when the two unlike poles face each other, the attraction magnetic force cooperates with the reset spring force of reset spring 307 to drive moving contact assembly 308 to slide backward along the support arm, so that spring plate contact 312 is separated from contact surface 310, realizing circuit disconnection.

[0027] A rotation limiting mechanism is provided between the opposite end faces of the knob 507 and the knob base 504. The rotation limiting mechanism includes two sets of limiting grooves opened on the front end face of the knob base 504, two sets of limiting springs 506 and limiting steel balls 505 correspondingly embedded on the rear end face of the knob 507. The limiting steel balls 505 roll and cooperate with the limiting grooves under the elastic force of the limiting springs 506. The two sets of limiting grooves correspond to the two rotation positions of the switch being turned on and off, respectively, so as to achieve precise limiting when the knob 507 is rotated, and avoid the problem of incomplete or excessive operation.

[0028] The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: Before assembly and use, the four-core cable is passed sequentially through the end cap 1, the positive conical rubber pad 8, the intermediate shell 2, and the negative conical rubber pad 10. Then, the four cores of the four-core cable are passed through the wire holes of the contact bracket 301, and the ends of the cores are welded to the wire welding surface 311 of the fixed contact connection plate 305. Then, the end cap 1 is tightened so that the positive conical rubber pad 8 hugs the outer wall of the cable, completing the primary seal. Then, the pipe threads of the intermediate shell 2 and the light-transmitting shell 4 are tightened so that the negative conical rubber pad 10 hugs the outer wall of the cable, completing the secondary seal. At the same time, the trapezoidal sealing ring 9 is pressed to complete the shell seal. Thus, the assembly and sealing of the switch device are completed.

[0029] In use, rotating the knob 507 causes the limiting steel ball 505 to engage with the limiting groove of the corresponding workstation under the action of the limiting spring 506, thus positioning the workstation to either connect or disconnect. When the knob 507 is rotated to the connected workstation, the knob permanent magnet 502 and the permanent magnet 314 in the moving contact assembly 308 are opposite each other with the same poles. The repulsive magnetic force pushes the moving contact assembly 308 forward, and the spring plate contact 312 contacts the contact surface 310 to conduct electricity, thus connecting the circuit, and the indicator light 315 lights up simultaneously. When the knob 507 is rotated to the disconnected workstation, the knob permanent magnet 502 and the permanent magnet 314 in the moving contact assembly 308 are opposite each other with the opposite poles. The attractive magnetic force, combined with the elastic force of the reset spring 307, pulls the moving contact assembly 308 backward, causing the spring plate contact 312 to separate from the contact surface 310, disconnecting the circuit, and the indicator light 315 to turn off. The additional reset force of the reset spring 307 effectively prevents contact sticking and ensures reliable switch disconnection; the multi-stage sealing structure enables reliable water isolation in deep water and high-pressure environments; and the non-contact magnetic drive eliminates moving sealing components, significantly improving the service life and safety of the switch.

Claims

1. A high-pressure underwater rotary switch device, characterized in that, The device comprises an end cap, an intermediate housing, and a light-transmitting housing connected sequentially along the axial direction. A contact assembly is installed inside the light-transmitting housing, and a knob assembly is installed at the end of the light-transmitting housing away from the intermediate housing. A double-helix variable-diameter spring, a rigid washer, and a positive conical rubber pad are coaxially arranged inside the end cap. A through-hole for a four-core cable is formed in the center of the positive conical rubber pad. The contact assembly includes a contact bracket, a fixed contact connecting plate, a moving contact assembly, and a return spring. The fixed contact connecting plate is fixed to the end of the contact bracket facing the intermediate housing by an insulating pad and hexagonal socket head caps. The moving contact assembly is slidably mounted on the four support arms of the contact bracket. The return spring abuts against the moving contact assembly and the contact bracket. The fixed contact connecting plate has a contact contact surface and a wire welding surface for welding cable cores. The moving contact assembly has a spring contact that mates with the contact contact surface on the side facing the fixed contact connecting plate. A permanent magnet is fixed inside the moving contact assembly.

2. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The knob assembly includes a knob base, a knob rotatably mounted on the knob base, and a knob permanent magnet fixed to the side of the knob facing the light-transmitting housing. The knob permanent magnet is arranged opposite to the permanent magnet in the moving contact assembly, and the knob permanent magnet and the permanent magnet in the moving contact assembly form a magnetic force that repels or attracts each other.

3. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner hole of the end cap is a conical hole, and the outer edge of the double helical variable diameter spring fits against the inner wall of the conical hole. The positive conical rubber pad is coaxially embedded in the inner hole of the double helical variable diameter spring. The end cap and the intermediate outer shell are coaxially connected by threads. The inner wall of the conical hole of the end cap radially presses the double helical variable diameter spring, and the inner wall of the positive conical rubber pad is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the four-core cable, forming a primary sealing structure for the cable.

4. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A reverse conical rubber pad is coaxially installed between the intermediate outer shell and the contact bracket. The inner hole of the contact bracket facing the intermediate outer shell is a conical hole, and the outer edge of the reverse conical rubber pad fits against the inner wall of the conical hole. The intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell are coaxially connected by pipe threads, and a trapezoidal sealing ring is sandwiched between them. When the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell are tightened, the reverse conical rubber pad is axially pressed so that the inner wall of the reverse conical rubber pad is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the inserted four-core cable, forming a two-stage sealing structure for the cable.

5. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The moving contact assembly also includes a circuit board and an indicator light. The spring contact and the indicator light are both electrically connected to the circuit board, and the light-emitting end of the indicator light is positioned facing the light-transmitting housing.

6. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A rectangular sealing ring and an O-ring are respectively provided between the mating surfaces of the contact bracket and the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell.

7. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 6, characterized in that, A rotation limiting mechanism is provided between the opposite end faces of the knob and the knob seat. The rotation limiting mechanism includes a limiting groove formed on the end face of the knob seat, a limiting spring and a limiting steel ball embedded in the end face of the knob. The limiting steel ball rolls with the limiting groove under the elastic force of the limiting spring.

8. The high-pressure underwater rotary switch device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The primary sealing structure of the cable, the secondary sealing structure of the cable, and the trapezoidal sealing ring between the intermediate outer shell and the light-transmitting outer shell together constitute the overall high-pressure resistant sealing system of the switch device.

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